Control

Control is an action-adventure title from 2019 that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and AMD Radeon 8050S produces a specific performance profile that is best understood through the measured frame rates. The data shows a system that can deliver playable experiences at 1080p and 1440p, but which struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K with higher graphical presets. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results to explain where the bottleneck lies and what settings provide the best experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the AMD Radeon 8050S ranks at position 2127 out of 2888 tested combinations in Control. This places the combo in the lower half of all tested configurations, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer for this specific game, it sits above a significant portion of the field. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU’s strong compute capabilities and the GPU’s mid-range throughput; neither component dominates the pairing, but the overall result is constrained by the graphics solution.

Looking at the individual component percentiles, the CPU ranks in the 93rd percentile against all tested processors, while the GPU ranks in the 89th percentile against all tested graphics cards. The combo’s overall rank of 2127 out of 2888 suggests that the pairing does not boost the system to the top echelons of Control performance, despite both parts being individually strong. This discrepancy implies that the game’s specific demands, particularly at higher resolutions, are not fully met by the GPU’s capabilities, which drags the combined result down relative to what the CPU alone might suggest.

The nearest rivals for the CPU include the Intel Core i7-13790F, which scores 0.1% higher on average, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G, which scores 0.2% lower. For the GPU, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 0.3% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX 7600M is 2.6% behind. These tight deltas indicate that the component performance is well within a narrow band of its peers, meaning the combo’s ranking is less about individual hardware superiority and more about how the two pieces interact under Control’s workload.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8050S is built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture and features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. Its base clock runs at 1295 MHz with a boost clock of 2800 MHz, which allows for a peak FP32 throughput of 11.47 TFLOPS. The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning the GPU draws from the same pool as the CPU, with bandwidth described as system-dependent. This shared memory design is a critical factor in how the GPU performs in Control, as the game’s asset streaming and texture loading can be sensitive to memory latency and bandwidth.

In the measured results, the GPU’s role becomes evident when comparing frame rates across settings. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 63 on Ultra to 116 on Low, showing that the GPU can handle the game’s demands when the resolution is not excessive. However, at 4K, the average FPS drops to 32 on Ultra and only reaches 59 on Low, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The pixel rate of 179.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 358.4 GTexel/s provide the theoretical capacity, but the system-shared memory architecture likely introduces bottlenecks that prevent the GPU from scaling linearly with resolution.

The GPU’s proximity to the Radeon Pro W6600M, which is 0.3% faster on average, and its lead over the Radeon RX 7600M by 2.6%, places it in a competitive mid-range tier. In Control, this translates to playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, but the GPU’s compute power is insufficient to maintain 60 FPS at 4K even on Low settings, as the measured average of 59 FPS sits just below that threshold. This suggests that the Radeon 8050S is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming in Control, with 4K requiring significant compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which points directly to the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 73 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 55 FPS, a reduction of 18 FPS or approximately 24.7%. At 4K with High settings, the average falls to 37 FPS, which is a further drop of 18 FPS from 1440p, representing a 32.7% decrease. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload increases quadratically with resolution, and the Radeon 8050S cannot sustain the required throughput.

The scaling across all settings tells the same story. On Low settings, the combo goes from 116 FPS at 1080p to 87 FPS at 1440p and 59 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 57 FPS, or approximately 49.1%, which is less severe than the High settings drop but still indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck. On Ultra settings, the frame rates are 63 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 49.2%, showing that even at the highest preset, the GPU’s limitations dominate the performance curve.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios, as the system’s frame rates scale predictably with resolution changes. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller differences between 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU would cap the frame rate regardless of resolution. Instead, the consistent drops across all settings indicate that the GPU’s pixel and texture processing capabilities are the primary constraint. At 4K, the combo falls below 60 FPS on every preset, confirming that this resolution is beyond the GPU’s comfortable operating range for Control.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 1080p provides the highest frame rates, with averages ranging from 63 FPS on Ultra to 116 FPS on Low. At 1440p, the averages range from 48 FPS on Ultra to 87 FPS on Low, which remains playable but requires lower settings for smooth performance.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Control?

A: No. The data shows that at 4K, the highest average FPS is 59 on Low settings, which falls just below the 60 FPS threshold. All other settings at 4K produce averages below 42 FPS, making 4K gaming impractical for this game.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon 8050S scores 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M and 2.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600M. This places it in a competitive position, though the differences are small and unlikely to change the playability profile significantly.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game’s performance?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, frame rates drop consistently across all settings, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the High preset delivers 55 FPS on average, and Medium delivers 62 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 48 FPS. Based on the measured numbers, Medium or High offers the best balance between visual quality and frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS breakdown provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience for this combo in Control. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 116 FPS, Medium achieves 82 FPS, High achieves 73 FPS, and Ultra achieves 63 FPS. All of these are above the 60 FPS threshold, meaning that players can choose any preset based on their preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate. For a smooth experience with good visuals, the High preset at 1080p is a solid choice, as it offers 73 FPS while maintaining higher graphical quality.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more nuanced. The Low preset delivers 87 FPS, which is excellent, but Medium drops to 62 FPS and High falls to 55 FPS. The Ultra preset is the weakest at 48 FPS. Given that 62 FPS is just above the playable threshold, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot for 1440p, offering a playable frame rate while preserving some graphical fidelity. The High preset at 55 FPS may be acceptable for players who prioritize visuals over smoothness, but it risks noticeable frame pacing issues.

At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The Low preset comes closest at 59 FPS, which is borderline playable but requires sacrificing most visual quality. The Medium preset drops to 42 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 37 FPS and 32 FPS respectively. Given these numbers, 4K is not recommended for this combo in Control. If forced to play at 4K, the Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, but the experience will be underwhelming compared to 1080p or 1440p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 30 MB shared L3 cache and 3 MB per core for L2. The CPU’s memory support includes DDR5 with dual-channel configuration, providing a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. In Control, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw call submissions, which are heavily single-threaded tasks that benefit from high clock speeds.

The CPU’s benchmark results show strong multi-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 40642 and a single-core score of 5737. These numbers place the CPU in the 93rd percentile against all tested processors, and its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13790F, are within 0.1% of its average score. This indicates that the CPU is not holding back the combo in Control, as its compute capabilities are more than sufficient for the game’s demands.

However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU’s performance is underutilized at higher resolutions, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. At 1080p, the CPU may still have headroom, as frame rates are higher and the CPU has to feed the GPU more quickly. But at 4K, the GPU’s slower rendering means the CPU spends more time idle, waiting for the GPU to complete its work. This dynamic is typical for a balanced system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, and it explains why the combo’s ranking is lower than either component’s individual percentile might suggest.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of how this combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 116 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 94, the High preset delivers 73 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 63 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is well within the combo’s comfort zone, with even the Ultra preset maintaining a playable frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 87 FPS, the Medium preset averages 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 71, the High preset averages 55 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 48 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p provides the best balance of playability and visual quality, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold while offering more graphical detail than Low.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 59 FPS, the Medium preset averages 42 FPS with a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 48, the High preset averages 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS. The minimum FPS data for Medium at 4K shows that frame times can dip to 36 FPS, which would cause noticeable stuttering. None of the 4K averages reach the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that this resolution is not viable for a smooth experience with this combo. The data overall indicates that the combo is optimal for 1080p gaming, acceptable for 1440p with reduced settings, and unsuitable for 4K in Control.