Control

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks in the 54th percentile for Control, placing 2008th out of 3720 tested combos. This is a mid-pack result, not a top-tier showing, but the pairing demonstrates a balanced profile that delivers playable performance at most settings. The data indicates this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can comfortably exceed 60 FPS on higher presets, while 4K remains a stretch for ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2008 out of 3720 tested systems places it squarely in the middle of the database, a position that reflects the RTX 4060’s modest standing among GPUs. The graphics card holds a 61st percentile rank against all GPUs, while the CPU is far stronger, sitting in the 90th percentile against all processors. This asymmetry explains the overall ranking: the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios, dragging the combo down from what the CPU alone could achieve.

Benchmark results show the CPU’s average score of 49394 is nearly three times higher than the GPU’s average of 17639. In the context of the game’s measured frames, this means the RTX 4060 is doing the heavy lifting in determining the final FPS. The combo’s rank is not an outlier—it aligns with the GPU’s percentile rather than the CPU’s. When compared to other tested combos, this pairing lands in the lower half, but it is far from the bottom, indicating that it can handle the game adequately at reasonable settings.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228 (a 0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G at 49196 (0.4% delta). The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 trails by 0.8% with a score of 48995. This tight grouping shows the i5-14600KF is competitive with those parts, but those CPU differences do not translate into meaningful FPS gains in Control when the GPU is the bottleneck. The GPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, a mere 0.2% higher, which underscores how the RTX 4060 sits in a crowded field of similar-performing cards.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060 is built on the AD107 chip with an Ada Lovelace architecture and a 5 nm process from TSMC. It packs 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores. These specifications are modest by modern standards, and the benchmark data reflects that: the GPU’s PassMark G3D score is 19545, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2302. In Control, these numbers translate to a card that can handle the game’s action-adventure visuals but not at maximum settings in 4K.

The memory configuration is a key factor. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a constraint at higher resolutions. The memory clock is listed at 2125 MHz, with 17 Gbps effective speed. The GPU’s base clock is 1830 MHz, boosting to 2460 MHz, and these clocks are consistent across the measured frames. In the game, the GPU’s role is evident in the scaling from Low to Ultra settings: at 1080p, the average FPS drops from 140 on Low to 77 on Ultra, a 45% reduction that is directly attributable to the GPU’s workload increasing.

The RTX 4060’s FP32 performance is 15.11 TFLOPS, and its texture rate is 236.2 GTexel/s, with a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s. These figures suggest a card that is capable but not exceptional. In Control, the GPU’s 61st percentile rank is a fair representation of its performance—it is better than most integrated solutions but lags behind dedicated high-end cards. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s textures at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the card’s memory bandwidth and capacity become limiting, as seen in the FPS drop to 39 on Ultra.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p, the combo averages 88 FPS on High settings, 99 on Medium, 140 on Low, and 77 on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, those numbers fall to 67, 75, 106, and 58 respectively. At 4K, the averages drop further to 45, 51, 71, and 39. The percentage drops from 1080p to 4K are significant: on High settings, the FPS falls from 88 to 45, a 48.9% reduction; on Medium, from 99 to 51, a 48.5% drop; on Low, from 140 to 71, a 49.3% decrease; and on Ultra, from 77 to 39, a 49.4% reduction.

These nearly uniform percentage drops across settings indicate that resolution scaling is consistent and that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at all resolutions. The CPU’s high benchmark scores—such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 38697—suggest it can feed the GPU adequately, but the GPU’s performance ceiling is what dictates the FPS. The fact that the FPS roughly halves from 1080p to 4K on every preset is a strong indicator that the RTX 4060’s pixel throughput is the bottleneck.

At 1080p, the combo achieves playable frame rates on all settings, with Low hitting 140 FPS and Ultra at 77 FPS, both above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 58 FPS, just below 60, but High remains at 67 FPS, which is acceptable. At 4K, only Low settings exceed 60 FPS with 71 FPS; Medium averages 51 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 45 and 39 FPS respectively. The data shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant settings compromises, while 1440p is the sweet spot for quality and performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this combo?

A: The data shows 1440p is the optimal resolution. On High settings, the combo averages 67 FPS at 1440p, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, while 4K on High drops to 45 FPS. At 1080p, High settings yield 88 FPS, but the visual upgrade at 1440p is worth the 21 FPS loss.

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

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K, the combo averages 71 FPS on Low settings, which is playable, but Medium drops to 51 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 45 and 39 FPS. To maintain smooth gameplay at 4K, Low settings are required, which sacrifices visual quality.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4060’s average benchmark score is 17639, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7790’s score of 17666. It is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon 780M (17588) and 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551). These differences are minimal, indicating similar performance levels.

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

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 49394 places it in the 90th percentile, while the GPU’s score of 17639 is in the 61st percentile. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is nearly uniform across all settings, confirming that the GPU’s performance limits the combo.

Q: What is the difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Medium settings average 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. High settings average 67 FPS. The 8 FPS difference is modest, and the minimum FPS at Medium is still above 60, making Medium a safer choice for consistent performance.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900’s 49228 and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G’s 49196. It is 0.8% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245’s 48995. These are small margins, showing the CPU is competitive but not dominant.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The CPU’s cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications, combined with its benchmark scores, show a processor that far exceeds the demands of Control.

The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 32544, and its single-core score is 4594. In Geekbench, it scores 17085 multi-core and 2445 single-core. PassMark results are equally strong: multi-thread at 38697, single-thread at 4273, and integer math at 125982. These scores place the CPU in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, making it a high-end part. In Control, however, the CPU’s power is underutilized because the game is not heavily threaded. The measured FPS does not vary significantly with CPU-bound scenarios; instead, the GPU’s limits dominate.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G at 49196 (0.4% lower). The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, 0.8% lower. These differences are negligible in gaming, as the GPU bottleneck masks CPU performance. The CPU’s memory support includes DDR4 and DDR5, with dual-channel memory, and it uses a PCIe Gen 5 interface with 16 lanes. The launch MSRP is $294. In the context of Control, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck, and the data shows it does so effectively.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of which settings offer the best experience. At 1080p, the combo achieves 88 FPS on High, 99 on Medium, and 77 on Ultra. The jump from High to Ultra costs 11 FPS, which may not justify the visual improvement for some players. At 1440p, High averages 67 FPS, Medium 75 FPS, and Ultra 58 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p dips below 60 FPS, making it less desirable for smooth gameplay. At 4K, only Low settings exceed 60 FPS with 71 FPS, while Medium at 51 FPS and High at 45 FPS are playable but not ideal.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, Medium settings at 1440p are the recommended choice. This preset averages 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS, ensuring consistent frame times above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p also performs well, averaging 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS, making it a strong option for competitive play. If visual fidelity is the priority and the player is willing to accept slightly lower frame rates, High settings at 1440p offer 67 FPS on average, which is still playable.

At 4K, the data suggests that Low settings are the only way to maintain a smooth experience, with 71 FPS average. Medium at 4K drops to 51 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering in action sequences. The Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended for this combo, as it produces the lowest frame rates—39 FPS at 4K, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 77 FPS at 1080p—without a proportional visual gain over High settings. In summary, the best experience is achieved with Medium at 1440p, offering a solid frame rate with acceptable visual quality, while High at 1080p is a good alternative for those who prefer higher settings.