Control

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a study in contrast: a modern, high-core-count processor from the Raptor Lake refresh driving a Pascal-era GPU that is now well past its prime. In Control, this combination produces a playable but inconsistent experience, fundamentally constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions and settings. The combo ranks 3083rd out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the lower percentile of all possible pairings for this title, which reflects the GPU's aging architecture rather than any deficiency in the CPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data places this specific CPU-GPU pairing at rank 3083 out of 3720 combos tested in Control. That is the 17th percentile overall, a low standing that is almost entirely attributable to the GPU side of the equation. The i7-14700K is a top-tier processor with a 94th percentile ranking against all CPUs, but the GTX 1070 sits at just the 47th percentile against all GPUs. When you combine a top-decile CPU with a mid-pack GPU, the result in a graphically demanding game like Control is a system that falls behind most modern configurations.

Looking at the GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, the GTX 1070's average score of 9780 is nearly identical to the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803, -0.2% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832, -0.5% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724, +0.6% delta). These are all professional or older workstation cards, not gaming-focused contemporaries. This clustering suggests the GTX 1070 is performing at a level consistent with mid-range hardware from several generations ago. The CPU, by contrast, has nearest rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515 avg score, -0.2% delta) and the AMD EPYC 9115 (69288, +0.1% delta), which are flagship or enterprise-level chips. The wide gap between the CPU's performance class and the GPU's performance class is the defining characteristic of this combo, and it shows up directly in the game's frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is built on the Pascal architecture using the GP104 chip, manufactured on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It carries 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 2002 MHz, which translates to 8 Gbps effective. The GPU's base clock is 1506 MHz, with a boost clock of 1683 MHz. It has 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs.

This hardware configuration is the primary bottleneck in this combo. In Control, a game that heavily utilizes modern rendering techniques, the GTX 1070's lack of dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores is a significant limitation. The card does support DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, so it can run the game's core API features, but it lacks the specialized hardware to accelerate the most demanding visual effects. The FP32 performance is 6.463 TFLOPS, and the texture rate is 202.0 GTexel/s, but these figures are modest by current standards. The GPU's 150 W TDP and single 8-pin power connector (with a 450 W suggested PSU) indicate it was designed for a different era of gaming workloads.

The benchmark results show that the GPU's compute capabilities are not the issue; rather, it is the raw rasterization throughput that holds back performance. The Passmark G3D score of 13498 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1082 are indicative of a card that can handle older titles well but struggles with the demands of a 2019 release like Control at higher settings. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 22121 is respectable, but it does not translate to consistent high frame rates in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern: performance degrades significantly as resolution increases, which is the classic sign of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p, the combo achieves playable frame rates across most settings. At 1440p, it starts to struggle. At 4K, it falls below acceptable thresholds for smooth gameplay.

From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 25-33% depending on the settings. For example, at High settings, the average drops from 61 FPS at 1080p to 46 FPS at 1440p. At Low settings, it drops from 97 FPS to 73 FPS. This is a substantial reduction, but the system remains usable at 1440p for most settings, provided you are willing to lower quality presets.

The jump from 1440p to 4K is where the GTX 1070's limitations become stark. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 46 to 31, a 33% drop. At Low settings, it falls from 73 to 49, a 33% drop as well. At Ultra settings, the 4K average of 27 FPS is essentially unplayable. This scaling behavior indicates that the GPU is completely saturated at 4K, and the CPU's performance headroom is irrelevant. The data suggests that the limiting component is unambiguously the GPU; if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see less of a performance penalty when increasing resolution, since the CPU workload per frame remains relatively constant.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers playable frame rates in most scenarios. On Low settings, the average FPS is 97, which provides a very smooth experience. Medium settings yield an average of 69 FPS, with a min of 58 and a max of 79, indicating some minor frame pacing issues but overall solid performance. High settings produce an average of 61 FPS, which is acceptable for a game like Control that has fast-paced action. Ultra settings drop the average to 53 FPS, which is still technically playable but may feel less fluid during intense combat sequences.

At 2560x1440, the performance becomes more variable. Low settings show a healthy average of 73 FPS, making it the best option for high refresh rate gaming at this resolution. Medium settings fall to an average of 52 FPS, with a min of 44 and a max of 60, which shows noticeable dips during demanding scenes. High settings average 46 FPS, which is borderline for a game that benefits from consistent frame times. Ultra settings average 40 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target most gamers prefer.

At 3840x2160, the combo is largely out of its depth. Low settings average 49 FPS, which is a passable result for a slower-paced exploration, but not for combat-heavy sections. Medium settings average 35 FPS, with a min of 30 and a max of 40, which is a stuttery experience. High settings average just 31 FPS, and Ultra settings average 27 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for comfortable play. The data shows that 4K is only feasible on Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not consistently smooth.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 60 FPS at 1080p?*

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, where the average is 97 FPS. On Medium settings, the average is 69 FPS, which is above 60, but the minimum of 58 FPS suggests it may dip below during heavy scenes. High settings average 61 FPS, which is just above the target, but this leaves little headroom.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a stable experience?

A: The data suggests 1080p on Medium settings is the sweet spot for a balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 58 FPS. If you prioritize frame rate, 1080p on Low settings provides a near-100 FPS average. At 1440p, Low settings (73 FPS average) is the only preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS.

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

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The i7-14700K ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the GTX 1070 ranks in the 47th percentile of all GPUs. The FPS drops of over 30% when moving from 1080p to 1440p and again from 1440p to 4K confirm that the graphics card is maxed out.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1070's average benchmark score is 9780, which is within 0.7% of the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803), NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832), NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724), and NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (9716). This indicates it performs similarly to these older or professional-grade cards.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this combo?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 49 FPS. On Medium settings, the average drops to 35 FPS, and on High or Ultra settings it falls to 31 FPS or below. For a game like Control, 4K on Low is the only viable option, and it will not be a smooth experience.

Q: Does the i7-14700K's performance show any benefit in this game?

A: The CPU's high core count and clock speeds do not translate to higher frame rates here because the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33440.5 and single-core score of 2160 are excellent, but Control at these settings is not CPU-bound, so the extra headroom goes unused.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The L3 cache is 33 MB shared, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus. It is built on Intel's 10 nm process with a 125 W TDP and features an unlocked multiplier for overclocking.

In terms of raw processing power, this CPU is a monster. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33440.5 and single-core score of 2160 place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The Passmark multithread score of 52392 and single-thread score of 4472 further confirm its dominance. The data compression score of 695234 and integer math score of 182876 indicate strong general-purpose compute capabilities.

However, in Control, this CPU's power is largely untapped. The measured frame rates are determined by the GPU's limits, not the CPU's. The i7-14700K's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (avg score 69515, -0.2% delta) and AMD EPYC 9115 (69288, +0.1% delta), show that it is performing at the top of the CPU hierarchy. Yet, the game's FPS figures are consistent with what a GTX 1070 would produce regardless of the CPU attached to it.

The takeaway is that this CPU provides a massive foundation for future upgrades. If you were to replace the GTX 1070 with a more modern GPU, the i7-14700K would not be the limiting factor. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads, along with its 5.60 GHz boost clock, are more than sufficient for Control's engine. The bottleneck is entirely on the graphics side, and the data confirms that any attempt to improve FPS in this title must start with a GPU upgrade. The CPU is a long-term asset; the GPU is a short-term liability.