Control

Control, a 2019 action-adventure title, demonstrates a significant performance scaling pattern with the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination. Across the measured resolutions, the data reveals that this pairing delivers playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra, but the performance curve indicates the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution and settings increase. The benchmark results show a clear hierarchy: at 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 208.9 FPS, which drops to 59 FPS at 4K Ultra, illustrating a 71.8% performance reduction from the lowest to the highest stress scenario.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control based on the measured data?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 provides the best balance, with a High preset achieving 101.6 FPS and Ultra still delivering a smooth 83.7 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system hits 134 FPS on High and 111.4 FPS on Ultra, but the visual fidelity gain at 1440p makes it the superior choice for this game.

Q: How does the RX 7900 XT's 20 GB VRAM affect performance in Control?

A: The 20 GB GDDR6 memory with a 320-bit bus and 800.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that VRAM capacity is not a bottleneck at any tested setting. Even at 4K Ultra, which is the most demanding configuration, the average FPS of 59 indicates the GPU's compute limits, not memory constraints, are the determining factor.

Q: Is the i5-14600K a limiting factor in this game?

A: Benchmark results suggest the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower settings, as the frame rate scales dramatically from 1080p Low (208.9 FPS) to 4K Low (109 FPS). The CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, provide sufficient headroom; the performance drop is primarily due to GPU load.

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

A: At 2560x1440, moving from High to Ultra reduces the average frame rate from 101.6 FPS to 83.7 FPS, a 17.9 FPS difference. This indicates that Ultra settings impose a moderate additional GPU workload, but the resulting frame rate remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

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

A: The combination ranks 307th out of 1636 tested combos, placing it in the top 18.8% of all systems. This high percentile reflects the strong synergy between the CPU and GPU, though it is not the absolute top-tier configuration for this specific title.

Q: Does the game favor higher settings or higher resolution for this hardware?

A: The data indicates that the GPU scales predictably with resolution. At 1080p Medium, the system produces 150.1 FPS, while at 4K Medium it drops to 72.9 FPS. This suggests that the RX 7900 XT is best utilized at 1440p, where it can maintain high frame rates across all presets, rather than pushing 4K where the average dips below 70 FPS except on Low.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the dominant component in this pairing for Control, as evidenced by its performance scaling across the measured settings. The GPU's RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process, includes 5376 shading units and 192 ROPs, which directly impacts the game's rendering throughput. The boost clock of 2394 MHz and game clock of 2025 MHz allow the card to sustain high utilization, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU can feed frames quickly.

The 20 GB VRAM configuration is a key asset in Control, a game known for its physics-heavy environments and particle effects. With a memory bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s, the RX 7900 XT can handle large texture loads without stuttering. The measured FPS data supports this: at 4K Ultra, the average of 59 FPS suggests the GPU is nearing its compute limit, but the consistent frame delivery indicates no memory-related drops. In contrast, at 1080p Low (208.9 FPS), the GPU is not fully stressed, showing that the card has headroom for higher refresh rate monitors at lower settings.

The GPU's performance percentile of 82 versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 38358, places it in the upper echelon of graphics cards. However, its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile, scores nearly identically (38349, a 0% delta), which suggests that in synthetic tests, the RX 7900 XT is well-matched to high-end mobile parts. In Control specifically, the GPU's 51.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance translates to strong rasterization, which is the game's primary rendering method.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that highlights the GPU as the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases. At 1080p, the system delivers exceptional performance: 208.9 FPS at Low, 150.1 FPS at Medium, 134 FPS at High, and 111.4 FPS at Ultra. This represents a 46.7% drop from Low to Ultra, indicating that settings have a moderate impact at this resolution, but the GPU still has significant headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop to 156.4 FPS (Low), 114.6 FPS (Medium), 101.6 FPS (High), and 83.7 FPS (Ultra). The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 25.1% reduction at Low (208.9 to 156.4), which is consistent with the increase in pixel count. However, at Ultra settings, the drop is only 24.9% (111.4 to 83.7), suggesting that the GPU's compute limits are being approached, but the scaling remains proportional.

At 4K (3840x2160), the performance curve steepens significantly. The average FPS ranges from 109 at Low to 59 at Ultra, with Medium at 72.9 and High at 68.4. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings results in a 32.7% drop (101.6 to 68.4), which is larger than the 1080p to 1440p drop. This indicates that at 4K, the RX 7900 XT's 20 GB VRAM and 800 GB/s bandwidth are adequate, but the raw compute power (51.48 TFLOPS) becomes the limiting factor, especially as settings increase.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT achieves a rank of 307 out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 18.8% of all configurations. This ranking is notable because it reflects not just the GPU's raw power, but also the CPU's ability to keep up with the GPU's frame output. The i5-14600K's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49166, ensures that it does not bottleneck the RX 7900 XT in this title.

The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (0.2% higher score) and the Intel Core i5-14600KF (0.4% lower score), show that the 14600K is competitively positioned in synthetic benchmarks. However, in gaming, the combination's rank of 307 suggests that there are better-performing pairings, likely those with higher-tier GPUs like the RTX 4090 series or RX 7900 XTX. The GPU's own rank of 82nd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 38358, indicates that it is a high-end part, but not the absolute fastest, which explains why the combo does not crack the top 200.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's rivals are all within 0.6%, meaning the RX 7900 XT is closely matched to other high-end cards in synthetic tests. This suggests that the combo's rank is more dependent on the game's specific optimization for AMD hardware, where the RDNA 3.0 architecture excels, rather than the CPU's contribution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves: 208.9 FPS at Low, 150.1 FPS at Medium, 134 FPS at High, and 111.4 FPS at Ultra. These numbers indicate that the combo is ideal for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, as even Ultra settings exceed the 100 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: 156.4 FPS at Low, 114.6 FPS at Medium, 101.6 FPS at High, and 83.7 FPS at Ultra. This resolution is the sweet spot for the RX 7900 XT, as it maintains over 80 FPS at the highest preset, which is suitable for competitive play and immersive single-player experiences. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 46.5%, which is nearly identical to the 1080p drop (46.7%), showing consistent scaling.

At 3840x2160, the performance is: 109 FPS at Low, 72.9 FPS at Medium, 68.4 FPS at High, and 59 FPS at Ultra. The 4K results show that the card can handle the resolution, but only at Low settings does it exceed 100 FPS. At Ultra, the 59 FPS average is right at the threshold for smooth gameplay, but it may feel less consistent in demanding scenes. The gap between Medium and High at 4K is only 4.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU is hitting a compute ceiling rather than a memory bandwidth limit.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT combination depend on the target resolution. For 4K gaming, the High preset (68.4 FPS) is the best choice, as it offers a significant visual improvement over Medium (72.9 FPS) with only a 6.2% frame rate penalty. Ultra at 4K (59 FPS) is playable but may result in noticeable frame dips in action-heavy sequences, making High the safer recommendation for a consistent experience.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset (83.7 FPS) is highly recommended, as it provides the best visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra costs 17.9 FPS, but the visual enhancements in Control's lighting and effects are worth the trade-off for most players. For those prioritizing competitive frame rates, the High preset (101.6 FPS) is an excellent alternative.

At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, but the Ultra preset (111.4 FPS) is the best choice for maximizing visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The Low preset (208.9 FPS) is unnecessary unless the player has a 240 Hz monitor and needs to push frame rates to the absolute limit. The data shows that the system is never CPU-bound at 1080p, so using higher settings is always preferable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K plays a supporting role in this combination, but its performance is crucial for achieving the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. With 14 cores and 20 threads, the CPU provides ample parallel processing for Control's game logic and physics, while the boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures strong single-threaded performance. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and single-core score of 4642 demonstrate its capability, but in gaming, the key metric is its ability to feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

The measured FPS data confirms that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any tested setting. At 1080p Low, the system produces 208.9 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that the CPU must be delivering frames quickly. If the CPU were constrained, we would see a plateau in FPS as settings decrease, but instead, the frame rate scales consistently with resolution changes. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49166, places it well above the median, ensuring it can handle the demands of modern games.

The i5-14600K's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, has a nearly identical average score (49062 vs 49166, 0.2% delta), but the 5950X has more cores. In Control, the game's engine appears to favor the i5-14600K's higher single-thread performance, as evidenced by the combo's rank of 307 out of 1636. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) also contribute to its gaming performance, ensuring that data is quickly accessible to the GPU. Overall, the i5-14600K is a capable partner for the RX 7900 XT, providing enough headroom to avoid any CPU-induced frame rate drops.