Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, is a demanding game that stresses both the CPU and GPU. The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti produces a wide range of frame rates depending on the resolution and quality settings chosen. The data reveals a system where the graphics card is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the processor's strength ensures consistent performance at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 57 FPS. Moving up to 2560x1440 at the same High preset drops the average to 43 FPS, a reduction of 14 frames. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 29 FPS, which is only about half of the 1080p performance.

This scaling pattern indicates that the system becomes increasingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The jump from 1080p to 1440p represents a 24.5% decrease in average FPS, while the jump from 1440p to 4K represents a 32.5% decrease. The larger drop at 4K suggests that the GTX 1660 Ti's 6 GB of VRAM and its memory bandwidth are being saturated, as the rendering load outpaces what the graphics card can process. At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom to feed frames, but at 4K, the GPU's limits are the defining factor.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further illustrates this point. At 1920x1080, the spread between Low (91 FPS) and Ultra (50 FPS) is 41 FPS. At 2560x1440, the spread narrows to 31 FPS (69 FPS Low vs. 38 FPS Ultra). At 3840x2160, the spread is just 21 FPS (46 FPS Low vs. 25 FPS Ultra). This compression of the performance range at higher resolutions is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck; the graphics card is working at its maximum capacity even at Low settings, so lowering the quality has a diminishing impact on frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium produces an average of 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS, providing a smooth and playable experience that is only 7 FPS below High. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 49 FPS with a minimum of 41 FPS, which remains within a playable range for most users. Even at 3840x2160, Medium manages an average of 33 FPS, which is playable but with noticeable dips to 28 FPS.

High settings are a viable option for 1080p, delivering an average of 57 FPS, but the experience degrades significantly at higher resolutions. Low settings are the only way to achieve a consistently high frame rate at 1440p, with an average of 69 FPS, but this comes at the cost of visual fidelity. Ultra settings are not recommended for this combination, as they only produce an average of 50 FPS at 1080p and drop to 25 FPS at 4K, which is below the threshold for a comfortable gaming experience.

The data suggests that for the best combination of visual quality and performance, Medium is the sweet spot. It provides a playable frame rate at 1080p and 1440p while maintaining a reasonable level of graphical detail. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Low at 1440p or High at 1080p are the next best options, depending on the monitor's native resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is the limiting component in this pairing for Control. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and it has 1536 shading units. In benchmark tests, it scores 12871 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 41st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon 540 (0.7% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (1.9% higher), and the AMD Radeon R7 250 (2.2% higher), indicating it sits in a modest performance tier.

The GPU's VRAM capacity is a significant factor in the game's performance at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K, the average FPS drops below 30 on High and Ultra settings, which is often a sign of the GPU struggling to manage the texture data and geometry within its 6 GB frame buffer. The 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is also a constraint; as the resolution increases, the demand for texture reads and writes grows, and this bandwidth becomes a bottleneck that prevents the GPU from maintaining higher frame rates.

The GTX 1660 Ti's 1770 MHz boost clock is relatively modest compared to modern cards, and its 5.437 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power limits its ability to handle the game's physics and rendering effects. The card's performance in synthetic benchmarks like Passmark DirectX 12 (score of 51) and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (score of 1061) underscores its limitations in modern API workloads. This is why the combo's performance falls off so sharply at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU's raw compute and memory throughput are insufficient for the increased load.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Control, the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ranks 3176 out of 3720 combos. This places it in the bottom 15% of all tested systems, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations. The rank reflects the overall average FPS across all tested settings and resolutions, and the GTX 1660 Ti's poor performance at 4K drags the combo's overall standing down.

The CPU, however, is a top-tier performer. It scores 44167 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 6235 in single-core, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.4% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.9% higher), showing it is competitive with the best processors available. This means the combo's low rank is entirely due to the GPU, not the CPU.

The data shows that the CPU is capable of far more than the GPU can deliver. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 91 FPS, but this is still limited by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The high rank of the CPU component (94th percentile) compared to the low rank of the GPU component (41st percentile) in their respective benchmarks confirms that the graphics card is the constraining factor in this system. A more powerful GPU would likely move this combo significantly higher in the rankings.

CPU Role

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, with 33 MB of shared L3 cache. Its synthetic benchmark scores are exceptional, including a Geekbench multicore score of 21462 and a Passmark multithread score of 52425. In Cinebench R23, it achieves 44167 in multicore and 6235 in single-core, demonstrating excellent performance in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle the game's physics and AI calculations. At 1080p, the CPU has enough power to keep the GPU saturated, as evidenced by the 91 FPS average on Low settings. The high single-core performance (6235 in Cinebench R23 single-core) is particularly important for this game, as it likely relies on a few primary threads for game logic. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates it is not the bottleneck in this system.

The data suggests that the CPU's performance headroom is largely untapped in this pairing. At 4K Ultra, the combo only manages 25 FPS, which is far below what the CPU could potentially support. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample processing power, but the GTX 1660 Ti cannot translate that power into higher frame rates at higher resolutions. The CPU's L3 cache of 33 MB and support for DDR4/DDR5 memory further ensure that it will not be the limiting factor in most gaming scenarios.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the most playable resolution. At this resolution, even Ultra settings produce an average of 50 FPS, while Low settings reach 91 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low settings (69 FPS) remain consistently smooth, and at 3840x2160, all settings fall below 46 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 Ti's VRAM affect performance?

A: The GPU has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory. The measured FPS drops significantly at 4K, with High settings averaging only 29 FPS and Ultra averaging 25 FPS. This suggests that the 6 GB capacity and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the game's demands at that resolution, making the GPU the primary bottleneck.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a good match for the GTX 1660 Ti?

A: The CPU is exceptionally powerful, ranking in the 94th percentile of all CPUs with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44167. However, the GPU ranks only in the 41st percentile. The data indicates the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU's performance caps the overall system, making this a mismatched pairing for demanding games.

Q: What settings should I use for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 91 FPS, and Medium delivers 64 FPS. None of the tested settings achieve a 60 FPS average at 2560x1440, with the closest being Low at 69 FPS. At 3840x2160, no settings reach 60 FPS, with Low averaging only 46 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 3176 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the bottom 15%. This low rank is primarily due to the GPU's modest performance, as the CPU's benchmark scores are in the top 6% of all processors.

Q: Does the game benefit more from the CPU or the GPU in this setup?

A: The game's performance is heavily GPU-limited. The difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 41 FPS (91 vs. 50), but at 4K, this difference shrinks to 21 FPS (46 vs. 25). This compression at higher resolutions indicates the GPU is saturated, while the CPU's high single-core score of 6235 in Cinebench R23 shows it has ample headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the resolution with the highest performance, the average FPS varies from 91 on Low to 50 on Ultra. Specifically, Low averages 91 FPS, Medium averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 and a maximum of 74, High averages 57 FPS, and Ultra averages 50 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings produce an average of 69 FPS, Medium averages 49 FPS with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 56, High averages 43 FPS, and Ultra averages 38 FPS. The minimum FPS on Medium shows that there can be dips below the average, which might be noticeable during intense scenes.

At 3840x2160, the resolution is very demanding for this hardware. Low settings average 46 FPS, Medium averages 33 FPS with a minimum of 28 and a maximum of 38, High averages 29 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. At this resolution, the frame rate is often below 30 FPS, which is typically considered the threshold for smooth, playable performance. The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the average FPS decreases, and the gap between different settings narrows, confirming the GPU is the limiting factor.