Control

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three tested resolutions reveal a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance for this combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti in Control. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 82.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that average to 62.5 FPS, a reduction of approximately 24%. At 4K with the same High settings, the average falls to 45.5 FPS, which is roughly 45% below the 1080p result.

This scaling curve is steep, indicating that the GTX 1080 Ti is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. The 4K Ultra preset yields only 35.9 FPS, highlighting the stress placed on the GPU's 11 GB of GDDR5X memory and its 484.4 GB/s bandwidth. The gap between Low and Ultra settings grows with resolution: at 1080p, the spread between Low (132.9 FPS) and Ultra (73.4 FPS) is 59.5 FPS, while at 4K, the spread narrows to 29.5 FPS (65.4 FPS at Low versus 35.9 FPS at Ultra). This compression at higher resolutions is typical of a GPU that is saturated, where the cost of additional pixel shading dominates over settings-related overhead.

The data suggests that the CPU has ample headroom. The Core i7-14700KF, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is not likely to bottleneck at any of these settings. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are nearly linear with pixel count, which is the signature of a rendering pipeline constrained by the graphics card. For users targeting 4K, the measured averages indicate that only Low settings (65.4 FPS) approach smoothness, while Medium (49.2 FPS) and High (45.5 FPS) will require compromises. At 1440p, the picture is more favorable, with Medium (73.1 FPS) and High (62.5 FPS) both viable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a Pascal-architecture part built on a 16 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 471 mm² and 11,800 million transistors. Its base clock is 1481 MHz, boosting to 1582 MHz, and the memory runs at 1376 MHz with an effective data rate of 11 Gbps. The 11 GB frame buffer is paired with a 352-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s. These specifications place the card in the 61st percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 19402.

The nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark data are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 (avg score 19405, delta 0%), the AMD Radeon Pro 560X (avg score 19426, delta -0.1%), the NVIDIA Tesla K40m (avg score 19519, delta -0.6%), and the NVIDIA TITAN Xp (avg score 19184, delta 1.1%). The 1080 Ti sits essentially at parity with these cards in synthetic scores, yet the measured FPS in Control shows it delivering playable results at 1080p and 1440p. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2231 and Passmark G3D score of 18600 further characterize its compute and rasterization capabilities.

For Control specifically, the GPU's 88 ROPs and 224 TMUs are relevant to the game's visual effects, which include particle-heavy combat sequences and destructible environments. The texture rate of 354.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 139.2 GPixel/s suggest that the card can handle moderate settings at high resolutions, but the 4K Ultra result of 35.9 FPS indicates a hard ceiling. The DirectX 12 benchmark score of 66 is notably low, which may hint at driver overhead or architectural limitations in this API mode, but the measured game data shows that the card still performs adequately under the game's default rendering path.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a Raptor Lake Refresh part with 20 cores and 28 threads, operating at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, and its 33 MB of shared L3 cache is substantial. The CPU's synthetic performance is strong: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 44557, single-core scores 6290, and Geekbench multi-core scores 19287. The 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs underscores its high-end positioning.

The nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark data include the Intel Core i7-14700K (avg score 70074, delta 0%), the AMD EPYC 9115 (avg score 69887, delta 0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (avg score 70420, delta -0.4%), and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (avg score 71056, delta -1.3%). The 14700KF's average benchmark score of 70104 places it within a narrow band of these competitors, with deltas ranging from -1.3% to 0.3%. This indicates that the CPU is not a meaningful differentiator in this game, as the frame rates are largely dictated by the GPU.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The measured FPS data shows no signs of CPU limitation: at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 132.9 FPS, which is high enough to suggest the GPU is still the bottleneck. The 14th Gen architecture's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz is beneficial for single-threaded game logic, while the 28 threads provide headroom for background tasks and streaming. The 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility are standard for this class, but the launch MSRP of $384 is the only pricing detail available. The 14700KF is multiplier-unlocked, allowing overclocking, but the benchmark results do not include any overclocked configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti ranks 967th out of 1636 tested combos for Control. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which is consistent with the GPU's age relative to the game's 2019 release. The 1080 Ti, while capable at 1080p, lacks the raw throughput for high-refresh 4K gaming in this title.

The ranking of 967 out of 1636 means that roughly 59% of tested combos outperform this setup. This is largely due to the GPU's 61st percentile standing among all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 96th percentile. The pairing is unbalanced: the CPU is overkill for the GPU's capabilities in Control, as evidenced by the GPU-bound scaling pattern. Users with this combo could expect better rankings if paired with a stronger GPU, but as measured, the system delivers playable performance at 1440p Medium (73.1 FPS) and High (62.5 FPS) settings.

The data indicates that the combo's rank is not a reflection of CPU weakness, but rather a consequence of the GPU's position in the market. The 1080 Ti's nearest rivals in the GPU benchmarks—such as the GTX 780 and the TITAN Xp—are all older or similar-generation parts, confirming that this is a legacy card. For Control's demanding effects, the 11 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra preset (35.9 FPS) is below the 60 FPS threshold that many users target.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and acceptable frame rates. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 95 FPS, which is a balanced choice for smooth gameplay without the visual degradation of Low (132.9 FPS). High at 1080p achieves 82.3 FPS, still above 60, and Ultra at 73.4 FPS is also playable. For users prioritizing visual fidelity at 1080p, Ultra is viable, but Medium offers the best combination of frame rate and quality.

At 1440p, the Medium preset yields 73.1 FPS, which is the recommended starting point. High at 62.5 FPS is also acceptable, though it dips closer to the 60 FPS threshold. Low at 1440p produces 102.8 FPS, which is smooth but sacrifices the game's atmospheric lighting and reflections. Ultra at 1440p drops to 54.8 FPS, which may be playable for some but is below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action.

At 4K, only the Low preset (65.4 FPS) maintains a playable average. Medium (49.2 FPS), High (45.5 FPS), and Ultra (35.9 FPS) all fall below 50 FPS, which is likely to cause noticeable stutter in combat. Therefore, for 4K gaming, the data supports using Low settings, or alternatively, considering a resolution reduction to 1440p for a better experience. The measured rows do not include any FSR or DLSS data, so those options cannot be assessed here.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1080p Medium (95 FPS) and 1440p Medium (73.1 FPS) are the sweet spots. 4K is only playable at Low settings (65.4 FPS).

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104, which is within 1.3% of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (71056) and 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (70420).

Q: Is the GTX 1080 Ti a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the GPU is still the limiting factor at 1080p, as evidenced by the 132.9 FPS at Low settings. The CPU does not constrain performance.

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

A: High averages 62.5 FPS, while Ultra averages 54.8 FPS, a difference of 7.7 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score compare to its rivals?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti's average score of 19402 is effectively tied with the GTX 780 (19405, delta 0%) and slightly below the Tesla K40m (19519, delta -0.6%).

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the measured 4K Ultra average is 35.9 FPS, which is below playable thresholds. The 4K Low preset (65.4 FPS) is the only 4K option above 60 FPS.