Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti produces a range of results that clearly shift depending on resolution and quality preset. The data shows a system that is well-balanced at high refresh rates but begins to show its limits when pushing 4K with maximum settings, making it a versatile pairing for most gaming scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable yet notable drop in performance as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound title like Control. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 121 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops the average to 92 FPS, a reduction of roughly 24%. Jumping to 4K High further reduces the average to 62 FPS, which is another 33% decline from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower pixel counts.

The gap between 1080p and 4K becomes more pronounced at lower settings. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 192 at 1080p down to 145 at 1440p and finally to 98 at 4K. The percentage drops are 24% and 32% respectively, which is a similar trend to High settings. This consistency suggests that the game's engine scales predictably with pixel count, and the RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 384-bit bus width are adequate for handling the increased memory pressure at 4K without causing a sudden cliff.

Examining the Medium preset, which is the only one with min and max FPS data, shows how frame pacing holds up. At 1080p Medium, the average is 136 FPS with a minimum of 116 and a maximum of 157. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 103 FPS, with a minimum of 88 and a maximum of 118. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80. The spread between min and max FPS widens slightly at higher resolutions, which is expected due to increased GPU load, but the minimums remain above 60 FPS even at 4K, indicating a stable experience.

The Ultra preset shows the steepest decline. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 105 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 80 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 54 FPS. This 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that the combination of high resolution and maximum settings is too much for the RTX 3080 Ti to maintain a smooth frame rate. The difference between 1080p High and 4K Ultra is a 55% reduction in average FPS, which is substantial but not unexpected for a game with Control's visual fidelity.

The scaling behavior indicates that the limiting component shifts depending on the resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock are likely sufficient to keep up with the GPU, as the FPS is high enough to suggest GPU-bound performance. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the FPS drops are more severe. This is typical for a high-end GPU from the GeForce 30-series, which is powerful but not designed for maxed-out 4K in demanding titles.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a supporting role in Control's performance, providing enough processing power to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 3080 Ti at most settings. With 14 cores and 14 threads, it offers a solid foundation for modern games that can utilize multiple threads, though Control is not known for being heavily multi-threaded. The base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz are high enough to handle the single-threaded tasks that often dominate game logic and physics.

Benchmark data shows the CPU's overall capability. It scores 32,924 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,648 in single-core, with a 90th percentile ranking against all CPUs. This places it in the top tier of processors for gaming workloads, though its nearest rivals show how close the competition is. It is 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, while being 0.6% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K. These small deltas mean that in a game like Control, the CPU choice is unlikely to be the deciding factor in FPS, as the differences are within the margin of error.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is sufficient for feeding the GPU with texture and geometry data. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache is also adequate for gaming, though it is smaller than some higher-end competitors. The 3 nm process node and TSMC foundry indicate a modern, power-efficient design, though the 65 W TDP is modest compared to the GPU's 350 W TDP, which is expected.

In practice, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at 1080p, where the combo achieves over 190 FPS on Low settings. At 4K Ultra, the CPU is even less of a concern, as the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The only scenario where the CPU might matter more is at 1080p Low, where the FPS of 192 is high enough that any CPU overhead could become noticeable, but the Core Ultra 5 245's strong single-core performance should handle it without issues.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 54, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This is the only measured setting where the combo fails to maintain a playable frame rate at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve high refresh rates?

A: At 1080p, the combo delivers over 100 FPS on all settings, with averages ranging from 105 FPS on Ultra to 192 FPS on Low. This makes 1080p the best choice for high refresh rate monitors.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 Ti the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, particularly at 4K. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom, but at 4K, the FPS drops are significant, showing the GPU is the primary constraint.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 245 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The CPU is 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, while being 0.6% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: What is the frame pacing like at Medium settings?

A: At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 103 with a minimum of 88 and a maximum of 118. At 4K Medium, the average is 70 with a minimum of 59, which shows stable frame times even at high resolutions.

Q: Does the combo support ray tracing in Control?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has 80 RT cores and is based on the Ampere architecture, which supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. However, the measured FPS data does not include ray tracing settings, so its exact impact is not quantified.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. For 1080p, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering an average of 121 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 1080p still achieves 105 FPS, so players with high refresh rate monitors could opt for Ultra if they want maximum fidelity, but High is recommended for smoother frame times.

At 1440p, the High preset is again the recommended choice, with an average of 92 FPS. This is smooth and allows for high refresh rate gaming. The Medium preset at 1440p offers 103 FPS, which is a slight improvement, but the visual quality difference between Medium and High is noticeable in a game like Control. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 80 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for competitive play. For most users, High at 1440p offers the best overall experience.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option for maintaining a playable frame rate, with an average of 70 FPS and a minimum of 59. The High preset at 4K drops to 62 FPS, which is borderline, and the Ultra preset falls to 54 FPS, which is not recommended. The Low preset at 4K achieves 98 FPS, but the visual quality is severely compromised. For 4K, Medium is the best balance, as it provides a stable frame rate while retaining enough detail to enjoy the game's atmosphere.

The data shows that the Low preset offers the highest FPS at all resolutions, with 192 FPS at 1080p, 145 FPS at 1440p, and 98 FPS at 4K. However, Control's visual design relies heavily on lighting and particle effects, so Low settings significantly reduce the experience. The Medium preset is the minimum for a visually acceptable experience, and the High preset is the recommended default for most users, as it provides a significant quality boost over Medium with only a modest FPS penalty.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination is ranked 700th out of 2,888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the top 25% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU from the previous generation. The rank reflects the combo's ability to handle the game well at most settings, with the only significant weakness being 4K Ultra.

The ranking is influenced by the GPU's performance, which has an 83rd percentile ranking against all GPUs. The RTX 3080 Ti's nearest rivals show it is closely matched with other high-end cards. It is 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 and 2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, while being 1.2% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB and 1.7% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M40. This shows that the GPU is competitive with newer cards, despite being from an older generation.

The CPU's 90th percentile ranking also contributes to the combo's strong position. The Core Ultra 5 245 is a capable processor that does not hold back the GPU in most scenarios. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a high-end GPU results in a rank that is better than 75% of all tested combos, which is impressive given that there are 2,888 total combinations. This suggests that for Control, this pairing is a solid choice for gamers who want high frame rates without investing in the absolute fastest components.

The rank also reflects the game's optimization. Control is a well-optimized title that scales well with hardware, so the combo's performance is consistent with what the individual components would suggest. The 700th rank out of 2,888 means there are many slower combos, but also a significant number of faster ones, primarily those using newer GPUs like the RTX 40-series. For the price point of the RTX 3080 Ti, this combo offers a good balance of performance and capability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers high frame rates across all settings. On Low settings, the average FPS is 192, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings reduce the average to 136 FPS, with a minimum of 116 and a maximum of 157. High settings yield an average of 121 FPS, and Ultra settings produce an average of 105 FPS. All 1080p configurations are well above 60 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high refresh rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but drops as expected. Low settings average 145 FPS, which is still very high. Medium settings average 103 FPS, with a minimum of 88 and a maximum of 118. High settings average 92 FPS, and Ultra settings average 80 FPS. The 1440p results show that the combo can handle high refresh rates even at higher quality presets, making it a good choice for 1440p 144Hz monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 98 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high refresh rates. Medium settings average 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80, which is the only 4K setting with min/max data. High settings average 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings average 54 FPS, which is below the threshold and not recommended for smooth gameplay. The 4K results show that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring reduced settings to maintain playable frame rates.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low settings provide the highest FPS at every resolution, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is significant, with a 45% difference at 1080p, 45% at 1440p, and 45% at 4K. This consistency suggests that the game's settings scaling is uniform across resolutions. The Medium preset at 4K offers the best balance for 4K users, as it is the only setting that maintains a minimum FPS above 60. For users with 1080p or 1440p monitors, the High preset is the best choice, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium with only a modest FPS penalty.