Control

Control is an action-adventure title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti delivers a widely playable experience across the board. The data shows a system that can handle high-refresh 1080p gaming comfortably, remains strong at 1440p, and only starts to show significant strain at 4K with the highest settings. This combination ranks 971st out of 2888 tested combos in this specific game, placing it in the upper third of all configurations evaluated. The following analysis breaks down how resolution scaling, the GPU's memory and clocks, and the CPU's core layout each contribute to the measured frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a GPU-heavy workload at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 105 FPS at 1920x1080 to 79 FPS at 2560x1440, a 24.8% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings drops the average from 79 FPS to 54 FPS, another 31.6% loss. Combined, the transition from 1080p to 4K at High settings represents a 48.6% decrease in average frame rate. This scaling pattern is typical for a game where pixel count becomes the dominant factor as resolution increases.

The Low settings preset shows an even more dramatic scaling curve. At 1920x1080 Low, the system averages 166 FPS. At 2560x1440 Low, it averages 126 FPS, a 24.1% drop. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 85 FPS, a 32.5% drop from 1440p. The 1080p-to-4K Low settings delta is 48.8%, nearly identical to the High settings percentage. This consistency suggests that the resolution scaling penalty is not strongly dependent on the quality preset — the GPU is equally taxed by the pixel fill rate regardless of whether the scene complexity is low or high.

The Medium preset provides the only complete min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average is 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS and maximum of 136 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and maximum of 103 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS. The min-to-max range narrows as resolution increases: a 35 FPS spread at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. This tightening range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently saturated, reducing frame time variance even as the average drops.

Ultra settings produce the lowest averages at every resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 91 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, that falls to 69 FPS, a 24.2% drop. At 4K Ultra, the average is 47 FPS, a 31.9% drop from 1440p. The 1080p-to-4K Ultra delta is 48.4%, again matching the pattern seen in High and Low presets. This uniform scaling percentage across all quality settings strongly indicates that the limiting factor at higher resolutions is the GPU's rendering throughput, not any specific setting or CPU bottleneck.

The data also shows that resolution scaling is more punishing between 1440p and 4K than between 1080p and 1440p for every preset. On average across all four quality settings, the 1440p-to-4K drop is roughly 31-32%, while the 1080p-to-1440p drop is roughly 24-25%. This nonlinear behavior is consistent with the pixel count increase: 1440p has 3.7 million pixels, while 4K has 8.3 million, a 2.25x increase, whereas 1080p to 1440p is only a 1.78x increase. The GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. The GPU contains 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. It also includes 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores, which support DirectX 12 Ultimate features. The GPU's boost clock is 1770 MHz with a base clock of 1575 MHz. Memory is 8 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, yielding 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is listed as 1188 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed. These specifications place the RTX 3070 Ti in the 75th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29945.

The nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark database highlight its positioning. The RTX 3070 Ti scores nearly identically to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, which has an average score of 29928, a delta of 0.1% in favor of the desktop card. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, putting it 0.5% ahead of the RTX 3070 Ti. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783, which is 0.5% behind. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433, 1.6% ahead. These are tight margins — the RTX 3070 Ti sits in a crowded performance band where no rival holds more than a 1.6% advantage or disadvantage.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a notable factor for Control at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players consider smooth. The combination of 4K resolution and Ultra settings likely pushes the VRAM usage close to the 8 GB limit, and the data shows the system falls below playable thresholds. At 4K High, the average improves to 54 FPS, still shy of 60. At 4K Medium, the average reaches exactly 60 FPS, and at 4K Low, it jumps to 85 FPS. This progression suggests that reducing settings from Ultra to Medium provides a 27.7% performance uplift at 4K, which is substantial enough to make the game playable on a 60 Hz display.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s is likely a key factor at 4K, where the fill rate demands are high. The pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s are the raw throughput numbers that determine how quickly the GPU can process the higher pixel counts. The FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS also contributes to the compute-heavy effects in Control. The 12-pin power connector and 290 W TDP indicate this is a power-hungry card, which aligns with its performance tier.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has 14 cores and 14 threads, meaning no hyperthreading — each core is a single thread. The base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The L3 cache is 24 MB shared, with 192 KB L1 per core and 3 MB L2 per core. The CPU is manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. It supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel mode with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The CPU also includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 24 execution units, though the discrete RTX 3070 Ti handles the rendering in these benchmarks.

The CPU's benchmark scores show strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 14769 multi-core and 2085 single-core. In Cinebench R20, it scores 6202 multi-core and 875 single-core. The PassMark multi-thread score is 37816, with a single-thread score of 4516. The PassMark physics score is 2570, which is relevant for game physics calculations. The CPU's percentile ranking is 89, meaning it outperforms 89% of all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 46062.

The nearest CPU rivals are all within a 0.2% margin. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030, which is 0.1% behind the Core Ultra 5 235. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, 0.1% ahead. The AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45970, 0.2% behind, and the AMD EPYC 7303 scores 45960, also 0.2% behind. This clustering indicates that the Core Ultra 5 235 sits at a performance plateau where no nearby rival offers a meaningful advantage in synthetic benchmarks.

In gaming contexts, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. With 14 cores and 14 threads, the Core Ultra 5 235 provides ample parallel processing for modern game engines. The boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is often the bottleneck in older or less optimized games. Control, released in 2019, may not fully utilize all 14 cores, but the high boost clock and 24 MB L3 cache help maintain consistent frame pacing. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 166 FPS average, which is high enough to suggest the CPU is not limiting the GPU at lower resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS across different GPU settings at 1080p, but instead, the FPS rises from 91 at Ultra to 166 at Low, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint even at 1080p.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is adequate for feeding the GPU's 608.3 GB/s bandwidth, as the CPU only needs to transfer draw commands and game state data, not the full frame buffer. The dual-channel DDR5 memory support is standard for this platform, and the Intel Socket 1851 is the current LGA socket for Arrow Lake desktop CPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers consistently high frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 166 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors. Medium settings average 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 136. High settings average 105 FPS. Ultra settings average 91 FPS. All of these are above 90 FPS, making 1080p a very comfortable resolution for this combo, even at the most demanding preset.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain solid but show the expected drop. Low settings average 126 FPS, still above 120. Medium settings average 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 and maximum of 103. High settings average 79 FPS. Ultra settings average 69 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first point where the system dips below 70 FPS, but 69 FPS is still playable on most displays. The Medium preset's minimum of 76 FPS indicates that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above 60.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more varied. Low settings average 85 FPS, which is surprisingly strong for 4K. Medium settings average 60 FPS exactly, with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69. High settings average 54 FPS. Ultra settings average 47 FPS. The 4K Medium preset is the only 4K configuration that hits the 60 FPS average threshold. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, players would need to use Low or Medium settings. The 4K High and Ultra presets are better suited to 30 FPS or variable refresh rate displays that can handle the lower frame rates.

The Medium preset's min/max data across resolutions provides the most complete picture of frame consistency. At 1080p, the 101-136 FPS range shows a 35 FPS variance, which is noticeable but acceptable. At 1440p, the 76-103 FPS range has a 27 FPS variance. At 4K, the 51-69 FPS range has an 18 FPS variance. The reducing variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's consistent workload at 4K results in more uniform frame times, even though the average is lower. This is a positive sign for players using VRR monitors at 4K, as the frame pacing will be more stable.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination ranks 971st out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 66.4th percentile of all tested configurations — meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of all combos tested in this game. The rank of 971 is within the top 34% of all entries, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a previous-generation high-end GPU.

The ranking context is important. The RTX 3070 Ti's GPU percentile is 75, while the Core Ultra 5 235's CPU percentile is 89. The combo's game-specific rank of 971 out of 2888 is lower than the individual component percentiles would suggest. This indicates that Control's performance is more dependent on the GPU than the CPU, and the RTX 3070 Ti's 75th percentile ranking is the more limiting factor. The CPU's high percentile does not translate directly to a proportionally high game rank because the game's rendering load is GPU-bound, especially at higher resolutions.

The combo rank also reflects the balance between the two components. The CPU is strong enough to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in most scenarios, as evidenced by the 1080p Low result of 166 FPS. If the CPU were weak, we would see the 1080p Low FPS capped at a lower value due to CPU limits. Instead, the FPS scales cleanly with GPU settings, confirming that the GPU is the primary performance arbiter. The rank of 971 is thus a reasonable representation of the GPU's capability in Control, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 60 FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average at 1920x1080 Ultra is 91 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target. Even the most demanding preset at 1080p provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 69 FPS, and the High preset averages 79 FPS. Both are above 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, only the Medium preset (60 FPS average) and Low preset (85 FPS average) meet the 60 FPS threshold. So 1440p with High or Ultra settings is the sweet spot for 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945. The nearest rival, the RTX 5070 Mobile, scores 29928, which is 0.1% lower. The RX 6800 scores 30095, 0.5% higher. The RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783, 0.5% lower. The RX 6700 scores 30433, 1.6% higher. All rivals are within 1.6% of the RTX 3070 Ti.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 4K, frame rates vary significantly with settings: 85 FPS at Low, 60 FPS at Medium, 54 FPS at High, and 47 FPS at Ultra. This strong dependence on GPU settings shows the RTX 3070 Ti's rendering throughput is the bottleneck, not the CPU.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured minimum at 2560x1440 Medium is 76 FPS, with a maximum of 103 FPS and an average of 89 FPS. This ensures the frame rate stays above 60 FPS even in demanding scenes.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 235's performance compare to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030. The Core Ultra 5 235 is 0.1% ahead. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, which is 0.1% ahead of the Core Ultra 5 235. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.