Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile delivers a highly capable Control experience, demonstrating a strong balance between CPU and GPU load across the tested resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, scaling, and component roles based on the database results.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, though with some interesting nuances. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 203 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 153 FPS, a reduction of about 25%. Scaling further to 4K Low yields 103 FPS, which is another 33% drop from 1440p. This steep decline from 1080p to 4K is the hallmark of a system where the graphics card is the primary limiting factor, as the pixel count increases significantly, demanding more from the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth.

The pattern continues across all quality settings. At High settings, the averages go from 128 FPS at 1080p to 97 FPS at 1440p and then 65 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is roughly 33% again. However, the 1080p to 1440p drop is smaller, about 24%. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU can still keep up with feeding the GPU, but the GPU is already starting to show its limits. The trend is consistent for Medium and Ultra: there is a clear, consistent reduction in FPS as the render resolution increases, with the 4K results showing the most significant performance penalty.

Interestingly, the scaling factor is not linear. The jump from 1080p to 1440p (which is a 1.78x increase in pixel count) results in a 20-25% FPS drop, while the jump from 1440p to 4K (a 2.25x increase) results in a ~30-33% FPS drop. This suggests that the GPU's compute resources are being utilized more efficiently as resolution climbs, but the demand is outgrowing the available processing power. The data indicates a 1080p is generally a smooth, high-refresh experience; 1440p is still excellent for high-refresh gaming; 4K is more demanding, pushing the average FPS down to 65 on High and 57 on Ultra.

The only exception to this smooth scaling is the Low setting at 4K, where the average of 103 FPS is still high, but the drop from 1440p is larger than the High setting. This underscores that Control's visual effects engine is a heavy task for the GPU, and the performance headroom of the RTX 5090, with its 24 GB of GDDR7 memory and 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is what allows it to deliver playable frame rates at 4K even with the highest settings. The massive GPU memory is not a bottleneck here, as 24 GB is ample for the asset loads and screen buffers of Control at any of these resolutions and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is the dominant component in this pairing. Its 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 896.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This is a massive pool of memory and bandwidth, and the benchmark results suggest that Control benefits from this, especially at 4K with High and Ultra settings. The 4K Ultra score of 57 FPS indicates that the GPU is working hard, but it doesn't run out of memory, which would cause stutter or texture pop-in; the 24 GB is more than enough.

The GPU's 10496 shading units and 112 ROPs are pushed to the limit; the texture rate of 496.9 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 169.7 GPixel/s are strong, and the benchmarks show a direct correlation: at 1080p Low, the GPU can push out 203 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, the demand on the raster and pixel shaders drops the frame rate to 57 FPS. The Core Ultra 5 135H's 14 cores and 18 threads are feeding the GPU well, but this is a GPU-centric load.

The RTX 5090's boost clock of 1515 MHz and base clock of 990 MHz are modest numbers for a flagship, but the architecture's parallelism overcomes clock speed limitations. The 82 RT cores and 328 tensor cores are not heavily needed in this game, as Control is not a ray-tracing-heavy title in these tests. The data shows the GPU is the primary driver; the CPU doesn't bottleneck until lower resolutions and lower settings, where the frame rate is high enough to expose CPU limitations. The 4K Low average of 103 FPS is particularly telling: even at Low settings, the GPU is still the limiting factor because the resolution is so high.

The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 84, meaning it performs better than 84% of all GPUs in the database's aggregated benchmark. In this game, the measured FPS shows that the 5090 Mobile is able to handle Control with a great deal of ease at 1080p and 1440p, and only at 4K Ultra does it drop below 60 FPS. The 24 GB of memory is a major asset for modern games, and the RTX 5090 Mobile does not show a memory capacity bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile ranks 812th out of 3720 combos in Control. This places it in the top 22% of all tested combinations. This is a strong ranking, considering the CPU is a mid-range mobile processor; the GPU is doing the heavy lifting. The rank is a combined metric, considering all resolutions and settings, and it reflects the GPU's strong raw performance.

The combo's ranking is more due to the GPU's 84th percentile (higher than 84% of GPUs) than the CPU's 81st percentile (higher than 81% of CPUs). This is a good pairing, but the CPU's performance is still a significant factor, especially at lower resolutions. The 812th rank out of 3720 combos means there are 2908 other combinations that are slower in this game. The data indicates that the RTX 5090 Mobile is a top-tier mobile GPU, and the Core Ultra 5 135H is a competent mobile CPU, and together they land in a high overall bracket for this game.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (0.8% slower in average benchmark score) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (0.5% faster). This places the RTX 5090 Mobile in a solid tier, but it's not the absolute top; it's a high-level mobile GPU that is comparable to some desktop GPUs. The combo's rank is a reflection of this GPU's performance, and the CPU's role is to provide enough data to the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four settings. Here is the detailed breakdown:

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 203 FPS average. This is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire test suite. This is a very smooth experience, capable of extreme refresh rates. The CPU is the limiting factor here.
• Medium: 144 FPS average, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS. The frame time consistency is good.
• High: 128 FPS average. The drop from Medium to High is 16 FPS, a 11% reduction.
• Ultra: 111 FPS average. The drop from High to Ultra is 17 FPS, a 13% reduction.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 153 FPS average. This is still a very high frame rate, but 50 FPS lower than 1080p Low.
• Medium: 109 FPS average, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. The 1440p Medium is a 35 FPS drop from 1080p Medium.
• High: 97 FPS average. This is a 31 FPS drop from 1080p High.
• Ultra: 84 FPS average. This is a 27 FPS drop from 1080p Ultra.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 103 FPS average. This is a 50 FPS drop from 1440p Low, showing heavy GPU load.
• Medium: 73 FPS average, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS. The 4K Medium is a 36 FPS drop from 1440p Medium.
• High: 65 FPS average. This is a 32 FPS drop from 1440p High.
• Ultra: 57 FPS average. This is a 27 FPS drop from 1440p Ultra.

The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The 1080p Low of 203 FPS is the only point where the CPU is the bottleneck, as the GPU can push more frames, but the CPU can't keep up. All other points are GPU-bound. The 4K Ultra low of 57 FPS is the most demanding, but it's still a playable frame rate. The 4K Medium is a good sweet spot, with 73 FPS and a minimum of 62 FPS, which is smooth.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a mobile processor with 14 cores and 18 threads, based on the Meteor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, and a 28 W TDP. It has 18 MB of shared L3 cache. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 11875.5, and single-core is 1700. It performs in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, meaning it's better than 81% of CPUs.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, physics, and AI data. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the bottleneck, as the FPS of 203 is high, but the CPU can't push it higher. At all other settings and resolutions, the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's 18 threads is enough for Control's multi-threading, but the game isn't heavily threaded, so the single-core performance of 1700 (Cinebench R23) is more important.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (0.1% faster avg score), Intel Xeon Phi 7210 (0.5% faster), and AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (0.5% slower). These are desktop-class CPUs, and the Core Ultra 5 135H is a mobile chip that performs close to them. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is sufficient for the GPU's data needs.

The CPU has an integrated GPU, the Arc Xe-LPG 96EU, but that is not used in this game, as the RTX 5090 Mobile is a discrete GPU. The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid stutters in the game, but it does limit the maximum achievable frame rate at 1080p Low. The 14 cores and 18 threads are more than enough for Control; the game's engine scales well with a few cores, and the single-thread performance is solid.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The data shows 4K Medium averages 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS, and 4K High averages 65 FPS. If you want a smoother experience, 4K Medium is a better choice; if you want aesthetic highs, 4K Ultra averages 57 FPS, which is still playable but closer to the edge.

Q: Can this combo hit 100 FPS at 1440p?

Yes. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 97, which is just below 100. At 1440p Medium, it's 109 FPS, and at Low it's 153 FPS. So, for 100+ FPS, you should stick to Medium or lower settings.

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p to achieve 144 Hz?

At 1080p Medium, the average is 144 FPS, so if you have a 144 Hz display, Medium is the perfect setting. High drops to 128 FPS, and Ultra to 111 FPS. Medium is the most efficient.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 Mobile compare to the RTX 4070 in this game?

In the database, the RTX 5090 Mobile has an average benchmark score that is 0.8% higher than the RTX 4070 Ti, but the actual FPS depends on the game and the CPU. This combo's rank is 812 out of 3720, so the GPU is a strong performer.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

Yes, at 1080p Low, the FPS of 203 is the maximum the CPU can feed. At higher settings at 1080p, the GPU becomes the bottleneck. So, for very high refresh rates, the CPU is the limiting factor, but it's still a strong performer.

Q: Does the GPU's 24 GB memory matter for Control?

The 24 GB of GDDR7 memory is not a limiting factor in this game, as the GPU is often the bottleneck, not the memory capacity. The memory bandwidth of 896 GB/s is sufficient to feed the GPU's cores, and the 24 GB capacity is more than enough for the game's assets at 4K.

Q: What causes the FPS to drop so significantly from 1080p to 4K?

The drop is due to the increased pixel count, which puts a higher load on the GPU's shading units, ROPs, and memory bandwidth. The GPU's pixel rate of 169.7 GPixel/s is the primary limit; the GPU simply has to do more work per frame.

The combo of the Core Ultra 5 135H and the RTX 5090 Mobile is a strong mobile gaming pairing, with the GPU dominating the performance profile. The data shows that the system can handle 1080p Ultra at 111 FPS, 1440p Ultra at 84 FPS, and 4K Ultra at 57 FPS. The 4K Ultra is the only setting where the frame rate dips below 60, but the game is still playable. For the best 4K experience, Medium (73 FPS) or High (65 FPS) are more comfortable. The CPU is a solid foundation, but the GPU is the star of the show in Control.