Control

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination ranks 937th out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it comfortably in the top 25% of all systems tested for this title. This is a strong result that reflects a balanced pairing capable of delivering high frame rates at demanding resolutions, with the data indicating that the system is well-suited for the game's physics-heavy combat and destructible environments.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's position at rank 937 out of 3720 combos puts it in the 75th percentile of tested systems for Control, which is a solid showing for a 2023 CPU paired with a 2025 GPU. The ranking suggests that this pairing hits a sweet spot where neither component creates a significant bottleneck in this particular game. The i5-14600KF holds a 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs based on its average benchmark score of 49394, while the RX 9070 XT sits at the 55th percentile among all GPUs, yet the combination performs better than that GPU percentile might suggest.

What makes this ranking notable is the consistency across resolutions. The system is not just fast at one resolution; it maintains competitive positioning from 1080p through 4K. In practical terms, this means the combo is neither overly CPU-bound at lower resolutions nor GPU-bound at higher ones to the point of failure. The data shows the system delivers playable frame rates even at the most demanding settings, which is a strong indicator of overall balance.

When compared to the CPU's nearest rivals, the i5-14600KF is essentially neck-and-neck with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, trailing by just 0.3% in average score, and it leads the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 by 0.8%. The CPU also outperforms the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 by 0.8%. This tight grouping at the top of the CPU benchmark charts indicates that the processor is providing performance in the same tier as much more expensive alternatives, which helps explain why the combo ranks so well in a game that can leverage multiple cores.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It carries 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1660 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz and a boost clock reaching 2970 MHz. Memory runs at 2518 MHz, effectively 20.1 Gbps.

For Control, the 16 GB frame buffer is more than sufficient, and the data reflects that the GPU has headroom even at 4K. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the combo produces an average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. This frame time consistency is important for a game like Control, which features sudden action sequences and environmental destruction that can cause frame rate hitches on less capable hardware.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are substantial, with 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. The texture rate of 760.3 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 380.2 GPixel/s are key specifications for a game like Control, which relies heavily on texture detail and particle effects. The 64 RT cores also suggest the card is prepared for any ray tracing features, though the measured data in this pack does not include ray tracing-specific benchmarks. The FP32 performance of 48.66 TFLOPS indicates strong general compute throughput, which supports the physics simulation that is central to Control's gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but with some interesting nuances. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 122 FPS average. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 92 FPS, a 24.6% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 62 FPS, which is a further 32.6% reduction from 1440p. This scaling pattern suggests the system becomes increasingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, which is expected given the pixel throughput demands.

Looking at the Low settings across resolutions provides insight into the CPU's ceiling. At 1080p Low, the system hits 193 FPS average. At 1440p Low, it drops to 146 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 98 FPS. The gap between 1080p Low and 1440p Low is 47 FPS, while the gap between 1440p Low and 4K Low is 48 FPS. This nearly linear scaling at Low settings suggests that even at 1080p, the GPU is still a significant factor, as a purely CPU-bound scenario would show less difference between resolutions.

The data indicates that this game is well-optimized for high refresh rate play at 1080p, but the system truly shines at 1440p where it maintains high frame rates across all settings. At 4K, the system remains playable, with even Ultra settings producing 54 FPS average, but the frame rates drop below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider ideal. The 4K Medium result of 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS shows that the system can hold 60+ FPS at 4K if settings are managed appropriately.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1080p, High settings at 122 FPS average is the sweet spot, offering a substantial improvement over Medium's 137 FPS while maintaining excellent fluidity. The jump to Ultra at 106 FPS is modest, and the visual difference between High and Ultra in Control is often subtle, making High the recommended choice for 1080p.

At 1440p, the High setting at 92 FPS average is the clear winner. Medium at 103 FPS is also viable, but High provides a better visual experience while still maintaining frame rates well above 60 FPS. Ultra at 80 FPS is also playable, but the performance cost of Ultra over High is 12 FPS, which is a 13% reduction. For players with high refresh rate 1440p monitors, High is the recommended setting.

At 4K, the choice is more nuanced. Medium settings yield 70 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS. High at 62 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 54 FPS is borderline, and Low at 98 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality. The data strongly suggests that Medium is the optimal setting for 4K on this combo, as it provides the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate stability.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes, the combo achieves 62 FPS average at 3840x2160 with High settings. This is playable, though it does not maintain a consistent 60+ FPS in all scenarios. For a more stable 4K experience, Medium settings provide 70 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum.

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

A: The data shows 1440p is the sweet spot. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system achieves 92 FPS average, which is significantly above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining high visual quality. At 1080p, the system exceeds 120 FPS on High, but the additional resolution of 1440p provides a better visual experience without sacrificing playability.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The scaling data indicates the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 193 FPS, suggesting the CPU can handle high frame rates. However, the frame rate drops significantly with each resolution increase, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K.

Q: How does the i5-14600KF compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-14600KF scores 49394 on average, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.8% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245. It also beats the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 by 0.8%. This places it in the top tier of CPUs for this game.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves 106 FPS average. This is a solid result, though the 122 FPS at High settings suggests that High is a better choice for players with high refresh rate monitors, as the visual difference is often minimal.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM on the RX 9070 XT make a difference in Control?

A: The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth is more than sufficient for Control at all tested settings and resolutions. The game is not VRAM-limited in the measured scenarios, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates even at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, and its 125 W TDP is manageable with a capable air cooler.

In Control, the CPU's performance is crucial because the game features complex physics interactions and AI behavior that can scale with multiple cores. The i5-14600KF's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 17085. These results place the CPU in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it has ample headroom for this game's demands.

The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is particularly relevant for Control, as the game's single-threaded performance can be a factor in certain scenes. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4594 and Geekbench single-core score of 2445 demonstrate strong per-core performance, which helps maintain high frame rates even when the game's main thread is heavily utilized. The PassMark single-thread score of 4273 further confirms this capability.

The CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are all within 1% of the i5-14600KF, showing that it is competitive with the best processors available. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900, a 12-core part, is essentially tied with the i5-14600KF, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 trails by 0.8%. This tight competition indicates that the i5-14600KF provides excellent value for its performance tier, and in Control specifically, the 14-core configuration appears well-suited to the game's threading model.