Control

This PC combination of an Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a robust experience in Control, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and presets. The data shows a system that comfortably handles 1080p and 1440p gaming at maximum settings, while 4K requires a modest step down from the Ultra preset to maintain smooth frame rates. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and optimal settings based exclusively on the benchmark data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally strong, with the Low preset delivering an average of 185 FPS. Moving to Medium increases visual quality while still maintaining a high average of 131 FPS, with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. The High preset averages 117 FPS, and even the most demanding Ultra preset holds an average of 101 FPS, ensuring all settings at 1080p are far above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance remains highly playable across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 140 FPS, while Medium averages 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. High settings average 88 FPS, and the Ultra preset still delivers a solid 77 FPS average. This resolution shows the RTX 3080's strength, as even the heaviest preset clears the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin.

The 3840x2160 results reveal the system's limits. At this resolution, Low settings average 94 FPS, and Medium averages 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS, showing some frame dips below the 60 FPS line. High settings average exactly 60 FPS, which is playable but leaves no headroom. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 52 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold. The lack of min/max data for several presets at this resolution suggests that the High and Ultra settings may exhibit more variable frame times, whereas Medium shows a 20 FPS spread between minimum and maximum.

Across all resolutions, the scaling from Low to Ultra follows a consistent pattern: the average FPS drops by roughly 40-45% when moving from the lowest to the highest preset. The gap between Medium and High is smaller than between High and Ultra, indicating that the Ultra preset places a disproportionately heavy load on the GPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 depending on resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more significant role, as evidenced by the high frame rates at Low settings (185 FPS) where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The Core Ultra 5 245, with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924, provides ample single-thread performance to feed the RTX 3080 at lower resolutions. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4394 and its 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs further support its capability in this role.

As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. At 2560x1440, the frame rates across presets (77-140 FPS) indicate that the RTX 3080 is still the primary driver, but the CPU is less stressed. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, with the Ultra preset dropping to 52 FPS. The RTX 3080's PassMark G3D score of 25086 and its 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs show that while it is a capable card, it is not top-tier for 4K Ultra gaming in this title.

The scaling pattern between resolutions reinforces this analysis. At High settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces average FPS from 117 to 88 (a 25% drop), and from 1440p to 4K reduces it from 88 to 60 (a 32% drop). This progressive decline indicates that the RTX 3080's compute resources, including its 8704 shading units and 68 RT cores, are increasingly taxed at higher pixel counts. The CPU's influence becomes negligible at 4K, where even a faster processor would not meaningfully improve frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 101 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The system clears this requirement with a 41 FPS margin.

Q: What is the best preset for 2560x1440 gaming?

A: The Ultra preset is fully playable at 1440p, averaging 77 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and it stays above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for this resolution.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages exactly 60 FPS, which is playable. The Medium preset averages 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS, providing slightly more headroom. The Ultra preset at 52 FPS is not playable.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rivals in raw performance?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, 0.3% faster), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23250, 0.3% faster), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23273, 0.4% faster). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance at any resolution?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the CPU is more influential, as the 185 FPS average exceeds what the GPU can typically sustain at higher presets. However, at 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, and the CPU's performance is sufficient across all tested settings.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the data shows consistent frame times. At 1080p, the range is 111-151 FPS (a 40 FPS spread), at 1440p it is 84-114 FPS (a 30 FPS spread), and at 4K it is 57-77 FPS (a 20 FPS spread). The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests more consistent GPU utilization.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995. Its nearest rivals, based on average score and delta percentage, include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, 0.4% faster), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, 0.5% faster), the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, 0.6% slower), and the Intel Core i5-14600K (48618, 0.8% slower). These processors would deliver nearly identical performance in Control, with differences well within the margin of error. The Core i5-14600K, being the closest in the consumer desktop segment, would be the most direct alternative for gaming builds.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, 0.3% faster), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23250, 0.3% faster), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23273, 0.4% faster), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X (23276, 0.4% faster). These alternatives would produce nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Control, though the RX 6600M and R9 M290X are mobile or older parts that may not offer the same feature set. The P106-100 is a mining-oriented card, so users should focus on the RTX 3080's own capabilities rather than these close-score rivals.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra, which averages 101 FPS. This is the most demanding preset and it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a high-quality experience without any compromise.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is also Ultra, with an average of 77 FPS. This preset maintains smooth gameplay while delivering the maximum visual fidelity the game offers, with a 17 FPS margin above the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the best setting is High, which averages exactly 60 FPS. While this meets the playable threshold, it leaves no headroom for demanding scenes. For a more comfortable experience, Medium averages 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS, but High represents the highest quality preset that stays at or above 60 FPS on average.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control successfully at all three tested resolutions, but with different quality ceilings. At 1920x1080, every preset including Ultra clears the 60 FPS threshold, with the Ultra preset averaging 101 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 77 FPS. At 3840x2160, the High, Low, and Medium presets are playable, with High averaging exactly 60 FPS and Medium averaging 67 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K falls short at 52 FPS. The system's overall rank of 1071 out of 3720 combinations places it in the upper third of tested hardware pairings for this game. For users prioritizing maximum visual quality, 1440p Ultra is the sweet spot, while 4K users should stick to High or Medium settings to maintain smooth frame rates.