Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title that pushes both the CPU and GPU hard, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900M shows a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, while still delivering a playable experience at 4K. The benchmark results indicate a configuration that scales predictably with resolution and settings, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as expected for a title of this graphical fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and expected performance progression as resolution increases, highlighting the growing load on the AMD Radeon RX 7900M. At the popular 1920x1080 resolution, the system achieves its highest frame rates, with the Ultra preset still delivering a smooth 87 FPS average. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom, and the GPU is fully capable of driving high refresh rate displays without significant strain. The jump from 1080p to 1440p shows a noticeable but manageable performance cost; for instance, the High preset drops from 100 FPS to 76 FPS, a 24% reduction, which still leaves the experience comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for most gamers.

The scaling becomes most pronounced when moving from 1440p to the 4K (3840x2160) resolution. Here, the pixel count increase places a massive burden on the GPU, causing frame rates to plummet. The Medium preset falls from 85 FPS at 1440p to 57 FPS at 4K, and the High preset drops from 76 FPS to 51 FPS. This steep decline is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario, where the RX 7900M's raw compute and memory bandwidth are being saturated by the sheer number of pixels being rendered. The data shows that while the card can handle 4K, it does so with less headroom, making 60 FPS achievable only with lower settings or by accepting the sub-60 FPS averages seen on the higher presets.

Interestingly, the performance delta between the Low and Ultra presets also widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (158 FPS) and Ultra (87 FPS) is 71 FPS. At 4K, this gap narrows to 37 FPS (81 FPS vs. 44 FPS). This compression of the frame rate range at higher resolutions is another strong indicator that the GPU becomes the limiting component; as resolution increases, the cost of each frame rises, and the relative impact of CPU-bound settings or tasks diminishes. The system is clearly balanced for high-refresh 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being a more demanding prospect that requires careful settings management.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the data suggests that the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience for a majority of users, particularly at higher resolutions. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers a solid 85 FPS average with a minimum of 72 FPS, ensuring a smooth and consistent frame pacing that is ideal for a fast-paced title like Control. This provides a significant performance headroom over the High preset's 76 FPS average while presumably offering a substantial visual uplift over the Low preset. For those targeting the highest frame rates on high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 1440p is the only option that pushes past the 120 FPS mark, but it comes at a significant visual compromise.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation shifts further down the settings hierarchy. The data shows that the Medium preset is the only setting that can reliably maintain a playable frame rate, averaging 57 FPS. While this is below the 60 FPS threshold, the minimum of 49 FPS suggests that it will remain mostly fluid, though it may dip during intense action sequences. The High and Ultra presets at 4K, averaging 51 and 44 FPS respectively, are likely too inconsistent for a smooth experience, making Medium the highest reasonable choice. For a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS at 4K, the Low preset, which averages 81 FPS, is the only option that guarantees it, but the visual quality loss is severe.

For 1920x1080 gaming, the Ultra preset is a viable and recommended option. With an average of 87 FPS, it offers a high level of visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate that is well-suited for most displays. The High and Medium presets, at 100 and 112 FPS respectively, are excellent for users with 144Hz monitors, providing a substantial frame rate advantage. The Low preset at 158 FPS is only necessary for e-sports-level competitive play where every frame counts. Ultimately, the sweet spot for this combo is the Medium preset, which provides the best balance of visual quality and performance across the board, with the confidence to step up to High at 1080p or 1440p if a smoother experience is preferred over maxed-out visuals.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. In the context of Control, the benchmark results show that this CPU provides more than enough processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck at 1080p, and its influence wanes further as resolution increases. The data showing only a 10 FPS difference between the Low (158 FPS) and Medium (112 FPS) presets at 1080p suggests that the CPU is handling the game's logic and physics efficiently, allowing the GPU to be the primary driver of frame rate.

The processor's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551, is reflected in its ability to maintain high frame rates in a game that can utilize multiple cores for world simulation and AI. The drop from 158 FPS on Low to 112 FPS on Medium at 1080p is more likely due to increased GPU load from additional effects and draw calls rather than a CPU limitation. When comparing to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 165H's average benchmark score of 34083 is just 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, indicating that its CPU-bound performance is right in line with its direct competition. Its 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms it is a high-end mobile processor.

The CPU's role becomes even less critical at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The fact that the frame rate differences between presets remain consistent, but the absolute FPS numbers drop dramatically with resolution, points to the GPU being saturated. The Core Ultra 7 165H, with its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support providing 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, is well-equipped to feed the Radeon RX 7900M. The benchmark data shows no signs of CPU-related stuttering or frame pacing issues, as the minimum FPS values on the Medium preset scale proportionally with the average, reinforcing that the CPU is a capable and stable partner for this high-end GPU in Control.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and AMD Radeon RX 7900M holds a rank of 1192 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the upper half of all systems tested, which is a strong showing for a mobile platform. The data suggests that while it is not at the absolute top tier of performance, it significantly outperforms the majority of other configurations that have been benchmarked with this game, which likely include many older or lower-end desktop and mobile parts.

The GPU is clearly the star of this pairing, with its 94th percentile ranking among all GPUs. This high percentile is reflected in the game's performance, where the 4K Medium preset's 57 FPS average reflects the Radeon RX 7900M's power. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon Pro VII and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000, have similar average benchmark scores, but the RX 7900M's performance in this specific gaming title is what determines its rank here. The combo's overall rank is likely held back more by the CPU's 84th percentile standing, which, while solid, is not as exceptional as the GPU's. However, as previously established, the CPU is more than sufficient for this game, so the relative weakness does not manifest as a major gameplay issue.

The ranking of 1192 out of 2888 indicates that there is a large group of higher-performing combos, which are likely comprised of top-tier desktop CPUs paired with flagship GPUs. However, for a mobile solution, this result is highly respectable. The data implies that a user with this setup can expect a gaming experience that is superior to a significant majority of the entries in the database, making it a high-end configuration that sits comfortably in the upper echelon of tested systems. The fact that the data is measured, rather than estimated, adds significant weight to this ranking and the associated performance conclusions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, it can. The benchmark data shows a playable experience at 4K, with the Medium preset averaging 57 FPS. For a more stable 60+ FPS, the Low preset averages 81 FPS, but the Ultra and High presets will run below 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: To fully utilize a 144Hz display at 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only option, as it averages 120 FPS. The Medium preset, at 85 FPS, would be a better choice for a 100Hz monitor, while High (76 FPS) and Ultra (66 FPS) are suited for 60-75Hz displays.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct competitors in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34083. This is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and 0.4% lower than both the AMD EPYC 4244P and AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, indicating very similar overall processing power.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the primary limiting factor. This is evident from the small 10 FPS difference between the Low (158 FPS) and Medium (112 FPS) presets, which is a typical sign of GPU load increasing with settings, while the CPU maintains the frame rate.

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

A: The High preset averages 76 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 66 FPS. This represents a 10 FPS drop, or roughly a 13% reduction in frame rate, for the higher visual quality settings.

Q: Does the system have the graphics memory to handle 4K textures?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon RX 7900M is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is ample memory capacity and bandwidth to handle the high-resolution textures and assets required for 4K gaming in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact average FPS values measured for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and AMD Radeon RX 7900M combination in Control across all tested resolutions and settings.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|:--------- |:------- | ------: |

| 3840x2160 | High | 51 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 81 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 57 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 44 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 76 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 120 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 85 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 66 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 100 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 158 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 112 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 87 |

In addition to the average FPS, the Medium preset at each resolution also recorded minimum and maximum frame rates. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset showed a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset showed a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset showed a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. These figures provide insight into the frame pacing and consistency, with the 4K result showing the lowest minimum, indicating the most significant potential for noticeable dips during heavy scenes.