Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, remains a demanding showcase for hardware due to its physics-heavy environments and real-time ray tracing options. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, using benchmark data captured at three resolutions and four quality presets. The data indicates a configuration capable of high refresh-rate play at 1440p, but one that requires careful settings management to maintain a smooth experience at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, with the most significant performance cliff occurring between 1080p and 1440p. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 112 FPS at 1920x1080 to 84 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 28 FPS. Moving from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160) at High settings yields another 27 FPS drop, landing at 57 FPS average. This nearly linear halving of performance across the resolution spectrum strongly suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions.

The scaling behavior changes character when examining the lower presets. At Low settings, the system achieves 177 FPS at 1080p, 134 FPS at 1440p, and 90 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24.3%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 32.8%. This steeper decline at higher resolutions is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become increasingly critical. The RTX 4080's 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth and 280.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are being taxed more heavily as the resolution scales.

At the Ultra preset, the most demanding setting, the frame rate falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 4K, averaging just 50 FPS. The gap between Medium and Ultra at 4K is 14 FPS (64 vs 50), while the gap between Low and Medium is 26 FPS (90 vs 64). This non-linear scaling indicates that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features that disproportionately impact the GPU, likely related to the game's signature physics simulations and volumetric effects. The 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS represents a 71.8% drop from the 1080p Low result of 177 FPS, underscoring the extreme demands of the highest settings at the highest resolution.

The data shows that the transition from 1080p to 1440p is where the most noticeable performance degradation occurs for this combo. At High settings, the 112 FPS at 1080p drops to a still-playable 84 FPS at 1440p, but the 4K result of 57 FPS is marginal for smooth gameplay. Users targeting 4K will need to accept the Medium preset's 64 FPS average or the Low preset's 90 FPS to stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The min FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows 55 FPS at 4K, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 107 FPS at 1080p, indicating that even at Medium, the 4K experience can dip below 60 FPS during intense scenes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on Arrow Lake architecture using TSMC's 3 nm process. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz provide the computational foundation for this gaming combo. The processor's benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34,731 and a single-core score of 4,903. This places the CPU in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong performance for a mobile part.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but it remains critical at 1080p where frame rates exceed 170 FPS. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,683 and multi-thread score of 40,849 suggest the processor can handle the game's physics-based combat and destructible environments without becoming a bottleneck. The CPU's 14 cores, while not hyperthreaded (14 threads total), provide sufficient parallelism for the game's background tasks, though Control is not known for heavily utilizing many cores.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s via dual-channel DDR5 is adequate for feeding the RTX 4080, though it is significantly lower than the GPU's own memory bandwidth. This asymmetry is typical and does not appear to cause issues based on the measured frame rates. The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample on-chip storage for game assets and physics calculations.

Comparing the Ultra 5 235HX to its nearest rivals, the data shows it trades blows with desktop processors. It scores 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and 0.7% higher than the Intel Core i9-13900F in average benchmark score. It trails the AMD EPYC 8124P by 0.1% and the Intel Core i7-14700 by 0.4%. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, confirming that the Ultra 5 235HX is not the limiting factor in this configuration. The CPU's high single-core performance, evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,903, ensures that Control's main game thread runs efficiently.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the undisputed performance driver in this combo. Based on the AD103 chip and Ada Lovelace architecture, this GPU features 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs. Its 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for ray tracing and DLSS, though the measured data does not specify whether these features were enabled. The GPU's boost clock of 2,505 MHz and base clock of 2,205 MHz are typical for the Ada Lovelace generation.

The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for Control's high-resolution textures and particle effects. The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a PassMark G3D score of 34,457, placing it in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. The RTX 4080's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores only 0.1% higher in average benchmark score, indicating that this GPU is at the top of its class.

The GPU's performance in Control is directly observable through the measured FPS data. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 177 FPS, which drops to 50 FPS at 4K Ultra. This 127 FPS difference highlights the GPU's sensitivity to resolution and settings. The GPU's pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are being saturated at 4K Ultra, leading to the 50 FPS result. The 4K Medium result of 64 FPS, with a min FPS of 55, suggests that the GPU is right at the edge of maintaining a smooth experience at 4K.

The RTX 4080's memory configuration plays a significant role in these results. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Control at all tested settings, but the 716.8 GB/s bandwidth becomes a bottleneck at 4K Ultra where texture streaming demands are highest. The GPU's 22.4 Gbps effective memory speed is among the fastest available, yet the data shows that even this bandwidth cannot prevent the frame rate from dipping below 60 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is likely due to the game's heavy use of post-processing effects and alpha-blended particles, which consume fill rate more than bandwidth.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination ranks 879th out of 2,888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 69.6th percentile of all configurations. This rank reflects the GPU's strong but not top-tier performance, as the RTX 4080 is positioned below the RTX 4090 and newer 50-series parts. The combo's ranking suggests that while it delivers excellent performance, there are many faster configurations in the database, likely featuring higher-end GPUs or newer architectures.

The combo's rank is influenced by both components' positions in their respective hierarchies. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs is higher than the GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, indicating that the GPU is the more limiting component in this pairing. This is consistent with the resolution scaling analysis, which showed GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance is more than adequate for the GPU's capabilities, meaning the combo's rank is primarily determined by the RTX 4080's absolute performance level.

At 4K Ultra, the combo's 50 FPS average places it in a tier of systems that can barely manage 4K gaming at maximum settings. The 4K High result of 57 FPS is more representative of the combo's true 4K capability, while the 4K Medium result of 64 FPS pushes it into acceptable territory. At 1440p, the combo is firmly in high refresh-rate territory, with the High preset achieving 84 FPS and the Low preset achieving 134 FPS. The 1080p results are exceptional, with all presets exceeding 97 FPS and the Low preset reaching 177 FPS.

The combo's ranking relative to other configurations can be inferred from its position in the 2,888-combo database. Being in the 879th position means that roughly 30% of tested combos outperform it, which is a reasonable position for a mobile CPU paired with a previous-generation high-end GPU. The RTX 4080's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% faster), AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (1.1% slower), AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (2.6% slower), and AMD Radeon 8060S (2.7% slower). These small deltas suggest that the RTX 4080 is competitive with its immediate peers.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, all presets are viable, with even the Ultra preset achieving 97 FPS average. The Medium preset offers a balanced experience at 126 FPS with a min FPS of 107, providing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. For competitive play, the Low preset's 177 FPS is the best choice, though the visual quality reduction is significant.

At 1440p, the High preset at 84 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it offers a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS is also playable, though the 11 FPS difference from High may not justify the visual gains for some users. The Medium preset at 95 FPS with a min FPS of 81 provides the smoothest experience for those prioritizing frame rate over visual quality. The Low preset at 134 FPS is ideal for high refresh-rate monitors but sacrifices the game's atmospheric lighting and effects.

For 4K, the data clearly indicates that the Ultra preset at 50 FPS is not recommended for most users, as the frame rate falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 57 FPS is borderline, offering a playable but not consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at 64 FPS with a min FPS of 55 is the best choice for 4K, as it provides an acceptable average frame rate while maintaining some visual quality. The Low preset at 90 FPS is recommended for those who prioritize smoothness above all else, though the visual downgrade is substantial.

The measured data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best overall experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, it provides 126 FPS with a min FPS of 107; at 1440p, it provides 95 FPS with a min FPS of 81; and at 4K, it provides 64 FPS with a min FPS of 55. This preset appears to be the sweet spot where the game's visual systems (physics, particles, lighting) are sufficiently rendered without overwhelming the GPU. Users with G-SYNC or FreeSync displays will find the Medium preset's frame times acceptable at all resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with ray tracing enabled?

A: The measured data does not specify whether ray tracing was enabled during testing. The 4K Ultra preset achieves 50 FPS average without confirmed RT settings, suggesting that enabling ray tracing would further reduce performance below playable levels.

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

A: The data indicates that 1440p is the optimal resolution, with the High preset achieving 84 FPS average and the Ultra preset achieving 73 FPS. At 4K, only the Medium and Low presets stay above 60 FPS, while 1080p exceeds 97 FPS on all presets.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER scores 0.1% higher in average benchmark score, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 1.1% lower, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 2.6% lower, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 2.7% lower.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck even at 1080p, where the system achieves 177 FPS at Low settings. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX's single-thread score of 4,903 in Cinebench R23 and PassMark single-thread score of 4,683 indicate sufficient processing power for high frame rates.

Q: What settings should be used for a 60 FPS target at 4K?

A: The Medium preset at 4K achieves 64 FPS average with a min FPS of 55, making it the highest preset that stays near the 60 FPS target. The High preset at 57 FPS and Ultra preset at 50 FPS fall short of this target.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 879th out of 2,888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the upper 30% of all configurations. The CPU ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 86th percentile among all GPUs.