Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure from Remedy Entertainment, is a demanding title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, using measured FPS data to provide a neutral assessment of its capabilities for this specific game. The data shows a configuration that is capable of solid 1080p and 1440p gameplay but struggles to maintain high refresh rates or smooth 4K experiences, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combo in Control?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 2141 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all configurations tested, indicating that while it can run the game, many other hardware pairings deliver significantly higher frame rates.

Q: Can this system achieve a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1080p?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080, the system can achieve an average of 63 FPS on the Ultra preset. The data shows that lowering the settings provides a significant boost, with the Low preset delivering 115 FPS, High at 73 FPS, and Medium at 82 FPS. For a locked 60 FPS experience, the High preset is a safe choice, while Medium offers more headroom.

Q: How does the CPU's core and thread count influence performance in Control?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has 14 cores and 14 threads. While Control is not typically considered a heavily multi-threaded title, the data suggests this CPU provides sufficient processing power to avoid being the primary limiting factor at most settings, as frame rates scale more significantly with GPU-related changes like resolution and graphics presets.

Q: What is the limiting factor for this system's performance in Control?

A: The benchmark results strongly indicate that the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the limiting component. This is most evident in the resolution scaling, where frame rates drop dramatically as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. For instance, the average FPS at Ultra settings falls from 63 at 1080p to 32 at 4K.

Q: Is the Radeon RX 5700 XT's 8 GB of VRAM a concern for Control?

A: The Radeon RX 5700 XT features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. While the measured data does not include VRAM usage, the significant performance drop at 4K, even on Low settings (59 FPS), suggests that the combination of the GPU's raw compute power and its memory bandwidth is insufficient for smooth gameplay at that resolution. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is a key specification for this GPU.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 245 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the PassMark average benchmark score, the Core Ultra 5 245 is very closely matched with its nearest rivals. It is a mere 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7900. It is also 0.6% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K, showing it is a competitive mid-range processor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. The data provides a clear picture of the performance scaling across four presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra.

For a 1920x1080 display, the High preset is the recommended starting point, yielding a solid 73 FPS average. This provides a smooth and responsive experience for most players. Those seeking maximum visual fidelity can opt for the Ultra preset, which still maintains a playable 63 FPS average. The Medium preset offers a comfortable middle ground at 82 FPS, and the Low preset pushes performance to 115 FPS for high-refresh-rate monitors or competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the system's GPU limitations begin to show. The High preset delivers an average of 55 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. To achieve a smoother experience closer to 60 FPS, dropping to the Medium preset is advisable, as it provides an average of 62 FPS. The Low preset offers a more comfortable 87 FPS, while the Ultra preset dips to 48 FPS, which may feel less fluid.

For 3840x2160 (4K), none of the presets provide a consistently smooth experience. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability with an average of 59 FPS, though frame times may be inconsistent. The Medium preset drops to 42 FPS, High to 37 FPS, and Ultra to 32 FPS. Therefore, the recommendation for 4K is to use the Low preset if playability is the primary concern, but this hardware is not well-suited for a high-quality 4K experience in Control.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its high boost clock of 5.10 GHz and robust L3 cache of 24 MB (shared) are significant factors in its gaming performance. In synthetic benchmarks like Cinebench R23, it scores 32924 in multi-core and 4648 in single-core, demonstrating strong overall processing power that places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role appears to be one of a capable and stable foundation rather than a performance bottleneck. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern where performance is heavily influenced by resolution and graphics settings, which are primarily GPU-side variables. For instance, at 1080p, the frame rate varies by almost 50 FPS between Low and Ultra settings (115 vs. 63 FPS), a change driven almost entirely by the GPU's workload. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see less variation between these presets, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do.

The processor's performance is well within the range of its direct competitors. Its PassMark average score of 48995 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, -0.4%) and AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, -0.5%). It also edges out the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, +0.6%) and the Intel Core i5-14600K (48618, +0.8%). This indicates that in a CPU-bound scenario, the Core Ultra 5 245 would perform on par with these alternatives, ensuring that it does not hold back the Radeon RX 5700 XT in most gaming situations.

How This Combo Ranks

In the specific context of Control, this hardware combination achieves a rank of 2141 out of 2888 tested combos, placing it in the 26th percentile of all systems. This ranking underscores that while the system is functional for playing the game, it significantly underperforms relative to the majority of other configurations that have been benchmarked. The low ranking is a direct consequence of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT's age and performance class, which struggles to keep up with more modern GPUs.

This rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capabilities, which are competitive with its peers in synthetic tests. Instead, it highlights the imbalance of this pairing for a demanding title like Control. The GPU's 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs, contrasted with the CPU's 90th percentile, suggests that the GPU is the clear weak link in this chain. The performance data supports this, as the system's frame rates are more consistent with a budget to mid-range GPU than a high-end one. For users with this configuration, the data suggests that upgrading the graphics card would yield a far more substantial performance increase in Control than upgrading the processor.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is based on the RDNA 1.0 architecture and the Navi 10 chip, manufactured on a 7 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 1905 MHz, and it offers a peak FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 16277 in PassMark G3D, placing it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, which is a clear indicator of its mid-range standing.

The GPU is unequivocally the primary determinant of performance in this system for Control. The measured FPS data shows that its performance scales predictably with workload, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. For example, reducing the resolution from 1440p to 1080p at High settings boosts the average FPS from 55 to 73, an increase of 18 FPS. Similarly, lowering the settings from High to Low at 1080p increases the average FPS from 73 to 115. These changes are directly tied to the GPU's rendering workload.

The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Control, but the dramatic frame rate drop at 4K suggests that the card's memory bandwidth and compute capabilities are simply overwhelmed. The fact that even the Low preset at 4K only manages an average of 59 FPS, with the Medium preset dropping to 42 FPS, indicates that the GPU has hit a hard performance ceiling at this resolution. The data shows that the Radeon RX 5700 XT is best suited for 1080p and, with some settings adjustments, 1440p gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following section details the exact measured average FPS values for this CPU/GPU combination across different resolutions and settings. It provides a granular view of the system's performance landscape.

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably. The Low preset achieves the highest average FPS at 115. The Medium preset delivers a strong 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 94. The High preset results in a smooth 73 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a playable 63 FPS average. This resolution provides the best balance of visual quality and performance for this hardware.

At 2560x1440, performance begins to decline. The Low preset yields a very good 87 FPS. The Medium preset achieves a 62 FPS average, with minimum and maximum values of 53 and 71 FPS, respectively. The High preset drops to 55 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset falls further to an average of 48 FPS, which may be less fluid for some players.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. The Low preset is the only one that approaches a playable frame rate, averaging 59 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 42 FPS, with a low of 36 FPS and a high of 48 FPS. The High preset averages 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 32 FPS. These results show that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this configuration beyond the lowest settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K provides significant insight into the system's bottleneck. By comparing the average FPS at the same settings across different resolutions, we can clearly see the impact of increasing the GPU's workload.

At the Ultra preset, the average FPS drops from 63 at 1080p to 48 at 1440p, a decrease of 15 FPS, and then to 32 at 4K, a further drop of 16 FPS. This represents a total reduction of approximately 49% from 1080p to 4K. Similarly, at the High preset, the average FPS falls from 73 at 1080p to 55 at 1440p, and then to 37 at 4K, a total reduction of about 49%. The Medium preset shows a similar trend, dropping from 82 to 62 to 42 FPS.

This consistent and dramatic performance drop as resolution increases is a textbook indicator of a GPU-bound system. As the resolution rises, the GPU must process exponentially more pixels, and the Radeon RX 5700 XT's compute and memory bandwidth limits are quickly reached. The CPU, which is responsible for game logic and draw calls, is not as heavily impacted by resolution changes. Therefore, the data conclusively shows that the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the limiting component in this pairing for Control, and that the system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming.