Control

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a decisive performance verdict for Control: it is fully capable of exceeding 60 FPS at every resolution tested, from 1080p to 4K, as long as settings are chosen wisely. At 4K, the combo achieves a playable average of 62 FPS on High settings, though Ultra settings dip to 54 FPS. Moving down to 1440p and 1080p, the system has ample headroom, with Ultra presets averaging 80 FPS and 106 FPS respectively. The data confirms this pairing is not just adequate but comfortably positioned for high-refresh-rate play at lower resolutions while remaining viable for 4K with modest setting adjustments.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Control provides a clear picture of performance scaling across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system is overwhelmingly powerful. On Low settings, the average FPS reaches 193, which is nearly three times the playable threshold. Medium settings deliver an average of 137 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. High settings produce an average of 122 FPS, while Ultra settings still maintain a strong 106 FPS average. The 1080p results show that even the most demanding preset leaves massive performance on the table, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance remains excellent but begins to show the expected scaling cost. Low settings average 146 FPS, while Medium settings drop to 104 FPS, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS. High settings average 92 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 80 FPS. The 1440p data indicates that the RTX 4070 handles the increased pixel count with ease, keeping every preset well above the 60 FPS threshold. The step from Ultra to High at this resolution is a 12 FPS difference, suggesting that visual fidelity can be maximized without sacrificing smoothness.

The 3840x2160 results are the most telling for this hardware pairing. At 4K, Low settings provide an average of 98 FPS, which is surprisingly high and indicates the game is well-optimized for this GPU. Medium settings average 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. High settings average 62 FPS, which just clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. Ultra settings, however, fall short with an average of 54 FPS. The 4K data reveals a clear boundary: High is the maximum playable preset, while Ultra requires a reduction in resolution or settings for a consistent 60 FPS experience.

The minimum FPS data points are sparse but informative. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 88 FPS shows a 16 FPS dip from the average, indicating occasional frame drops but never approaching the 60 FPS line. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 116 FPS is only 21 FPS below the average, demonstrating excellent frame pacing. The 4K Medium minimum of 59 FPS is the only recorded value that falls below 60 FPS, which aligns with the verdict that 4K Medium is borderline playable. Overall, the measured FPS table shows a consistent and predictable performance curve, with no anomalies or unexplained bottlenecks.

CPU and GPU Roles

Analyzing the scaling between resolutions and presets clarifies which component dominates in Control with this setup. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a moderate performance drop across all presets: Low settings fall from 193 to 146 FPS (a 24% reduction), while Ultra drops from 106 to 80 FPS (a 25% reduction). This consistent scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter as resolution increases, since the CPU workload remains relatively constant while the pixel count grows.

The move from 1440p to 4K reveals a more pronounced GPU bottleneck. Low settings drop from 146 to 98 FPS (a 33% reduction), and Medium falls from 104 to 70 FPS (a 33% reduction). High settings drop from 92 to 62 FPS (a 33% reduction), and Ultra falls from 80 to 54 FPS (a 33% reduction). This uniform scaling across all presets at the 4K step is a classic sign that the RTX 4070 is fully saturated, leaving the Core i9-14900K with ample headroom. The CPU's role is clearly secondary in this game at these settings.

The Intel Core i9-14900K, with its 24 cores and 32 threads, is far more powerful than Control requires, even at 1080p Low where the GPU produces 193 FPS. The data shows no signs of CPU limitation, as the FPS scales almost perfectly with resolution changes. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS drops when moving to higher resolutions, because the CPU would cap the frame rate regardless of GPU load. Instead, the consistent percentage drops confirm that the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution above 1080p Low.

At 1080p Low, the 193 FPS result suggests the CPU is still not the constraint, as this frame rate is exceptionally high for any modern title. The RTX 4070's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth are the specs that matter most here, and they align with the observed scaling. In summary, the Core i9-14900K is overkill for Control, while the RTX 4070 is the component that determines playability, particularly at 4K where its limits are reached on Ultra settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 54, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which achieves an average of 62 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a 60 FPS experience?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with Ultra settings delivers an 80 FPS average, and 1920x1080 with Ultra settings delivers 106 FPS. At 4K, High settings are required to stay above 60 FPS, with a 62 FPS average.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: Across all presets, the drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is substantial. For example, Low settings fall from 193 FPS to 98 FPS, and Ultra settings fall from 106 FPS to 54 FPS. This represents roughly a 50% reduction in frame rate at 4K compared to 1080p.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K shows consistent percentage drops across all presets, indicating the RTX 4070 is fully utilized while the Core i9-14900K has excess capacity.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 ever drop below 60 FPS in the measured data?

A: Yes, but only at 4K. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 shows a minimum FPS of 59, which is just below the threshold. The High preset at 4K averages 62 FPS, but no minimum data is provided. At 1440p and 1080p, all recorded minimums are above 60 FPS.

Q: What settings should be used for a smooth 4K experience?

A: The verdict data lists High, Low, and Medium as playable settings at 3840x2160. High is the best setting, providing a 62 FPS average. Low settings offer 98 FPS for higher refresh rates, while Medium averages 70 FPS but has a minimum of 59 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC configuration can definitively run Control with excellent performance across the board. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with the best setting being Ultra at 106 FPS average. This makes the system ideal for 1080p gaming with maximum visual quality and high refresh rates. At 2560x1440, the same conclusion applies — all presets are playable, and Ultra is the best setting with an 80 FPS average. This is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a perfect balance of image quality and speed.

At 3840x2160, the system remains capable but requires setting management. The playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best choice at 62 FPS average. Ultra settings at 4K are not playable, as the 54 FPS average falls short of the 60 FPS threshold. For users prioritizing 4K, the data suggests sticking to High settings for a consistent experience, or accepting the 70 FPS average on Medium with the understanding that minimum FPS may occasionally dip to 59. The overall verdict is positive: this hardware combination clears the 60 FPS bar at every resolution with appropriate settings, and offers exceptional performance at 1080p and 1440p.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i9-14900K provide context for CPU performance. The Intel Core i9-14900KF has an average benchmark score of 79371, which is 0.3% lower than the i9-14900K. This means the KF variant, which lacks integrated graphics, would deliver virtually identical gaming performance in Control. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574, 0.6% lower, and the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041, 1.2% lower. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, which is 1.7% higher. These deltas are all within a narrow band, so any of these CPUs would produce nearly the same FPS results in this game, confirming that the i9-14900K is not a performance outlier.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070's nearest rivals show similar proximity. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 has an average score of 37628, just 0.1% lower, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, 0.4% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 1.3% higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, 1.3% lower. These small deltas suggest that swapping the RTX 4070 for any of these alternatives would result in nearly identical frame rates in Control. However, it is important to note that these are benchmark averages, not specific game tests, so real-world differences could vary slightly. For this game, the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, and none of the rivals offer a significant advantage or disadvantage in the measured FPS data.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 904th out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places the setup in the top 24% of all configurations in the database, which is a strong result given the game's age and the hardware's specifications. The rank reflects the measured FPS performance across all resolutions and presets, and the data shows that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems tested. The percentile rankings for the individual components support this: the CPU sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs.

The ranking of 904 out of 3720 is influenced by the fact that Control is not particularly demanding by modern standards, and many higher-end GPUs (such as the RTX 4080 or 4090) would score higher. However, the observed performance is more than sufficient for a smooth experience, and the rank should be interpreted as a measure of raw performance headroom rather than playability. The combo's 4K High performance of 62 FPS and 1440p Ultra performance of 80 FPS are strong indicators that this system will handle other games of similar or lower graphical intensity with ease. For the specific purpose of running Control, this rank confirms that the configuration is well above average and fully capable of delivering the intended experience.