Control

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers a strong performance profile in Control, with the data indicating that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions while the CPU maintains sufficient headroom at 1080p. This analysis walks through the measured results step by step, focusing on resolution scaling, settings, and the distinct roles of each component.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 128 FPS at 1080p to 97 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 65 FPS at 4K. This represents a significant 49.2% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings. The scaling is consistent across all presets, with the Low preset showing the largest absolute drop from 203 FPS at 1080p to 103 FPS at 4K, a decrease of 100 FPS or roughly 49.3%.

The pattern indicates that the RTX 5090 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, with the Low preset reaching 203 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain these elevated numbers. However, as resolution increases, the pixel count grows significantly, and the GPU's workload expands proportionally. The 4K results, ranging from 57 FPS at Ultra to 103 FPS at Low, demonstrate that the GPU's rendering capabilities are being taxed heavily, with the frame rate dropping below the 60 FPS threshold at the Ultra preset.

The scaling between 1440p and 4K is particularly telling. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 97 FPS to 65 FPS, a 33% reduction. This is a steeper relative decline than the 24.2% drop observed when moving from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings. This non-linear scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, where the additional pixel workload overwhelms the rendering pipeline. The data suggests that the CPU, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, has ample headroom even at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 203 FPS result at 1080p Low, which is unlikely to be constrained by processor performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows show that the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions, particularly when considering the minimum frame rates. At 4K, the Medium preset delivers an average of 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that maintains a playable frame rate above 60 FPS. The High preset at 4K averages 65 FPS, but no minimum is provided, leaving uncertainty about potential dips. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 57 FPS average, which falls below the commonly desired 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 1440p, the Medium preset achieves 109 FPS average with a minimum of 93 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above 90 FPS. The High preset at this resolution averages 97 FPS, which is also respectable, but the Medium preset's higher minimum of 93 FPS versus the unspecified minimum for High suggests better frame pacing stability. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 84 FPS, which is playable but represents a 23% reduction compared to Medium.

For 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 144 FPS average with a minimum of 122 FPS, making it the best choice for high-refresh-rate displays. The High preset at 128 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset's minimum of 122 FPS indicates less variance. The Low preset at 1080p reaches 203 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play, but it sacrifices visual quality. The data suggests that the Medium preset provides the best overall experience, balancing visual fidelity with consistent frame rates across all resolutions. At 4K, Medium is the only preset that guarantees a minimum above 60 FPS, while at lower resolutions it offers headroom for demanding scenes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 plays a dominant role in this game's performance, particularly as resolution increases. The GPU features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This large memory capacity and bandwidth are well-suited for Control's demanding visual effects, which include complex particle systems and physics-based destruction. The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz or 28 Gbps effective.

The RTX 5090's raw compute capabilities are substantial, with 21,760 shading units and 170 RT cores. The FP32 performance is rated at 104.8 TFLOPS, which is more than sufficient for the game's DirectX 12 rendering path. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its high-end positioning, with a Passmark G3D score of 39,650 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355. These scores place the RTX 5090 in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, as evidenced by the 203 FPS at Low settings, which suggests that the CPU or game logic may become the limiting factor at such high frame rates. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with frame rates dropping to 57-103 FPS depending on settings. The 32 GB VRAM is unlikely to be a constraint in this game, as even at Ultra settings, the memory usage would not approach this capacity. The GPU's role is primarily defined by its ability to maintain frame rates at higher resolutions, where its massive shading power and memory bandwidth come into play.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 73 FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842, which is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 0.6% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB. It is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and 1.4% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 153 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 84 FPS, representing a 69 FPS difference or a 45.1% reduction from Low to Ultra.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU has sufficient headroom at 1080p, as the Low preset achieves 203 FPS. The GPU likely becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, but at 1080p, the processor's 20 cores and 20 threads appear adequate to drive these high frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K across all settings?

A: The only minimum FPS recorded at 4K is 62 FPS at Medium settings. No minimum values are provided for Low, High, or Ultra presets at this resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX compare to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63,173, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G's score of 63,331.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX serves as the processing backbone for this configuration, and its characteristics directly influence the game's performance at lower resolutions. The CPU features 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This high boost clock is critical for gaming, as it allows the processor to quickly ramp up performance when needed. The CPU's L3 cache is 30 MB shared, which provides fast access to frequently used data.

In terms of benchmark performance, the Core Ultra 7 265HX achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40,642 and a single-core score of 5,737. These scores indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities. The CPU's overall average benchmark score is 63,173, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13790F, has a score of 63,080, which is 0.1% lower, showing that the 265HX is competitive with desktop processors in synthetic benchmarks.

For Control, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p where frame rates are highest. The measured 203 FPS at Low settings suggests that the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics at high speeds. The game is an Action Adventure title that relies on physics-based interactions, and the CPU's 20 threads provide ample parallelism for these tasks. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface may also contribute to the smooth frame delivery at lower resolutions. However, as resolution increases, the CPU's influence diminishes, and the GPU takes over as the primary performance driver.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves the highest average at 203 FPS. The Medium preset follows at 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and maximum of 165 FPS. The High preset averages 128 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 111 FPS. This demonstrates a clear progression where each step up in settings reduces performance by approximately 13-15%.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 153 FPS, which is a 24.6% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset at 1440p achieves 109 FPS average, with a minimum of 93 FPS and maximum of 125 FPS. The High preset averages 97 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 84 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, with each preset showing approximately a 24-25% reduction in frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 103 FPS, which is a 32.7% reduction from the 1440p Low result. The Medium preset at 4K averages 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and maximum of 85 FPS. The High preset averages 65 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 57 FPS. The 4K results show a steeper scaling curve, with the Ultra preset falling below 60 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 62 FPS is particularly notable, as it indicates that the frame rate rarely drops below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only 4K preset with a recorded minimum above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 563rd out of 2,888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 19.5% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong performance of both components, though it is not at the very top of the list, likely due to the mobile nature of the CPU. The RTX 5090 is a high-end desktop GPU, but the Core Ultra 7 265HX is a mobile processor, and this pairing may not extract the full potential of the GPU in all scenarios.

In the context of the GPU's benchmark position, the RTX 5090 ranks in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Both components are well above average, and their combined performance in Control is strong, as evidenced by the ability to maintain 65 FPS at 4K High settings. However, the 563rd rank out of 2,888 combos suggests that there are better-performing pairings, likely those using desktop CPUs with higher sustained clock speeds or more aggressive power limits. The data indicates that this combo is well-suited for high-resolution gaming, with the 4K Medium preset offering a smooth experience, but it does not achieve the top-tier performance that would place it in the top 100 combos.