Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title from Remedy Entertainment, leverages its physics-driven combat and destructible environments to create a demanding benchmark for both CPU and GPU. For the configuration featuring the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and the AMD Radeon 8060S, the measured data reveals a system that is consistently capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, but which begins to show its limitations when pushed to 4K Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down the specific performance characteristics of this combo, interpreting the measured FPS data and contextualizing it against the hardware's known capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 130 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the system has significant headroom at the lowest graphical preset.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 3840x2160, the combo achieves an average of 42 FPS on High settings and 47 FPS on Medium settings. However, at Ultra settings, the average drops to 36 FPS, which may feel less fluid.

Q: How does the Ultra 5 125H compare to its closest rival in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H has an average benchmark score of 27507. This places it virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, which scores 27535, showing a negligible delta of -0.1%. It is also nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-12600K and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, both scoring 27578.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all other graphics cards?

A: The AMD Radeon 8060S sits in the 87th percentile among all GPUs. In terms of average benchmark score, it is effectively on par with the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, which shows a delta of only 0.1%.

Q: Is there a significant performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows a substantial gap. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 130 FPS on Low settings to 71 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a performance cost of 59 FPS for the highest visual fidelity.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured minimum FPS is 59. This is the only resolution and setting combination in the data set that provides a min FPS figure, indicating a stable experience near the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is a 14-core, 18-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on a 7 nm process. Its configuration includes a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Control's engine is known for its complex physics simulations and AI routines, which can be sensitive to both single-thread performance and multi-core throughput. The CPU's substantial L3 cache of 18 MB (shared) helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame pacing in busy scenes.

In synthetic benchmarks, this processor demonstrates a balanced profile. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12804.5 points indicates strong parallel processing capability, which is relevant for the game's background simulation and asset streaming. The single-core score of 1647.5 points in the same test is more indicative of the raw speed available to the main game thread, which is often the bottleneck in action titles. The PassMark multithread score of 21100 further confirms its ability to handle multiple concurrent tasks, while the single-thread score of 3399 shows a solid foundation for per-core performance.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the Ultra 5 125H is positioned at the top of a very tight cluster. Its average benchmark score of 27507 is practically indistinguishable from the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535), the Intel Core i5-12600K (27578), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X (27578). The data suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios within Control, this processor should deliver performance on par with these established desktop-class chips. The 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs reinforces that this is a high-performing mobile part. For this specific game, the CPU's role appears to be one of a capable enabler, providing enough processing headroom to avoid becoming the primary limiting factor at lower resolutions where the GPU can push higher frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8060S is a mobile integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features a boost clock of 2900 MHz and is equipped with 2560 shading units. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning its bandwidth and size are dependent on the system's main memory, which is a critical factor for high-resolution gaming. Its raw compute capability is rated at 14.85 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, ensuring compatibility with modern rendering features.

This GPU's performance is notable, as its average benchmark score of 55757 places it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival data shows it is effectively tied with the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, with a delta of just 0.1%. More surprisingly, it also benchmarks very close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, showing a delta of -0.6%, though such a comparison is unusual given the different market positions. This suggests the Radeon 8060S is a high-end performer in its class. In Control, the GPU's role is dominant, as the game's visual effects, particle systems, and resolution scaling place a heavy load on the graphics hardware. The measured FPS data shows a clear dependence on resolution and settings, which points to the GPU being the primary driver of performance in this title. The shift from Low to Ultra settings at any resolution results in a significant FPS drop, underscoring that the Radeon 8060S's capabilities are directly taxed by the game's graphical demands.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and preference for smoothness versus visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the data shows that even the Ultra preset is playable, with an average of 71 FPS. However, for a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, the High preset at 82 FPS offers a better balance, providing most of the visual improvements without the performance cost of Ultra. The Medium preset at 92 FPS is also a strong choice for high refresh rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves an average of 62 FPS, which is right at the edge of standard 60 Hz displays. For a more stable experience that avoids potential dips, the Medium preset at 70 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a 8 FPS improvement over High and ensures the frame rate stays more comfortably above 60 FPS. The Low preset at 98 FPS is available for those prioritizing maximum frame rates, but the visual compromise is significant.

At 3840x2160, the data indicates that the Ultra preset is not recommended for a smooth experience, as it averages only 36 FPS. The High preset at 42 FPS is also below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset, with an average of 47 FPS and a minimum of 40 FPS, is the highest setting that provides a playable, albeit not perfectly smooth, experience. For a more consistent frame rate at 4K, the Low preset at 66 FPS is the only option that breaks the 60 FPS barrier. Overall, the best experience for most users will be found at 1440p with Medium or High settings, offering a good compromise between visual quality and performance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the specific database for Control, this combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and the AMD Radeon 8060S holds a combo rank of 1632 out of 2888 tested combinations. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the rankings, indicating that while it is not a top-tier enthusiast setup, it performs better than a majority of the other configurations tested in this game. The rank reflects the balanced nature of the hardware; the CPU is a high-performer, and the GPU is also strong, but neither is so powerful as to push the combo into the top echelon of results.

The performance relative to other combos is consistent with the individual hardware scores. The CPU's 79th percentile rank and the GPU's 87th percentile rank suggest that the system should be capable of high frame rates, but the measured data shows that it is not always the case at higher resolutions and settings. The combo's rank is a result of the GPU's performance ceiling being reached at 4K Ultra, which prevents it from competing with combos that feature more powerful dedicated graphics solutions. The data suggests that this is a well-matched pairing for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its position in the rankings is pulled down by its relative weakness at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates excellent performance. The Low preset yields an average of 130 FPS. Moving up the preset ladder, Medium averages 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 and a maximum of 106. The High preset reduces the average to 82 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings it down to 71 FPS. This shows a clear linear scaling where each increase in visual quality costs a predictable amount of performance.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected impact of the higher pixel count. The Low preset averages 98 FPS. The Medium preset averages 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80. High settings drop the average to 62 FPS, while Ultra settings bring it down to 54 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, as even the High preset maintains an average above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset is the only one to achieve a playable average, at 66 FPS. The Medium preset averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 54. The High preset drops further to 42 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 36 FPS. This data clearly shows that 4K gaming is only feasible with the lowest settings, and even then, the frame rate is not particularly high.

Resolution Scaling

Examining the performance drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights into the system's bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 82 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p, and finally to 42 at 4K. This represents a 24.4% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 48.8% drop from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by the increasing pixel count.

At Low settings, the FPS drops from 130 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p, and then to 66 at 4K. The percentage drops are 24.6% and 49.2%, respectively. This pattern is remarkably consistent, regardless of the settings preset. The consistent scaling suggests that the limiting factor is purely the GPU's fill rate and pixel processing capability, not the CPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller percentage drop at lower resolutions where the CPU has to feed more frames.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 70 to 47, a 32.9% reduction. This reinforces the conclusion that the AMD Radeon 8060S, despite its high benchmark scores, does not have the raw pixel throughput to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra settings. The data clearly indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component in this configuration for Control, and that its performance scales predictably with resolution, making it a strong choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming but a less suitable option for 4K enthusiasts.