Control

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data for Control on the Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 shows a clear pattern of performance scaling across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers an average of 207.6 FPS on Low settings, 149.4 FPS on Medium, 131.1 FPS on High, and 112.8 FPS on Ultra. The spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is substantial, with Ultra delivering roughly 54% of the Low preset's frame rate, indicating that the higher presets impose a meaningful rendering cost even at the lowest tested resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 155.9 FPS on Low, 112.2 FPS on Medium, 97.4 FPS on High, and 87.8 FPS on Ultra. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by roughly 25-33% depending on the preset, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. At 3840x2160, the figures become 107.5 FPS on Low, 74.7 FPS on Medium, 65.9 FPS on High, and 58.9 FPS on Ultra. Notably, the Ultra preset at 4K falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, while High remains above it.

The data also reveals that the scaling between presets is not linear. At 1080p, moving from Medium to High costs about 18 FPS, while High to Ultra costs another 18 FPS. At 1440p, Medium to High costs roughly 15 FPS, and High to Ultra costs about 10 FPS. At 4K, the Medium to High step costs about 9 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 7 FPS. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes increasingly saturated, reducing the relative impact of each preset increment.

# CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data across resolutions provides insight into which component limits performance in Control. At 1920x1080, the CPU's role is more prominent, as evidenced by the large absolute frame rate differences between presets. The i9-14900K, with its 24 cores and 32 threads, has ample headroom for this game, which launched in 2019 and does not heavily utilize multi-threaded workloads beyond a handful of cores. The benchmark results indicate that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 207.6 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is still able to feed the GPU adequately, but the GPU is likely not the primary constraint at this preset.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440 and then 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are exercised more heavily at higher pixel counts, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a reduction of roughly 33-47% across presets, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where the additional pixels directly reduce throughput. The fact that the CPU is a top-tier part — ranking in the 95th percentile against all CPUs — means that even at 1080p, the bottleneck is unlikely to be the processor.

The data implies that Control at this resolution range is primarily GPU-bound, especially at Medium, High, and Ultra presets. At 1080p Low, the CPU may still have some influence, but the i9-14900K's single-core performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2262.5, is more than sufficient for a game of this era. The GPU's percentile ranking of 82 against all GPUs indicates a strong but not top-tier part, and the measured FPS reflects that positioning.

# Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 112.8 FPS. This is well above the playable threshold, leaving substantial headroom for potential frame rate dips or additional background tasks. The Low preset at 207.6 FPS and Medium at 149.4 FPS are also viable, but Ultra provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again clears the threshold, with an average of 87.8 FPS. This is approximately 28 FPS above the 60 FPS playable mark, meaning the system can handle the most demanding settings at this resolution with confidence. High at 97.4 FPS and Medium at 112.2 FPS are also options, but Ultra is the best choice for image quality.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Ultra preset drops to 58.9 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is High, which delivers an average of 65.9 FPS. This is a narrow margin of about 6 FPS above the threshold, suggesting that players seeking a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K may want to consider High settings or accept occasional dips. Medium at 74.7 FPS and Low at 107.5 FPS are also above the threshold, but High represents the best balance of visual fidelity and performance at this resolution.

# The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Control is answered clearly by the verdictByResolution data. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable, with average frame rates ranging from 112.8 FPS on Ultra to 207.6 FPS on Low. The system exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin across the board, making it more than capable for 1080p gaming.

At 2560x1440, the same is true: every preset clears 60 FPS, with Ultra at 87.8 FPS being the most demanding. This means the system can run the game at maximum settings at 1440p without concern. The data shows that even the heaviest preset maintains a comfortable buffer above the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more nuanced. The system can run the game at Low (107.5 FPS), Medium (74.7 FPS), and High (65.9 FPS), all of which are above 60 FPS. However, Ultra falls to 58.9 FPS, which is below the threshold. Therefore, the system can run Control at 4K, but only up to High settings if the 60 FPS target is to be maintained. The margin at High is slim, and users with high-refresh-rate 4K displays may need to lower to Medium for a more comfortable experience.

# Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i9-14900KF is the closest match, with an average benchmark score of 79371 compared to the i9-14900K's 79097, a difference of -0.3%. This means the KF variant, which lacks integrated graphics, would perform virtually identically in Control. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is also near, with an average score of 79574 and a delta of -0.6%, while the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041 (-1.2%). These CPUs would all deliver similar frame rates in a GPU-bound scenario like Control.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5070's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580, which has an average score of 40318 versus the RTX 5070's 40377, a delta of 0.1%. This indicates near-identical performance in synthetic benchmarks, though real-world gaming results could vary. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063 (0.8% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870 (-1.2% delta), and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568 (2% delta). These alternatives would likely produce FPS figures within a few frames of the RTX 5070 in Control, though the professional-oriented nature of these cards may affect driver optimization for gaming.

For a system using the i9-14900K with one of these alternative GPUs, the measured FPS would be expected to fall within a narrow range of the values reported here. The delta percentages suggest that the Radeon Pro 5300 might be slightly faster, while the RTX A500 Mobile could be a bit slower, but none of these differences would change the fundamental verdict at any resolution.

# FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 delivers an average of 112.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 3840x2160?

A: The High preset at 3840x2160 delivers an average of 65.9 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 58.9 FPS, which is below the threshold.

Q: How does the i9-14900K compare to its closest rival, the i9-14900KF?

A: The i9-14900KF has an average benchmark score of 79371, which is 0.3% lower than the i9-14900K's score of 79097, indicating virtually identical performance.

Q: Is the RTX 5070's performance closer to the AMD Radeon Pro 580 or the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average score of 40377, while the Radeon Pro 580 scores 40318 (0.1% delta) and the RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568 (2% delta). The Radeon Pro 580 is the closer match.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 155.9 FPS, while Ultra averages 87.8 FPS, a difference of 68.1 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, the GPU is likely the primary constraint, given that the CPU ranks in the 95th percentile and the frame rates scale significantly with preset changes, indicating GPU-bound rendering.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 736 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations in the database. This ranking reflects the strong overall performance of the system, which is capable of running the game at high frame rates across most resolutions and presets.

The rank of 736 suggests that while this is a capable pairing, there are many other combinations that deliver better performance in Control. This is likely due to the RTX 5070's position in the GPU hierarchy — its 82nd percentile ranking means that higher-tier GPUs exist and would produce higher frame rates. However, the i9-14900K's 95th percentile ranking ensures that the CPU is not a limiting factor, allowing the GPU to operate at its full potential.

The data indicates that this combo is well-balanced for Control, with the CPU providing ample headroom and the GPU delivering solid performance at 1080p and 1440p, with acceptable results at 4K up to High settings. The ranking of 736 out of 3720 places it comfortably in the upper echelon, meaning users of this system should expect a smooth experience with this game, particularly at lower resolutions. The only notable weakness is the Ultra preset at 4K, which falls just short of the 60 FPS target.