Control

# Control with Intel Core Ultra 5 135H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination delivers playable frame rates in Control across most settings, with the data showing a clear pattern: the RTX 5050 becomes the primary constraint as resolution climbs, while the 14-core processor maintains consistent headroom. At 1080p, the combo produces 103 FPS on Low settings, dropping to 56 FPS on Ultra, which indicates a system that can handle the game's action-adventure demands without severe bottlenecks at standard resolutions. At 4K, the same combo manages only 29 FPS on Ultra, revealing that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface limit performance in this visually intensive title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a 28 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 112 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700, placing it in the 81st percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 29093 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (29123, delta -0.1%), showing that this mobile chip matches a desktop processor from the previous generation in general compute tasks.

For Control, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system hits 103 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra it drops to 56 FPS — a 47 FPS difference that aligns with GPU workload, not CPU limitations. The processor's PassMark multithread score of 22422 and single-thread score of 3521 provide ample headroom for the game's physics and AI systems, which are not demanding enough to bottleneck this hardware. The data indicates that even at the lowest resolution and settings, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the FPS ceiling appears governed by the GPU's rendering capabilities rather than processor throughput.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 135H sits within 0.6% of the Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270, delta -0.6%) and within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (28940, delta 0.5%). This performance band means that swapping between these processors would produce negligible differences in Control, since the game's frame rates are largely GPU-bound. The CPU's 18 threads and high single-core performance ensure that Control's asynchronous compute and draw call processing do not introduce stutter or frame pacing issues, even when the GPU is under full load at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, featuring 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 20 RT cores, and 80 tensor cores, delivering 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its PassMark G3D score of 17326 places it in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035. The nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, delta -0.6%), followed by the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, delta 1.6%).

In Control, the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are the defining characteristics. The game's texture streaming and volumetric effects consume significant memory, and the data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo only achieves 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K Medium, the average FPS rises to 37 with a minimum of 32 and maximum of 43, indicating that the GPU is struggling with the memory bandwidth demands at that resolution. The 320.0 GB/s bandwidth is a limiting factor for Control's high-resolution textures, as the 128-bit bus cannot feed the shading units fast enough to maintain higher frame rates.

The GPU's performance relative to its rivals is tight, with a delta of only -1% against the AMD Radeon HD 8970M and -1.6% against the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile. This means that in Control, the RTX 5050 would perform nearly identically to these alternatives, with the game's frame rates differing by just a few FPS. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Control, as evidenced by the 103 FPS at 1080p Low and 78 FPS at 1440p Low, but the 4K results suggest that the memory subsystem becomes a bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of which settings offer the best experience for this combo. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 73 FPS average with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84, which is smooth for an action-adventure game. The High preset drops to 65 FPS, while Ultra falls to 56 FPS. The Low preset achieves 103 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is substantial. For most players, Medium at 1080p is the optimal balance, as the 73 FPS average stays well above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining acceptable visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset produces 55 FPS average with a minimum of 47 and maximum of 63. This is playable but not ideal for fast-paced combat sequences, as the minimum FPS dips below 50. The High preset at 1440p delivers 49 FPS, which is borderline. The Low preset at 1440p achieves 78 FPS, making it the only 1440p option that maintains consistently high frame rates. For players prioritizing smoothness over visual quality, Low at 1440p is recommended, while those with a tolerance for occasional dips can use Medium.

At 3840x2160, the results are more constrained. The Low preset achieves 52 FPS, which is the only 4K option above the 50 FPS mark. Medium drops to 37 FPS, High to 33 FPS, and Ultra to 29 FPS. Given that Control is a third-person shooter with intense visual effects, the Low preset at 4K is the only viable option for maintaining playable frame rates. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where all settings are playable, with 1440p viable only on Low or Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 2295 out of 2888 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the bottom 21% of all systems tested. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning and the CPU's mobile form factor, which limits overall performance in a game that scales heavily with GPU resources. The 66th percentile GPU ranking and 81st percentile CPU ranking indicate that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card, which is expected for a mobile setup.

The ranking suggests that most other tested combos outperform this configuration in Control, likely due to more powerful desktop GPUs or higher-tier mobile graphics solutions. The gap between this combo's rank and the top performers is significant, as Control's demanding rendering engine favors systems with higher VRAM capacities and wider memory buses. However, the combo still achieves acceptable frame rates at 1080p, which is the target resolution for most mobile gamers.

The delta between this combo's CPU and its nearest rivals is minimal, but the GPU's position relative to the RX Vega M GL (delta -0.6%) and RX 5600 XT (delta 1.6%) shows that the RTX 5050 is firmly in the mid-range tier. This ranking data indicates that users seeking higher Control performance would need to upgrade the GPU rather than the CPU, as the processor is already performing above its class percentile.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component clearly. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 103 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 78 FPS (a 24% decrease); and at 4K Low, it falls to 52 FPS (a further 33% decrease). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where each resolution increase requires exponentially more pixel processing. The CPU's performance remains constant across resolutions, so the frame rate decline is entirely attributed to the RTX 5050's rendering capabilities.

For Medium settings, the progression is 73 FPS at 1080p, 55 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The High settings show 65 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. The Ultra settings show 56 FPS at 1080p, 43 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The consistent drop pattern across all settings confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the CPU's 18 threads and high clock speeds do not show any performance degradation at higher resolutions.

The 4K results, particularly the 29 FPS on Ultra, suggest that the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for Control's highest settings at 4K. The minimum FPS of 32 at 4K Medium indicates that even moderate settings cause occasional stutters, likely from memory paging or bandwidth saturation. This data strongly suggests that users should stick to 1080p or 1440p for this combo, as the 4K experience is compromised across all settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, with all settings achieving playable frame rates. At 1080p, the Low preset hits 103 FPS, Medium hits 73 FPS, High hits 65 FPS, and Ultra hits 56 FPS, all above the 50 FPS threshold.

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

A: 4K is only playable on Low settings, which achieves 52 FPS. Medium drops to 37 FPS, High to 33 FPS, and Ultra to 29 FPS, making higher settings unplayable at 4K due to GPU memory and bandwidth limitations.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its rivals in this game?

A: The Core Ultra 5 135H has an average benchmark score of 29093, which is within 0.6% of the Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270) and 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (28940). In Control, this means negligible performance differences since the game is GPU-bound.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking?

A: The RTX 5050 sits in the 66th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, scores 21153, a delta of -0.6%, indicating very similar performance.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Control?

A: The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as shown by playable frame rates at those resolutions. However, at 4K, the VRAM capacity appears insufficient, as frame rates drop dramatically across all settings.

Q: What settings should I use for the smoothest experience?

A: For the smoothest experience at 1080p, use Medium settings, which provide 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS. At 1440p, use Low settings for 78 FPS, as Medium dips to 55 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings are viable at 52 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear progression across settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 103 FPS, representing the highest performance this combo can deliver. Medium settings produce 73 FPS average, with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84 FPS, indicating stable frame delivery. High settings yield 65 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 56 FPS average. All 1080p settings are above the 50 FPS threshold, making this resolution the most versatile for the combo.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease proportionally. Low settings deliver 78 FPS average, which is still smooth for gameplay. Medium settings produce 55 FPS average with a minimum of 47 and maximum of 63 FPS, showing some frame dips but maintaining playability. High settings achieve 49 FPS average, which is borderline for fast-paced action. Ultra settings drop to 43 FPS average, which may cause noticeable stutter in combat sequences.

At 3840x2160, the performance is significantly constrained. Low settings deliver 52 FPS average, which is the only 4K option above 50 FPS. Medium settings produce 37 FPS average with a minimum of 32 and maximum of 43 FPS, indicating substantial frame drops. High settings achieve 33 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall to 29 FPS average. The 4K results demonstrate that this combo is not suited for high-resolution gaming in Control, as even the lowest settings struggle to maintain consistent frame rates.