Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, remains a demanding showcase for physics and particle effects. In this analysis, the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT produces a set of results that clearly delineate the strengths and limitations of each component. The data indicates a configuration that is well-suited for 1080p play, capable at 1440p, but struggling to maintain fluidity at 4K with high visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is positioned in the lower-middle segment of the performance spectrum for Control. The combo achieves a rank of 1875 out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the 35th percentile among all pairings. This suggests that while the hardware is far from obsolete, a significant majority of other configurations deliver higher average frame rates in this specific title.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's standing. The Radeon RX 6650 XT holds a percentile of 65 against all GPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the graphics cards in the database. However, its nearest rivals in benchmark scores are a mixed bag of professional and older workstation cards. For instance, its average score of 19765 is a mere 0.6% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, but it also trails the AMD FirePro W7000 by 0.7%. This indicates that while the RX 6650 XT is a competent mid-range part, it is not at the top of its class, and the competition is tight within its performance tier. The combination's low overall rank is therefore less a condemnation of the CPU and more a reflection of the GPU being the primary determinant of frame rate in a graphically intensive title like Control.

The CPU, by contrast, is a powerhouse. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, a stark contrast to the GPU's 65th percentile. Its average benchmark score of 48995 places it in close contention with processors like the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which it trails by a negligible 0.5%. This disparity in relative performance between the two components is the central theme of this analysis: a top-tier CPU paired with a mid-tier GPU often results in a GPU-bound scenario, which the measured FPS data for Control confirms.

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. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and can boost up to 5.10 GHz. This high boost clock, combined with a substantial 24 MB of shared L3 cache, provides the computational muscle needed to feed a graphics card in modern games. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and single-core score of 4648 highlight its robust processing capabilities, ensuring it is not a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role is primarily to handle game logic, physics calculations, and draw calls. The data from this benchmark suggests the Ultra 5 245 is more than up to the task. When the graphics settings are lowered to "Low" at 1080p, the average frame rate jumps to 122 FPS. This substantial increase, compared to the 77 FPS at "High" settings, indicates that the CPU is capable of pushing far more frames than the GPU can render at higher graphical loads. The CPU is not the limiting factor here; it has ample headroom.

The processor's 14 threads are fully utilized by modern game engines, and Control is no exception. The high single-core performance is particularly relevant, as many game engines still rely heavily on a few primary threads for main loop logic. With a PassMark single-thread score of 4394, the Ultra 5 245 ensures that these critical threads are processed with minimal delay. In essence, the data portrays a CPU that is overqualified for the task of pairing with the RX 6650 XT in Control, consistently delivering frame times that the GPU cannot match.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the definitive performance limiter in this configuration. Built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip on a 7 nm process, it features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2635 MHz and a game clock of 2410 MHz help it achieve a theoretical FP32 performance of 10.79 TFLOPS. These specifications point to a card designed for solid 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming.

Control is a graphically demanding title, laden with particle effects, destructible environments, and complex lighting. This workload directly stresses the GPU's key resources: its 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operations pipelines. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is also a critical factor. At 4K resolution with "High" settings, the card manages an average of 39 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. The modest 128-bit memory bus means that at higher resolutions, the demand for texture data can outpace the memory bandwidth, further limiting performance.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning. Its PassMark G3D score of 17166 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1859 are respectable but not class-leading. The nearest rivals list, populated by workstation cards like the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 and AMD FirePro D300, underscores that the RX 6650 XT is competitive with professional parts from previous generations, but it is not a high-end gaming card. In Control, this translates to a hard ceiling on frame rates, particularly when resolution and settings are increased.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's capabilities across different resolutions and settings. The most complete data set is available for "Medium" settings, which includes average, minimum, and maximum FPS.

At 1080p, the configuration is at its most comfortable. With "Low" settings, the average frame rate reaches a very high 122 FPS, indicating a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. Moving to "Medium" settings, the average drops to 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 100 FPS, showcasing a stable and highly playable experience. "High" settings yield an average of 77 FPS, which remains fluid. Pushing to "Ultra" brings the average down to 67 FPS. This progression shows a steady and predictable performance curve, with the GPU handling all settings at this resolution with relative ease.

At 1440p, the strain on the GPU becomes more apparent. "Low" settings still produce a high average of 93 FPS, but the drop from 1080p is significant (a 29 FPS decrease). "Medium" settings yield an average of 66 FPS (with a min of 56 and max of 76), which is still within the bounds of smooth gameplay. "High" settings produce an average of 58 FPS, which is acceptable but begins to show the card's limits. "Ultra" settings further reduce the average to 51 FPS, dipping into a territory where some players might prefer to lower settings for a more consistent frame rate.

At 4K (3840x2160), the RX 6650 XT is clearly overburdened. "Low" settings are required to achieve a relatively smooth average of 63 FPS. Every step up in quality results in a significant performance penalty. "Medium" settings average 44 FPS (min 38, max 51), "High" settings average 39 FPS, and "Ultra" settings plummet to an average of 34 FPS. These figures fall below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the standard for a good gaming experience, and even the 30 FPS console-like target is only barely maintained at "Ultra" settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario. At "High" settings, the average frame rate drops from 77 FPS at 1080p to 58 FPS at 1440p, a 24.7% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average further drops from 58 FPS to 39 FPS, a 32.8% decrease. This pattern of escalating performance loss with each resolution increase is the signature of a graphics card that is hitting its memory bandwidth and pixel throughput limits.

This scaling behavior is consistent across all settings. At "Low" settings, the frame rate falls from 122 FPS at 1080p to 93 FPS at 1440p (a 23.8% drop) and then to 63 FPS at 4K (a 32.3% drop from 1440p). The percentage loss from 1440p to 4K is consistently larger than from 1080p to 1440p, regardless of the quality preset. This is because the pixel count increase from 1440p to 4K is substantial, and the RX 6650 XT's 8 GB frame buffer and 128-bit bus are simply not equipped to handle the data throughput required at that resolution.

The data strongly suggests that the limiting component is the GPU. The CPU's performance headroom, evidenced by the high 1080p "Low" setting frame rate, means it is not causing the frame rate to collapse at higher resolutions. Instead, the GPU's rendering capabilities are the sole bottleneck. For players targeting 4K, this combo requires significant compromises, such as using "Low" settings, to achieve playable frame rates. The sweet spot for this hardware pairing is unambiguously 1080p, where it can deliver high frame rates with most settings, and 1440p, where it offers a balanced experience at medium to high presets.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates 1080p is the optimal resolution. The combo achieves an average of 77 FPS at "High" settings and 87 FPS at "Medium" settings, providing a smooth experience. At 1440p, performance is still playable, but averages drop to 58 FPS at "High" and 66 FPS at "Medium".

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 4K, the average frame rate only exceeds 60 FPS when using "Low" settings (63 FPS). With "Medium" settings, it drops to 44 FPS, and at "High" and "Ultra" settings, it falls to 39 FPS and 34 FPS respectively, which are not ideal for a smooth experience.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 or the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT the bottleneck?

A: The benchmark results clearly show the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU is in the 90th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile. The frame rate scales inversely with graphical load and resolution, which indicates the GPU is the limiting component.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, making it highly competitive. It is a mere 0.5% slower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.8% faster than the Intel Core i5-14600K, according to the nearest rival data.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with "Medium" settings, the minimum recorded average frame rate is 56 FPS, with a maximum of 76 FPS and an average of 66 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance drop is seen from 1080p to 4K?

A: At "High" settings, the average frame rate drops from 77 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 4K, a substantial 49.4% decrease. This large drop is due to the GPU being overwhelmed by the 4K resolution's pixel count.