Control

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT delivers a smooth 1080p experience in Control, but the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card as resolution increases. At 1080p High settings, the combo produces 94 FPS, which is excellent for the game's fast-paced action. However, the performance curve from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story: this is a GPU-limited pairing, where the CPU's substantial headroom becomes irrelevant once pixel count rises.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a predictable and steep decline as resolution climbs, confirming that the Radeon RX 6750 XT is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 94 FPS to 71 FPS, a 24.5% reduction. This is a significant hit, but the frame rate remains playable. The more dramatic collapse occurs when stepping up to 3840x2160, where the same High preset yields only 48 FPS—a 49% drop from the 1080p figure. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the GPU's rendering throughput, not the CPU, dictates performance at higher resolutions.

The scaling behavior suggests that at 1080p, the system has some performance to spare. The jump from Low (148 FPS) to High (94 FPS) at 1080p is a 36% performance cost for increased visual fidelity, which is a reasonable trade-off. However, at 1440p, the same settings transition costs 36.7% (from 112 FPS to 71 FPS), showing that the GPU is starting to feel the pressure. At 4K, the situation becomes critical: the difference between Low (76 FPS) and High (48 FPS) is a 36.8% reduction, but the absolute numbers are low enough that even the Low preset barely maintains 60 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at the lowest settings, and even then, it hovers near the edge of smoothness.

The frame time data available for Medium settings reinforces the GPU-bound nature at higher resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average is 105 FPS with a minimum of 90 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS, showing a tight range. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 80 FPS with a range of 68-92 FPS, and at 4K Medium, the average falls to 54 FPS with a range of 46-62 FPS. The widening range at higher resolutions indicates increased frame time variance, a classic symptom of a GPU struggling to keep up with pixel throughput. This is not a CPU limitation; the Core i5-14600KF has ample headroom, as evidenced by its performance in other benchmarks.

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. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU performs exceptionally well, scoring 32,544 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,594 in single-core. Its average benchmark score of 49,394 places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, putting it just 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245. This level of performance is far beyond what Control requires, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

In this specific game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 148 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that the CPU's single-thread performance is likely still sufficient. However, the measured FPS at 1080p settings suggests that the game engine is not heavily multi-threaded, as the difference between Low and Ultra (148 FPS vs. 81 FPS) is more attributable to GPU load than CPU limitations. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are more than adequate for this title, and there is no evidence in the data that the processor is causing any frame rate ceiling.

The benchmark results indicate that this CPU is overkill for Control at the tested resolutions. The processor's 90th percentile ranking and its proximity to rivals like the Ryzen 9 7900 (0.3% ahead) and the Ryzen AI Max+ 388 (0.8% behind) demonstrate that the i5-14600KF is a top-tier performer. Yet, the game's frame rates at 4K are only 48 FPS on High, proving that the CPU is waiting on the GPU. The core count and clock speeds are not the issue; the system's overall performance is dictated by the graphics card's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the decisive component in this pairing. Based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 22 chip, it features 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines. Its boost clock is rated at 2600 MHz, and it comes with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores are moderate, with a PassMark G3D score of 20,700 and an average benchmark score of 26,011, placing it in the 71st percentile of all GPUs. This is a mid-range card, and the game's performance data reflects that positioning.

The GPU's memory configuration is a critical factor. Control is known for using high-resolution textures, and the 12 GB frame buffer is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results suggest that memory bandwidth and capacity are strained. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 42, which is a 48.8% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score of 81 FPS. This steep decline is typical of a GPU that is running out of memory bandwidth or fill rate at higher resolutions. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, while respectable for 1080p, becomes a limiting factor at 4K where the demand for texture data increases exponentially.

The GPU's rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Radeon R9 M395X (0.5% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (1.1% ahead). This positioning places the RX 6750 XT in a specific performance tier that is capable of 1080p gaming at high frame rates, as seen with the 94 FPS High result, but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K. The card's end-of-life production status and its 250 W TDP are consistent with its performance class. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the performance limiter in this combo, and any attempt to improve 4K performance would require a more powerful graphics card.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ranks 1,712 out of 3,720 combos for Control. This places it in the 54th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of configurations but is far from the top tier. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the CPU is a high-end performer that is being held back. The combo's rank is more indicative of the GPU's limitations than the CPU's capabilities, as the processor's 90th percentile ranking is not reflected in the game's overall system ranking.

The measured FPS data supports this rank. At 1080p, the combo achieves frame rates that are competitive with many systems, but the 4K results are lackluster. The rank of 1,712 suggests that many other combinations with similar or better GPUs outperform this setup at higher resolutions. The data indicates that if the goal is high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, this combo is well-suited, but for 4K, it falls short of the top half of the database. The CPU's performance is not the issue; the GPU's 71st percentile ranking is the determining factor in the system's overall standing.

The combination's position in the database is a reflection of its balanced but not exceptional nature. It is not a top-tier pairing, but it is also not a weak one. The ranking shows that there are 2,008 combos that perform worse, which indicates that this system is capable of running Control adequately. However, for users seeking maximum settings at 4K, the data suggests that this combo is not the right choice, as the 42 FPS Ultra result at 4K is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset is the best choice, delivering 94 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 81 FPS, which is also playable, but the 13 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the increased graphical load, especially in a fast-paced action game. The Medium preset at 1080p provides 105 FPS, but the visual quality difference between Medium and High is noticeable, making High the sweet spot.

At 1440p, the High preset is again recommended, as it produces 71 FPS, which is above 60 FPS and provides a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 80 FPS, which is smoother, but the drop to High is only 9 FPS, making High the better choice for image quality. The Ultra preset at 1440p should be avoided, as it drops to 62 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS threshold and could result in noticeable stutters during intense scenes. The Low preset at 1440p is not recommended, as the 112 FPS result is far beyond what is needed, and the visual quality sacrifice is unnecessary.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that only the Low preset is viable, as it achieves 76 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in a less smooth experience. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended, as they produce 48 FPS and 42 FPS, respectively, which are not ideal for a game that requires precise aiming and quick reactions. Therefore, the recommended settings are High at 1080p, High at 1440p, and Low at 4K, providing the best balance of performance and visual quality per the measured data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 148 FPS, which is the highest result in the entire dataset. The Medium preset yields an average of 105 FPS, with a minimum of 90 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS, showing a stable frame rate range. The High preset produces 94 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 81 FPS. This resolution offers the most headroom, with even the Ultra preset maintaining a playable frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 112 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset averages 80 FPS, with a range of 68 to 92 FPS, indicating some variance but still acceptable performance. The High preset yields 71 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The 1440p results show a clear step down from 1080p, but the system remains capable of delivering a good experience at High settings.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 76 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, with a range of 46 to 62 FPS, showing that the minimum frame rate can dip below 50 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering. The High preset averages 48 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 42 FPS, both of which are below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay. The data confirms that 4K gaming is only feasible at the lowest settings with this combo, and even then, the frame rate is not as stable as at lower resolutions.