Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title from Remedy Entertainment, presents a demanding benchmark for modern hardware, particularly due to its physics-heavy environments and real-time ray tracing options. This analysis examines the measured performance data for the combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF processor and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 graphics card. The data, drawn from a controlled benchmark suite, provides a detailed look at how this pairing handles the game across a range of resolutions and graphical presets, revealing a configuration that is largely balanced at lower resolutions but becomes GPU-bound as pixel count increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among all tested systems for Control?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 1632 out of 2888 tested combos in our database for Control. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum, indicating that while it can run the game, it is not among the top-tier configurations.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon RX 9060 compare to its closest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (avg score 16129) and 1% higher than both the AMD Radeon R9 370X (avg score 15862) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (avg score 15852). It also sits 2.1% above the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (avg score 15679).

Q: What is the best average frame rate achieved by this combination in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 130 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. The next highest is 98 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings, followed by 92 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo fail to maintain a 60 FPS average?

A: At 3840x2160 (4K) resolution, the combination fails to reach a 60 FPS average on any preset; it records 66 FPS on Low, 47 FPS on Medium, 42 FPS on High, and 36 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset just misses the mark with an average of 54 FPS.

Q: What are the core and thread counts of the Intel Core i7-14700KF?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and it is placed in the 94th percentile for performance compared to all CPUs in our database.

Q: How much VRAM does the AMD Radeon RX 9060 have and what is its memory bus width?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. This configuration provides a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data positions the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination at rank 1632 out of 2888 tested combos, which is a percentile placement of roughly 56.5%. This is a significant data point because it shows that despite the CPU's high performance in synthetic benchmarks—it sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs—the overall gaming experience in Control is heavily moderated by the GPU. The pairing does not crack the top half of the database, suggesting that for this specific title, the graphics card is the primary bottleneck.

This ranking is consistent with the GPU's own performance percentile. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which is 0.7% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which is 1% slower. This places the RX 9060 in a competitive mid-range segment. The data shows a clear disparity between the CPU's high standing (94th percentile) and the GPU's more moderate one (59th percentile). In the context of Control, this means the processor has ample headroom, while the graphics card is the limiting factor that determines the final frame rate, particularly as resolution and graphical fidelity increase.

The overall rank of 1632 reflects this imbalance. If the GPU were more powerful, the combo would likely rank much higher, given the CPU's capability. Conversely, the rank is not lower because the CPU is strong enough to never hold back the GPU at the tested settings. The benchmark results indicate a system where the user has paired a top-tier processor with a mid-range graphics card, resulting in a performance profile that is dictated almost entirely by the GPU's capabilities in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across the three resolutions reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling. The most telling comparison is on the High preset, where the average frame rate drops from 82 FPS at 1920x1080 to 62 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 42 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 24.4% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 32.3% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. Such a steep decline is characteristic of a system where the rendering load is overwhelming the GPU's capabilities.

The scaling pattern strongly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the limiting component in this configuration for Control. The Intel Core i7-14700KF, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, provides more than enough computational power to feed the GPU at all tested resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a much smaller performance delta between 1080p and 4K, as the frame rate would be more constrained by the processor at lower resolutions. Instead, the frame rate scales almost inversely with the number of pixels, which is a hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario.

This is further supported by the performance at the Low preset. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo achieves 130 FPS. At 2560x1440 Low, it drops to 98 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 66 FPS. While the low preset reduces the overall load, the relative drop is still substantial. The data shows that even when the graphics load is minimized, the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K, confirming its status as the primary performance limiter. The CPU's role is to provide a stable foundation, which it does, but it is not the factor driving the frame rate differences between resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of delivering a highly playable experience on all presets. The Low preset yields an average of 130 FPS, Medium produces 92 FPS, High drops to 82 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 71 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this configuration, offering smooth performance even at the highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance becomes more moderate. The Low preset still provides a very good 98 FPS average, and Medium is respectable at 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. However, the High preset drops to 62 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 54 FPS. This indicates that at 1440p, users will need to be more selective with their settings to maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience, with the High preset being borderline and Ultra requiring a compromise.

At 3840x2160, the AMD Radeon RX 9060 begins to struggle. The Low preset is the only option that provides a playable frame rate, with an average of 66 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 47 FPS (with a minimum of 40 FPS), High falls to 42 FPS, and Ultra yields just 36 FPS. These numbers make it clear that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combination in Control, as even the lowest settings only barely cross the 60 FPS threshold, while higher settings result in a sub-50 FPS experience that would feel sluggish.

The data points for Medium settings are the only ones with full min/max information. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate fluctuates between 78 and 106 FPS, showing a 28 FPS variance. At 1440p Medium, the variance is 21 FPS, ranging from 59 to 80. At 4K Medium, the variance is 14 FPS, from 40 to 54. This tightening of the frame time variance as resolution increases further points to the GPU being the bottleneck, as the frame rate becomes more constrained and less variable under heavier load.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the central figure in this performance analysis, as the data consistently shows it to be the limiting factor. Its specifications—8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth—are moderate by current standards. The GPU's boost clock is listed at 2990 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz, and it is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture using a 4 nm process. These features place it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with its performance in our benchmarks.

In Control, the GPU's role is to handle the rendering of the game's complex environments, which include extensive physics simulations and particle effects. The 8 GB VRAM buffer is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at most settings, but the benchmark results suggest it may be a limiting factor at 4K. The significant drop in performance from 1440p to 4K, even on the Low preset (98 FPS to 66 FPS), indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capacity are overwhelmed by the sheer pixel count.

The GPU's performance relative to its rivals is also telling. It is essentially on par with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, being only 0.7% slower in average benchmark score. This means that in Control, users can expect similar performance to that older, but still popular, graphics card. The fact that the RX 9060 is in the 59th percentile, while the CPU is in the 94th, highlights the performance mismatch. The GPU is not a weak part, but it is clearly the component that determines the playable settings and resolutions for this specific game, as it cannot keep pace with the CPU's potential.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate. For a standard 60 FPS target, the data clearly shows that 1920x1080 is the most versatile resolution. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset, with an average of 71 FPS, provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Low preset at 1080p offers an excellent 130 FPS average, and the Medium preset at 92 FPS is also a strong choice for a balance of visual quality and speed.

At 2560x1440, the choices become more constrained. To maintain a stable 60 FPS, the Medium preset is the safest option, with an average of 70 FPS and a minimum of 59 FPS. The High preset, with an average of 62 FPS, is also viable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset, at 54 FPS, should be avoided if a locked 60 FPS is a priority. For users who prefer higher visual fidelity and can tolerate frame rates in the 50s, the High preset is the best compromise, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium with only a modest performance hit.

For 3840x2160, the recommendations are stark. The only preset that achieves an average above 60 FPS is Low, at 66 FPS. However, playing at Low settings on a 4K display often defeats the purpose of the high resolution. The Medium preset drops to 47 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay. Therefore, the data suggests that 4K is not a recommended resolution for this GPU in Control. The best experience at this resolution would be to either accept Low settings for a playable frame rate or to lower the resolution to 1440p and use a higher preset, which would provide a better overall visual experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF plays a supporting, yet crucial, role in this configuration. With 20 cores and 28 threads, a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and a placement in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, its raw processing power is not in question. Its synthetic benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2578, confirm its high capability. However, in the context of Control, this power is largely untapped.

The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the bottleneck in any of the tested scenarios. The frame rates are consistently dictated by the GPU's performance, as evidenced by the resolution scaling. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would see a plateau in frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do. Instead, the frame rates continue to rise as resolution drops, reaching 130 FPS at 1080p Low, which indicates the CPU can easily handle the game's logic and physics at high frame rates.

The CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is fed with data as efficiently as possible, and its high single-thread performance is particularly important for this. Control is a game that can be demanding on the CPU due to its physics engine, but the i7-14700KF's strong performance ensures that it never becomes a limiting factor. The data shows that the processor has significant headroom, meaning that if the GPU were upgraded, the system would likely see a substantial performance increase in Control, as the CPU would be able to support a more powerful graphics card without becoming a new bottleneck.