Control

# Control — Intel Core i7-14700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

This combination places 1756th out of 2888 tested configurations in Control, a position that reflects a mid-pack pairing where the GPU's 66th percentile standing among all graphics cards is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The Intel Core i7-14700K, sitting at the 94th percentile among all CPUs, provides ample headroom that becomes increasingly relevant as resolution drops and frame rates climb.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 124 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 94 FPS, a 24% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 63 FPS, another 33% drop from 1440p. This progressive decline indicates that the rendering load scales aggressively with pixel count, which is expected for a GPU with 8 GB of VRAM and a 128-bit memory bus.

The High preset tells a similar story with slightly different magnitudes. At 1080p High, the average is 78 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 59 FPS, a 24% reduction. At 4K High, the average is 40 FPS, a 32% drop from 1440p. The consistency of these percentage drops—roughly 24% from 1080p to 1440p and another 32% from 1440p to 4K—suggests that the GPU's compute throughput, rather than memory bandwidth or capacity, is the primary scaling factor.

Ultra settings amplify the resolution sensitivity. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 68 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 52 FPS (a 24% reduction), and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 35 FPS (a 33% reduction from 1440p). The fact that the percentage drops remain nearly identical across presets indicates that the game's settings scale rendering load proportionally rather than introducing resolution-specific bottlenecks.

The limiting component at higher resolutions is clearly the GPU. At 4K Ultra, the 35 FPS average falls below the 40 FPS threshold that many users consider the minimum for acceptable playability, and even 4K High at 40 FPS sits right at that boundary. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are unlikely to be the constraint at 4K, given that even the most demanding frame generation scenarios at 1080p Low (124 FPS) do not appear to be CPU-limited based on the smooth scaling pattern.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a die size of 149 mm² containing 16,900 million transistors. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory operates at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus, yielding 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, and it delivers 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In Control, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the 124 FPS average suggests the GPU has significant headroom, but the RTX 5050's 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs means it is not a high-end part. The 8 GB VRAM capacity, while sufficient for this 2019 title at the tested settings, is a consideration for modern games that demand more memory. The 128-bit memory bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are moderate figures that align with the GPU's mid-range positioning.

The measured data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling in Control is reached at 4K Ultra, where the 35 FPS average falls below the 45 FPS Medium average at the same resolution. This 10 FPS gap between Medium and Ultra at 4K (45 vs 35 FPS) indicates that the Ultra preset's additional effects tax the GPU's compute resources significantly. The Medium preset at 4K provides a min FPS of 38 and max of 52, which brackets the High preset's 40 FPS average, suggesting that the step from Medium to High is relatively modest in cost.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (1.6% faster), AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (0.6% slower), AMD Radeon HD 8970M (1% slower), and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (1.6% slower). These deltas are all within 2%, placing the RTX 5050 in a tight performance cluster. In Control specifically, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM appears sufficient—the game was released in 2019, and none of the measured runs show signs of memory-related stuttering or texture thrashing that would appear if VRAM were exceeded.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake-R generation, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It operates on Intel Socket 1700 with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. Its 125 W TDP is paired with support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration.

In Control, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with frames, and the data suggests it does so without becoming a bottleneck at any tested resolution. At 1080p Low, the 124 FPS average is the highest measured value in the entire dataset, and the smooth scaling from 1080p to 4K (124 to 94 to 63 FPS at Low) indicates that the CPU maintains sufficient frame generation capability even as the GPU becomes more heavily loaded.

The CPU's benchmark profile supports this interpretation. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 33440.5 and single-core score of 2160 place it at the 94th percentile among all CPUs. The Geekbench multicore score of 20767 and single-core score of 2569 further confirm strong performance. In the Passmark suite, the CPU achieves a multithread score of 52392 and a single-thread score of 4472, with particularly strong integer math (182876) and floating-point math (134222) results.

The nearest CPU rivals are all within 1% of the i7-14700K's average benchmark score of 69355. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.2% faster, the AMD EPYC 9115 is 0.1% faster, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.7% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is 0.9% faster. These tight deltas indicate that the i7-14700K is positioned at the top of a performance tier where small differences do not translate into meaningful FPS variations in Control.

The game's 2019 release date means it was designed for CPUs with far fewer cores than the i7-14700K offers. The 20 cores and 28 threads are likely underutilized by Control's engine, but the high single-core performance (boost clock of 5.60 GHz) ensures that the game's primary thread has ample processing power. The data shows no evidence of CPU limitation—if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rate plateaus at lower resolutions, but the FPS continues to rise from 1440p to 1080p at every preset.

FAQ

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

A: At 1080p, the combo delivers 78 FPS on High and 124 FPS on Low, which are both playable. At 1440p, High produces 59 FPS and Low produces 94 FPS. At 4K, only Low (63 FPS) and Medium (45 FPS) exceed 40 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p with High settings offers the best balance, with 59 FPS average and no min FPS below the 57 FPS recorded at Medium.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21035 is bracketed by the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT at 20713 (1.6% slower) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL at 21153 (0.6% faster). The AMD Radeon HD 8970M is 1% faster at 21237, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile is 1.6% faster at 21379. All four rivals are within 2% of the RTX 5050's performance.

Q: Is the i7-14700K a bottleneck at any settings?

A: The data shows no evidence of CPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 124 FPS, and the FPS scales consistently with resolution at every preset. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the 1080p results would plateau rather than show the highest values in the dataset. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking and 5.60 GHz boost clock provide ample headroom.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Medium and Ultra at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, Medium averages 88 FPS and Ultra averages 68 FPS, a 20 FPS gap. At 1440p, Medium averages 67 FPS and Ultra averages 52 FPS, a 15 FPS gap. At 4K, Medium averages 45 FPS and Ultra averages 35 FPS, a 10 FPS gap. The gap narrows as resolution increases, indicating that the GPU's compute resources become the limiting factor.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Control?

A: The measured data shows no signs of VRAM-related problems. The game was released in 2019, and the 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 320.0 GB/s bandwidth provides consistent performance across all tested settings. The min FPS values recorded at Medium (38 FPS at 4K, 57 FPS at 1440p, 75 FPS at 1080p) do not indicate stuttering or texture streaming issues.

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

A: The combo ranks 1756th out of 2888 tested combinations in Control. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the distribution, consistent with the RTX 5050's 66th percentile GPU ranking. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking does not boost the combo's position because the GPU is the limiting factor at most settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, the High preset at 78 FPS average is the best choice for balanced quality and performance. Ultra at 68 FPS is also playable, but the 10 FPS cost over High (78 vs 68) is substantial for visual gains that may be marginal. At 1440p, High at 59 FPS is the recommended preset, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold for most of the experience while maintaining visual fidelity. Medium at 67 FPS is the safer choice if frame rate consistency is prioritized, with a min FPS of 57.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. Low at 63 FPS is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, while Medium at 45 FPS (with min 38, max 52) is the highest quality setting that remains playable. High at 40 FPS and Ultra at 35 FPS are borderline, with the latter falling below the threshold for smooth gameplay. For users with 4K displays, the data suggests that Low or Medium settings are the practical choices, with Medium providing a 12.5% FPS improvement over High (45 vs 40) at a minimal visual cost.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most consistent experience. At 4K, it provides a min FPS of 38 and max of 52, which brackets the High preset's 40 FPS average. At 1440p, Medium's min of 57 and max of 77 show less variance than the gap between High (59) and Ultra (52). At 1080p, Medium's 88 FPS average with min 75 and max 101 is the most stable of any preset at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces the following averages: Low 124 FPS, Medium 88 FPS (min 75, max 101), High 78 FPS, and Ultra 68 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 56 FPS, with the largest single step being from Low to Medium at 36 FPS. The Medium preset's min FPS of 75 indicates that even in demanding scenes, the combo maintains a playable frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 94 FPS, Medium 67 FPS (min 57, max 77), High 59 FPS, and Ultra 52 FPS. The spread narrows to 42 FPS, with the Low-to-Medium step at 27 FPS. The Medium preset's min of 57 FPS is the lowest recorded at this resolution, but it remains above the 30 FPS minimum for playability.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 63 FPS, Medium 45 FPS (min 38, max 52), High 40 FPS, and Ultra 35 FPS. The spread narrows further to 28 FPS, and the Low-to-Medium step is 18 FPS. The Medium preset's min of 38 FPS is the lowest in the entire dataset, but the max of 52 FPS shows that the combo can reach playable levels in less demanding scenes.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each preset shows consistent percentage drops: Low drops 49% (124 to 63), Medium drops 49% (88 to 45), High drops 49% (78 to 40), and Ultra drops 49% (68 to 35). This uniform scaling indicates that the game's rendering pipeline is resolution-bound across all presets, with no preset-specific bottlenecks.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1756th out of 2888 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the 39th percentile of all tested configs. This ranking is notably lower than the CPU's 94th percentile and the GPU's 66th percentile, indicating that the combination's performance in this specific game is constrained by factors beyond raw component strength.

The ranking position suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher FPS in Control, likely due to the RTX 5050's mid-range positioning. The GPU's nearest rivals—all within 2% of its average benchmark score—would likely produce similar rankings in this game, as the 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are moderate specifications for a 2019 title that can stress GPUs at higher resolutions.

The CPU's contribution to the ranking is positive but not decisive. The i7-14700K's 94th percentile ranking and strong single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160) ensure that the combo is not held back by processor limitations. However, in a game like Control where the GPU is the primary scaling factor, the CPU's strengths cannot compensate for the GPU's mid-range positioning.

The combo's rank of 1756 out of 2888 means it outperforms approximately 1132 tested combinations and trails 1755 others. This places it in a crowded middle tier where small performance differences between GPUs translate directly to ranking changes. The tight cluster of the RTX 5050's rivals—all within 1.6%—suggests that the ranking position is representative of a broad group of similarly-performing GPUs.