Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a mixed bag of results in Control, with clear 60 FPS capability at 1080p but a steep drop-off as resolution climbs. The data shows a system that can handle the game at mainstream settings, yet struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo performs admirably. The Low preset delivers an average of 101 FPS, providing a significant headroom above the 60 FPS playable threshold. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 71 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, indicating that even the lowest recorded frames stay playable. The High preset still clears the bar with an average of 63 FPS, though this sits much closer to the threshold. The Ultra preset, however, falls short with an average of 55 FPS, meaning the most demanding settings at 1080p are not viable for consistent 60 FPS gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the situation tightens considerably. The Low preset is the only option that remains playable, producing an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset drops to a 54 FPS average, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, showing that frame times become inconsistent and often dip below the playable threshold. High settings yield a 48 FPS average, and Ultra drops further to 42 FPS. None of these three higher presets can maintain a steady 60 FPS at this resolution.

The 3840x2160 results are the most demanding, with no preset achieving playable frame rates. Low settings produce a 51 FPS average, which is close but still below the threshold. Medium drops to a 36 FPS average, with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 42 FPS. High settings yield only 32 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K resolution is out of reach for this hardware combination in Control, regardless of settings.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: the Arc B570's performance scales predictably with resolution and preset, but the gap between Low and Ultra presets widens significantly at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 46 FPS, while at 1440p it narrows to 34 FPS, and at 4K it shrinks to 23 FPS, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific CPU-GPU pairing at rank 2995 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control. This puts the combo in the bottom 20 percent of all tested systems, which aligns with the measured frame rates showing limited playability at higher resolutions. The rank reflects that while the system can run the game at 1080p with several presets, it lags behind a large majority of other configurations in the database.

The CPU itself, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, sits at the 85th percentile among all tested CPUs, indicating strong processor performance relative to the broader market. Its average benchmark score of 36938 places it in the upper tier of desktop processors. The GPU, the Intel Arc B570, is less dominant, ranking at the 65th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 20556. The combination of a high-tier CPU with a mid-tier GPU explains why the system's in-game ranking is lower than the CPU's percentile would suggest — the graphics card becomes the bottleneck in demanding scenarios.

The data indicates that the CPU has ample headroom for this game, as evidenced by its strong synthetic benchmark scores, but the GPU's performance ceiling prevents the system from achieving higher in-game ranks. This is a classic CPU-bound-at-low-settings, GPU-bound-at-high-settings scenario, where the processor can feed frames quickly but the graphics card cannot render them fast enough at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 1080p with High settings?

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 63 FPS at 1920x1080 with the High preset, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. However, there is minimal headroom, so frame rates may occasionally dip close to the threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gameplay?

A: The Low preset is the only playable option at 2560x1440, producing an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 54 FPS average with a 46 FPS minimum, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: No, the verdictByResolution data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The best result is 51 FPS average on Low settings, which still falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (0.1 percent ahead), and the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (0.1 percent behind). The AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20662, which is 0.5 percent higher.

Q: What is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080, with an average of 63 FPS, is the most demanding playable option. The Ultra preset drops to 55 FPS average and is not playable.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor. The Core Ultra 5 225 ranks at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals show negligible performance differences. The GPU's lower percentile rank and the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions point to the Arc B570 as the bottleneck.

The Verdict

The data provides a clear verdict based on the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, this system can run Control, with three presets clearing the bar: High at 63 FPS, Medium at 71 FPS, and Low at 101 FPS. The Ultra preset, at 55 FPS, is the only one that fails at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the system is only marginally playable. The Low preset achieves 76 FPS, but every other preset falls short. Medium averages 54 FPS, High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. For 1440p gaming, users must accept significant visual compromises to stay above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is unambiguous: this combination cannot run Control at playable frame rates. The best case is Low settings at 51 FPS average, which is still below the threshold. All other presets produce averages in the 28-36 FPS range, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay.

The takeaway is that this is a 1080p-oriented gaming system for Control. It handles the game well at mainstream settings, struggles at 1440p with only the lowest preset viable, and fails entirely at 4K.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS or higher is High, with an average of 63 FPS. This provides a good balance of visual quality and performance, though the margin above the threshold is slim. The Medium preset offers more safety at 71 FPS, and Low provides the highest frame rates at 101 FPS for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

At 2560x1440, the only playable option is Low, which delivers an average of 76 FPS. This is the best settings choice for 1440p, as the next step up to Medium falls below the threshold with a 54 FPS average. The performance cliff between Low and Medium at this resolution is steep, making Low the clear recommendation.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset, so no best settings can be recommended. The closest option is Low at 51 FPS average, but this still fails to meet the 60 FPS threshold. For users attempting 4K, the data suggests either lowering the resolution or accepting sub-60 FPS performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals show that the Core Ultra 5 225 sits in a tight performance cluster. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has an average score of 36945, which is effectively identical with a 0 percent delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018, just 0.2 percent higher, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093, 0.4 percent higher. The Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112, 0.5 percent higher. Any of these processors would deliver nearly identical performance in Control, meaning the choice between them would not materially change the frame rates.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B570's nearest rivals are a varied group. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20534, just 0.1 percent lower, making it a near-perfect match in performance. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, 0.1 percent higher, which is also functionally equivalent. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480, 0.4 percent lower, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20662, 0.5 percent higher. These deltas are all within half a percent, so swapping the Arc B570 for any of these alternatives would yield nearly identical in-game performance. The data suggests that the Arc B570 performs at the level of a mid-range laptop GPU from the RTX 30 series era, with desktop equivalents from both Intel and AMD occupying the same performance tier.