Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 pairing delivers a playable but demanding experience in Control, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck across all tested resolutions. The data shows a capable 1080p performer that struggles to maintain smooth framerates at 4K, making this a combination best suited for high-refresh 1440p or solid 1080p gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable and steep performance decline as resolution increases, a classic indicator of GPU-bound rendering. At 1080p with Low settings, the Arc B570 produces an average of 101 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that average to 76 FPS, a 25% reduction. At 4K Low, the average plummets to 51 FPS, which is only half the 1080p Low score. This scaling pattern is entirely consistent with a graphics card that is being pushed harder as pixel count rises, with the CPU having ample headroom to keep up.

The trend is consistent across all settings. For High settings, the average framerate falls from 63 FPS at 1080p to 48 FPS at 1440p, and then to 32 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset follows a similar trajectory: 55 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. The consistent ~20-30 FPS drop between each resolution step at every preset is a textbook example of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU's performance, as indicated by its strong Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25891, is not the limiting factor here; the data suggests the renderer is waiting on the GPU to complete each frame.

The relative performance gap between settings narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 46 FPS (101 vs 55). At 4K, that gap shrinks to 23 FPS (51 vs 28). This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing the render load through lower settings yields diminishing returns. The framerate is being capped by the sheer pixel throughput of the B570, not by the complexity of the scene.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average framerate this combination achieves in Control?*

A: The highest recorded average framerate is 101 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

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

A: The data indicates 4K is not a viable option for smooth gameplay. The best 4K result is an average of 51 FPS on Low settings, while High and Ultra presets drop to 32 FPS and 28 FPS respectively, which are below the threshold for comfortable play.

Q: How does the Arc B570's performance in this game compare to its direct predecessor?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, placing it 0.1% above the Intel Arc A750, which has an average score of 20582. This makes the B570 a marginal upgrade over the previous generation in overall compute, though the specific in-game performance in Control is what the measured FPS data reflects.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 60 FPS experience?

A: The only resolution and settings combination that consistently hits or exceeds 60 FPS is 1080p. At 1080p, the Low preset averages 101 FPS, Medium averages 71 FPS, and High averages 63 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short with a 55 FPS average. No 1440p or 4K preset reaches a 60 FPS average.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a bottleneck for the Arc B570 in this game?

A: No, the data suggests it is not. The CPU's strong Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25891 and its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicate it has substantial processing power. The steep FPS drops with increasing resolution point to the GPU being the limiting component, not the CPU.

*Q: How does this system rank compared to all other hardware combos tested in Control?*

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2307 out of 2888 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for Control specifically.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the decisive factor in this system's Control performance. Its specifications paint a picture of a mid-range card, and the measured FPS data confirms that its role is to deliver playable framerates at 1080p and 1440p, while being overmatched by 4K. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is sufficient for the textures and assets in Control at 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows it struggles to maintain performance at 4K, where the demand for memory throughput and fill rate increases significantly.

The card's core configuration includes 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. These resources directly translate to the pixel and texture fill rates of 200.0 GPixel/s and 360.0 GTexel/s, respectively. The benchmark results demonstrate that these resources are well-utilized at lower resolutions, but the 4K results, where the average FPS drops to as low as 28 on Ultra settings, indicate that the B570's compute and fill rate capabilities are exhausted when rendering over 8 million pixels per frame. The FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS provides the raw compute power for the game's physics and rendering effects, but it is not enough to sustain high framerates at 4K.

The B570's clock speed holds steady at a 2500 MHz base and boost clock. This consistent clocking ensures that performance scales linearly with resolution and settings, as seen in the measured data. The GPU's average benchmark score of 20556 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster) and the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower). This positioning shows that the B570 is competitive with a previous-generation high-end laptop GPU and a direct predecessor, but it does not have the headroom of higher-tier desktop cards. The data for Control shows that the GPU is the dominant component in determining framerate, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops at higher resolutions regardless of the CPU's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's performance across nine resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the system is most comfortable. The Low preset produces an average of 101 FPS, making for an exceptionally smooth experience. The Medium preset, with a 71 FPS average and a minimum of 61 FPS, also provides a solid 60+ FPS experience. High settings average 63 FPS, which is right at the edge of the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, which is playable but not consistently smooth, indicating that the game's maximum visual quality is a step too far for a locked 60 FPS at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance becomes more demanding. The Low preset yields a 76 FPS average, which is still very good. However, the Medium preset drops to a 54 FPS average, with a minimum of 46 FPS, making it a less stable experience. High settings average 48 FPS, and Ultra settings average 42 FPS. None of the 1440p presets are able to maintain a 60 FPS average, showing that the Arc B570 is starting to hit its limits at this resolution. The jump from 1080p to 1440p is a significant performance hit, with an average drop of roughly 25% across all settings.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overburdened. The Low preset is the only one to break the 50 FPS barrier, averaging 51 FPS. Medium drops to 36 FPS, High to 32 FPS, and Ultra to 28 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded for the 4K Medium preset is 31 FPS, which indicates that the experience is not only slow but also potentially stuttery. This data makes it clear that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware combination in Control, and users would need to significantly lower settings or resolution to achieve playable framerates. The 1080p Medium preset, with a minimum of 61 FPS, offers the best balance of visual quality and performance stability in the entire dataset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 plays a supporting role in this system, providing more than enough processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck in Control. The CPU features 10 cores and 10 threads, running at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This configuration delivers strong single-threaded and multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 scores of 3655 for single-core and 25891 for multi-core. The 85th percentile ranking against all CPUs confirms that this is a high-performing processor for general and gaming tasks.

In the context of Control, a game that is not known for being heavily CPU-dependent, the Core Ultra 5 225 has significant headroom. The measured FPS data shows a steep decline in performance as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU-bound workload. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the framerates would remain relatively flat as resolution changes, since the CPU's work per frame is largely independent of resolution. The fact that FPS drops from 101 at 1080p Low to 51 at 4K Low is a clear indication that the Arc B570 is the component struggling to keep up.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration provides a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which is ample for feeding the GPU. Its PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 lanes ensures high-speed communication with the graphics card. While the data does not isolate CPU usage, the performance scaling pattern strongly suggests that the Core Ultra 5 225 is not a limiting factor. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2% delta), indicating that it sits in a competitive performance tier. For this game, the CPU's role is to ensure the GPU is fed with data, a task it performs without issue, allowing the B570 to be the sole determinant of the framerate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend entirely on the user's target resolution and framerate preference. For a locked 60 FPS experience, the 1920x1080 resolution with the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. This configuration produces an average of 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, ensuring that the framerate stays above the 60 FPS threshold even in demanding scenes. This provides a stable and smooth gameplay experience.

For users who prioritize higher framerates over visual fidelity, the 1920x1080 Low preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 101 FPS. This is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors and provides the most responsive experience. The High preset at 1080p is also viable, with a 63 FPS average, but its minimum FPS may dip below 60 FPS, making the Medium preset the safer choice for consistency.

At 2560x1440, no settings preset can be recommended for a locked 60 FPS experience. The Low preset, with its 76 FPS average, is the best option for playable framerates, but users will have to accept lower visual quality. The Medium preset at 1440p, with a 54 FPS average and a 46 FPS minimum, may be acceptable for some players who prefer visual quality over a perfectly smooth framerate, but it carries the risk of noticeable stutters.

The 3840x2160 resolution is not recommended for this system. Even the Low preset, with its 51 FPS average, is borderline, and any increase in settings leads to unplayable framerates. Users with a 4K display should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept a significant compromise in visual quality. Ultimately, the data recommends the 1080p Medium preset as the "best experience" for the balance it strikes between visual quality and performance stability.