Control

Control is an action-adventure title from 2019 that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily depending on resolution, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-14600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination shows a clear pattern of where each component becomes the limiting factor. The 14-core processor, with its 5.30 GHz boost clock, provides a strong foundation, while the 32 GB GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth of the RTX 5090 D drive frame rates that scale predictably as resolution increases. The benchmark rows reveal that the system is capable of extreme performance at 1080p, but the demands of 4K Ultra bring the average down to a level that still remains highly playable, indicating a balanced pairing for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a consistent and substantial drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which is expected for a GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel counts. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 285 FPS at 1080p to 225 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 60 FPS, and then further to 152 FPS at 4K, which represents a 46.7% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the primary limiting factor, as the RTX 5090 D has ample headroom to render frames quickly, but the i5-14600KF's single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4594, can only feed the GPU so fast. The fact that the 1080p Low average of 285 FPS does not scale to the GPU's theoretical maximum suggests a CPU bottleneck at this extreme frame rate.

Moving to Medium settings, the same trend persists but with a slightly different magnitude. The 1080p Medium average is 211 FPS, which drops to 160 FPS at 1440p (a 24.2% decrease) and then to 108 FPS at 4K (a 48.8% decrease from 1080p). The 4K Medium result includes a minimum FPS of 92 and a maximum of 124, showing some variance that could be attributed to scene complexity, but the average remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At High settings, the averages are 188 FPS at 1080p, 142 FPS at 1440p, and 96 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K here is 46 FPS, which is a 32.4% reduction, and this pattern suggests that the GPU is becoming the dominant constraint at 4K, as the pixel throughput demands increase with each resolution step.

Ultra settings exhibit the most significant scaling penalty, with the 1080p Ultra average at 163 FPS, dropping to 124 FPS at 1440p and then to 83 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure is the lowest measured average in the entire dataset, and it represents a 49.1% reduction from the 1080p Ultra result. This steep decline highlights that at Ultra quality, the RTX 5090 D's rendering workload increases dramatically with resolution, and the GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is being fully utilized. The data indicates that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p Low to the GPU at 4K Ultra, with the crossover point occurring somewhere between 1440p and 4K depending on the preset, as the frame rate deltas between resolutions grow larger when settings are increased.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 19 out of 2,888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 0.7% of all configurations. This high ranking is unsurprising given the individual components' benchmark performance: the CPU sits at the 90th percentile among all processors, while the GPU is at the 92nd percentile among all graphics cards. The combo rank of 19 indicates that there are only 18 other tested pairings that produce higher average frame rates in this specific game, which reflects the synergy between the 14-core processor and the Blackwell architecture GPU.

When examining the CPU's nearest rivals, the data shows that the i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49,394, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900's score of 49,228 and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G's score of 49,196. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 trails by 0.8%, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 leads by 0.8%, indicating that the i5-14600KF is competitively positioned within its performance tier. For the GPU, the RTX 5090 D's average benchmark score of 77,712 is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT's 76,904, but it trails the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT by 1.6% and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants by 2.1% and 2.4%. These small percentage deltas suggest that the combo's rank is more dependent on the specific game's optimization than on raw benchmark superiority, as Control appears to favor the combination of high CPU single-thread performance and massive GPU memory bandwidth.

The rank of 19 out of 2,888 combos translates to a percentile of approximately 99.3, meaning this configuration outperforms nearly all other tested pairings in Control. This is consistent with the measured FPS data, where even the lowest average at 4K Ultra (83 FPS) exceeds what most systems could achieve at that resolution. The combo's performance is particularly strong at 1080p, where the 285 FPS Low average and 163 FPS Ultra average demonstrate that the i5-14600KF's 20 threads and 24 MB of shared L3 cache are sufficient to keep the RTX 5090 D fed with data, avoiding the CPU bottleneck that might affect lower-core-count processors.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Control?

A: The highest measured average is 285 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only setting that exceeds 280 FPS, and it demonstrates the system's capability to push extremely high frame rates when graphical load is minimized.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra compared to 1080p Low?

A: The 4K Ultra average of 83 FPS represents a 70.9% reduction from the 1080p Low average of 285 FPS. This significant drop illustrates the heavy GPU load at 4K Ultra, where the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 512-bit bus are taxed to their limits.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1440p Medium?

A: At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 160, with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 184. Given that the 1080p Medium average is 211 FPS, the 24.2% drop to 1440p suggests the GPU is becoming the primary constraint, as the CPU's 14 cores and 5.30 GHz boost clock are less likely to be saturated at this lower frame rate.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between High and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, High settings yield an average of 188 FPS, while Ultra yields 163 FPS, a difference of 25 FPS or 13.3%. This indicates that Ultra settings impose a moderate additional load on the GPU, but the system still maintains high playability.

Q: How does the combo's rank in Control compare to its overall component percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 19th out of 2,888 tested, which is better than the CPU's 90th percentile and GPU's 92nd percentile among all components. This suggests that Control is particularly well-optimized for this hardware combination, allowing it to outperform its individual component rankings.

Q: Are there any settings where the minimum FPS data is available?

A: Yes, minimum FPS data is only provided for Medium settings across all three resolutions: 92 FPS at 4K, 136 FPS at 1440p, and 180 FPS at 1080p. These minimums indicate that the system maintains smooth frame pacing even in demanding scenes at Medium quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 285 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings lower the average to 211 FPS, with a minimum of 180 FPS and a maximum of 243 FPS, showing a narrow variance of 63 FPS. High settings reduce the average further to 188 FPS, while Ultra settings bring it down to 163 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a total reduction of 122 FPS, or 42.8%, which quantifies the cost of increasing graphical fidelity at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU's workload increasing. Low settings average 225 FPS, which is 60 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result, representing a 21.1% decrease. Medium settings average 160 FPS, with a minimum of 136 FPS and maximum of 184 FPS, and this 48 FPS variance is slightly tighter than at 1080p. High settings produce 142 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 124 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 101 FPS, or 44.9%, which is a slightly larger percentage drop than at 1080p, indicating that resolution scaling amplifies the impact of settings.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are the lowest of the three resolutions but remain playable. Low settings average 152 FPS, which is a 46.7% reduction from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 108 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 124 FPS, and this 32 FPS variance is the smallest of all Medium presets, suggesting more consistent performance at 4K. High settings average 96 FPS, and Ultra settings average 83 FPS, which is the only preset below 90 FPS. The full range from Low to Ultra at 4K spans 69 FPS, from 152 FPS down to 83 FPS, a 45.4% reduction that mirrors the 1440p scaling pattern.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal settings depend on the target frame rate and resolution. For players using a 1080p display with a high refresh rate monitor, High settings at 188 FPS provide an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, as the 25 FPS gain from dropping to Medium (211 FPS) may not justify the visual downgrade, while the 25 FPS loss from moving to Ultra (163 FPS) is a noticeable sacrifice for marginal graphical improvements. The minimum FPS of 180 at 1080p Medium ensures that even the most demanding scenes stay well above 144 Hz, making this a viable option for competitive play, but High settings are recommended for most users.

At 1440p, the data suggests that High settings at 142 FPS are the sweet spot, as this exceeds the 120 Hz threshold commonly found on mid-range monitors. Medium settings at 160 FPS offer a 12.7% performance increase, but the visual quality reduction may be noticeable in a game like Control, which relies on atmospheric lighting and particle effects. Ultra settings at 124 FPS are still playable and would be suitable for players prioritizing visual fidelity, but the 18 FPS drop from High to Ultra is significant. For 4K displays, High settings at 96 FPS provide a smooth experience that stays above 90 FPS, while Medium settings at 108 FPS are the recommended choice for maintaining a consistent 100+ FPS experience. Ultra at 4K drops to 83 FPS, which is still acceptable for a slower-paced action-adventure game, but the 13 FPS difference between High and Ultra makes High the more prudent selection for maintaining frame rate stability.

The minimum FPS data for Medium settings across all resolutions (180 at 1080p, 136 at 1440p, and 92 at 4K) indicates that this preset offers the most predictable performance, with the 4K Medium minimum of 92 FPS ensuring the frame rate never dips below 90 FPS. For players who prioritize consistency over maximum visual quality, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides the best balance of average and minimum FPS in the measured dataset.

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. Its base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz, combined with 24 MB of shared L3 cache, position it as a strong performer for gaming workloads. In Control, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic, and the benchmark results show that it does this effectively at lower resolutions. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32,544 and single-core score of 4,594 indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities, which are relevant for a game that may use multiple cores for physics and AI.

The 1080p Low average of 285 FPS is a clear indicator that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this setting, as the frame rate is limited by the GPU's ability to process frames. However, the fact that the 1080p Low score does not exceed 300 FPS suggests that the CPU's single-thread performance, while excellent, is still a limiting factor at ultra-high frame rates. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,273 and the Geekbench single-core score of 2,445 provide context for this limitation, as Control likely relies on a few heavily utilized threads for its main game loop. The CPU's 20 threads are sufficient to handle the game's background tasks, but the 5.30 GHz boost clock is the key specification driving its gaming performance, as higher clock speeds reduce latency in frame generation.

At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes, as the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The 4K Ultra average of 83 FPS is likely limited by the RTX 5090 D's rendering throughput rather than the CPU, as the i5-14600KF's performance is more than adequate to keep up with the GPU at this resolution. The CPU's 125 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory give it flexibility, but the benchmark data shows that its 14 cores and 20 threads are not fully utilized in Control, as the game likely scales primarily with single-thread performance. The CPU's percentile rank of 90 among all processors confirms that it is a high-end part, and its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, perform within 0.8% of it, indicating that this level of CPU performance is sufficient for Control.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship graphics card based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, featuring 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution gaming, and its 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power makes it one of the most powerful GPUs available. In Control, the GPU's role is to render the game's complex visual effects, including particle physics and reflective surfaces, and the measured FPS data shows that it performs admirably across all resolutions.

The GPU's base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz, combined with its 5 nm process node from TSMC, allow it to maintain high frame rates even at 4K Ultra, where the average of 83 FPS demonstrates its raw rendering capability. The 4K Medium average of 108 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS, shows that the GPU can handle the increased pixel count when settings are moderated, and the 4K High average of 96 FPS is only slightly lower. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all graphics cards is reflected in its benchmark scores, such as the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,915, which indicate strong DirectX 12 and Vulkan performance.

The GPU's memory configuration is particularly important for Control at 4K, as the game's textures and effects require substantial VRAM. The 32 GB capacity ensures that there is no memory pressure even at Ultra settings, and the 1.79 TB/s bandwidth provides the throughput needed to stream textures efficiently. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants, have higher average benchmark scores by 1.6% to 2.4%, but these are mobile or compute-oriented parts, and the RTX 5090 D's gaming performance in Control, as evidenced by its rank of 19 out of 2,888 combos, is superior to what those rivals would achieve in this specific title. The GPU's 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU underline its power requirements, but the measured frame rates justify this power draw for users seeking maximum performance in Control.