Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H paired with the AMD Radeon 8050S delivers a playable, though not exemplary, experience in Control, with the data clearly indicating that the integrated GPU is the primary constraint across all tested resolutions. The combination ranks in the 26th percentile of all tested configurations for this title, a position that reflects the significant graphical demands of the game and the mobile-focused nature of this hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, underscoring the GPU-bound nature of Control at these settings. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 73 FPS at 1920x1080 to 55 FPS at 2560x1440, a 24.7% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields 37 FPS, which is a 32.7% drop from the 1440p result and a 49.3% decline from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is typical for a graphically intensive title where pixel throughput becomes the dominant limiting factor.

The trend is even more pronounced at the lower settings tiers, which reveals that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this scenario. At Low settings, the frame rate scales from 116 FPS at 1080p to 87 FPS at 1440p and finally to 59 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is 49.1% lower than the 1080p Low result. This is a steeper relative decline than the High settings tier, which suggests that at lower graphical presets, the workload shifts even more heavily onto the GPU's shading and rasterization capabilities, with the CPU having more headroom to feed frames. The consistent drop across all preset levels indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is capable of supplying the necessary draw calls, and the AMD Radeon 8050S is the component that determines the final frame rate.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the only resolution where this combo can consistently deliver high-refresh-rate experiences on Low settings. The 1440p results are playable at Medium and High, but the 4K results are only marginal at Low settings, with the Ultra preset at 4K being the only configuration that falls below 33 FPS, hitting an average of 32 FPS. The performance cliff between 1440p and 4K is particularly severe, with an average loss of 22 FPS across all settings, highlighting that the 8050S, with its system-shared memory, is not designed for 4K gaming in this title.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this hardware?*

A: The data suggests that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. It is the only resolution where the average frame rate exceeds 60 FPS on multiple presets, with Low hitting 116 FPS and High reaching 73 FPS. This allows for a smooth experience without compromising visual fidelity as much as the lower settings.

*Q: Is the AMD Radeon 8050S powerful enough for 4K gaming in Control?*

A: No, the benchmark results indicate that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this title. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate achieved was 59 FPS on Low settings. The High preset only manages 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for a comfortable gaming experience.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is essentially tied with its closest competitors. Its average benchmark score is 27,507, which is only 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and 0.3% lower than both the Intel Core i5-12600K and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X. The data shows it is 0.5% faster than the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G.

Q: How does the GPU performance compare to other AMD Radeon cards?

A: The AMD Radeon 8050S sits in a competitive mid-range position. It is 0.3% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M but trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 by 2.5% and the AMD Radeon RX 7600M by 2.6%. Its performance is very close to these cards, with all deltas within a 3% margin.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset is the most balanced option at 1440p, delivering an average of 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS. The High preset is also playable at 55 FPS, but the Ultra preset drops to 48 FPS, which may be less desirable for a game that benefits from high frame rates.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between Medium and Ultra settings?

A: The performance cost of Ultra settings is substantial. At 1080p, the average frame rate drops from 82 FPS on Medium to 63 FPS on Ultra, a 23.2% reduction. At 1440p, it drops from 62 FPS to 48 FPS, a 22.6% reduction, and at 4K, it falls from 42 FPS to 32 FPS, a 23.8% reduction.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8050S is the definitive performance limiter for this combination in Control. The GPU, based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, operates with a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2800 MHz. It features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning the GPU does not have its own dedicated video memory pool and instead relies on the system's main memory, with bandwidth that is system-dependent. This architecture is a critical factor in the observed performance, as the shared memory bandwidth can become a bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities, rated at 11.47 TFLOPS for FP32, are the primary driver of the frame rates seen in the benchmark. The data shows a clear correlation between the GPU's workload and frame rate. For example, at 1080p, the jump from Low to Ultra settings reduces the average frame rate from 116 FPS to 63 FPS. This 45.7% performance penalty is a direct result of the increased shading and texture work demanded by the higher preset. The GPU's 32 ray tracing cores are present, but the benchmark data does not isolate their impact; the performance figures reflect the total workload of the game.

The GPU's performance percentile of 89 relative to all other GPUs suggests it is a capable part for general use, but its ranking in Control is significantly lower than what the hardware might suggest. This is likely due to the specific optimization of the game engine and the reliance on system-shared memory. The Radeon 8050S's nearest rivals, which include the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M and the AMD Radeon RX 7600M, all have dedicated memory, yet the performance deltas are small. The 8050S trails the RX 7600M by only 2.6%, indicating that the shared memory architecture does not severely handicap it in this title, but it still limits its ability to match higher-tier discrete solutions.

The boost clock of 2800 MHz is a high figure for an integrated GPU, and it helps to mitigate some of the memory bandwidth limitations. However, the data shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU simply runs out of steam, averaging just 32 FPS. This is a clear indication that the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for the most demanding configurations. The GPU is well-suited for 1080p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates on most presets, but it is not a solution for 4K gaming in graphically intense titles like Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably. The Low preset achieves an average of 116 FPS, providing a very smooth experience. The Medium preset, with an average of 82 FPS and a minimum of 70 FPS, is also excellent for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset pushes the average down to 73 FPS, which is still very playable. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of 63 FPS, which is acceptable but shows the performance cost of maximum visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the performance becomes more moderate. The Low preset is still strong, with an average of 87 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, making it the best choice for a balance of visual quality and smoothness. The High preset drops to an average of 55 FPS, which is playable but may feel less fluid. The Ultra preset averages 48 FPS, which is on the edge of what most gamers would consider acceptable for an action-adventure title.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. The Low preset is the only playable option, with an average of 59 FPS. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS, indicating noticeable stuttering. The High preset averages 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS, both of which are too low for a smooth experience. The data confirms that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware combination in Control.

The pattern across all resolutions shows that the Medium preset offers the most consistent performance gains relative to High and Ultra, while the Low preset provides the largest headroom for frame rate. The minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset, showing a 14.6% drop from the average at 1080p, a 14.5% drop at 1440p, and a 14.3% drop at 4K, indicating consistent frame pacing at that setting.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and AMD Radeon 8050S ranks 2127 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the 26.3rd percentile of all tested systems. The data indicates that this is a low-to-mid tier result for this specific game, which is not surprising given that the GPU is an integrated solution. The rank is a function of the game's high graphical demands and the hardware's mobile-oriented design.

The CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in this ranking. The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H has an average benchmark score of 27,507, placing it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, scores a nearly identical 27,535, a delta of only 0.1%. This suggests that the CPU is far from being a bottleneck. The low combo rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's performance. The Radeon 8050S has an average benchmark score of 62,108 and sits in the 89th percentile of all GPUs, but its performance in Control is clearly below what other components at this level can achieve.

The significant gap between the component-level percentiles (79th for CPU, 89th for GPU) and the game-specific combo rank (26th percentile) highlights that Control is a demanding title that requires a high-end discrete GPU for optimal performance. The 8050S, while a fast integrated GPU, is still fundamentally limited by its shared memory architecture and lower power envelope (55 W TDP) compared to dedicated gaming GPUs. The rank of 2127 out of 2888 suggests that there are over 700 configurations that perform worse, but over 2,100 that perform better, making this a system for 1080p gaming rather than for pushing high resolutions in AAA titles.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the High preset is the recommended sweet spot. It delivers an average of 73 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience. While the Medium preset offers 82 FPS, the visual uplift from High is worth the 9 FPS cost, especially in a game like Control with its detailed environments and particle effects. The Ultra preset, at 63 FPS, is also viable but does not provide a significant enough visual improvement to justify the 13.7% performance drop from High. The Low preset should be avoided unless aiming for maximum refresh rates above 100 FPS.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the most balanced choice. It achieves an average of 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, ensuring consistent gameplay. The High preset, at 55 FPS, is slightly less smooth and may exhibit more noticeable frame dips. The Ultra preset drops to 48 FPS, which is below the ideal range for an action game. The Low preset, while hitting 87 FPS, sacrifices too much visual detail for the resolution. Therefore, Medium provides the best trade-off between visual fidelity and performance at 1440p.

For 3840x2160, the only viable option is the Low preset, which yields an average of 59 FPS. While this is technically playable, the visual quality is significantly reduced. The Medium preset, at 42 FPS, is not recommended due to the potential for stuttering, as evidenced by the 36 FPS minimum. The High and Ultra presets are entirely unsuitable for play. The data suggests that users should not target 4K resolution with this hardware if they want a satisfying experience. Instead, they should prioritize 1080p or 1440p for a much better balance of performance and visual quality. In summary, the system is best utilized at 1080p with High settings or 1440p with Medium settings.