Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, presents a demanding mix of physics-based combat and destructible environments. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT delivers a playable experience across most settings, but the data reveals a system that is consistently GPU-bound, with CPU headroom that becomes more apparent only at lower resolutions and settings. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets provide a clear profile of how this specific hardware pairing handles the game’s unique rendering load.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and follows a predictable pattern, clearly indicating that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the primary limiting factor. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 102 FPS at 1920x1080 to 77 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 25 FPS. The jump to 3840x2160 further reduces the average to 52 FPS, a 50 FPS drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling behavior is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution directly impacts the fill rate and pixel processing workload.

The Low preset shows the most dramatic scaling, moving from 162 FPS at 1080p to 123 FPS at 1440p and finally to 83 FPS at 4K. This 79 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings suggests that even when the graphical load is reduced, the GPU’s raw throughput is still the deciding factor. The gap between Medium and High settings is relatively consistent across resolutions, with Medium averaging about 13 FPS higher than High at each resolution step, indicating that the additional visual features in High have a fixed cost rather than a multiplicative one.

The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, shows the steepest relative decline. It starts at 89 FPS at 1080p, drops to 67 FPS at 1440p, and bottoms out at 45 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold, confirms that this combination is not suited for maximum quality at the highest resolution. The data suggests that the RX 7700 XT’s 12 GB of memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game, but the core compute performance, rated at 35.17 TFLOPS, is the bottleneck. The scaling curve is smooth and consistent, with no anomalies that would suggest a CPU limitation at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225, with its 10 cores and 10 threads, provides a solid foundation for Control, but its role in this pairing is largely secondary. The CPU’s boosted clock of 4.90 GHz and architecture based on Arrow Lake ensure that the game’s physics and AI calculations are handled without causing frame drops. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor scores 25,891 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,655 points in single-core, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. This performance level is more than adequate for a game like Control, which is not known for being CPU-intensive.

However, the benchmark results indicate that the CPU’s influence is most noticeable at 1080p with lower settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS reaches 162, a figure that approaches the limits of what the GPU can output. In this scenario, the CPU is better able to feed frames to the GPU, but the GPU’s rendering speed of 549.5 GTexel/s and 244.2 GPixel/s becomes the limiting factor. The Core Ultra 5 225’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache provides ample space for game data, and the dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth ensures that data transfer is not a bottleneck.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with a delta of 0%. This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 is in a performance tier where any CPU-related bottlenecks in Control would be minimal. The fact that the CPU does not have a multiplier unlocked suggests it is not intended for overclocking, but its stock performance is sufficient. In this game, the data shows that the CPU’s role is to maintain a stable frame delivery, which it does effectively, but it is never the component that dictates the maximum frame rate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, and its characteristics directly shape the game’s performance. With a boost clock of 2544 MHz and a game clock of 2171 MHz, the GPU is capable of high throughput, but its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Control’s use of high-resolution textures and complex particle effects means that the GPU’s compute capabilities, measured at 35.17 TFLOPS, are heavily utilized.

The GPU’s benchmark scores show it ranks in the 67th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 22,549. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, which has a delta of -1.5%, indicating the RX 7700 XT is slightly slower in synthetic tests. In actual game performance, the 4K High result of 52 FPS and 1440p Ultra result of 67 FPS demonstrate that the GPU is working near its limits. The 96 ROPs and 216 TMUs are tasked with rendering the game’s detailed environments, and the 54 ray accelerators, while not heavily used in this title, are present for future titles.

The GPU’s 245 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it requires adequate cooling, but the performance data is what matters here. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 73 FPS, which shows that the GPU’s performance scales well with the game’s graphical demands. The GPU’s memory capacity of 12 GB is likely not a limiting factor at 1080p or 1440p, but at 4K Ultra, the combination of high resolution and maximum textures could be pushing the memory subsystem. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy where the GPU is the sole determinant of frame rates, with the CPU providing a stable platform.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combination in Control?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 162 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This shows the system’s peak performance when graphical demands are minimized.

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K resolution with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, at 4K with High settings, the average frame rate is 52 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average drops to 45 FPS, which may be less smooth.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36,938, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F at 36,945, showing a 0% delta. It is also 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and 0.4% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 87 FPS, while the High preset yields 77 FPS. This represents a 10 FPS difference, indicating that the High preset is moderately more demanding.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark data indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a hallmark of GPU-limited performance.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 225 a capable processor for gaming?

A: The CPU is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs and has a single-core score of 3,655 in Cinebench R23. Its performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in Control, as evidenced by the high frame rates at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows its full range of performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 162, providing an exceptionally smooth experience. Medium settings reduce the average to 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS. High settings yield an average of 102 FPS, while Ultra settings bring the average down to 89 FPS. This resolution offers a wide margin of performance, allowing for high frame rates even on the most demanding preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings still provide an average of 123 FPS, which is highly playable. Medium settings average 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 100. High settings average 77 FPS, and Ultra settings average 67 FPS. At this resolution, the system remains capable of delivering a smooth experience on all but the most demanding settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s workload becomes significant. Low settings average 83 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 68. High settings average 52 FPS, and Ultra settings average 45 FPS. This resolution pushes the system, and users will need to compromise on settings to maintain a consistent 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the High preset at 2560x1440 offers a balanced experience, providing an average of 77 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and maintains a good level of visual fidelity. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors at 1920x1080, the Medium preset is recommended, as it provides 115 FPS average and a minimum of 98 FPS, ensuring no significant frame drops.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the highest playable option, with an average of 59 FPS. While this is just below the 60 FPS target, the minimum of 50 FPS suggests that occasional dips may be noticeable. The Low preset at 4K offers a more stable 83 FPS average, but the visual compromise may be significant. For the best visual quality while maintaining performance, the High preset at 1440p is the optimal choice. The Ultra preset is only advisable at 1080p, where it still achieves an average of 89 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 1036 out of 2888 tested combinations in Control. This places it in the upper half of all tested systems, indicating it is a competent gaming setup. The ranking suggests that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it outperforms more than half of the tested combos, which is a solid result for a mid-range to upper-mid-range pairing.

The GPU’s performance, which is in the 67th percentile of all GPUs, is the primary driver of this ranking. The CPU, in the 85th percentile, ensures that the system is not held back by processing power. The proximity of the GPU’s rivals, such as the RTX 2080 with a -1.5% delta, shows that this system is competitive with previous-generation high-end cards. In the context of Control, this ranking demonstrates that the system is well-suited for the game, providing a good balance of CPU and GPU capabilities that results in a satisfying gaming experience overall.