Control

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 is a combination that is heavily constrained by its graphics card in Control. The benchmark data shows a clear and consistent pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates collapse, confirming that the RX 580 is the definitive bottleneck in this pairing. The i5-14600KF, with its high single-thread performance, is never the limiting factor; instead, the GPU's 2017-era architecture and 8 GB of GDDR5 memory struggle to keep pace with the demands of this 2019 title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, indicating that the RX 580 is working at its absolute limit. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 62.9 FPS, which is the only playable threshold in the entire dataset. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 48.1 FPS, a 23.5% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 29.8 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 37.4 FPS at 1080p to 29.6 FPS at 1440p, and then to 18.4 FPS at 4K. This shows a linear degradation that points directly at the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The RX 580's 256.0 GB/s bandwidth and 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for 4K workloads in Control, regardless of the preset chosen.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting component in this scaling. The i5-14600KF's benchmark scores, such as a Geekbench single-core score of 2778 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889, indicate it has ample headroom. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between resolutions, as the CPU load would cap the performance. Instead, the FPS drops proportionally with the increase in pixel count, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the primary determinant of performance in this configuration. Its specifications—14 nm process node, 2304 shading units, and 32 ROPs—are from an older generation and are reflected in its benchmark scores. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 8813 places it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals in benchmark averages are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 and GTX 950, which are significantly older parts. This context explains why the card struggles with Control's modern rendering requirements.

The 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus is technically sufficient for most 1080p scenarios, but the card's raw compute power is not. The FP32 performance of 6.175 TFLOPS is low by modern standards, and the 193.0 GTexel/s texture rate limits how quickly the card can fill polygons. The benchmark results confirm this: at 1080p Medium settings, the average FPS is 42.9, but at 1080p Ultra it drops to 32.8. This 10.1 FPS penalty from Medium to Ultra is not due to memory capacity but rather the GPU's inability to process the increased shader complexity and texture detail.

The card's clocks are also telling. With a base clock of 1257 MHz and a boost clock of 1340 MHz, the RX 580 is running at its factory limits. There is no evidence in the data that the card is thermal throttling, but the performance ceiling is clear. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1005 is a low baseline, and the Passmark DirectX 12 score of 43 is particularly weak, indicating that the card's driver and hardware support for modern APIs is a limiting factor in Control.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frames, the only viable preset for a smooth experience is 1080p Low, which yields an average of 62.9 FPS. This is the sole configuration in the dataset that approaches the 60 FPS target. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 42.9 FPS, which is playable but not fluid. For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate at 1080p, High settings at 37.4 FPS is the highest preset that remains technically playable, though it will feel stuttery during intense combat sequences.

At 1440p, the situation is more dire. The Low preset provides 48.1 FPS, which is the only 1440p option that exceeds 30 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p drop to 33.7 FPS, and High falls to 29.6 FPS. Ultra at 1440p is 24.5 FPS, which is not recommended. The data shows that 1440p is only feasible with the lowest settings, and even then, the experience is marginal.

4K is effectively unplayable on this hardware. The best 4K result is 29.8 FPS on Low, which is below the 30 FPS console standard. High settings at 4K yield only 18.4 FPS. The recommendation is clear: users must stay at 1080p and accept Low or Medium settings to maintain a playable frame rate. Ultra settings should be avoided entirely, as they provide the worst performance-to-quality tradeoff in the dataset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a clear picture of performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 62.9 FPS, Medium averages 42.9 FPS, High averages 37.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 32.8 FPS. This shows a 30.1 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, which is a substantial penalty for increasing visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 48.1 FPS, Medium at 33.7 FPS, High at 29.6 FPS, and Ultra at 24.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 23.6 FPS, but the absolute numbers are lower. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs approximately 14.8 FPS at Low settings, demonstrating the GPU's bandwidth limitations.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 29.8 FPS, Medium at 25.7 FPS, High at 18.4 FPS, and Ultra at 21.1 FPS. Interestingly, the Ultra preset at 4K (21.1 FPS) is slightly higher than High (18.4 FPS). This anomaly suggests that the Ultra preset may be altering rendering behavior in a way that reduces the load on the GPU, but the numbers are so low that it is irrelevant for gameplay. The 4K results confirm that this resolution is outside the card's capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested combinations for Control, this pairing ranks 1535 out of 1636 combos. This places it in the bottom 6.2% of all tested systems, which is a poor result for a game that is not particularly demanding by modern standards. The rank reflects the age of the RX 580, which is an end-of-life product, paired with a modern high-end CPU. The i5-14600KF is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49367, yet it is dragged down by the GPU.

The nearest rival CPUs to the i5-14600KF, such as the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, have similar average scores with deltaPct values of 0.4% and 0.6% respectively. This indicates that the CPU is performing as expected, and the low combo rank is entirely due to the GPU. The RX 580's nearest GPU rivals, like the GTX 570 and GTX 950, have deltaPct values of 0% and 0.1%, meaning the card is performing exactly as its hardware suggests. This is a case of a strong CPU being wasted by a weak GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is not the bottleneck in Control. Its specifications are robust: 14 cores, 20 threads, and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The CPU's benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and a single-core score of 4643. The Passmark single-thread score of 4273 confirms that the CPU has excellent per-core performance, which is critical for gaming.

In the measured FPS data, there is no evidence of CPU limitations. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU would cap the frame rate. Instead, the FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, which is the opposite of a CPU-bound scenario. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 provide ample bandwidth for the game's logic and physics.

The fact that the combo ranks poorly is not a reflection of the CPU's capabilities. The i5-14600KF's nearest rivals, including the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H with a deltaPct of 1.4%, show that the CPU is competitive with much more expensive parts. The data indicates that the CPU is performing its role correctly, but the RX 580 cannot translate the CPU's compute potential into frame rates. This is a classic mismatch where the GPU is several generations behind the CPU.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the average FPS exceeds 60, and only on Low settings. At 1440p and 4K, the average FPS drops below 50 on all presets, making 1080p the only viable choice.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves an average of 32.8 FPS. This is technically playable but below the 60 FPS threshold. The data suggests that Medium settings (42.9 FPS) provide a better balance of quality and performance.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, has a score of 13564 with a deltaPct of 0%, meaning they perform nearly identically in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Is the i5-14600KF holding back the RX 580?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Geekbench single-core score of 2778, are far above what Control requires. The FPS drops with resolution, which indicates the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 29.6 FPS. This is below the 30 FPS minimum for smooth gameplay and is not recommended.

Q: Why does the 4K Ultra preset have a higher FPS than 4K High?

A: The data shows 4K Ultra averages 21.1 FPS while 4K High averages 18.4 FPS. This anomaly is likely due to specific rendering settings in the Ultra preset that reduce GPU load, but both results are unplayable.