Control

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the top-performing combination for Control in the benchmark database, securing the #1 spot out of 2,888 tested combos. This result is not marginal; the data shows this pairing delivers frame rates that place it ahead of the vast majority of systems, making it the definitive reference point for maximizing performance in this title. The following analysis breaks down the specific contributions of the CPU and GPU, the measured performance across resolutions and settings, and the practical implications for players.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame field places this specific configuration at rank 1 out of 2,888 tested combinations. This means that in the database's measured results for Control, no other CPU-GPU pairing has produced higher average frame rates. The ranking is a composite of the 12 measured FPS data points across four settings presets and three resolutions. Achieving the top rank indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D are exceptionally well-matched for this game, with neither component creating a bottleneck that would allow another combo to surpass it. The data confirms that this is the peak configuration for Control according to the benchmark suite, offering the highest possible performance ceiling. While the rank is definitive, the margins over other combos are not shown in the provided data; however, the consistency of high FPS numbers across all tested scenarios supports the #1 position. For context on the individual components, the CPU holds a 93rd percentile rank against all CPUs, and the GPU holds a 92nd percentile rank against all GPUs, reinforcing that both are top-tier parts that synergize effectively in this specific workload.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the primary driver of raw frame output in Control, and its specifications are central to understanding the measured results. The GPU features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is particularly relevant for Control, a game with demanding texture streaming and physics effects; the sheer bandwidth ensures that high-resolution textures and complex particle effects do not stall the rendering pipeline. The GPU's architecture is Blackwell 2.0, built on a 5 nm process, and it operates with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The high boost clock, combined with 21,760 shading units, allows for exceptional compute throughput. In practice, this translates to the ability to maintain high frame rates even at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, where the average FPS is 83. The GPU also has 170 RT cores, which are relevant for Control's use of ray-traced reflections and indirect lighting, though the measured FPS data does not isolate ray tracing performance. The FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS is a strong indicator of raw shader power, which directly correlates to the high scores seen in the 1080p Low preset, where the GPU achieves 298 FPS. The data suggests the RTX 5090 D is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions; instead, it is the CPU that sets the ceiling, as evidenced by the scaling patterns discussed later. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking against all GPUs further confirms its elite status, and its nearest rivals in the database—the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, RX 6850M XT, and NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants—have average scores that are within a 2.4% delta, indicating that the 5090 D is in a performance tier that is closely contested at the very top. However, in this specific game, the 5090 D's combination of bandwidth and compute power yields the #1 combo rank.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 serves as the supporting pillar, ensuring the GPU is fed with data. It has 20 cores and 20 threads, which is a high core count, but for Control, the more critical factor is its single-thread performance. The CPU's boost clock of 5.30 GHz is exceptionally high, and this is reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,960. Control is known to be sensitive to single-core performance for game logic and physics calculations, so this high boost clock is crucial for avoiding CPU bottlenecks. The CPU's architecture is Arrow Lake, built on a 3 nm process, and it has 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The cache size helps with keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency. The CPU also supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which is adequate to feed the GPU's demands. In the benchmark data, the CPU's multi-threaded performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216, but the single-core score is the standout for gaming. The CPU's percentile rank is 93rd against all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4464P and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, with scores within a 0.7% delta. This indicates that the 265 is positioned at the top of the desktop CPU hierarchy. For Control, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 298, which is likely approaching the CPU's maximum frame generation limit. The data shows that the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU to a degree that would prevent the combo from ranking #1, but it does influence the scaling behavior seen when moving between resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings.

1080p Resolution:

• Low: 298 FPS average. This is the highest recorded frame rate in the dataset, indicating the CPU is the primary limiter at this setting.
• Medium: 211 FPS average, with a minimum of 180 FPS and a maximum of 243 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 87 FPS, showing a significant impact from increased graphical load.
• High: 188 FPS average. This is a further 23 FPS reduction from Medium, showing a more moderate scaling step.
• Ultra: 163 FPS average. This is the lowest FPS at 1080p, but still very high, demonstrating the GPU's headroom even at maximum settings.

1440p Resolution:

• Low: 225 FPS average. This is a 73 FPS drop from the 1080p Low result, indicating that the GPU is starting to take on more work.
• Medium: 160 FPS average, with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS. This is a 51 FPS reduction from the 1080p Medium result.
• High: 142 FPS average. This is a 46 FPS reduction from the 1080p High result.
• Ultra: 124 FPS average. This is a 39 FPS reduction from the 1080p Ultra result.

4K Resolution (3840x2160):

• Low: 152 FPS average. This remains very playable, but the scaling from 1080p shows a 146 FPS drop, which is the largest absolute drop across all settings.
• Medium: 108 FPS average, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS. The minimum of 92 FPS is the lowest recorded minimum in the entire dataset, but it is still above 60 FPS.
• High: 96 FPS average. This is a 46 FPS drop from 1440p High, showing that the GPU is now the dominant factor.
• Ultra: 83 FPS average. This is the most demanding configuration tested, and the 83 FPS result is solid for a 4K Ultra preset.

The data shows that at 1080p, the FPS differences between settings are large (298 Low vs 163 Ultra), but at 4K, the differences are compressed (152 Low vs 83 Ultra), highlighting the GPU's shift from being underutilized to fully loaded.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the balance between the CPU and GPU. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 298 at 1080p to 225 at 1440p (a 24.5% reduction) and then to 152 at 4K (a 32.4% reduction from 1440p). This pattern indicates that the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p, as the GPU has ample headroom; the frame rate is capped by the CPU's ability to issue draw calls. As resolution increases, the GPU takes on more pixel work, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The absolute drop from 1080p to 4K is 146 FPS, which is the largest of any setting group. At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 163 at 1080p to 124 at 1440p (a 23.9% reduction) and then to 83 at 4K (a 33.1% reduction from 1440p). The percentage drops are similar to Low, but the absolute values are lower. This suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K Ultra, as the frame rate is heavily dependent on the GPU's compute capabilities. The key insight is that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p Low, where the 298 FPS is likely near the maximum the CPU can produce. As resolution and settings increase, the load shifts to the GPU, which is evident from the 4K Ultra result of 83 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 5090 D scales well with resolution, but the CPU's ceiling is reached early. This means that for players targeting the highest refresh rates, a lower resolution with lower settings is necessary to approach the CPU's limit, while for 4K gaming, the GPU is fully utilized.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K gaming, the High preset at 96 FPS is the most balanced recommendation. It offers a significant improvement over the Ultra preset's 83 FPS (a 15.7% increase) while maintaining a visually rich experience. The Medium preset at 108 FPS is also viable, but the jump from Medium to High is only 12 FPS, whereas the jump from High to Ultra is just 13 FPS, so High provides the best compromise between fidelity and performance. The Low preset at 152 FPS is unnecessarily low in quality for the frame rate gain, so it is not recommended for 4K. For 1440p gaming, the High preset at 142 FPS is the clear winner, as it provides a high refresh rate experience without sacrificing too much visual quality. The Ultra preset at 124 FPS is also excellent for players with 120Hz displays, but High offers a 14.5% performance uplift. The Medium preset at 160 FPS is for those with 165Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, but the visual trade-off is noticeable. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 188 FPS is recommended for most users, as it balances the CPU and GPU load perfectly. The Ultra preset at 163 FPS is for those who want maximum quality, but the 25 FPS difference between High and Ultra is relatively small. The Medium preset at 211 FPS is the choice for competitive players with 240Hz monitors, and the Low preset at 298 FPS is only for extreme esports scenarios where every frame matters. In all cases, the data shows that the High preset is the sweet spot for this combo, offering the best balance of visual quality and frame rate across all three resolutions. The measured minimum FPS values, such as the 92 FPS minimum at 4K Medium, indicate that the combo maintains smooth performance even in demanding scenes, avoiding noticeable stutter.