Control

Control on a mobile Core Ultra 5 125H paired with a Radeon RX 7800M presents a fascinating case study in balancing a 14-core CPU with a high-end GPU. The benchmark data reveals a system that is decisively GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet surprisingly capable at 1080p, where the CPU’s capabilities come into clearer focus. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes it against similar hardware, and offers guidance on how to get the best experience from this specific combination.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is a Meteor Lake mobile processor with 14 cores and 18 threads, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its architecture is built on a 7 nm process, and it features 18 MB of shared L3 cache. In the broader context of all tested CPUs, this chip sits in the 79th percentile, indicating it is a solidly mid-to-high-range performer. Its average benchmark score of 27507 places it in a dead heat with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and Intel Core i5-12600K, trailing the former by just 0.1% and the latter by 0.3%. This places its raw compute power in the same league as those desktop-class rivals, which is notable for a mobile part.

In the context of Control, the CPU’s job is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, while the GPU does the heavy lifting for rendering. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 120 FPS, a frame rate where the CPU’s single-thread performance (a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1647.5) becomes a critical factor. The fact that the system can hit this mark suggests the 125H’s boost clock of 4.50 GHz provides sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at that resolution. However, the data does not show a scenario where the CPU becomes the bottleneck, as the frame rates scale consistently with GPU load. The CPU’s multi-threaded capability, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12804.5, ensures that the game’s background tasks are handled without introducing stutter, even when the GPU is pushed to its limits at 4K.

The relationship between the CPU and GPU here is one of a capable partner rather than a limiting factor. While the Core Ultra 5 125H is not the fastest CPU on the market—its Passmark single-thread score of 3399 is respectable but not class-leading—it provides enough computational throughput to let the RX 7800M operate near its full potential. The data implies that in Control, the 125H will not be the primary constraint on performance; instead, the GPU’s rendering power will dictate the final frame rates across most settings and resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Examining the measured FPS data, the distinction between presets is stark, and the "best" experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 120 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset drops to 85 FPS, still very smooth, while High yields 76 FPS and Ultra falls to 66 FPS. For a 60 Hz display at 1080p, the High preset at 76 FPS offers a significant visual upgrade over Low with a comfortable margin above the refresh rate. The Ultra preset, at 66 FPS, is also viable, but the jump from High to Ultra costs 10 FPS for what is likely a marginal visual gain.

At 2560x1440, the situation tightens. The Low preset delivers 91 FPS, which is excellent for the resolution. Medium drops to 64 FPS, High to 57 FPS, and Ultra to 50 FPS. For a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset at 64 FPS appears to be the sweet spot, offering a balanced mix of visual fidelity and smoothness. The High preset at 57 FPS is playable but begins to approach the threshold where frame pacing issues might become noticeable on some displays. The Ultra preset at 50 FPS is the most demanding, and for a game like Control with its fast-paced action, the lower frame rate might detract from the experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. The Low preset manages 61 FPS, which is just at the edge of playability. Medium drops to 43 FPS, High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 34 FPS. None of the higher presets at 4K provide a smooth experience. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo is only feasible at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not ideal. For most users, the best experience will be found at 1440p with Medium settings, which offers a good balance of detail and performance, or at 1080p with High settings for a smoother, more consistent frame rate.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The frame rate scaling across resolutions paints a clear picture of a GPU-bound system. Starting at 1920x1080 with High settings, the system achieves 76 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rate drops to 57 FPS, a 25% decrease. At 3840x2160, it falls to 39 FPS, a 31% drop from 1440p and a 49% drop from 1080p. This near-linear scaling with pixel count is the hallmark of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU workload would stay roughly constant while the GPU struggles more.

The data for the Medium preset reinforces this. At 1080p, the system achieves 85 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 64 FPS (a 25% decrease), and at 4K, it falls to 43 FPS (a 33% decrease from 1440p and 49% from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across presets strongly indicates that the Radeon RX 7800M is the primary performance limiter. The GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated at higher resolutions, and the rendering workload scales directly with the number of pixels.

This behavior suggests that the Core Ultra 5 125H has ample headroom to handle the CPU-side tasks even at 4K, as the frame rate is entirely dictated by the GPU’s rendering speed. The fact that the 1080p Low preset hits 120 FPS without a correspondingly massive jump in CPU load indicates that the processor is not the bottleneck even in less demanding scenes. The limiting component in this system for Control is unequivocally the GPU, and any attempts to improve performance at higher resolutions would need to focus on reducing the GPU’s workload, such as lowering settings or using a lower resolution.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand scheme of all tested hardware combinations for Control, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and AMD Radeon RX 7800M ranks 1927th out of 2888 combos. This places it in the 33rd percentile of all tested systems, which might seem low at first glance. However, this rank includes a vast array of combinations, many of which feature top-tier desktop CPUs and GPUs that are designed for extreme performance. The rank of 1927 indicates that while this combo is not a top performer, it is also not in the bottom tier, and it sits in the middle of the pack.

The rank suggests that there are many faster combinations, but it also implies that this mobile setup is competitive with a significant portion of the tested hardware. It is important to note that this is a mobile CPU and GPU pairing, which inherently faces thermal and power constraints compared to desktop counterparts. The 125H is a 28 W processor, and the RX 7800M is a 180 W GPU, and their combined performance is what lands them at this rank.

The data implies that for a laptop, this combo delivers performance that is roughly in line with what one would expect from mid-range desktop components from a few generations ago. The rank is a reflection of the absolute performance, and while it doesn't top the charts, it provides a playable experience in Control at most settings, as evidenced by the measured frame rates. The 33rd percentile ranking is not a condemnation but rather a contextualization that places this combo in the broad middle of the performance spectrum, making it a viable option for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is the dominant component in this system for Control. It is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using a 5 nm process, and it features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2335 MHz, with a game clock of 2145 MHz. In terms of raw compute, it offers 35.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is substantial for a mobile part.

The GPU’s performance in the benchmark data is directly correlated with the measured frame rates. At 1080p Low, the 120 FPS result shows the GPU’s ability to push high frame rates when the rendering load is light. The pixel rate of 224.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 560.4 GTexel/s are key metrics that determine how quickly the GPU can fill the screen with pixels and apply textures. In Control, which features complex environments and particle effects, these metrics are heavily utilized.

The 12 GB of VRAM is a significant asset. At 4K resolution with High settings, the GPU manages 39 FPS, and while this is not a smooth experience, the fact that it can run at all without running out of memory suggests that the VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game’s demands. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 17613 places it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, with the 7800M being 0.2% faster than the former and 0.5% slower than the latter. This indicates that while it is a capable GPU, it is not at the very top of the performance heap, which explains the frame rates seen at higher resolutions. The GPU is the clear bottleneck, and its performance characteristics dictate the overall experience in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how this combo performs under various loads. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 120 FPS on Low, 85 FPS on Medium (with a min of 72 and max of 98), 76 FPS on High, and 66 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a smooth scaling with settings, and the 1080p resolution is where this combo shines, offering playable frame rates even at the highest preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops as expected. The Low preset yields 91 FPS, Medium delivers 64 FPS (min 55, max 74), High produces 57 FPS, and Ultra falls to 50 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a significant 27 FPS drop, while the step from Medium to High is only 7 FPS, and High to Ultra is another 7 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance at this resolution, as the gains from High to Ultra are relatively small in terms of frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. The Low preset manages 61 FPS, which is the only playable option. Medium drops to 43 FPS (min 37, max 50), High falls to 39 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 34 FPS. The data shows a steep decline from Low to Medium, a 18 FPS difference, highlighting the GPU’s struggle with the increased rendering load at 4K. None of the presets above Low provide a smooth experience, and the system is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming in Control. The min and max FPS data for the Medium preset across all resolutions shows a consistent frame pacing, with the 1080p result having a 26 FPS spread, 1440p having a 19 FPS spread, and 4K having a 13 FPS spread, indicating that as the GPU becomes more saturated, the frame times become more consistent.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 offers the highest frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 120 FPS and the High preset at 76 FPS. 2560x1440 is also viable, with the Medium preset delivering 64 FPS.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low, which yields 61 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 43 FPS, High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 34 FPS, making the higher presets unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H has an average benchmark score of 27507, which is 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and 0.3% slower than the Intel Core i5-12600K. It is 0.5% faster than the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G.

Q: Is the GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes, the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a near-linear drop with pixel count, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The Radeon RX 7800M is the limiting component.

Q: What is the performance rank of this specific combo?

A: This combo ranks 1927th out of 2888 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the 33rd percentile of all tested systems.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS on Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured minimum FPS is 55 and the maximum FPS is 74, with an average of 64 FPS.