Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a strong performance profile for Control, with measured frame rates that scale predictably across resolutions and presets. The data shows that this combination is capable of exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold in most scenarios, with the only exception being the Ultra preset at 4K, where the average frame rate drops to 52 FPS. Across all other tested configurations, the system maintains an average of at least 60 FPS, with the highest headroom observed at 1080p where even the most demanding preset averages 101 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest performance ceiling. The Low preset averages 185 FPS, while the Medium preset delivers 131 FPS with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS. The High preset averages 117 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a robust 101 FPS average. This resolution shows the least variance between presets, with the gap from Low to Ultra being 84 FPS, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom even when all graphical features are enabled.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold across all settings. The Low preset averages 140 FPS, dropping to 99 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. The High preset averages 88 FPS, while the Ultra preset maintains an average of 77 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction of roughly 25-30% across presets, which is expected given the increased pixel count, but the system retains enough performance to keep Ultra playable.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope narrows considerably. The Low preset averages 94 FPS, while Medium averages 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. The High preset averages exactly 60 FPS, which is the playability threshold, and the Ultra preset falls below that threshold with an average of 52 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming is viable but requires careful preset selection, as the difference between High and Ultra represents a 15% performance drop that pushes the system out of the playable range.

The minimum and maximum frame rate data is only available for the Medium preset at each resolution, which provides some insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the range from 111 to 151 FPS shows a 40 FPS spread, while at 1440p the range tightens to 84-114 FPS, a 30 FPS spread. At 4K, the range narrows further to 57-77 FPS, a 20 FPS spread, suggesting that as resolution increases, the frame rate becomes more consistent relative to the average.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with High settings is exactly 60 FPS, which meets the playability threshold. The system can handle this configuration, but there is no headroom above the target.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 77 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 101 FPS. This is well above the playability threshold and provides a smooth experience with maximum graphical fidelity.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 4K?

A: No, the average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The system would need to reduce settings to High or lower to achieve playable performance at this resolution.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High at 4K?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 67 FPS, while the High preset averages 60 FPS. This represents a 7 FPS difference, with Medium providing slightly more headroom above the threshold.

Q: Does the system maintain above 60 FPS at 1440p with all settings?

A: Yes, all four presets at 2560x1440 average above 60 FPS. The lowest average is on Ultra at 77 FPS, which still provides a comfortable margin above the threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals the relative contribution of the CPU and GPU in this combination. At 1080p, the system achieves very high frame rates across all presets, with the Low preset reaching 185 FPS. This high ceiling suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, with its 14 cores and 14 threads and boost clock of 5.00 GHz, is not a limiting factor at this resolution, as the GPU is able to render frames quickly without being bottlenecked by the processor.

As resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the frame rates drop proportionally, which is characteristic of GPU-bound workloads. The transition from 1080p Low to 1440p Low shows a reduction from 185 FPS to 140 FPS, a 24% decrease, while the transition from 1440p Low to 4K Low shows a further reduction from 140 FPS to 94 FPS, a 33% decrease. This progressive decline indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 becomes the primary performance determinant at higher resolutions, as the pixel fill rate demands more from the GPU's 8704 shading units.

The preset scaling also highlights the GPU's role. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 84 FPS, while at 4K that difference shrinks to 42 FPS (from 94 to 52). This compression of frame rates at higher resolutions is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where the absolute overhead from additional graphical features becomes a smaller fraction of the total render time. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide sufficient bandwidth to feed the GPU at all tested settings, as evidenced by the consistent frame delivery at 1080p where CPU overhead is most likely to surface.

The Verdict

This system can run Control across all tested resolutions, but the playable settings vary by resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 101 FPS, which is a strong result for maximum quality. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 77 FPS, providing a solid balance of visual fidelity and performance.

At 3840x2160, the system maintains playability on Low, Medium, and High presets. The High preset averages exactly 60 FPS, which meets the threshold but leaves no margin for frame dips. The Medium preset provides a safer experience with an average of 67 FPS and a minimum of 57 FPS, indicating that even under heavy load, the system stays close to the target. The Ultra preset at 4K is not playable, as the average of 52 FPS falls below the threshold. Overall, the data shows that this combination is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming with maximum settings, and can handle 4K with adjusted settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which averages exactly 60 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that meets the playability threshold, though it provides no headroom. Users seeking a more comfortable margin could opt for Medium, which averages 67 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, averaging 77 FPS. This provides the full graphical experience while maintaining a 17 FPS margin above the threshold, making it a safe and visually impressive configuration.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 101 FPS, making it the most demanding setting that clears the threshold by a wide margin. This resolution offers the best combination of maximum quality and high performance, with no need to compromise on any settings. For all resolutions, the Low preset remains available as a fallback, but the data shows that the system can handle higher settings without issue in most cases.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1071 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 29% of all configurations in the database. This rank reflects the system's ability to handle the game well across most resolutions, with the only shortfall being 4K Ultra. The rank is influenced by the GPU's 68th percentile among all GPUs and the CPU's 89th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card in this pairing.

The rank of 1071 out of 3720 suggests that this is a capable setup for Control, but not at the very top tier. The system's performance is limited primarily by the GPU at 4K, while at lower resolutions the CPU's strength allows the GPU to reach its full potential. This places the combination in a solid mid-to-upper tier position, capable of delivering a good experience for most players.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 has an average benchmark score of 46030, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 235's score of 46062. This indicates that the two processors would perform nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. Similarly, the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, just 0.1% higher, and the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45970, 0.2% lower. These small deltas suggest that swapping the CPU for any of these alternatives would result in negligible changes to Control's frame rates.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show even smaller performance differences. The NVIDIA P106-100 has an average score of 23249, which is 0.3% lower than the RTX 3080's 23172, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, also 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, 0.4% higher, and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276, 0.4% higher. These variations are within the margin of error for synthetic benchmarks, meaning that any of these GPUs would produce virtually identical frame rates in Control. This information is useful for understanding that the performance profile of this system is not unique, and similar results could be achieved with a range of alternative hardware combinations.