Control

# Control with Intel Core i7-14700KF + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT

Control, the 2019 Action Adventure title, presents an intriguing hardware pairing test. The Intel Core i7-14700KF brings 20 cores and 28 threads to the table, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This Raptor Lake-R architecture chip, built on Intel's 10 nm process, carries a 125 W TDP and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, meanwhile, is an RDNA 1.0 GPU based on the Navi 10 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm node. It features 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPS. The benchmark data reveals a system that performs respectably at 1080p but struggles at higher resolutions, suggesting the GPU becomes the primary constraint as pixel count rises.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a substantial processor by any measure. Its 20 cores and 28 threads provide massive parallel throughput, and the benchmark scores reflect this capability. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 44167 in multi-core and 6235 in single-core tests. Geekbench results show 21462 multi-core and 2578 single-core. The PassMark multithread score reaches 52425, with single-thread performance at 4480. These figures place the CPU in the 94th percentile among all processors tested, indicating it sits near the top of the performance hierarchy.

When comparing to its nearest rivals, the i7-14700KF shows interesting dynamics. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996 on average, a mere 0.2% behind. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX follows at 69875, just 0.4% behind. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X trails by 0.9% with a score of 69515. Interestingly, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K actually leads by 1% with a score of 70879. These narrow margins suggest that in CPU-bound scenarios, this processor is competitive with the absolute best available, though not the outright leader.

In Control specifically, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining frame rates across settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 115 FPS average. This high frame rate indicates the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to saturate its rendering capabilities. The L3 cache of 33 MB shared across cores helps with game data locality, while the 2 MB per-core L2 cache reduces latency for frequently accessed data structures. The boost clock of 5.60 GHz provides strong single-thread performance, which matters for game logic and physics calculations.

However, the data suggests that Control does not heavily tax the CPU in this configuration. At 4K Ultra, the system drops to 32 FPS average, a dramatic reduction from the 115 FPS at 1080p Low. This pattern indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. The CPU has ample headroom; its 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs means it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database. The GPU, conversely, sits at only the 59th percentile, a much more middling position.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT achieves a rank of 2767 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places the pairing in the lower half of all configurations tested, at approximately the 74th percentile from the bottom. The ranking reflects the GPU's limitations more than the CPU's capabilities. With the CPU performing near the top of the market, the RX 5700 XT's 59th percentile standing drags the overall combo down.

This rank tells a clear story: the system is CPU-heavy but GPU-light. In a game like Control, which features demanding visual effects and physics simulations, the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The measured FPS data confirms this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the system produces 115 FPS, which is respectable. But at 4K Ultra, it falls to 32 FPS, a 72% reduction. The rank of 2767 out of 3720 suggests that many other GPU pairings would outperform this combination, even with lesser CPUs.

The deltaPct values from the GPU's nearest rivals provide context. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 16351, just 0.1% behind the RX 5700 XT's 16361 average. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell scores 16408, leading by 0.3%. The AMD Radeon PRO W7500 also leads by 0.3% with 16415, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 leads by 0.9% with 16504. These tiny margins indicate the RX 5700 XT is closely matched with its immediate competitors, none of which would dramatically change the combo's ranking in Control.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling behavior in Control reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average FPS drops from 73 to 55, a 24.7% decrease. From 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average falls from 55 to 37, another 32.7% reduction. The cumulative drop from 1080p High to 4K High is 49.3%, with the frame rate nearly halving as pixel count quadruples.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The system delivers 115 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24.3%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 32.2%. This pattern indicates the GPU is being pushed progressively harder as resolution increases. The RX 5700 XT's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth becomes a constraint at higher resolutions, where texture and framebuffer demands increase substantially.

The Medium settings data includes min and max FPS values, providing additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 and maximum of 94. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 62 FPS, with min and max of 53 and 71 respectively. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 42 FPS, with min and max of 36 and 48. The frame time variance appears consistent across resolutions, suggesting the GPU's rendering pipeline is the limiting factor rather than any CPU-side stuttering or frame pacing issues.

The Ultra settings data shows the most dramatic scaling. From 1080p Ultra at 63 FPS to 1440p Ultra at 48 FPS (23.8% drop), and then to 4K Ultra at 32 FPS (33.3% drop). The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is barely playable, indicating this configuration is not suitable for max settings at 4K. The data clearly points to the RX 5700 XT as the limiting component, as the i7-14700KF's massive compute resources remain largely underutilized at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF bottlenecking the RX 5700 XT in Control?

A: No, the data indicates the opposite. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 115 FPS, which would require significant CPU involvement. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking among all processors, combined with its 20 cores and 5.60 GHz boost clock, suggests it has ample headroom. The FPS drops at higher resolutions are consistent with GPU limitations, not CPU constraints.

Q: How does this combo compare to other configurations in the database?

A: The combination ranks 2767 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower portion of the field. This ranking reflects the GPU's 59th percentile standing rather than CPU performance. The CPU's nearest rivals—the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, Ryzen 9 7940HX, and Ryzen 9 7950X—are all within 0.9% of its average benchmark score, indicating the CPU is not the differentiator here.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the most viable resolution. At High settings, the system averages 73 FPS, and at Medium settings it reaches 82 FPS. At 1440p, frame rates drop to 55 FPS on High and 62 FPS on Medium, which is playable but less smooth. At 4K, even Low settings only produce 59 FPS, making it unsuitable for consistent performance.

Q: Does the RX 5700 XT's 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Control?

A: The data suggests VRAM capacity may contribute to performance scaling. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 32, which could indicate memory pressure as textures and effects demand more VRAM. However, the consistent FPS drops across all settings at higher resolutions point to overall GPU compute limitations as the primary factor.

Q: How does the i7-14700KF's benchmark performance relate to Control's results?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and single-core score of 6235 demonstrate strong compute capabilities. In Control, the high frame rates at 1080p Low (115 FPS) suggest the CPU can handle the game's physics and logic demands without issue. The PassMark physics score of 2961 further indicates solid performance for game-related computations. The CPU is likely not the limiting factor in any measured configuration.

Q: What settings should a user prioritize for the best experience?

A: The measured data shows that Medium settings at 1080p provide a good balance, with 82 FPS average and a minimum of 70 FPS ensuring smooth gameplay. High settings at 1080p achieve 73 FPS, which is also acceptable. For users wanting higher visual fidelity, 1440p Medium at 62 FPS is the best option, as 1440p High drops to 55 FPS and approaches the threshold where frame pacing becomes noticeable.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture, featuring the Navi 10 chip with 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die. Its base clock runs at 1605 MHz, with a boost clock of 1905 MHz and a game clock of 1755 MHz. The memory operates at 1750 MHz, translating to 14 Gbps effective speed across a 256-bit bus. This configuration produces a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is substantial for the GPU's era but becomes a limitation at higher resolutions in Control.

The GPU's compute capabilities include 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPS. Its pixel rate reaches 121.9 GPixel/s, and texture rate hits 304.8 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS and FP16 of 19.51 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) place it in the mid-range of GPUs from its generation. The 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms this positioning—it outperforms most but is far from the top tier.

In Control, the GPU's role is clearly dominant in determining frame rates. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation that aligns with GPU-bound rendering. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 82 FPS, which drops to 62 FPS at 1440p and 42 FPS at 4K. This 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings mirrors the GPU's decreasing ability to fill pixels as resolution increases.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are remarkably close. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 16351, just 0.1% behind. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell leads by 0.3% with 16408, as does the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 with 16415. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 leads by 0.9% with 16504. These margins are so small that in real-world gaming, the differences would be negligible. The RX 5700 XT's 8 GB VRAM and 225 W TDP define its capabilities, and in Control, those capabilities are clearly insufficient for 4K Ultra settings, where the game averages only 32 FPS.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, Medium settings offer the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 82 FPS and a minimum of 70 FPS that ensures minimal stuttering. High settings at 1080p achieve 73 FPS average, which is still smooth but provides less headroom for demanding scenes. Low settings at 1080p reach 115 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play but sacrifices visual fidelity unnecessarily given the Medium preset's strong performance.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the recommended choice, delivering 62 FPS average with a minimum of 53 FPS. This is playable and maintains reasonable smoothness. High settings at 1440p average 55 FPS, which approaches the threshold where some users may notice frame pacing issues. Ultra settings at 1440p drop to 48 FPS, which is below the ideal range for action games. Low settings at 1440p achieve 87 FPS, but the visual trade-off is significant.

At 3840x2160, no settings preset provides a consistently smooth experience. Low settings average 59 FPS, which is borderline playable but may have noticeable dips. Medium settings drop to 42 FPS, and High falls to 37 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K produce only 32 FPS, which is not recommended for gameplay. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware combination in Control, and users should opt for 1080p or 1440p depending on their preference for resolution versus graphical detail.

The best overall experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, with its 82 FPS average and tight 70-94 FPS range. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining solid visual quality. For users with higher refresh rate monitors, 1080p Low at 115 FPS offers a smoother experience, though with reduced graphical fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low settings: 115 FPS average
• Medium settings: 82 FPS average, 70 FPS minimum, 94 FPS maximum
• High settings: 73 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 63 FPS average

At 1080p, the system performs admirably across all settings. The gap between Low (115 FPS) and Ultra (63 FPS) is 45.2%, indicating the GPU is the primary driver of performance changes. The Medium preset's min-max range of 70-94 FPS shows consistent frame delivery, with no severe dips that would cause noticeable stuttering.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low settings: 87 FPS average
• Medium settings: 62 FPS average, 53 FPS minimum, 71 FPS maximum
• High settings: 55 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 48 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance drops are significant but manageable for Medium settings. The 24.3% reduction from 1080p Low to 1440p Low (115 to 87 FPS) and the 24.4% reduction from 1080p Medium to 1440p Medium (82 to 62 FPS) show consistent scaling. The Medium preset's minimum of 53 FPS approaches the edge of smooth gameplay but remains playable.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low settings: 59 FPS average
• Medium settings: 42 FPS average, 36 FPS minimum, 48 FPS maximum
• High settings: 37 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 32 FPS average

At 4K, the system struggles across all presets. The jump from 1440p Low to 4K Low (87 to 59 FPS) represents a 32.2% reduction. The Medium preset's minimum of 36 FPS indicates significant frame rate dips during demanding scenes. Ultra settings at 32 FPS average are below playable thresholds for most users, making 4K unsuitable for this hardware combination.

The complete dataset shows a system that excels at 1080p, performs adequately at 1440p with reduced settings, and struggles at 4K. The Intel Core i7-14700KF provides ample CPU headroom, while the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT's mid-range GPU capabilities define the overall performance envelope. For Control specifically, users should target 1080p Medium or High settings for the best balance of visual quality and smooth gameplay, or 1440p Medium if resolution is a priority.