Control

Intel Core Ultra 5 225 pairs with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT to deliver a mid-pack experience in Control, landing at rank 1484 out of 2888 tested combos. The processor’s 10 cores and 10 threads operate within a 65 W TDP envelope, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This Arrow Lake-S architecture chip, built on a 3 nm process from TSMC, provides 20 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core. Its dual-channel DDR5 memory support offers 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for feeding the GPU in this title. The CPU’s single-thread performance is strong, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, while multi-core throughput reaches 25891 in the same test. In Passmark’s suite, the processor posts a single-thread score of 4412 and a multithread score of 30459, placing it at the 85th percentile among all CPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ultra 5 225 sits within a tight band: it matches the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with a 0% delta, trails the Ryzen 5 5500X3D by just 0.2%, and lags the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 by 0.4% and the Core i9-12900T by 0.5% in average benchmark scores.

The 10-core, 10-thread configuration means the CPU relies on a mix of performance and efficiency cores, but for Control, the key factor is single-core speed, which drives the game’s physics and logic. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU’s headroom becomes more relevant, as the GPU can push frames faster, but the data suggests the RX 6700 XT still dominates the bottleneck at most settings. The lack of hyper-threading (10 threads for 10 cores) could theoretically limit heavily threaded workloads, but Control is not a title that scales well beyond a handful of threads, so the impact remains minimal. The processor’s 85th percentile standing indicates it sits comfortably above average for overall compute tasks, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 shows it can handle background tasks without interfering with game performance. The 4.90 GHz boost clock is the more critical spec here, as it ensures the CPU keeps up with the GPU’s demands even in fast-paced scenes with destructible environments and particle effects.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, based on the Navi 22 chip and RDNA 2.0 architecture, brings 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock runs at 2321 MHz, boosting to 2581 MHz, with a game clock of 2424 MHz and memory operating at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). The GPU features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units, along with 40 ray tracing cores. Pixel rate reaches 165.2 GPixel/s, and texture rate hits 413.0 GTexel/s, while FP32 performance sits at 13.21 TFLOPS. The card’s 230 W TDP requires a 550 W suggested PSU and uses a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector configuration. In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 6700 XT scores 19786 in Passmark’s G3D test and 9336 in GPU compute, placing it at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals show a tight race: the RTX 4070 Mobile matches with a 0% delta, the RTX 3090 trails by 0.5%, the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is 1.1% ahead, and the Radeon Pro Vega 20 lags by 1.5%, based on average scores around 27425.

For Control, the GPU’s 12 GB VRAM is more than adequate, as the game’s highest preset at 4K only demands moderate memory usage, leaving headroom for future texture packs or background applications. The 384.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that the card can feed its 2560 shading units efficiently, which is crucial for the game’s heavy use of volumetric lighting and physics-based debris. At 1080p, the RX 6700 XT shows its strength, delivering 141 FPS on Low settings and 89 FPS on High, indicating that the GPU is rarely the limiting factor at this resolution. The RDNA 2.0 architecture’s ray tracing capabilities are present but not the focus here, as the benchmark data only reflects rasterized performance. The GPU’s 72nd percentile standing suggests it outperforms roughly a quarter of all graphics cards, and its 13.21 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is substantial for a card in this class. The 2581 MHz boost clock provides the raw speed needed to maintain high frame rates, though the measured results show diminishing returns as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

This Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT combination ranks 1484th out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it just past the midpoint of the database. The rank reflects a balance where the CPU’s strong single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655) and the GPU’s solid rasterization power combine to produce playable results across most settings. The CPU’s 85th percentile and GPU’s 72nd percentile suggest a reasonable pairing, though the GPU slightly lags in relative standing, which aligns with the observed frame rates. In the context of all tested configurations, this combo sits in the lower-middle tier, meaning it will handle 1080p and 1440p well but struggles with 4K on higher presets. The rank of 1484 indicates that roughly 51% of tested combos outperform this pairing, while 49% fall below, making it a typical mid-range setup for a game released in 2019.

The deltaPct values for both components’ nearest rivals highlight how close this hardware is to its peers. The CPU matches the Ryzen 5 5600F exactly, and the GPU matches the RTX 4070 Mobile, so swapping either component for a direct rival would yield nearly identical results in Control. This combo’s rank is therefore not a reflection of poor performance but rather a crowded field where many mid-range parts deliver similar FPS. The data shows that the combo’s position is driven more by the GPU’s limits at high resolutions than any CPU deficiency, as evidenced by the 40 FPS average at 4K Ultra versus 141 FPS at 1080p Low. For users targeting 1440p, this rank is acceptable, but for 4K enthusiasts, higher-tier GPUs would be necessary to climb the rankings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. On Low settings, the average FPS hits 141, providing a buttery-smooth experience for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings drop the average to 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 and maximum of 115, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings yield 89 FPS on average, while Ultra settings reduce the average to 77 FPS. These numbers show that the RX 6700 XT has ample headroom at 1080p, and the CPU’s 4.90 GHz boost clock ensures no bottlenecking, even in scenes with heavy physics calculations. The step from Low to Ultra costs 64 FPS, a 45% reduction, but even the lowest figure remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to feel the load. Low settings still produce an impressive 107 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for most displays. Medium settings lower the average to 76 FPS, with a minimum of 65 and maximum of 87, showing a tighter distribution than at 1080p. High settings deliver 67 FPS on average, just above the 60 FPS target, while Ultra settings drop to 59 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutters on fixed-refresh-rate monitors. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 24-26% of performance across all settings, indicating that the GPU is scaling as expected with pixel count. At 1440p Ultra, the 59 FPS average suggests that users should consider High settings for a more consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings yield 72 FPS on average, which is playable but not ideal for a 4K display. Medium settings drop to 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 59, showing that the GPU is nearing its limits. High settings average 46 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 40 FPS, making the game feel sluggish and impacting responsiveness. The 4K results reveal that the RX 6700 XT’s 13.21 TFLOPS of compute power is insufficient for demanding presets at this resolution, and the 384.0 GB/s bandwidth becomes a bottleneck. For 4K gaming, users would need to stick with Low settings or consider a more powerful GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K follows a predictable curve, but the magnitude varies by settings. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 141 at 1080p to 107 at 1440p (a 24% decrease) and then to 72 at 4K (a 49% decrease from 1080p). This suggests that at Low settings, the GPU is still the primary limiting factor, as the CPU’s performance headroom is not fully utilized even at 1080p. At High settings, the drop is steeper: from 89 at 1080p to 67 at 1440p (a 25% decrease) and 46 at 4K (a 48% decrease from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings indicates that the scaling is resolution-bound rather than setting-bound, which points to the GPU’s pixel throughput as the bottleneck.

At Ultra settings, the pattern continues, with FPS falling from 77 at 1080p to 59 at 1440p (a 23% decrease) and 40 at 4K (a 48% decrease from 1080p). This uniform ~50% reduction from 1080p to 4K across all presets is a strong indicator that the RX 6700 XT’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, not the CPU. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225’s single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 score of 3655) is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at any resolution, as evidenced by the fact that FPS scales almost purely with pixel count. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to plateau or drop less steeply at lower resolutions, but the data shows a consistent linear scaling. This analysis confirms that for this combo, the GPU is the constraining component, particularly at 1440p and 4K, where the 384.0 GB/s bandwidth and 2560 shading units are stretched thin.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, High settings (89 FPS) offer the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, as the jump to Ultra only costs 12 FPS (from 89 to 77) while providing marginal visual gains. Medium settings at 100 FPS are also excellent for users with 144Hz monitors, but High provides a more immersive experience without sacrificing smoothness. For competitive play, Low settings at 141 FPS are ideal, but most users will find High to be the sweet spot, as it maintains frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold while showcasing the game’s detailed environments.

At 2560x1440, High settings (67 FPS) are the recommended preset, as they stay above the 60 FPS target while delivering strong visuals. Ultra settings at 59 FPS are borderline, and the 8 FPS difference from High may not justify the potential for micro-stutters on standard 60Hz displays. Medium settings at 76 FPS provide a safer margin for variable-refresh-rate monitors, but High offers a better balance of quality and performance. Users with 120Hz+ 1440p displays may need to drop to Medium to fully utilize their refresh rate, but the data suggests High is the best overall choice for most users.

At 3840x2160, Low settings (72 FPS) are the only viable option for a smooth experience, as Medium (51 FPS) and High (46 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings at 40 FPS are not recommended, as the gameplay will feel sluggish and unresponsive. For 4K users, the RX 6700 XT’s limitations are clear, and the 12 GB VRAM does not compensate for the lack of raw compute power at this resolution. If 4K is a priority, users should consider lowering the resolution or upgrading the GPU, but within this combo’s constraints, Low settings at 4K provide the best playable experience, with the 72 FPS average ensuring that the game remains fluid even during intense combat sequences.