Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 produces a clear performance hierarchy in Control, with the data showing a pronounced transition from a CPU-friendly environment at 1080p to a GPU-bound scenario at 4K. The measured frame rates across the three tested resolutions indicate that while the processor is more than capable of feeding the graphics card at lower pixel counts, the RTX 5060’s 8 GB memory buffer and compute throughput become the definitive limiting factors as resolution scales.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS deltas between 1080p and 4K are substantial, revealing how the workload shifts. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 121 FPS, which drops to 91 FPS at 1440p and further to 62 FPS at 4K. This represents a 48.8% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a scaling pattern that suggests the GPU is handling the increased pixel count without significant assistance from the CPU. The progression is not linear, indicating that memory bandwidth and fill rate constraints begin to bite hard at 3840x2160.

For High settings, the same pattern emerges: 76 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 48.7%, nearly identical to the Low setting delta. This consistency implies that the RTX 5060’s architecture scales predictably with resolution, and the CPU is not creating a bottleneck that would flatten the curve at higher resolutions. If the 235HX were the limiting factor, we would expect the 4K results to cluster closer together regardless of settings, but the data shows a wide spread: 34 FPS at Ultra versus 62 FPS at Low at 4K.

At Medium settings, the only rows with min/max FPS data, the frame time consistency degrades noticeably as resolution increases. At 1080p Medium, the average is 86 FPS with a min of 73 and max of 99, a range of 26 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 65 FPS with a min of 55 and max of 75, maintaining a similar 20 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the average is 44 FPS with a min of 37 and max of 50, again a 13 FPS range. The shrinking absolute range at higher resolutions points to the GPU becoming the primary constraint, as frame times become more uniform when the render pipeline is saturated.

The data indicates that 1440p is the practical ceiling for maintaining high refresh rates across most settings. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at High settings is 18 FPS (76 to 58), which is a 23.7% performance hit. However, the gap between 1440p and 4K at High settings is 19 FPS (58 to 39), a 32.8% hit. This accelerated degradation at 4K confirms that the RTX 5060’s 128-bit memory bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the pixel throughput demanded by 3840x2160 in Control.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz provide a wide operating range for both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34,731 and a single-core score of 4,903, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs tested.

The nearest rival data shows the 235HX trading blows with desktop-class parts. It sits 0.1% behind the AMD EPYC 8124P, 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, 0.4% behind the Intel Core i7-14700, and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13900F. These margins are minuscule, indicating that the mobile 235HX delivers compute performance on par with high-end desktop processors from previous generations. For Control, a game from 2019, this level of CPU horsepower is far beyond what the title requires.

The game’s engine does not appear to be heavily threaded, as the 14-thread count does not translate into a measurable advantage at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 121 FPS, which is likely near the engine’s maximum frame rate ceiling rather than a reflection of CPU limits. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz is the more relevant specification here, as Control’s main thread benefits from high single-core performance. The L3 cache of 24 MB shared and L2 cache of 3 MB per core provide ample storage for the game’s physics and AI routines.

The CPU’s 55 W TDP is modest for a 14-core part, but the data shows no evidence of thermal throttling affecting gameplay. The PassMark multi-thread score of 40,849 and single-thread score of 4,683 corroborate the Cinebench results, reinforcing that the processor is not the bottleneck in any of the measured configurations. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 34, the CPU is unlikely to be stalling the GPU, as the frame rate is limited by the graphics card’s pixel and texture processing capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the decisive component in this pairing. Built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB206 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process, it features 3,840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units. The GPU’s boost clock of 2,497 MHz and base clock of 2,280 MHz allow it to sustain high throughput, but its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus is the critical constraint in Control at higher resolutions and settings.

The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the measured results. At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 66 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high refresh displays. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 50 FPS, crossing below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The 4K Ultra result of 34 FPS is clearly below playable standards, highlighting the VRAM and bandwidth limitations.

The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 20,891 places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M (0.3% higher), NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (0.3% higher), AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (0.8% higher), and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (1.2% lower). These comparisons show the RTX 5060 performing in a mid-range bracket, with the deltaPct values indicating that it trades blows with older desktop cards. The 19.18 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 299.6 GTexel/s texture rate are respectable for the segment, but they are not enough to overcome the memory constraints at 4K.

The RTX 5060’s 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores support DirectX 12 Ultimate, but Control’s ray tracing features are not measured in this dataset. The standard rasterization results show a GPU that excels at 1080p and handles 1440p adequately, but struggles at 4K across all settings. The frame rate gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 28 FPS (62 versus 34), demonstrating that the GPU’s shading and texture units are pushed to their limits when both resolution and quality settings are maxed.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1,894 out of 2,888 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This ranking reflects the RTX 5060’s mid-range positioning rather than any CPU deficiency, as the 235HX’s percentile ranking of 91 is far higher than the GPU’s 72nd percentile. The combination of a high-end mobile CPU with a mid-range GPU produces a system that is skewed towards processor-heavy workloads, but Control is a graphics-intensive title that does not benefit from excess CPU headroom.

The rank of 1,894 out of 2,888 means that approximately 34.4% of tested combos perform worse, while 65.6% perform better. This places the system in a position where it can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming comfortably but will struggle at 4K. The ranking is likely pulled down by the GPU’s 8 GB memory buffer, as combos with similar GPUs but higher VRAM would achieve better frame rates at 4K Ultra settings.

Compared to the GPU’s nearest rivals, the RTX 5060’s performance in Control is consistent with its synthetic benchmark scores. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, which scores 1.2% higher in average benchmarks, would likely produce similar or slightly better FPS in this game, while the RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at 0.8% higher would also be competitive. The CPU’s nearest rivals, including the Ryzen 9 5950X and Core i9-13900F, would not change the outcome because the 235HX is already providing more than enough processing power.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers smooth frame rates across all settings. Low settings average 121 FPS, Medium averages 86 FPS with a min of 73 and max of 99, High averages 76 FPS, and Ultra averages 66 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 35 FPS drop, while the step from Medium to High is 10 FPS, and from High to Ultra is another 10 FPS. This pattern shows diminishing returns from higher settings, as the GPU’s shading units become less impactful once the texture and shadow quality are already high.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 91 FPS for Low, 65 FPS for Medium with a min of 55 and max of 75, 58 FPS for High, and 50 FPS for Ultra. The Low to Medium drop is 26 FPS, Medium to High is 7 FPS, and High to Ultra is 8 FPS. The overall reduction from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 25% across all settings, which is consistent with the pixel count increase of 77.8% when accounting for the GPU’s bandwidth headroom.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 62 FPS for Low, 44 FPS for Medium with a min of 37 and max of 50, 39 FPS for High, and 34 FPS for Ultra. The Low to Medium drop is 18 FPS, Medium to High is 5 FPS, and High to Ultra is 5 FPS. The 4K results are the most telling: even at Low settings, the combo cannot maintain 60 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls below 35 FPS. The min FPS of 37 at 4K Medium indicates that frame times can spike, potentially causing stutter in fast-paced combat sequences.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 60 FPS at 1080p?*

A: Yes, at 1080p the combo exceeds 60 FPS on all settings. Low averages 121 FPS, Medium averages 86 FPS, High averages 76 FPS, and Ultra averages 66 FPS, so a 60 FPS target is achievable even at Ultra.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1440p, only Low settings (91 FPS) and Medium settings (65 FPS) maintain an average above 60 FPS. High (58 FPS) and Ultra (50 FPS) fall short, so 1440p Medium is the highest quality preset that stays above 60 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is 0.1% behind the AMD EPYC 8124P, 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, 0.4% behind the Intel Core i7-14700, and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13900F in average benchmark scores.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: Yes, the data shows a steep FPS drop at 3840x2160 across all settings. The RTX 5060’s 8 GB GDDR7 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient, as even Low settings only reach 62 FPS and Ultra drops to 34 FPS.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1,894 out of 2,888 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the lower-middle tier. The GPU’s 72nd percentile ranking drags down the overall position despite the CPU’s 91st percentile.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate is stable?

A: The Medium preset has min/max data showing a 26 FPS range at 1080p (73-99 FPS), a 20 FPS range at 1440p (55-75 FPS), and a 13 FPS range at 4K (37-50 FPS). The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is consistently saturated, reducing frame time variance.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, as the average of 66 FPS provides a smooth experience without sacrificing visual quality. The 10 FPS gap between High and Ultra is worth taking the quality hit, and the 66 FPS average is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Players with high refresh rate monitors may prefer Medium at 86 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss is significant for only a 20 FPS gain over Ultra.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the best balance, averaging 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS. The High preset at 58 FPS is borderline playable but may dip below 60 FPS during intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 50 FPS is not recommended for fast-paced action, as the reduced frame rate can impact responsiveness. Low settings at 91 FPS are viable for competitive play, but the visual downgrade is substantial.

For 4K, no preset achieves a consistent 60 FPS. The Low preset at 62 FPS is the only option that breaks the 60 FPS average, but the minimum frame rate is not recorded, suggesting potential dips. The Medium preset at 44 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS is playable for slower-paced sections but will stutter during combat. The Ultra preset at 34 FPS is not recommended for any scenario, as the frame rate is too low for a game that requires precise aiming and spatial awareness.

The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium gaming. The RTX 5060’s 8 GB memory buffer is adequate for these resolutions, and the 235HX’s high single-core performance ensures that the CPU never becomes a limiting factor. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, 1440p Low at 91 FPS offers the smoothest experience without dropping to 1080p.