Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER pairing in Control delivers a playable experience that scales predictably across resolutions, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck at higher settings. The data shows a combination that is capable at 1080p and 1440p, but the 8 GB frame buffer and older Turing architecture limit 4K performance to sub-60 fps averages.

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 3.30 GHz base clock and a 4.90 GHz boost clock. This is a modern chip, released in January 2025, and it sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall processing power. In synthetic workloads, the processor scores 25,891 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,655 in single-core, with a PassMark multithread score of 30,459. These figures position the CPU well ahead of typical mid-range parts, and its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, matches its average benchmark score almost exactly with a 0% delta.

In Control, the game’s physics-heavy combat scenarios and destructible environments can stress the CPU, but the benchmark results suggest the Core Ultra 5 225 is not the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 130 fps on average, and at Medium settings it hits 92 fps. These numbers indicate that the processor has ample headroom to feed the GPU even at lower graphical presets where CPU load is proportionally higher. The 10-core layout with 10 threads means no hyper-threading, but the high boost clock and modern architecture compensate effectively; the data shows no scenario where the CPU appears to cap performance.

The processor’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide solid memory latency characteristics for gaming. The dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for Control’s streaming requirements. The CPU’s 65 W TDP and PCIe Gen 5 support are forward-looking, but for this game, the key takeaway is that the Core Ultra 5 225 delivers consistent frame pacing without bottlenecking the RTX 2070 SUPER. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the game demands more from the GPU, the average of 71 fps implies the CPU is not struggling; instead, the GPU’s limits are becoming visible.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is an end-of-life Turing-generation card with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 1770 MHz, and it houses 2,560 shading units alongside 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. The GPU sits in the 65th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 20,282. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc B570, which trails by 1.3% in average score, and the RTX 3070 Mobile at 1.2% behind, making the desktop 2070 SUPER a competitive mid-range performer.

In Control, the GPU’s role is decisive. The game’s particle effects, real-time reflections, and physics interactions place heavy demand on the rasterization pipeline. The 8 GB VRAM is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the data reveals a clear limitation. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS drops to 47 with a minimum of 40, and at High settings it falls further to 42. Ultra at 4K produces just 36 fps. These results indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s memory bandwidth and compute throughput are inadequate for 4K in this title, even with reduced settings.

The GPU’s FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, and the 12 nm process node means higher power draw for the performance delivered. The pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are the metrics that matter for Control’s rich visual detail. At 1440p High, the card manages 62 fps, suggesting that it can handle the game’s demands at mainstream resolutions. The data shows a consistent pattern: the GPU is the bottleneck at every resolution above 1080p Low, and its 8 GB frame buffer becomes a constraint as resolution increases.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling curve. At 1080p, the system delivers 130 fps on Low, 92 fps on Medium, 82 fps on High, and 71 fps on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, those numbers drop to 98, 70, 62, and 54, respectively. At 4K, the averages fall to 66, 47, 42, and 36 for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is steepest at the High preset, where performance falls from 82 to 42 fps, a 49% reduction. The Low preset experiences the least relative drop, from 130 to 66 fps, a 49% reduction as well, interestingly.

This pattern indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting component, not the CPU. The Core Ultra 5 225’s performance remains constant regardless of resolution, but the GPU’s workload scales with pixel count. The data shows that at 1080p, the system has enough headroom to push above 100 fps on Low, but at 4K, even Low settings only achieve 66 fps. The frame rate drop from 1080p Medium (92 fps) to 1440p Medium (70 fps) is 24%, and from 1440p Medium to 4K Medium (47 fps) is another 33%. These are significant losses that point squarely at the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth limits.

The minimum FPS data further confirms this. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 78 fps, while at 1440p Medium it drops to 59, and at 4K Medium it is 40. These lows suggest that the GPU is hitting hard limits during intense scenes, likely due to VRAM capacity issues or memory bandwidth saturation. The data does not show any CPU-related stutter or frame pacing issues, as the minimums scale proportionally with the averages. The conclusion is unambiguous: for this pairing, resolution scaling is purely a GPU exercise.

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

The measured data provides clear guidance for the optimal settings on this hardware. At 1080p, the High preset yields an average of 82 fps, which is smooth for a fast-paced action game. The Medium preset at 92 fps offers even more headroom, but High provides a better visual experience without sacrificing playability. The Ultra preset at 71 fps is still playable, but the visual gains over High are likely marginal in Control’s dark and moody environments.

For 1440p, the High preset delivers 62 fps, which is on the edge of smoothness but acceptable for a single-player title. The Medium preset at 70 fps is the safer choice, providing a more consistent experience with a minimum of 59 fps. The Low preset at 98 fps is unnecessary unless the user prioritizes maximum frame rates for competitive play, which is not typical for this genre. The data suggests that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and performance.

At 4K, none of the presets achieve a consistent 60 fps. The Low preset at 66 fps is the only playable option, but it requires significant visual compromises. The Medium preset at 47 fps is borderline, and High at 42 fps and Ultra at 36 fps are too inconsistent for a smooth experience. The recommendation is to avoid 4K on this hardware unless the user accepts Low settings or uses a lower internal resolution scale, which the data does not cover. The best overall experience per the measured rows is 1080p High or 1440p Medium, depending on the display resolution.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combination run Control at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 66. At Medium settings, the average drops to 47, and at High it falls to 42, making those presets less viable for consistent play.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 130 fps, but at 4K Low, it drops to 66 fps, showing that the RTX 2070 SUPER cannot maintain performance as pixel count increases, while the CPU’s capability remains constant.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p provides an average of 70 fps with a minimum of 59 fps, which is the most balanced option. The High preset at 62 fps is also playable, but the lower minimums may cause occasional dips.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to the Intel Arc B570 in this context?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20,282, which is 1.3% higher than the Intel Arc B570’s 20,556-based score. In Control, the 2070 SUPER’s measured performance is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data does not include Arc B570 results for direct comparison.

*Q: Does the Core Ultra 5 225’s 10-core configuration matter for Control?*

A: The 10 cores and 10 threads are sufficient for the game. The CPU scores in the 85th percentile overall, and the measured FPS at 1080p Low (130 fps) shows no sign of CPU limitation, even in physics-heavy scenarios.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average at 1080p Ultra is 71 fps. This is playable, but the High preset at 82 fps offers a better margin, and the visual difference between High and Ultra is not quantified in the data.

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

The following table lists every measured FPS value from the data set for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and RTX 2070 SUPER in Control.

1920x1080:

• Low: 130 fps average
• Medium: 92 fps average, 78 fps minimum, 106 fps maximum
• High: 82 fps average
• Ultra: 71 fps average

2560x1440:

• Low: 98 fps average
• Medium: 70 fps average, 59 fps minimum, 80 fps maximum
• High: 62 fps average
• Ultra: 54 fps average

3840x2160:

• Low: 66 fps average
• Medium: 47 fps average, 40 fps minimum, 54 fps maximum
• High: 42 fps average
• Ultra: 36 fps average

The data shows a consistent trend: each resolution step down halves the performance at the same settings, roughly. From 1080p Medium (92 fps) to 1440p Medium (70 fps) to 4K Medium (47 fps), the drops are 24% and 33% respectively. The Ultra preset at 4K is the worst performer at 36 fps, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 40 fps, indicating that even the more moderate settings cannot prevent dips below 45 fps. The 1080p and 1440p results all remain above 50 fps on High and below, making those resolutions the viable options for this hardware combination.