Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure from Remedy, is a demanding title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, but the data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combo shows a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions. This pairing produces a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p on high settings, but struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K, with the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory interface acting as the primary constraint. The benchmark results indicate a balanced 1080p machine that can handle the game's physics-heavy combat, but users targeting 4K will need to make significant compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable and steep decline in performance as resolution increases, confirming that the RTX 5050 is the limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 78 FPS, which drops to 59 FPS at 1440p and further to 40 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 49% hit from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are being saturated as the pixel count increases.

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is a substantial 38 FPS, or roughly 49% of the 1080p score. This is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the graphics card at lower resolutions but cannot compensate for the increased rendering load at 4K. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 124 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is capable of high frame rates, but the GPU's limits are quickly reached once settings and resolution are increased.

Looking at the Medium settings, which include min and max FPS data, the trend continues. At 1080p Medium, the average is 88 FPS with a min of 75 and max of 101. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 67 FPS (min 57, max 77), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 45 FPS (min 38, max 52). The gap between min and max FPS narrows at higher resolutions, suggesting that frame time consistency improves when the GPU is more uniformly loaded, but the overall performance is still too low for a smooth 4K experience.

The scaling pattern strongly indicates that the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM buffer and 320.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K textures and high-resolution rendering. The performance cliff between 1440p and 4K is particularly steep, with the average FPS at High settings dropping from 59 to 40, a 32% reduction. This suggests that the GPU is not just compute-bound but also memory-bandwidth-bound, as the 128-bit bus struggles to feed the shaders at 4K resolutions. Users should consider 1440p as the effective ceiling for this combo if they want to maintain frame rates above 60 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the undisputed performance anchor in this configuration for Control. With a boost clock of 2572 MHz and 2560 shading units, the GPU's raw compute is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its memory subsystem is a clear weakness. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a modest figure for a modern GPU and directly impacts performance in a title like Control that features complex particle effects and large texture assets.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 21035. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which it leads by 1.6%, and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which trails by 0.6%. This competitive positioning explains the measured FPS: the RTX 5050 is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not a high-end card, and its 4K performance in Control reflects that.

The VRAM capacity is a critical factor in this game. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo manages only 35 FPS, and even at 4K High it only reaches 40 FPS. While the GPU's 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is sufficient for the game's rendering, the 8 GB frame buffer likely causes texture thrashing and stuttering at higher resolutions. The data shows a 28 FPS difference between 1080p Low (124 FPS) and 4K Ultra (35 FPS), a 72% reduction that cannot be attributed to compute alone.

The GPU's 32 ROPs and 80 TMUs also play a role in the scaling. At 1080p, the pixel fill rate of 82.30 GPixel/s is adequate, but at 4K, the demand on the ROPs increases fourfold, and the GPU's texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s becomes a bottleneck. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 5050 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver frame rates above 60 FPS on High settings, but it is not designed for 4K gaming in demanding titles like Control.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1440p is the optimal resolution for this combo, with High settings producing an average of 59 FPS. At 1080p, High settings yield 78 FPS, but the visual improvement at 1440p is significant, and the frame rate remains playable.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 4K Low settings, the average FPS is 63, which is playable, but at High and Ultra settings, the average drops to 40 and 35 FPS respectively, which may be too low for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, placing it 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT and 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL. This indicates it is a mid-range performer, competitive with older high-end cards.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system hits 124 FPS, which suggests the CPU can handle high frame rates, but the GPU's performance drops off sharply as resolution and settings increase, showing a clear GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the impact of the GPU's 8 GB VRAM?

A: The 8 GB VRAM appears to be a limiting factor at 4K resolution. The performance drop from 1440p to 4K is steep, and the GPU only achieves 40 FPS at 4K High, suggesting the frame buffer is insufficient for high-resolution textures.

Q: What settings should be used for a consistent 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1440p, High settings deliver 59 FPS, which is very close to 60. At 1080p, Medium settings deliver 88 FPS, and High settings deliver 78 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 5050 combination ranks 1756 out of 2888 tested combos for Control, placing it in the 39th percentile of all configurations. This is a mid-pack ranking, reflecting the GPU's mid-range status. The CPU itself is a strong performer, ranking in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU holds the combo back from higher positions.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 46062 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, 0.1% ahead) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, 0.1% behind). This indicates that the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo's ranking; the GPU's 66th percentile performance is the limiting factor. The combo's rank suggests that while it can handle the game, many other combinations with more powerful GPUs will achieve higher frame rates.

The ranking also reflects the game's age and optimization. Control is a demanding title, and the RTX 5050's performance is in line with its mid-range positioning. The combo's rank of 1756 out of 2888 means that approximately 39% of tested setups are slower, while 61% are faster. For a user with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this ranking is acceptable, but for 4K gaming, it falls short of what is needed for a high-refresh-rate experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 plays a supporting role in this configuration, providing ample processing power that is not fully utilized by the RTX 5050. With 14 cores and 14 threads, the CPU offers strong multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14769. Its boost clock of 5.00 GHz and single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2085 ensure that it can handle the game's physics and AI calculations without bottlenecking the GPU.

The CPU's benchmark results show it is a high-end performer, with a Passmark multithread score of 37816 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4516. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX, both of which have nearly identical average scores. This indicates that the Ultra 5 235 is a capable gaming CPU, and the data confirms it is not the limiting factor in this combo.

In Control, which features complex physics interactions and destructible environments, the CPU's 14 cores are beneficial. The Passmark physics score of 2570 suggests strong performance in physics-heavy workloads, which is relevant for this game. However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU has headroom: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 124 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 35 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth provide a solid foundation for gaming, but the GPU's limitations cap the overall performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 5050 combo in Control is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 124 FPS average
• Medium: 88 FPS average (min 75, max 101)
• High: 78 FPS average
• Ultra: 68 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 94 FPS average
• Medium: 67 FPS average (min 57, max 77)
• High: 59 FPS average
• Ultra: 52 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 63 FPS average
• Medium: 45 FPS average (min 38, max 52)
• High: 40 FPS average
• Ultra: 35 FPS average

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the most comfortable resolution, with all settings above 60 FPS. 1440p is playable, but High and Ultra settings dip below 60 FPS. 4K is only playable at Low settings, where the average is 63 FPS, but Medium and above drop below 50 FPS. The min and max FPS data for Medium settings shows that frame times are relatively consistent, with a spread of 26 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K, indicating that higher resolutions produce more stable frame pacing but lower overall performance.