Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, is a demanding showcase for any hardware pairing. The data for this combination of an Intel Core i7-14700KF and an AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT reveals a system that is heavily optimized for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, while still offering a credible 4K experience. The measured frame rates across the three resolutions and four settings presets provide a clear picture of where this combo excels and where its limitations appear. The analysis below interprets these results, placing the performance in the context of the broader benchmark database.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck in this pairing, which is expected for a high-end processor from the Core 14th Gen series. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 179.1 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is feeding the GPU with frames efficiently. However, as resolution increases, the demand on the Radeon RX 6800 XT's rendering pipeline grows exponentially. Moving to 1440p at Low settings drops the average to 135 FPS, a 24.6% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 91.7 FPS, which is a 48.8% reduction from the 1080p figure. This steep decline is classic GPU-bound behavior; the workload shifts from the processor to the graphics card's shading units and memory subsystem.

The scaling pattern persists across all settings presets. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 97.6 FPS at 1080p, 76.1 FPS at 1440p, and 48.9 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is a 49.9% drop, nearly identical to the percentage drop seen at Low settings. This consistency indicates that the primary limiting factor is the GPU's raw throughput, not the CPU's ability to manage the game's physics or draw calls. The i7-14700KF, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is more than capable of handling the computational overhead at 1080p, as evidenced by the 179.1 FPS result. The data suggests that at lower resolutions, the system is still not fully CPU-limited, but the GPU's workload scaling dominates the performance curve.

The difference between 1440p and 4K is also telling. At High settings, the 1440p result is 85.9 FPS, while the 4K result is 58.8 FPS, a 31.5% decrease. This is a significant drop, but it pushes the 4K experience just below the 60 FPS threshold. For gamers targeting a smooth 60 FPS at 4K, the High preset is borderline, requiring a slight reduction in settings or a more powerful GPU. The 6800 XT, while a capable 4K card, is clearly stretched by Control's demanding visuals at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 1636 tested combinations, this specific pairing of the i7-14700KF and RX 6800 XT achieves a rank of 565. This places it in the upper third of all tested systems, indicating a strong level of performance for the game. The combo's percentile ranking is not explicitly stated for the game, but the rank relative to the total number of combos suggests it outperforms a significant majority of other hardware pairings. This is a solid position, reflecting the synergy between a top-tier consumer CPU and a high-end previous-generation GPU.

The CPU itself holds a 96th percentile rank against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70104. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark charts include the Intel Core i7-14700K, which scores nearly identically with a delta of 0%, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which is actually 0.4% slower in this metric. This indicates the processor is performing at the very top of its class in general compute tasks. The GPU, meanwhile, holds an 87th percentile rank against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49982. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, which is 2.6% slower, and the Intel Arc A550M, which is 0.5% faster. The combination of a 96th percentile CPU and an 87th percentile GPU places the combo in a strong position, but the game's specific optimization and the GPU's workload mean the final rank of 565 is a more accurate representation of its in-game capabilities.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's rivals show how close the performance is at the top of the stack. The 6800 XT is only 1.7% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A1000 and 1.9% behind the NVIDIA CMP 50HX. This tight clustering suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, the 6800 XT is in a very competitive performance band. However, the in-game rank of 565 for the combo suggests that Control's specific rendering pipeline favors this particular configuration, as the rank is a holistic measure of the combined CPU and GPU performance in that title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience based on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset is the optimal choice, delivering an average of 97.6 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the best visual fidelity the game offers. The High preset at 1080p yields 112.4 FPS, but the extra 14.8 FPS might not justify the visual downgrade from Ultra for most players. The Low preset at 1080p, while hitting 179.1 FPS, sacrifices too much visual quality for a frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, achieving an average of 85.9 FPS. This is comfortably above 60 FPS and offers a significant visual improvement over Medium. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 76.1 FPS, which is still playable but represents a performance cost of 11.4% compared to High. For players with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors (120Hz or higher), the Medium preset at 97.9 FPS might be preferable to push frame rates higher, but High provides the best balance of image quality and performance. The Low preset at 135 FPS is available for competitive play, but it is not recommended for the single-player experience.

The 4K resolution is where compromises must be made. The High preset delivers 58.8 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS target. Players prioritizing smoothness should drop to Medium, which yields 62.5 FPS, a 6.3% improvement. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 48.9 FPS, is not recommended for a consistent experience, as it will likely suffer from noticeable stuttering. The Low preset at 91.7 FPS is the only option that provides a significant frame rate headroom at 4K, but it drastically reduces the visual quality that makes Control so atmospheric. For most, the Medium preset at 4K offers the best playable experience, balancing the frame rate and visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section details the exact average frame rates measured for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination in Control.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset produces an average of 97.6 FPS. The High preset increases this to 112.4 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 124.6 FPS. The Low preset delivers the highest frame rate of 179.1 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset average is 76.1 FPS. The High preset raises the average to 85.9 FPS. The Medium preset reaches 97.9 FPS. The Low preset produces an average of 135 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset results in an average of 48.9 FPS. The High preset improves this to 58.8 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 62.5 FPS. The Low preset yields the highest 4K average of 91.7 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step down in settings from Ultra to Low provides a substantial frame rate increase. The largest relative jump is often from Ultra to High, while the jump from Medium to Low is also significant. For example, at 4K, going from Ultra to High is a 20.2% improvement, while going from High to Medium is only a 6.3% improvement. This suggests the Ultra preset includes some particularly demanding effects that have a disproportionate performance cost.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K 60 FPS?

A: At 4K with the High preset, the average frame rate is 58.8 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. However, the Medium preset achieves 62.5 FPS, which is above the threshold. Therefore, a stable 60 FPS is possible at 4K by using the Medium settings preset.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The data indicates that 1440p is the optimal resolution. At High settings, it delivers 85.9 FPS, which is a smooth experience. At 1080p, the combo is somewhat underutilized, and at 4K, the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates on the higher presets.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its direct rival, the i7-14700K?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the i7-14700KF has an average score of 70104, while the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 70074. This places the two processors in a statistical tie, with a deltaPct of 0%.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the 1080p results are very high, with the Low preset hitting 179.1 FPS. This suggests the GPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution, and the CPU is capable of feeding it frames effectively.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Ultra and Low settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Ultra preset produces 76.1 FPS, while the Low preset produces 135 FPS. This is a difference of 58.9 FPS, representing a 77.4% performance increase when using the lowest settings.

Q: Does the GPU outrank its nearest rival, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER?

A: In the GPU benchmark database, the Radeon RX 6800 XT has an average score of 49982, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER has a score of 48704. This means the 6800 XT is 2.6% faster in the average benchmark score.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF plays a supporting but crucial role in this configuration. With 20 cores, 28 threads, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, it is a high-end desktop processor from the Raptor Lake architecture. In Control, the game's engine is not heavily threaded, but the sheer speed of the CPU ensures that it never becomes a bottleneck, especially at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low setting result of 179.1 FPS demonstrates the CPU's ability to handle the game's logic and physics at high speed, allowing the GPU to render frames without waiting for instructions.

The CPU's benchmark results reinforce its high-end status. It scores 44557 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6290 in single-core tests. This single-core performance is critical for gaming, as many game engines, including the one used in Control, rely heavily on a few fast cores. The i7-14700KF's boost clock of 5.60 GHz, combined with its large 33 MB shared L3 cache, provides the low latency and high throughput needed for demanding scenes. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs confirms that it is among the top 4% of processors available, which is reflected in its ability to keep up with the RX 6800 XT.

However, the data clearly shows that as resolution increases, the CPU's role diminishes. At 4K, the GPU becomes the sole limiting factor. The CPU's performance headroom is largely irrelevant at 4K because the GPU's rendering time per frame is so long that the CPU has plenty of time to prepare the next frame. In this scenario, the i7-14700KF is effectively waiting for the GPU, making the RX 6800 XT the definitive factor in the 4K results. The pairing is well-balanced for 1440p, where the CPU's power and the GPU's capabilities complement each other perfectly to deliver a high-refresh-rate experience.