Control

# Control: Intel Core Ultra 7 165H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

The combination of Intel's Core Ultra 7 165H mobile processor and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 Ti delivers a fascinating performance profile in Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title that remains demanding on modern hardware. The measured data reveals a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the RTX 5070 Ti's Blackwell architecture showcasing its strengths as resolution scales downward. Across 12 measured configurations spanning three resolutions and four quality presets, the combo produces average frame rates ranging from a playable 45 FPS at 4K Ultra to a fluid 162 FPS at 1080p Low, placing it at rank 1036 out of 2888 tested combinations in this game.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and tells a clear story about system balance. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 102 FPS at 1920x1080 to 77 FPS at 2560x1440, then further to 52 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 24.5% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and an additional 32.5% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The cumulative 49% loss from 1080p to 4K at High settings indicates that the RTX 5070 Ti is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, with the CPU having ample headroom to feed the GPU.

Low settings amplify this trend dramatically. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 162 FPS, which drops to 123 FPS at 1440p (a 24% decrease) and then to 83 FPS at 4K (a 32.5% decrease from 1440p). The fact that 1080p Low produces 162 FPS while 4K Low produces 83 FPS — a 48.8% spread — suggests that even at the lowest quality settings, resolution scaling remains heavily GPU-limited. The Core Ultra 7 165H, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, is clearly not the limiting factor here; the data shows the GPU struggling to maintain frame rates as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

Medium settings provide the most complete picture, as this is the only preset with recorded minimum and maximum frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 115 FPS with a minimum of 98 FPS and maximum of 132 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium drops the average to 87 FPS (74 min, 100 max), and 4K Medium further reduces it to 59 FPS (50 min, 68 max). The frame time consistency, as evidenced by the min-max spread, remains relatively tight across resolutions — a 34 FPS spread at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K — indicating stable performance without significant stuttering or frame pacing issues.

Ultra settings show the steepest resolution penalty. From 89 FPS at 1080p to 67 FPS at 1440p (a 24.7% drop) and then to 45 FPS at 4K (a 32.8% drop from 1440p), the Ultra preset clearly pushes the GPU to its limits at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 45 FPS is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered the target for smooth gameplay, suggesting that users seeking 4K Ultra experiences may need to consider upscaling technologies or accept lower quality settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience at each resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets deliver playable frame rates, but the jump from High to Ultra costs 13 FPS (from 102 to 89 FPS) — a 12.7% performance hit for the visual fidelity increase. The Medium preset at 115 FPS offers a 12.7% improvement over High (102 FPS) while presumably maintaining reasonable visual quality, making it a strong recommendation for users who prioritize smoothness over maximum graphical detail. However, for those with high-refresh-rate 1080p displays, the Low preset at 162 FPS provides the headroom needed to fully utilize 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, though at a significant visual quality cost.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests a similar pattern. High settings at 77 FPS provide a good balance between visual quality and performance, staying well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 67 FPS remains playable but offers diminishing returns — the 13% performance reduction from High to Ultra (77 to 67 FPS) may not justify the visual improvements for all users. Medium at 87 FPS offers the best frame rate among the higher-quality presets, providing a 13% improvement over High (77 FPS) while maintaining a solid visual experience. Low at 123 FPS is available for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays, but the visual compromises are substantial.

The 4K resolution presents the most challenging scenario. High settings at 52 FPS is technically playable but hovers near the edge of smoothness, while Ultra at 45 FPS dips below what most users would consider acceptable for sustained gameplay. The Medium preset at 59 FPS emerges as the clear recommendation for 4K, offering the only configuration that approaches the 60 FPS target without sacrificing too much visual quality. Low at 83 FPS provides a smoother experience but at a quality level that may undermine the purpose of playing at 4K resolution. The data indicates that 4K users should prioritize Medium settings to achieve the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, with High as a viable alternative for those who prefer graphics over frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's position of 1036 out of 2888 tested combinations places it in the upper-middle tier of all system pairings tested in Control. This ranking reflects the balanced nature of the Core Ultra 7 165H and RTX 5070 Ti pairing — neither component is the absolute best in its class, but together they deliver consistent performance across the tested configurations.

The RTX 5070 Ti itself holds the 86th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 49957. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (score 50001, delta -0.1%), the Intel Arc A550M (score 49737, delta 0.4%), the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (score 50951, delta -2%), and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (score 48477, delta 3.1%). This tight clustering around the 50000-point mark indicates that the RTX 5070 Ti performs within 3% of several established competitors, making its gaming performance highly competitive at this tier.

The Core Ultra 7 165H sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34083. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H (score 33989, delta 0.3%), the AMD EPYC 4244P (score 34220, delta -0.4%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (score 34222, delta -0.4%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (score 34260, delta -0.5%). The sub-1% differences between these processors indicate that the Core Ultra 7 165H is performance-competitive with a range of desktop and mobile offerings, providing solid CPU headroom for gaming workloads.

In the context of Control specifically, the combo's rank of 1036 out of 2888 suggests that while this pairing is capable, there are numerous other configurations that achieve higher frame rates. This is likely due to the mobile nature of the Core Ultra 7 165H, which, despite its 16 cores and 22 threads, may not match the performance of high-end desktop CPUs in gaming scenarios where single-thread performance is critical.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings delivers strong results. Low settings produce an average of 162 FPS, providing the highest frame rate of any configuration tested. Medium settings average 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 FPS and maximum of 132 FPS, indicating tight frame pacing and consistent performance. High settings average 102 FPS, while Ultra settings average 89 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 45% performance reduction (162 to 89 FPS), with each preset step costing between 11 and 13 FPS, suggesting that the visual quality differences between presets impose similar performance penalties.

At 2560x1440, the performance hierarchy remains consistent but with reduced headroom. Low settings average 123 FPS, maintaining high-refresh-rate capability. Medium settings average 87 FPS (74 min, 100 max), providing a smooth experience with good visual quality. High settings average 77 FPS, while Ultra settings average 67 FPS. The 45.5% drop from Low to Ultra (123 to 67 FPS) mirrors the 1080p scaling pattern, but the absolute frame rates at each preset are approximately 24-25% lower than their 1080p counterparts.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals the GPU's limitations at higher pixel counts. Low settings average 83 FPS, which is still smooth for most gameplay scenarios. Medium settings average 59 FPS (50 min, 68 max), placing it right at the edge of the 60 FPS threshold. High settings average 52 FPS, while Ultra settings average 45 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 45.8% (83 to 45 FPS), and even the lowest preset cannot match the frame rates achieved at lower resolutions. The 4K Medium configuration's minimum of 50 FPS suggests that even at this quality level, there are moments where performance dips below the ideal smoothness threshold.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest measured average is 162 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At more realistic quality settings, the best results are 115 FPS at 1080p Medium and 102 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Medium, the combo averages 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS, which is playable. The 4K Low preset averages 83 FPS for smoother performance, while 4K High (52 FPS) and 4K Ultra (45 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti's average benchmark score of 49957 places it within 0.1% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (50001), 0.4% ahead of the Intel Arc A550M (49737), 2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (50951), and 3.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (48477).

Q: What is the best quality preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The data suggests High settings at 77 FPS provides a good balance, but Medium at 87 FPS offers a 13% performance improvement while maintaining solid visual quality. Ultra at 67 FPS is also playable for users who prioritize graphics.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The Core Ultra 7 165H's 16 cores and 22 threads provide ample processing power, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates across resolutions. The significant FPS drops from 1080p to 4K (e.g., 102 to 52 FPS at High settings) are characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in Control?

A: This combination ranks 1036 out of 2888 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier. The RTX 5070 Ti's 86th percentile GPU ranking and the Core Ultra 7 165H's 84th percentile CPU ranking contribute to this solid overall position.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile 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 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 28 W. The processor includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 112 KB of L1 cache per core. Its memory bandwidth is rated at 89.6 GB/s with dual-channel DDR5 support, and it integrates Arc Xe-LPG 128EU graphics.

In Control, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU's performance. The measured FPS data shows consistent scaling with resolution changes — a pattern typical of GPU-bound workloads. The Core Ultra 7 165H's multi-core capabilities, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551 and PassMark multi-thread score of 25933, provide ample processing headroom for the game's physics and AI calculations. The single-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1759 and PassMark single-thread score of 3509, is sufficient for the game's main thread requirements.

The processor's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34083, places it competitively against desktop processors like the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (score 34260, delta -0.5%) and the AMD EPYC 4244P (score 34220, delta -0.4%). The near-identical scores between these processors suggest that the Core Ultra 7 165H does not bottleneck the RTX 5070 Ti in Control, even at 1080p where CPU load is typically highest.

The fact that 1080p Low produces 162 FPS — more than double the 4K Ultra result of 45 FPS — reinforces that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at higher resolutions rather than continue declining. The data instead shows a consistent 45-49% performance drop from 1080p to 4K across all presets, which is characteristic of a system where the RTX 5070 Ti's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint on performance.