Control

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a wide spread of performance in Control, ranging from a demanding 41.9 FPS at 4K Ultra to a fluid 158.9 FPS at 1080p Low. The measured data shows a system that is clearly capable of high-refresh-rate play at 1440p and 1080p, while 4K requires significant settings compromises to maintain playability. The benchmark results indicate that this combination is best suited for users prioritizing high frame rates over maximum resolution, with the 4K experience being limited by the GPU's 8 GB memory and Ampere architecture.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded average frame rates show a steep curve as settings increase. The Low preset averages 81.4 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that clears the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium dips to 55.5 FPS, High drops further to 52.8 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 41.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 39.5 FPS, a 48.5% reduction in average frame rate, indicating that the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are heavily taxed by the higher presets at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the data shows a healthier range of performance. Low averages 121.3 FPS, Medium delivers 85.4 FPS, High reaches 75.1 FPS, and Ultra still manages 66.8 FPS. All four presets exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra being the most demanding at 66.8 FPS. The scaling from 4K to 1440p is substantial: Ultra improves from 41.9 FPS to 66.8 FPS, a 24.9 FPS gain, while Low jumps from 81.4 FPS to 121.3 FPS, a 39.9 FPS improvement. This suggests that the pixel count reduction from 3840x2160 to 2560x1440 (a 44% decrease in pixels) provides a disproportionate performance boost, pointing to a GPU-limited scenario at higher resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the combination shows its strongest results. Low averages 158.9 FPS, Medium hits 111.6 FPS, High records 98.4 FPS, and Ultra remains at 88.3 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 70.6 FPS, or 44.4% of the Low score, which is a smaller relative drop than at 4K (48.5%) but a larger absolute gap. The 1080p results indicate that the i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads are more than sufficient to feed the RTX 3070, as even the most demanding Ultra preset holds above 88 FPS.

The recorded data contains no minimum or maximum frame time values, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates. The absence of 1% lows or 0.1% lows means stuttering behavior cannot be assessed from the database, but the average FPS figures provide a reliable baseline for comparative analysis.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1604th out of 3720 tested combinations in the database for Control. This places the combo in the 56.9th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of configurations. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's position: the RTX 3070 sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, while the i9-14900K is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. The CPU is a top-tier part, but the GPU is mid-range, and the overall combo rank reflects this imbalance.

Compared to other combos, this pairing is neither exceptional nor weak. The 1604th rank out of 3720 suggests that a significant number of systems with higher-end GPUs, such as those from the GeForce 40 series, outrank it. However, the CPU's strength means that in CPU-bound scenarios, this combo would outperform many systems with weaker processors. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor for achieving higher ranks in this game, as Control's visual effects and resolution scaling are primarily GPU-intensive.

The percentile vs all CPUs (95) and percentile vs all GPUs (61) highlight the disparity: the CPU is among the top 5% of all processors, while the GPU is only in the upper-middle tier. This combination is therefore not a balanced pairing for pushing maximum visual quality, but it excels in scenarios where the CPU's single-thread performance (2262.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core) and multi-thread capabilities (39399.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) can compensate for the GPU's limitations.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal a clear shift in component dominance as resolution changes. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate drops from 81.4 FPS at Low to 41.9 FPS at Ultra, a 48.5% reduction, while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant. This is consistent with the RTX 3070's 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 8 GB GDDR6 memory being insufficient for 4K Ultra settings in Control, which employs heavy ray-traced effects and high-resolution textures.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly. The Ultra preset still maintains 66.8 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, but the gap between Low (121.3 FPS) and Ultra (66.8 FPS) is 54.5 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is still the limiting factor, but the CPU is now providing more headroom. The i9-14900K's high single-thread score (2262.5 in Cinebench R23) ensures that the GPU is fed with frames efficiently, preventing CPU-side stalls.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's role becomes more prominent. The Ultra preset achieves 88.3 FPS, which is only 44.4% lower than the Low preset's 158.9 FPS. This smaller relative drop suggests that the GPU is no longer the sole bottleneck; the CPU's frame generation capability is being approached. However, the i9-14900K's 6.00 GHz boost clock and 36 MB shared L3 cache provide ample headroom, so the system remains well above the 60 FPS threshold even at Ultra.

The scaling between resolutions confirms that the GPU is the dominant constraint. When moving from 1080p Ultra (88.3 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (66.8 FPS), the frame rate drops by 21.5 FPS, a 24.3% reduction. From 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra (41.9 FPS), the drop is 24.9 FPS, a 37.3% reduction. The larger percentage drop at 4K indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shader throughput are saturated at that resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database's nearest rivals for the Intel Core i9-14900K include the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which has an average benchmark score of 79371, only 0.3% lower than the i9-14900K's 79097. This makes the KF variant a near-identical CPU for gaming performance, as it lacks only the integrated UHD Graphics 770. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, which is 1.7% higher than the i9-14900K, indicating that this AMD part would provide slightly better CPU-bound performance in Control. The AMD EPYC 7413 and Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus are also listed, with deltas of -1.2% and -0.6% respectively, meaning they would be within 2% of the i9-14900K's performance in CPU-bound scenarios.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, the nearest rivals show a tight grouping. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083, which is 0.7% higher than the RTX 3070's 17208, making it a direct competitor. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 and AMD Radeon HD 7970M are also listed with scores of 17037 and 17019, but these are older architectures and would likely perform differently in Control's specific workloads. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468, which is 1.5% lower than the RTX 3070, but this is a compute-focused card not suited for gaming.

In practice, a user with the i9-14900KF would see virtually identical FPS in Control, as the 0.3% delta is negligible. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, with its 1.7% higher CPU score, might provide a small edge in CPU-bound scenarios at 1080p, but the GPU would still be the limiting factor at higher resolutions. For the GPU, the RX 7600 XT is the most relevant alternative, as its 0.7% higher score suggests it would deliver frame rates within 1 FPS of the RTX 3070 across all settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset, which averages 81.4 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 55.5 FPS, High to 52.8 FPS, and Ultra to 41.9 FPS, all below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p for this combo?

A: The Ultra preset is playable, averaging 66.8 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS at 2560x1440.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to the RX 7600 XT in this game?

A: The RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score 0.7% higher than the RTX 3070, suggesting nearly identical performance in Control. The measured FPS would be within approximately 1 FPS of the RTX 3070's results.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the primary constraint at 4K and 1440p, as shown by the large FPS drops when increasing settings. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, but the i9-14900K provides sufficient headroom to avoid bottlenecking.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1080p Ultra?

A: The recorded data shows an average of 88.3 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 3070 cause issues at 4K?

A: The data indicates that 4K Ultra averages only 41.9 FPS, which is likely due to both VRAM capacity and GPU compute limits. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory is insufficient for the highest texture and effect settings at this resolution.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear from the recorded data. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset (81.4 FPS) is playable, while Medium (55.5 FPS), High (52.8 FPS), and Ultra (41.9 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable: Low (121.3 FPS), Medium (85.4 FPS), High (75.1 FPS), and Ultra (66.8 FPS). At 1920x1080, the same pattern holds with even higher headroom: Low (158.9 FPS), Medium (111.6 FPS), High (98.4 FPS), and Ultra (88.3 FPS).

The system can run Control, but the experience varies dramatically by resolution. For a 4K display, the user must accept the Low preset to stay above 60 FPS, which sacrifices most of the game's visual fidelity. At 1440p, the Ultra preset is viable, providing a balanced experience. At 1080p, the system delivers excellent performance across all settings, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The overall combo rank of 1604 out of 3720 confirms that this is a mid-tier configuration for Control, capable of smooth play at mainstream resolutions but not at the highest 4K settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 81.4 FPS. The Medium preset at 55.5 FPS is the next step down but fails the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, averaging 66.8 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that clears 60 FPS, providing the full visual experience without frame rate compromises.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset again delivers the best balance, with an average of 88.3 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above 60 FPS, allowing for consistent frame delivery even during demanding scenes. The data shows that this combo is best utilized at 1080p and 1440p, where it can fully exercise the Ultra preset while maintaining smooth gameplay.