Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title from 2019 that stresses both CPU and GPU, and the benchmark results for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile reveal a system tuned for 1080p gaming with clear trade-offs at higher resolutions. The measured frame rates show a pattern where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution climbs, while the CPU’s 16 cores and 22 threads provide a solid foundation. This analysis breaks down the performance data into resolution scaling, ranking, component roles, and practical settings, offering a data-driven look at what this combo delivers.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating that the RTX 5050 Mobile is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 103 FPS at 1920x1080 to 78 FPS at 2560x1440, a 24% reduction, and then to 52 FPS at 3840x2160, which is a 50% drop from the 1080p baseline. This suggests that even at Low, the GPU’s pixel throughput, rated at 48.00 GPixel/s, cannot keep pace with the 4K workload, and the 8 GB of GDDR7 memory with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth is being saturated.

For Medium settings, the trend is similar but with a narrower margin: 73 FPS at 1080p, 55 FPS at 1440p (a 25% drop), and 37 FPS at 4K (a 49% drop from 1080p). High settings show 65 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p (down 25%), and 33 FPS at 4K (down 49%). Ultra settings are the most punishing, with 56 FPS at 1080p, 43 FPS at 1440p (down 23%), and just 29 FPS at 4K (down 48%). The consistency of these percentage drops—hovering around 24-25% for 1440p and 48-50% for 4K—strongly implies a GPU-bound scenario where the CPU’s performance headroom is not the issue.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra is 47 FPS slower than Low, but at 4K, the difference shrinks to 23 FPS. This is counterintuitive for CPU-bound scenarios, but it makes sense here: as resolution increases, the GPU becomes so overloaded that the settings-based differences in shader load are partially masked by the sheer pixel count. For example, the RTX 5050 Mobile’s FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS is enough for 1080p Ultra at 56 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, that same compute power yields only 29 FPS, indicating a hard limit on fill rate and memory bandwidth rather than raw shader capability.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 2983 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the bottom 20% of all configurations. This is a surprisingly low rank given the individual component percentiles: the CPU sits at the 84th percentile versus all CPUs, and the GPU is at the 83rd percentile versus all GPUs. The disconnect suggests that while each part is above average in isolation, their pairing does not yield a synergistic result for this particular title, possibly due to the game’s engine favoring different hardware characteristics.

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Core Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34083, which is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (34260) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (34222). This means the CPU is competitive with desktop-class parts from a few generations ago, but those rivals are often paired with more powerful GPUs in other combos, which could explain the lower rank here. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile, which has a near-identical average score (43667 vs 43268), highlighting that the RTX 5050 Mobile’s raw compute is comparable to a flagship mobile GPU from the previous generation, yet its 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus limit its real-world performance in a game like Control.

The combo rank of 2983 out of 3720 means that roughly 80% of tested combinations achieve better FPS in Control. This is not a condemnation of the hardware—it is a reflection of the game’s high demands and the fact that many combos in the database include desktop GPUs or higher-tier mobile chips. For a mobile solution with a 50 W TDP GPU, the performance is respectable, but the rank underscores that Control at 4K is out of reach, and even 1440p requires settings tuning.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. In Control, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, and the benchmark results suggest it is more than adequate for this task at 1080p and 1440p, but not necessarily at 4K where the GPU takes over.

At 1080p Low, the system hits 103 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s limit for this title, as the GPU has more headroom at lower resolutions. The CPU’s multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551, indicates it can handle the game’s parallel workloads, but Control is known for being sensitive to single-thread performance. The single-core Cinebench R23 score of 1759 is solid, and the PassMark single-thread score of 3509 places it well above average, which helps maintain consistent frame times.

However, the data does not show a clear CPU bottleneck at any resolution. For instance, at 1440p High, the system delivers 49 FPS, and at 4K High, it drops to 33 FPS—this is a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limitation, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the steep decline suggests the GPU is the constraining factor. The CPU’s 22 threads are likely underutilized in Control, as the game may not fully leverage all cores, but the high boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks are handled swiftly.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 4244P, which is a server chip, and the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, a desktop part. This tells us that the Core Ultra 7 165H is performing at a level comparable to those, but in a laptop form factor with a 28 W TDP. The performance per watt is strong, but in gaming, the CPU is rarely the star; it is the GPU that dictates the experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5050 Mobile delivers playable frame rates across all settings. Low settings average 103 FPS, which is excellent for fast-paced action, while Medium averages 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay with only minor dips. High settings drop to 65 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra averages 56 FPS, which is borderline but acceptable for a single-player title. The min FPS data for Medium shows 62 FPS, indicating the system rarely stutters, even in intense scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance becomes more variable. Low settings yield 78 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS, suggesting occasional frame drops that could be noticeable. High settings average 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 43 FPS. For a game like Control, which features physics-heavy environments, 43-49 FPS is playable but not ideal for those seeking a fluid experience. The min FPS for Medium at 1440p is 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, but the average suggests most of the time it stays above 50 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 52 FPS, which is the only 4K setting above 50 FPS, but Medium drops to 37 FPS, High to 33 FPS, and Ultra to 29 FPS. The min FPS for Medium at 4K is 32 FPS, indicating significant dips. These numbers confirm that 4K gaming is not viable on this combo for Control, as even Low settings would result in occasional stutters, and anything above Low is likely to feel sluggish. The 8 GB VRAM may also be a factor, as Control’s textures at 4K can exceed that capacity, leading to asset swapping.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings achieve at least 56 FPS on average. At 2560x1440, only Low (78 FPS) and Medium (55 FPS) are smooth, while 3840x2160 maxes out at 52 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 Mobile compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 43268, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (43262, 0% delta) and the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER (43223, 0.1% delta). It is 0.9% slower than the RTX 4090 Mobile (43667), showing that raw compute is similar, but memory bandwidth and VRAM differ.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: No, the data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. FPS drops consistently by about 50% from 1080p to 4K across all settings, which is typical of GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU’s 16 cores and 5.00 GHz boost clock are sufficient for the game’s demands.

Q: What settings preset gives the best balance of performance and quality at 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 average 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS, which is the best compromise. High drops to 49 FPS, and Ultra to 43 FPS, so Medium offers the highest average while staying above 50 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K at any settings?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which average 52 FPS. Medium (37 FPS), High (33 FPS), and Ultra (29 FPS) are all below the 40 FPS threshold for smooth play, so 4K is only viable for Low.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance affect Control?

A: The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14551, which is strong, but Control likely uses fewer threads. The single-core score of 1759 is more relevant, and it ensures that the game’s main thread has enough processing power to avoid stuttering.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience at 1920x1080, the data supports using High settings, which average 65 FPS. This provides a good visual quality without sacrificing frame rate, and it is only 8 FPS slower than Medium (73 FPS) while offering better graphics. Ultra at 1080p averages 56 FPS, which is still playable, but the 9 FPS drop from High may not justify the visual upgrade in a fast-paced game. Low settings at 103 FPS are overkill for most displays, but they could be used if the player prioritizes maximum frame rate over visuals.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the recommended choice, averaging 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS. This is the only preset that maintains an average above 50 FPS, and the min FPS indicates that most scenes stay fluid. High settings drop to 49 FPS, which is borderline, and Ultra at 43 FPS is too low for a game that requires quick reactions. Low settings at 78 FPS are viable, but the visual downgrade may not be worth the extra 23 FPS over Medium.

For 3840x2160, the only viable option is Low, which averages 52 FPS. Medium and above all average below 40 FPS, making them unsuitable for consistent gameplay. If the player insists on 4K, Low is the only choice, but even then, the min FPS for Medium (32 FPS) suggests that Low might also dip below 50 FPS in heavy scenes. There is no data for min FPS at 4K Low, but the average of 52 FPS implies some dips are possible.

The overall recommendation is to play at 1920x1080 with High settings for the best balance of performance and visual fidelity. This matches the system’s strengths and avoids the frame rate drops seen at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. It has 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores, which are relevant for Control’s use of DX12 features, but the game does not heavily rely on ray tracing. The GPU’s base clock is 1020 MHz and boost clock is 1500 MHz, with a memory clock of 1500 MHz (24 Gbps effective), which translates to a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s over a 128-bit bus.

The 8 GB of GDDR7 memory is a crucial factor in Control. At 4K, the game’s high-resolution textures can consume more than 8 GB, leading to performance drops as the system struggles with memory allocation. The data supports this: at 4K, the FPS drops from 52 on Low to 29 on Ultra, a 44% reduction, whereas at 1080p, the drop from Low to Ultra is only 46% (from 103 to 56). The larger absolute drop at 4K suggests that VRAM capacity is a limiting factor, not just compute power.

The GPU’s FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS is modest compared to desktop parts, but it is sufficient for 1080p gaming. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are the bottlenecks at higher resolutions, as the GPU cannot fill enough pixels or texture samples to maintain high frame rates. This explains why the FPS scales almost linearly with resolution: 1080p to 1440p reduces FPS by about 25%, and 1440p to 4K reduces it by another 33%, matching the pixel count increase.

Comparisons to the GPU’s nearest rivals show that the RTX 5050 Mobile is on par with the RTX 4090 Mobile in average benchmark score (43268 vs 43667), but the RTX 4090 Mobile likely has more VRAM and a wider bus, which would help in Control at 4K. The data does not include rival specs, but the performance here indicates that the RTX 5050 Mobile is a capable 1080p GPU, a decent 1440p GPU with settings tuning, and a poor 4K GPU for this specific title.