Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile delivers a versatile Control experience, balancing high frame rates at 1080p with playable performance at 4K. The data shows a clear hierarchy where resolution dictates the playable settings, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across all resolution and settings combinations, explains the scaling behavior, and offers practical recommendations based on the benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values reveal a pronounced drop as resolution increases, a classic sign of GPU-bound performance in Control. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 79 FPS, which falls to 59 FPS at 1440p (-25.3%) and further to 40 FPS at 4K (-49.4% from 1080p). This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4060 Mobile is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the pixel count nearly doubles from 1080p to 1440p and quadruples to 4K. The CPU's influence diminishes at these resolutions, as the workload shifts overwhelmingly to the graphics processor.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. For Low settings, the drop from 1080p (124 FPS) to 1440p (94 FPS) is 24.2%, and to 4K (64 FPS) it is 48.4%. Medium settings follow a similar trajectory: 88 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p (-23.9%), and 45 FPS at 4K (-48.9%). Ultra settings show the most severe scaling, with 68 FPS at 1080p dropping to 52 FPS at 1440p (-23.5%) and 35 FPS at 4K (-48.5%). This uniformity across presets suggests that resolution scaling is independent of the quality settings, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of the game at these configurations.

The implications are clear: at 1080p, the CPU has headroom to push higher frame rates, but the GPU's rendering capacity caps the output. At 4K, the RTX 4060 Mobile's 8 GB of VRAM and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates, even on Low settings, where the average sits at 64 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p is the sweet spot for balanced performance, offering a significant improvement over 4K without sacrificing the visual fidelity that High settings provide.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 79 FPS. This is the baseline for the combo, showing solid performance for most monitors.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 64 on Low settings. On Medium, it drops to 45 FPS, and on High it is 40 FPS. Ultra settings yield only 35 FPS, so 60 FPS at 4K is not achievable with this hardware.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 Mobile compare to its nearest rival in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 22729, which places it 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (avg score 22895) and 1.3% behind the Intel Arc B580 (avg score 23021). It is 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (avg score 22549) and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (avg score 22435).

Q: What is the best settings preset for smooth gameplay at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings yield 59 FPS, while Medium delivers 67 FPS with minimums of 57 FPS. For a smoother experience, Medium is preferable, as it stays above 60 FPS on average, whereas High dips below.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p, as the frame rates scale consistently with settings (124 FPS on Low, 88 FPS on Medium, 79 FPS on High, 68 FPS on Ultra). The GPU's rendering limits are reached before the CPU's capabilities are exhausted.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in Control?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and RTX 4060 Mobile combo ranks 2278 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the 61st percentile. This indicates it outperforms a majority of systems, but it is not at the top tier for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile ranks 2278 out of 3720 combos. This position, roughly in the 61st percentile, shows that it performs better than most systems tested, but it is not close to the top performers. The rank reflects a balance of CPU and GPU capabilities, where the RTX 4060 Mobile's 67th percentile among all GPUs and the CPU's 91st percentile among all CPUs combine to produce a mid-to-upper-tier result.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is a stronger component relative to the GPU. The Core Ultra 5 235HX scores in the 91st percentile, with an average benchmark score of 52073, placing it near the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (deltaPct 0.2%) and Intel Core i9-13900F (deltaPct 0.7%). In contrast, the RTX 4060 Mobile sits in the 67th percentile, with an average score of 22729, close to the RTX 2080 (deltaPct -0.7%) and RX 7700 XT (deltaPct 0.8%). This disparity suggests that the GPU limits the combo's rank in Control, as the game is visually demanding.

The rank of 2278 out of 3720 implies that there are 1442 combos that perform worse and 2277 that perform better. This is a meaningful distinction, as it places the system in the upper 61% of all tested configurations. The data shows that the combo is well-suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates, but it struggles at 4K, which drags down its overall ranking. For a user targeting 1440p, this rank is respectable, but for 4K enthusiasts, it falls short of the top tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 124 FPS, Medium follows with 88 FPS, and High drops to 79 FPS. Ultra settings yield 68 FPS, which is still playable. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS, indicating stable frame pacing. This resolution is where the combo shines, offering over 60 FPS on all presets, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 94 FPS, Medium 67 FPS, and High 59 FPS. Ultra settings dip to 52 FPS. The Medium preset maintains a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS, showing only slight dips below 60 FPS. High settings, while averaging just below 60 FPS, lack the headroom of Medium, making the latter the better choice for consistent smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 64 FPS, which is the only preset above 60 FPS. Medium drops to 45 FPS, High to 40 FPS, and Ultra to 35 FPS. The Medium preset has a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS, highlighting significant frame variability. This resolution is only viable on Low settings for a playable experience, and even then, it is not ideal for fast-paced action.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, provides a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1545 MHz, boosting to 1890 MHz, and the memory runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). These specifications place it in the 67th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22729. In Control, the GPU's role is dominant at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops correlate with the increasing pixel count.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as the data shows no significant penalties at these resolutions. At 4K, the GPU's memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor, evidenced by the steep drop in FPS. The texture rate of 181.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 90.72 GPixel/s indicate the GPU's raw processing capabilities, but Control's demands at 4K exceed what the RTX 4060 Mobile can sustain.

The GPU's benchmark scores show it performs comparably to desktop GPUs like the RTX 2080 (deltaPct -0.7%) and RX 7700 XT (deltaPct 0.8%). This parity is reflected in the game's results, where the combo's performance aligns with these mid-range GPUs. The RTX 4060 Mobile's 3072 shading units and 48 ROPs handle the game's effects at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the pixel count overwhelms these resources, leading to the observed frame rate drops.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1440p is the recommended choice. The data shows 67 FPS average with a minimum of 57 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without significant dips. At 1080p, High settings provide an excellent experience at 79 FPS, offering better visuals while staying above 60 FPS. For users with high-refresh-rate displays, Low settings at 1080p achieve 124 FPS, but the visual compromise may not be worth it.

At 4K, the options are limited. Low settings average 64 FPS, which is playable but sacrifices most graphical fidelity. Medium settings at 45 FPS are too choppy for action sequences, and High and Ultra are not recommended. The data suggests that 4K gaming is not this combo's strength, so users should either lower the resolution or accept reduced settings.

The Ultra preset, while offering the best visuals, only achieves 68 FPS at 1080p and 52 FPS at 1440p. The performance hit compared to High is significant (13.9% at 1080p, 11.9% at 1440p), making it a less efficient choice. For a consistent experience, Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot, as it maintains frame rates above 60 FPS with acceptable visual quality. At 1080p, High is the recommended preset for its combination of performance and fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX, with 14 cores and 14 threads, operates at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This CPU, built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process, scores in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 52073. In Control, the CPU's role is less prominent than the GPU, as the game is primarily GPU-bound, but its performance ensures no CPU-induced bottlenecks at lower resolutions.

The CPU's multi-core performance, as shown in Cinebench R23 (34731 multi-core, 4903 single-core), indicates strong processing power for game logic and physics. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth support smooth data flow, which is critical for open-world environments like Control's. The CPU's 14 threads are sufficient to handle the game's background processes without impacting frame rates.

At 1080p, the CPU's headroom is evident, as the frame rates scale predictably with settings, suggesting the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's boost clock of 5.10 GHz provides responsive single-threaded performance, which is beneficial for the game's main thread. The benchmark results show the CPU performs comparably to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (deltaPct 0.2%) and Intel Core i9-13900F (deltaPct 0.7%), ensuring it does not hold back the GPU in most scenarios.

The CPU's role becomes more significant at lower resolutions, where the GPU is less stressed. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 124 FPS, indicating the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently. However, at 4K, the CPU's performance is secondary, as the GPU's rendering limits dominate. The data shows that the Core Ultra 5 235HX is a capable partner for the RTX 4060 Mobile, providing enough processing power for Control without introducing bottlenecks.