Control

# Control with Intel Core i5-14400F + AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT delivers a strong Control experience across all tested resolutions, with the data showing this pairing ranks 549th out of 1,636 tested combos in this game. The CPU, a 10-core, 16-thread Raptor Lake part with a 2.50 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost clock, sits in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU, a Navi 21 chip with 4,608 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, holds the 87th percentile among all GPUs. Together, they produce playable frame rates at 4K Ultra and excellent performance at lower settings, though the scaling between presets reveals interesting bottlenecks worth examining.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 181.8 FPS on Low settings and 100.2 FPS on Ultra, making it capable of high-refresh-rate gameplay. At 2560x1440, Ultra still delivers 75.1 FPS, while 3840x2160 Ultra drops to 51.1 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost going from Low to Ultra at 1080p?

A: The data shows a drop from 181.8 FPS at Low to 100.2 FPS at Ultra, a reduction of approximately 45%. At 1440p, the same comparison goes from 137.9 FPS to 75.1 FPS, and at 4K from 90.2 FPS to 51.1 FPS.

Q: Does this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, with caveats. At 4K High, the average frame rate is 59.5 FPS, which is just below a smooth 60 FPS target. Medium settings at 4K yield 64.2 FPS, while Low settings reach 90.2 FPS, showing that 4K is viable with adjusted settings.

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

A: The Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32,508, essentially matching the Intel Core i7-12800H at 32,513 (0% delta). It is slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 by 0.2% and slightly behind the AMD Ryzen 7 250 by 0.2%.

Q: What is the GPU's standing relative to its competition?

A: The RX 6800 XT has an average benchmark score of 49,982, placing it 0.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A550M, 1.9% ahead of the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, and 2.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. It trails the NVIDIA RTX A1000 by 1.7%.

Q: Which settings preset gives the best balance at 1440p?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 produce 83.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and nearly matches the 98 FPS of Medium while providing better visual quality. Ultra at this resolution drops to 75.1 FPS, still playable but with diminishing returns.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the dominant factor in this combo's Control performance. With 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample memory capacity and throughput for the game's demanding scenes. The GPU's boost clock of 2250 MHz and game clock of 2015 MHz, paired with a base clock of 1825 MHz, provide the raw compute capability needed to push high frame rates.

The benchmark data shows the GPU's strengths clearly. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 181.8 FPS at Low settings, which scales down to 100.2 FPS at Ultra—a significant but expected drop as visual fidelity increases. The 4K results are more telling of the GPU's limits: 90.2 FPS at Low, 64.2 FPS at Medium, 59.5 FPS at High, and 51.1 FPS at Ultra. This progression indicates that the RX 6800 XT is well-suited for 1440p gaming, where even Ultra settings produce 75.1 FPS, but 4K Ultra requires compromises.

The GPU's compute capabilities, measured at 20.74 TFLOPS FP32 and 41.47 TFLOPS FP16, are substantial. Its pixel rate of 288.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 648.0 GTexel/s suggest strong fill-rate performance, which is critical for a game like Control with its physics-heavy environments and particle effects. The 128 ROPs and 288 TMUs handle the rasterization workload efficiently, as evidenced by the relatively smooth scaling between settings presets.

Interestingly, the GPU's benchmark profile shows it sits in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 49,982. It outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER by 2.6%, which is notable given that the latter typically commands a higher price tier. The data indicates that this GPU is an end-of-life product with a launch MSRP of 649 USD, yet it remains competitive in Control's specific workload.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F contributes meaningfully to this combo's performance, particularly at lower resolutions where frame rates are high enough to expose CPU limitations. This processor features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3, providing ample fast memory for game logic and physics calculations.

In Control, the CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the scaling across resolutions. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo hits 181.8 FPS, which is high enough that CPU overhead could become a factor. The fact that 4K Low only reaches 90.2 FPS—roughly half the 1080p Low figure—suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU keeps pace at lower settings.

The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range positioning. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21,914 and a single-core score of 3,093, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 11,209 and single-core score of 2,333. These numbers place it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32,508. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-12800H, scores 32,513—a 0% difference—while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 trails by 0.2% and the AMD Ryzen 7 250 leads by 0.2%.

The 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make this a practical desktop part, though the data does not show power consumption figures for this game. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, which offers flexibility for system builders. With PCIe Gen 5 providing 16 lanes, there is ample bandwidth for the GPU, though the RX 6800 XT itself uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo in Control, the data suggests prioritizing resolution and settings based on the target display. At 1920x1080, all settings presets are playable, but the sweet spot is High settings at 111.3 FPS. This provides a 60 FPS-plus experience with headroom for demanding scenes, while Ultra at 100.2 FPS sacrifices 11 FPS for marginal visual gains. Medium at 127.2 FPS is viable for competitive play, and Low at 181.8 FPS is excessive for most users.

At 2560x1440, High settings at 83.4 FPS offer the best balance of visual quality and performance. Medium at 98 FPS is smoother but reduces fidelity, while Ultra at 75.1 FPS remains above the 60 FPS threshold. Low at 137.9 FPS is unnecessary unless targeting very high refresh rates. The data shows that 1440p is the ideal resolution for this combo, as it leverages the GPU's strength without pushing it to the limits seen at 4K.

For 4K gaming, the recommendation is Medium settings at 64.2 FPS, which is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. High at 59.5 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 51.1 FPS may be acceptable for those prioritizing visual fidelity over smoothness. Low at 90.2 FPS is playable but undermines the point of 4K resolution. The scaling from Medium to High at 4K costs only 4.7 FPS, making High a reasonable choice for those with VRR displays.

Overall, the measured data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1440p High or 1080p Ultra, with 4K requiring a reduction to Medium settings for consistent frame rates. The frame rate deltas between presets at each resolution show diminishing returns beyond Medium, suggesting that this is the efficiency sweet spot across all three resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 549th out of 1,636 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the upper third of all configurations. This ranking reflects the balance between the Core i5-14400F and RX 6800 XT, neither of which is a top-tier component but both of which perform admirably in this specific game. The CPU's 88th percentile standing and the GPU's 87th percentile standing suggest a well-matched pairing, with neither component holding back the other significantly.

The rank is influenced by the game's demanding nature at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 51.1 FPS, which is playable but not exceptional. This likely drags the overall ranking down, as many competing combos with more powerful GPUs would achieve higher frame rates at this preset. However, at 1440p High and 1080p Ultra, the combo's performance is competitive with more expensive configurations.

The CPU's nearest rivals—the Core i7-12800H, Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, and Ryzen 7 250—all have average benchmark scores within 0.2% of the i5-14400F, indicating that CPU choice has minimal impact on this combo's ranking. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals, including the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and RTX A1000, are within 2.6% of the RX 6800 XT's average score, suggesting that the GPU is the more significant differentiator in determining the overall rank.

This ranking should be interpreted in context: it represents the combo's standing among all tested combinations, not just those with similar hardware. The data shows that this pairing is a solid mid-range option for Control, capable of delivering smooth frame rates at mainstream resolutions while requiring some settings adjustments at 4K. The measured FPS values across all presets and resolutions confirm that the i5-14400F and RX 6800 XT form a coherent pairing for this title, with the GPU providing the bulk of the rendering power and the CPU keeping pace even at high frame rates.