Control

The pairing of Intel’s Core i5-14400F with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1080 Ti presents a compelling study in generational contrast, pitting a modern 10-core CPU against a once-flagship Pascal GPU in the surreal action-adventure world of Control. The measured data reveals a configuration that is surprisingly well-balanced at certain resolutions but exposes its architectural limitations at others. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on where the bottlenecks lie and what the frame rates mean for real-world gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking pattern in the data is the steep performance cliff as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves a robust 133 FPS average. Moving to 1440p drops that to 101 FPS, a 24% reduction, and at 4K it falls further to 68 FPS. This scaling suggests that while the GPU is the primary driver of performance, it is not yet completely saturated at 1080p, allowing the CPU to push higher frame rates.

The relationship between resolution and settings is equally revealing. The delta between Low and Ultra settings grows dramatically with resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (133 FPS) and Ultra (73 FPS) is 60 FPS. At 1440p, that gap narrows to 46 FPS (101 vs 55). By 4K, the difference between Low (68 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) is 31 FPS. This compression indicates that at higher resolutions, the GTX 1080 Ti’s pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor, diminishing the performance headroom that lower settings would otherwise provide.

The data implies that the GTX 1080 Ti is the decisive component in this pairing. The i5-14400F’s high single-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. However, the GPU’s raw compute power, rated at 11.34 TFLOPS, is overwhelmed by the pixel count at 4K. The 43 FPS average at 4K High is playable but far from smooth, while the 37 FPS at 4K Ultra falls below what most would consider a fluid experience. The data clearly indicates a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, and a shift towards a more balanced, but still GPU-heavy, load at 1440p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the workhorse of this configuration, and its specifications directly correlate with the observed frame rates. With 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus, it delivers a substantial 484.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a critical asset for a game like Control, which is known for its complex textures and particle effects. The ample memory capacity ensures that even at 4K, the GPU does not run out of VRAM, allowing the benchmark to proceed without stuttering due to texture swapping.

Clock speeds also play a role. The GPU’s base clock of 1481 MHz and boost clock of 1582 MHz are relatively high for the Pascal architecture. These clocks, combined with its 3584 shading units, contribute to the texture fill rate of 354.4 GTexel/s. In practice, this translates to the substantial frame rates seen at 1080p. The GPU’s performance percentile of 58 against all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 15548, position it as a mid-range contender today, which aligns with its performance in Control: capable at 1080p, competitive at 1440p, and struggling at 4K.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks offer context. The data shows it is only 1.7% ahead of an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 and 1.7% ahead of a GTX 580, while being 0.8% behind a Radeon Pro W5500. This tight clustering in synthetic scores suggests that in a game like Control, the 1080 Ti’s real-world performance is heavily dependent on driver optimization and specific game engine demands, which can shift the balance of power from one title to another.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The data suggests it is marginal. At 4K High, the average FPS is 43, which is technically playable but not smooth. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 37 FPS, which is below the 40 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for a comfortable experience. For a consistent 60 FPS at 4K, the data shows this is not achievable, even at Low settings where the average is 68 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1080 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the provided data, the GTX 1080 Ti’s average benchmark score is 15548. This puts it 1.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (score 15290) and 1.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (score 15283). It is also 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (score 15679) and 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M380 (score 15521).

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60+ FPS average?

A: The data indicates that 1440p is the sweet spot for a 60+ FPS experience. At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 72, and at High, it is 64. Both exceed the 60 FPS target. At 1080p, all settings from Low to Ultra average above 60 FPS, so users preferring maximum visual fidelity could opt for 1080p Ultra, which averages 73 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F a bottleneck in this system?

A: Based on the resolution scaling data, the CPU does not appear to be a primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K (e.g., from 84 to 43 FPS at High settings), which is characteristic of a GPU limitation. The CPU’s performance, with a PassMark single-thread score of 3701, is likely sufficient to keep up with the GPU’s output in most scenarios, except perhaps at very low resolutions and settings where the CPU could become the limiting factor.

Q: What is the measured performance delta between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS at Low settings is 101, while at Ultra it is 55. This represents a 46 FPS reduction. The data also shows a Medium setting average of 72 FPS, which provides a significant boost over Ultra while still maintaining visual quality.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Control?

A: The combo has a rank of 2090 out of 3720 tested combos for this game. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while it can run the game, there are many more powerful configurations that achieve higher frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: The average FPS is 133, indicating a very smooth experience with high headroom.
• Medium: The average FPS is 95, with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 109. This shows solid consistency.
• High: The average FPS is 84, offering a strong balance between visual quality and performance.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 73, which is still smooth and allows for the highest visual fidelity at this resolution.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: The average FPS is 101, demonstrating that the GPU still has significant performance to spare at lower settings.
• Medium: The average FPS is 72, with a minimum of 61 and a maximum of 82. This is a good target for a consistent 60+ FPS experience.
• High: The average FPS is 64, which is right at the edge of smoothness and represents a good quality/performance trade-off.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 55, which is playable but may exhibit occasional dips that are noticeable in fast-paced scenes.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: The average FPS is 68, showing that the game is playable at 4K only with significant visual compromises.
• Medium: The average FPS is 48, with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 56. This is below the 60 FPS target and may feel less fluid.
• High: The average FPS is 43, which is noticeably less smooth and approaches the limits of comfortable playability.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 37, which is the most demanding setting and results in a stuttery experience that is not recommended for fast-paced action.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend entirely on the user’s target resolution and preference for smoothness over visual fidelity.

For a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is the clear winner. With an average of 73 FPS, it provides a significant visual upgrade over High (84 FPS) while remaining well above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows there is no need to compromise on quality at this resolution.

For 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance. Averaging 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, it guarantees a smooth experience. The High preset, at 64 FPS, is also acceptable and provides better visuals, but the lower minimum frame rate (not provided, but implied by the average) could lead to occasional dips. The data suggests that Medium is the safest choice for consistent performance.

At 4K, none of the presets achieve a 60 FPS average. The Low preset, at 68 FPS, is the only option that provides a smooth gameplay experience. The Medium preset at 48 FPS is playable but requires a tolerance for lower frame rates. For users with a 4K display who prioritize framerate, the data indicates that Low is the only viable choice without upgrading the GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is the unsung hero of this pairing, providing the necessary computational muscle to avoid bottlenecking the GTX 1080 Ti. Its configuration of 10 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, is more than adequate for modern gaming. The CPU’s performance percentile of 83 against all CPUs highlights its strength, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 shows it can handle the background tasks and physics calculations that a game like Control demands.

The CPU’s role becomes more apparent when analyzing the scaling from 1080p Low (133 FPS) to 1080p Ultra (73 FPS). The large FPS jump at low settings suggests the CPU is capable of high frame rate output, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as graphical load increases. The i5-14400F’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and Intel Core i9-11900, have scores that are within 0.2% of the i5, indicating a very competitive performance tier. This data supports the conclusion that the CPU is not a weak link in this system for this specific game.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations for Control, this combo sits at rank 2090 out of 3720. This places it in the 56th percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms the majority of systems in the database. However, it is far from the top tier, where more modern GPUs with higher compute capabilities would dominate.

The ranking reflects the GTX 1080 Ti’s age. While it remains a capable 1080p and 1440p card, its inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K in a demanding title like Control pulls its overall rank down. The CPU’s high percentile score (83) suggests it is not the primary reason for the mid-pack ranking. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, and that a more powerful graphics card would significantly improve this combo’s standing. The 2090 rank reflects the longevity of the 10-series architecture, but also clearly shows the performance gap to modern hardware when pushed at higher resolutions.