Control

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers a broad range of performance in Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. The measured data shows a system that scales predictably across resolutions and settings, with the GPU consistently acting as the primary performance driver. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 203 FPS average, while the most demanding configuration—4K Ultra—drops to 57 FPS average. This spread of 146 FPS between the lightest and heaviest tested scenarios highlights how the hardware responds to both resolution and graphical fidelity changes. The following analysis breaks down the measured results by resolution, component role, and competitive standing, using only the data provided.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo is clearly visible in the measured FPS rows. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average FPS drops from 128 to 97, a reduction of 31 FPS or roughly 24%. Stepping up again to 3840x2160 at High, the average falls to 65 FPS, which is 32 FPS lower than the 1440p result and 63 FPS below the 1080p figure. This progressive decline is typical for a high-resolution workload, where pixel count increases dramatically and places more strain on the GPU.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced in absolute terms. The 1080p Low average is 203 FPS, dropping to 153 FPS at 1440p and then to 103 FPS at 4K. That represents a 50 FPS loss from 1080p to 1440p and another 50 FPS loss from 1440p to 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low is approximately 49%, meaning the system loses nearly half its frame rate when quadrupling the pixel count. This steep decline suggests that even at the lowest graphical preset, the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames at lower pixel counts.

Medium settings show a similar trend. At 1080p Medium, the average is 144 FPS with a minimum of 122 and maximum of 165. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 109 FPS (min 93, max 125), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 73 FPS (min 62, max 85). The 4K Medium result is less than half the 1080p Medium average, confirming that the transition to 4K exacts a heavy toll on performance. The minimum FPS figures at Medium also illustrate consistency: the 4K minimum of 62 FPS is still playable, but it represents a 60 FPS drop from the 1080p minimum of 122 FPS.

Ultra settings provide the most demanding scenario. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 111 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 84 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it reaches 57 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is 54 FPS, or approximately 49%, mirroring the Low settings percentage decline. Interestingly, the 4K Ultra average of 57 FPS is only slightly above the 4K Medium minimum of 62 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset pushes the system near its limits at that resolution.

The data suggests that resolution scaling is primarily GPU-bound. At 1080p, even Ultra settings yield over 100 FPS, which implies the CPU can handle the game’s logic and draw calls without bottlenecking. As resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows disproportionately, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The fact that Low settings at 4K (103 FPS) outperform Ultra at 1080p (111 FPS) by a smaller margin than expected—only 8 FPS—further indicates that the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU remains capable across all tested configs.

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 is 2.90 GHz with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The CPU has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. These specifications place it as a high-end mobile part, and its benchmark scores reflect that positioning.

In Control, the CPU’s role is largely to maintain a high enough frame rate ceiling so that the GPU can operate without being starved. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 203 FPS average, which is the highest measured result. This suggests that the CPU can push well beyond 200 FPS in this game when graphical load is minimal. The single-core performance, as measured by Cinebench R23, is 4903 points, and the multi-core score is 34731. These numbers indicate strong per-thread performance, which is relevant for a game like Control that relies on a limited number of primary threads for gameplay logic.

The CPU’s 14 cores and 14 threads mean it has no hyper-threading, but the high boost clock of 5.10 GHz compensates for that in lightly threaded workloads. The Passmark single-thread score of 4683 and the Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2059 corroborate this. In gaming, where frame times depend on the main thread’s speed, the 235HX’s boost capability is likely a key factor in achieving the high 1080p frame rates observed.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, the 235HX’s average benchmark score is 52073. The AMD EPYC 8124P scores 52121, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the 235HX is essentially tied. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X scores 51947, a 0.2% delta in favor of the 235HX. The Intel Core i7-14700 scores 52301, putting the 235HX 0.4% behind, and the Intel Core i9-13900F scores 51730, with the 235HX 0.7% ahead. These deltas are all within 1%, indicating that the 235HX performs on par with a broad range of desktop and server parts in multi-threaded workloads, despite being a mobile chip.

For Control, the CPU’s impact is most evident at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 203 FPS average suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the GPU is likely idle enough to render frames as fast as the CPU can submit them. The drop to 153 FPS at 1440p Low and 103 FPS at 4K Low is entirely attributable to GPU load, not CPU limitations. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 111 FPS average indicates the CPU can sustain high frame rates with increased draw calls and physics calculations, which are common in Control’s action sequences.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a flagship mobile GPU based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, with a GB202 chip built on a 5 nm process. It features 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, along with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The memory runs at 1750 MHz, or 28 Gbps effective. These specs make it one of the most powerful GPUs available, and its benchmark scores confirm that.

In Control, the GPU is the dominant factor in the measured FPS. The 4K Ultra average of 57 FPS is the lowest result, and the 4K High average of 65 FPS is only slightly better. The GPU’s raw compute power, measured at 104.8 TFLOPS FP32, is sufficient to handle the game’s rendering at high resolutions, but the Ultra preset at 4K clearly stresses it heavily. The 4K Medium average of 73 FPS (min 62, max 85) shows that reducing settings from Ultra to Medium yields a 16 FPS improvement, which is a 28% gain.

The GPU’s memory capacity of 32 GB is far beyond what Control requires, even at 4K Ultra with high-resolution textures. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming is not a bottleneck. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (57 FPS) versus 4K High (65 FPS) suggests that the Ultra preset includes additional post-processing or shadow effects that cost about 8 FPS, not memory limitations.

Comparing the RTX 5090 to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, its average benchmark score is 79842. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605, a delta of 0.3% in favor of the RTX 5090. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396, a 0.6% delta, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, a 1.1% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, putting the RTX 5090 1.4% behind. These deltas are all within 1.5%, which is remarkable given that the RTX 5090 is a modern Blackwell part while the rivals include older Tesla and Radeon products. In practice, the RTX 5090’s performance in Control is consistent with its top-tier synthetic standing.

The GPU’s role in Control is to provide high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, and playable rates at 4K. At 1080p Low, the 203 FPS average is likely near the CPU’s limit, but the GPU is capable of much more. At 4K Ultra, the 57 FPS average is the only scenario where the GPU falls below 60 FPS, which suggests that for a smooth experience, players should either lower the resolution or reduce settings. The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs further underscores its high-end positioning.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Control?*

A: The highest average FPS is 203, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

*Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo in Control?*

A: The lowest average FPS is 57, achieved at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-core performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX has an average benchmark score of 52073. Its closest rival by score is the AMD EPYC 8124P at 52121, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the 235HX is slightly behind. Against the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, the 235HX is 0.2% ahead with a score of 51947.

*Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration, and does it affect Control performance?*

A: The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth. In Control, this configuration is more than sufficient, as the measured FPS at 4K Ultra is 57, which is limited by compute rather than memory bandwidth.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo achieve over 100 FPS average?

A: The combo achieves over 100 FPS average at 1080p Low (203 FPS), 1080p Medium (144 FPS), 1080p High (128 FPS), 1080p Ultra (111 FPS), 1440p Low (153 FPS), and 4K Low (103 FPS).

Q: How does the GPU’s synthetic benchmark score compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT?

A: The RTX 5090’s average benchmark score is 79842, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, resulting in a delta of 1.1% in favor of the RTX 5090.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Control, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 563rd out of 2888 combos. This places it in the top 19.5% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing given the wide variety of hardware configurations tracked. The rank of 563 suggests that there are 562 combos that achieve higher average FPS across the measured settings, likely including systems with more powerful desktop CPUs or multiple GPU setups.

The combo’s ranking is influenced by the fact that the RTX 5090 is a mobile GPU, even though it is top-tier for laptops. Desktop GPUs with similar names might have higher performance due to better cooling and power delivery. The CPU, while strong for a mobile part, does not match the absolute highest-end desktop processors in multi-threaded workloads, but its single-thread performance is excellent for gaming.

Given the measured FPS data, the combo’s rank is consistent with its performance profile. At 1080p Ultra, the 111 FPS average is above the median for most gaming systems, but at 4K Ultra, the 57 FPS average is below what some extreme desktop setups might achieve. The rank of 563 out of 2888 indicates that the combo is well above average, but not at the very top, which aligns with the fact that it is a mobile platform.

The GPU’s percentile ranking of 92nd among all GPUs and the CPU’s percentile ranking of 91st among all CPUs both suggest that this is a high-end pairing. The combo’s in-game rank of 563 is slightly lower than what these percentiles might suggest, likely because Control is a demanding title at 4K, and many of the top-ranked combos include multi-GPU configurations or desktop CPUs with higher sustained clocks. Nevertheless, a rank in the top 20% is respectable for a laptop-based system.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, all settings presets deliver over 100 FPS average. The Ultra preset yields 111 FPS, which is perfectly smooth for most players. The Medium preset offers 144 FPS (min 122, max 165), which provides a higher refresh rate headroom for 144Hz displays. The Low preset at 203 FPS is excessive unless using a 240Hz or higher monitor. For most users at 1080p, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it provides the best visual quality while maintaining a high frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 84 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset averages 97 FPS, offering a better balance between visuals and smoothness. The Medium preset averages 109 FPS (min 93, max 125), which is the sweet spot for 1440p gameplay on a 100-120Hz monitor. The Low preset at 153 FPS is unnecessary unless prioritizing competitive play. For 1440p, the Medium or High preset is recommended, with Medium providing the highest average FPS above 100.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes significantly. The Ultra preset averages 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable stutter on some displays. The High preset averages 65 FPS, which is closer to playable but still not ideal. The Medium preset averages 73 FPS (min 62, max 85), which provides a smoother experience while maintaining decent visual quality. The Low preset at 103 FPS offers the best performance, but the visual downgrade is substantial. For 4K, the Medium preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average above 70 FPS with minimums above 60 FPS, ensuring a consistent experience. The High preset is a viable alternative for those who prioritize visuals over frame rate, but the Medium preset offers the best balance.

In summary, the data indicates that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates even at Ultra settings. At 4K, players should use the Medium preset to achieve a playable frame rate, or accept lower visual fidelity with High or Low settings. The measured FPS minima at Medium settings (62 FPS at 4K, 93 FPS at 1440p, 122 FPS at 1080p) suggest that Medium provides the most stable frame pacing across all resolutions, making it the recommended preset for a consistent experience.