Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, presents a demanding mix of physics-based combat and destructible environments. Benchmarking the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER reveals a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions, though the data suggests a clear shift in system bottleneck as pixel count rises. The measured FPS rows offer a detailed look at how this specific combo handles the game’s distinct visual load.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is substantial, but the pattern is not linear across all settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 217.1 FPS at 1080p to 107.1 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 110 FPS or roughly 50.7%. This halving of performance indicates that even at the lowest graphical preset, the GPU is still the primary driver of output, though the headroom at 1080p is massive.

Moving to High settings, the scaling tightens slightly. The average at 1080p is 134.9 FPS, dropping to 101.1 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 70.9 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is about 47.4%, which is similar to Low. This consistency across presets suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s compute and memory throughput are being taxed in a uniform way, regardless of the specific visual effects enabled. The delta between 1440p and 4K at High (30.2 FPS) is smaller than the delta between 1080p and 1440p (33.8 FPS), hinting that the GPU’s 12 GB memory buffer and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are starting to feel the strain of 4K’s pixel count.

The Ultra preset tells a more interesting story. Here, the 4K average drops to 61 FPS, which is perilously close to the 60 FPS threshold. The scaling from 1080p (119 FPS) to 1440p (90.6 FPS) shows a 23.9% reduction, but the jump from 1440p to 4K (90.6 to 61 FPS) is a steeper 32.7% decline. This non-linear degradation at the highest settings and resolution implies that the combination of maxed-out effects and 4K resolution is overwhelming the GPU’s resources, likely hitting a wall in terms of raw fillrate and shader throughput. The data clearly shows that while the CPU has ample power, the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component at 4K Ultra, struggling to maintain fluid motion.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this particular pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and RTX 4070 SUPER holds a combo rank of 261 out of 1636 combos. This places it in the top 16% of all tested systems for Control, which is a strong showing given the game’s age and the hardware’s mid-to-high-end positioning. The percentileVsAllCpus of 93 for the processor and the percentileVsAllGpus of 84 for the graphics card suggest that both components are individually well above average, but the overall combo rank indicates that other pairings with stronger GPUs can achieve higher frame rates in this specific title.

The ranking also needs to be viewed through the lens of the individual components’ nearest rivals. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 49166 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which sits just 0.2% behind. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the i5-14600K is trading blows with a high-core-count competitor. However, in a game like Control, which is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, the CPU’s performance headroom is less critical. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, is essentially tied in average score (deltaPct of -0.2%), meaning the 4070 SUPER is performing exactly as expected for its class. The combo rank of 261 confirms the balance of this pairing, but it also highlights that for absolute top-tier performance in Control, a higher-tier GPU would be necessary.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for this combo at 1440p High is 101.1 FPS. This is a comfortable frame rate for high-refresh-rate monitors, providing a smooth experience without needing to compromise on visual quality.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the average FPS is 70.9, which is playable. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 61 FPS, which can dip below 60 FPS in intense scenes, potentially causing noticeable stutter. Lowering to 4K Medium yields 78.9 FPS, a safer target.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from High to Low settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, High settings produce an average of 134.9 FPS, while Low settings produce 217.1 FPS. This is an 82.2 FPS increase, representing a 60.9% performance uplift, which could be critical for competitive play or extremely high refresh rate displays.

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

A: The benchmark data suggests the CPU is not a primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The FPS scales significantly with resolution changes, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s high scores in synthetic tests like Cinebench R23 (32881 multi-core) support that it has ample headroom for this title.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average is 154.5 FPS. At 4K Medium, it drops to 78.9 FPS. This represents a 75.6 FPS reduction, or a 48.9% decrease in performance, showing the heavy cost of rendering four times the pixels.

Q: How does this combo’s overall ranking compare to its individual component performance?

A: The combo is ranked 261 out of 1636. The CPU sits in the 93rd percentile, and the GPU is in the 84th percentile. This indicates that while each part is strong, the combo’s rank is dragged down by the GPU’s relative position, as Control’s performance is more dependent on the graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete matrix of performance across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the RTX 4070 SUPER is clearly over-provisioned for most settings. The Low preset yields a staggering 217.1 FPS average, ensuring no display is a limitation. Medium settings still offer 154.5 FPS, while High and Ultra provide 134.9 FPS and 119 FPS respectively. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 98.1 FPS, demonstrating the massive headroom available.

At 2560x1440, the results are more balanced. The Low preset still hits 164.9 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh gaming. Medium and High produce 114.3 FPS and 101.1 FPS, respectively, both well above the 60 FPS standard. Even Ultra maintains a strong 90.6 FPS, making 1440p the sweet spot for this hardware, offering high fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The scaling here shows a clear degradation from Low to Ultra (164.9 to 90.6 FPS), but all presets remain playable.

Moving to 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. The Low preset averages 107.1 FPS, which is still playable but a significant drop from the 1440p figure. Medium drops further to 78.9 FPS, and High to 70.9 FPS. The Ultra preset bottoms out at 61 FPS, which is technically playable but leaves little margin for error in chaotic combat scenarios. The data indicates that 4K is viable with tweaked settings, but the absolute maximum preset is pushing the RTX 4070 SUPER to its limits.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the unequivocal performance driver in this configuration. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for feeding the high-resolution textures and particle effects that Control is known for. The data shows that at 4K, the performance drop is most pronounced when moving from High to Ultra (70.9 to 61 FPS), suggesting that the Ultra preset’s additional effects are saturating the memory subsystem or the 7168 shading units.

The GPU’s boost clock of 2475 MHz is a key factor in its ability to maintain high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The benchmark results show that the card is capable of pushing over 200 FPS at 1080p Low, which affirms its raw compute power. However, the average benchmark score of 42576 places it just below the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE in the nearest rivals list (deltaPct of -0.3%), indicating that its performance is well within the expected band for its class. The 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is evidently sufficient for Control’s demands at all but the most extreme settings. The pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s are the specs that directly correlate with the game’s ability to render its complex environments, and they are clearly the limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K serves as a robust foundation, but its role is secondary in this game. With 14 cores (6 performance and 8 efficient) and 20 threads, it has more than enough processing power to handle the game’s physics and AI routines. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures that single-threaded performance is excellent, which is reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642 and Geekbench single-core score of 2803. This high single-core speed is important for maintaining stable frame pacing.

The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep data readily accessible, reducing potential stutters. However, the FPS data does not show any significant CPU-induced bottlenecks. The fact that frame rates scale so heavily with resolution changes indicates that the GPU is always the limiting factor. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 49166 is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (deltaPct of 0.2%), showing it is a top-tier performer. In Control, this means the i5-14600K is never the weak link; it provides all the instructions the GPU needs without breaking a sweat. The PassMark multi-thread score of 38682 further confirms its capability to handle concurrent tasks, but in this specific game, its primary job is to feed the GPU, which it does admirably.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings for this combo depend entirely on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the data suggests that players can safely max out the game. The Ultra preset at 1080p still yields an average of 119 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Even the most demanding users will find no reason to lower settings at this resolution, as the GPU has massive headroom. For those seeking the absolute highest frame rates for competitive play, the Low preset at 217.1 FPS is there, but the visual sacrifice is unnecessary.

At 2560x1440, the High preset represents the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, delivering 101.1 FPS. The Ultra preset is also viable at 90.6 FPS, but the drop to High is worth it for the stability improvement. The data shows that Medium (114.3 FPS) offers a significant boost over High, but the visual downgrade may not be worth the 13.2 FPS gain for most users. For a premium experience, High is the recommended preset, as it comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold with room to spare.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation is more nuanced. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as the 61 FPS average is too close to the edge of playability. The High preset, at 70.9 FPS, provides a much safer buffer and is the best choice for 4K gaming. For those who prioritize frame rate over fidelity, Medium at 78.9 FPS is a better option, offering a 8 FPS improvement over High. The Low preset at 107.1 FPS is surprisingly effective for 4K, but it defeats the purpose of high-resolution gaming. Ultimately, the data points to 1440p High as the sweet spot for this hardware, with 4K High as a very capable secondary option for those with 4K displays.