Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure from Remedy Entertainment, is a demanding title that pushes both CPU and GPU to their limits, particularly when its physics-heavy combat encounters are combined with high-resolution rendering. The benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile provides a clear picture of a system that is exceptionally capable at mainstream resolutions but begins to show its constraints at 4K with maximum settings. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, isolates the roles of the processor and graphics card, and offers concrete settings recommendations based solely on the empirical data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured performance across the three tested resolutions reveals a predictable but significant scaling curve that is heavily dependent on the graphics settings preset. At the 1080p resolution, the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and RTX 5080 Mobile delivers exceptional headroom, with frame rates ranging from 104 FPS on Ultra to a very high 190 FPS on Low. This indicates that at 1080p, the system is rarely constrained by the GPU; instead, the CPU's ability to feed the graphics card becomes the more critical factor, especially at lower settings where the GPU load is reduced.

Moving up to 1440p, the frame rates remain highly playable, but the scaling from 1080p shows the expected GPU load increase. The High preset drops from 120 FPS at 1080p to 91 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 29 FPS, while the Low preset falls from 190 FPS to 144 FPS, a 46 FPS drop. This larger absolute drop at Low settings suggests that the GPU is beginning to become a more significant bottleneck, but the system still has ample performance to drive high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution. The Ultra preset at 1440p, delivering 79 FPS, remains comfortably above the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience.

The transition to 4K (3840x2160) is where the scaling becomes most pronounced and the system's limits are exposed. The High preset yields 61 FPS, which is a 30 FPS drop from 1440p and a 59 FPS drop from 1080p. The Low preset at 4K delivers 97 FPS, showing that even at the lowest settings, the resolution increase demands substantial GPU resources. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding configuration tested, producing an average of 53 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a fluid experience, indicating that the RTX 5080 Mobile, while powerful, is fully taxed at this resolution with maximum graphical fidelity. The data shows a clear trend: the higher the resolution, the more the GPU becomes the limiting component, and at 4K Ultra, the system is on the edge of playability.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile holds a rank of 1024 out of 3720 total combos. This places it in the top 27.5% of all tested systems for this game, a solid position that reflects its strong overall performance. The rank is a holistic measure, likely factoring in performance across various settings and resolutions, and it confirms that this is a well-balanced setup for Control.

This ranking is particularly interesting when considering the individual component performance. The CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, sits at the 83rd percentile when compared to all CPUs in the benchmark database. Similarly, the GPU, the RTX 5080 Mobile, is at the 81st percentile against all other GPUs. The fact that the combo's rank in this specific game is in the top 27.5% suggests that the pairing works well together for Control, and the game is not particularly bottlenecked by either component in a way that would drag the overall rank down. The system's performance is consistent with what one would expect from two components that are both well above average in their respective fields.

The nearest rival combos in the overall average benchmark scores for the CPU and GPU provide context, though they are not directly tied to Control's specific results. For instance, the Core Ultra 7 155H's average score of 32697 is nearly identical to that of an Intel Core i5-14600T (32707, 0% delta) and an AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (32662, 0.1% delta). On the GPU side, the RTX 5080 Mobile's average score of 38349 is closely matched by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135, 0.6% delta). These figures show that the individual parts are competitive with their direct peers, and the high combo rank in Control indicates that the synergy between this specific CPU and GPU is effective for this game's engine.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. These specifications are more than sufficient for a game like Control, which is known for its physics simulations and complex AI, but which generally does not scale perfectly with an unlimited number of threads. The CPU's strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1743, is crucial for maintaining high frame rates, as game logic and draw calls are often handled by a limited number of threads.

In the context of the measured frame rates, the CPU's role becomes most apparent at 1080p with lower settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 190 FPS, which is likely approaching the point where the CPU's frame generation limit is being tested. The fact that the frame rate jumps from 120 FPS on High to 190 FPS on Low at 1080p shows a 70 FPS increase, which is a larger relative gain than seen at higher resolutions. This suggests that at 1080p Low, the GPU is not the primary constraint, and the CPU is able to push the frame rate much higher.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks further underscores its capability. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 indicates strong multi-threaded processing power, which helps maintain consistent frame rates in Control's chaotic firefights where many objects are being simulated simultaneously. The PassMark single-thread score of 3468 is also solid, ensuring that the game's main thread is not a bottleneck. While the RTX 5080 Mobile is the dominant component for graphics, the Core Ultra 7 155H provides a robust foundation that allows the GPU to perform at its full potential, especially in less demanding resolution and setting combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive matrix of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. Starting with the most demanding configuration, 4K Ultra yields an average of 53 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data points recorded. This is the only tested setting that fails to maintain an average of 60 FPS. Dropping to 4K High improves the average to 61 FPS, a modest gain of 8 FPS, which is still relatively close to the performance limit. The 4K Medium setting provides a more comfortable margin, achieving 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS, indicating some frame time variance but overall playable performance. At 4K Low, the average jumps to 97 FPS, showing that the RTX 5080 Mobile has significant headroom when graphical effects are reduced.

At 1440p, the system demonstrates its high-refresh-rate potential. The Ultra preset delivers 79 FPS, which is a solid 19 FPS increase over the 4K Ultra result. The High preset reaches 91 FPS, Medium achieves 102 FPS, and Low hits 144 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, a range that suggests consistent performance with occasional dips during intense scenes. The 1440p results are all well above 60 FPS, making this resolution an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate monitors without sacrificing visual quality.

The 1080p results are the highest of all tested configurations, confirming that this resolution is well within the system's comfort zone. The Ultra preset averages 104 FPS, High increases to 120 FPS, Medium to 135 FPS, and Low reaches 190 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p has a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS, showing the most stable frame times among all the Medium settings tested. These figures indicate that the system can easily drive a 144Hz or even a 240Hz monitor at 1080p, providing an exceptionally smooth gameplay experience. The data clearly shows that the system's performance is strongest at 1080p and progressively weakens as resolution increases, with the most significant drop occurring between 1440p and 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile is the primary driver of the graphical performance in this combination. It is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 7680 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation pipelines. The GPU is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are critical for handling the high-resolution textures and complex rendering demands of Control at 4K.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 975 MHz and a boost of 1500 MHz. While these clocks are not exceptionally high, the sheer number of cores and the efficient architecture compensate, resulting in a FP32 performance of 23.04 TFLOPS. This computational power is what allows the GPU to render the game's physics-based destruction and particle effects without compromising frame rates. The RTX 5080 Mobile also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading, though the benchmark data provided does not specify whether these features were enabled during testing.

The GPU's role in the performance scaling is evident when comparing the frame rates across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system hits 190 FPS, but at 4K Low, it only manages 97 FPS. This 49% reduction in performance is a direct result of the GPU being required to render four times as many pixels. The benchmark scores for the GPU, such as a PassMark G3D score of 27711, place it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, confirming its high-end status. Its average benchmark score of 38349 is within 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, indicating that the RTX 5080 Mobile is a worthy successor in the mobile GPU hierarchy. The data shows that this GPU is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate drops below 60 FPS, but it is more than capable of delivering high frame rates at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?

A: Yes, but with a caveat. The measured data shows an average of 61 FPS on the High preset at 4K, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. However, the Ultra preset averages only 53 FPS, so to maintain a stable 60 FPS, you would need to use the High preset or lower. The Medium preset provides a safer margin with an average of 69 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: For monitors with a 144Hz or higher refresh rate, 1080p is the ideal choice. The system achieves an average of 135 FPS on Medium and 120 FPS on High at this resolution. At 1440p, the system can also drive high refresh rates, with an average of 144 FPS on Low and 102 FPS on Medium, making it a great option for 144Hz displays.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 Mobile compare to the RTX 4080 Mobile in terms of average performance?

A: Based on the average benchmark scores, the RTX 5080 Mobile has an average score of 38349, while the RTX 4080 Mobile has an average score of 38135. This represents a 0.6% difference, indicating that the RTX 5080 Mobile is only marginally faster on average across all benchmark tests.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H a bottleneck for the RTX 5080 Mobile in this game?

A: The data suggests that the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rate is primarily limited by the GPU, as evidenced by the large frame rate drops when increasing from 1440p to 4K. The CPU's strong performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1743, ensures it can keep up with the GPU's demands, especially at 1440p and 4K.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset achieves an average of 144 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 79 FPS. This represents a 65 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra settings significantly increase the graphical load, but the system still maintains a playable frame rate.

Q: Does the system have enough VRAM for Control at 4K?

A: Yes, the RTX 5080 Mobile comes with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory. This is more than sufficient for Control at 4K with the highest settings, as the game does not typically require more than 8-10 GB of VRAM at this resolution. The ample VRAM ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution assets do not cause performance stutters.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this system depend heavily on the user's display and performance priorities. For players with a 4K display, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it is the only setting that consistently achieves an average of 60 FPS (61 FPS). The Ultra preset should be avoided for a smooth experience, as its 53 FPS average falls below the standard target. If a player prefers higher visual fidelity and can tolerate a lower frame rate, the Ultra preset is still playable, but the High preset offers the best balance of image quality and performance at 4K.

For 1440p displays, the system offers more flexibility. The Medium preset, with an average of 102 FPS, provides a great balance between visual quality and smoothness, easily supporting a 100Hz or 144Hz monitor. The High preset at 91 FPS is also an excellent choice for those who want better graphics. Enthusiasts with high-refresh-rate monitors could even opt for the Low preset at 144 FPS for the most competitive and responsive experience. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with 79 FPS, is also viable for those who prioritize maximum visual fidelity over a high refresh rate.

At 1080p, the system is essentially overkill for Control. The Medium preset at 135 FPS offers a fantastic experience on a 144Hz monitor, with the High preset at 120 FPS being nearly as good. For users with a 240Hz monitor, the Low preset at 190 FPS is the best choice to fully utilize the display's refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 104 FPS is still highly playable and offers the best image quality. In summary, the data supports using High or Medium settings for a balanced experience at any resolution, with adjustments made based on whether the user prefers higher frame rates or higher visual fidelity.