Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure from Remedy Entertainment, stresses systems differently than many modern titles, and the data for the Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D reveals a configuration that is decisively GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet increasingly CPU-influenced as settings drop. The measured results show a clear hierarchy: at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate falls to 83 FPS, while at 1080p Low, it climbs to 285 FPS, a spread that illustrates how the game scales with hardware load. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, the roles of the GPU and CPU, the combo’s overall rank, and the specific measured frames, using only the provided benchmark data to interpret what each number means for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is steep and consistent, indicating that the RTX 5090 D is the primary limiter at higher pixel counts. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 188 FPS, which drops to 142 FPS at 1440p High, a reduction of 46 FPS, and then further to 96 FPS at 4K High, another 46 FPS drop. This linear decline underscores that the GPU’s rendering workload scales almost directly with resolution, a classic sign that the graphics card is saturated before the CPU becomes a bottleneck.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution reinforces this pattern. At 1080p, the gap between Low (285 FPS) and Ultra (163 FPS) is 122 FPS, showing that even at the lowest resolution, the GPU is still the dominant factor, though the CPU’s 20 cores and 28 threads are likely helping to maintain high frame rates at the lower settings. At 1440p, the same Low-to-Ultra gap narrows to 101 FPS (225 FPS to 124 FPS), and at 4K, it shrinks further to 69 FPS (152 FPS to 83 FPS). This narrowing gap as resolution increases confirms that the GPU’s workload grows faster than the CPU’s, meaning the RTX 5090 D is the limiting component at 4K, while the CPU plays a more significant role at 1080p.

At 4K, the difference between Medium (108 FPS) and High (96 FPS) is 12 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra (83 FPS) is 13 FPS, indicating that each step up in quality carries a similar cost in frame rate. The 4K Low result of 152 FPS is notably high for a 4K resolution, suggesting that Control’s engine is well-optimized for high pixel counts when graphical effects are reduced. The data shows that the RTX 5090 D can push well beyond 144 FPS at 4K only on Low settings, while High and Ultra remain below the 100 FPS mark, making the choice of preset critical for high-refresh-rate 4K displays.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture part with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is substantial for a 2019 game like Control, which does not need such capacity, but the high bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame rates across all settings, particularly at 4K where texture loads are heavy. The GPU’s boost clock of 2407 MHz and 21760 shading units provide the raw compute power that drives the 4K Ultra average of 83 FPS, a result that is 13 FPS below the 4K High average of 96 FPS.

The RTX 5090 D’s benchmark scores place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which scores 78940 (deltaPct -1.6), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scoring 79605 (deltaPct -2.4), meaning the RTX 5090 D is slightly behind these parts in aggregate benchmarks, yet its gaming performance in Control is strong. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 376915 indicate a well-rounded compute capability, but the game’s results show that the GPU is still the ceiling at 4K, as the 83 FPS Ultra average is the lowest measured figure across all settings.

The GPU’s 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU are high, but the performance per watt in Control is excellent, as the 4K Low average of 152 FPS demonstrates that the card can operate efficiently when not fully stressed. The 32 GB VRAM is never a limiting factor in this game, as even at 4K Ultra, the memory bus width and bandwidth are more than sufficient, allowing the GPU to focus on shader and rasterization work. The pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1636.8 GTexel/s are the specs that matter for Control’s visual effects, and the data shows they are not bottlenecks until 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate drops to 83 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a Raptor Lake Refresh part with 20 cores and 28 threads, capable of boosting to 5.40 GHz from a base clock of 2.10 GHz. This CPU’s multi-threaded performance is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122, but in Control, the game rarely uses all cores, so the high boost clock and single-thread performance are more relevant. The single-core Cinebench R23 score of 4958 and Geekbench single-core score of 2429 indicate that the i7-14700F handles the game’s primary thread well, which is why the frame rates at 1080p Low reach 285 FPS.

The CPU’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide low-latency access to game data, helping to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. At 1080p Low, the 285 FPS average is 133 FPS higher than the 4K Ultra result, and this difference is largely due to the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU with enough draw calls and physics updates at the lower resolution. The i7-14700F’s percentile rank of 91 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53620, places it in the top decile, and its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, scores 53288 (deltaPct 0.6), showing they are comparable in raw performance.

However, the CPU is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the 4K results show only a modest dependence on settings, with the gap between Low (152 FPS) and Ultra (83 FPS) being 69 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 5090 D is the limiting factor at 4K, and the CPU has headroom to spare. The i7-14700F’s 65 W TDP is low for a 20-core part, and its performance in Control suggests that power efficiency does not come at the cost of frame rates, as the 1080p High average of 188 FPS is high for a game with this level of visual fidelity. The CPU’s support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory, along with its dual-channel memory bus, ensures that memory bandwidth is not a constraint in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 19th out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 1% of all configurations. This high rank is expected given the GPU’s 92nd percentile and the CPU’s 91st percentile, but the specific game data shows that the combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K performance is strong but not class-leading. The rank of 19 out of 2888 means that only 18 other combinations produce higher average frame rates across the measured settings, which reflects the balance between the i7-14700F and the RTX 5090 D.

The combo’s performance is particularly impressive at 1080p, where the 285 FPS Low average is among the highest possible, and even at 4K Ultra, the 83 FPS average is playable on most displays. The deltaPct values for the CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (deltaPct 0.6), show that the i7-14700F is within a fraction of a percent of its closest competitors, meaning the CPU choice has minimal impact on the combo’s rank. The GPU’s nearest rivals, like the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (deltaPct -1.6), are slightly faster in aggregate benchmarks, but the RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB VRAM and Blackwell architecture give it an edge in Control’s specific workload.

The rank of 19 is not the top spot, which suggests that there are other combos with even higher frame rates, likely featuring faster CPUs or GPUs, but the data provided does not list those combinations. What is clear is that this combo is in the elite tier, and the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings confirms that it can handle Control at high refresh rates, especially at 1080p and 1440p. The combo’s performance is consistent, with no settings combination dropping below 83 FPS, which is a solid playable frame rate for most users.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates, with Low settings averaging 285 FPS, Medium averaging 211 FPS (with a minimum of 180 FPS and maximum of 243 FPS), High averaging 188 FPS, and Ultra averaging 163 FPS. The 122 FPS gap between Low and Ultra indicates that the GPU is still the main driver at this resolution, but the CPU’s fast single-threaded performance allows the RTX 5090 D to reach its full potential. The Medium settings show a narrow range of 63 FPS between minimum and maximum, suggesting stable performance, while the other settings only have average values listed.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 225 FPS on Low, 160 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 136 FPS and maximum of 184 FPS), 142 FPS on High, and 124 FPS on Ultra. The Low-to-Ultra gap narrows to 101 FPS, showing that the GPU is beginning to become more of a limiting factor, but the frame rates remain high enough for smooth gameplay on 1440p displays. The Medium settings at 1440p have a 48 FPS range between minimum and maximum, which is tighter than at 1080p, indicating better frame pacing at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 152 FPS on Low, 108 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 124 FPS), 96 FPS on High, and 83 FPS on Ultra. The Low-to-Ultra gap is 69 FPS, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The Medium settings at 4K have a 32 FPS range, which is the smallest of all resolutions, indicating that the RTX 5090 D handles this workload with consistency. The 4K Ultra average of 83 FPS is the lowest measured, but it is still above 60 FPS, making it playable on most 4K monitors.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average is 285 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 83 FPS, which is the lowest measured result across all settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data shows the GPU is still the primary limiter at 1080p, as the gap between Low (285 FPS) and Ultra (163 FPS) is 122 FPS, but the CPU’s single-threaded performance helps achieve these high frame rates.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations in Control?

A: The combo ranks 19th out of 2888 tested combinations.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB VRAM affect performance in Control?

A: The 32 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor, as the game does not require that much memory, but the 1.79 TB/s bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame rates at 4K.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS for Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 136 and the maximum is 184, with an average of 160 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data indicates that the best experience depends on the display resolution, but the Medium preset offers the most balanced performance across all three resolutions. At 1080p, Medium averages 211 FPS with a minimum of 180 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors, while High (188 FPS) and Ultra (163 FPS) are also excellent choices for higher visual fidelity. For users with 1440p displays, Medium (160 FPS) and High (142 FPS) both provide smooth gameplay, with Ultra (124 FPS) still being playable for those who prioritize visuals.

At 4K, the choice becomes more nuanced. Ultra (83 FPS) is above 60 FPS and playable, but High (96 FPS) offers a noticeable improvement in frame rate with minimal visual loss, making it the recommended preset for 4K users. Medium (108 FPS) is even smoother, but the visual downgrade from High may not be worth the 12 FPS gain. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate 4K monitors, Low (152 FPS) is the only preset that exceeds 144 FPS, but the graphical sacrifices are substantial.

The data shows that the Medium preset provides the most consistent frame pacing, as it has the only measured minimum and maximum values across all resolutions, with a 63 FPS range at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. This suggests that Medium avoids the frame time spikes that may occur on other presets, making it the best choice for a smooth experience. Users with 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors at 1440p will find High (142 FPS) nearly ideal, while 4K users should opt for High (96 FPS) to balance visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset is only recommended for users with 60 Hz 4K displays, as the 83 FPS average is sufficient for that refresh rate, but High is the superior choice for most scenarios.