Control

Control pairs an Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, a combination that produces a wide spread of frame rates depending on resolution and preset. The data shows this is a system capable of extreme performance, yet the game’s demands at 4K Ultra still bring the RTX 4090 down to a level where the CPU’s role becomes more apparent. This analysis breaks down the measured results, contextualizes the components, and explains what the numbers imply for gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Control?

A: The highest average frame rate is 272 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the absolute ceiling for this pairing when the graphical load is minimized.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested system combinations in Control?

A: This specific configuration ranks 106th out of 2888 total tested combos. While not the absolute top, this places it in the top 3.7% of all systems tested for this game, indicating elite-level performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between the CPU and its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is just 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098). The scores are effectively identical among these three processors.

Q: What is the performance difference between the GPU and its nearest rival?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60347. This is essentially tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326, 0% delta), and it is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60140). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (61896) by 2.5%.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 172 FPS at 1920x1080 to 88 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 48.8% reduction in performance when moving to 4K.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest minimum frame rate at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides the highest minimum frame rate at 124 FPS. This is the only preset at this resolution with a recorded minimum FPS, offering a stable baseline above 120 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant force in this configuration, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 16384 shading units and 176 ROPs. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers a massive 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for feeding the GPU’s high pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s. The core clocks are high, with a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz, allowing for substantial throughput when the game is not limited by other factors.

In Control, the GPU’s role becomes increasingly critical as resolution and settings scale upward. The data shows a clear trend: at 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves 272 FPS, but this drops to 88 FPS at 3840x2160 High. This 184 FPS difference is almost entirely due to the increased pixel count and shading complexity. The RTX 4090’s raw compute power, reflected in its 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is what allows it to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, but even its immense capabilities are taxed by the game’s higher presets. The benchmark data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 76, a significant drop from the 99 FPS at Medium settings.

The GPU’s performance relative to its rivals is notable, though the nearest competitors in the database are not direct gaming counterparts. The RTX 4090’s average benchmark score of 60347 is 2.9% higher than the AMD Radeon PRO V710, but it lags 2.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M. This suggests that in synthetic tests, the 4090’s lead is not absolute, yet in real-world gaming scenarios like Control, the combination of its 24 GB VRAM and high bandwidth proves decisive, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at 1440p Ultra (113 FPS). The data implies that the GPU’s memory subsystem is a key enabler for high-resolution performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on 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 support for DDR5 memory with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth provide a solid foundation for gaming. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 14769 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2085 in single-core, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 46062 is within 0.2% of its nearest rivals, indicating a tightly contested mid-to-high range.

For Control, the CPU’s role is less about raw multi-core power and more about maintaining sufficient single-thread performance to feed the GPU. At lower resolutions and settings, the CPU can become the limiting factor. For instance, at 1920x1080 Low, the system hits 272 FPS, but the CPU’s single-core score of 2085 in Cinebench R23 suggests it is working hard to keep up with the GPU’s frame generation. The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rate scales significantly with settings (272 FPS Low to 149 FPS Ultra), which indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at this resolution; the GPU is still doing most of the heavy lifting.

However, the CPU’s impact becomes more visible when comparing resolutions at the same settings. The Core Ultra 5 235’s boost clock of 5.00 GHz is adequate for high-refresh gaming, but it does not have the sheer single-thread dominance to push frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios beyond what the GPU allows. The benchmark data shows that at 1440p Low, the system achieves 206 FPS, which is still very high but lower than 1080p Low. This suggests that even with a powerful GPU, the CPU’s 14 threads and 5.00 GHz boost clock are sufficient to avoid becoming a major bottleneck until frame rates exceed 200 FPS. The processor’s 65W TDP and 3 nm process node indicate efficiency, but its performance relative to rivals like the Intel Core i9-13900HX (which is 0.1% faster in average score) is nearly identical, meaning no significant advantage is derived from the CPU in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Control reveals a systematic scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 272 FPS, which drops to 194 FPS at Medium, 172 FPS at High, and 149 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset also records a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 223 FPS, showing a stable frame delivery. This 123 FPS spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p indicates that the GPU is heavily utilized, but the CPU can still support very high frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same settings show a predictable decline. Low averages 206 FPS, Medium 146 FPS (with a minimum of 124 and maximum of 168), High 130 FPS, and Ultra 113 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 24-26% for each preset, which aligns with the increased pixel count. The minimum FPS at Medium (124 FPS) is still above 120, suggesting smooth gameplay, but the margin narrows compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the performance hit is more severe. Low averages 139 FPS, Medium 99 FPS (with a minimum of 84 and maximum of 114), High 88 FPS, and Ultra 76 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 4K results in a 32-33% reduction in average FPS for most presets. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 76 FPS, is the first point where the system dips below the 100 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU is being pushed to its limits. The Medium preset’s minimum of 84 FPS at 4K is notable, as it shows the system can still maintain a playable experience even when the graphical load is high, but it is far from the high-refresh territory seen at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 106 out of 2888 tested combinations places this system in the upper echelon of all configurations for Control. This rank is a direct reflection of the RTX 4090’s raw power, as the CPU’s average benchmark score is only marginally different from its nearest rivals. The data shows that this combination outperforms 96.3% of all tested systems, which is a significant achievement given the game’s demanding nature at high settings.

What is interesting is the gap between this rank and the absolute top. While the RTX 4090 is a top-tier GPU, its nearest rivals in the database include professional cards like the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, which scores higher in synthetic benchmarks. This suggests that in Control, the RTX 4090’s gaming-specific features, such as its 24 GB VRAM and high bandwidth, are more beneficial than the raw compute scores of some workstation cards. The rank also implies that the Core Ultra 5 235, while not a flagship CPU, is sufficient to avoid holding the GPU back in this title. If the CPU were a significant bottleneck, the rank would likely be lower, but the data indicates a balanced pairing that delivers top-tier results.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset at 172 FPS is a strong choice, as it provides excellent visual quality while still delivering well above 144 Hz. The Ultra preset at 149 FPS is also viable for those with 144Hz monitors, but the 13% FPS drop from High may not justify the visual gains. For 1440p, the Medium preset at 146 FPS (with a minimum of 124 FPS) offers the best balance of frame rate and visual fidelity, as High drops to 130 FPS and Ultra to 113 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS being above 120 ensures a smooth experience without dips below refresh rate thresholds.

At 4K, the recommendations change significantly. The High preset at 88 FPS is playable, but the Medium preset at 99 FPS (with a minimum of 84) provides a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 76 FPS is on the edge of playability for some, but the data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for 4K, offering 30% more performance than Ultra while still maintaining high visual quality. For users with high-refresh 4K monitors, the Low preset at 139 FPS is the only way to approach 144Hz, but this sacrifices significant visual detail. The data implies that for most players, Medium at 4K is the recommended preset, as it balances the GPU’s load with a stable frame rate above 80 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 172 at 1080p to 130 at 1440p (a 24.4% decrease) and then to 88 at 4K (a 32.3% decrease from 1440p). This non-linear scaling suggests that as resolution increases, the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes the dominant factor, and the CPU’s role diminishes. The data shows that at Low settings, the drop from 1080p (272 FPS) to 1440p (206 FPS) is 24.3%, but from 1440p to 4K (139 FPS) is 32.5%, indicating that the GPU is being taxed more heavily at 4K even with minimal graphical effects.

This scaling behavior implies that the RTX 4090 is the primary limiting component at 4K, as the frame rate drops are consistent with the increase in pixel count. At 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound at lower settings, as evidenced by the 272 FPS ceiling, but at 4K, the GPU’s raw power is fully utilized. The fact that the Medium preset at 4K (99 FPS) is nearly double the Low preset at 1080p (272 FPS) in terms of absolute frame count but much lower in relative terms highlights the GPU’s struggle with higher resolutions. The data suggests that for this combo, 1440p is the sweet spot for high-refresh gaming, as it offers frame rates above 130 FPS on High settings while still allowing the GPU to flex its muscle. At 4K, the system is clearly GPU-limited, and the CPU’s 14 cores and 5.00 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck, as the frame rates are directly tied to the GPU’s rendering capabilities.