Control

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is a formidable combination for Control, placing in the 1071st position out of 3720 tested combos for this title. This top-third placement indicates a system that handles the game's demanding physics and visual effects with authority, though it is not without its limitations at the highest settings. The data shows a clear path to a smooth experience, with the combo delivering playable frame rates across nearly all tested configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1071 out of 3720 tested combinations puts it in the upper echelon of systems for Control. This percentile placement suggests that the vast majority of other tested hardware configurations will perform worse than this pairing. The CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, is a significant contributor here, sitting in the 96th percentile against all CPUs, which means it outperforms 96% of all processors in the database. Its average benchmark score of 93785 places it in a dead heat with the Intel Xeon 6520P, which scores 93786, and puts it just 1.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4564P and 1.9% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9175F. While the GPU, the RTX 3080, is less dominant in its own field at the 68th percentile, the combination of a top-tier CPU and a solidly performing GPU results in a system that is well-balanced for this action-adventure title, ensuring that neither component becomes a major bottleneck.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal a shift in system bottleneck as resolution and settings change. At 1920x1080, the CPU is the primary driver of performance, with the frame rate scaling dramatically with settings. The average FPS drops from 185 at Low settings to 117 at High and 101 at Ultra, a 45% reduction from Low to Ultra. This heavy scaling indicates the game is highly sensitive to CPU performance at this resolution, and the powerful Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is what allows the system to reach such high frame rates. The GPU has more headroom at this resolution, so the CPU's ability to feed it frames is the limiting factor.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the load begins to shift towards the GPU. The frame rate still scales with settings, from 140 FPS at Low to 88 FPS at High and 77 FPS at Ultra, but the percentage drop from Low to Ultra is 45%, similar to 1080p. However, the absolute frame rates are lower, indicating that the GPU is starting to work harder. At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 52, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold, while at High it is exactly 60 FPS. The scaling from Low (94 FPS) to Ultra (52 FPS) at 4K is a 45% reduction, but the overall performance ceiling is much lower, showing that the RTX 3080's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at this resolution. The CPU is powerful enough to keep up, but the GPU's raw rendering power is what determines the final frame rate at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the data, the performance of this combo is closely mirrored by a few specific hardware alternatives. For the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the Intel Xeon 6520P, AMD EPYC 4564P, AMD EPYC 9175F, and AMD EPYC 4565P. The Intel Xeon 6520P is virtually identical in performance, with a delta of 0%, while the AMD EPYC parts are only 1.5% to 2.1% slower. This means a system built around any of these server-class processors would likely produce very similar frame rates in Control, provided the GPU remains the same.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080's nearest rivals are a more eclectic group: the NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and AMD Radeon R9 M290X. These cards are all within 0.4% of the RTX 3080's average benchmark score, which is a negligible difference in real-world gaming. Swapping the RTX 3080 for any of these would result in nearly identical performance in Control, meaning the same settings and frame rates would be achievable. This data suggests that the exact model of the GPU is less critical than its general performance tier, as several very different cards land in the same performance bracket.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Control, and it does so exceptionally well at most settings. The verdict by resolution is clear. At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable at all four tested presets, with the Ultra preset averaging 101 FPS, well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, all presets are also playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 77 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience. The situation changes at 3840x2160, where the Ultra preset drops to an average of 52 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. However, the High preset at 4K averages exactly 60 FPS, making it the highest playable setting at that resolution. The Medium preset at 4K averages 67 FPS, while the Low preset averages 94 FPS, both of which are also playable. In summary, this combo delivers a smooth 60+ FPS experience at 1080p and 1440p on the highest settings, and at 4K it is best limited to High settings for a locked 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest graphical preset I can use at 2560x1440 and stay above 60 FPS?

A: You can use the Ultra preset at 2560x1440, which yields an average of 77 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Can this system handle Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but not on the Ultra preset. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 60 FPS, the Medium preset averages 67 FPS, and the Low preset averages 94 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 52 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1920x1080?

A: The CPU is the primary performance driver at 1920x1080. The frame rate scales heavily with settings, dropping from 185 FPS at Low to 101 FPS at Ultra, indicating that the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus's processing power is what allows the high frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its closest performance rivals?

A: The RTX 3080's average benchmark score is within 0.4% of the NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and AMD Radeon R9 M290X, meaning these cards would offer nearly identical performance in Control.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is 84 FPS, with an average of 99 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and its closest rival, the Intel Xeon 6520P?

A: The Intel Xeon 6520P has an average benchmark score of 93786, which is a 0% delta from the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus's score of 93785, making their performance effectively identical.

Best Settings per Resolution

At each resolution, the goal is to find the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS. The data shows the following optimal settings:

• 1920x1080: The Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 101 FPS. This provides the highest visual fidelity while still being far above the 60 FPS playable threshold.
• 2560x1440: The Ultra preset is also optimal here, with an average of 77 FPS. This ensures a smooth and visually rich experience at a higher resolution.
• 3840x2160: The High preset is the most demanding option that remains playable, with an average of exactly 60 FPS. While the Medium preset offers a higher average of 67 FPS, High provides better visual quality at the cost of some headroom, sitting precisely at the playable threshold.