Control

Control is a demanding Action Adventure title from 2019, and this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT produces a varied performance profile depending on resolution and quality settings. The measured data reveals a system that is clearly capable of smooth play at 1080p but begins to show its limits as the pixel count climbs. The following analysis breaks down exactly how this combo behaves, interpreting the benchmark results to show where the bottleneck lies and what users can realistically expect.

Resolution Scaling

The most revealing data point is the performance drop when moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 77 FPS at 1080p to 58 FPS at 1440p, and then down to just 39 FPS at 4K. This represents a steep decline, with the 4K result being roughly half the 1080p figure. Such a pattern indicates that the graphics card is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions; the GPU is being saturated by the increased pixel workload.

Looking at the Low settings row, the scaling is even more dramatic. The 1080p Low preset achieves 122 FPS, which drops to 93 FPS at 1440p and then to 63 FPS at 4K. The fact that Low settings still lose nearly half the frame rate from 1080p to 4K confirms that resolution, not graphical complexity, is the dominant stressor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller percentage drop when lowering resolution, since the processor's workload would remain relatively constant. Instead, the consistent ~50% reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K across settings points squarely at the Radeon RX 6650 XT's pixel throughput limits.

The Medium settings data provides additional nuance. At 4K, the average is 44 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS. This 13 FPS variance between min and max suggests some scenes are more taxing than others, but the overall average sits in a playable but not ideal range. Compare this to the 1080p Medium result of 87 FPS, and the resolution penalty becomes clear: roughly a 50% reduction. The data implies that users targeting 4K will need to accept either Low settings for a 63 FPS average or Medium for a slightly smoother but still sub-60 experience. There is no scenario in the measured rows where 4K Ultra or High reaches 60 FPS, indicating the GPU simply cannot handle that workload at this resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the star of this show, and its specifications explain the performance ceiling. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the card offers 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth. These figures are modest by modern standards, but for a 2019 title like Control, they are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The GPU's boost clock of 2635 MHz and game clock of 2410 MHz provide the raw compute power, with 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs handling the pixel work.

The benchmark results show the GPU's 65th percentile ranking among all tested GPUs, with an average score of 19765. Its nearest rivals in the database are professional workstation cards like the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and AMD FirePro D300, which score within 1% of the RX 6650 XT. This context is important: the card is not a high-end gaming GPU, but rather a mid-range performer that excels at lower resolutions. In Control, this translates to excellent 1080p performance, with the 122 FPS Low result showcasing the card's ability to push high frame rates when not constrained by resolution.

The VRAM allocation is worth scrutiny. At 4K Ultra, the game may be pushing against the 8 GB limit, which could explain why the Ultra preset only manages 34 FPS. While the data does not explicitly show VRAM usage, the pattern of severe performance drops at high resolutions and settings is consistent with a card running out of memory bandwidth or capacity. The 4K Medium result of 44 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS, suggests that the card is working hard but not necessarily hitting a hard VRAM wall; otherwise, the frame rate would likely be more erratic. The GPU's performance at 1440p is more encouraging: High settings yield 58 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target, and Low settings hit 93 FPS, providing a solid margin for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide a solid foundation for gaming. In the CPU benchmark database, this processor scores in the 89th percentile, with an average score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, all of which are within 0.2% of each other, indicating that the Ultra 5 235 is a top-tier performer.

In Control, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, but it is not irrelevant. The fact that 1080p Low settings achieve 122 FPS shows that the processor can feed the graphics card effectively at lower resolutions. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau regardless of resolution or settings. Instead, the FPS scales noticeably with both, which suggests the Core Ultra 5 235 has headroom to spare. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14769 and single-core score of 2085 indicate strong all-around performance, and the PassMark single-thread score of 4516 reinforces that the CPU is not likely to hold back the GPU in most scenarios.

However, there is a subtle interaction worth noting. At 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 67 FPS from the High preset's 77 FPS. This 10 FPS penalty is likely due to increased CPU overhead from the Ultra settings, which may add physics calculations or AI complexity. The 14 cores and 14 threads are more than adequate for Control, but the game's engine may not be optimized to spread across all cores, potentially leaving some performance on the table. The benchmark data suggests that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor, except perhaps in the most CPU-intensive scenes at high settings, where the minimum frame rate of 38 FPS at 4K Medium could indicate a brief CPU stall or a GPU memory issue.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, all settings presets are playable, but the data favors High settings for the best balance. The High preset delivers 77 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves headroom for dips. The Ultra preset at 67 FPS is also playable, but the 10 FPS drop from High suggests diminishing returns in visual quality. The Low preset at 122 FPS is ideal for competitive play or high refresh rate displays, but most users will prefer the visual fidelity of High.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset stands out as the optimal choice. It delivers 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS, which is just shy of a locked 60 FPS but acceptable for most gamers. The High preset at 58 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 51 FPS may be too choppy for action sequences. The Low preset at 93 FPS offers a smooth experience but sacrifices significant visual quality. Given that Control is a game with a strong atmospheric presentation, Medium settings at 1440p provide the best compromise between fluidity and fidelity.

For 3840x2160, the options are limited. The Low preset at 63 FPS is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, while Medium at 44 FPS and High at 39 FPS are both below playable thresholds for most users. The Ultra preset at 34 FPS is essentially a slideshow. The recommendation here is to either drop to Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p. The data clearly shows that this GPU is not designed for 4K gaming in Control, and users should not expect a satisfactory experience at that resolution unless they are willing to accept significant visual compromises.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Only at Low settings, which achieves an average of 63 FPS. Medium settings drop to 44 FPS, High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 34 FPS, all of which are below the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, with all settings presets exceeding 60 FPS. The High preset at 77 FPS offers the best visual quality, while Low at 122 FPS provides maximum performance.

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

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops by roughly half from 1080p to 4K across all settings, indicating the Radeon RX 6650 XT is saturated. The CPU has headroom, as shown by its 89th percentile ranking.

Q: How does the Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 scores 46062 on average, which is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX. The differences are negligible, making them functionally equivalent for gaming.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Control?

A: The data does not directly measure VRAM usage, but the steep performance drop at 4K Ultra (34 FPS) compared to 1440p Ultra (51 FPS) suggests the card may be struggling with memory capacity or bandwidth at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum FPS in the measured data is 38 FPS, observed at 4K Medium settings. This indicates that even at the best 4K preset, there are scenes that dip below playable thresholds.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured data for this combo is as follows.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 63 FPS. The Medium preset averages 44 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS. The High preset averages 39 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 34 FPS. This resolution clearly favors Low settings for any semblance of smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 93 FPS. The Medium preset averages 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS. The High preset averages 58 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 51 FPS. Medium is the only preset that consistently stays near the 60 FPS mark.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 122 FPS. The Medium preset averages 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. The High preset averages 77 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS. All presets are playable, but High provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Control, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT places at rank 1875 out of 2888 total combos. This puts it in the 35th percentile, meaning roughly two-thirds of tested systems perform better in this game. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU's mid-range positioning; the CPU's strong 89th percentile ranking cannot compensate for the GPU's 65th percentile standing.

The rank implies that while this system is competent, it is not a high-end setup for Control. The 1080p results are respectable, but the 4K performance is poor, which likely drags down the overall ranking compared to systems with more powerful GPUs. The fact that the combo sits below the median suggests that most users with this pairing will need to make compromises at higher resolutions. The data shows a system that is well-balanced for 1080p gaming but struggles to maintain that balance at higher resolutions, ultimately placing it in the lower-middle tier of tested configurations for this game.