Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, is a demanding showcase of physics-based combat and destructible environments. For this analysis, the combination of an Intel Core Ultra 5 245 processor with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card produces a highly playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring significant settings compromises. The benchmark data indicates a system that is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, but which hits a firm performance ceiling at 4K Ultra due to GPU limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable performance curve as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 140 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 106 FPS, a 24.3% decrease. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 71 FPS, representing a 33% drop from the 1440p figure and a 49.3% drop from 1080p. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. At High settings, the averages are 88 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 23.9%, and the 1440p to 4K drop is 32.8%. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with averages of 77 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. This represents a 49.4% performance loss from 1080p to 4K.

The data shows that the RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K resolution strains the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth. The frame rate deltas between resolutions are larger than what would be expected if the CPU were the limiting factor, confirming that the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions. The performance gap between 1440p and 4K is consistently larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p, indicating that the GPU's rendering pipeline saturates more quickly as the pixel workload increases.

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. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. In the context of Control, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics calculations, and draw call submission. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 140 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate to suggest the CPU is not severely limiting performance at lower resolutions.

The CPU's performance percentile is 90, indicating it outperforms 90% of all tested CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 48995 places it in close competition with several rivals. The data shows it is 0.4% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (avgScore 49196) and 0.5% slower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (avgScore 49228). Conversely, it is 0.6% faster than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (avgScore 48698) and 0.8% faster than the Intel Core i5-14600K (avgScore 48618). This places the Ultra 5 245 in a very tight performance cluster, with all rival deltas within a 1.3% range.

Given that the CPU is a modern 14-core design with a high boost clock, it is unlikely to be the primary bottleneck in Control, even at 1080p. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p (a 23.9% drop at High settings) is more consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the performance drop from 1080p to 1440p would be minimal, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant. The data indicates that the Core Ultra 5 245 provides ample headroom for the RTX 4060 to operate at its full potential across all tested resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture (AD107 chip) using a 5 nm process. It features 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The GPU has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz. It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This configuration delivers a FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS.

The GPU's performance percentile is 61, meaning it outperforms 61% of all tested GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 17639 is remarkably close to its nearest rivals. The data shows it is 0.2% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (avgScore 17666) and 0.3% faster than the AMD Radeon 780M (avgScore 17588). It is also 0.5% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (avgScore 17551) and 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (avgScore 17509). These deltas are exceptionally small, indicating that the RTX 4060 sits at a performance inflection point relative to these specific competitors.

In Control, the GPU's VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are critical. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 39, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This is a direct result of the GPU struggling to process the increased pixel count and texture data. The 8 GB VRAM buffer is likely a limiting factor at 4K with high-resolution textures, as the memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s may not be sufficient to feed the GPU cores efficiently at such high resolutions. The data shows that reducing settings from Ultra to Low at 4K yields a significant improvement, from 39 FPS to 71 FPS, highlighting that the GPU's performance is highly sensitive to settings adjustments.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1515 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places the system in the 52.5th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning it performs better than just over half of all tested systems. This mid-pack ranking is logical given the components. The CPU is a high-end desktop processor (90th percentile), while the GPU is a mid-range part (61st percentile). The combined ranking is weighted by the GPU's influence in gaming workloads, which pulls the overall rank down from the CPU's high placement.

The ranking suggests that this combo is not designed for maximum 4K performance but is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The data shows that at 1080p, the combo can push well above 100 FPS on medium settings and 88 FPS on high settings, making it a strong candidate for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p, it still provides playable frame rates on high settings (67 FPS), but the 4K performance is limited to lower settings presets. The combo's rank is consistent with its behavior: it is a capable mid-range performer that excels at mainstream resolutions but falls short of the top-tier combos that can handle 4K Ultra with ease.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 77 FPS, which is playable but leaves some headroom. The High preset at 88 FPS provides a better balance of visual fidelity and performance, while the Medium preset at 99 FPS is ideal for users targeting 100+ FPS on high-refresh-rate displays. The Low preset at 140 FPS is best for competitive play or for users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors who want to maximize frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 67 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 75 FPS offers a slight performance boost with minimal visual impact, making it a good alternative. The Ultra preset at 58 FPS is on the edge of playability and may be acceptable for users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate. The Low preset at 106 FPS is excellent for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset at 71 FPS is the only preset that achieves a consistently smooth frame rate. The Medium preset at 51 FPS (with a minimum of 43 FPS) may cause noticeable stuttering in demanding scenes. The High preset at 45 FPS and Ultra preset at 39 FPS are not recommended for a stable experience. For 4K, users should use the Low preset to maintain playability, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for better visual quality at higher frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Control?

A: The highest average FPS is 140, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 a bottleneck at 4K in Control?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 39 at Ultra settings and 45 at High settings, indicating the GPU is the primary limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is 0.8% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K's average score of 48618.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems for Control?

A: The combo ranks 1515 out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the 52.5th percentile.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 43, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings.

Q: Is the GPU's memory bandwidth sufficient for 1440p gaming?

A: Yes, the data shows playable frame rates at 1440p. At High settings, the average FPS is 67, which is a smooth experience. The 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination. Minimum and maximum FPS values are provided where recorded in the data.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 140 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 99 | 84 | 114 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 88 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 77 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 106 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 75 | 64 | 86 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 67 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 58 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 71 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 51 | 43 | 58 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 45 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 39 | — | — |

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the RTX 4060 delivers its best performance at 1080p, where it can exceed 140 FPS on low settings. As resolution increases, the frame rate drops proportionally, with the most significant losses occurring between 1440p and 4K. The Medium preset at 1440p (75 FPS) offers the best balance of performance and visual quality for most users, while 4K gaming is only viable with the Low preset. These measured results confirm that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring significant compromises to achieve playable frame rates.