Control

# Control with Intel Core i5-14600K + AMD Radeon RX 9070

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, with the data showing this combination sits at rank 525 out of 1636 tested combos in this game. The 14-core, 20-thread Raptor Lake processor, with its 3.50 GHz base and 5.30 GHz boost clocks, pairs with the RDNA 4.0 GPU to produce frame rates that range from a highly playable 99.8 FPS at 1080p Ultra to a borderline 52.1 FPS at 4K Ultra. The measured results reveal a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates high when the resolution drops.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings presets, pointing squarely at the GPU as the limiting component. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 115.1 FPS at 1080p to 86.9 FPS at 1440p, then further to 60.4 FPS at 4K — a total reduction of 54.7 FPS from the lowest to highest resolution. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound workload, as the RX 9070's rendering load increases dramatically with pixel count while the CPU's role remains relatively static.

The Low preset shows an even more dramatic drop, going from 181.7 FPS at 1080p to 138.6 FPS at 1440p and finally 94 FPS at 4K. The fact that even at Low settings the 4K result remains below 100 FPS suggests that pixel throughput, not scene complexity, is the dominant constraint. Medium settings tell a similar story: 131.1 FPS at 1080p, 98.5 FPS at 1440p, and 65.6 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings, which demand the most from the GPU, show the largest relative drop, with 99.8 FPS at 1080p falling to 75.4 FPS at 1440p and 52.1 FPS at 4K — a 47.7 FPS reduction that leaves the 4K experience just above the 50 FPS threshold.

What the data implies is that the i5-14600K's 14 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient to feed the RX 9070 at 1080p, where the GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are not the bottleneck. The 5.30 GHz boost clock ensures that even the most demanding CPU-bound scenes in Control, a game known for its physics-heavy interactions, do not drag down average frame rates. However, at 4K, the GPU's 36.13 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 322.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are clearly stretched, making the resolution scaling curve steeper than what a purely CPU-limited system would exhibit.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High as the sweet spot, delivering 86.9 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS target while still offering substantial visual fidelity. At 1080p, frame rates exceed 115 FPS on High, but the jump to 1440p maintains smoothness while adding detail.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform at 4K?

A: The 4K Ultra result is 52.1 FPS, which is playable but close to the edge of what most users consider smooth. The 1440p Ultra result of 75.4 FPS is a safer option for those who prioritize visual quality over resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo hits 181.7 FPS, indicating the CPU's 14 cores and 5.30 GHz boost are keeping up with the GPU's output. The i5-14600K's single-thread score of 4642 in Cinebench R23 supports this, as Control's engine benefits from strong per-core performance.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured average is 98.5 FPS, which is comfortable for high-refresh-rate monitors. This preset balances the GPU's load without sacrificing too much visual quality, as the RX 9070's 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this resolution.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 525 out of 1636 combos tested in Control, placing it in the upper third of all tested systems. This suggests the pairing is well-matched for this title, though there is room for higher-end GPUs to push the 4K Ultra result further.

Q: Does the Low preset provide a competitive advantage?

A: At 1080p Low, the 181.7 FPS average offers a significant margin for competitive play, especially on high-refresh displays. The 4K Low result of 94 FPS also shows that even at maximum resolution, the preset can deliver near-100 FPS performance.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 525 out of 1636 tested combos in Control, this configuration sits comfortably in the top third of all systems tested. The percentile ranking places the CPU at 93 percent of all CPUs, while the GPU is at 79 percent of all GPUs, indicating a pairing where the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card in the broader benchmark landscape. This asymmetry aligns with the measured frame rates, which show the GPU becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases.

Compared to its nearest CPU rivals, the i5-14600K's average benchmark score of 49166 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062, 0.2 percent ahead) and the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49367, 0.4 percent behind). This tight grouping suggests that the CPU choice is not the differentiator in this game's performance — the GPU's capabilities at each resolution are what determine the final frame rates. The RX 9070's average benchmark score of 34780 places it near the NVIDIA A2 (34866, 0.2 percent behind) and the Quadro GV100 (34677, 0.3 percent ahead), showing that the GPU is competitive with a range of professional and consumer cards.

The rank of 525 indicates that while this combo is solid, there are many other tested configurations that achieve higher frame rates in Control. The data suggests that the bottleneck at 4K is the GPU, so users seeking better 4K performance would need to look at graphics cards with higher compute throughput, but at 1080p and 1440p, this combo is well within the range of what most gamers would consider excellent.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression across settings: Low produces 181.7 FPS, Medium 131.1 FPS, High 115.1 FPS, and Ultra 99.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 81.9 FPS, highlighting how much of the GPU's headroom is consumed by higher-quality effects. The 1080p Ultra result of 99.8 FPS is notable because it remains just under 100 FPS, making it viable for 100 Hz displays but not quite hitting the 144 Hz mark that lower presets achieve.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down predictably: Low hits 138.6 FPS, Medium 98.5 FPS, High 86.9 FPS, and Ultra 75.4 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is 24.4 FPS lower than its 1080p counterpart, a drop that mirrors the 77 percent increase in pixel count. The 1440p High result of 86.9 FPS is particularly interesting, as it offers a balance between visual quality and smoothness that many users would find ideal for a 1440p 144 Hz monitor.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limits become apparent: Low delivers 94 FPS, Medium 65.6 FPS, High 60.4 FPS, and Ultra 52.1 FPS. The 4K Low result is the standout, as it shows that even at maximum resolution, the RX 9070 can push close to 100 FPS when settings are minimized. The progression from 4K Low to 4K Ultra shows a 41.9 FPS drop, demonstrating that the GPU's 16 GB of VRAM and 2520 MHz boost clock are sufficient for 4K but not for high-quality effects at that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For users with a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset at 99.8 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides the full visual experience while staying above the 60 FPS threshold and close to 100 FPS. Those with 144 Hz displays might prefer High at 115.1 FPS, which sacrifices minimal visual quality for a 15.3 FPS gain. The Low preset at 181.7 FPS is only necessary for competitive play where maximum frame rates are paramount.

At 1440p, the High preset at 86.9 FPS offers the best balance, as it maintains a smooth experience on 75 Hz and 100 Hz monitors while providing rich detail. The Medium preset at 98.5 FPS is a strong alternative for those who prioritize frame rate over fidelity, and it would be the pick for 120 Hz or 144 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 75.4 FPS is viable for 60 Hz monitors but may feel less fluid on higher refresh screens.

For 4K users, the Low preset at 94 FPS is the clear recommendation, as it delivers near-100 FPS performance while still being playable. The Medium preset at 65.6 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays, but the High and Ultra presets at 60.4 and 52.1 FPS respectively are borderline, with the Ultra result dipping below the 60 FPS threshold. Given the GPU's 16 GB VRAM and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth, the Low preset at 4K is the only option that fully utilizes the hardware's potential without compromising framerate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K's 14 cores and 20 threads, built on a 10 nm Raptor Lake architecture, provide substantial headroom for Control's physics-driven gameplay. The 3.50 GHz base clock and 5.30 GHz boost clock are critical for the game's single-threaded performance, as the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642 places the CPU in a strong position for titles that rely on per-core speed. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for the game's streaming of assets during intense combat sequences.

The CPU's benchmark scores support the measured frame rates: the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and Geekbench multi-core score of 15846 indicate that the processor can handle the game's background tasks without bottlenecking the GPU. The PassMark single-thread score of 4270 further confirms that the i5-14600K is not holding back the RX 9070 at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 115 FPS on High settings. The 125 W TDP and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provide flexibility, though the data does not show any memory-related limitations.

The fact that the 1080p Low result reaches 181.7 FPS suggests that the CPU's 5.30 GHz boost clock is being fully utilized, as higher frame rates require faster per-core processing. At higher resolutions, the CPU's role diminishes, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor — this is evident from the 4K results, where the frame rates scale with settings rather than CPU capabilities.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070, built on the 4 nm RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip, is the primary determinant of frame rates in Control, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game's textures and effects at all tested settings. The 2520 MHz boost clock and 2070 MHz game clock, along with 3584 shading units and 128 ROPs, deliver a pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s, both of which are heavily taxed at 4K.

The GPU's compute capabilities, rated at 36.13 TFLOPS of FP32, are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but show their limits at 4K Ultra, where the measured 52.1 FPS falls below the 60 FPS target. The 4K Low result of 94 FPS demonstrates that the GPU can handle 4K when the rendering load is reduced, but the 41.9 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 4K highlights how much the GPU's resources are consumed by higher-quality effects such as ray tracing and advanced lighting.

The RX 9070's average benchmark score of 34780, with its PassMark G3D score of 25381, indicates that the GPU performs well relative to its peers, but the nearest rivals (NVIDIA A2, Quadro GV100) are not gaming-focused cards. The GPU's 79 percentile ranking versus all GPUs suggests that while it is a capable performer, there are faster options available for 4K Ultra gaming. The 220 W TDP and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensure that the GPU is not bandwidth-starved, and the 16 GB VRAM provides ample headroom for Control's highest-resolution textures without any memory-related frame drops.