Control

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a playable, though not exceptional, experience in Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. The benchmark data places this combination at rank 1314 out of 1636 tested combos, indicating it sits in the lower third of all hardware pairings for this specific game. While the CPU is a high-end performer, the GPU proves to be the constraining factor at higher settings, creating an interesting dynamic where the processor's headroom is left largely untapped.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 60.4 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS threshold, making the highest preset viable for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

Q: How does the RX 6600's benchmark score compare to its closest competitor?

A: The RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 25235, which places it virtually tied with the AMD Radeon 890M (25246, deltaPct 0). It is also nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, which has a score of 25287, showing a negligible 0.2% difference.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: Dropping from Ultra to Low at 1440p yields a substantial performance gain. The average frame rate increases from 47.5 FPS on Ultra to 82.5 FPS on Low, a difference of 35 FPS.

Q: Is the Core i5-14600K a strong performer relative to other CPUs?

A: Yes, the CPU sits in the 93rd percentile of all tested processors. Its average benchmark score of 49166 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which scores 49062, a delta of just 0.2%.

Q: What is the best frame rate achieved by this combo in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 106.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the data set that breaks the 100 FPS barrier.

*Q: How does the combo rank in Control compared to other tested combinations?*

A: The combo ranks 1314th out of 1636 total combinations tested in the game. This places it in the lower percentile of all combos, indicating that while it is capable, many other hardware pairings deliver higher performance in Control.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame data places this specific pairing at 1314 out of 1636 tested combos. This ranking, which is in the bottom 20% of all combinations, is a clear signal that this hardware pairing is not optimized for Control. The data suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier component, its performance potential is severely bottlenecked by the GPU in this title. The 1314th position out of 1636 combos implies a significant number of other processor and graphics card pairings will deliver a more fluid experience, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. This rank is a holistic measure, but the FPS breakdown reveals that the pairing is more competitive at lower graphical presets.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the primary determinant of frame rates in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s, which is a modest figure for modern gaming. The GPU's boost clock reaches 2491 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz. In Control, a game known for its physics-heavy environments and particle effects, the GPU's 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs are put under considerable stress. The data confirms this, as the average FPS scales directly with the graphical load. At 4K Ultra, the GPU produces an average of 32.4 FPS, while at 1080p Low, it produces 106.9 FPS. This wide variance underscores that the RX 6600's performance is heavily dependent on the resolution and settings, with its 8 GB frame buffer likely becoming a limiting factor at higher resolutions and texture qualities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's capabilities across different resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the performance ranges from an average of 106.9 FPS on Low to 60.4 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset yields 79.7 FPS, while High produces 67.7 FPS. This resolution is the only one where the combo can consistently deliver a smooth experience on all presets, though Ultra is narrowly above the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop noticeably. The Low preset averages 82.5 FPS, which is still very smooth. However, the Medium preset drops to 58.0 FPS, and High falls to 54.1 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 47.5 FPS, which may feel less fluid for fast-paced action. This resolution represents a compromise point where lower settings are needed to maintain high refresh rates.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates on higher presets. The Low preset averages 52.9 FPS, which is the only 4K setting above 50 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 37.3 FPS, High to 34.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32.4 FPS. These numbers suggest that 4K gaming is only feasible with significant graphical compromises.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a formidable processor, featuring 14 cores and 20 threads. Its boost clock of 5.30 GHz and 24 MB of shared L3 cache make it exceptionally strong for multi-threaded workloads, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881. However, in Control, the CPU's role appears secondary. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 106.9, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 60.4. This significant drop is not due to CPU limitations, but rather the increased graphical load on the GPU. The data indicates that the CPU is likely not the bottleneck in most scenarios, as the frame rate scales almost entirely with GPU-related settings. The high single-core performance, demonstrated by a Geekbench single-core score of 2803, ensures that the game's main thread is well-served, but the RX 6600 simply cannot translate this CPU headroom into higher frame rates at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice for visual fidelity, as it maintains an average of 60.4 FPS. This is a solid experience for most players. For those with high refresh rate monitors, the Medium preset at 79.7 FPS or even Low at 106.9 FPS would be preferable to take advantage of displays above 75 Hz.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only option that provides a clearly smooth experience, with an average of 82.5 FPS. The Medium preset at 58.0 FPS is borderline, and players might find it acceptable if they are not sensitive to frame rate dips. The High and Ultra presets drop below 55 FPS, making them less recommended for a consistently fluid experience.

For 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only viable option for playable frame rates, averaging 52.9 FPS. All other presets fall below 40 FPS, which will likely result in a subpar experience in a fast-paced action game. Therefore, at 4K, the recommendation is to use the Low preset or to consider lowering the resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear trend in how performance scales with resolution. Moving from 1080p to 1440p on the High preset, the average FPS drops from 67.7 to 54.1, a reduction of about 20%. The drop from 1440p to 4K on the same preset is more severe, falling from 54.1 to 34.6 FPS, a 36% reduction. This pattern is consistent across all settings.

This scaling behavior is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The frame rate is inversely proportional to the number of pixels rendered, which is the direct consequence of the RX 6600's limited fill rate and memory bandwidth. The CPU's performance remains constant, but the GPU's workload increases exponentially with resolution. The drastic drop at 4K, where even the Low preset only manages 52.9 FPS, confirms that the GPU is the definitive limiting factor. The data strongly suggests that to achieve higher frame rates, the user must reduce the resolution, as the CPU has ample headroom to handle any settings changes at lower resolutions.