Control

Control is an action-adventure title from 2019 that stresses both CPU and GPU subsystems, and the measured results for the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti show a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions and settings. The data indicates a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K performance remaining playable, though the gap between Low and Ultra presets at that resolution reveals where the GPU becomes the primary constraint. This analysis walks through the specific role of each component, the scaling behavior, and the exact measured frames per second to characterize what this combo delivers in Control.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14600K provides the processing foundation for this combo, and its specifications explain how it keeps up with the demands of Control. The chip features 14 cores and 20 threads, which is a hybrid arrangement typical of Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. These clock speeds are critical for a game like Control, which relies on strong single-thread performance for physics and game logic, and the 5.30 GHz boost ensures that the CPU can respond quickly to those demands. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache also helps by keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency in scenarios where the game’s asynchronous physics engine is active.

Benchmark results for this CPU place it in the 90th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 48,618. In multi-core tasks, the data shows a Cinebench R23 score of 24,491, while single-core performance reaches 2,064 in the same test, and Geekbench results echo this with a multi-core score of 16,673 and a single-core score of 2,491. These numbers indicate that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU in Control, even at lower resolutions where frame rates are highest. When comparing to its nearest rivals, the Core i5-14600K sits within a tight band: it trails the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.2% in average score, edges out the AMD EPYC 4345P by 0.3%, and is 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX, while also being 0.8% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 245. This clustering suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing, as its performance is consistent with other high-end desktop parts.

In Control, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at 1080p with Low settings, where the average frame rate reaches 226 FPS. At that level, the GPU is not the limiting factor, and the CPU’s ability to process draw calls and physics updates at high speed is what allows the frame rate to climb so high. The 14 cores and 20 threads may not all be utilized by the game, but the high boost clock and efficient architecture ensure that the active threads are processed without stalling. The data does not show any specific CPU-bound frame rate drops, and the measured FPS values remain stable across all settings, which supports the conclusion that this processor is more than sufficient for Control’s requirements.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the primary driver of visual performance in this combo, and its specifications directly influence the measured frame rates. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process node from TSMC, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, which provides a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is relevant for Control because the game’s environments are dense with destructible objects and high-resolution textures, and the 12 GB capacity is sufficient to hold those assets without swapping to system memory. The GPU’s boost clock is 2610 MHz, with a base clock of 2310 MHz, and it packs 7,680 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, which give it a texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 208.8 GPixel/s.

In terms of raw compute, the RTX 4070 Ti delivers 40.09 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is a strong figure for rasterization-heavy titles like Control. The GPU’s benchmark results place it in the 84th percentile among all tested graphics cards, with an average score of 44,795. Its nearest rivals show a narrow performance margin: it is 0.8% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, 1.3% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, and 1.7% behind the Intel Arc A730M, while it is 1.6% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A6000. These deltas are small, indicating that the RTX 4070 Ti sits in a competitive tier, but in Control specifically, the GPU’s role is defined by how it handles the rendering load at each resolution.

The GPU’s impact is most visible when comparing the 4K results to lower resolutions. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 63 FPS, while at 1920x1080 with the same settings, it reaches 124 FPS. This scaling shows that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting at higher resolutions, and the 12 GB VRAM becomes a factor when textures are set to High or Ultra, as the larger frame buffer helps avoid stutters. The data includes min and max FPS values for Medium settings at each resolution, and at 4K Medium, the range is 70 to 94 FPS, which indicates that the GPU can maintain a playable experience even when the frame rate fluctuates. The RTX 4070 Ti is not the fastest GPU on the market, but its performance in Control is consistent with its percentile ranking, and it provides a smooth experience at 1440p and 4K with appropriate settings.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of scaling that points to the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the average frame rate is 226 FPS, which is the highest recorded value for this combo. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 171 FPS, a reduction of 55 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls further to 115 FPS, which is 49% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline from 1080p to 4K is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU has enough headroom to process frames at high rates, but the GPU’s rendering workload increases with pixel count, reducing throughput.

The same pattern holds for High settings, where 1080p averages 143 FPS, 1440p averages 108 FPS, and 4K averages 73 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is about 49%, which is nearly identical to the Low setting drop, reinforcing that the GPU is the bottleneck. In contrast, the CPU’s performance does not change with resolution, so the consistent scaling suggests that the RTX 4070 Ti’s output is what determines the frame rate. At Ultra settings, the 1080p average is 124 FPS, 1440p is 94 FPS, and 4K is 63 FPS, with the 4K value being 49% lower than 1080p as well. This uniformity across settings indicates that the GPU’s pixel processing capability is the limiting factor, and the CPU is not introducing any resolution-dependent overhead.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 102 FPS (226 vs. 124), while at 4K, the difference is 52 FPS (115 vs. 63). This compression at higher resolutions is expected because the GPU becomes saturated with pixel work, leaving less room for settings-based variation. For this combo, the limiting component at 4K is clearly the GPU, while at 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance allows the GPU to operate near its maximum potential, resulting in very high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a full picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 226 FPS on Low settings, which is the fastest result in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 161 FPS, with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 185 FPS, showing some variance but maintaining a high baseline. High settings at 1080p produce an average of 143 FPS, and Ultra settings reduce that to 124 FPS. The 1080p results are consistently above 120 FPS, which makes this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate displays, and even the most demanding Ultra preset stays well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings average 171 FPS, which is still very high, while Medium settings average 121 FPS with a min of 103 FPS and a max of 140 FPS. High settings bring the average down to 108 FPS, and Ultra settings settle at 94 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1440p is a sweet spot for this combo, as all settings presets remain above 90 FPS, and even the minimum recorded value at Medium is 103 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The variance at Medium is notable, with a 37 FPS spread between min and max, but this is likely due to scene complexity rather than a systemic issue.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s workload increases significantly. Low settings average 115 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium settings drop to 82 FPS with a min of 70 FPS and a max of 94 FPS. High settings average 73 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 63 FPS. The 4K results show that the combo can handle 4K gaming, but the Ultra preset at 63 FPS is close to the 60 FPS threshold, and users may prefer to adjust settings to maintain a higher frame rate. The Medium preset at 4K offers a balance, with an average of 82 FPS and a minimum of 70 FPS, which ensures that frame drops do not go below playable levels. Overall, the data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is for maximum frame rates, 1440p is the balanced choice, and 4K is viable with settings tuning.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti ranks 496th out of 3,720 total combos for Control. This places it in the top 13.3% of all configurations, which is a strong result given the breadth of hardware tested. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, and the data shows that this combo performs well above the median, likely due to the balanced nature of the CPU and GPU pair. The CPU’s high percentile ranking (90th) and the GPU’s solid percentile (84th) both contribute to this position, and the combination does not exhibit any obvious bottleneck that would drag its rank down.

When considering the combo’s position, it is helpful to note that the RTX 4070 Ti is not the top-tier GPU, but its performance in Control is sufficient to achieve high frame rates at 1440p and playable rates at 4K. The rank of 496 suggests that there are many combos with faster GPUs or CPUs that produce higher average FPS, but this configuration still outperforms the vast majority of systems. The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU individually show that both components are competitive, and the combo’s rank reflects that synergy. For a user with this setup, the data indicates that it is a capable machine for Control, and the rank provides context for how it compares to other tested pairings.

The rank also implies that this combo is not limited by software or driver issues, as the measured FPS values are consistent across settings. The 4K Ultra result of 63 FPS is a good indicator of the combo’s overall capability, as it shows that even at the highest settings, the system remains playable. The rank of 496 out of 3,720 is a quantitative measure of this, and it suggests that users can expect a smooth experience in most scenarios, with the understanding that some settings adjustments may be needed for 4K.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user’s resolution and frame rate priorities. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it delivers an average of 124 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the best visual quality. The High preset at 143 FPS is also a strong option for those who prefer higher frame rates, but the difference between High and Ultra is only 19 FPS, so the visual gains from Ultra are likely worth the small performance cost. At 1080p, even the most demanding preset does not drop below 120 FPS, so users should prioritize visual fidelity.

For 2560x1440, the High preset offers the best balance, with an average of 108 FPS and no minimum FPS data to suggest significant drops. The Ultra preset at 94 FPS is also viable, but the 14 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not be noticeable to all users, and High provides a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 121 FPS is an option for those who want higher frame rates, but the visual downgrade may be apparent in a game like Control, which relies on atmospheric effects. The data shows that High is the sweet spot at 1440p, as it remains above 100 FPS while offering good detail.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it averages 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS, ensuring that the frame rate does not drop below playable levels. The High preset at 73 FPS is close, but the 9 FPS average difference and potential for lower minimums make Medium a safer option. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is borderline, and while it is technically above 60 FPS, the lack of min FPS data for Ultra means that there could be dips below that threshold. Low settings at 4K produce 115 FPS, but the visual quality suffers significantly, so Medium is the best compromise for 4K gaming. In summary, the data supports Ultra at 1080p, High at 1440p, and Medium at 4K for the best experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Control?

A: The highest average FPS is 226, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti capable of running Control at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 63 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, but the data does not include a minimum FPS value for this preset, so there is potential for dips.

Q: How does the Core i5-14600K compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48,618, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 4345P.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations for Control?

A: The combo ranks 496th out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the top 13.3% of all systems.

Q: At which resolution does the combo provide the most consistent frame rates above 60 FPS?

A: At 2560x1440, all settings presets average above 90 FPS, and the Medium preset has a minimum of 103 FPS, making it the most consistent resolution for high performance.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 226 FPS and Ultra settings average 124 FPS, a difference of 102 FPS.