Control

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB combination delivers a strong 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, with a 4K Ultra preset dipping below 60 FPS. The data shows this combo ranks 676th out of 1636 tested configurations, placing it in the upper half of all systems. This pairing is clearly capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p, while 4K requires settings adjustments to maintain smoothness.

FAQ

Q: What is the expected average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 104.8 FPS. This indicates the combo is well-suited for 1080p High settings, offering a smooth experience well above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 45.2. This is below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that 4K Ultra is too demanding for this configuration.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain over 100 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, all tested settings (Low at 161.1, Medium at 117.1, High at 104.8) achieve an average FPS above 100. Even Ultra at 88.8 FPS is quite playable.

Q: Is there a significant FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: Yes, the gap is substantial. The average FPS at 2560x1440 goes from 125.1 on Low to 68.9 on Ultra, a difference of 56.2 FPS. This shows a heavy dependence on GPU load.

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

A: The combo holds a rank of 676 out of 1636 tested combos. This places it in the top half of the database, indicating a solid mid-to-high tier performance level.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with Low settings?

A: Lowering settings to Low at 3840x2160 yields an average FPS of 80.3. This shows that 4K is possible if the user is willing to sacrifice visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It features a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914, indicate strong multi-threaded performance that prevents bottlenecks in most gaming scenarios.

In Control, the data suggests the CPU is not the primary limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the FPS scales dramatically with GPU settings (161.1 FPS on Low vs 88.8 FPS on Ultra), which is a sign that the GPU is the main workload driver. The CPU's high single-core performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2333, ensures that it can keep up with the game's physics and logic demands even when the GPU is pushing high frame rates.

The processor's 65W TDP and efficient 10 nm process allow it to maintain high boost clocks without excessive power draw. Its performance is comparable to rivals like the Intel Core i7-12800H, which has a near-identical average benchmark score. The data shows that the i5-14400F provides ample headroom for the RTX 4060 Ti, as the FPS differences between resolutions are more pronounced than any potential CPU limitation.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is the dominant component in this pairing, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 4352 shading units and boost clock of 2535 MHz deliver a strong 22.06 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its 5 nm process node from TSMC makes it highly power-efficient at a 160W TDP.

The GPU's role is clearly demonstrated by the FPS scaling across settings. At 1440p, the average FPS drops from 125.1 on Low to 68.9 on Ultra, a 44.9% reduction. This steep decline is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card is the primary bottleneck. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the tested settings, as there are no anomalies in the data suggesting memory throttling.

The RTX 4060 Ti's performance is in line with its closest rivals, showing a 0.2% delta compared to the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB in the 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark. While the 16 GB version has more memory, the 8 GB model's average score of 2913 in that test shows they perform nearly identically in compute workloads. For Control, the 8 GB capacity is adequate, as the game's settings do not appear to exceed this limit at the tested resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo excels. The average FPS ranges from 161.1 on Low to 88.8 on Ultra. High settings yield 104.8 FPS, while Medium produces 117.1 FPS. All presets are playable, with even the most demanding Ultra setting staying well above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong. The Low preset delivers 125.1 FPS, which is still excellent for high refresh rate monitors. Medium settings produce 85.7 FPS, and High settings yield 76.3 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 68.9 FPS, which is still within the playable range for most users.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload becomes significantly heavier. The Low preset manages 80.3 FPS, which is impressive for 4K. However, Medium settings fall to 58.9 FPS, and High settings produce only 53.3 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 45.2 FPS, which falls below the smoothness threshold for many players.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear GPU-bound pattern. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average FPS drops from 104.8 to 76.3, a 27.2% decrease. This is a typical scaling factor for a GPU-limited scenario.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is more severe. At High settings, the FPS drops from 76.3 to 53.3, a 30.1% reduction. This steeper decline at higher resolutions confirms that the RTX 4060 Ti is the limiting component. The CPU's performance is consistent across these resolutions, as its workload does not increase proportionally with pixel count.

The data suggests that the i5-14400F has sufficient headroom to support the GPU's workload at all settings. The FPS drops are directly correlated with the increase in pixel count and graphical complexity, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bottlenecked configuration. Users should expect diminishing returns when pushing to 4K, as the GPU's compute resources become saturated.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended starting point. This yields an average FPS of 104.8, which is more than sufficient for a smooth experience on a standard 60Hz or 144Hz monitor.

At 2560x1440, the High preset provides an average FPS of 76.3, which is still smooth for most gaming scenarios. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 1440p offers 85.7 FPS, a noticeable improvement over High with a modest graphical trade-off.

The Ultra preset is only recommended at 1080p, where it achieves 88.8 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 68.9 FPS, which is borderline but acceptable. At 4K, the High preset's 53.3 FPS is the best balance, though users may prefer the Low preset's 80.3 FPS for a much smoother experience. The data indicates that the Medium preset at 4K (58.9 FPS) is a reasonable middle ground for those who want better visuals without dropping below 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB ranks 676th out of 1636 tested combinations for Control. This places it in the 59th percentile of all configurations, indicating a solid mid-tier ranking.

This rank is driven by the GPU's performance, which is in the 17th percentile of all GPUs but pairs well with a CPU in the 88th percentile. The CPU's strong average benchmark score of 32508 places it near rivals like the Intel Core i7-13705H, while the GPU's score of 2913 in the Steel Nomad test is on par with the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB.

The combination's performance in Control is consistent with its overall ranking. It handles 1080p and 1440p with ease, making it a strong choice for high refresh rate gaming at those resolutions. Its 4K capability is limited to lower settings, which is expected for a GPU in this class. Overall, the data shows a balanced configuration that is well-suited for mainstream gaming, with the CPU providing ample support for the GPU's capabilities.