Control

# Control: Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + Intel Arc B370

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the Intel Arc B370 integrated graphics produces a gaming experience in Control that is firmly anchored in the lower tiers of the benchmark database. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings place this combo in the 2657th position out of 2888 tested combinations, indicating that this setup is not designed for high-refresh-rate or high-fidelity gameplay. The data reveals a system where the integrated GPU is the overwhelming constraint, while the capable 10-core processor sits largely underutilized in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K in Control follows a predictable pattern of decline, but the magnitude of the drop reveals critical insights about the system's bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 59 FPS, which drops to 45 FPS at 1440p and further to 30 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K, showing that the integrated GPU's rendering capabilities are severely taxed as pixel count increases.

Moving up the quality presets shows even steeper degradation curves. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 37 FPS at 1080p to 28 FPS at 1440p (a 24% drop) and then to 19 FPS at 4K (a 49% drop from 1080p). The Medium preset tells a similar story: 42 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings yield the lowest absolute numbers, starting at 32 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 25 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 17 FPS at 4K.

The scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions. A CPU-bound scenario would show relatively flat frame rates as resolution increases, but the consistent 24% and 49% reductions across every preset suggest that the Arc B370's shading units, texture mapping units, and raster operations pipelines are saturated. The 20 ROPs and 40 TMUs simply cannot keep pace with the increasing fragment and texture work demanded by higher resolutions. Even at 1080p Low, the system barely reaches 59 FPS, which is close to but not at the 60 FPS threshold that most users consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The fact that dropping from 1080p to 1440p at Low costs 14 FPS (from 59 to 45) and another 15 FPS going to 4K (from 45 to 30) shows that each resolution tier represents a significant increase in pixel shading workload that this iGPU cannot absorb.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its specifications paint a picture of a modest iGPU: 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, 20 ROPs, and 10 ray tracing cores. The boost clock of 2400 MHz with a base clock of 300 MHz allows for dynamic frequency scaling, but the pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are the raw throughput figures that matter for Control's rendering demands.

The memory configuration is "System Shared," which means the GPU relies on the CPU's DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is described as "System Dependent," and with the Core Ultra 5 225's dual-channel memory supporting 102.4 GB/s, the iGPU has access to a relatively narrow memory pipe. This shared memory architecture is a significant constraint in a game like Control, which features complex textures and physics-based rendering. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score of 1184 places this GPU in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, delta -0.5%). These are legacy discrete GPUs from over a decade ago, which contextualizes the Arc B370's position as an entry-level integrated solution.

The FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS and FP16 of 12.29 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) provide the raw compute, but Control's DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) feature set, including ray tracing, places demands that this GPU cannot meet at playable frame rates. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, the system only achieves 59 FPS, and any increase in quality settings or resolution pushes frame rates into the 17-45 FPS range. The 25 W TDP and "IGP" slot width confirm this is not a performance-oriented part, and the lack of a suggested PSU rating further indicates it is designed for basic computing tasks rather than gaming. The 10 RT cores are present but effectively unusable for Control's ray tracing effects given the overall throughput limitations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It features a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a 65 W TDP and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, and it connects to the platform via PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates solid performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and single-core score of 3655 indicate strong computational capabilities. The PassMark multi-thread score of 30459 and single-thread score of 4412 place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (avg score 36945, delta 0%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (avg score 37018, delta -0.2%). The average benchmark score of 36938 is nearly identical to these competitors, showing that the CPU is on par with mid-range desktop processors.

However, in Control, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 59 FPS is likely close to the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability, but the fact that frame rates drop consistently with resolution increases confirms the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads are more than sufficient for Control's threading model, which typically scales well with multi-core processors. The high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core 3655) helps with game logic and draw call processing, but the integrated GPU's limitations mean the CPU rarely has to work at full capacity to feed frames.

The processor's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is shared with the iGPU, which means that the GPU's "System Shared" memory is competing with CPU tasks for the same bandwidth. This can create additional latency in memory-intensive scenes, but the benchmark data does not isolate this effect. The CPU's boost clock of 4.90 GHz provides ample single-thread headroom, and the 20 MB L3 cache helps with data locality, but these advantages are moot when the GPU can only deliver 17-59 FPS depending on settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve in Control?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 59 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. No other resolution or quality preset combination reaches 60 FPS, with the next best being 45 FPS at 1440p Low and 42 FPS at 1080p Medium.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: The data indicates 4K is not playable. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 17 FPS on Ultra to 30 FPS on Low, with Medium producing 21 FPS and High producing 19 FPS. All of these are well below the 30 FPS minimum that many consider the floor for acceptable gameplay.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 5th percentile. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, delta -0.5%), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192, delta -0.7%). It is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168).

Q: What is the CPU's performance ranking relative to other processors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (score 36945, delta 0%), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (score 37018, delta -0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (score 37093, delta -0.4%), and Intel Core i9-12900T (score 37112, delta -0.5%).

Q: Does increasing quality settings from Low to Medium provide a proportional frame rate penalty?

A: No. At 1080p, going from Low (59 FPS) to Medium (42 FPS) costs 17 FPS (29% reduction), while going from Medium to High (37 FPS) costs only 5 FPS (12% reduction), and High to Ultra (32 FPS) costs another 5 FPS (14% reduction). The largest penalty occurs at the lowest quality step, suggesting that Low settings are particularly optimized for the iGPU's capabilities.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2657th out of 2888 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems. This reflects the integrated GPU's limited gaming performance despite the capable CPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2657th out of 2888 tested combinations in Control, which puts it in the bottom 8% of all systems in the database. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's position in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU sits in the 85th percentile. The stark contrast between the CPU's strong synthetic performance and the GPU's weak gaming performance creates a system that is fundamentally unbalanced for Control.

This ranking means that the vast majority of tested combos deliver higher frame rates in Control. The 2657th position out of 2888 indicates that only 231 tested combinations perform worse. The data suggests that this combo is suited for very light gaming at best, and even then, only at 1080p Low settings does it approach a playable 59 FPS average. The gap between this combo and more capable systems is substantial, as the Arc B370's nearest GPU rivals are legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which also struggled with contemporary games when they were current.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals—nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D in average benchmark scores—indicates that the processor is not the limiting factor in this ranking. If paired with a discrete GPU, the Core Ultra 5 225 would likely move this combo significantly higher in the rankings. However, as tested, the iGPU's 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance and shared memory architecture cap the system's gaming potential. The ranking reflects a fundamental mismatch: a modern mid-range CPU paired with an integrated GPU that was never designed for demanding titles like Control.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for the best playable experience. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 59 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS and maximum of 48 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably less smooth. High drops to 37 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS.

At 1440p, the Low preset produces 45 FPS, which may be acceptable for some users, but the Medium preset drops to 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 FPS, which is borderline. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p produce 28 FPS and 25 FPS respectively, which are generally below the playability threshold for an action-adventure game like Control. At 4K, all presets produce frame rates between 17 FPS and 30 FPS, which are not recommended for comfortable gameplay.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p with Low settings, which achieves 59 FPS average. This is the only combination that delivers near-60 FPS performance. For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, 1080p Medium at 42 FPS is the next best option, offering a 36 FPS minimum that keeps the experience mostly smooth. The step from Low to Medium costs 17 FPS, which is significant, but Medium provides improved textures and effects that may be worth the trade-off for some players. Avoid 1440p and 4K entirely unless the user is willing to accept frame rates below 45 FPS, as the iGPU simply cannot sustain playable performance at those resolutions. Given the data, 1080p Low is the recommended preset for this combo, with 1080p Medium as a viable alternative for those who prioritize visuals over frame rate stability.