Control

# Control with Intel Core i5-14600K + AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT delivers a mid-range experience in Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. This combination ranks 2363rd out of 3720 tested combos in the game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The measured frame rates reveal a system that handles 1080p comfortably but struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K, with the CPU and GPU playing distinctly different roles depending on resolution and settings.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node. Its base clock of 3.50 GHz boosts up to 5.30 GHz, and it carries 24 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 2 MB of L2 cache per core. This processor sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 48618, indicating strong synthetic performance that should theoretically keep any mainstream game fed with data.

In Control, the CPU's influence becomes apparent when examining frame rates across settings at a fixed resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 124 FPS average, but dropping to Ultra at the same resolution yields 68 FPS — a substantial 56 FPS gap that suggests the graphics settings, not the CPU, are driving the performance ceiling at this resolution. The processor's 5.30 GHz boost clock and 20 threads provide ample headroom for the game's physics and AI workloads, which is why the CPU never appears to bottleneck even at the highest settings where frame rates fall to 68 FPS.

Comparing the i5-14600K to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks shows it performs within a tight band. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, a negligible 0.2% ahead, while the AMD EPYC 4345P trails by 0.3% with a score of 48470. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX comes in 0.7% behind, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, which is 0.8% ahead. These sub-1% deltas indicate that the i5-14600K's processing power is essentially interchangeable with these competitors for this game's CPU demands, meaning any performance differences in Control would come from the GPU or memory subsystem rather than raw CPU throughput.

The 14-core configuration (likely 6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores based on the architecture) combined with 20 threads is more than adequate for a game released in 2019, when 8-core CPUs were the enthusiast standard. The single-core performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064, ensures that Control's primary game thread has access to a fast, responsive core when needed. The data suggests that the CPU role in this combo is to provide consistent, uninterrupted frame delivery rather than to set the absolute performance ceiling, which is clearly dictated by the GPU at higher settings and resolutions.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is a RDNA 3.0 architecture GPU with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 1980 MHz, boosting to 2755 MHz, with a game clock of 2470 MHz. The card sits at the 60th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17083, which places it firmly in the mid-range segment. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is notably generous for this class, though Control's demands at 4K will test whether that memory capacity translates into playable frame rates.

The GPU's role in this combo becomes clear when examining the resolution scaling. At 1080p, the card delivers 124 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 78 FPS on High — the GPU is clearly the limiting factor here since the CPU has ample headroom. At 1440p, the same Low-to-High gap narrows to 35 FPS (94 to 59 FPS), and at 4K, it narrows further to 23 FPS (63 to 40 FPS). This pattern indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows dramatically, and the performance penalty for higher settings becomes relatively smaller in absolute terms because the card is already saturated.

Comparing the RX 7600 XT to its nearest rivals shows a mixed picture. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, just 0.3% behind, while the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, 0.4% behind. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 scores 17208, which is 0.7% ahead, and the NVIDIA Tesla M4 scores 16932, 0.9% behind. These deltas suggest that the RX 7600 XT performs nearly identically to a much older GTX 690 in synthetic tests, though real-world gaming performance in Control may differ due to architectural advantages like ray tracing support and modern API features.

The GPU's 22.57 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 176.3 GPixel/s pixel rate provide the raw horsepower needed for Control's particle effects and destructible environments. However, the measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 35, which is below the threshold for smooth, playable performance. The 16 GB VRAM does not appear to be the bottleneck at 4K, as the Low preset still manages 63 FPS, indicating that the GPU's compute throughput, not memory capacity, is the limiting factor at this resolution.

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

The measured frame rates across resolutions paint a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 78 FPS, which drops to 59 FPS at 1440p High (a 24.4% reduction) and then to 40 FPS at 4K High (a 32.2% reduction from 1440p, or 48.7% from 1080p). This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where each doubling of pixel count (1080p to 4K is roughly four times the pixels) results in frame rates dropping by roughly half.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 124 FPS, dropping to 94 FPS at 1440p (24.2% reduction) and 63 FPS at 4K (33.0% reduction from 1440p). The relative drops are consistent across presets, which strongly suggests the GPU is the primary limiting component at all resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at higher resolutions as the GPU workload increases, but instead the FPS continues to fall proportionally with pixel count.

The Medium preset provides the only complete data with min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 88 FPS with a range of 75 to 101 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 67 FPS with a range of 57 to 76 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 45 FPS with a range of 38 to 52 FPS. The min FPS values at 4K (38 FPS) approach the edge of playability, and the 14 FPS gap between min and average at 4K Medium indicates significant frame time variance, likely due to complex scenes with many dynamic objects.

This scaling behavior implies that users targeting 60 FPS will find the sweet spot at 1440p, where even High settings achieve 59 FPS. At 4K, the combo falls short of 60 FPS on all settings, with Low being the only preset that exceeds 60 FPS (63 FPS average). The data suggests that Control at 4K requires either a more powerful GPU or a willingness to accept frame rates in the 35-45 FPS range on higher settings.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers 67 FPS average with a min of 57 FPS and max of 76 FPS. This stays above the 60 FPS target on average and only dips slightly below during demanding moments, making it the most consistently smooth experience that still benefits from the resolution upgrade over 1080p.

For users prioritizing frame rate above all else, 1080p Low achieves 124 FPS average, providing a high-refresh-rate experience that exceeds 120 FPS. This preset is ideal for competitive play or for users with 120 Hz or higher displays. The 1080p Medium preset offers 88 FPS average with a min of 75 FPS, which is also excellent and represents a significant visual improvement over Low for only a 36 FPS penalty.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset averages 63 FPS, which is the only 4K option that clears 60 FPS, but it does so with minimal visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 4K averages 45 FPS with a min of 38 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration but will feel choppy during combat sequences. The High preset at 4K averages 40 FPS, and Ultra drops to 35 FPS, both of which fall below the generally accepted threshold for smooth gameplay.

The Ultra preset, which achieves 68 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K, appears to be designed for users with high-end displays who are willing to sacrifice frame rate for maximum visual quality. At 1080p, Ultra is perfectly playable at 68 FPS, but at 1440p and 4K, the frame rates drop to levels that may cause noticeable stuttering. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the recommended configuration for most users, as it provides the best compromise between the 59 FPS of High and the 94 FPS of Low at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This Intel Core i5-14600K + AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination ranks 2363rd out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 36.5th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking is notably lower than the CPU's individual 90th percentile standing and the GPU's 60th percentile, suggesting that the pairing does not maximize the potential of either component in this specific game. The rank implies that a significant portion of tested combos outperform this setup, likely due to more powerful GPUs that can handle Control's demanding rendering at higher resolutions.

The gap between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the combo's mediocre game ranking indicates that Control is heavily GPU-bound for this configuration. The i5-14600K's strong synthetic scores (Cinebench R23 multicore of 24491, Geekbench multicore of 16673) suggest it can keep up with much more powerful GPUs, but the RX 7600 XT's mid-range performance caps the overall gaming experience. Users with this CPU might see substantial gains from pairing it with a higher-tier GPU, given the processor's clear headroom.

Within the context of other tested combos, this ranking means that roughly 1,357 combos perform worse and 2,363 perform better in Control. The 4K Ultra average of 35 FPS and 4K High average of 40 FPS are the weakest data points, likely dragging the ranking down compared to combos that can achieve 60+ FPS at 4K. At 1080p, the combo's performance is more respectable, with the 124 FPS Low and 78 FPS High results positioning it competitively among mid-range systems.

The data implies that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where it can deliver playable frame rates across all settings. At 4K, it falls into the lower tier of tested systems, and users seeking 4K performance would need to look at combos with GPUs that have higher percentile rankings and better high-resolution performance.

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

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low preset achieves 124 FPS, Medium averages 88 FPS with a range of 75 to 101 FPS, High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 68 FPS. The 56 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution highlights the significant impact of graphics settings on the GPU's workload. The Medium preset's min FPS of 75 indicates that even during demanding scenes, the frame rate remains above 60 FPS, making 1080p a comfortable resolution for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops as expected: Low averages 94 FPS, Medium averages 67 FPS with a range of 57 to 76 FPS, High averages 59 FPS, and Ultra averages 51 FPS. The Medium preset's min FPS of 57 falls just below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting occasional dips during intense action. The High preset at 59 FPS is borderline for smooth gameplay, while Ultra at 51 FPS is noticeably less fluid. The 43 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is smaller than at 1080p, reflecting the GPU becoming more saturated.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates diminish further: Low averages 63 FPS, Medium averages 45 FPS with a range of 38 to 52 FPS, High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The Low preset is the only 4K option that maintains an average above 60 FPS, and even it hovers close to the boundary. The Medium preset's min FPS of 38 indicates severe frame rate drops during complex scenes, which could impair gameplay. The Ultra preset at 35 FPS is the slowest measured configuration, representing a 71.8% reduction from the 1080p Low result of 124 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset provides the only complete min/max data, allowing for frame time analysis. At 1080p Medium, the 26 FPS spread between min and max shows moderate variance. At 1440p Medium, the spread narrows to 19 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it widens to 14 FPS — interestingly, the absolute spread shrinks as resolution increases, but the relative variance (min as a percentage of max) worsens from 74.3% at 1080p to 73.1% at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: Yes, at 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves an average of 68 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra settings at 1080p a viable option for users with standard 60 Hz displays.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?

A: The data shows 1440p Medium provides 67 FPS average with a 57 FPS minimum, making it the best balance of visual quality and smooth performance. At 1440p High, the average drops to 59 FPS, which is borderline, while 4K is only playable on Low settings with 63 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7600 XT compare to the RTX 3070 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070 scores 17208 in the average benchmark, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 7600 XT's 17083. This places the two GPUs in a very similar performance tier, though real-world gaming in Control may differ due to architectural variations.

Q: Why does the CPU rank high individually but the combo rank low in this game?

A: The i5-14600K sits at the 90th percentile among CPUs, but the combo ranks 2363rd out of 3720 in Control. This discrepancy indicates that the game is strongly GPU-bound for this configuration, and the RX 7600 XT's 60th percentile performance limits the overall result.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 63 FPS. Medium averages 45 FPS, High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS, so 4K is only practical with reduced settings and a tolerance for lower frame rates.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p Low, the combo achieves 94 FPS, while at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 51 FPS — a difference of 43 FPS. This represents a 45.7% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest settings preset.