Control

Control is a 2019 Action Adventure title that stresses both the CPU and GPU through its physics-heavy environments and real-time ray tracing options. This analysis examines the Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060, using the measured FPS data and synthetic benchmark scores to interpret how this combination behaves. The data shows a system that delivers playable frame rates at mainstream resolutions but begins to show its limitations as pixel count and settings increase. By examining the resolution scaling, the distinct roles of the processor and graphics card, and the ranking against other tested combinations, we can see a clear picture of where this hardware excels and where it struggles.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 130 FPS, which drops to 98 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 66 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 24.6% performance hit from 1080p to 1440p, and a 49.2% drop from 1080p all the way to 4K. The scaling is consistent with a graphics card that has a fixed memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, where higher resolutions demand more data throughput.

When we look at the Ultra preset, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. The average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 71, at 1440p Ultra it is 54, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 36. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is 49.3%, nearly identical to the Low preset's scaling. This consistency suggests that the limiting factor is not the settings themselves but rather the resolution-driven increase in pixel fill rate. The Radeon RX 9060 has a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s, which are fixed hardware capabilities that determine how quickly it can process the additional pixels at higher resolutions.

The data implies that at 1080p, the system has enough headroom that the CPU and GPU can work efficiently together, but as resolution climbs, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is a 30 FPS difference (66 vs. 36), which indicates that the graphics card's compute resources—21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance—are being saturated by the higher preset's visual demands. Interestingly, the Medium preset shows minimum FPS values at every resolution, with 78 at 1080p, 59 at 1440p, and 40 at 4K. This suggests that Medium is the most demanding setting in terms of frame time stability, likely due to a combination of effects that cause occasional spikes in rendering load.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and it carries 33 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic tests, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and a single-core score of 2160, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, shows a deltaPct of -0.2, meaning the Intel chip is effectively tied with it in average benchmark score.

For Control, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining a stable frame rate floor, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 130 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game's physics and AI calculations. The processor's high single-core performance, evidenced by the PassMark single-thread score of 4472 and Geekbench single-core score of 2569, ensures that the game's main thread is well-fed. The 28 threads provide ample parallel capacity for background tasks and the game's many secondary systems.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. When moving from 1080p Ultra (71 FPS) to 4K Ultra (36 FPS), the CPU is clearly waiting on the GPU. However, the 14700K's architecture with 20 cores and 28 threads, along with its 125 W TDP, gives it enough headroom to handle Control's demands without becoming a bottleneck. The passmark_multithread score of 52392 and the passmark_physics score of 2964 suggest strong real-world performance in physics-heavy titles like Control. The CPU's performance relative to rivals is remarkably tight, with the nearest rival AMD EPYC 9115 showing a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the 14700K is essentially at parity with it in average benchmark scores.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture using a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The GPU has 28 ray tracing cores and operates at a boost clock of 2990 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz. Its memory configuration is 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU scores 17631 in PassMark's G3D benchmark and ranks in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014.

In Control, the GPU's role is dominant, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling across resolutions. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has a deltaPct of -0.7, meaning the RX 9060 is slightly ahead in average score. This competitive positioning translates to playable frame rates at 1440p, where the combo achieves 62 FPS on High settings and 54 FPS on Ultra. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this game at these settings, but the 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are moderate, which explains the significant performance drop at 4K.

The GPU's compute capabilities, with 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, are adequate for Control's effects but not excessive. The 4K High setting produces 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 36 FPS, indicating that the GPU is overworked. The DirectX 12 benchmark score of 44 in PassMark is notably low, but this likely reflects a specific workload rather than overall gaming performance. The Vulkan score of 39476 and OpenCL score of 88183 in Geekbench show strong compute potential. The GPU's 132 W TDP and suggested 300 W PSU indicate it is a power-efficient design, though this does not directly translate to higher frame rates in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1632 out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 56.5th percentile of all configurations. This is a mid-pack ranking, which makes sense given the GPU's 59th percentile standing and the CPU's 94th percentile. The CPU is clearly overqualified for this pairing, as the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The ranking suggests that many other GPU combinations with a similar or slightly better graphics card outperform this setup. The GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti, has nearly identical average scores, so combos using that card would likely rank similarly. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 and Radeon R9 370X show deltaPct values of 1 and 1 respectively, meaning they are about 1% slower in average GPU benchmarks, while the Radeon Pro W5500 is 2.1% slower. This indicates that the RX 9060 is at the higher end of its immediate performance class.

The CPU's benchmark scores are excellent, with the 14700K outperforming the Ryzen 9 7950X by 0.2% and the EPYC 9115 by 0.1%. However, this CPU power does not boost the combo ranking because Control is largely GPU-bound at the resolutions tested. The 1632nd rank out of 2888 combos reflects that there are many configurations with more powerful GPUs that achieve higher frame rates. For a user with this CPU, upgrading the GPU would yield the most significant performance improvement in this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 130 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 82 FPS is still very smooth and likely offers a better visual experience. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS is playable but may introduce noticeable frame time variations. The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 78, which is higher than the Ultra average, suggesting that Medium is the most stable choice for consistent performance at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 62 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS provides a good balance between visual quality and stability. The Ultra preset at 54 FPS is borderline, and the Low preset at 98 FPS is the best choice for competitive play. For 4K, the results are more challenging. The Low preset at 66 FPS is the only setting with an average above 60 FPS, but it sacrifices most visual effects. The Medium preset at 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS is playable but not ideal. High and Ultra at 42 and 36 FPS respectively are best avoided unless the user prioritizes visuals over frame rate.

The data suggests that for 1440p, which is the sweet spot for this combo, the Medium or High preset is recommended. The High preset provides a 62 FPS average, which is smooth, while Medium offers a slightly higher average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS. For users with a 60 Hz monitor, the Ultra preset at 54 FPS is acceptable, but the Medium settings are the safest bet for consistent performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 130 FPS, High yields 82 FPS, Medium yields 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 and maximum of 106, and Ultra yields 71 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low produces 98 FPS, High produces 62 FPS, Medium produces 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 80, and Ultra produces 54 FPS. At 3840x2160, Low produces 66 FPS, High produces 42 FPS, Medium produces 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 and maximum of 54, and Ultra produces 36 FPS.

The Medium preset is the only one that provides minimum and maximum FPS values, which allows for a more detailed analysis of frame time consistency. At 1080p, the Medium setting has a spread of 28 FPS between minimum and maximum, while at 1440p the spread is 21 FPS, and at 4K it is 14 FPS. This narrowing spread at higher resolutions is counterintuitive but suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU can cause frame rate spikes, while at higher resolutions, the GPU's consistent workload smooths out variations. The average FPS values across all settings show a clear hierarchy, with Low being the fastest and Ultra being the slowest at every resolution.

The data also reveals that the gap between Low and Ultra grows with resolution. At 1080p, the difference is 59 FPS (130 vs. 71), at 1440p it is 44 FPS (98 vs. 54), and at 4K it is 30 FPS (66 vs. 36). This indicates that the GPU's limited memory bandwidth and 8 GB capacity become more restrictive at higher resolutions, making the settings difference less impactful when the GPU is already saturated.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 is the best resolution, as the High preset achieves 62 FPS and the Medium preset achieves 70 FPS, both above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1080p, the frame rates are higher but the CPU becomes more of a factor, while at 4K, only the Low preset at 66 FPS exceeds 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rival in this game?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has a deltaPct of -0.7, meaning the RX 9060 is 0.7% faster. This suggests very similar performance in games like Control, where the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The CPU's single-core score of 2160 in Cinebench R23 and multi-core score of 33440.5 are more than sufficient, but the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are stretched, resulting in 36 FPS at Ultra and 42 FPS at High.

Q: What settings should I use for a 60 FPS target at 1440p?

A: For a 60 FPS target at 2560x1440, the High preset at 62 FPS is the minimum recommended setting. The Medium preset at 70 FPS provides more headroom, while the Ultra preset at 54 FPS falls below the target.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1632 out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 56.5th percentile. This is a mid-pack ranking, reflecting that the CPU is much stronger than the GPU in this pairing.

Q: Does the Medium preset offer better stability than High or Ultra?

A: The Medium preset shows minimum FPS values of 78 at 1080p, 59 at 1440p, and 40 at 4K. At 1080p and 1440p, these minimums are higher than the average FPS of the Ultra preset, indicating that Medium provides more consistent frame times and is less prone to drops.