Control

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a decisive performance verdict for Control: this combination runs the game at well over 60 FPS at every resolution and every preset tested. The data shows a system that does not merely meet the playable threshold of 60 FPS but exceeds it by a significant margin, from a minimum average of 75.6 FPS at 4K Ultra to a peak of 276 FPS at 1080p Low. The benchmark results position this combo as a top-tier performer, ranking 113th out of 3,720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 3% of all systems tested. With no min or max FPS data recorded, the analysis relies on average FPS, which consistently indicates a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience across all settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this CPU-GPU pairing reveals a linear scaling pattern across resolutions and presets, with performance decreasing predictably as graphical load increases. At 1920x1080, the system operates at exceptionally high frame rates: Low settings produce an average of 276 FPS, Medium delivers 195.6 FPS, High reaches 174 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a robust 153 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 123 FPS, indicating that the RTX 4090 has substantial headroom even when pushed to maximum settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain comfortably above any competitive threshold. Low settings yield 205.8 FPS, Medium drops to 146.1 FPS, High records 133.9 FPS, and Ultra holds at 113.5 FPS. The performance delta between Low and Ultra here is 92.3 FPS, showing less relative scaling than at 1080p, which suggests the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as pixel count increases. Still, every preset at 1440p clears the 60 FPS mark by at least 53.5 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system demonstrates its most demanding workload, yet it still delivers playable frame rates across all settings. Low produces 137.1 FPS, Medium averages 96.6 FPS, High records 86.6 FPS, and Ultra settles at 75.6 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 61.5 FPS, the narrowest margin among all resolutions, confirming that resolution scaling has a pronounced effect on performance. Even at the most demanding configuration — 4K Ultra — the average FPS of 75.6 remains 15.6 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Notably, the data contains no min or max FPS values for any configuration, so the analysis cannot address frame time consistency or 1% lows. However, the average FPS figures alone suggest a consistently high-performance profile. The pattern across all twelve measured configurations is clear: this combo never dips below 75 FPS on average, regardless of resolution or preset.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 75.6 FPS, which is 15.6 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the most demanding configuration tested, and it still clears the threshold comfortably.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 276, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates the system has massive headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions.

Q: How does performance scale from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 153 at 1920x1080 to 113.5 at 2560x1440, and finally to 75.6 at 3840x2160. This represents a 50.6% reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K, showing that resolution significantly impacts performance even with top-tier hardware.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 bottlenecked by the i9-14900K at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the FPS difference between Low (276) and Ultra (153) is 123 FPS, while at 4K, the difference narrows to 61.5 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is working closer to its limit, reducing the performance gap between presets.

Q: Does this combo rank highly among all tested systems?

A: Yes. The combo ranks 113th out of 3,720 combinations tested, placing it in the top 3.04% of all systems. This places it among the elite performers in the database.

Q: Are there any settings at any resolution where this combo falls below 60 FPS?

A: No. Every combination of resolution and preset tested produces an average FPS above 60. The lowest recorded average is 75.6 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still 26% above the playable threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data identifies the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above 60 for each resolution. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which produces an average of 153 FPS. This is 93 FPS above the playable threshold, indicating massive headroom for future updates or more demanding scenes. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings again provide the best visual quality while maintaining an average of 113.5 FPS, which is 53.5 FPS above the threshold. At 3840x2160, Ultra settings yield an average of 75.6 FPS, still comfortably above the 60 FPS mark by 15.6 FPS.

For each resolution, the recommendation is straightforward: enable Ultra settings for maximum visual fidelity, as the system has sufficient performance headroom even at 4K. The data shows no scenario where the player must compromise on settings to achieve playable frame rates. The margin of safety decreases as resolution increases — from 93 FPS at 1080p to 15.6 FPS at 4K — but remains positive in all cases. Players seeking higher refresh rates could opt for lower settings, but the Ultra preset delivers the full visual experience without dropping below the playable threshold.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unequivocal: this PC can run Control at every resolution and preset combination tested, with all configurations clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdictByResolution data confirms that all four settings — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080. The best settings at each resolution are Ultra, with average FPS of 75.6 at 4K, 113.5 at 1440p, and 153 at 1080p.

The performance headroom varies by resolution. At 1080p, the system operates far above the threshold, with even Ultra settings delivering more than double the required FPS. At 1440p, Ultra settings provide a comfortable 53.5 FPS margin above the threshold. At 4K, the margin narrows to 15.6 FPS, but it remains positive. The system does not merely run the game; it runs it with substantial overhead that accommodates potential performance fluctuations or demanding in-game scenarios. For players targeting 60 FPS as a baseline, this combo delivers that experience at maximum settings across all resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling data between resolutions and presets reveals how the CPU and GPU each contribute to performance in Control. At 1920x1080, the GPU is not fully utilized, as evidenced by the large FPS range from 276 at Low to 153 at Ultra. The 123 FPS spread suggests that the CPU can feed frames quickly enough, but the GPU's workload varies significantly with preset quality. The i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, provide ample processing power to avoid CPU bottlenecks at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the FPS spread narrows to 92.3 FPS (205.8 Low vs. 113.5 Ultra), indicating the GPU is becoming more dominant in determining performance. The CPU still handles the increased pixel count without issue, but the RTX 4090's workload grows more demanding. The 41.7% reduction from Low to Ultra at 1440p, compared to a 44.6% reduction at 1080p, shows a slight shift toward GPU-bound performance.

At 3840x2160, the FPS spread narrows further to 61.5 FPS (137.1 Low vs. 75.6 Ultra), confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The 44.8% reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is similar to 1080p in percentage terms, but the absolute FPS values are much lower. The RTX 4090, with its 16,384 shading units and 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth, is working near its limits at 4K Ultra. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases; at 1080p, the CPU has more influence on frame delivery, while at 4K, the GPU's rendering capabilities dictate performance. The data shows that for Control, the GPU matters more at higher resolutions, while the CPU's high single-thread performance (2262.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures consistent frame delivery across all settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 113th out of 3,720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 3.04% of all systems in the database. This rank reflects the combined strength of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 in running Control. The CPU alone performs in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,097. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF (deltaPct -0.3%), the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (deltaPct -0.6%), and the AMD EPYC 7413 (deltaPct -1.2%), all of which are within 1.2% of its score. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.7% behind.

The GPU ranks in the 88th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60,347. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60 (deltaPct 0%), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (deltaPct 0.3%), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (deltaPct -2.5%). The RTX 4090's score is effectively tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60, showing that synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture its gaming performance. The combination of a top-5% CPU and a top-12% GPU yields a top-3% gaming result in Control, demonstrating that the pairing works synergistically. The rank of 113 out of 3,720 indicates that only 112 other tested combinations deliver higher average FPS in this game, making this an elite-tier system for Control.