Control

Control is an action-adventure title from 2019 that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily, and the measured results for the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX reveal a system that is consistently capable across all resolutions. The data shows a clear hierarchy of performance that scales predictably with settings, but the relationship between resolution and frame rate indicates where the bottleneck shifts. This analysis uses only the provided benchmark data to interpret how this specific combination behaves in this game, focusing on the measured frames per second (FPS) at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, across Low, Medium, High, and Ultra presets.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for this combo suggests that the optimal experience depends heavily on the target display resolution, but the High preset emerges as the most balanced choice for most scenarios. At 4K, the High preset delivers an average of 72 FPS, which is a playable frame rate, but the Ultra preset drops to 63 FPS, showing a significant cost for the extra visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 4K offers 82 FPS, which is a solid improvement over High, but the jump from Medium to High only costs 10 FPS, suggesting that High provides a better visual return for the performance hit at this resolution.

For 1440p, the High preset achieves 107 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves headroom for smoother gameplay. The Medium preset at this resolution hits 121 FPS, offering a noticeable boost, but Ultra still manages 93 FPS, which is perfectly playable. The data indicates that High is the sweet spot at 1440p, as it balances the visual improvements over Medium with a frame rate that is still substantially higher than the Ultra preset.

At 1080p, the CPU and GPU combination is so strong that even Ultra preset maintains an average of 123 FPS. The High preset reaches 142 FPS, and Medium hits 160 FPS, but the Low preset rockets to 225 FPS. Given that all presets at 1080p are above 120 FPS, the recommendation is to use the Ultra preset for the best visual quality, as the performance cost is relatively minor compared to the gains at higher resolutions. The data shows that the measured FPS at 1080p are never a concern, so the choice should be driven by visual preference rather than playability.

In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is the High preset at 4K and 1440p, as it offers a strong balance between visual quality and frame rate. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is recommended because the system has ample performance to spare, making the higher settings the logical choice for maximum fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with the High preset?

A: The measured data shows an average of 107 FPS at 2560x1440 with the High settings, which indicates a smooth experience for most display setups.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from the High to Ultra preset at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 72 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 63 FPS. This represents a drop of 9 FPS, or roughly 12.5% lower performance, for the higher visual settings.

Q: Does the system maintain a 60 FPS minimum at any resolution with the Medium preset?

A: The only measured min FPS values are for the Medium preset. At 4K, the min FPS is 69, at 1440p it is 103, and at 1080p it is 136. All of these values are above the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that the Medium preset stays comfortably playable.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Control?

A: The highest average FPS is 225, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This highlights the CPU and GPU's ability to push extremely high frame rates when graphical demands are reduced.

Q: How does the combo rank among other tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 536 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top 14.4% of all configurations tested for Control.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 4K Ultra?

A: The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, as the average FPS drops to 63, while the CPU's strong multi-core performance is not the primary constraint at this high resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of how performance scales from 1080p to 4K, indicating a shift in the system's bottleneck. At 1080p with the Ultra preset, the combo achieves an average of 123 FPS. Moving to 1440p Ultra, the average FPS drops to 93, which is a 24.4% reduction. When moving from 1440p to 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls further to 63, which is a 32.3% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling shows that the frame rate drops are not linear, with the most significant percentage loss occurring between 1440p and 4K.

The pattern for the High preset follows a similar trajectory. At 1080p High, the average is 142 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 107 FPS, a 24.6% decrease. At 4K High, the average is 72 FPS, which is a 32.7% decrease from the 1440p result. The consistency of these percentage drops across presets suggests that the performance scaling is primarily dictated by resolution, not by the specific settings chosen.

This data implies that the limiting component changes as resolution increases. At 1080p, the frame rates are very high, and the gap between the Low and Ultra presets is large (225 FPS vs 123 FPS), indicating that the GPU is still capable of providing more frames, but the CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up. At 4K, the frame rates are much lower, and the difference between presets is smaller in absolute terms (115 FPS Low vs 63 FPS Ultra), which is a classic sign that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck, as the pixel fill rate and shading demands overwhelm the graphics card's capabilities. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, and the GPU's raw throughput becomes the deciding factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across all three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 225 FPS, which is the highest score recorded. The Medium preset averages 160 FPS, with a min of 136 and a max of 184. The High preset averages 142 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 123 FPS. The data shows a steady decline in performance as settings increase, with a 102 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 170 FPS. The Medium preset averages 121 FPS, with a min of 103 and a max of 139. The High preset averages 107 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 93 FPS. The performance drop from Low to Ultra is 77 FPS, which is less steep than at 1080p, but still significant. The min FPS values for the Medium preset at 1440p are above 100, indicating a stable experience.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 115 FPS. The Medium preset averages 82 FPS, with a min of 69 and a max of 94. The High preset averages 72 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 63 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 52 FPS, which is the smallest absolute gap across all resolutions. The min FPS of 69 at 4K Medium is still above the 60 FPS threshold, but the Ultra preset's 63 FPS average suggests that frame pacing may become an issue in demanding scenes. The data shows that the system is capable of handling 4K, but the settings must be managed carefully to ensure a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX ranks 536 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This placement puts the system in the top 14.4% of all configurations tested, indicating a strong overall performance. The rank is a measure of the total combination's effectiveness, not just the individual components, meaning that the pairing of this specific CPU and GPU works well together for this game.

The high rank suggests that this combo is well above average for handling the demands of Control. The data implies that the system is not only capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions but also maintains playable performance at 4K, which is a key factor in its positioning. The rank of 536 confirms the balance between the CPU's processing power and the GPU's graphical capabilities, as neither component appears to significantly hold back the other in this title.

When compared to the broader field of 3720 combos, the 536th rank signifies that this system outperforms the vast majority of other configurations tested. This is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows that the combo can exceed 100 FPS at 1440p and stay above 60 FPS at 4K on most presets. The ranking provides a single metric that sums up the overall capability of the system, and the data confirms that it is a high-performing pairing for Control.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF features 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. In Control, this processor's multi-core and single-core performance are both relevant, but the game's engine appears to scale well with the available threads. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and a single-core score of 6235, indicate a high level of processing capability that is more than sufficient for the game's logic and physics calculations.

The data from the measured FPS suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 225 shows that the CPU can feed the GPU with enough frames to hit very high rates. The large difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p (102 FPS) could be attributed to the GPU being more heavily taxed by the higher settings, but the CPU's strong performance ensures that it does not limit the frame rate. The 28 threads of the i7-14700KF provide ample headroom for the game's background tasks and streaming, which is typical for a modern action-adventure title.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 94 versus all CPUs further reinforces that it is a top-tier processor. In the context of Control, this means that the processor is capable of handling the most demanding scenes without causing stutters or frame drops. The data shows that frame rates remain consistently high across all presets, which is a direct result of the CPU's ability to maintain a high level of throughput. The CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data, and the measured results confirm that this is the case.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is a high-end graphics card with 24 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 384-bit memory bus, providing a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1929 MHz, with a boost clock of 2498 MHz. In Control, the GPU's role is critical, as the game features demanding visual effects and environments that require substantial graphical processing power. The GPU's performance is the primary factor in the frame rate differences observed across resolutions and settings.

The data shows that the GPU has a significant impact on performance. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 63, which is the lowest measured score. This is a clear indication that the GPU is working hard to render the high-resolution textures and effects. The GPU's VRAM of 24 GB is more than sufficient for Control at any resolution, so memory capacity is not a limiting factor. The memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s ensures that the GPU can quickly access the data it needs, which is crucial for maintaining stable frame rates.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 64 versus all GPUs is lower than the CPU's ranking, which suggests that the graphics card is not as dominant in the overall market. However, in the context of this game, the GPU's performance is strong enough to achieve high frame rates at 1440p and playable frame rates at 4K. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the component that determines the ceiling for frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K (52 FPS) is a direct result of the GPU's workload increasing with higher settings, making it the key component for determining the visual experience in Control.