Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a formidable combination for Control, placing near the top of the database. The data shows this combo achieves a rank of 17 out of 2,888 tested combinations, placing it in the top 1% of all systems tested. This positioning is consistent with the individual component strength, where the GPU sits at the 92nd percentile and the CPU at the 85th percentile among their respective peers. The pairing leverages a top-tier graphics card with a strong mid-range processor, resulting in frame rates that are excellent even at the highest resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 17 out of 2,888 tested configurations underscores its elite status for running Control. This placement is driven primarily by the GPU’s immense rendering power, as the RTX 5090 D’s average benchmark score of 77,712 places it far above most competitors. While the CPU is not the top performer in its class, its 10 cores and 10 threads are more than sufficient to feed the GPU in this title, which is not heavily CPU-bound at high resolutions. The 85th percentile ranking for the CPU in general benchmarks confirms it is a capable partner, but the sheer throughput of the graphics card is what pushes this combo to the 17th spot.

In terms of relative performance, the GPU’s nearest rivals provide context. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76,904, which is 1.1% lower than the RTX 5090 D’s average. Conversely, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, putting it 1.6% higher than the 5090 D in synthetic tests. This suggests that while the RTX 5090 D is exceptionally fast, there are a few mobile-oriented or specialized cards that can match its raw compute in certain benchmarks. However, in real-world gaming scenarios like Control, the combination of the 5090 D’s massive 32 GB frame buffer and high clock speeds proves decisive.

The CPU’s rivalry data further illustrates the balance. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average score of 36,938, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F at 36,945 (0% delta). It is also within a half-percent of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018, -0.2%) and the Intel Core i9-12900T (37,112, -0.5%). This means the CPU is a solid, predictable performer that won’t bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios. For Control specifically, the benchmark results indicate that the CPU’s 3.30 GHz base and 4.90 GHz boost clocks are adequate to maintain high frame rates, even when the GPU is pushing 295 FPS at 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant force in this combo, and its specifications explain why. It features a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This is crucial for Control, a game that uses high-resolution textures and complex particle effects. The sheer memory capacity ensures that even at 4K with Ultra settings, the GPU never runs out of frame buffer, which is a common bottleneck for lesser cards. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, translating to 28 Gbps effective, which is among the fastest available.

The GPU’s compute power is staggering. With 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs, the 5090 D can process geometry and pixels at an incredible rate. The boost clock of 2407 MHz (base 2017 MHz) allows it to sustain high frequencies under load. This translates to a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s, which are directly relevant to rendering Control’s detailed environments and fast-paced action. The FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS is more than enough to handle the game's physics and lighting calculations without breaking a sweat.

In the measured results, the GPU’s role becomes clear when looking at the scaling from Low to Ultra settings. At 4K, the frame rate drops from 152 FPS on Low to 83 FPS on Ultra, a 45% reduction. This shows that the game’s higher presets are heavily GPU-dependent, and the 5090 D has the headroom to handle the extra load. The 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores also suggest that if Control had ray tracing enabled, the card would still perform admirably, though the measured data does not include RT-specific rows. Overall, the GPU is the clear performance driver, and its capabilities are only lightly stressed by this 2019 title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 serves as a capable and efficient partner, though it is not the star of the show. It has 10 cores and 10 threads, which is a straightforward configuration without hyper-threading. This is notable because Control is not a game that scales beyond a few cores, so the 10 physical cores are more than sufficient to handle the game’s logic, AI, and physics. The base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz are healthy figures, ensuring responsive performance in single-threaded tasks, which are common in game engines.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy is also adequate for gaming. It has 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and a 20 MB shared L3 cache. This is a moderate amount of cache, but it is kept close to the cores, which helps reduce latency. The DDR5 memory support with dual-channel configuration provides a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which is sufficient to feed the GPU with game data. The CPU’s integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU) are irrelevant for this gaming setup, but they do not detract from the discrete GPU’s performance.

In the benchmark data, the CPU’s single-thread score of 3,655 in Cinebench R23 is strong, indicating it can handle the game’s main thread with ease. The multi-thread score of 25,891 is also respectable, but it is not the limiting factor here. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo hits 295 FPS, which is likely the CPU’s upper limit for this game, as the GPU is so fast that it could push even higher if the CPU allowed. However, at higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU’s role diminishes, as evidenced by the frame rates staying high but not scaling as much with CPU frequency. The CPU’s TDP of 65 W is low, making it an efficient choice that won’t throttle in a well-ventilated case.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Control shows a clear pattern of excellent performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional frame rates. On Low settings, it averages 295 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the dataset. Moving to Medium, it drops to 211 FPS, with a minimum of 180 FPS and a maximum of 243 FPS. High settings yield 188 FPS, and Ultra settings still provide a very smooth 163 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-limited at Low settings, but the GPU still has plenty of headroom to maintain high frame rates on the most demanding presets.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains outstanding. The Low preset averages 225 FPS, which is a 24% drop from 1080p, showing the increased GPU load. Medium settings average 160 FPS, with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS. High settings deliver 142 FPS, and Ultra settings still manage 124 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors, as even the Ultra preset stays above 120 FPS. The data shows that the GPU is now more involved, but the CPU is still keeping up without issue.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the performance is still excellent, though the demands of the higher resolution are evident. The Low preset averages 152 FPS, which is a 32% drop from 1440p. Medium settings average 108 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS. High settings drop to 96 FPS, and Ultra settings average 83 FPS. These numbers are all playable, but the jump from Medium to High to Ultra at 4K shows diminishing returns in frame rate for the increased visual fidelity. The minimum FPS of 92 at 4K Medium indicates that the game remains smooth, but it is the first preset where the system dips below 100 FPS on average.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a 60 Hz monitor?

A: For a 60 Hz display, the data shows that even 4K Ultra settings, which average 83 FPS, are more than sufficient. The system is so powerful that any resolution and preset combination will comfortably exceed 60 FPS, so users can prioritize visual quality without worrying about frame rate drops.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rival, the RX 6650M XT?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT’s score of 76,904. This indicates that the 5090 D is slightly faster in synthetic tests, but the margin is small.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data suggests the CPU limits performance at 1080p Low settings, where the combo hits 295 FPS. The CPU’s 10 cores and 4.90 GHz boost clock are strong, but the GPU is capable of producing even higher frame rates if the CPU could keep up.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1440p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 142. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS drops to 96. This represents a 32% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1440p to 4K.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from Low to Ultra at 4K?

A: At 4K, the Low preset averages 152 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 83 FPS. This is a 45% reduction in performance, showing that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding on the GPU.

Q: Does the CPU’s 10-thread count limit performance in Control?

A: No, the data shows that Control does not require more than 10 threads. The combo achieves 163 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 83 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicating that the CPU’s 10 threads are sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at these settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience depends on the user’s display and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For players with a 1080p high-refresh-rate monitor (144 Hz or higher), the High preset provides an excellent balance, delivering 188 FPS. This is well above the refresh rate of most monitors and looks significantly better than Low. The Ultra preset at 1080p still offers 163 FPS, which is also excellent, so those with a 240 Hz monitor could reasonably use Ultra to maximize visuals without dropping below 160 FPS.

For 1440p displays, the High preset is the recommended starting point, as it averages 142 FPS, which is ideal for 144 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset drops to 124 FPS, which is still very playable and would be the choice for users who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rates. The Medium preset at 160 FPS is a good option for those who want a bit more headroom for competitive play, but the visual difference between Medium and High is noticeable in a game like Control.

At 4K, the choice is more nuanced. The High preset averages 96 FPS, which is smooth on a 120 Hz display. The Ultra preset averages 83 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS and provides the best visual experience. The Medium preset offers 108 FPS, which is a good middle ground for those who want a bit more responsiveness. Given that the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 92, the system never stutters, so any preset is viable. The data suggests that High at 4K is the sweet spot for most users, as it offers a large visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining nearly 100 FPS. For the absolute best quality, Ultra is the choice, but users should be prepared for frame rates in the low 80s.