Control

The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination delivers a playable but demanding experience in Control, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck. The data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, with the gap between settings widening significantly at 4K, indicating that the Radeon RX 6650 XT’s capabilities are stretched to their limits at higher pixel counts.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution climbs. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 123.8 FPS, which drops to 93.1 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 61.7 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 50.2% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, showcasing the raw pixel throughput demands of 4K.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher quality presets. With High settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p sees a drop from 77.9 FPS to 60.1 FPS (a 22.8% decrease), while moving to 4K yields 40.8 FPS — a 47.6% reduction from 1080p. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic falloff: 67.5 FPS at 1080p, 49.4 FPS at 1440p, and a mere 32.2 FPS at 4K, meaning 4K Ultra delivers less than half the frame rate of 1080p Ultra.

This scaling behavior indicates a GPU-bound scenario throughout. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, is not the limiting factor here; the consistent frame rate drops across all settings point squarely at the Radeon RX 6650 XT. Notably, the gap between Low and Ultra settings grows from 56.3 FPS at 1080p to 29.5 FPS at 4K, suggesting that at lower resolutions the GPU has enough headroom to handle the extra graphical load, but at 4K every setting increase costs disproportionately more performance.

The 1440p results are particularly telling. At 2560x1440 High, the combo hits 60.1 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1440p reaches 65.8 FPS, while Low achieves 93.1 FPS. These figures suggest that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combination if aiming for high refresh rates, while 4K requires significant compromises in visual fidelity to remain playable.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT sits at the heart of this performance profile, equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s boost clock of 2635 MHz and game clock of 2410 MHz provide the computational muscle, with 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs handling the rasterization workload. The 32 ray accelerators are present for ray tracing, though the benchmark data does not isolate ray tracing performance.

The VRAM capacity becomes a critical factor at 4K, where the 8 GB frame buffer can become constrained with High or Ultra textures. The measured results support this interpretation: at 3840x2160, the jump from Medium (47.9 FPS) to High (40.8 FPS) costs 7.1 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra (32.2 FPS) costs 8.6 FPS. This escalating penalty at higher presets suggests that memory bandwidth and capacity are being taxed, forcing the GPU to work harder as texture data exceeds comfortable limits.

The GPU’s transistor count of 11,060 million on a 7 nm process node from TSMC gives it a solid foundation, but the 128-bit memory interface limits its ability to feed the 2048 shading units at 4K resolutions. The pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s are respectable for the class, yet the data shows that sustained 4K performance remains out of reach.

At 1080p, the GPU demonstrates its capability, with Low settings producing 123.8 FPS and Medium hitting 86.4 FPS. The 77.9 FPS at High and 67.5 FPS at Ultra show that even at the lowest resolution, the most demanding presets push the GPU to its limits. The FP32 compute of 10.79 TFLOPS provides adequate shader throughput for this game’s particle effects and physics simulations, but the bottleneck at higher resolutions is clearly memory-related.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this combination of Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks 1063 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the lower tier of systems, which is consistent with the measured frame rates showing 4K Ultra at just 32.2 FPS.

The CPU component performs well relative to its peers, sitting in the 88th percentile against all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 32508 places it nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513, 0% delta) and just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446). The AMD Ryzen 7 250 (32584) and Intel Core i7-13705H (32586) are both 0.2% behind, indicating this CPU is well-matched against mobile and desktop rivals.

The GPU, however, occupies a more modest position at the 72nd percentile against all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 29024 is virtually tied with the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (29011, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 470 (28996, 0.1% ahead). The Intel Arc A370M (29175) sits 0.5% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH (29197) is 0.6% ahead. This clustering shows the RX 6650 XT is competitive within its immediate peer group, but those peers are not high-end performers.

The combo’s overall rank of 1063 out of 1636 suggests that while the CPU is a strong contributor, the GPU holds the system back in this specific title. The data indicates that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would likely yield significantly better results in Control, as the processor has demonstrated it can keep up with faster competitors.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080 displays, the High preset at 77.9 FPS provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 67.5 FPS is playable but offers diminishing returns over High, while Medium at 86.4 FPS is a solid choice for those prioritizing higher refresh rates. The Low preset’s 123.8 FPS is unnecessary for most displays, though it could benefit 144Hz monitors.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 65.8 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it maintains fluid motion without sacrificing too much detail. The High preset at 60.1 FPS is the absolute minimum for a 60 FPS experience, but it leaves no headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 93.1 FPS is the only option that consistently exceeds 60 FPS with margin, making it suitable for 144Hz panels, while Ultra at 49.4 FPS should be avoided for action sequences.

For 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 61.7 FPS is the only setting that achieves a smooth 60 FPS experience, but it sacrifices significant visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 47.9 FPS is playable but noticeably less fluid, and High at 40.8 FPS or Ultra at 32.2 FPS are best reserved for static scenes or screenshot purposes. Users with 4K displays should prioritize Low or Medium settings to maintain responsive gameplay.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with high settings?*

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 40.8 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset achieves 61.7 FPS at 4K, making it the only 4K option that reaches playable frame rates.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware?

A: The 1920x1080 resolution with High settings delivers 77.9 FPS, providing a strong balance of visual quality and performance. At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 60.1 FPS, which is acceptable but leaves little margin for demanding scenes.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508, which is statistically tied with the Intel Core i7-12800H at 32513 (0% delta) and 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 at 32446. It sits 0.2% behind both the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H.

Q: Is the GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates this. The frame rate drops consistently across all resolution increases, and the GPU ranks in the 72nd percentile against all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 88th percentile. The performance scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking in this game?

A: This combination ranks 1063 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the lower half of systems, reflecting the GPU’s mid-range positioning rather than the CPU’s stronger relative performance.

Q: What settings should be used for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Medium preset at 65.8 FPS is recommended for 1440p, as it provides the best balance of performance and visual quality. The High preset at 60.1 FPS is acceptable if visual fidelity is prioritized, but the Low preset at 93.1 FPS is necessary for high refresh rate displays.