Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure from Remedy Entertainment, is a demanding title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, but the benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination reveals a system that is well-balanced for this specific game. The measured frame rates across different resolutions and settings indicate that this pairing is capable of delivering a smooth experience at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K gaming requires more moderate settings. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, with the component roles shifting as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination achieves a rank of 1756 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 39th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is by no means a weak setup. This mid-pack ranking suggests that the combo offers a solid baseline for playing Control, but it will not be pushing the highest frame rates at the most demanding settings. The rank reflects the combined capabilities of the CPU and GPU, and for this title, the balance appears to favor 1080p and 1440p gaming. The data positions this combo as a mainstream solution, capable of handling the game's demands without being a flagship-level performer. The score is a composite, but the measured FPS data provides a more granular look at what users can expect in practice.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the strongest resolution. At Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 88 FPS, and at High settings, it still delivers a very playable 78 FPS average. 2560x1440 is also viable, with a High preset averaging 59 FPS, but 3840x2160 requires Low settings to reach a 63 FPS average.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the performance is limited. With the Ultra preset, the average FPS drops to 35. The Medium preset yields an average of 45 FPS, and High settings produce 40 FPS. Only the Low preset provides a playable average of 63 FPS, indicating that 4K gaming requires significant graphical compromises.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. This is evidenced by the significant FPS drops from 1080p to 4K. For example, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 78 at 1920x1080 to 40 at 3840x2160, a clear sign of GPU-bound performance at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 124 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 68 FPS. This represents a significant performance cost for the highest visual fidelity, showing that the Ultra preset demands much more from the hardware.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the PassMark G3D benchmark, the RTX 5050 scores 17326. It is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which scores 20713, and 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which scores 21153. This indicates the RTX 5050 is positioned similarly to these GPUs in terms of raw graphics compute.

Q: What is the performance delta between the Core Ultra 5 245 and its nearest rival?

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995. It is 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K, which scores 48618, and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228. This shows the Ultra 5 245 is competitively positioned in the CPU market.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data provides a clear picture of how the system's load shifts from the CPU to the GPU as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the system is likely more balanced, with the CPU playing a more significant role. The jump from Low to High settings at this resolution shows a drop from 124 FPS to 78 FPS, a 46 FPS difference. This indicates that the GPU is still handling a significant portion of the work, but the CPU is keeping up well. Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset averages 59 FPS, a 19 FPS drop from the 1080p High result. This is a substantial decrease that points to the GPU becoming a more prominent bottleneck as pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the scaling becomes steep. The High preset average falls to 40 FPS, a further 19 FPS drop from the 1440p result. This pattern confirms that the GeForce RTX 5050's 8 GB of VRAM and 320.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth are being taxed heavily at 4K. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is from 78 FPS to 40 FPS, a reduction of 48.7%. This significant decrease highlights that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the GPU's rendering capabilities are the ceiling for performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data offers a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs admirably. The Low preset delivers an average of 124 FPS, ensuring a highly responsive experience. The Medium preset provides an average of 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS, indicating a stable frame time. The High preset averages 78 FPS, which is still excellent for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset pushes the system, resulting in an average of 68 FPS. This shows that 1080p is the sweet spot for this hardware, with even the most demanding preset remaining playable.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 94 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset delivers an average of 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. The High preset averages 59 FPS, which is on the edge of what many consider optimal for a fast-paced action game. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 52 FPS. This resolution is a good middle ground, offering a balance between visual fidelity and performance, though users may need to dial back settings for higher frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The Low preset is the only one to achieve a playable average, with 63 FPS. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS, which can lead to noticeable stutters. The High preset averages 40 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 35 FPS. The data shows that 4K gaming is only feasible with the Low preset, and even then, the frame rate is not as high as what is achievable at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 plays a critical role in determining the frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. This memory configuration appears sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it is a limiting factor at 4K, where the average FPS drops significantly across all presets. The GPU's core clocks, with a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz, drive its 2560 shading units. This translates to a FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS, which is a solid figure for mainstream gaming.

The benchmark results for the RTX 5050 show it sits in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its PassMark G3D score of 17326 places it in a competitive position, with a 1.6% lead over the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which scores 20713. This indicates that while not a high-end part, it is capable of handling most games at 1080p and 1440p. In Control, the GPU's role is most apparent in the resolution scaling. The FPS drop from 124 at 1080p Low to 63 at 4K Low is primarily a function of the GPU's rendering load. The data implies that for 4K gaming, the RTX 5050 is only suitable with the lowest settings, and users seeking higher fidelity at that resolution would need a more powerful GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This CPU is built on a 3 nm process by TSMC and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 32924 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 4648 in single-core, showcasing strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. It ranks in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, making it a high-performing part.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p, as the frame rates are high. However, its importance is still critical for maintaining stable frame times. The average benchmark score of 48995 is 0.8% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K, which scores 48618. This performance headroom ensures that the CPU can keep up with the RTX 5050. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with game data access. The measured FPS at 1080p, where the High preset hits 78 FPS, shows that the CPU is capable of handling the game's physics and AI, allowing the GPU to render frames without waiting on the processor. As resolution increases, the CPU's role diminishes relative to the GPU, but it remains a solid foundation for this gaming combo.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the High preset is the best recommendation for a balanced experience. It delivers an average of 78 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and it provides a significant visual upgrade over the Low and Medium presets. For users with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 124 FPS would be ideal, but the High preset offers the best trade-off between image quality and performance. The Ultra preset, at 68 FPS, is also viable and offers the best visual fidelity, but the performance cost may not be worth it for all users.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It averages 67 FPS, which is smooth and responsive, and it offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. The High preset, at 59 FPS, is close to the 60 FPS target but may have occasional dips. The Low preset at 94 FPS is excellent for competitive play, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a single-player action-adventure game.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only reasonable choice. It averages 63 FPS, which is playable, but the visual quality will be noticeably lower than on other presets. The Medium preset, at 45 FPS, is not recommended for a game like Control, which relies on atmosphere and visual storytelling, as the frame rate dips can detract from the experience. In summary, the data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates with good visual settings.