Control

Control is an action-adventure game built on a modified version of the Northlight engine, known for its heavy use of physics, particle effects, and real-time ray tracing in specific scenes. The data for this combo, measured with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile, shows a performance profile that is strongly dictated by the GPU at higher resolutions, with the CPU having plenty of headroom to spare. This analysis breaks down how the system scales across settings and resolutions, what each component contributes, and where the bottleneck lies.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear, predictable pattern: as resolution increases, the average frame rate drops, but the magnitude of that drop tells you exactly where the performance limit is. At 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 140 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, that number falls to 106 FPS, a 24% reduction. At 4K Low, it drops further to 71 FPS, a 33% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling is typical of a GPU-bound scenario—the rendering load is expanding faster than the GPU can keep up, and the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The pattern becomes more pronounced when you look at the High settings preset. At 1080p High, the average is 88 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 67 FPS (a 24% drop), and at 4K High, it hits 45 FPS (a 33% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops—roughly 24-33% per resolution step—indicates that the RTX 4070 Mobile is the primary constraint. If the CPU were the bottleneck, you would expect the FPS to remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU work per frame stays similar, but the data shows the opposite.

What's telling is the gap between Low and High settings at each resolution. At 1080p, Low hits 140 FPS, but High only reaches 88 FPS, a 37% performance penalty for the higher visual fidelity. At 4K, Low is 71 FPS and High is 45 FPS, a similar 37% penalty. This suggests that the GPU is not just resolution-limited but also settings-limited; the additional shader complexity and post-processing effects in High settings are taxing the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, shows 77 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, confirming that the game's highest settings are designed to push the GPU to its limits.

The data indicates that for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, 1080p Low is the only setting that approaches the 140 FPS range, which is smooth on most high-refresh panels. However, for a balanced experience, 1440p High at 67 FPS is still playable, and 4K is only viable at Low settings (71 FPS) or Medium (51 FPS). The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear—the 4K resolution has four times the pixels of 1080p, but the FPS doesn't drop by four times, which points to the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capabilities being the limiting factor, not a sudden CPU stall.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is the undisputed driver of this game's performance. Its role is defined by its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In Control, which uses high-resolution textures and frequent asset streaming, this bandwidth is crucial. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 39, which is only 50% of the 1080p High score of 88. This is not a CPU limitation; it's the GPU struggling to fill the frame buffer and process the complex pixel shaders.

The GPU's clock speeds—a base of 1395 MHz and a boost of 1695 MHz—are modest for a mobile part, but the Ada Lovelace architecture's efficiency compensates. The 4608 shading units, combined with 144 texture mapping units and 48 ROPs, deliver a pixel rate of 81.36 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 244.1 GTexel/s. In practical terms, this means the GPU can handle the particle-heavy combat scenes in Control (which often feature debris and physics objects) without choking, but only up to a point. The 15.62 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the raw compute power that gets utilized when ray tracing is enabled, though the measured data here does not specify RT settings.

What stands out is the GPU's benchmark standing. In aggregate benchmarks, it scores 19587 in Passmark G3D, which places it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (average score 27425, delta 0%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (average score 27565, delta -0.5%). This indicates that the mobile RTX 4070 is performing on par with desktop-class parts from the previous generation, but in Control specifically, the 8 GB VRAM may be a limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where texture memory can exceed that capacity, causing stutters or lower average FPS.

The GPU's memory is non-upgradeable and fixed at 8 GB, which means that for a game like Control, the user must rely on texture quality settings that fit within that budget. The measured data shows that at 4K Medium, the average FPS is 51 with a minimum of 43 FPS, which suggests the game is using the VRAM efficiently at that setting. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 39 FPS, and while the minimum is not reported, the trend indicates that the GPU is hitting a memory bandwidth wall. The 128-bit bus is narrow compared to desktop parts, but the 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, which is where this combo excels.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this combo for a high refresh rate monitor?

A: The data shows that 1080p Low settings yields 140 FPS, which is the only measured configuration that approaches high refresh rates. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 99 FPS, and at High it is 88 FPS, so if you want to stay above 100 FPS, stick to 1080p Low or Medium.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 71, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it drops to 51 FPS, and at 4K High, it is 45 FPS. For a smoother experience, you would need to lower settings or resolution, as 4K Ultra only averages 39 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU, with 16 cores and 32 threads, has far more headroom than the game requires, as shown by the large FPS gains at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 Mobile compare to its nearest rivals in raw performance?

A: In aggregate benchmarks, the RTX 4070 Mobile (average score 27435) is virtually tied with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (average score 27425, delta 0%) and slightly behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (average score 27565, delta -0.5%). This means it offers desktop-class performance in a mobile form factor.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Control?

A: The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at most settings, as evidenced by the playable FPS numbers. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 39 suggests the GPU is struggling with memory bandwidth or capacity, but the game does not crash, indicating that 8 GB is the minimum for high resolutions.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings average 106 FPS, while Ultra settings average 58 FPS, a 45% reduction in performance. This shows that Ultra settings are significantly more demanding, and users should expect to lose nearly half their frame rate when maxing out visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Control, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile ranks 2008 out of 3720 tested combinations. This places it in the 46th percentile of all combos, meaning it performs better than a slight majority of systems but is not in the top tier. The rank is a composite score that takes into account all measured FPS data across resolutions and settings, so it reflects the overall capability of the combo.

This mid-pack ranking is expected given the mobile GPU's performance level. While the RTX 4070 Mobile is a strong part for laptops, it is outclassed by desktop flagship GPUs and even some higher-end mobile parts with more VRAM or higher clock speeds. The CPU, however, is a top-tier mobile processor—it sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 76212. This discrepancy highlights that the GPU is the limiting factor in this combo, dragging down the overall rank despite the CPU's excellent performance.

Comparing to other combos, the rank of 2008 suggests that there are 1712 combos that perform better in Control, likely featuring desktop GPUs or higher-end mobile parts like the RTX 4080 or 4090. Conversely, there are 1911 combos that perform worse, which includes systems with weaker GPUs or older CPUs. For a laptop user, this rank is respectable, meaning you can expect solid performance in Control, but you will not be at the top of the leaderboard for this game.

The combo's strengths lie in its CPU, which is overkill for most gaming scenarios, but the GPU's performance is what determines the final rank. This means that if you upgrade the GPU in a theoretical sense, the combo's rank would improve significantly, but as it stands, the 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus limit its ceiling in demanding titles like Control.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Dragon Range), built on TSMC's 5 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 64 MB L3 cache. In the context of Control, this CPU is massively overprovisioned. The game, which is a heavy GPU title, does not require 16 cores to run smoothly; it benefits from strong single-thread performance, which the 8945HX delivers with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030.

The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck in any resolution or setting. At 1080p Low, the system hits 140 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would stress many CPUs, but the 8945HX handles it without issue. The fact that the FPS drops as resolution increases, rather than staying flat, confirms that the CPU is not holding the GPU back. In fact, the CPU's single-thread performance is so strong that it can feed the GPU at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is highest.

In multi-threaded workloads, the CPU's 32 threads are a boon for other tasks, but in Control, they are underutilized. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and the Passmark multithread score of 51405 place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 95% of processors. This makes the 8945HX a future-proof choice for gaming, as it will not become a bottleneck for years, but in this specific game, its role is simply to provide stable frame pacing and avoid any CPU-related stutters.

The CPU's 5.40 GHz boost clock is particularly important for games like Control that rely on single-thread performance for physics calculations and game logic. The high clock speed ensures that the main thread is never starved, allowing the GPU to work at its full potential. The 64 MB L3 cache also helps with data locality, reducing latency when accessing game assets. Overall, the CPU's role is to stay out of the way, and the data confirms it does exactly that.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how the combo performs across all settings and resolutions. Below is the exact breakdown:

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 140 FPS average (no min/max reported)
• Medium: 99 FPS average, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS
• High: 88 FPS average (no min/max reported)
• Ultra: 77 FPS average (no min/max reported)

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 106 FPS average (no min/max reported)
• Medium: 75 FPS average, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS
• High: 67 FPS average (no min/max reported)
• Ultra: 58 FPS average (no min/max reported)

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 71 FPS average (no min/max reported)
• Medium: 51 FPS average, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS
• High: 45 FPS average (no min/max reported)
• Ultra: 39 FPS average (no min/max reported)

The Medium settings at each resolution are the only ones with reported minimum and maximum FPS values, which gives insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 84 FPS and maximum of 114 FPS indicate a variance of 30 FPS, which is noticeable but not jarring. At 1440p Medium, the range is 64 to 86 FPS, a variance of 22 FPS, showing tighter frame pacing. At 4K Medium, the range is 43 to 58 FPS, a variance of 15 FPS, which is the most consistent, likely because the GPU is more uniformly loaded at higher resolutions.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low is the only configuration that exceeds 100 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. 1440p Low at 106 FPS is also excellent, but 1440p Medium at 75 FPS is a good balance for most users. At 4K, only Low settings provide a playable experience above 60 FPS, with Medium at 51 FPS being the next best option. The Ultra preset at any resolution is the most demanding, with 4K Ultra dropping to 39 FPS, which is borderline playable but not ideal for fast-paced action sequences.

For users prioritizing a consistent experience, the Medium preset at 1440p offers a solid 75 FPS average with a minimum of 64 FPS, ensuring no major drops below 60 FPS. At 4K, the Medium preset's minimum of 43 FPS means there will be frame drops below 60 FPS, but the average of 51 FPS is still acceptable for a slower-paced game like Control. The High preset at 1440p (67 FPS) and 4K (45 FPS) shows that the GPU is being pushed, but the numbers remain playable for most gamers.