Control

Control is an action-adventure title from 2019 that stresses both CPU and GPU depending on resolution and preset, and the measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 shows a combination that is consistently playable at high frame rates, though the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution climbs. The benchmark results place this pairing at rank 819 out of 2888 tested combos, which is a strong showing that puts it in the upper third of all systems tested for this game. The Core Ultra 5 225, a 10-core, 10-thread Arrow Lake desktop processor with a 65 W TDP, provides enough headroom at lower resolutions, while the Radeon RX 9070, with its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and RDNA 4.0 architecture, carries the load at 4K. Across the twelve measured configurations — four presets at three resolutions — the combo never dips below 51 FPS average, and at 1080p Low it reaches 182 FPS average, demonstrating that this system is well-suited for Control across a wide range of visual settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination achieves a combo rank of 819 out of 2888 tested configurations in Control, placing it comfortably within the top 28% of all systems evaluated. This is a meaningful result because it reflects real measured performance in this specific game rather than synthetic aggregate scores, and the data indicates that the pairing is balanced enough to avoid severe bottlenecks at any tested resolution. The CPU’s percentile rank against all processors is 85, meaning it outperforms 85% of CPUs in the database, while the GPU’s percentile is 69; the slight imbalance toward the CPU suggests that in Control, the graphics card will often be the component that determines final frame rates, especially at higher presets. Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 225 scores an average benchmark of 36938, which is essentially identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2% delta). The data shows that the Intel part is statistically tied with these alternatives in general compute, so any differences in Control frame rates would come from the GPU and game-specific behavior rather than CPU headroom. For the GPU, the Radeon RX 9070’s average benchmark score is 23877, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (23736, 0.6% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (24063, -0.8% delta), indicating that the RX 9070 sits in a performance tier where small percentage differences separate it from older flagship and newer midrange parts. In Control specifically, the combo rank of 819 suggests that while this system is not at the very top of the leaderboard, it delivers frame rates that are competitive with a large majority of tested configurations, and the measured FPS data confirms that it handles the game’s demands without falling into unplayable territory at any preset or resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the dominant component in this pairing for Control, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance patterns. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Control’s texture-heavy environments and particle effects at 4K resolution. The boost clock of 2520 MHz, with a game clock of 2070 MHz and base clock of 1330 MHz, allows the card to sustain high throughput in sustained gaming workloads, and the 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 128 ROPs provide the raw compute necessary for the game’s physics-based combat and destructible environments. The RX 9070’s architecture is RDNA 4.0 on a 4 nm process from TSMC, with 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which Control can leverage for advanced rendering features. In the measured data, the GPU’s influence is most obvious when comparing 1080p and 4K results. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo hits 182 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at high rates, but at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average drops to 51 FPS, showing that the RX 9070 is working near its limits. The GPU’s passmark G3D score of 25381 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 are consistent with a card that performs well in modern titles but is not a top-tier halo product; its percentile of 69 against all GPUs places it above the majority of cards but below the elite segment. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is particularly relevant for Control because the game’s high-resolution textures and dynamic lighting can consume significant memory, and the measured 4K High preset at 59 FPS average indicates that the card is not running out of memory, as that would typically cause severe stuttering or frame drops beyond the 56 FPS minimum seen at 4K Medium. The power delivery, rated at 220 W TDP with a suggested 550 W PSU, is sufficient to keep the card stable during extended sessions, and the dual-slot design with two 8-pin connectors is standard for this performance class.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern where the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom at lower settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 182 FPS average, which drops to 137 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 93 FPS at 3840x2160 Low. This represents a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which is a substantial but expected decline given the fourfold increase in pixel count. At High settings, the scaling is similar: 115 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4K, a 49% drop from 1080p to 4K as well. The consistency of this percentage across Low and High presets suggests that the RX 9070 is the primary bottleneck, as CPU-bound scenarios would show less scaling with resolution. However, at Medium settings, the scaling is slightly more pronounced: 129 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 66 FPS at 4K, which is a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K as well. Ultra settings show the largest relative drop: 100 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K, a 49% decline. The uniformity of these drops — all around 49-51% from 1080p to 4K — strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component across all presets, because if the CPU were the constraint, the 4K results would show a smaller percentage decline relative to 1080p. The 1080p Low result of 182 FPS average suggests that the Core Ultra 5 225, with its 10 cores and 10 threads running at up to 4.90 GHz boost, can push well beyond 180 FPS in this game when the GPU is not heavily taxed, but the RX 9070 cannot maintain those rates at higher resolutions. The 1440p results are particularly interesting because they show a sweet spot: 137 FPS at Low, 98 FPS at Medium, 87 FPS at High, and 75 FPS at Ultra, all of which are above 60 FPS and most above 75 FPS, making 1440p a viable resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 4K, only the Low preset (93 FPS) and Medium preset (66 FPS) exceed 60 FPS average, while High (59 FPS) and Ultra (51 FPS) fall below that threshold, meaning users targeting 60 FPS at 4K will need to use Medium or lower settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all twelve combinations of resolution and settings, with average FPS figures for every configuration and minimum/maximum values available for Medium presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 182 FPS average on Low settings, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset and indicates that the system is well-suited for competitive or high-refresh-rate play at 1080p. Moving to Medium at 1080p, the average drops to 129 FPS with a minimum of 110 FPS and a maximum of 148 FPS, showing a stable frame delivery with a 19 FPS range between min and max. High settings at 1080p yield 115 FPS average, and Ultra settings yield 100 FPS average, meaning that even at the highest preset, the system remains well above 60 FPS at 1080p. At 2560x1440, the results follow a similar pattern but with lower absolute numbers: Low settings produce 137 FPS average, Medium produces 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 112 FPS, High produces 87 FPS average, and Ultra produces 75 FPS average. The 1440p Medium result is notable because the minimum of 83 FPS is still comfortably above 60 FPS, indicating that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains playable frame rates. At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly: Low settings yield 93 FPS average, Medium yields 66 FPS average with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS, High yields 59 FPS average, and Ultra yields 51 FPS average. The 4K Medium result shows a minimum of 56 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that occasional dips may be noticeable in intense combat scenarios. The 4K High result of 59 FPS average and 4K Ultra result of 51 FPS average both fall below 60 FPS, so users prioritizing smooth 4K gameplay should opt for Medium settings or lower. Across all twelve configurations, the spread between 1080p Low (182 FPS) and 4K Ultra (51 FPS) is a 131 FPS difference, which illustrates the dramatic impact of resolution and preset on this system’s performance in Control.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user’s target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080 displays, the Ultra preset at 100 FPS average is the best choice because it delivers the highest visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds 60 FPS and is suitable for 100 Hz monitors. If the user has a 144 Hz or 165 Hz display, the High preset at 115 FPS average or Medium preset at 129 FPS average would be preferable, with Medium offering a 14 FPS advantage over High. The Low preset at 182 FPS average is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rates matter more than visual fidelity, as it provides a 53 FPS improvement over Ultra but at significantly reduced graphical quality. For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset at 75 FPS average is viable for 60 Hz displays and provides the best visual experience, but for 144 Hz monitors, the High preset at 87 FPS average or Medium preset at 98 FPS average are better options, with Medium offering a 23 FPS advantage over Ultra. The 1440p Medium result of 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS ensures that frame times remain consistent, making it the recommended preset for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming. For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 66 FPS average is the only setting that exceeds 60 FPS, and even then, the minimum of 56 FPS means that occasional dips below 60 FPS are possible. The Low preset at 93 FPS average provides a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS but sacrifices visual quality. Users with 4K displays should choose Medium settings for a balance of quality and performance, or Low settings if they prioritize consistent frame rates above all else. The High preset at 59 FPS average and Ultra preset at 51 FPS average are not recommended for 4K because they fall below the 60 FPS threshold, which can result in noticeable stuttering on standard 60 Hz displays. Overall, the data suggests that this system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates at high or ultra settings, while 4K gaming requires reduced settings to maintain smooth performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, with all four presets exceeding 75 FPS average — Low at 137 FPS, Medium at 98 FPS, High at 87 FPS, and Ultra at 75 FPS. At 1080p, frame rates are higher (up to 182 FPS on Low), but the visual upgrade to 1440p is significant. At 4K, only Low (93 FPS) and Medium (66 FPS) exceed 60 FPS average, limiting options.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 225 compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36938 in average benchmark, which is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F at 36945 (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D at 37018 (-0.2% delta). The Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112 (-0.5% delta), meaning all four CPUs perform within 0.5% of each other in general benchmarks, so in Control, the GPU is the differentiating factor.

Q: Is the Radeon RX 9070 powerful enough for 4K gaming in Control?

A: The RX 9070 can handle 4K in Control, but with limitations. At 4K Low, it achieves 93 FPS average; at 4K Medium, 66 FPS average with a minimum of 56 FPS; at 4K High, 59 FPS average; and at 4K Ultra, 51 FPS average. For consistent 60+ FPS at 4K, users must use Medium settings or lower, as High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for Medium settings at each resolution?

A: The measured minimum FPS values for Medium settings are 110 FPS at 1920x1080, 83 FPS at 2560x1440, and 56 FPS at 3840x2160. The corresponding maximum values are 148 FPS at 1080p, 112 FPS at 1440p, and 76 FPS at 4K. This shows that even at 4K Medium, the system can dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution in Control?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at all tested resolutions. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is consistently around 49% across Low, Medium, High, and Ultra presets, which indicates that the RX 9070 cannot maintain higher frame rates as pixel count increases. The Core Ultra 5 225, with a 10-core/10-thread configuration and 4.90 GHz boost clock, provides sufficient headroom at 1080p Low where the combo reaches 182 FPS average.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations, and what does that mean?

A: The combo ranks 819 out of 2888 tested configurations in Control, placing it in the top 28% of all systems. This rank reflects the balanced performance of the Core Ultra 5 225 and Radeon RX 9070, which together deliver playable frame rates at all tested settings, with only the highest 4K presets falling below 60 FPS average.