Control

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 pairing in Control delivers a playable experience primarily at 1080p, with performance degrading sharply as resolution climbs. The data reveals a system where the GPU is the decisive limiting factor, especially at higher settings, while the CPU provides ample headroom. This combination ranks in the lower tier of tested configurations, indicating that while the hardware is capable, it does not excel in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, confirming that the RTX 2060 is the primary bottleneck. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 70.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 52 FPS at 2560x1440, a 26.4% reduction. Moving to 3840x2160, the average plummets to 33.6 FPS, which is a 52.5% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU struggling with pixel throughput, not a CPU limitation.

The scaling pattern holds across all settings. At Low settings, the system manages 107 FPS at 1080p but drops to 79.8 FPS at 1440p and 57.8 FPS at 4K. This indicates that even when graphical load is minimized, the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is consistently around 25-27 FPS regardless of preset, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is smaller in absolute terms but still substantial. The data suggests that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo can consistently push beyond 60 FPS, and even then only at Low and Medium settings.

At 4K, the performance is uniformly poor. The best result is 57.8 FPS at Low settings, but this drops to 39.9 FPS at Medium, 33.6 FPS at High, and 32.6 FPS at Ultra. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is marginal (1 FPS), suggesting the GPU is hitting a hard performance ceiling. The resolution scaling data points to a clear verdict: this configuration is not suited for 4K gaming in Control, and even 1440p requires significant settings compromises to achieve smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a high-end desktop processor with 20 cores and 28 threads, capable of boosting up to 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003. This places the CPU in the 94th percentile among all processors, indicating it is far more powerful than what Control typically demands.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 107 FPS, but this is still constrained by the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions at the same settings, as the CPU workload would be constant. Instead, we see a consistent drop in FPS as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2711, is more than sufficient for this game's logic and physics, leaving the rendering workload entirely to the RTX 2060.

The i7-14700F's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for game data, but this headroom is wasted given the GPU's limitations. In benchmark terms, the CPU sits close to the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, with a deltaPct of -0.6%, and is only 1.2% behind the Intel Xeon Phi 7290. This level of CPU performance is overkill for Control at these frame rates, reinforcing that the RTX 2060 is the sole determinant of playability.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the optimal experience balances visual quality with frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 79.6 FPS, which is a smooth and responsive experience. High settings yield 70.7 FPS, still playable but with a noticeable drop. Ultra settings drop to 56.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many consider ideal for action games. Low settings at 1080p achieve 107 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant.

For a 1080p display, the Medium preset is the best choice. It offers a substantial improvement over Low in visual fidelity while maintaining a high average frame rate. High is acceptable for those prioritizing image quality, but the 9 FPS loss from Medium to High may not be worth it. Ultra should be avoided at 1080p due to the sub-60 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the situation is more constrained. Low settings produce 79.8 FPS, which is excellent, but Medium drops to 58.5 FPS and High to 52 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p requires Low or Medium settings to stay near playable levels. Ultra at 1440p yields only 42.6 FPS, making it unsuitable for fast-paced gameplay. For 4K, only Low settings (57.8 FPS) are marginally playable, while all other presets fall below 40 FPS. The recommendation is clear: use Medium at 1080p for the best overall experience, or Low at 1440p if higher resolution is preferred.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 1333 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the bottom 18.5% of all configurations, a low position that reflects the GPU's age and limited performance. The rank is surprising given the CPU's strength, but it underscores how much this game relies on the graphics card.

The benchmark results show that the RTX 2060 holds an average benchmark score of 16074, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. It is closely matched with rivals like the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (deltaPct of 0.5%) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (deltaPct of -1.7%). This mid-range GPU performance, combined with a high-end CPU, creates an imbalance that drags the combo ranking down. In a game like Control, which has demanding visual effects, the GPU's 6 GB of VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to push high frame rates at higher resolutions.

The low ranking is not a reflection of the CPU, which performs admirably, but rather a verdict on the GPU. Pairing a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU from a previous generation results in a system that is CPU-heavy but GPU-limited. For Control, this means the combo will not compete with systems that have more balanced or newer GPU configurations.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the decisive component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the observed performance. With 1920 shading units, 30 RT cores, and 240 tensor cores, it is a capable Turing architecture GPU, but its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. This is a limiting factor for high-resolution textures and effects.

The GPU's boost clock of 1680 MHz and base clock of 1365 MHz are modest by modern standards. Its benchmark performance, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1242 and a Passmark G3D score of 14111, places it in the lower half of current GPUs. The data shows that the GPU is unable to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p High settings (52 FPS) or at 1080p Ultra (56.5 FPS). This is a direct result of the GPU’s compute throughput, with an FP32 performance of 6.451 TFLOPS, which is insufficient for the game's demanding renderer.

The GPU's role is further highlighted by the scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (107 FPS) and Ultra (56.5 FPS) is 50.5 FPS, a 47% reduction. This is a classic GPU-bound behavior where increasing the graphical workload directly impacts the frame rate. The RTX 2060's performance in Control is consistent with its position relative to rivals, being 1.8% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 and 0.5% faster than the RX 7600S. This confirms that the GPU is a mid-tier part that cannot deliver high-end performance in this title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Control?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo can exceed 60 FPS on Medium settings (79.6 FPS) and approach it on High (70.7 FPS). Performance at 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 is significantly lower.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: No. At 3840x2160, the maximum average FPS is 57.8 at Low settings. All other presets fall below 40 FPS, with Ultra at 32.6 FPS, which is not a smooth experience for an action game.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 54097, placing it in the 94th percentile. It is 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and 1.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, but 1.2% ahead of the Intel Xeon Phi 7290.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The evidence is the consistent FPS drop as resolution increases, which is a GPU-bound characteristic. The CPU has ample headroom, as shown by its high single-thread and multi-thread benchmark scores.

Q: What settings should be used for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium settings achieve 79.6 FPS and Low achieves 107 FPS. High settings at 1080p (70.7 FPS) are also above 60. At 2560x1440, only Low settings (79.8 FPS) provide a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1333 out of 1636 total tested combos in Control, placing it in the bottom 18.5% of all systems tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS for each tested resolution and settings preset.

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Low: 107 FPS
• Medium: 79.6 FPS
• High: 70.7 FPS
• Ultra: 56.5 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• Low: 79.8 FPS
• Medium: 58.5 FPS
• High: 52 FPS
• Ultra: 42.6 FPS

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• Low: 57.8 FPS
• Medium: 39.9 FPS
• High: 33.6 FPS
• Ultra: 32.6 FPS

The data confirms a linear degradation of performance with increasing resolution and settings. The largest single drop is from Low to Medium at 4K, a 31% reduction. The most playable configuration is 1080p Medium, which offers a high frame rate without the visual penalty of Low settings.