Control

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node from TSMC. Its base clock runs at 3.30 GHz, boosting up to 4.90 GHz, and it carries 20 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 3 MB of L2 cache per core. This CPU sits in the 85th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 36,938, placing it in direct competition with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (which scores 36,945, a 0% delta) and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018, -0.2% delta) and Intel Core i9-12900T (37,112, -0.5% delta).

For Control, a game that relies heavily on physics simulations and destructible environments, the CPU's single-thread performance is critical. The Core Ultra 5 225 delivers a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,655, which is notably strong. Multi-core performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25,891 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 30,459. The processor handles the game's asynchronous compute tasks and AI-driven enemy behaviors without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions, where frame rates are higher and the CPU must feed the GPU more quickly.

The 65 W TDP indicates an efficient part, and the dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provides ample headroom for the game's streaming of textures and geometry. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 148 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is keeping pace with the GPU's output. The architecture's 10 threads are sufficient for Control, which is not heavily threaded but benefits from high clocks per core. The 4.90 GHz boost clock is particularly relevant here, as the game's physics calculations are largely serial in nature.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a Navi 32 chip manufactured on a 5 nm TSMC process. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1900 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. Memory runs at 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective). With 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, the card produces 25.18 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and achieves a pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s.

In the GPU benchmark landscape, the RX 7700 sits in the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15,852. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15,862, -0.1% delta) and AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16,014, -1% delta), while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16,129, -1.7% delta) is slightly ahead. This places the RX 7700 in a competitive mid-range position, though its 16 GB VRAM is a significant advantage for Control's high-resolution textures.

The game's performance at 4K Ultra (41 FPS average) versus 4K Low (76 FPS average) shows a 46% drop purely from settings changes, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint at this resolution. The 16 GB frame buffer prevents VRAM limits from being an issue even at 4K Ultra, as Control's texture pools are large but fit comfortably within this capacity. The RDNA 3.0 architecture's ray tracing capabilities are present (40 RT cores), though the measured results do not separately track RT performance, so the data reflects rasterization performance only.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 93 FPS average; at 1440p High, it drops to 71 FPS (a 23.7% reduction); and at 4K High, it falls to 48 FPS (a 48.4% reduction from 1080p). This scaling is consistent with a GPU-limited scenario, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution, but the GPU's pixel and shading workload grows quadratically.

Looking at Low settings across resolutions: 1080p Low hits 148 FPS, 1440p Low drops to 112 FPS (24.3% lower), and 4K Low reaches 76 FPS (48.6% lower than 1080p). The percentage drops are remarkably consistent between High and Low settings, which reinforces that the GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS penalty from 1080p to 1440p would be much smaller, as the CPU would still be producing the same frame rate regardless of resolution.

The Medium preset shows the same trend: 105 FPS at 1080p, 80 FPS at 1440p (23.8% drop), and 54 FPS at 4K (48.6% drop). This uniformity across presets is a strong indicator that the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is not constraining performance in Control at any resolution. Even at 1080p Low with 148 FPS, the CPU has headroom, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate scales cleanly with resolution.

The 4K Medium row includes minimum and maximum FPS values (46 min, 62 max), showing a relatively tight frame time distribution. At 1440p Medium, the range is 68 to 92 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it's 89 to 121 FPS. These ranges suggest consistent frame pacing with no stuttering, which is typical of a well-balanced combo where the GPU is the primary performance determinant.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1,294 out of 2,888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 55.2nd percentile of all tested systems. This is a slightly above-median result, which is noteworthy given that the CPU and GPU individually sit in the 85th and 58th percentiles respectively. The combo's ranking being lower than the CPU's percentile but close to the GPU's percentile confirms that the GPU is the performance limiter in this pairing.

The data suggests that this combo is well-matched for Control at 1440p, where it achieves 71 FPS on High settings — a smooth experience for a game that emphasizes atmospheric action. At 4K, the combo falls below the 60 FPS threshold on High settings (48 FPS), requiring settings adjustments for playable frame rates. The rank of 1,294 out of 2,888 means that roughly 1,594 combos perform better, but the 16 GB VRAM and strong CPU give this pairing headroom in other games that may be more CPU-intensive.

Compared to other combos in the database, the 55th percentile ranking for a game like Control — which is known for its demanding physics and lighting — indicates that this mid-range pairing delivers a competent experience without excelling at the highest settings. The GPU's 58th percentile standing is the primary driver of this result, as the CPU's 85th percentile would place higher in CPU-bound scenarios.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 148 FPS average, which is exceptionally smooth for a game with this level of visual fidelity. Medium settings yield 105 FPS average with a range of 89 to 121 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings drop to 93 FPS average, still well above playable levels. Ultra settings bring the average down to 81 FPS, which remains fluid and demonstrates the GPU's capability at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected reduction. Low settings achieve 112 FPS average, which is excellent for 1440p gaming. Medium settings produce 80 FPS average with a range of 68 to 92 FPS, keeping frame times consistent. High settings deliver 71 FPS average, which is just above the 60 FPS target and appropriate for a quality experience. Ultra settings drop to 61 FPS average, sitting right at the threshold of smoothness — this is the settings level where users must decide between visual quality and frame rate stability.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings achieve 76 FPS average, which is playable but not optimal for a game with fast-paced combat. Medium settings produce 54 FPS average with a range of 46 to 62 FPS, meaning some moments will dip below 50 FPS. High settings drop to 48 FPS average, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings fall to 41 FPS average, which is below the threshold for a good experience in Control's action sequences.

The frame ranges at Medium settings across all resolutions are notably consistent in their spread: roughly 15-17 FPS between minimum and maximum. This indicates that the game's performance variability is manageable and not prone to sudden spikes or drops, which is important for a title with unpredictable physics interactions.

# Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For 1080p, the High preset at 93 FPS average offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 81 FPS is also viable, but the 12.9% FPS gain from dropping to High is unlikely to be visually noticeable in most scenes. Medium at 105 FPS is an option for users prioritizing frame rate, but High provides a more complete visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1440p, the High preset at 71 FPS is the recommended choice. It provides a 16.4% improvement over Ultra's 61 FPS while maintaining a visually rich presentation. The Medium preset at 80 FPS is a viable alternative for users who prioritize frame rate stability, but the difference between 71 and 80 FPS is marginal in practice. Ultra at 61 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes with many destructible objects.

For 4K, the Low preset at 76 FPS is the only measured option that consistently stays above 60 FPS. Medium at 54 FPS is the best visual quality that remains reasonably playable, though users should expect occasional dips into the 40s based on the 46 FPS minimum. High at 48 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced exploration but will struggle during combat sequences. Ultra at 41 FPS is not recommended for gameplay, as Control's action requires responsive frame rates.

The overall best experience across all resolutions is the 1440p High preset at 71 FPS. This provides a substantial visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining frame rates that are smooth for the game's physics-heavy gameplay. For users with 1080p displays, the High preset at 93 FPS is the standout choice. At 4K, users should accept the Low preset for reliable performance or Medium for a visual compromise, understanding that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.