Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, is a demanding title that mixes physics-heavy combat with a dark, shifting environment. When paired with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, the measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily skewed toward GPU limitations at higher resolutions, while still maintaining a high level of performance. The benchmark results show a clear hierarchy of performance based on resolution and settings, with the 1080p and 1440p data points indicating a system capable of high refresh rate gaming, and the 4K results demonstrating the sheer graphical load of the game. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the system's ranking, and the individual roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping this specific gaming experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a predictable yet steep decline as resolution increases, with the gap between 1080p and 4K being most pronounced. At Low settings, the system produces an average of 225 FPS at 1920x1080, which drops to 170 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 115 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 48.9% drop in performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is being pushed significantly harder as pixel count increases. The scaling is not linear, however; the jump from 1440p to 4K sees a 32.4% reduction in FPS, while the jump from 1080p to 1440p sees a 24.4% reduction, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth and processing power are becoming the primary bottlenecks at higher resolutions.

Analyzing the High settings data reveals a similar pattern, with the average FPS falling from 142 at 1080p to 107 at 1440p, and finally to 72 at 4K. This is a 49.3% total drop from 1080p to 4K, again highlighting the GPU's dominance in performance scaling. The Medium settings row provides the only min/max FPS data across all resolutions, showing a 69-94 FPS range at 4K, a 103-139 FPS range at 1440p, and a 136-184 FPS range at 1080p. The consistency of the framerate, with the min FPS being roughly 73-75% of the average, suggests that the system is not experiencing severe stuttering, but rather a steady load that scales with resolution. The data strongly implies that the limiting component at 4K is the GPU, as the CPU's role becomes less significant when the frame rate is capped by the graphics card's rendering capabilities. The fact that even at Low settings, the 4K average FPS is only 115, while 1080p Low reaches 225 FPS, underscores how much of a graphical workload Control places on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combos for Control, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX holds a rank of 362 out of 2888 combinations. This places it in the top 12.5% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a high-performing configuration for this game. The combo rank is a holistic measure, and with the data showing 4K Ultra at 63 FPS and 1080p Low at 225 FPS, it is clear that this system is not just capable but excels in delivering high frame rates across a range of settings. The rank of 362 suggests that while many other combos may exist that are faster, this pairing is well above the median performance level, likely due to the strong combination of the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities and the GPU's raw throughput.

The percentile data for the individual components provides context. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus is 93, meaning it outperforms 93% of all CPUs in the database. The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus is 64, which is lower but still above average. This discrepancy is interesting; it suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU, despite being a high-end model, is not as dominant in its own right within the broader database. However, in the context of Control, the combo's rank of 362 shows that the sum is greater than the parts, as the GPU's performance is sufficient to leverage the CPU's strength. The nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the AMD EPYC 4464P, have an average score that is only 0.3% lower, indicating that the Core Ultra 7 265 is at the very top of its performance tier, which likely contributes to the solid combo ranking in this game.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the clear driving force behind the frame rates in Control, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus provides 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for handling the game's detailed textures and large environments without stuttering. The memory clock runs at 2500 MHz, or 20 Gbps effective, and the boost clock of 2498 MHz (with a game clock of 2365 MHz) allows the GPU to maintain high throughput under load. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system averages 63 FPS, which is playable but not at high refresh rates, while at 1080p Low, it achieves 225 FPS, showing the GPU's headroom when not bound by pixel count.

The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6841 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 85612, support its strong performance in a demanding title like Control. The passmark G3D score of 31238 is another indicator of its raw graphics power. However, its percentileVsAllGpus of 64 shows that it is not the absolute top-tier GPU, and the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB with a deltaPct of 0.4%, which is surprising given the generational gap, but it reflects the average score of the GPU across many tests, not just gaming. In Control, the 7900 XTX's role is to provide high frame rates at 1440p and decent 4K performance, and the measured data confirms it does so, with the GPU being the primary bottleneck at 4K, as evidenced by the significant FPS drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience for a 1440p monitor would be the High preset, which yields an average of 107 FPS. This provides a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. For 4K, the Medium preset is the most balanced choice, delivering an average of 82 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS, which maintains playability while still offering better visuals than the Low preset. The Low preset at 4K does provide a higher 115 FPS average, but the visual compromise is likely too steep for most users. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is easily achievable with an average of 123 FPS, allowing players to maximize the game's visual features while still maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS.

The data indicates that the High preset is a sweet spot for this combo. At 1080p and 1440p, it offers significantly higher performance than Ultra (142 vs 123 FPS at 1080p, and 107 vs 93 FPS at 1440p), while the visual difference between High and Ultra in many games is often subtle. For those chasing the highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p yields an impressive 225 FPS, which could be beneficial for competitive play, though it is not the intended use case for a game like Control. The Medium settings, with their recorded min/max FPS, also show a stable frame time at all resolutions, making it a reliable fallback if the user prefers to ensure no dips below 60 FPS at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings for this combo?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 107.

Q: Does this system maintain a stable frame rate at 4K Medium settings?

A: Yes, the data shows a minimum FPS of 69 and a maximum of 94, with an average of 82 at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Low preset compared to the 4K Ultra preset?

A: The 1080p Low preset averages 225 FPS, while the 4K Ultra preset averages 63 FPS, making the 1080p Low preset approximately 257% faster.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems for Control?

A: The combo ranks 362nd out of 2888 tested combinations for this game.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the frame rate drops significantly from 1440p to 4K, indicating the graphics card is reaching its rendering limits.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this system?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded in the data is 69, which occurs at 4K resolution with Medium settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 plays a supporting role in this pairing, but its capabilities are essential for achieving the high frame rates seen at 1080p and 1440p. With 20 cores and 20 threads, it has ample multi-threading power for Control's physics and AI calculations. The base clock of 2.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz allow it to handle single-threaded tasks efficiently, which is critical for game logic. The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and a single-core score of 5960, indicating it can feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.

The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 93 places it in the top 7% of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 64640 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, which is only 0.3% slower. This high level of performance means that in Control, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 225 FPS, which is a frame rate that often becomes CPU-bound in many games, but the data shows the Core Ultra 7 265 is capable of sustaining it. The L3 cache of 30 MB shared and the 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth further ensure that data can be quickly accessed and delivered to the GPU. While the GPU dictates the performance ceiling at 4K, the CPU's strength ensures that the system does not suffer from frame drops or stuttering when the graphical load is lower, making it a well-balanced partner for the Radeon RX 7900 XTX.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 resolution, the system delivers the highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 225 FPS. The Medium preset averages 160 FPS, with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS. The High preset averages 142 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 123 FPS. This shows a clear scaling, with the Ultra preset still comfortably above 120 FPS for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440 resolution, performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 170 FPS. The Medium preset averages 121 FPS, with a minimum of 103 FPS and a maximum of 139 FPS. The High preset averages 107 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 93 FPS. This resolution provides a good balance between visual quality and performance, with the High preset being the most suitable for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset averages 115 FPS. The Medium preset averages 82 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 94 FPS. The High preset averages 72 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 63 FPS. This data shows that while 4K is playable, the user must be selective with settings to maintain a high frame rate, with Medium being the optimal choice for a balance of visuals and performance.