Control

Control is a 2019 Action Adventure title that stresses both the CPU and GPU in unusual ways due to its physics-heavy environments and real-time ray tracing options. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 across three resolutions and four settings presets, using only the provided benchmark data to interpret what the numbers mean for gameplay.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14400F sits in the Core 14th Gen family, built on the Raptor Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node. It offers 10 cores and 16 threads, a combination that provides a solid foundation for modern game engines that increasingly offload background tasks to additional threads. The base clock is 2.50 GHz, but it boosts to 4.70 GHz, which is critical for single-threaded game logic that often dictates frame pacing in action titles like Control.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy is notable: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. This large L3 pool helps keep frequently accessed game assets close to the cores, reducing latency during intense combat sequences. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the benchmark data does not specify which was used, so we cannot draw conclusions about memory bandwidth’s impact here.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 3,055 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 21,645 in multi-core, placing it in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% faster), Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% faster), and AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (0.2% slower), showing it performs in a tight band around similarly positioned processors. The PassMark single-thread score of 3,701 and multithread score of 25,470 further confirm it is a capable gaming CPU.

For Control specifically, the data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 246 FPS average, which is far beyond what most displays can show. This indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions, as it can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them. However, the gap between 1080p and 1440p results suggests that at higher settings, the GPU begins to take over as the limiting factor, but the CPU still has headroom to handle the game’s physics simulations without dragging down average frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination ranks 241st out of 3,720 tested combos for Control, putting it in the top 6.5% of all configurations in the database. This is a strong result, but not the absolute top tier, which suggests that while this pairing delivers excellent performance, there are other combos that push even higher frame rates.

The rank reflects the balance between the two components. The RTX 4080 ranks in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247. Its nearest rivals are the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% faster), AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (1.1% slower), and AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (2.6% slower). The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,567 and PassMark G3D score of 34,457 show it is a high-end part.

The CPU’s 83rd percentile ranking is slightly lower than the GPU’s 86th, but the combo still lands in the top 6.5% of all tested systems. This suggests that the i5-14400F provides enough processing power to let the RTX 4080 stretch its legs, without creating a significant imbalance that would drop the combo lower in the rankings. The data implies that this pairing is well-matched for Control, as the rank is not dragged down by an obvious weak link.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 156 FPS at 1080p to 118 FPS at 1440p (a 24.4% decrease), then to 79 FPS at 4K (a 33.1% decrease from 1440p). This progressive decline indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count rises, which is typical for a demanding title like Control.

At Low settings, the scaling is more dramatic: 246 FPS at 1080p falls to 186 FPS at 1440p (24.4% drop) and then to 126 FPS at 4K (32.3% drop). The fact that Low settings still show significant drops across resolutions suggests that the game’s rendering pipeline is heavily GPU-bound even at minimal graphical complexity, likely due to the game’s particle effects and physics interactions that are computed regardless of preset.

Ultra settings show the steepest percentage drop: 135 FPS at 1080p, 102 FPS at 1440p (24.4% drop), and 69 FPS at 4K (32.4% drop). The consistent 24-33% drops across all settings presets indicate that the RTX 4080 is the primary limiting component at every resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller frame rate differences between 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU load remains constant while the GPU work increases.

The Medium preset provides the only min/max FPS data: at 1080p, the range is 149 to 201 FPS (average 175); at 1440p, it is 113 to 152 FPS (average 132); and at 4K, it is 76 to 103 FPS (average 89). These ranges show that even at Medium settings, the frame pacing remains stable, with no extreme dips that would suggest a CPU-related stutter.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this CPU/GPU combo?

A: The data shows that at 1440p High, the combo achieves 118 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K High, it drops to 79 FPS, which is still playable but closer to the edge. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p High appears optimal, while 4K is viable for those who prioritize resolution over frame rate headroom.

Q: How does the i5-14400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32,279, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i9-11900, but 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS. This places it in a very tight competitive band, meaning any of these CPUs would yield nearly identical gaming performance in Control.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 outperform its closest GPU competitor?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 54,247 on average benchmarks, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209) but 1.1% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828). The differences are minimal, suggesting these GPUs are effectively interchangeable for Control’s frame rates.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 246 FPS, while Ultra averages 135 FPS. This represents a 45.1% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra, which is a significant cost for the visual enhancements that Ultra provides.

Q: Is the combo more CPU-limited or GPU-limited in Control?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter. Frame rates drop by roughly 24-33% between each resolution step consistently across all settings, which is characteristic of GPU-bound workloads. The CPU’s high single-core score of 3,055 in Cinebench R23 ensures it can keep up with the game’s logic without becoming the bottleneck.

Q: How does the combo rank overall in the database?

A: This specific CPU/GPU pairing ranks 241st out of 3,720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 6.5% of all configurations. This is a strong result that confirms the pairing delivers high-end performance without any obvious compatibility or balance issues.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process node from TSMC, featuring 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. It operates with a base clock of 2205 MHz and boosts to 2505 MHz, with memory running at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective). The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Control’s textures and effects at 4K Ultra.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are substantial: 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores. It delivers 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s, which explains why it can handle Control’s resolution scaling so effectively. The texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s ensures that detailed surfaces are rendered without bottlenecking.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 scores 214,739 in Geekbench OpenCL and 263,779 in Vulkan, with PassMark G3D at 34,457 and GPU compute at 20,671. These numbers place it in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, just behind the RTX 4080 SUPER by 0.1% and ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1%.

For Control, the GPU’s 16 GB VRAM is a key asset. The game’s high-resolution textures and environment effects can consume significant memory, and having 16 GB ensures no texture swapping occurs even at 4K Ultra. The 76 RT cores provide hardware acceleration for ray tracing, though the measured data does not specify whether ray tracing was enabled, so we cannot attribute specific frame rates to that feature.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides four presets at three resolutions, allowing for a clear comparison of the performance-to-quality trade-off. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 156 FPS, which is 21 FPS faster than Ultra (135) but only 19 FPS slower than Medium (175). The difference between High and Ultra is 13.5%, while the difference between High and Medium is 12.2%. Given that High typically offers most of the visual benefits of Ultra with a lighter performance cost, it presents the best balance at 1080p.

At 1440p, the High preset achieves 118 FPS, compared to 102 FPS on Ultra and 132 FPS on Medium. The gap from High to Ultra is 13.6%, while High to Medium is 11.9%. At 1440p, High remains the sweet spot, offering frame rates comfortably above 100 FPS while maintaining visual fidelity. Ultra is still playable at 102 FPS, but the additional visual polish may not justify the 16 FPS loss.

At 4K, the High preset drops to 79 FPS, which is below the 80 FPS mark often considered optimal for fast-paced action. Ultra drops further to 69 FPS, while Medium climbs to 89 FPS. Here, the recommendation shifts: Medium provides a 12.7% improvement over High (79 to 89 FPS) and keeps the experience smooth, while High offers better visuals at a frame rate that is still acceptable for most players. For those who prioritize frame rate stability, Medium at 4K is the better choice; for visual purists, High remains viable.

The Low preset at any resolution provides frame rates well above what any standard display can show (246 FPS at 1080p, 186 FPS at 1440p, 126 FPS at 4K), so it is only useful for competitive play or for users with very high refresh rate monitors. Overall, the data suggests that High at 1080p or 1440p is the optimal experience, while Medium at 4K is the best compromise for resolution-focused players.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 246 FPS, which is the fastest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium steps down to 175 FPS (with a min of 149 and max of 201), High follows at 156 FPS, and Ultra is the slowest at 135 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 111 FPS, representing a 45.1% reduction, but even the lowest value at this resolution is far above the 60 FPS standard.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low averages 186 FPS, Medium 132 FPS (min 113, max 152), High 118 FPS, and Ultra 102 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets: Low loses 60 FPS (24.4%), Medium loses 43 FPS (24.6%), High loses 38 FPS (24.4%), and Ultra loses 33 FPS (24.4%). This uniformity confirms the GPU-bound nature of the workload.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall further. Low averages 126 FPS, Medium 89 FPS (min 76, max 103), High 79 FPS, and Ultra 69 FPS. The reduction from 1440p to 4K is again consistent: Low loses 60 FPS (32.3%), Medium loses 43 FPS (32.6%), High loses 39 FPS (33.1%), and Ultra loses 33 FPS (32.4%). The 4K Ultra result of 69 FPS is the only preset/resolution combination that dips below 70 FPS, suggesting that this is the most demanding configuration tested.

The Medium preset’s min/max data at all three resolutions (1080p: 149-201, 1440p: 113-152, 4K: 76-103) shows that frame pacing remains stable, with no catastrophic dips below the average. This indicates that the combination of the i5-14400F and RTX 4080 handles Control’s variable workloads without stuttering, even at 4K where the GPU is under maximum load.