Control

# Control with Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT delivers a strong 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, with the data showing the GPU as the primary scaling factor as resolution increases. The combo ranks 852nd out of 2,888 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems tested for this title, with benchmark results indicating a capable pairing that maintains playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 852 out of 2,888 tested combinations places it comfortably in the 70th percentile of all systems tested for Control. This positioning reflects a pairing where the CPU’s 85th percentile standing among all processors and the GPU’s 85th percentile among all graphics cards combine to produce a system that handles this title well above average. The rank suggests that roughly 70% of tested configurations deliver lower performance in Control, while about 30% achieve higher frame rates.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 sits in a tight competitive cluster based on its average benchmark score of 36,938. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, scores 36,945, a negligible 0% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D trails by just 0.2% with a score of 37,018, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is 0.4% behind at 37,093. The Intel Core i9-12900T rounds out the nearest rivals at 37,112, a 0.5% gap. This clustering indicates that the Ultra 5 225 delivers performance squarely in line with these comparable processors, and in Control specifically, the combination’s rank reflects this competitive positioning.

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT shows a slightly wider spread against its nearest rivals. The NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile scores 47,743, putting it 1.5% behind the RX 6800 XT’s 48,477 average. The Intel Arc A550M leads by 2.5% with 49,737, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 both post scores around 49,957–50,001, roughly 3% ahead. This places the RX 6800 XT near the lower end of its immediate competitive group, though the differences remain modest in overall terms.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT brings 16 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration proves well-suited to Control’s demands, as the game’s textured environments and physics-heavy scenes benefit from the ample frame buffer. The GPU’s clock behavior shows a base clock of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, with memory running at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective).

The GPU’s architectural foundation rests on RDNA 2.0 with the Navi 21 chip, built on a 7 nm process from TSMC with 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die. The 4,608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 128 raster operation pipelines provide the raw throughput necessary for Control’s visual effects. The 72 ray accelerators handle the game’s ray-traced reflections and lighting effects, though the measured data does not isolate ray tracing performance specifically.

In Control, the GPU’s influence becomes increasingly dominant as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom, and the GPU determines the ceiling. At 4K, the GPU’s workload intensifies substantially, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The measured results show the GPU handling the transition from 1080p to 1440p with a moderate frame rate cost, then a more pronounced drop moving to 4K, consistent with a graphics card that remains the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that identifies the GPU as the limiting component in this pairing. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 113 FPS at 1080p to 86 FPS at 1440p, a 24% reduction, then to 58 FPS at 4K, a further 33% reduction from 1440p. This progressive decline with each resolution step indicates that the RX 6800 XT is increasingly strained as pixel count rises.

The Low settings row shows the most dramatic scaling, with 179 FPS at 1080p dropping to 136 FPS at 1440p (a 24% decrease) and further to 92 FPS at 4K (a 32% decrease from 1440p). The percentage drops remain consistent across settings, suggesting the scaling behavior is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven. This consistency points to the GPU’s pixel throughput as the determining factor.

Medium settings follow the same trajectory: 127 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p (24% lower), and 65 FPS at 4K (32% lower). Ultra settings show 98 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p (24% lower), and 50 FPS at 4K (32% lower). The uniform percentage drops across all four settings presets reinforce that resolution, not graphical complexity, drives the performance scaling in this configuration.

The 4K to 1080p ratio at each setting reveals the GPU’s workload scaling. At High settings, 4K delivers 51% of the 1080p frame rate. At Low settings, 4K achieves 51% of 1080p as well. This consistency across settings indicates a GPU-bound scenario where the RX 6800 XT’s capabilities define the performance envelope, with the CPU contributing minimal additional constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the data shows a full range of performance across settings. Low settings produce an average of 179 FPS, providing substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings average 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 FPS and maximum of 146 FPS, indicating smooth frame delivery. High settings average 113 FPS, while Ultra settings average 98 FPS. All 1080p configurations exceed 90 FPS on average, making this resolution thoroughly playable at any preset.

Moving to 1440p, the averages remain strong. Low settings achieve 136 FPS, Medium settings average 96 FPS with a range of 82 to 111 FPS, High settings deliver 86 FPS, and Ultra settings average 74 FPS. The 1440p results show that even the most demanding preset keeps the average above 70 FPS, which suits most gaming monitors at this resolution.

At 4K, performance becomes more constrained. Low settings average 92 FPS, Medium settings average 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and maximum of 75 FPS, High settings average 58 FPS, and Ultra settings average 50 FPS. The 4K results indicate that Medium settings provide the best balance, with the minimum staying above 55 FPS, while Ultra dips to exactly 50 FPS on average, which remains technically playable but approaches the edge of smooth gameplay.

The Medium settings rows across all resolutions include min/max data, providing insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the 108–146 FPS range shows tight consistency. At 1440p Medium, 82–111 FPS maintains a similar relative spread. At 4K Medium, 55–75 FPS shows the widest relative variance, indicating that the GPU’s workload at this resolution introduces more frame time fluctuation.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Control?

A: This combination ranks 852nd out of 2,888 tested configurations, placing it in the upper third of all systems for this game.

Q: What is the best resolution for maintaining high frame rates?

A: At 1080p, all settings presets average above 98 FPS, with Low reaching 179 FPS. At 1440p, all presets stay above 74 FPS, while 4K drops to 58 FPS at High and 50 FPS at Ultra.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in Control?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor. Frame rates drop by approximately 24% from 1080p to 1440p and another 32% from 1440p to 4K consistently across all settings, a pattern characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What settings preset provides the most consistent frame delivery at 4K?

A: Medium settings at 4K show an average of 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and maximum of 75 FPS, providing the most stable experience among the 4K presets.

Q: How does the RX 6800 XT compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 6800 XT’s average benchmark score of 48,477 places it 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile, but 2.5% behind the Intel Arc A550M and roughly 3% behind both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64.

Q: What CPU performance tier does the Core Ultra 5 225 occupy?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36,938 on average, essentially matching the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F at 36,945 (0% difference) and sitting within 0.5% of its other nearest rivals.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides 10 cores and 10 threads based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process from TSMC. The CPU’s base clock runs at 3.30 GHz with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, supported by a 65 W TDP. Cache configuration includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache, totaling a die size of 243 mm² with 17,800 million transistors.

In Control, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, as the game’s demanding visual effects and physics calculations place the primary load on the graphics card. The processor’s single-thread performance, shown by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,655 and PassMark single-thread score of 4,412, provides sufficient responsiveness for the game’s gameplay logic and scene management. The multi-threaded capabilities, demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25,891 and PassMark multithread score of 30,459, handle background tasks and any CPU-side calculations the game requires.

The CPU’s 85th percentile ranking among all processors indicates strong overall capability, with an average benchmark score of 36,938. Its nearest rivals cluster tightly, with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F at 36,945 (0% delta), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D at 37,018 (-0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at 37,093 (-0.4%), and Intel Core i9-12900T at 37,112 (-0.5%). This grouping shows the Ultra 5 225 performing in a narrow band relative to comparable processors.

The CPU’s memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate data throughput for feeding the GPU. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 CPU lanes ensures the RX 6800 XT’s PCIe 4.0 x16 connection operates without bandwidth constraints. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU remains unused in this configuration but confirms the CPU’s modern feature set.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data supports a clear hierarchy of settings based on resolution and target frame rates. At 1080p, the Ultra preset averaging 98 FPS provides the best experience for users prioritizing visual quality, as it remains well above 60 FPS while delivering the most demanding graphical features. For competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays, the Low preset at 179 FPS offers maximum frame throughput.

At 1440p, the Medium preset averaging 96 FPS with a minimum of 82 FPS offers the strongest combination of visual fidelity and performance stability. The High preset at 86 FPS remains viable, while Ultra at 74 FPS still clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably. Users with 144 Hz monitors at 1440p may prefer Low at 136 FPS for smoother motion, accepting reduced visual quality.

At 4K, the Medium preset stands out as the recommended choice, averaging 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS. This provides the most balanced experience, keeping frame rates near the 60 FPS target while maintaining moderate visual quality. The High preset at 58 FPS dips below 60 FPS on average, and Ultra at 50 FPS falls further from the ideal threshold. Low at 92 FPS offers a high-frame-rate option for 4K users who prioritize smoothness over visuals.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset delivers the most consistent frame delivery, as evidenced by the min/max data showing tighter ranges relative to the averages. This consistency makes Medium the safest recommendation for users seeking predictable performance, particularly at 1440p and 4K where the GPU workload intensifies. The data indicates that this combination excels at 1080p and 1440p with high settings, while 4K users should moderate expectations and select Medium for the best experience.