Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure from Remedy Entertainment, is a demanding title that leverages both the CPU and GPU heavily. The benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 reveals a system that is exceptionally well-balanced for this game, offering high frame rates across all resolutions and settings. The measured results show a clear pattern: the RTX 4070 becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the i5-14600K’s strong single-core performance ensures that even at lower resolutions, the system never feels CPU-limited. This analysis will break down the measured FPS data to understand how this combination performs, what it indicates about the components’ respective roles, and how it stacks up against other tested configurations.

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

The most striking observation from the data is the scaling of performance as resolution increases. At the High preset, the system delivers 122.4 FPS at 1920x1080, dropping to 91.3 FPS at 2560x1440, and further down to 63.5 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 48% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, with the Low preset showing the most dramatic scaling, from 193.4 FPS at 1080p down to 95.3 FPS at 4K—a 51% decrease. This steep decline is a classic indicator that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The GPU’s workload increases exponentially with pixel count, and the data suggests that the 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and the AD104 chip are being pushed to their limits at 4K.

Conversely, the relatively smaller drop between 1080p and 1440p suggests that the CPU is still providing ample headroom. For instance, at Medium settings, the frame rate goes from 138 FPS at 1080p to 104.1 FPS at 1440p, a 25% drop, which is less severe than the 31% drop seen when moving from 1440p to 4K (71.5 FPS). This indicates that while the GPU is becoming more stressed at 1440p, it is not yet saturated. The scaling pattern is a textbook example of a system where the Intel Core i5-14600K is strong enough to feed the RTX 4070 at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering throughput becomes the deciding factor as the pixel count climbs. The data implies that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo is likely overkill for the CPU, but at 4K, the RTX 4070 is working near its full capacity, especially on the Ultra preset where the average FPS drops to 55.5.

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 based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. In Control, which is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance, these specifications are crucial. The high boost clock of 5.30 GHz is likely a key factor in why the frame rates at 1080p are so high, even at the Low preset where the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck. The benchmark results for this CPU show a strong single-core performance, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4270 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3854, though the latter is a GPU test. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642 further reinforces its capability in lightly-threaded workloads.

The data suggests that Control does not scale perfectly with the i5-14600K's many cores. The CPU sits at the 93rd percentile when compared to all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 49166 puts it just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. However, the game’s performance at 1080p Low (193.4 FPS) versus 1080p Ultra (108.7 FPS) shows a 44% difference, which is a larger gap than what would be expected if the CPU were the sole limiting factor. This indicates that while the CPU is providing a solid foundation, the GPU’s settings are what ultimately dictate the frame rate. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support likely contribute to consistent frame pacing, but the core takeaway is that the i5-14600K is more than sufficient for this game, never appearing to hold the RTX 4070 back, even at the lowest resolution and settings.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the star of the show when resolution and quality settings are increased. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, it provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is substantial for a game like Control with its complex physics and particle effects. The GPU’s boost clock of 2475 MHz and its 5888 shading units are directly responsible for the frame rate differences seen across presets. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 55.5, which is playable but indicates the GPU is under heavy load. The 46 RT cores are also relevant, as Control has optional ray tracing, though the measured data does not specify whether it was enabled. The data shows that the RTX 4070 is a strong performer, ranking in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37283.

The scaling from High to Ultra at 4K is particularly telling. High produces 63.5 FPS, while Ultra drops to 55.5 FPS, a 13% reduction. This suggests that the Ultra preset is pushing the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources to their limits. The GPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, has a very similar average score (37507 vs 37283), but the RTX 4070 is clearly the more modern and efficient architecture. The fact that the RTX 4070 is listed as "End-of-life" in production status is irrelevant to its performance here. The data confirms the GPU is the primary scaling component: when moving from 1080p Medium (138 FPS) to 1440p Medium (104.1 FPS), the drop is 25%, which is purely a GPU workload increase, and the CPU has no trouble keeping up.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this combo for a 60 FPS experience?

A: Based on the data, 3840x2160 at High settings yields an average of 63.5 FPS, which is above 60. For a more comfortable margin, 2560x1440 at Ultra settings provides 81.1 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 193.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 95.3 FPS at 3840x2160, a 51% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 122.4 FPS to 63.5 FPS, a 48% reduction.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 in this game?

A: The data suggests no. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 193.4 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. The scaling to lower FPS at higher resolutions is consistent with GPU limitation, not CPU limitation.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 91.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 81.1 FPS. This is a performance difference of 10.2 FPS, or about 11%.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 49166, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X's score of 49062. It is also 1% higher than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 have enough VRAM for Control at 4K?

A: The data shows playable frame rates at 4K (63.5 FPS on High), indicating that the 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for this game at this resolution, as no min FPS issues are reported in the data.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting a high-refresh-rate experience at 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers a remarkable 193.4 FPS, but this sacrifices visual fidelity. The High preset at 122.4 FPS is a better balance, offering a significant visual upgrade while still maintaining a frame rate well above 100 FPS. At this resolution, even the Ultra preset, with 108.7 FPS, is highly playable and is the best choice for maximum visual quality without compromising smoothness. The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is never GPU-bound enough to warrant dropping below High for a competitive edge.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 91.3 FPS is the sweet spot, providing a great balance between visual detail and performance. The Ultra preset at 81.1 FPS is also an excellent option for those who prioritize image quality, as the frame rate remains well within the high-refresh territory. The Medium preset at 104.1 FPS is a viable alternative for those seeking higher frame rates, but the visual difference from High is noticeable. For 3840x2160, the High preset at 63.5 FPS is the recommended choice, as it is the only preset that consistently stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 55.5 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action, while the Medium preset at 71.5 FPS is a good compromise if you want higher frame rates at 4K without a massive drop in visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across all presets is as follows: Low settings yield 193.4 FPS, Medium settings yield 138 FPS, High settings yield 122.4 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 108.7 FPS. This shows a clear progression, with the Low preset being 55% faster than the Ultra preset. The gap between Medium and High is 15.6 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 13.7 FPS, indicating that the GPU’s workload increases steadily as settings are raised.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are: Low at 147.9 FPS, Medium at 104.1 FPS, High at 91.3 FPS, and Ultra at 81.1 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is substantial at 43.8 FPS, but the subsequent drops are smaller, with a 12.8 FPS difference between Medium and High, and a 10.2 FPS difference between High and Ultra. At 3840x2160, the numbers are: Low at 95.3 FPS, Medium at 71.5 FPS, High at 63.5 FPS, and Ultra at 55.5 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is steepest at the Low preset, where the frame rate is nearly halved. The data consistently shows that the RTX 4070’s performance scales predictably with resolution, and the CPU’s influence is minimal at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 386th out of 1636 tested combos for Control. This places it in the top 24% of all configurations, which is a strong result. The CPU itself is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. This ranking suggests that while the individual components are high-performing, the specific pairing is not at the very top of the charts, likely due to the GPU being a mid-to-high-end part rather than a flagship. The data implies that there are 385 other combinations that achieve higher frame rates in this game, probably featuring more powerful GPUs like the RTX 4080 or 4090.

However, within this rank, the performance is very solid. The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, has nearly identical average scores, and the GPU’s closest competitor, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, lags slightly behind in average benchmark scores. This indicates that the i5-14600K + RTX 4070 combo is a well-matched pair, with no single component being a glaring weak point. The rank of 386 out of 1636 confirms the RTX 4070’s efficiency, as it delivers excellent 1080p and 1440p performance and remains playable at 4K, making this a versatile and capable setup for Control.