Control

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a dominant 1080p experience in Control, but the data reveals a distinct shift in system bottleneck as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the combination is overwhelmingly CPU-bound, producing frame rates that exceed 200 FPS at Low settings. However, as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, with frame rates scaling down in a pattern that clearly isolates the RTX 5070's performance ceiling. This combo ranks in the 300th position out of 1636 tested configurations, placing it in the top 20% of all pairings for this title.

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 substantial multi-threaded capability is evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 15846, positioning it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs tested. In Control, this processing headroom is critical at lower resolutions, where the game's physics and AI systems demand significant CPU throughput.

The benchmark data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 207.1 FPS. This figure is exceptionally high, indicating that the i5-14600K is capable of feeding the RTX 5070 with enough data to saturate its frame output at this resolution. The processor's single-thread performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4270. These scores correlate directly with Control's frame pacing, as the game's engine relies heavily on a single primary thread for scene management.

The i5-14600K's nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks is the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which scores 0.2% higher on average, while the Intel Core i5-14600KF is 0.4% lower. This marginal difference in synthetic scores translates to negligible real-world variance in Control, meaning the CPU is rarely the deciding factor in frame rate differences between these chips. However, the data shows that the CPU's role is most pronounced at 1080p, where the 207.1 FPS Low result suggests the processor is operating near its maximum frame delivery capacity for this title.

At 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes significantly, as evidenced by the 107.6 FPS Low result. This represents a 48% reduction from the 1080p Low figure, indicating that the GPU's rendering workload now dominates the frame time budget. The i5-14600K's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for the game's asset streaming, ensuring that stutter and frame hitches are minimized even during intense combat sequences.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the primary driver of Control's visual fidelity, featuring 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock of 2512 MHz and 6144 shading units provide substantial compute throughput, with a Passmark G3D score of 29137 placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. This hardware configuration is well-suited to Control's demanding rendering techniques, which include extensive use of volumetric effects and dynamic lighting.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly apparent as settings are raised. At 1080p, the frame rate drops from 207.1 FPS at Low to 114.1 FPS at Ultra, a 45% reduction that directly reflects the increased shading and texture work. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Control's texture sets, as evidenced by the consistent performance scaling across settings without any indications of memory-related stuttering. The 1750 MHz memory clock, operating at 28 Gbps effective, ensures that texture streaming keeps pace with the GPU's rendering output.

The RTX 5070's nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which scores 0.6% higher on average, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 trails by 0.2%. This proximity in synthetic scores suggests that the RTX 5070 delivers performance comparable to a previous flagship, making it more than adequate for Control's requirements. However, the data shows that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where the frame rate falls to 56 FPS. This figure indicates that the GPU's raw rasterization throughput is the limiting factor at this extreme configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 131.8 FPS, which drops to 98.5 FPS at 1440p High (a 25% reduction) and further to 66.3 FPS at 4K High (a 50% reduction from 1080p). This scaling behavior is characteristic of a system where the CPU has ample headroom, and the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the constraining resources.

The Low settings preset provides the clearest view of this bottleneck shift. At 1080p Low, the system produces 207.1 FPS, indicating that the CPU is the primary limiter. Moving to 1440p Low yields 159.6 FPS, a 23% drop, while 4K Low produces 107.6 FPS, a further 33% reduction from 1440p. The fact that the 4K Low result (107.6 FPS) is still above the 1080p Ultra result (114.1 FPS) demonstrates that the RTX 5070's raw compute power is substantial, but its performance is heavily influenced by resolution-dependent workloads.

The Ultra preset shows the most significant scaling penalties, with 114.1 FPS at 1080p dropping to 89.1 FPS at 1440p and 56 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure represents a 51% reduction from 1080p Ultra, highlighting that the GPU's pixel throughput is the determining factor at this resolution. This data indicates that for 4K gaming, users should expect frame rates in the 56-66 FPS range depending on settings, which is playable but not optimal for high-refresh-rate displays.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 300 out of 1636 tested configurations places it in the top 18.3% of all CPU-GPU pairings tested in Control. This is a strong showing, particularly given the game's age and the mix of hardware included in the database. The rank reflects the balance between the i5-14600K's high single-thread performance and the RTX 5070's robust rasterization capabilities, which together deliver a well-rounded experience across all resolutions.

In the context of the full benchmark database, this combo's performance is notable because it achieves over 100 FPS at 4K Low and 1080p Ultra, demonstrating that it can handle both competitive and visually demanding scenarios. The rank is likely driven by the 1080p results, where the combo's 207.1 FPS Low figure is among the highest recorded, as this resolution is the most CPU-sensitive and benefits most from the i5-14600K's 5.30 GHz boost clock.

The data suggests that higher-ranked combos likely feature more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 4090 or newer Blackwell variants, which would provide better 4K Ultra performance. However, the i5-14600K's 93rd percentile CPU ranking ensures that this combo does not suffer from CPU-induced frame drops, making it a balanced pairing for Control's mixed CPU/GPU workload.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1440p provides the best balance, with frame rates ranging from 89.1 FPS at Ultra to 159.6 FPS at Low. This resolution offers a significant visual improvement over 1080p while maintaining frame rates above 90 FPS at all settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest GPU rival in this game?

A: The RTX 5070's synthetic benchmark score is 0.6% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 and 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300. In practice, this means the RTX 5070 delivers performance very close to the RTX 3090 in Control, as evidenced by its ability to achieve 56 FPS at 4K Ultra.

Q: Is the i5-14600K a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data indicates that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 207.1 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery limit for Control. The CPU's single-thread score of 4642 in Cinebench R23 suggests it is a limiting factor at this resolution, as the GPU is not fully utilized.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K High, the combo achieves 66.3 FPS, which is playable. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 56 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for fast-paced action sequences. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient to avoid texture streaming issues.

Q: What settings provide the highest frame rate at 4K?

A: The Low preset at 4K yields 107.6 FPS, which is the highest 4K result in the measured data. This is followed by Medium at 78.6 FPS and High at 66.3 FPS, showing that the Low preset nearly doubles the performance of Ultra at this resolution.

Q: How does this combo's CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The i5-14600K scores 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600KF in synthetic benchmarks. This indicates that the CPU performance is essentially tied with these rivals, meaning any frame rate differences in Control would be attributable to other system components.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low setting produces 207.1 FPS, followed by High at 131.8 FPS, Medium at 151.9 FPS, and Ultra at 114.1 FPS. Notably, the Medium preset at 151.9 FPS outperforms High by 15.2%, suggesting that Medium may be a more efficient preset for high-refresh-rate displays at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down consistently. Low yields 159.6 FPS, Medium 112.6 FPS, High 98.5 FPS, and Ultra 89.1 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 14.1 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 9.4 FPS, indicating diminishing returns as settings increase.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low produces 107.6 FPS, Medium 78.6 FPS, High 66.3 FPS, and Ultra 56 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 51.6 FPS, demonstrating that the Ultra preset's visual enhancements come at a significant performance cost. The data shows that the scaling from 1080p to 4K at any given preset is roughly a 50% reduction, which is consistent with the GPU's pixel throughput limitations.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset at 151.9 FPS offers the best experience, as it provides a significant frame rate advantage over High (131.8 FPS) while still delivering improved visual quality over Low (207.1 FPS). The Ultra preset at 114.1 FPS is acceptable for players who prioritize visual fidelity, but the 37.8 FPS penalty compared to Medium is substantial.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 112.6 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains a high refresh rate experience while offering better visual quality than Low (159.6 FPS). The High preset at 98.5 FPS is also viable for players with 100Hz displays, but Ultra at 89.1 FPS may cause noticeable frame pacing issues on 144Hz monitors.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 107.6 FPS is the only configuration that consistently exceeds 100 FPS. The Medium preset at 78.6 FPS is a reasonable compromise for players with 60-75Hz displays, while High at 66.3 FPS and Ultra at 56 FPS are best suited for slower-paced exploration or screenshot purposes. Given the significant performance drop from Medium to Ultra (22.6 FPS), the Medium preset is the recommended balance of visual quality and performance at 4K.