Control

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers a solid, high-refresh-rate experience in Control, particularly at 1440p, but the data shows it is a mid-pack performer relative to the wider benchmark database. The combo ranks 1071st out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the 71st percentile of all configs. This is a strong result, but it is not a top-tier leaderboard entry, indicating that while the hardware is capable, it doesn't dominate the game's performance charts.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1071 out of 3720 tested pairings means it sits comfortably in the upper third of all configurations. This is a competitive position, but it reveals that many other CPU-GPU pairings—likely those with newer or higher-end components—can achieve higher frame rates in this title. The ranking suggests a balanced system where neither component is a severe bottleneck, but the overall performance ceiling is limited by the RTX 3080's age rather than the i9-14900K's compute power. In the context of this database, the pairing is not an outlier; it performs as expected for a high-end 2020 GPU paired with a top-tier 2023 CPU. The data indicates that the CPU is vastly overqualified for the GPU's output, as the i9-14900K ranks in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, while the RTX 3080 sits in the 68th percentile against all GPUs. This disparity is the primary driver of the combo's mid-pack ranking, as the GPU's performance ceiling caps the system's overall capability in this GPU-bound title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the limiting component in this pairing. Its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus provides 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1440p gaming but begins to show constraints at 4K Ultra settings. The GPU's boost clock of 1710 MHz (base 1440 MHz) allows it to reach 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In Control, this translates to playable frame rates at high settings across all resolutions, but the data shows a clear performance cliff when moving to the Ultra preset. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 52, which is below the 60 FPS target that the High preset achieves at the same resolution. The 68th percentile ranking against all GPUs confirms that this is a mid-range performer in the current database, and its nearest rivals—the NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, and AMD Radeon RX 6600M—are all within 0.4% of its average score, showing that the RTX 3080 is not an exceptional outlier but a solid, predictable performer. The GPU's 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores support the game's ray tracing and DLSS features, though the measured data does not include those specific settings. The 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for the tested presets, but the jump from High to Ultra at 4K suggests that the memory capacity and bandwidth are being pushed to their limits, resulting in a 13% drop in average FPS from High to Ultra at that resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a computational powerhouse that does not bottleneck the RTX 3080 in Control. With 24 cores and 32 threads, a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache, the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are exceptional. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and single-core score of 2262.5 place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. In Control, which is primarily a GPU-bound title, the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame pipeline. The data confirms this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 185 average FPS, which is a massive 97% increase over the 4K Low result of 94 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions; the GPU is. The i9-14900K's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900KF (deltaPct -0.3%) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (deltaPct -0.6%), have nearly identical average scores, showing that this CPU is at the top of its class. The CPU's 125W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a versatile choice, but in this specific benchmark, its raw power is underutilized. The fact that the CPU can push over 185 FPS at 1080p Low while the GPU is the one that drops to 52 FPS at 4K Ultra proves that the i9-14900K is not the bottleneck in any scenario tested.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K a bottleneck for the RTX 3080 in Control?

A: No. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 185 average FPS, while at 4K Low it drops to 94 average FPS. This 91 FPS difference is entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering load. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking and high single-core performance (2262.5 in Cinebench R23) ensure it can feed the GPU without constraint.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1440p High settings?

A: The combo achieves 88 average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a very playable frame rate for a single-player action-adventure game, placing the system well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

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

A: Based on the data, 1440p is the sweet spot. At 2560x1440 High, the combo hits 88 FPS, and even at Ultra it maintains 77 FPS. In contrast, 4K High yields 60 FPS, and 4K Ultra drops to 52 FPS, which is less ideal for a fast-paced game.

Q: How much faster is the combo at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS at 1080p is 117, while at 4K it is 60. This represents a 95% increase in frame rate when dropping from 4K to 1080p, highlighting the GPU's significant load at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM cause any issues in Control?

A: The data does not show a hard failure, but the performance drop from High to Ultra at 4K (60 to 52 average FPS) suggests the GPU is under memory pressure. The 10 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for the tested presets, but the Ultra preset at 4K is the only scenario where the average FPS falls below 60.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900KF?

A: The i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097, while the i9-14900KF scores 79371, a deltaPct of -0.3%. This means the two processors are effectively identical in performance, with the KF variant being marginally faster by less than one percent.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling across resolutions. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average FPS drops from 117 to 88 to 60, respectively. This represents a 24.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 31.8% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent with a GPU limited by its pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. At Low settings, the frame rates are higher but follow the same trend: 185 FPS at 1080p, 140 FPS at 1440p, and 94 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 49.2%, while at High settings it is 48.7%. This consistency indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all settings. The CPU's influence is negligible, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate scaling is almost perfectly linear with the number of pixels rendered. At 4K Ultra, the combo hits 52 average FPS, which is the lowest result in the entire dataset. This is a 46.2% drop from the 4K High result, showing that the Ultra preset imposes a significant additional load on the GPU. The data strongly suggests that the RTX 3080 is the limiting component, as the i9-14900K's performance headroom is not the reason for the frame rate drops at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results indicate that the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 117 average FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p High, the 88 average FPS is still excellent and provides a smooth experience. Even at 4K High, the 60 average FPS meets the standard for console-like smoothness. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, imposes a significant performance penalty: at 4K it drops to 52 average FPS, which is a 13.3% decrease from High. The Medium preset offers a middle ground, but the data shows it is only 12.5% slower than High at 1440p (99 vs 88 FPS) while likely providing a worse visual experience. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play or when targeting maximum frame rates, as it achieves 185 FPS at 1080p, but it sacrifices the game's atmospheric visuals. For most users, the High preset is the clear choice, as it provides a 46.7% improvement over Ultra at 4K (60 vs 52 FPS) while maintaining a high level of graphical fidelity. At 1440p, High is 14.3% faster than Ultra (88 vs 77 FPS), making it the optimal setting for this resolution. The data suggests that players with 1080p or 1440p monitors should stick with High or Ultra, while 4K users should avoid Ultra to maintain a playable frame rate.