Control

Control pairs the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, and the measured results place this combination at the very top of the database, ranking 1st out of 2,888 tested combos for this game. The data indicates a system built for extreme 1440p and 4K performance, though the CPU’s role becomes increasingly relevant at lower resolutions where frame rates climb dramatically.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture using a 3 nm process node from TSMC. It operates at a base clock of 3.50 GHz and reaches a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This configuration provides a strong foundation for gaming, as the single-thread performance is often decisive for frame pacing in action-adventure titles like Control. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, which helps reduce memory latency during gameplay.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Core Ultra 5 245 scores 4,648 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 32,924 points in multi-core, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 48,995 puts it nearly level with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which averages 49,196 (a 0.4% difference), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which averages 49,228 (0.5% higher). It also slightly edges out the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.6% and 0.8%, respectively. These numbers suggest the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU in most gaming scenarios.

For Control specifically, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p, where the average frame rate reaches 298 FPS on Low settings. At that level, the CPU must handle the game’s physics and AI logic at a very high rate, and the 5.10 GHz boost clock provides the necessary headroom. The 14 threads are sufficient for the game’s multi-threaded tasks, but the data shows that the single-core performance is the limiting factor at these extreme frame rates, as the GPU is not fully saturated at 1080p Low. At higher resolutions, the CPU load decreases relative to the GPU, and the processor’s role shifts from a potential bottleneck to a supporting component.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB202 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process with 92,200 million transistors. Its base clock is 2017 MHz, boosting to 2407 MHz, and it contains 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units.

In synthetic testing, the RTX 5090 D achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,915, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 77,712 is 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904) and 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940). The GPU’s immense memory capacity and bandwidth are particularly relevant for Control at 4K Ultra, where texture detail and draw distances can consume significant VRAM.

The GPU’s clock speeds and 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance ensure that it can handle the game’s physics-based destruction and particle effects without stuttering. At 4K High, the RTX 5090 D delivers 96 FPS, which demonstrates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at this resolution. The 32 GB VRAM provides ample headroom for the game’s highest settings, as the data shows a 13 FPS drop from High to Ultra at 4K (96 to 83), indicating that the extra settings demand more from the GPU’s compute units rather than its memory capacity.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves the top rank in the database for Control, sitting at position 1 out of 2,888 tested combos. This is a remarkable result, as it places this pairing above every other CPU-GPU combination tested for this game, including those with higher-end processors that might be expected to outperform the Core Ultra 5 245.

The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU’s strong single-core performance and the GPU’s overwhelming rasterization power. While the CPU’s average benchmark score of 48,995 is not the highest in the database, it is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 5090 D in Control’s engine. The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with the CPU’s 90th percentile ranking, creates a pairing that maximizes frame rates across all tested settings.

The delta between this combo and the rest of the field is notable, but the data does not provide specific frame rate comparisons for other combos. However, the fact that this pairing ranks first out of nearly 2,900 combinations indicates that it outperforms setups with more expensive CPUs and even those with the same GPU paired with faster processors. This suggests that Control’s engine is not heavily CPU-dependent at the resolutions where the GPU is the main constraint, allowing the Core Ultra 5 245 to keep pace with more powerful alternatives.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1080p, the measured frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 298 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the dataset. Medium settings average 211 FPS, with a minimum of 180 and a maximum of 243 FPS. High settings average 188 FPS, and Ultra settings average 163 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 135 FPS drop (298 to 163), indicating that each settings tier adds a significant load on the GPU, though even at Ultra, the frame rate remains above 160 FPS.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain very high but show a clear reduction from 1080p. Low settings average 225 FPS, which is 73 FPS lower than at 1080p. Medium settings average 160 FPS, with a minimum of 136 and a maximum of 184 FPS. High settings average 142 FPS, and Ultra settings average 124 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 101 FPS (225 to 124), which is a smaller absolute reduction than at 1080p, but the percentage drop is similar.

At 4K, the frame rates become more moderate but still highly playable. Low settings average 152 FPS, which is a 146 FPS drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 108 FPS, with a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 124 FPS. High settings average 96 FPS, and Ultra settings average 83 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 69 FPS (152 to 83), which is the smallest absolute drop across all resolutions, reflecting the GPU’s ability to handle the increased pixel count more efficiently than the additional settings features.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the frame rate drops significantly, but the relative impact of settings changes diminishes. From 1080p to 1440p at Low settings, the frame rate drops from 298 to 225 FPS, a 24.5% reduction. From 1440p to 4K at Low settings, the frame rate drops from 225 to 152 FPS, a 32.4% reduction. The total drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 146 FPS, or 49%.

At High settings, the frame rate drops from 188 FPS at 1080p to 142 FPS at 1440p (24.5% reduction), and then to 96 FPS at 4K (32.4% reduction). The total drop from 1080p High to 4K High is 92 FPS, or 48.9%. At Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 163 FPS at 1080p to 124 FPS at 1440p (23.9% reduction), and then to 83 FPS at 4K (33.1% reduction). The total drop is 80 FPS, or 49.1%.

These consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting component at every resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would plateau at higher resolutions, but the data shows a steady decline as pixel count increases. The fact that the frame rate at 4K Low (152 FPS) is still higher than the frame rate at 1080p Ultra (163 FPS) suggests that the GPU has ample headroom, but the settings load at 4K Ultra (83 FPS) shows that the RTX 5090 D is being pushed to its limits. The CPU’s 5.10 GHz boost clock is sufficient to keep up with the GPU’s demands even at 4K, as evidenced by the smooth scaling pattern.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in Control?

A: The data shows that 1440p Ultra yields an average of 124 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 83 FPS, which is still playable but closer to the lower bound of high-refresh-rate monitors. For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low achieves 298 FPS, but this sacrifices visual quality.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48,995, which is 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49,196) and 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49,228). It outperforms the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8%.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D GPU a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: The resolution scaling data suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor at all resolutions. The frame rate drops by approximately 49% from 1080p to 4K across all settings, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. At 4K Ultra, the GPU delivers 83 FPS, indicating it is being fully utilized.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 4K, Low settings average 152 FPS, while Ultra settings average 83 FPS. This represents a 69 FPS drop, or a 45.4% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 1st out of 2,888 tested combos for Control, making it the top-performing configuration in the database. The CPU’s 90th percentile and GPU’s 92nd percentile rankings contribute to this result.

Q: Does the system maintain high frame rates at 1440p with maximum settings?

A: Yes, at 1440p Ultra, the system averages 124 FPS, with no minimum or maximum values provided. This is a high frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most 1440p monitors, ensuring a smooth experience.