Control

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 lands at rank 1294 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. That places this configuration almost exactly in the middle of the database's tested field, at roughly the 55th percentile of all CPU-GPU pairings for this title. The position reflects a balanced pairing rather than an extreme one; neither component dominates the other, and the system's overall standing is a product of both parts working in concert.

Benchmark results indicate this combo sits in a crowded mid-table region. The GPU alone holds the 58th percentile among all tested GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 93rd percentile against all processors. The gap between those two percentile positions is telling: the processor is capable of far more than the graphics card can extract in this game, which pulls the combined rank down from what the CPU alone might suggest. In practical terms, the system is GPU-bound in most scenarios, and the combo's rank reflects that ceiling.

Compared to the nearest rival pairings in the database, this combo's performance profile is tightly clustered. The GPU's average benchmark score of 15852 puts it within 1.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129. It trails the AMD Radeon RX 9060 by 1% (16014) and sits 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15679). The closest statistical neighbor is the AMD Radeon R9 370X at 15862, a mere 0.1% difference. These are narrow margins, and real-world frame rates in Control will likely fall within the noise of these synthetic deltas.

On the CPU side, the Core Ultra 7 265's average benchmark score of 64640 places it 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 4464P (64823) and 0.7% behind the AMD EPYC 9124 (65104). It edges out the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F by 0.3% (64438) and the AMD EPYC 7343 by 0.7% (64202). The consistent theme is parity: this processor trades blows with its closest rivals within a single percentage point, meaning the choice between them in Control would be imperceptible in frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 brings 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. For a 2019 action-adventure title like Control, that memory configuration is more than sufficient; the game's textures and geometry rarely stress modern VRAM allocations, and the 16 GB capacity provides headroom that the title simply does not require. The memory clock runs at 2438 MHz, which translates to 19.5 Gbps effective, and the GPU's base clock is 1900 MHz with a boost clock of 2459 MHz and a game clock of 2041 MHz.

The GPU's 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation processors define its raw throughput. It delivers 25.18 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and a pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s, with a texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s. These specifications place the card in a solid mid-range position, and the data confirms it: the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 20974 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865 indicate capable DirectX 12 performance, which matters for Control given its modern rendering pipeline.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database reinforce its mid-pack positioning. The 0.1% delta to the R9 370X is negligible, but the more relevant comparison is the 1.7% gap to the RTX 3060 Ti. In Control, that difference translates to roughly one to three frames per second depending on resolution and settings, which is within the range of driver-level variation. The RX 7700's 58th percentile standing among all GPUs means it outperforms a slight majority of the database's graphics cards, but it is not a top-tier part by any measure.

The GPU's RDNA 3.0 architecture with 40 ray accelerators provides hardware ray tracing support, which Control can utilize for its reflective surfaces and lighting effects. The card's DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) API support ensures compatibility with the game's feature set, and its Vulkan 1.4 support offers alternative rendering paths. The 5 nm process node from TSMC, housing 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die, keeps power efficiency reasonable, though the 200 W TDP and dual-slot cooler design indicate this is not a low-power part.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 3 nm process node. Its base clock of 2.40 GHz boosts up to 5.30 GHz, and the 65 W TDP masks the fact that this is a high-throughput part. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 3 MB of L2 per core and 192 KB of L1 per core, provides ample on-die storage for game data. Memory bandwidth is rated at 102.4 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface.

For Control, the CPU's role is secondary but not irrelevant. The game is not heavily threaded, and the Ultra 7's 20 cores are overkill for the title's workload. However, the high boost clock of 5.30 GHz and strong single-thread performance ensure that the game's primary simulation thread runs without becoming a bottleneck. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960 and multi-core score of 42216 illustrate the processor's capabilities; the single-core figure is what matters most for Control, and it is robust.

The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4689 and multithread score of 49682 show a processor that excels in both domains. The physics score of 2923 is relevant for Control's destructible environments and physics-based interactions, which can stress CPU physics threads. The data compression score of 522983 and encryption score of 40456 are less relevant for gaming but indicate the processor's general compute strength. The 93rd percentile standing among all CPUs confirms that this is a high-end processor by any measure.

The nearest CPU rivals reinforce the Ultra 7 265's positioning. The 0.3% delta to the Core Ultra 7 265F is expected, as they are the same silicon with integrated graphics disabled on the F variant. The EPYC 4464P and EPYC 9124 are server parts that happen to land nearby in the database's scoring, which speaks to the Ultra 7's workstation-level throughput rather than any gaming-specific advantage. The 0.7% gap to the EPYC 7343 is within synthetic benchmark variance.

The processor's PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 CPU lanes ensures the GPU has a high-bandwidth connection, though Control does not require the additional bandwidth over PCIe 4.0. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 32EU is present but irrelevant for gaming with a discrete GPU installed. The 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die represent a dense, modern design that delivers strong performance per watt, even if the 65 W TDP understates actual power draw under sustained multi-core loads.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the RX 7700 and Ultra 7 265 combination produces playable but not ideal results. Ultra settings yield an average of 41 FPS, which dips below the 60 FPS threshold that most players target for a fast-paced action game. High settings improve to 48 FPS, while Medium reaches 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 and maximum of 62. Low settings jump to 76 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that clears the 60 FPS bar comfortably. The data shows a clear progression: each step down in settings adds roughly 6-8 FPS, with the Low-to-Medium jump being the largest single improvement at 22 FPS.

Dropping to 2560x1440 improves the situation considerably. Ultra settings average 61 FPS, just clearing the 60 FPS threshold. High settings reach 71 FPS, Medium hits 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 and maximum of 92, and Low achieves 112 FPS. The 1440p results show that this combo is well-suited to the resolution for High and Medium presets, with Ultra being borderline and Low providing significant headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 1920x1080, the combination performs strongly across all settings. Ultra averages 81 FPS, High reaches 93 FPS, Medium hits 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 and maximum of 121, and Low tops out at 148 FPS. The 1080p numbers indicate that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher settings, but the CPU's strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates high even in CPU-sensitive scenes. The scaling from Ultra to Low at 1080p is 67 FPS, which shows the GPU's headroom when settings are reduced.

The resolution scaling follows expected patterns. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 22-25% across settings. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is approximately 32-35%. These ratios are consistent with the GPU's bandwidth and compute capabilities. The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows that 4K Medium has a minimum of 46 FPS, 1440p Medium has a minimum of 68 FPS, and 1080p Medium has a minimum of 89 FPS. These minimums suggest that frame pacing is stable, with no severe drops below the averages.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1440p in Control?*

A: Yes, at most settings. The measured data shows 61 FPS at Ultra, 71 FPS at High, and 80 FPS at Medium. Only the Low preset at 112 FPS exceeds 100 FPS, but all presets clear the 60 FPS threshold at 1440p.

Q: How does the RX 7700 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in this game?

A: The RX 7700's average benchmark score of 15852 is 1.7% lower than the RTX 3060 Ti's 16129. In Control, this translates to roughly 1-3 FPS difference depending on settings and resolution, which is within measurable variance.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. At 1440p, High settings deliver 71 FPS and Ultra delivers 61 FPS, both playable. At 4K, only Low settings exceed 60 FPS, while at 1080p, the system leaves performance on the table with frame rates as high as 148 FPS.

*Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in Control?*

A: The CPU's single-thread score of 4689 in PassMark and 5960 in Cinebench R23 indicate strong single-core performance. The GPU's 58th percentile versus the CPU's 93rd percentile suggests the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios, not the CPU.

Q: How much performance is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to Low at 4K?

A: The gain is 35 FPS, from 41 FPS at Ultra to 76 FPS at Low. This represents an 85% improvement in average frame rate, making Low the only 4K preset that clears 60 FPS.

*Q: Is the 16 GB VRAM useful for Control?*

A: The game is from 2019 and does not require 16 GB of VRAM. The memory capacity is not a limiting factor at any resolution or setting in the measured data. The 624.1 GB/s bandwidth is more relevant to performance than the capacity.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Control experience with this hardware. For 4K displays, Low settings at 76 FPS is the only viable option for smooth gameplay, though players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate may accept Medium at 54 FPS or High at 48 FPS. The 41 FPS average at Ultra is below the threshold for comfortable action gameplay, and the minimum FPS data for Medium (46 FPS) suggests that even Medium can dip into uncomfortable territory during intense scenes.

At 1440p, High settings at 71 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. Ultra at 61 FPS is also acceptable, but the 10 FPS gain from dropping to High is significant for maintaining consistent frame rates during combat sequences. Medium at 80 FPS provides additional headroom, and Low at 112 FPS is ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. The minimum FPS of 68 at Medium suggests that frame pacing remains stable even in demanding scenes.

For 1080p, the recommendation is High at 93 FPS, which delivers excellent visual quality while maintaining frame rates well above 60 FPS. Ultra at 81 FPS is also viable for players who want maximum visual fidelity, though the 12 FPS penalty versus High may not justify the visual gains in a fast-paced action game. Medium at 105 FPS is the choice for high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, and Low at 148 FPS is excessive for all but the most extreme competitive scenarios.

The overall recommendation across all resolutions is to prioritize High settings. At 1440p and 1080p, High provides the best trade-off between visual quality and frame rate, with 71 FPS and 93 FPS respectively. At 4K, the choice is more constrained: Low is the only preset that delivers smooth performance, and players should accept the visual compromise or drop to 1440p for a better experience. The data does not support Ultra settings at any resolution as the optimal choice, given the frame rate penalties and the game's visual similarity between High and Ultra presets.