Control

Control with the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT presents a clear picture of a GPU-bound title at higher resolutions, with the CPU providing ample headroom at 1080p. The measured data shows this pairing is capable of delivering smooth, high-refresh gameplay across the board, though the gap between the Low and Ultra presets narrows significantly as resolution climbs. This analysis breaks down the FPS numbers, component roles, and the best settings for this specific combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, which is typical for a visually demanding action-adventure game. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 194.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 98.0 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly half. The Ultra preset shows a similar proportional decline, moving from 103.7 FPS at 1080p down to 53.7 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the Radeon RX 9070 XT is the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases.

Looking at the Medium and High presets, the trend continues with 4K averages of 67.6 FPS and 64.4 FPS, respectively, versus 138.1 FPS and 120.9 FPS at 1080p. The fact that High and Medium results are so close at 4K (64.4 vs. 67.6) suggests that the GPU is saturated and that the extra visual fidelity from High over Medium costs almost nothing in performance. At 1080p, however, the gap between these presets is more pronounced (120.9 vs. 138.1), showing that the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU enough data to differentiate the settings.

The data reveals that the 1440p resolution is the sweet spot for this combo. The High preset delivers 94.0 FPS, which is a substantial jump from the 64.4 FPS at 4K, while still looking far better than Low. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more moderate than the leap to 4K, indicating that the RX 9070 XT handles 1440p with considerable headroom. For players targeting 4K, the Ultra preset is the only one that dips below 60 FPS, making it a less viable option without additional tweaks.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 32881 multi-core and 4642 single-core place it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market. In Control, this power is more than sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at any resolution.

Benchmark results show the i5-14600K sits within 1% of rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and the Intel Core i5-14600KF in average benchmark score. This consistency in synthetic tests translates to real-world gaming performance where the CPU rarely becomes the constraining factor. At 1080p with the Low preset, the 194.9 FPS average suggests the CPU is still not limiting, as this frame rate is high enough to expose any processor weakness, yet the GPU is still the one doing most of the heavy lifting.

The single-thread performance is particularly relevant for Control, which relies on a strong primary thread for game logic and rendering commands. With a Geekbench single-core score of 2803 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4270, the i5-14600K provides the necessary responsiveness to keep frame times consistent. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache also helps maintain data locality, reducing the need for slower memory accesses during intense scenes.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but not on the Ultra preset. The data shows 4K averages of 64.4 FPS on High and 53.7 FPS on Ultra. High settings are comfortably playable, while Ultra will require a slight reduction in other options to hit a stable 60 FPS.

Q: Which resolution offers the best balance of quality and performance?

A: The 2560x1440 resolution with High settings provides a 94.0 FPS average. This is a significant upgrade over 1080p in visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck at all resolutions, especially at 1440p and 4K. The CPU is strong enough to push 194.9 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating it has plenty of headroom left before it would become a limiting factor.

Q: How does the High preset compare to Medium in terms of FPS?

A: At 1080p, High delivers 120.9 FPS versus 138.1 FPS on Medium, a difference of about 17 FPS. At 4K, the gap narrows to just 3.2 FPS (64.4 vs. 67.6), showing that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, the gap is substantial: 194.9 FPS on Low versus 103.7 FPS on Ultra, nearly a 90 FPS difference. At 4K, the difference shrinks to 44.3 FPS (98.0 vs. 53.7), but both presets are still clearly differentiated.

Q: Is the Radeon RX 9070 XT a strong match for the i5-14600K?

A: Yes. The combination ranks 457th out of 1636 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top 28% of all pairings. The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth ensure that the CPU is not held back by memory constraints.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how the system performs across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are excellent across the board. The Low preset averages 194.9 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh monitors. Medium averages 138.1 FPS, High averages 120.9 FPS, and even Ultra stays above 100 FPS at 103.7. This makes 1080p gaming on this system a non-issue, with every preset delivering a smooth experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected decline. Low still achieves a 144.0 FPS average, which is perfect for 144Hz displays. Medium and High are nearly identical at 101.2 FPS and 94.0 FPS, respectively, making High the obvious choice for better visuals at minimal cost. Ultra drops to 77.9 FPS, which is still very playable and well above the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the GPU starts to show its limits. Low averages 98.0 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium and High are much closer at 67.6 FPS and 64.4 FPS. Ultra falls to 53.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may be noticeable to sensitive players. The narrow gap between Medium and High at 4K suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, and that visual settings have less impact on performance than at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. This memory configuration is crucial for Control, which can use high-resolution textures and large environments. The GPU's 4096 shading units and 128 ROPs handle the game's rendering demands, while its boost clock of 2970 MHz ensures high throughput.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 9070 XT scores 26795 in Passmark G3D and 7260 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 39647 is nearly identical to rivals like the AMD Radeon Pro 575 and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, with deltas under 1%. This indicates that the GPU performs consistently with its peer group, though it is not a top-tier outlier.

The GPU's role in Control is evident from the FPS scaling. At 1080p Low, the 194.9 FPS average shows the GPU can work efficiently with less load. However, at 4K Ultra, the 53.7 FPS average reveals that the GPU is being pushed to its limits, as the pixel count quadruples and the shading requirements increase. The 16 GB VRAM is more than enough for this game, preventing any texture swapping that would cause stutters, even at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this hardware, the data supports using the High preset at 2560x1440. This configuration delivers a 94.0 FPS average, which is smooth and responsive while maintaining strong visual quality. The jump from Medium to High costs only 7.2 FPS at 1440p (from 101.2 to 94.0), but the visual improvement is typically worth it for a game like Control with its detailed environments and particle effects.

If you are playing at 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. With an average of 103.7 FPS, it provides the best visual fidelity without sacrificing playability, especially if you have a 144Hz monitor that can take advantage of the headroom. The Low preset at 1080p offers 194.9 FPS, but the visual downgrade is severe and not recommended unless you are chasing maximum frame rates for competitive play.

For 4K gaming, the High preset is the most balanced option, averaging 64.4 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS target and offers significantly better visuals than Medium, which only gains 3.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 53.7 FPS is playable but may feel less fluid, so High is the recommended choice for a stable experience. Avoid Low at 4K, as the 98.0 FPS average does not compensate for the heavy visual compromises in lighting and texture quality.