Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title that stresses both CPU and GPU, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a stratified performance profile across resolutions. The data indicates that this combo sits in the 1632nd position out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This ranking reflects a system that can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with adjustments, but struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K with higher graphical presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s overall rank of 1632 out of 2888 tested configurations places it squarely in the 43rd percentile of all pairings tested for Control. This is a modest result, indicating that while the system is far from the bottom of the pile, it is also not positioned to deliver top-tier performance in this specific title. The ranking suggests a balanced but limited partnership, where neither component is dramatically holding the other back at lower resolutions, yet the overall ceiling is constrained by the GPU's age and VRAM capacity.

Benchmark results for the CPU show it performing near the top of its class. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 achieves an average benchmark score of 64640, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic tests include the AMD EPYC 4464P, which scores 64823 (a 0.3% difference), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, which scores 64438 (a 0.3% difference). This indicates that the processor is a high-performing part, offering substantial headroom for gaming workloads. However, the GPU’s percentile rank is significantly lower; the RTX 2070 SUPER sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 20282, trailing the Intel Arc B570 by 1.3% (20556) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile by 1.2% (20534).

This disparity between a top-7% CPU and a mid-range GPU explains the combo's overall ranking. The processor is capable of feeding the graphics card at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution and settings increase. The data shows that the system is not CPU-limited in most scenarios; rather, the RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB of VRAM and Turing architecture are the primary constraints on performance, particularly at 4K where the Ultra preset yields only 36 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the decisive component in this pairing. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K with high-texture packs. The card is built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip and a 12 nm process node, housing 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which is relevant for Control’s use of modern rendering features.

In Control, the GPU’s role is evident in the scaling of frame rates with settings. At 4K, lowering the preset from High to Medium improves the average FPS from 42 to 47, but dropping to Low jumps to 66 FPS. This indicates that the card has enough compute power to handle the game’s physics and effects at lower settings, but the memory bandwidth and capacity are insufficient for the higher-resolution textures and effects enabled by the High and Ultra presets. The card’s 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are present, but the data suggests that enabling ray tracing at 4K would severely impact performance, as the card is already struggling to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Low. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 18169 and its 65th percentile ranking confirm that it is a mid-tier performer by modern standards, with its nearest rivals being the Intel Arc A750 (20582, 1.5% higher) and the Intel Arc B570 (20556, 1.3% higher).

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the High preset offers a solid 82 FPS average, which is smooth for most players. However, the Medium preset at 92 FPS provides a better balance of visual fidelity and performance, with a minimum FPS of 78 and a maximum of 106, ensuring a consistent experience without major dips. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS is also playable, but the marginal visual gains over High may not justify the 11 FPS loss.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 62 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 70 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a 8 FPS improvement over High while maintaining a minimum of 59 FPS, which keeps the gameplay fluid. The Low preset at 98 FPS is an option for competitive play, but it sacrifices significant visual quality. The Ultra preset at 54 FPS is borderline, with the risk of noticeable stuttering in intense scenes.

For 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 66 FPS is the only setting that achieves a consistently playable frame rate, though it requires a substantial reduction in visual quality. The Medium preset at 47 FPS is playable but will have noticeable dips, as indicated by the minimum FPS of 40. High and Ultra at 42 and 36 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience and should be avoided unless the user prioritizes visuals over playability. The data suggests that for the best overall experience, users should target 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium, with 4K reserved for Low settings or for users who tolerate lower frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the system scales across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 130 on Low to 71 on Ultra. The Low preset at 130 FPS shows the CPU’s strength, as the RTX 2070 SUPER is not fully saturated. Medium at 92 FPS (min 78, max 106) and High at 82 FPS are both strong performers, while Ultra at 71 FPS remains playable but shows the first signs of GPU limitation. The 1080p results indicate that the Core Ultra 7 265 has ample headroom, as the FPS scales almost linearly with GPU load.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops significantly. Low runs at 98 FPS, Medium at 70 FPS (min 59, max 80), High at 62 FPS, and Ultra at 54 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 28 FPS, which is a 28.6% reduction, showing that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck as texture memory and shading demands increase. The minimum FPS of 59 at Medium suggests that the system can occasionally dip below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable on a high-refresh-rate monitor. The High and Ultra presets at 62 and 54 FPS, respectively, are close in performance, indicating that the card’s memory bandwidth is a limiting factor beyond a certain settings threshold.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. Low runs at 66 FPS, Medium at 47 FPS (min 40, max 54), High at 42 FPS, and Ultra at 36 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 19 FPS, and the gap between Medium and Ultra is 11 FPS. This data suggests that the 8 GB VRAM is saturated at 4K with Medium settings and above, causing the card to rely on slower memory fallback, which results in the steep performance cliff. The minimum FPS of 40 at Medium indicates that the experience will be inconsistent, with notable frame hitches in demanding scenes.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K highlights the GPU-bound nature of this combo at higher resolutions. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 130 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p and 66 at 4K. This represents a 24.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 49.2% drop from 1080p to 4K. This scaling is steeper than the pixel count increase (1440p has 1.78 times the pixels of 1080p, and 4K has 4 times), which indicates that the GPU is not scaling efficiently beyond 1080p, likely due to memory bandwidth constraints.

At the Medium preset, the FPS drops from 92 at 1080p to 70 at 1440p and 47 at 4K, representing a 23.9% drop to 1440p and a 48.9% drop to 4K. This shows a similar pattern, with the 4K performance being less than half of the 1080p performance. The High preset shows a drop from 82 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p and 42 at 4K, a 24.4% drop to 1440p and a 48.8% drop to 4K. The Ultra preset scales from 71 at 1080p to 54 at 1440p and 36 at 4K, a 23.9% drop to 1440p and a 49.3% drop to 4K.

The consistent pattern of roughly 24% loss from 1080p to 1440p and roughly 49% loss from 1080p to 4K across all settings strongly suggests that the limiting component is the GPU, specifically its memory subsystem. The CPU, which is in the 93rd percentile, is not presenting a bottleneck, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low. The data indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient to feed the shading units efficiently at higher resolutions, resulting in the GPU being the primary constraint on performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with the Medium preset provides the best balance, with an average FPS of 92 and a minimum of 78, ensuring a smooth and consistent experience. For 1440p, the Medium preset at 70 FPS is the optimal choice, while 4K should be limited to Low settings for 66 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER in this game?

A: No. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 64640 places it in the 93rd percentile, and at 1080p Low the combo achieves 130 FPS, indicating the processor has significant headroom. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K shows that the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282, which is 1.3% lower than the Intel Arc B570 (20556) and 1.2% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534). It is also 1% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480).

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset, which achieves an average of 66 FPS. The Medium preset at 47 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 40 FPS, while the High and Ultra presets at 42 and 36 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the impact of increasing settings from Low to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 98 on Low to 70 on Medium, then to 62 on High and 54 on Ultra. The largest performance hit occurs between Low and Medium, a 28 FPS reduction, which corresponds to the GPU’s memory bandwidth becoming saturated.

Q: How does the combo’s overall rank in Control reflect its performance?

A: The combo ranks 1632nd out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This ranking aligns with the GPU’s 65th percentile performance, while the CPU’s 93rd percentile score indicates that the graphics card is the limiting factor in achieving a higher rank.