Control

# Control with Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + AMD Radeon RX 9060

Control's benchmark data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 reveals a system that delivers playable performance across most configurations, though it struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings. The measured FPS rows show a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the dominant constraint as resolution increases, while the 20-core Arrow Lake processor provides ample headroom at lower resolutions. With a combo rank of 1632 out of 2888 tested combinations, this pairing sits slightly above the median, indicating a balanced but not exceptional gaming configuration for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K demonstrates classic resolution scaling behavior, with the most pronounced drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 82 FPS at 1920x1080 to 62 FPS at 2560x1440, a 24% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 3840x2160, the average drops from 62 FPS to 42 FPS, a 32% decline. This accelerating degradation as resolution increases strongly indicates that the Radeon RX 9060's rendering throughput is the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The scaling pattern across all settings tells a consistent story. At Low settings, the system achieves 130 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 66 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 25%, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is 33%. At Medium settings, the corresponding values are 92 FPS, 70 FPS, and 47 FPS, with drops of 24% and 33% respectively. The uniformity of these percentage drops across different quality presets suggests that the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary bottlenecks, rather than any specific rendering feature.

At Ultra settings, the pattern becomes even more pronounced. The system manages 71 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and only 36 FPS at 4K. The 1440p-to-4K drop of 33% mirrors the other settings, but the absolute values reveal that 4K Ultra is simply beyond this GPU's capability for smooth gameplay. The 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS falls below the 40 FPS minimum observed at 4K Medium, indicating that the additional graphical features at Ultra impose a significant cost.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU effectively, as evidenced by the 130 FPS Low result. However, the Core Ultra 7 265's 20 cores and 5.30 GHz boost clock are not the limiting factor at any resolution — the consistent scaling behavior points squarely at the RX 9060's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus as the constraining elements. The 288.0 GB/s memory bandwidth appears sufficient for 1080p but becomes increasingly inadequate as pixel count grows.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 provides the most comfortable experience, with average frame rates ranging from 71 FPS at Ultra to 130 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, the system still delivers playable results between 54 FPS and 98 FPS, but 3840x2160 drops below 60 FPS at all settings, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 9060's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 places it 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129) and 1% ahead of both the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862) and AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15852). This indicates it performs essentially on par with these cards in general benchmarks, though game-specific results may vary.

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 bottleneck the RX 9060 in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The scaling from 1080p to 4K follows a consistent GPU-limited pattern across all settings. The processor's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and single-core score of 5960 place it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, suggesting it has ample compute headroom for this title.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset includes min and max FPS data across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average is 92 FPS with a range of 78 to 106 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average is 70 FPS with a range of 59 to 80 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average is 47 FPS with a range of 40 to 54 FPS. The consistent spread of roughly 30% between minimum and maximum suggests stable frame pacing.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1632 out of 2888 tested GPU-CPU combinations for Control, placing it in the 43rd percentile. This means approximately 57% of tested combos perform better, indicating this is a mid-tier configuration for this specific game.

Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for Control at 4K?

A: The measured results suggest that 8 GB is marginal at 4K. The RX 9060's 8 GB GDDR6 memory delivers only 36 FPS at 4K Ultra and 42 FPS at 4K High. While the game runs at 4K, the frame rates indicate that memory capacity or bandwidth constraints are limiting performance at this resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060, based on the Navi 44 chip with RDNA 4.0 architecture, is the primary driver of Control's frame rates. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for 1080p but becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions. The GPU's 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s, yet the 4K results reveal that this throughput is insufficient for maintaining high frame rates in Control's demanding environments.

The clock speeds tell an interesting story. The base clock of 1700 MHz boosts to 2990 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz. This substantial boost headroom suggests the card can dynamically increase performance when thermal and power conditions allow. However, the measured FPS data indicates that even at maximum boost, the GPU cannot overcome the resolution scaling penalties at 4K. The FP32 performance of 21.43 TFLOPS places this card in the mid-range segment, consistent with its 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The GPU's benchmark results show strong DirectX 11 performance with a Passmark score of 182, but notably weaker DirectX 12 results at 44. Control utilizes DirectX 12, which may explain why the card's general benchmark average of 16014 does not translate perfectly to exceptional in-game performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 39476 provide additional context, suggesting the card handles modern APIs reasonably well but not at the level of higher-tier competitors.

The RX 9060's nearest rival comparisons reveal its positioning. At 0.7% behind the RTX 3060 Ti in average benchmark score, the two cards are effectively equivalent in general compute tasks. The 1% advantage over the RX 7700 and R9 370X further confirms that this GPU sits in a specific performance band. For Control specifically, this translates to the observed frame rates, which are playable at 1080p and 1440p but not at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance across all settings. Low preset achieves 130 FPS average, providing maximum headroom for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings yield 92 FPS with a range of 78 to 106 FPS, offering a good balance of visual quality and smoothness. High settings produce 82 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 71 FPS. All 1080p results exceed the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution the most versatile for this combo.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains respectable but begins to show strain. Low settings still deliver 98 FPS, which is excellent for 1440p gaming. Medium settings average 70 FPS with a range of 59 to 80 FPS, placing the minimum right at the edge of the 60 FPS comfort zone. High settings drop to 62 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 54 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that players can use Medium or High settings for a smooth experience, but Ultra requires accepting sub-60 FPS performance.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings achieve 66 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 47 FPS with a range of 40 to 54 FPS, while High settings drop to 42 FPS. Ultra settings produce just 36 FPS average. The 4K data suggests that only the Low preset provides a consistently smooth experience, and even that result is close to the 60 FPS threshold with potential for dips.

The Medium settings data, which includes min and max FPS values, provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p, the 78-106 FPS range shows a 28 FPS spread, indicating some variability. At 1440p, the 59-80 FPS range shows a 21 FPS spread, and at 4K, the 40-54 FPS range shows a 14 FPS spread. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that as the GPU becomes more constrained, frame times become more consistent, though at lower average rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1632 out of 2888 tested combinations places this Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + Radeon RX 9060 pairing in the lower-middle segment of all tested configurations for Control. With 1256 combos ranked below it and 1631 above, this system sits at approximately the 56th percentile from the bottom, meaning it outperforms a majority of tested setups but is itself outperformed by an even larger majority.

This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier status more than the CPU's capabilities. The Core Ultra 7 265's 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates that the processor is a high-end component, while the RX 9060's 59th percentile GPU ranking is more modest. In a game like Control, which appears to be GPU-limited based on the resolution scaling analysis, the combo's overall rank is dragged down by the graphics card's limitations.

The deltaPct values from the CPU's nearest rivals show that the processor's average benchmark score of 64640 is within 0.7% of comparable AMD EPYC and Intel Core Ultra parts. This tight grouping confirms that the CPU is not introducing any unusual performance variance. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals are all within 2.1% of its average score, indicating that the RX 9060 performs as expected for its class.

For players considering this combo, the rank suggests that it is a capable but not exceptional configuration for Control. The system will handle 1080p and 1440p gaming well, but players seeking 4K performance would need to consider a higher-tier GPU to improve the combo's ranking.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 82 FPS offers the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, as it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold. Players with 144 Hz monitors could opt for Medium at 92 FPS, which provides a 10 FPS improvement over High while maintaining the 78 FPS minimum. Ultra at 71 FPS is viable for those prioritizing image quality, though the 11 FPS penalty versus High may not justify the visual gains.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 62 FPS is the recommended choice for most players, as it remains above 60 FPS average while delivering solid visual quality. Medium at 70 FPS offers more headroom with a 59 FPS minimum, making it the safer choice for those sensitive to frame drops. Ultra at 54 FPS is playable but will feel less smooth, and Low at 98 FPS is unnecessary unless targeting very high refresh rates.

At 3840x2160, the options are limited. Low settings at 66 FPS is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the clear recommendation for 4K play. Medium at 47 FPS is the best visual compromise for those willing to accept sub-60 FPS performance, while High at 42 FPS and Ultra at 36 FPS are only suitable for players who prioritize image quality over responsiveness.

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1440p provides the most balanced combination of visual fidelity and performance. The 70 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum ensures mostly smooth gameplay, while the 2560x1440 resolution offers significant visual improvements over 1080p. Players with 1080p displays should use High settings for the best balance, while those with 4K displays should stick to Low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 serves as the compute foundation for this combo, and its specifications suggest it is more than capable of supporting the RX 9060 in Control. With 20 cores and 20 threads, the Arrow Lake-S architecture processor provides substantial multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz, paired with a base clock of 2.40 GHz, allows the CPU to adapt to varying workloads, from lightly threaded game logic to heavily threaded background tasks.

The processor's cache hierarchy, including 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB shared L3, provides ample on-die storage for game data. The dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth ensures the CPU can feed data to the GPU without creating a bottleneck. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 lanes provides sufficient bandwidth for the RX 9060's PCIe 5.0 x16 connection, though Control likely does not saturate this link.

The CPU's benchmark results demonstrate its capability across various workloads. The Passmark multi-thread score of 49682 and single-thread score of 4689 place it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960 indicates strong per-thread performance, which is important for games that rely on a few main threads. The data compression score of 522983 and encryption score of 40456 further confirm the CPU's general-purpose strength.

In Control specifically, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The consistent FPS scaling across resolutions indicates that the processor is not the limiting factor at any settings combination. The 20-core configuration ensures that any background tasks or streaming requirements are handled without competing with game threads. The 65 W TDP and 3 nm process node from TSMC indicate efficient power delivery, which may help maintain consistent boost clocks during extended gaming sessions.