Control

Control pairs the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, producing a dataset that spans four presets and three resolutions. The measured frames per second reveal a system that scales predictably with resolution, yet shows a pronounced dependency on the graphics card as pixel counts climb. This analysis examines the recorded rows to interpret what the numbers imply about the bottleneck, the CPU's contribution, and the optimal settings for this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, pointing directly at the GPU as the primary limiting factor. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 94 FPS at 1920x1080 to 71 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 23 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 drops the average to 48 FPS, meaning the transition from 1080p to 4K costs 46 FPS—nearly half the original performance. This pattern is not unique to High; it repeats across the board.

Low settings show the most dramatic scaling, with 149 FPS at 1080p plummeting to 113 FPS at 1440p and then to 76 FPS at 4K. The 73 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Low is the largest absolute drop in the dataset, indicating that even when graphical load is minimized, the RTX 5060's raw throughput is stretched thin at higher resolutions. Medium settings follow suit, starting at 106 FPS, dropping to 80 FPS at 1440p, and reaching 54 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings, the heaviest preset, begin at 82 FPS, fall to 62 FPS at 1440p, and bottom out at 42 FPS at 4K.

What does this scaling tell us? The consistent halving of performance from 1080p to 4K suggests that the RTX 5060's 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB of GDDR7 are being saturated. The data shows that 4K is only viable for Low settings, where 76 FPS remains playable, while High and Ultra dip below 48 FPS, which is marginal for a smooth experience. The CPU is not the bottleneck here—if it were, the FPS would stay flat or drop less steeply as resolution increases. Instead, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth, rated at 448.0 GB/s, are the evident constraints.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 brings 14 cores and 14 threads, a configuration that prioritizes parallel throughput over hyper-threading. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz are moderate, but the architecture's efficiency is reflected in synthetic benchmarks. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 14769 multi-core and 2085 single-core, placing it in the 89th percentile among all CPUs. This is a strong result, but the game's frame rates suggest it is not the limiting component.

At 1080p Low, the CPU allows the GPU to hit 149 FPS, which is the highest recorded average in the entire dataset. This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 235 can feed the RTX 5060 adequately at lower resolutions where the GPU is less taxed. However, the 14-thread count, rather than a higher core count with multi-threading, may explain why the CPU does not push even higher. The nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 with an average score of 46030 and a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Core i9-13900HX with 46098 and a delta of -0.1%, show that the Ultra 5 235 sits in a tight performance band. The data implies that in this game, the CPU's role is to maintain a high ceiling, not to dictate the average FPS.

The 3 nm process node and TSMC foundry contribute to power efficiency, but the game's results are more about the GPU. At 4K Ultra, the CPU's 24 MB of L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth are irrelevant because the GPU is overwhelmed. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is more than capable for this title, but the measured FPS never approach the CPU's theoretical limits, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of the workload.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows offer a clear picture of which preset provides the best experience without exceeding the hardware's capabilities. At 1920x1080, High settings deliver 94 FPS, which is smooth and visually rich. Medium settings provide 106 FPS, but the 12 FPS gain comes at the cost of visual fidelity, which is not worth it for a game like Control that relies on atmosphere. Ultra settings at 82 FPS are playable, but the drop from High is only 12 FPS, suggesting that High is the sweet spot for 1080p.

At 2560x1440, High settings yield 71 FPS, which is acceptable for most players, but Medium settings at 80 FPS offer a better margin for frame time consistency. The data shows that Low settings at 113 FPS are overkill, sacrificing too much visual quality for performance that the display may not need. Ultra at 62 FPS is borderline, and the 9 FPS difference between High and Ultra is not substantial enough to justify the increased load. Medium is the recommended preset for 1440p, balancing quality and fluidity.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes drastically. High settings at 48 FPS and Ultra at 42 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider ideal. Low settings at 76 FPS are the only preset that provides a consistently smooth experience, but the visual downgrade is significant. Medium at 54 FPS is a compromise, but the data suggests that 4K is only viable with Low settings for a competitive or fast-paced playthrough. For this combo, the best experience per the measured rows is High at 1080p or Medium at 1440p, where the FPS stays above 70 and the visual quality remains high.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1237 out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the 57th percentile of all systems. This is a middling result, reflecting that while the individual components are competent, the pairing does not excel in this specific game. The rank indicates that there are 1651 combos that perform worse, but also 1236 that perform better, which is a narrow margin.

This positioning is likely due to the RTX 5060's 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, which is below the CPU's 89th percentile. The GPU is the weaker link, and its performance at higher resolutions drags the combo down. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the AMD Radeon 860M with a delta of -0.3% and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 with a delta of -0.3%, suggest that the RTX 5060 is not far ahead of lower-tier options in synthetic tests, but in real-world gaming, the 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are the differentiators.

The combo's rank is not a measure of failure, but it does imply that for Control, the CPU is overqualified relative to the GPU. If the goal is to maximize FPS, the data suggests that a stronger GPU would yield better results. However, for the price point, this pairing offers a balanced experience at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K being a stretch. The rank of 1237 out of 2888 is a reminder that the RTX 5060 is a mid-range card, and expectations should be set accordingly.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node from TSMC. Its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is the key figure for understanding its performance in Control. The GPU has 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2497 MHz. These specs translate to a pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s, but the data shows that these are not sufficient for 4K Ultra.

The GPU's benchmark scores are modest, with a Passmark G3D score of 20891 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 112787. Its 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs is telling, as it sits behind more powerful cards. In Control, the GPU's role is to handle the resolution scaling, and the measured FPS confirms that it struggles above 1440p. At 1080p, the RTX 5060 can deliver 149 FPS at Low settings, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 42 FPS, a 71% reduction.

The memory bus width of 128-bit is a bottleneck, as wider buses on rival cards allow for higher bandwidth. The nearest GPU rivals, like the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary with a delta of -0.8%, are close in synthetic scores, but the RTX 5060's advantage lies in its features like ray tracing and DLSS, though these are not measured in the FPS data. The GPU's 145 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU are efficient, but the 8 GB VRAM may limit texture quality at 4K, where the data shows High and Ultra presets pulling the average down to 48 and 42 FPS respectively.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates, with High settings at 94 FPS and Low at 149 FPS. This resolution is the most stable for the RTX 5060, as 4K drops to 42 FPS at Ultra.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098). It performs similarly to the AMD EPYC 4364P, which has a delta of 0.2%.

Q: Is the RTX 5060 a good match for this game?

A: The GPU ranks 72nd percentile among all GPUs, and the measured FPS show it is capable at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, it struggles, with only Low settings hitting 76 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at higher presets.

Q: What is the FPS difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, High is 94 FPS and Ultra is 82 FPS, a 12 FPS difference. At 1440p, High is 71 FPS and Ultra is 62 FPS, a 9 FPS difference. At 4K, High is 48 FPS and Ultra is 42 FPS, a 6 FPS difference.

Q: Why does the FPS drop so much from 1080p to 4K?

A: The data indicates a GPU bottleneck. The RTX 5060's 128-bit memory bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K, causing the average FPS to halve from 149 at 1080p Low to 76 at 4K Low.

Q: Which preset is recommended for 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 provide 80 FPS, which is the highest average above 60 FPS for that resolution. High settings at 71 FPS are also viable, but Medium offers a better margin for frame time consistency.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is presented below, organized by resolution and settings. All values are average FPS, with min and max FPS included where available.

1920x1080:

• Low: 149 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: 106 FPS (min 90, max 122)
• High: 94 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: 82 FPS (no min/max recorded)

2560x1440:

• Low: 113 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: 80 FPS (min 68, max 92)
• High: 71 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: 62 FPS (no min/max recorded)

3840x2160:

• Low: 76 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: 54 FPS (min 46, max 62)
• High: 48 FPS (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: 42 FPS (no min/max recorded)

The pattern is clear: each step up in resolution reduces the average FPS by roughly 20-30%, with the largest absolute drops occurring at Low settings. The min and max values for Medium settings show a consistent range, with the 1080p Medium having a 32 FPS spread (90 to 122), the 1440p Medium a 24 FPS spread (68 to 92), and the 4K Medium a 16 FPS spread (46 to 62). This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming the sole bottleneck, reducing frame time variance as it reaches its limits.