Control

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a wide range of performance in Control, scaling from comfortably playable at 4K to exceptionally fast at 1080p. The data shows a system that is consistently above the 60 FPS threshold across most settings, with only the most demanding preset at the highest resolution falling short.

Best Settings per Resolution

For a smooth gaming experience, the target is the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS. The benchmark results provide a clear picture of what this combination can handle.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that clears the 60 FPS bar is Medium, with an average of 67.3 FPS. While High settings are close, they dip to 57.7 FPS, just below the playable threshold. Low settings are also an option at 94.8 FPS, but Medium offers a superior visual experience while maintaining the required performance.

Moving down to 2560x1440 (1440p), the system has ample headroom. The data indicates that Ultra settings are the best choice, achieving an average of 75.9 FPS. This is a significant jump from the 4K result, showing that the resolution reduction allows for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing frame rate.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the CPU and GPU combination is not the bottleneck. The most demanding preset, Ultra, runs at an average of 101 FPS. This provides a highly responsive experience and confirms that the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearestRivals data places this specific hardware configuration in context with other potential builds, based on average benchmark scores.

For the CPU (Intel Core Ultra 7 265K), the closest performance match is the Intel Xeon 6511P, which has a negligible 0.2% lower average score. Other nearby alternatives include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (0.7% slower) and the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which is 1% faster. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is also a close competitor, with a score 1.3% higher. In practical terms, a system built with any of these processors would likely deliver very similar frame rates in Control, assuming the same GPU is used.

For the GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080), the comparison is more nuanced. The nearest rival is the NVIDIA P106-100, which has a score 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 and AMD Radeon RX 6600M are also within a 0.3-0.4% margin of the RTX 3080's average score. Interestingly, the AMD Radeon R9 M290X is listed as a close rival with a 0.4% lower score. These results suggest that while the RTX 3080 is a capable card, there are several other GPUs that would produce nearly identical performance metrics in this benchmark suite, though their specific features and driver support may vary in a real gaming scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data offers a detailed look at how the system scales across different resolutions and presets.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: 50.7 FPS average. This is the only preset at this resolution that falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.
• High: 57.7 FPS average. A slight improvement over Ultra, but still below the target.
• Medium: 67.3 FPS average. This preset marks the entry point for a playable experience at 4K.
• Low: 94.8 FPS average. The jump from Medium to Low is substantial, providing a significant performance boost.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: 75.9 FPS average. This is a strong result, indicating that the system handles max settings well at this resolution.
• High: 89.2 FPS average. A noticeable step up from Ultra, providing more headroom for demanding scenes.
• Medium: 100 FPS average. This is a key milestone, crossing the 100 FPS mark.
• Low: 137.5 FPS average. The highest performance tier here, ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: 101 FPS average. The system maintains over 100 FPS even at the highest settings.
• High: 117.7 FPS average. A clear improvement over Ultra, showing the scaling is still efficient.
• Medium: 131.6 FPS average. Performance continues to climb as settings are lowered.
• Low: 184.7 FPS average. This is the peak performance of the entire dataset, showing the system's raw capability.

The Verdict

Based on the verdictByResolution data, this PC can definitely run Control with a playable experience in most scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the system is only partially playable. The Low and Medium presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the best playable setting being Medium at 67.3 FPS. The High and Ultra presets do not meet the playable standard, with averages of 57.7 FPS and 50.7 FPS respectively. For users prioritizing visual quality at 4K, a compromise on settings is necessary.

The picture is much better at 2560x1440. All four presets, from Low to Ultra, are playable. The best settings are Ultra, which runs at 75.9 FPS. This makes 1440p the recommended resolution for a high-quality, high-performance experience.

At 1920x1080, every preset is not only playable but runs exceptionally well. The most demanding preset, Ultra, achieves an average of 101 FPS. This configuration is more than sufficient for a fluid experience at this resolution, making it the best choice for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals how the workload is distributed between the CPU and GPU in Control.

The data shows that the GPU is the primary performance driver at higher resolutions. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 101 to 75.9, a 25.1 FPS decrease. The drop is even more pronounced when moving to 3840x2160, where the Ultra preset averages only 50.7 FPS. This trend of declining performance with increasing resolution is a classic sign of GPU-bound scenarios, as the rendering demands on the graphics card grow exponentially with pixel count.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the scaling between presets at a fixed resolution. The performance delta between Low and Ultra settings is substantial at all resolutions, indicating that the game's visual effects and geometry processing are demanding. However, the Core Ultra 7 265K, with its high multi-threaded performance, appears to keep up with the RTX 3080's demands. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1920x1080 is 83.7 FPS, while at 3840x2160 it narrows to 44.1 FPS. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that as the GPU becomes more saturated, the frame rate is limited more by pixel throughput than by the CPU's ability to feed the renderer. The system's strong performance at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 180 FPS on Low settings, indicates the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame field places this specific pairing at rank 1102 out of 3720 tested combinations. This position in the upper third of all tested combos indicates that it is a strong performer for Control.

This ranking is a holistic metric that considers both the CPU and GPU in tandem. A rank of 1102 suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and RTX 3080 combination outperforms the majority of other possible pairings in the database for this specific game. It is a solid mid-to-high-tier configuration, though the presence of over 2600 other combos above it indicates that more powerful pairings exist that would yield even higher frame rates. The system's percentileVsAllCpus score of 94 for the CPU and percentileVsAllGpus score of 68 for the GPU further contextualize this, showing that the processor is a top-tier component while the graphics card is a respectable, though not top-tier, performer.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, it can. The data shows that at 3840x2160, the Medium preset achieves an average of 67.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Low preset is also playable at 94.8 FPS. However, the High (57.7 FPS) and Ultra (50.7 FPS) presets are not playable by this standard.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice. It is the most demanding settings configuration and still maintains a solid average of 75.9 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target.

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

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the system averages 101 FPS. This ensures a very smooth and responsive experience, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 184.7, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU more important for this game at 4K?

A: The performance data indicates the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at 4K. As resolution increases, the average FPS drops significantly across all presets, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU's influence is less pronounced at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this specific hardware combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 holds a rank of 1102 out of 3720 tested combos in the database for Control. This places it in the upper third of all configurations tested.