Control

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT lands at rank 1065 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. That places this configuration in the lower-middle portion of the database, meaning it outperforms roughly 35% of all tested pairings while trailing the majority. The rank reflects a system that can run the game, but it is not positioned among the high-end performers.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU sits in the 93rd percentile among all processors, a strong showing that indicates the processor is far from the limiting factor here. The GPU, by contrast, sits in the 72nd percentile among all graphics cards. The gap between these two percentile positions suggests a notable imbalance: the CPU has substantial headroom while the GPU carries most of the rendering load. In a game like Control, which emphasizes visual effects and GPU throughput, this imbalance becomes the defining characteristic of the combo's rank. The data implies that upgrading the graphics card would yield a far more significant jump in standing than any CPU change.

# GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with memory clocked at 2190 MHz (17.5 Gbps effective) and a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 2055 MHz, with a boost clock of 2635 MHz and a game clock of 2410 MHz. These clock figures are respectable for a mid-range card, but Control's demanding visual effects—particularly its physics-based destruction and ray-traced reflections—place heavy pressure on the GPU's 2048 shading units and 32 ray accelerators.

The benchmark results show a clear pattern: at 1080p, the GPU delivers playable framerates, but as resolution climbs, the card's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus become increasingly strained. The FP32 performance of 10.79 TFLOPS and texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s provide enough raw compute for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the card's pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s limits its ability to maintain high framerates at 4K. The GPU's nearest rival by average benchmark score is the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, with a delta of 0%, indicating that this desktop card performs on par with that mobile offering. Interestingly, it also sits within 0.6% of the Radeon RX Vega M GH, suggesting that the 6650 XT's performance envelope is well understood.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the balance of power shifts across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 121.5 FPS, dropping to 67.1 FPS at Ultra—a 44.8% reduction. Moving to 1440p, the Low setting yields 93.8 FPS while Ultra falls to 53.7 FPS, a 42.8% drop. At 4K, the Low setting produces 61.9 FPS, while Ultra drops to 34.7 FPS, a 43.9% reduction. The consistency of these percentage drops across resolutions suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint at every step, with the CPU providing ample headroom throughout.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is particularly telling. At High settings, the framerate falls from 78.5 FPS at 1080p to 57.1 FPS at 1440p (a 27.3% drop), then to 40.2 FPS at 4K (a 29.6% further drop). This steep decline at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU's rasterization and memory bandwidth become the bottleneck, as the CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads are not being fully utilized at 4K. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p or lighter 1440p workloads, with 4K only viable at Low settings where 61.9 FPS is achievable.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 121.5 FPS on Low, 88.2 FPS on Medium, 78.5 FPS on High, and 67.1 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a smooth progression, with each settings tier costing roughly 10-15 FPS. The 1080p results are broadly playable across all settings, with even Ultra maintaining above 60 FPS.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the framerates drop to 93.8 FPS on Low, 64.6 FPS on Medium, 57.1 FPS on High, and 53.7 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting remains comfortably above 60 FPS, but High and Ultra dip below that threshold, indicating that 1440p gamers should favor Medium or lower for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the results are more constrained: 61.9 FPS on Low, 45.1 FPS on Medium, 40.2 FPS on High, and 34.7 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low setting reaches playable framerates, and even that is marginal. The 4K data shows a 27.2 FPS gap between Low and Ultra, highlighting the GPU's difficulty with higher resolutions and settings in Control.

# FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p as the strongest resolution, with all settings maintaining at least 67.1 FPS, while 1440p dips below 60 FPS at High and Ultra, and 4K only reaches 61.9 FPS at Low.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49367, which is 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, while trailing the AMD EPYC 4345P by 0.5%.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for Control?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6 memory is sufficient for 1080p and most 1440p settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 34.7 FPS suggests that the memory capacity and bandwidth become limiting factors at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the GPU's performance standing relative to other cards?

A: The Radeon RX 6650 XT sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29024, placing it on par with the Radeon RX 6800M and within 0.5% of the Intel Arc A370M.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 4K?

A: No, the data indicates the GPU is the constraint. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking and high multithreaded scores (32889 in Cinebench R23) suggest it has ample headroom even at 4K.

Q: How much does the framerate drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS falls from 78.5 at 1080p to 57.1 at 1440p and 40.2 at 4K, a cumulative drop of 48.8% from 1080p to 4K.

# Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience, the data points to 1080p with High settings as the sweet spot: 78.5 FPS provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while retaining visual quality. If higher framerates are desired, dropping to Medium yields 88.2 FPS, a 12.3% improvement. At 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, delivering 64.6 FPS, which stays above the 60 FPS threshold, whereas High drops to 57.1 FPS and Ultra to 53.7 FPS. For 4K gaming, only Low is viable at 61.9 FPS; any higher setting falls below 45.1 FPS, which would compromise gameplay smoothness.

The pattern across resolutions suggests that the GPU's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are the limiting factors at higher presets. The measured data shows that Ultra settings at 1080p (67.1 FPS) perform better than High at 1440p (57.1 FPS), indicating that users should prioritize resolution over settings when GPU resources are constrained. For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, Medium at 1440p or High at 1080p are the most sensible choices based on the measured FPS.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF provides 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This Raptor Lake architecture processor, built on a 10 nm process, features 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU's benchmark results are strong: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32889 and a single-core score of 4643, alongside a Geekbench multicore score of 15636 and single-core score of 2778. These numbers place the processor in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows consistent scaling with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's high single-core performance (4273 in Passmark single-thread) ensures that game logic and physics calculations are handled efficiently, but the game's visual effects place the burden on the GPU. The nearest CPU rivals—the i5-14600K with a 0.4% delta and the Ryzen 9 5950X with a 0.6% delta—show that this processor is competitively positioned, but none of these differences would meaningfully alter Control's framerates given the GPU constraint. The data implies that the CPU is a stable foundation, but the RX 6650 XT determines the overall experience.