Control

# Control: Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks 1875th out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This is a combination where the GPU's 65th percentile standing among all GPUs is the primary bottleneck, while the CPU's 93rd percentile score is largely underutilized. The measured frame rates confirm this imbalance: at 1080p Low the combo delivers 122 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 34 FPS, showing that resolution scaling dramatically exposes the graphics card's limitations. For a game like Control, which is a demanding Action Adventure title from 2019, this pairing delivers playable but not exceptional results, with the best experience found at 1440p Medium or 1080p High.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1875 out of 2888 tested combinations places it in the 35th percentile of all tested pairings. This is a below-average standing, driven almost entirely by the GPU rather than the CPU. The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, meaning 35% of graphics cards outperform it. In contrast, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 sits at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, putting it in the top 7% of processors. This massive gap between CPU and GPU capability means the system is heavily GPU-limited in Control.

The measured FPS data supports this ranking. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 122 FPS, which is respectable but far from the top-tier results that higher-ranked combos would produce. The 4K Ultra result of 34 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that most users consider smooth, confirming that this combo cannot handle maximum settings at high resolutions. The rank of 1875 suggests that roughly 65% of tested combinations deliver better performance in Control, which aligns with the GPU's mid-tier positioning in the broader benchmark database.

Comparing the CPU's nearest rivals shows that the Ultra 7 265 is well-matched against other high-end processors. It sits within 0.7% of the AMD EPYC 7343 and 0.3% of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, while trailing the AMD EPYC 9124 by 0.7% and the AMD EPYC 4464P by 0.3%. These are negligible differences, confirming that CPU choice is not the limiting factor here. The GPU's nearest rivals tell a different story: the RX 6650 XT is within 0.8% of the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 and 0.7% of the AMD FirePro D300, but these are professional workstation cards, not gaming-focused alternatives. The GPU's mid-tier standing is the primary reason this combo ranks where it does.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a formidable desktop processor with a launch MSRP of $394, and its benchmark scores reflect that: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216 and a single-core score of 5,960, along with a Passmark multi-thread score of 49,682 and a single-thread score of 4,689.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, physics calculations, and AI routines. The game's Action Adventure genre typically involves complex scenes with destructible environments and supernatural effects, which can stress the CPU. However, the data shows that the Ultra 7 265 is more than adequate for this task. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the combo achieves 122 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see diminishing returns as resolution decreases, but the jump from 4K Low (63 FPS) to 1080p Low (122 FPS) shows that the CPU can push frame rates nearly double when the GPU load is reduced.

The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs means it outperforms 93% of processors in the database. Its nearest rivals include server-class EPYC processors, which indicates it competes with enterprise silicon despite being a desktop part. The 20 cores and 20 threads are more than Control needs; the game's engine, released in 2019, was designed for the 6-8 core CPUs of that era. The high single-thread score of 5,960 in Cinebench R23 is particularly relevant, as games like Control rely heavily on single-threaded performance for game logic and rendering thread management. This CPU's single-core capability ensures that it never becomes the limiting factor in this pairing.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the clear bottleneck in this combination. It features the Navi 23 chip on a 7 nm process, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, with 32 ray tracing cores. Its clocks are a base of 2055 MHz, a boost of 2635 MHz, and a game clock of 2410 MHz. The memory runs at 2190 MHz (17.5 Gbps effective). It delivers 10.79 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and has a TDP of 176 W, requiring a 450 W power supply.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 17,166 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,859. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and AMD FirePro W7000, both professional cards that are not optimized for gaming. In Control, the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is a limiting factor at higher resolutions. The game's use of high-resolution textures and complex visual effects can exceed 8 GB at 4K, which explains the dramatic FPS drop from 63 FPS at 4K Low to 39 FPS at 4K High.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s is moderate by modern standards, and the 128-bit bus width is narrow. This becomes apparent in the resolution scaling data: at 1080p Low the combo hits 122 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 63 FPS, a 48% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 77 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 4K, a 49% reduction. These consistent drops indicate that the GPU's compute and memory resources are being saturated as resolution increases, with the CPU having plenty of headroom to spare.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Control at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 122 FPS, and at 1440p Low it reaches 93 FPS. At 1080p Medium, it hits 87 FPS, and at 1440p Medium it drops to 66 FPS. However, at 4K, no settings preset reaches 60 FPS; the best 4K result is 63 FPS at Low settings.

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

A: The data suggests 1440p is the sweet spot. At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p High, it achieves 58 FPS. 1080p offers higher frame rates (77 FPS at High, 87 FPS at Medium) but at a lower visual fidelity. 4K is not recommended, as even Low settings only produce 63 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is within 0.7% of the AMD EPYC 7343, 0.3% of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, 0.3% below the AMD EPYC 4464P, and 0.7% below the AMD EPYC 9124. These are all negligible differences, showing the CPU is competitively positioned among high-end processors.

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

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is within 0.6% of the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, 0.7% above the AMD FirePro D300, 0.7% below the AMD FirePro W7000, and 0.8% above the NVIDIA Quadro K5200. These are all professional workstation cards, indicating the GPU's performance is in the mid-range of the database.

Q: What is the impact of ray tracing on this combo?

A: The GPU has 32 ray tracing cores, but Control's ray tracing implementation is demanding. The measured FPS data does not include ray tracing-specific results, so the impact can only be inferred from the overall performance. Given that the GPU struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Low without ray tracing, enabling it would likely push frame rates below playable levels at most resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Control?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The CPU ranks at the 93rd percentile, while the GPU sits at the 65th percentile. The resolution scaling data confirms this: as resolution increases, FPS drops proportionally, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU has significant headroom, as evidenced by the fact that 1080p Low produces 122 FPS, a result that would be much lower if the CPU were the bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals the GPU-limited nature of this combo. From 1080p to 4K at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 122 to 63, a 48% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 77 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 4K, a 49% reduction. This consistency across settings presets indicates that the GPU's compute and memory resources scale linearly with pixel count, while the CPU has enough headroom to maintain its performance.

At Medium settings, the combo achieves 87 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24%, and from 1440p to 4K is 33%. The larger drop at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity become increasingly strained as pixel count increases. The 8 GB VRAM buffer is likely exceeded at 4K with Medium settings, causing additional performance degradation.

The Ultra settings preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 67 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 24%, and the 1440p to 4K drop is 33%. The 4K Ultra result of 34 FPS is barely playable, and the data suggests that this combo cannot handle Control's maximum settings at any resolution above 1080p. The Ultra preset likely enables features that are particularly demanding on the GPU's 10.79 TFLOPS of compute performance.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 55 FPS (122 vs 67), at 1440p it's 42 FPS (93 vs 51), and at 4K it's 29 FPS (63 vs 34). This narrowing gap indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes so saturated that additional settings changes have less impact on absolute frame rates. The limiting component is clearly the GPU, as the CPU's performance is sufficient to handle any settings combination the game can throw at it.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Control is at 1440p with Medium settings. This configuration delivers 66 FPS average with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS, providing a smooth and consistent frame rate that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset balances visual quality with performance, and the 56 FPS minimum ensures that even demanding scenes will not cause noticeable stuttering.

For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, 1080p Low settings provide the highest performance at 122 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS target and even approaches 120 FPS for high-refresh-rate displays. However, Low settings in Control significantly reduce visual quality, particularly in terms of texture detail and lighting effects. A better compromise is 1080p Medium, which delivers 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, offering both smooth gameplay and improved visuals over Low.

The High preset is a viable option at 1080p, producing 77 FPS, and at 1440p, producing 58 FPS. The 1440p High result is just below 60 FPS, which may be acceptable for some users, but the 58 FPS average suggests occasional drops below the smooth threshold. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p Medium is recommended over 1440p High, as the 8 FPS difference (66 vs 58) is noticeable, while the visual difference between Medium and High is often subjective.

Ultra settings are not recommended for this combo. At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 67 FPS, which is playable, but at 1440p Ultra it drops to 51 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 34 FPS. The Ultra preset likely enables advanced effects that the RX 6650 XT cannot handle smoothly at higher resolutions. Given that the GPU ranks at only the 65th percentile, users should expect to compromise on settings to achieve playable frame rates. The data clearly indicates that 1440p Medium is the optimal configuration, offering the best combination of smooth performance and visual quality for this hardware pairing.