Control

Control pairs the Intel Core i9-14900K with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, and the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings show a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher loads while retaining substantial headroom at lower settings. The data indicates that the Radeon RX 9070 XT is the primary determinant of performance scaling in this title, with the Core i9-14900K providing ample computational support that never becomes the limiting factor. The combined benchmark position places this configuration at rank 937 out of 3720 tested combos, which is a strong showing for a modern high-end pairing. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, CPU and GPU contributions, and specific measured results to give a complete picture of how this hardware handles Control.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 193 FPS, but this drops to 146 FPS at 1440p and further to 98 FPS at 4K. This represents a 49% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which is a substantial decline that points directly to the GPU as the bottleneck. The scaling is not linear, however, and the percentage drops between each resolution step are informative. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings yields a 24% decrease, while moving from 1440p to 4K yields a 33% decrease, indicating that the GPU workload grows disproportionately at higher pixel counts.

At High settings, the same pattern emerges but with slightly different magnitudes. The 1080p average of 122 FPS drops to 92 FPS at 1440p, a 25% reduction, and then to 62 FPS at 4K, a 33% reduction from 1440p. The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the Radeon RX 9070 XT is operating in a similar efficiency range regardless of the visual preset, with the resolution being the dominant variable. The 4K High result of 62 FPS is notably close to the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this combo can handle 4K gameplay but without much margin for demanding scenes.

The Ultra settings data reinforces the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 106 FPS, which falls to 80 FPS at 1440p and 54 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset and falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. This pattern shows that while the Core i9-14900K has the raw multi-threaded capability to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, the RX 9070 XT saturates at 4K Ultra, producing a frame rate that is technically playable but not smooth by modern standards. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 44 FPS, while at 1080p the same comparison yields an 87 FPS difference, further confirming that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance of performance and visual fidelity. At High settings, the average FPS is 92, which provides smooth gameplay, while 1080p High reaches 122 FPS and 4K High drops to 62 FPS. The 1440p result maintains a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold without the excessive GPU load seen at 4K.

Q: How does the RX 9070 XT perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 54 FPS, which is the lowest result across all tested configurations. This falls below the 60 FPS playability standard, suggesting that 4K Ultra is not ideal for this game with this GPU. Dropping to High settings at 4K raises the average to 62 FPS, which is a more viable option.

Q: Is the Core i9-14900K a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck at 1080p. The highest measured average is 193 FPS at Low settings, which is well within the capabilities of the 24-core, 32-thread processor. The frame rates scale smoothly with resolution changes, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario rather than a CPU-limited one.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 146 at Low settings to 80 at Ultra settings, a difference of 66 FPS. The Medium setting produces 103 FPS, showing a clear stepwise progression. This indicates that the GPU has significant headroom at lower settings but becomes more constrained as visual quality increases.

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

A: The comboRankInGame places this system at rank 937 out of 3720 tested combos, which puts it in the top 25% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong overall performance of the Core i9-14900K and RX 9070 XT pairing in Control, though it does not represent the absolute top tier of results.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for Medium settings?

A: The measured data includes minimum FPS values only for Medium settings. At 1080p, the minimum is 116 FPS with a maximum of 157 FPS. At 1440p, the minimum is 88 FPS with a maximum of 119 FPS. At 4K, the minimum is 59 FPS with a maximum of 80 FPS. These values show that even at the lowest point, Medium settings remain playable across all resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process node. Its base clock of 3.20 GHz and boost clock of 6.00 GHz provide the single-thread performance that Control relies on for game logic and physics calculations. The benchmark data shows a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5, which places the CPU in the 95th percentile of all processors. The Geekbench results are similarly strong, with a multi-core score of 21697 and a single-core score of 2655.

In the context of Control, the CPU role is to maintain a consistent frame delivery pipeline that does not interrupt the GPU's work. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU limitation, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the system produces 193 FPS, which is a high enough rate that any CPU bottleneck would manifest as inconsistent frame pacing or reduced scaling. The data does not show such effects, indicating that the Core i9-14900K has ample headroom.

The nearest rivals to the i9-14900K in the benchmark database include the Intel Core i9-14900KF with a deltaPct of -0.3%, meaning the KF version scores slightly lower, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus with a deltaPct of -0.6%. The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 1.2% lower, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 1.7% higher. These small deltas indicate that the i9-14900K is well-positioned among its peers, but the differences are minor and unlikely to affect gaming performance in a meaningful way. The PassMark multi-thread score of 58674 and single-thread score of 4697 reinforce the CPU's strong all-around capability.

The 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide the memory hierarchy that supports high-frequency gameplay. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the measured FPS data does not specify which type was used. The 125 W TDP and dual-channel memory bus are standard for a desktop flagship, and the PCIe Gen 5 interface with 16 lanes ensures that the RX 9070 XT can communicate with the CPU without bandwidth limitations.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame field places this configuration at rank 937 out of 3720 total tested combos, which is a percentile position of approximately 74.8%. This means the Core i9-14900K and RX 9070 XT combination outperforms roughly three-quarters of all tested systems in Control, which is a strong result for a high-end pairing. The rank reflects the measured FPS data across all resolutions and settings, and the consistent performance at 1080p and 1440p contributes to this favorable position.

The ranking is notable because the RX 9070 XT has a percentileVsAllGpus of 55, which is below the CPU's 95th percentile. This discrepancy suggests that the GPU is the weaker component in this pairing, and the combo rank is likely held back by the GPU's mid-pack standing. The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are notably older or lower-end models, including the AMD Radeon HD 7770M with a deltaPct of 0.1%, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 with a deltaPct of 0.2%, and the NVIDIA P106-090 with a deltaPct of 0.5%. These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores and do not directly reflect gaming performance in Control, but they provide context for the GPU's overall capability.

The combo's rank of 937 out of 3720 means there are 936 combinations that perform better, which likely include systems with higher-end GPUs or more balanced pairings. However, the measured FPS data shows that this combo is more than capable of delivering playable frame rates at 1440p and even 4K with appropriate settings. The rank should be interpreted as a good result for the price point and performance class of these components, though not a top-tier showing.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture using a 4 nm process at TSMC, with a chip size of 357 mm² and 53,900 million transistors. The GPU has 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs, along with 64 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 1660 MHz, the boost clock is 2970 MHz, and the game clock is 2400 MHz. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory operates on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s, which provides ample memory bandwidth for high-resolution textures and effects.

In Control, the GPU is clearly the limiting component at higher resolutions and settings. The measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K High, the average is 62 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 70 FPS. These results indicate that the RX 9070 XT has enough power for 4K gaming at reduced settings, but not at maximum quality. The 1080p results are much more comfortable, with the highest average of 193 FPS at Low settings and 106 FPS at Ultra.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a mixed picture. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 7260, the Geekbench OpenCL score is 17428, and the Vulkan score is 65879. The PassMark G3D score is 26795, with a G2D score of 1328. The percentileVsAllGpus of 55 places the RX 9070 XT in the middle of the pack, which seems low for a modern GPU but may reflect the diverse range of benchmarks used in the database. The nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark data are much older models, which highlights the unusual positioning of this GPU in the dataset.

The GPU's TDP of 304 W and dual-slot design with 2x 8-pin power connectors are typical for a high-end card. The suggested PSU of 700 W provides a guideline for system builders. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface and display outputs of 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a round out the feature set. In Control, the GPU's 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient, as the game's requirements are modest by modern standards, and the measured frame rates do not suggest any memory-related bottlenecks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the Low setting produces an average of 193 FPS, which is the highest result in the entire dataset. The Medium setting at 1080p yields 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 and maximum of 157, while High produces 122 FPS, and Ultra produces 106 FPS. This shows a 45% reduction from Low to Ultra at 1080p, which is a significant but expected drop given the increased visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Low setting averages 146 FPS, Medium averages 103 FPS with a minimum of 88 and maximum of 119, High averages 92 FPS, and Ultra averages 80 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 45%, mirroring the 1080p pattern. The Medium settings at 1440p provide the best balance of performance and quality, with a minimum FPS of 88 that remains well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the Low setting averages 98 FPS, Medium averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 80, High averages 62 FPS, and Ultra averages 54 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 45%, consistent with the other resolutions. The Medium setting at 4K has a minimum FPS of 59, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold, while High and Ultra are below 60 FPS on average. This makes 4K Medium the highest quality setting that maintains playable performance.

The data shows that the percentage difference between Low and Ultra is consistent at approximately 45% across all resolutions, which indicates that the GPU handles the additional workload uniformly. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings show that the system maintains stable frame rates even at 4K, with a minimum of 59 FPS being close to the 60 FPS target but not reaching it consistently.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, with even Ultra averaging 106 FPS. The Medium setting at 137 FPS offers a good balance for competitive play, while High at 122 FPS provides a slight visual improvement with minimal performance cost. For users with high refresh rate monitors, the Low setting at 193 FPS allows for maximum frame rates, but the visual quality tradeoff is substantial.

At 2560x1440, the Medium setting is the recommended choice, as it averages 103 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without dipping below 60 FPS. The High setting at 92 FPS is also viable, but the Medium setting offers a 12% performance improvement with only a modest visual downgrade. The Ultra setting at 80 FPS is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes, and the Low setting at 146 FPS is better suited for competitive play where visual quality is secondary.

At 3840x2160, the Medium setting is the only option that maintains an average above 60 FPS, at 70 FPS. The minimum FPS of 59 at Medium is borderline, but the average is acceptable for most players. The High setting at 62 FPS is technically playable but leaves no margin for performance dips, and the Ultra setting at 54 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold. For the best 4K experience, the Medium preset is recommended, as it provides the highest visual quality while maintaining playable frame rates. Users who prioritize smoothness over quality should consider the Low setting at 98 FPS, but the visual downgrade is significant. Overall, the data suggests that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a balance of performance and quality that suits the majority of players.