Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile delivers a mid-pack performance tier for Control, ranking 2056th out of 3720 tested combinations. This places the combo in the 55th percentile of all tested systems, indicating a capable but not top-tier configuration for this specific title. The measured data shows that the combo handles the game well at mainstream resolutions, though it struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2056 out of 3720 tested combos places this system in the upper-middle tier of the database. This position suggests that while the hardware is modern and competent, there are numerous other configurations that outperform it in Control. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU, where the RTX 5070 Mobile’s performance is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the Ryzen 9 8945HX provides ample headroom for lower-resolution workloads.

The CPU itself is a strong performer, with a 95th percentile ranking among all tested CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 76212 places it nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, which scores 76155 with a delta of only 0.1% in favor of the AMD part. The AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX both score slightly higher at 76492 and 76513 respectively, though the deltas are less than 0.5%, making these differences negligible in real-world gaming. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D trails by 0.6% with a score of 75779.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5070 Mobile holds a 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 29928 puts it right alongside the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (29945, delta -0.1%) and slightly ahead of the RTX 2080 Ti (29783, delta 0.5%). The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, a 0.6% edge, while the RX 6700 leads by 1.7% with 30433. These close margins indicate that the RTX 5070 Mobile offers performance comparable to previous-generation high-end desktop parts, but it does not dominate the field.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB206 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It contains 21,900 million transistors on a 181 mm² die, a density of 121.0M transistors per mm². The GPU features 4608 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output pipelines, along with 36 ray tracing cores and 144 tensor cores.

Clock speeds are modest for a mobile part: the base clock runs at 907 MHz and the boost clock reaches 1425 MHz. Memory operates at 1500 MHz with a 24 Gbps effective data rate. The 8 GB of GDDR7 memory sits on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for Control at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K the 8 GB capacity combined with the limited 128-bit bus becomes a bottleneck, as evidenced by the measured frame rates.

The GPU’s compute performance is rated at 13.13 TFLOPS for FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio), with a pixel rate of 68.40 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.2 GTexel/s. These specifications translate into solid rasterization performance, but the RTX 5070 Mobile’s 50 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate it is designed for thin-and-light gaming laptops rather than maximum performance. In Control, this means the GPU can handle medium to high settings at 1440p, but Ultra settings at 4K push it beyond its comfort zone.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p in Control?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 137 FPS on Low settings, 98 FPS on Medium (with min/max of 83/112), 87 FPS on High, and 75 FPS on Ultra. This shows the GPU can comfortably handle high refresh rates at this resolution.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings yield 74 FPS average (min 63, max 85), while High settings drop to 66 FPS average. This is a decrease of 8 FPS, or about 10.8%, when moving from Medium to High.

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 3840x2160, the combo achieves 70 FPS on Low, 50 FPS on Medium (min 42, max 57), 44 FPS on High, and 39 FPS on Ultra. Only Low settings exceed the 60 FPS threshold; Medium and above fall below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Mobile compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 29928 is 0.1% below the RTX 3070 Ti (29945), 0.5% above the RTX 2080 Ti (29783), 0.6% below the RX 6800 (30095), and 1.7% below the RX 6700 (30433). Performance is effectively on par with these previous-generation parts.

Q: What is the CPU’s single-core performance relative to its multi-core?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX scores 6030 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 42713 in multi-core, giving a multi-to-single ratio of about 7.1. This indicates strong scaling across its 16 cores and 32 threads.

Q: Does the combo’s ranking change significantly with different settings?

A: The combo rank of 2056 out of 3720 is an overall ranking. The measured data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 137 FPS, which would place it higher relative to systems tested at the same settings, but the rank is fixed across all settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers strong results. Low settings produce an average of 137 FPS, making this ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings drop to 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 and maximum of 112 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay with some headroom. High settings reduce the average to 87 FPS, still well above 60. Ultra settings bottom out at 75 FPS, which remains playable for most users. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 62 FPS drop, or about 45% reduction in frame rate.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down but remains respectable. Low settings hold at 104 FPS, allowing for high-refresh gameplay. Medium settings yield 74 FPS (min 63, max 85), which is close to the 60 FPS target. High settings drop to 66 FPS, still above 60 but with less margin. Ultra settings fall to 57 FPS, dipping slightly below the 60 FPS threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 47 FPS, a 45% reduction similar to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. Low settings produce 70 FPS, which is the only preset above 60 FPS. Medium settings drop to 50 FPS (min 42, max 57), High to 44 FPS, and Ultra to 39 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 31 FPS, a 44% reduction. The minimum frame rate of 42 FPS at Medium settings indicates occasional drops that could be noticeable in fast-paced action sequences.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals how the system scales under increasing resolution load. At Low settings, frame rates drop from 137 FPS at 1080p to 104 FPS at 1440p (a 24% reduction) and further to 70 FPS at 4K (a 49% reduction from 1080p). At High settings, the progression is 87 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p (a 24% drop), and 44 FPS at 4K (a 49% drop). This consistent scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases.

The data shows that moving from 1080p to 1440p costs about 24% of performance across all settings. Moving from 1440p to 4K costs an additional 33-35% of performance. This steep decline at 4K is typical of a GPU with 8 GB of VRAM and a 128-bit memory bus, as the increased pixel count demands more memory bandwidth than the RTX 5070 Mobile can provide.

The CPU’s role in this scaling is minimal. With 16 cores and 32 threads based on Zen 4 architecture, the Ryzen 9 8945HX provides more than enough processing power to keep up with the GPU at all resolutions. The CPU’s multi-core score of 42713 in Cinebench R23 indicates that it is not a limiting factor in Control, which is a GPU-bound title at higher resolutions. The consistent percentage drops across settings further confirm that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the CPU would show diminishing returns if it were the constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate preference.

For 1080p, all settings are playable, but Medium provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. The 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS ensures smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. High settings at 87 FPS are also viable for those seeking better visuals, while Ultra at 75 FPS remains above 60 FPS for most users. Low settings at 137 FPS are unnecessary unless chasing maximum refresh rates.

For 1440p, Medium settings are the recommended choice, delivering 74 FPS average with a minimum of 63 FPS. This keeps the experience above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining decent visual quality. High settings at 66 FPS are borderline, as the average is close to 60 but could drop below during intense scenes. Ultra at 57 FPS is not recommended for competitive play, but may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration.

For 4K, only Low settings achieve 60 FPS or higher, with an average of 70 FPS. Medium settings at 50 FPS (min 42) are playable for those who prioritize visuals over frame rate, but the dips below 45 FPS may cause noticeable stutter in action sequences. High and Ultra settings at 44 and 39 FPS respectively are not recommended for a smooth experience, as they fall well below the standard 60 FPS target.

The best overall experience is at 1440p with Medium settings, which provides a 74 FPS average while maintaining a minimum of 63 FPS. This configuration offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, making it the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range. It belongs to the 8000 series and is manufactured on TSMC’s 5 nm process, containing 13,140 million transistors across two 71 mm² dies. The CPU has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W.

Cache configuration includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a large 64 MB L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration, providing a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The CPU also features integrated Radeon 610M graphics, though this is unlikely to be used in gaming scenarios.

In Control, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain frame rates. The multi-core performance is strong, with Cinebench R23 scores of 42713 multi-core and 6030 single-core. PassMark scores show 51405 for multithread and 3907 for single thread, along with 2168 for physics and 195180 for integer math. These results indicate that the CPU has ample headroom for the game’s physics and AI computations, which are typically single-threaded or lightly threaded.

The nearest CPU rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX with an average score of 76155 (delta 0.1%), meaning the Ryzen 9 8945HX is essentially tied with it. The AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and Threadripper PRO 9945WX score slightly higher with deltas of -0.4%, while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D trails by 0.6%. These differences are within the noise of benchmark testing and do not translate into meaningful gaming performance differences for Control.

The CPU’s 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that it is a top-tier mobile processor. However, in Control, the data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions above 1080p. At 1080p Low, the CPU can still feed the GPU up to 137 FPS, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows faster than the CPU’s, making the RTX 5070 Mobile the primary constraint. This means that upgrading the CPU further would not yield significant frame rate improvements in this game, as the GPU is already saturated.