Control

Control is a demanding Action Adventure title from 2019, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 reveals a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions and presets. The benchmark results show a system that is capable of smooth gameplay at mainstream resolutions but begins to strain under the load of 4K output, particularly as visual fidelity settings increase. The following analysis breaks down the measured frames per second (FPS) data to provide a clear picture of where this combination excels and where its limits lie.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the gameplay experience. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 130 FPS, which is exceptionally high and well-suited for competitive or high-refresh-rate displays. However, the jump to Medium only reduces the average to 92 FPS, a substantial drop of 38 frames, but still a very playable figure. The High preset at 82 FPS offers a better balance of visual quality and performance for most users. The Ultra preset, at 71 FPS, remains smooth, but the diminishing returns in visual fidelity compared to the 11 FPS loss from High may not be worth it for every player. For the most fluid experience at 1080p, the Low preset is the clear winner, but the Medium preset provides a strong balance between aesthetics and speed.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern shifts slightly. The Low preset still leads with 98 FPS, while Medium trails at 70 FPS, and High at 62 FPS. The Ultra preset dips to 54 FPS. At this resolution, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, offering a 28 FPS advantage over High while maintaining a playable frame rate. The data suggests that the GPU is becoming a more significant factor here, as the gap between Low and Medium is much smaller than at 1080p. For a consistent experience, the Medium preset at 1440p provides a good compromise between visual detail and smooth motion, keeping the frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the limitations of the Radeon RX 9060 become apparent. The Low preset achieves 66 FPS, which is just barely playable. However, the Medium preset drops to 47 FPS, and High falls to 42 FPS. The Ultra preset is the worst performer, with an average of only 36 FPS. At this resolution, only the Low preset provides a consistently smooth experience. The data indicates that for a 4K display, users should stick to the Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a more stable frame rate. The High and Ultra presets at 4K do not offer a playable experience based on these averages.

FAQ

Q: Can this CPU and GPU combo handle Control at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 82 FPS at 1920x1080 with the High preset. This is a very smooth and playable frame rate for a fast-paced action game.

Q: What is the best preset to use for a 60 FPS target at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset is the most suitable. The data shows it averages 70 FPS, while the High preset drops to 62 FPS. The Medium preset provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target.

Q: Is this configuration capable of 4K gaming in Control?

A: Only at the lowest settings. The Low preset at 3840x2160 achieves 66 FPS, which is playable. However, the Medium preset falls to 47 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets are below 45 FPS, indicating a poor experience.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from the Low to Ultra preset at 1080p?

A: The average frame rate drops from 130 FPS to 71 FPS. This represents a 45% decrease in performance, showing that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU become the limiting factor at higher resolutions?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rate difference between Low (130 FPS) and Medium (92 FPS) is significant. At 4K, the difference between Low (66 FPS) and Medium (47 FPS) is less pronounced, indicating the GPU is struggling to keep up with the increased pixel count.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 36, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra preset. This is the most demanding configuration measured and is not recommended for a smooth experience.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 plays a central role in determining the performance ceiling for this combination in Control. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The data shows that the card's performance scales with resolution, but the impact of its memory capacity and bandwidth becomes more pronounced at higher settings.

At 1080p, the GPU is capable of pushing very high frame rates, with a peak average of 130 FPS on the Low preset. This indicates that the card has sufficient compute power for this resolution. However, the drop to 92 FPS on Medium and 82 FPS on High suggests that the visual effects and texture loads are beginning to strain the GPU's resources. The card's boost clock of 2990 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz are high, but they cannot fully compensate for the increased workload.

The situation becomes more critical at 4K. The average frame rates on High (42 FPS) and Ultra (36 FPS) are low, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed. The 8 GB memory capacity is likely a limiting factor here, as higher resolution textures and more complex scenes require more video memory. The benchmark results for the GPU place it in the 59th percentile when compared to all GPUs, and its average score of 16014 is close to that of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has a delta of -0.7%. This suggests that while the RX 9060 is a capable card, it is positioned in the mid-range tier and is not designed for maximum settings at 4K in demanding titles.

How This Combo Ranks

In the specific context of Control, this combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is placed at rank 1632 out of 2888 tested combos. This ranking indicates that while the system is functional and can run the game, it does not offer top-tier performance compared to other hardware pairings. The position in the lower half of the rankings is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling, particularly at higher resolutions.

The CPU itself is a strong performer, with a 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 32279 is very close to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (delta of 0.1%) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (delta of 0.2%). This indicates that the i5-14400F is not the bottleneck in this system. The combination's overall rank is, therefore, likely dragged down by the GPU's limitations. The data implies that for Control, the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU with data, but the RX 9060 cannot translate that into high frame rates at 4K or on the Ultra preset.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. This scaling is a key indicator of where the bottleneck lies in this system.

At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 130 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p, a decrease of 25%, and then to 66 at 4K, a further decrease of 33% from the 1440p figure. This shows that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is the primary limiting factor; the jump in pixel count from 1080p to 4K (a 4x increase in pixels) results in a frame rate that is less than half the original.

For the High preset, the scaling is even steeper. The average FPS goes from 82 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p (a 24% drop) and then down to 42 at 4K (a 32% drop from 1440p). This pattern strongly suggests that the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth are saturated as the resolution increases. The CPU, with its high multi-core performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645), is likely not the restriction. The data indicates that this system is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates, and that 4K gaming is only viable at the lowest settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 130 FPS
• Medium: 92 FPS (min 78, max 106)
• High: 82 FPS
• Ultra: 71 FPS

At 1080p, the system is clearly GPU-bound only at the highest settings. The Low preset offers a massive performance headroom, while the Medium preset provides a solid 60+ FPS experience. The High and Ultra presets remain playable, but the diminishing returns on visual quality are evident.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 98 FPS
• Medium: 70 FPS (min 59, max 80)
• High: 62 FPS
• Ultra: 54 FPS

1440p is where the GPU starts to feel the pressure. The Low preset still offers excellent performance, but the Medium preset is the most balanced, keeping the frame rate comfortably above 60 FPS. The High preset is just at the edge, and the Ultra preset dips below the 60 FPS threshold.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 66 FPS
• Medium: 47 FPS (min 40, max 54)
• High: 42 FPS
• Ultra: 36 FPS

4K is a significant challenge for this GPU. Only the Low preset manages to stay above 60 FPS. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all deliver an unplayable experience, with average frame rates well below the 60 FPS target. The minimum FPS of 40 on the Medium preset indicates potential stuttering.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its high thread count and boost clock of 4.70 GHz provide substantial computational power. The benchmark data shows it is a very capable processor, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. This robust performance is crucial for feeding the GPU in a game like Control, which has complex physics and AI simulations.

In this system, the CPU's role is primarily to ensure that the GPU is not starved of data. The data from the measured FPS suggests that the i5-14400F is successful in this role. At 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU is able to maintain high frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 130 FPS. This indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. The CPU's performance is also reflected in its 83rd percentile ranking, and its average score is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, showing it is a well-balanced part.

However, the CPU's influence diminishes as the resolution increases. At 4K, the frame rates are significantly lower regardless of the CPU's power, proving that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The data implies that the i5-14400F is more than sufficient for this game and would likely handle even more powerful GPUs without becoming a constraint. The performance of this combo is, therefore, overwhelmingly dictated by the graphics card, especially in the demanding 4K and Ultra settings.