Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, is a demanding title that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily due to its physics-driven environments and real-time ray tracing. The measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile combo reveals a configuration that scales predictably with resolution, suggesting a balanced but ultimately GPU-bound partnership at higher settings.

Resolution Scaling

The benchmark results show a clear and expected decline in average frame rate as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the "High" preset, the combo delivers 128 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 97 FPS at 1440p, and further down to 65 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not perfectly linear; the jump from 1440p to 4K incurs a 33% performance loss, while the 1080p to 1440p step is less severe at 24%. This pattern implies that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the increased pixel count directly impacts the fill-rate and shading workload.

Looking at the "Low" preset, the scaling story is similar but with higher absolute numbers. The combo achieves 203 FPS at 1080p, 153 FPS at 1440p, and 103 FPS at 4K. The percentage decreases are 25% (1080p to 1440p) and 49% (1080p to 4K), mirroring the High preset's relative drops. This consistency across presets suggests that the resolution scaling behavior is robust and not heavily influenced by the specific graphics settings applied. The GPU's architecture, Blackwell 2.0, appears to handle the increased pixel workload in a linear fashion, with no abnormal bottlenecks emerging at any of the tested resolutions.

The "Ultra" preset shows the lowest frame rates, with 111 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. The 24% drop from 1080p to 1440p and 49% from 1080p to 4K is again consistent. This consistency across all presets indicates that the RTX 5090 Mobile's scaling is uniform; the chip's 112 ROPs and 10496 shading units are being utilized proportionally to the resolution. The data implies that for players targeting 4K, the "High" preset at 65 FPS is the realistic ceiling for smooth gameplay, while 1440p offers a sweet spot at "High" with 97 FPS.

2. CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its L3 cache is 18 MB shared. In the context of Control, which is not known for being heavily multithreaded, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The measured FPS at 1080p "Low" (203 FPS) suggests that the CPU is capable of pushing far beyond 200 frames, indicating that at lower resolutions, the CPU is not a bottleneck. The CPU's PassMark multithread score is 21100, with a single-thread score of 3399, which are robust figures, but Control's engine benefits more from high single-core performance.

The CPU's nearestRivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (deltaPct -0.1) and the Intel Core i5-12600K (deltaPct -0.3), indicating that the Ultra 5 125H's compute performance is nearly identical to those desktop chips. In Control, this translates to a CPU that can handle the game's physics and AI workload without becoming a bottleneck, as evidenced by the 4K "Low" preset still hitting 103 FPS. The 14 cores and 18 threads provide ample parallel capacity, but the game's single-threaded nature means the 4.50 GHz boost clock is more relevant. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12804.5 and single-core score of 1647.5 further suggest that the processor is more than capable for this title.

3. FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable at 1080p with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 203 FPS, achieved with the "Low" settings preset.

Q: How does the "Medium" preset perform at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with "Medium" settings, the combo delivers an average FPS of 109, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 4K?

A: No, the data shows the GPU is the primary limiter at 3840x2160. The CPU is capable of supporting 103 FPS at 4K "Low" settings, meaning the frame rate drops at higher presets are due to GPU load.

Q: What is the average FPS at the "Ultra" preset in 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with "Ultra" settings, the average FPS is 111.

Q: Does the 4K "Medium" preset have a minimum FPS?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with "Medium" settings, the minimum FPS is 62, and the maximum is 85.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested system combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 812 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 22% of all tested systems.

5. How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combos for Control, this configuration ranks 812th out of 3,720 possible combinations. This places it in the 78th percentile, meaning it outperforms 78% of all tested systems. This is a strong showing, especially considering the mobile nature of the CPU and GPU. The rank suggests that while there are many faster combos, this setup is well above the median. The GPU's PassMark G3D score is 30034, and the GPU ranks in the 84th percentile for all graphics cards, indicating that the GPU is a high-end part. The CPU is in the 79th percentile for all CPUs. The combination yields a strong overall performance, but the gap between the 92% rank and the individual components' percentiles (84% for GPU, 79% for CPU) suggests that in Control specifically, the combo slightly outperforms what the individual parts' average scores would predict.

The ranking also implies that for a mobile platform, this combo is a powerhouse, capable of delivering high frame rates at 1440p and playable at 4K. The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (deltaPct -0.5) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (deltaPct 0.8), showing that the mobile 5090 is on par with desktop parts. This is a significant point: the mobile chip is not just a scaled-down version, but a high-performance part in its own right. The CPU's nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 5800 and i5-12600K, are desktop chips, yet the mobile Core Ultra 5 125H trades blows with them, confirming that the mobile 125H is a powerful processor.

5. GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is a top-tier mobile GPU with 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. It has 10496 shading units, 328 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs. The GPU's base clock is 990 MHz, with a boost clock of 1515 MHz. This GPU is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture part, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The GPU's performance is substantial: its PassMark G3D score is 30034, and it achieves 5871 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. This raw power is evident in Control, where it drives 203 FPS at 1080p "Low" settings.

The GPU's memory capacity of 24 GB with an 896.0 GB/s bandwidth is critical for high-resolution textures and ray tracing. Control is known for its use of ray tracing, and the 82 RT cores are likely engaged at higher presets. The boost clock of 1515 MHz, while not the highest in NVIDIA's lineup, provides a balanced power envelope for a mobile part. The GPU's average benchmark score is 45152, and its nearest rival in the database is the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, with a deltaPct of -0.5%, indicating the two are nearly identical in performance. The RTX 5090 Mobile's 31.80 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is substantial, and it is a key factor in the high frame rates seen in the benchmarks.

6. Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the "Low" preset yields the highest average FPS of 203. The "Medium" preset drops to 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 and a maximum of 165. "High" lowers further to 128 FPS, and "Ultra" is the lowest at 111 FPS. The gap between "Low" and "Ultra" is 92 FPS, a substantial 45% reduction. This indicates that the "Ultra" preset's graphical enhancements, likely including advanced effects and higher texture detail, come at a significant performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the "Low" preset delivers 153 FPS. "Medium" averages 109 FPS, with a min of 93 and max of 125. "High" provides 97 FPS, and "Ultra" drops to 84 FPS. The delta between "Low" and "Ultra" is 69 FPS, a 45% reduction, again consistent with the 1080p scaling. The "Medium" preset's range is narrow, from 93 to 125 FPS, indicating stable performance.

At 3840x2160, "Low" still manages 103 FPS. "Medium" averages 73 FPS, with a min of 62 and max of 85. "High" offers 65 FPS, and "Ultra" is the lowest at 57 FPS. The difference between "Low" and "Ultra" is 46 FPS, which is 47% reduction. The 4K "Medium" preset's minimum of 62 FPS suggests that for players with VRR, even this preset is playable.

7. Settings Recommendations

For a 1080p display, the "High" preset at 128 FPS is an excellent balance, providing a high fidelity experience with a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Players with a 144Hz monitor might prefer the "Medium" preset at 144 FPS, which is a 13% increase over "High" and still looks good. The "Ultra" preset at 111 FPS is also viable, but the 18% drop from "High" may not be worth the visual gains for all players.

For 1440p, the "High" preset at 97 FPS is the recommended choice. It offers a great visual experience with a frame rate that is still high. If a player is fine with lower settings, "Medium" at 109 FPS provides a 12% boost. The "Ultra" preset drops to 84 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS line but may be noticeable on a high-refresh monitor.

For 4K, the "Medium" preset at 73 FPS is the most balanced option. It provides a playable frame rate with a minimum of 62 FPS, ensuring that even in 0.1% lows, the game rarely dips below 60 FPS. The "High" preset at 65 FPS is also acceptable, but the 12% drop from "Medium" is noticeable. The "Ultra" preset at 57 FPS dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which may cause visible stutters on fixed refresh displays. Thus, for 4K, "Medium" is the recommended preset for a smooth experience, while "Ultra" is for players who prioritize visuals over frame rate.