Control

Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title, stresses the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination in a predictable pattern: the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates playable at 1080p. The data shows a system that is well-balanced for 1080p gaming but falls behind the curve at 4K, where the Radeon RX 5700 XT's 8 GB VRAM and RDNA 1.0 architecture limit performance. This analysis walks through the measured FPS, resolution scaling, and component roles to provide a clear picture of what this combo delivers.

FAQ

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

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 115, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 32 FPS on Ultra settings to 59 FPS on Low settings. This indicates that 4K is only playable at the Low preset, and even then, it barely reaches 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, which is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0% delta) and slightly lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2% delta).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT scores in the 59th percentile, indicating it performs better than a majority of GPUs in the database but is not a top-tier part.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 87 on Low settings to 48 on Ultra settings, a difference of 39 FPS.

Q: How many combos does this CPU-GPU pairing rank behind in Control?

A: This combo ranks 2141st out of 2888 tested combinations in the game, placing it in the lower portion of the database.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the defining component in this pairing for Control's performance, especially as resolution increases. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its clocks are listed with a base of 1605 MHz, a game clock of 1755 MHz, and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. These specifications place the GPU in the 59th percentile of all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16361.

The data shows the GPU's influence clearly in the measured FPS. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages only 32 FPS, which is a demanding workload for the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The GPU's compute power, rated at 9.754 TFLOPS FP32, is sufficient for 1080p but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is also a factor; while Control at 1080p and 1440p does not appear to exceed this limit based on the performance scaling, the significant drop at 4K suggests the memory bandwidth and capacity are under heavy strain.

Comparing the GPU to its nearest rivals shows it is in a tight performance cluster. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 16351, a 0.1% delta from the RX 5700 XT, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell scores 16408, a -0.3% delta. This indicates that the RX 5700 XT's raw performance is comparable to a professional mobile GPU and a workstation-class card, which is noteworthy for a consumer part from the Radeon RX 5000 series. The GPU's DirectX 12 benchmark score of 64 in Passmark is modest, but its DirectX 11 score of 116 is higher, suggesting the architecture may favor older API workloads.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor. At Low settings, the average FPS scales from 115 at 1080p to 87 at 1440p, then down to 59 at 4K. This represents a 24% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 32% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels rendered directly impacts the frame rate.

At High settings, the same pattern holds: 73 FPS at 1080p, 55 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The relative drops are similar, indicating that the rendering workload scales linearly with resolution. However, the absolute numbers are lower, showing that the increased shading and texture detail at High settings adds a constant overhead on top of the resolution scaling. The Medium settings data includes min and max FPS values, which show the frame time variance. At 1080p Medium, the average is 82 FPS with a min of 70 and max of 94. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 62 FPS with a min of 53 and max of 71. At 4K Medium, the average is 42 FPS with a min of 36 and max of 48.

The resolution scaling also highlights the CPU's role. At 1080p Low, the 115 FPS average suggests the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to achieve a high frame rate. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would not increase so dramatically from 4K to 1080p. The fact that the frame rate nearly doubles from 4K Low (59 FPS) to 1080p Low (115 FPS) indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput is the primary constraint, not the CPU's processing power.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Control, this pairing ranks 2141st out of 2888 combos. This places it in the 26th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that roughly three-quarters of the combinations tested perform better in this specific game. The rank is a direct reflection of the measured FPS data, which shows the combo struggling to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions.

The low rank is primarily attributable to the GPU's age and architecture. The Radeon RX 5700 XT is an end-of-life product, and its RDNA 1.0 architecture lacks the advanced features of newer generations. While the CPU, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, is a modern part with a strong average benchmark score of 36938, it cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations in a graphically intensive game like Control. The CPU's performance is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU's 59th percentile ranking drags the overall combo down.

It is notably the combo's rank is not a measure of absolute failure; it is a relative position among a large pool of hardware. The system can still deliver playable frame rates at 1080p, as shown by the 73 FPS average at High settings. However, for users targeting 1440p or 4K, the combo's rank accurately predicts that it will fall short of the performance needed for a smooth experience on higher presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides the processing foundation for this combo. It has 10 cores and 10 threads, which is a non-hyperthreaded design. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz, and it boosts to 4.90 GHz. The CPU has a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 25891 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3655 in single-core, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4412.

The CPU's role in Control is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution. The evidence is the FPS scaling: if the CPU were limiting performance, the frame rates at 1080p would be closer to those at 4K. Instead, we see a clear increase in FPS as resolution drops, which is the signature of a GPU-bound system.

The CPU's nearest rivals reinforce its position. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has an identical average score (36945, 0% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is only 0.2% faster. The Intel Core i9-12900T is 0.5% slower. This places the Ultra 5 225 in a performance tier with last-generation mid-range and older high-end parts, which is sufficient for gaming. The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3655 Cinebench R23 score, is particularly beneficial for games like Control that rely on a small number of heavily loaded threads.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. On Low settings, it averages 115 FPS. Medium settings reduce the average to 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 94. High settings yield an average of 73 FPS. Ultra settings drop the average to 63 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the combo can handle any preset, though Ultra may dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. Low settings average 87 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 62 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS, indicating occasional stutters. High settings average 55 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. Ultra settings average 48 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action. The data shows that 1440p is playable on Low and Medium presets, but High and Ultra will require compromising on visual quality for smoother motion.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles. Low settings average 59 FPS, which is barely playable. Medium settings average 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS, making the game feel sluggish. High settings average 37 FPS. Ultra settings average 32 FPS, which is not recommended for a playable experience. The 4K results indicate that the GPU is heavily overloaded, and the 8 GB VRAM may be a limiting factor at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 73 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, and provides a significant visual improvement over Medium (82 FPS) and Low (115 FPS). The Ultra preset is not recommended because the 63 FPS average is only marginally higher than High's visual quality at a lower frame rate.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the best balance. It averages 62 FPS, which is playable, and the min FPS of 53 suggests that most of the experience will be smooth. The Low preset (87 FPS) is an option for competitive play, but it sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a game like Control. High (55 FPS) and Ultra (48 FPS) are both below the 60 FPS target and will result in a less fluid experience.

For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, averaging 59 FPS. This is a marginal experience, with the frame rate hovering right at the edge of playability. The Medium preset (42 FPS) is not recommended, and High (37 FPS) and Ultra (32 FPS) are effectively unplayable. If 4K is the target, the data suggests that this combo is not suited for the task, and a GPU with more VRAM and higher compute throughput would be necessary.

In summary, the data indicates that the "sweet spot" for this combo is 1080p High, providing a good balance of visual quality and performance. The system can also handle 1440p Medium for those who prefer higher resolutions, but users should avoid 4K and high presets to maintain a playable frame rate.