Control

Control, a 2019 action-adventure title, is demanding enough that the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT pairing shows a clear performance ceiling defined by the GPU. Across the measured resolutions, the data indicates that the RX 5700 XT is the primary bottleneck, with the CPU's strong single-threaded performance ensuring that frame rates scale predictably with graphics load. The optimal experience balances visual fidelity against the GPU's 8 GB memory and RDNA 1.0 architecture, where the Medium preset emerges as the most consistent choice for playable frame rates across all tested resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data for this combination reveals a clear hierarchy where the Medium preset offers the best compromise between visual quality and performance. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 82 FPS, which is a substantial 19 FPS improvement over High settings (73 FPS) while still maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The frame time consistency at Medium is also notable, with a measured range of 70-94 FPS, indicating stable performance without significant dips.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset again proves to be the most viable option, producing an average of 62 FPS with a range of 53-71 FPS. This is particularly important because the High preset at this resolution drops to 55 FPS, which falls below the ideal 60 FPS target, and the Ultra preset further degrades to 48 FPS. The Medium preset's ability to maintain an average above 60 FPS makes it the recommended choice for 1440p gaming, as it provides the smoothest experience without requiring a significant visual downgrade.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. The Medium preset yields an average of 42 FPS with a range of 36-48 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Low preset at 4K produces 59 FPS, which is surprisingly close to the 60 FPS target, making it a viable option for players who prioritize frame rate over fidelity. However, the High preset at 4K drops to 37 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS, both of which are below acceptable thresholds for this genre.

The data strongly suggests that Medium is the default recommendation across all resolutions, as it consistently offers the best balance. For 1080p, Medium provides a high refresh rate experience. For 1440p, it maintains the 60 FPS standard. For 4K, it delivers a playable experience, though players seeking smoother motion should consider Low settings, which nearly double the frame rate compared to Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the comprehensive database of tested configurations, this Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination ranks 2767 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places the pairing in the lower third of all configurations, which is consistent with the RX 5700 XT's performance percentile of 59. The GPU is a mid-range component from the RDNA 1.0 architecture, and its age relative to the game's 2019 release date is evident in the measured frame rates.

The CPU, however, is a high-end component with a percentile of 90 among all processors. The i5-14600KF's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which has an average score 0.3% higher, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, which is 0.8% higher. This indicates the CPU is performing at the top of its class, but the GPU's lower standing (with rivals like the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M at 0.1% higher and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 at 0.9% higher) means the overall combo rank is dragged down by the graphics card.

The ranking disparity between the CPU and GPU is a critical finding. The CPU's performance is effectively wasted in this pairing for Control, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor at every resolution. The data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, where the CPU would have the most influence, the average FPS of 115 is not CPU-bound but rather reflects the GPU's maximum throughput. This suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield significantly better results, while upgrading the CPU would have minimal impact on Control's performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where this combo can consistently achieve high frame rates. At Low settings, the average is 115 FPS, and at Medium it is 82 FPS, both of which are excellent for smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 62 FPS, which is acceptable, but 4K performance is limited to 59 FPS on Low settings.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High settings?

A: The Ultra preset consistently delivers lower frame rates than High across all resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra averages 63 FPS versus 73 FPS for High, a 10 FPS difference. At 1440p, the gap is 48 FPS versus 55 FPS, and at 4K, it is 32 FPS versus 37 FPS. The visual improvement from Ultra over High does not justify the performance cost.

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

A: The benchmark results clearly show the GPU is the bottleneck. The i5-14600KF ranks in the 90th percentile among CPUs, while the RX 5700 XT ranks in the 59th percentile among GPUs. The frame rate scaling across settings (e.g., 115 FPS at 1080p Low to 63 FPS at 1080p Ultra) follows GPU load patterns, not CPU limitations.

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

A: At 4K, the combo is only playable on Low settings, achieving an average of 59 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 42 FPS, and High settings fall to 37 FPS. For a stable 60 FPS experience at 4K, users would need to reduce settings to Low, which compromises visual quality significantly.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT's 8 GB memory affect performance?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for Control at 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it may contribute to the performance drop at 4K. The frame rates at 4K High (37 FPS) and Ultra (32 FPS) indicate memory bandwidth constraints, as the GPU's compute capabilities (9.754 TFLOPS) are not the sole limiting factor.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like for this combo?

A: The measured data for Medium settings shows frame time ranges of 70-94 FPS at 1080p, 53-71 FPS at 1440p, and 36-48 FPS at 4K. The consistent spread of roughly 20-30% across resolutions indicates stable performance without major stuttering, but the average frame rates at higher resolutions are too low for a consistently smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the results are strong: Low settings average 115 FPS, Medium averages 82 FPS (with a range of 70-94 FPS), High averages 73 FPS, and Ultra averages 63 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot, with even Ultra settings maintaining a playable frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are significant but predictable. Low settings average 87 FPS, which is a 24% reduction from 1080p. Medium averages 62 FPS (range 53-71 FPS), High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra drops to 48 FPS. The Medium preset remains above 60 FPS, but the other settings fall below this threshold, making 1440p a viable but more demanding resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance is considerably weaker. Low settings average 59 FPS, which is just shy of the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 42 FPS (range 36-48 FPS), High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS. The 4K results highlight the GPU's limitations, with even Low settings unable to maintain a consistent 60 FPS. The data shows a clear trend: each resolution increase and each settings tier upward results in a substantial FPS cost, with the gap between Low and Ultra widening from 52 FPS at 1080p to 27 FPS at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a consistent pattern of frame rate degradation as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS across all settings drops by approximately 25-30%. For example, at High settings, the 73 FPS at 1080p becomes 55 FPS at 1440p, a 25% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 82 FPS to 62 FPS, a 24% reduction.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more pronounced. At High settings, the 55 FPS at 1440p drops to 37 FPS at 4K, a 33% reduction. At Medium settings, the 62 FPS at 1440p falls to 42 FPS at 4K, a 32% reduction. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) and pixel fill rate (121.9 GPixel/s) are being stressed at 4K, as the number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The data indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor in resolution scaling. The i5-14600KF's high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 score of 4594) ensures that the game's logic and physics can be processed quickly, but the GPU's rendering capabilities dictate the frame rate. The consistent FPS drops across all settings levels at each resolution step confirm that the RX 5700 XT is the sole bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see similar FPS values across resolutions at low settings, but instead we see 115 FPS at 1080p versus 59 FPS at 4K on Low, proving the GPU's dominance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF 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 benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and a single-core score of 4594. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a powerful component for gaming, but in Control, its role is secondary to the GPU.

The game's performance is not CPU-bound, as evidenced by the frame rates remaining relatively stable across different CPU loads. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all processors means it has ample headroom, but the RX 5700 XT's 59th percentile ranking limits the overall system. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 115 FPS, which is likely near the GPU's maximum throughput. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures that it can feed the GPU with draw calls without becoming a bottleneck, but the GPU's 2560 shading units and 9.754 TFLOPS of compute performance are the limiting factors.

The CPU's multi-threading capabilities (14 cores, 20 threads) are largely underutilized in Control, which is typical for action-adventure games that rely more on single-thread performance. The i5-14600KF's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 4594 is more than sufficient for this title. The data suggests that even a significantly weaker CPU could achieve similar frame rates with the RX 5700 XT, as the GPU is consistently the performance limiter across all resolutions and settings. This means that for users looking to improve Control performance, upgrading the GPU would yield far greater benefits than any CPU change.