Control

Can Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 run Control? The measured data says yes, with authority. Across all three tested resolutions, this combination delivers playable frame rates even at the most demanding preset. The benchmark results show a system that is not merely capable but has significant headroom, with the RTX 4080's raw compute power and the Core Ultra 5 225's solid single-thread performance combine to produce high average FPS figures. The data reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling that makes this pairing a strong candidate for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and smooth 4K experiences.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 4K (3840x2160), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average frame rate of 69 FPS. This is noteworthy because Ultra settings at 4K typically stress even the most powerful GPUs, yet this combo maintains a comfortable margin above the playable threshold. The High preset at this resolution averages 79 FPS, while Medium hits 89 FPS, but Ultra remains the optimal choice for visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

Moving to 1440p (2560x1440), the best settings remain Ultra, and the average FPS jumps significantly to 102 FPS. This is a substantial improvement over the 4K result, showing how resolution scaling affects the GPU load. At this resolution, the system has enough headroom to push maximum settings while staying well above 60 FPS, making it an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 1080p (1920x1080), the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 135 FPS. This is nearly double the 4K Ultra result and indicates that the RTX 4080 is not the limiting factor at this resolution. The data suggests that even at the lowest tested settings (Low), the system reaches 246 FPS, which is over four times the playable threshold, offering extreme headroom for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Control. At 4K, the GPU dominates the workload, as evidenced by the FPS scaling across presets: Ultra averages 69 FPS, High 79 FPS, and Medium 89 FPS. The 29% drop from Medium to Ultra at 4K indicates that the RTX 4080 is doing the heavy lifting, with the Core Ultra 5 225 providing sufficient frame pacing without becoming a bottleneck.

At 1440p, the scaling pattern shifts. The difference between Medium (132 FPS) and Ultra (102 FPS) is about 30%, but the jump from High (118 FPS) to Ultra (102 FPS) is smaller, suggesting that the CPU begins to play a more significant role as the GPU load decreases. The Core Ultra 5 225's single-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, helps maintain high frame rates even when the GPU is not maxed out.

At 1080p, the CPU becomes the primary limiting factor. The gap between High (156 FPS) and Ultra (135 FPS) is only about 16%, while the gap between Medium (175 FPS) and High is even smaller. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the RTX 4080 has spare capacity, but the Core Ultra 5 225's 10 cores and 10 threads cannot feed it fast enough to reach the GPU's full potential. The data implies that for maximum FPS at 1080p, a CPU with higher multi-threaded performance would be needed, though the 135 FPS Ultra result remains excellent.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: Average 69 FPS — the only preset with measured min/max data missing, but the average is solidly above the playable threshold.
• High: Average 79 FPS — a 14% improvement over Ultra, suggesting that shadows and reflections have a moderate impact at this resolution.
• Medium: Average 89 FPS with min 76 FPS and max 103 FPS — the min frame rate is well above 60 FPS, indicating smooth performance even in demanding scenes.
• Low: Average 126 FPS — nearly double the Ultra result, showing that the RTX 4080 has enormous headroom when visual effects are reduced.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: Average 102 FPS — a 48% improvement over the 4K Ultra result, highlighting the resolution's lighter load.
• High: Average 118 FPS — this is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors, as it stays above 100 FPS consistently.
• Medium: Average 132 FPS with min 113 FPS and max 152 FPS — the min frame rate is still well above 60 FPS, ensuring no noticeable stutters.
• Low: Average 186 FPS — this is approaching esports-level performance, suitable for fast-paced action.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: Average 135 FPS — the highest Ultra result across all resolutions, confirming that this combo is not GPU-bound at 1080p.
• High: Average 156 FPS — a 16% improvement over Ultra, making High a strong choice for maximum smoothness.
• Medium: Average 175 FPS with min 149 FPS and max 201 FPS — the max frame rate exceeds 200 FPS, showing excellent burst performance.
• Low: Average 246 FPS — this is the fastest measured configuration, more than four times the playable threshold.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 69 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 4K textures.

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 102 FPS, which is ideal for 100Hz+ monitors. The High preset at 118 FPS is even better for 120Hz displays, while 1080p Ultra at 135 FPS suits 144Hz screens.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at different resolutions?

A: At 1080p, the Core Ultra 5 225 becomes the limiting factor, as the GPU has spare capacity (Low preset reaches 246 FPS). At 4K, the GPU dominates, and the CPU's single-thread score of 3655 in Cinebench R23 is sufficient to avoid bottlenecks.

Q: Is there a significant difference between Medium and Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but the impact varies by resolution. At 4K, Ultra is 22% slower than Medium (69 vs 89 FPS). At 1440p, the gap is 23% (102 vs 132 FPS), and at 1080p it is 23% (135 vs 175 FPS). The trade-off is consistent across resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded?

A: The lowest min FPS in the data is 76 FPS at 4K Medium. Since the playable threshold is 60 FPS, even the most demanding scenes in this test remain smooth.

Q: Does this combo rank well among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 241st out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 7% of all systems tested. This reflects its strong overall performance.

The Verdict

The verdict is unambiguous: this PC can run Control exceptionally well. The verdictByResolution data shows that at every resolution — 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080 — all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, meaning they all exceed the 60 FPS threshold. The best settings at each resolution are Ultra, with average FPS of 69 at 4K, 102 at 1440p, and 135 at 1080p.

The 4K Ultra result of 69 FPS is particularly impressive, as it demonstrates that the RTX 4080 can handle maximum visual fidelity at the highest resolution without dipping below the playable threshold. The 1440p and 1080p results offer even more headroom, making this system suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming. The data suggests that users can confidently enable the highest preset at any resolution and expect a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 241st out of 3720 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the 94th percentile of all systems benchmarked. This is a strong result, indicating that the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing is well above average for this game. The CPU's percentile of 85 (among all CPUs) and the GPU's percentile of 86 (among all GPUs) both contribute to this high ranking, with no obvious weak link in the chain.

The ranking also suggests that there are only 240 combinations in the database that perform better in Control, which likely include more powerful GPUs (like the RTX 4090) or CPUs with higher multi-core performance. For a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU, this result is excellent and indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 does not hold back the RTX 4080 in this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearestRivals data for the CPU and GPU provides useful context for users considering alternative hardware. For the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, the closest performance match is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, with an average benchmark score of 36945 versus the Core Ultra 5's 36938 — a negligible difference of 0%. This means users could expect nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Control.

Other CPU alternatives include the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (score 37018, 0.2% faster) and the Intel Core i9-12900T (score 37112, 0.5% faster). These differences are within noise margins, so any of these CPUs would deliver similar frame rates in the game.

For the GPU, the RTX 4080's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which scores 54209 versus the RTX 4080's 54247 — a 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (score 54828) is 1.1% slower, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (score 55698) is 2.6% slower. These alternatives would provide comparable frame rates in Control, with the RTX 4080 SUPER being the most direct substitute.