Control

# Control with Intel Core Ultra 7 265K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Control, with the game's demanding visual effects placing consistent pressure on the GPU across all tested configurations. The measured data reveals a system where 1080p performance is strong, 1440p remains viable, and 4K requires significant settings compromises to maintain acceptable frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial across all settings presets, clearly indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting component in this configuration. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 82 FPS at 1920x1080 to 62 FPS at 2560x1440 — a 24.4% reduction — and then further to 42 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 48.8% total decline from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario where pixel count increases dramatically while the CPU has ample headroom.

The Low settings preset shows the most extreme resolution scaling, with 130 FPS at 1080p dropping to 98 FPS at 1440p (a 24.6% decrease) and then to 66 FPS at 4K (a 49.2% total drop). This steeper curve at lower settings suggests that even when graphical load is reduced, the GPU still cannot maintain proportional performance at higher resolutions. The Medium preset exhibits a similar pattern: 92 FPS at 1080p, 70 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K, with the 1440p to 4K transition costing 32.9% of performance.

Ultra settings present the most challenging scenario, with 71 FPS at 1080p dropping to 54 FPS at 1440p and finally 36 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 4K delta here is 49.3%, nearly identical to the other presets, which indicates that the resolution scaling penalty is consistent regardless of visual fidelity level. The data suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 compute become increasingly strained as pixel throughput demands rise, with the 4K resolution requiring roughly four times the fragment processing of 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, built on the TU104 chip with 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, demonstrates clear signs of being the performance ceiling in this pairing. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which appears sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K where larger frame buffers and higher texture throughput demands strain the memory subsystem.

Clock speeds of 1605 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost, combined with the 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, indicate that Control's ray tracing and DLSS capabilities are present but not fully leveraged in these measured results, which focus on traditional rasterization. The GPU's 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier, and its nearest rivals — the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, RTX 3070 Mobile, Intel Arc B570, and Intel Arc A750 — all score within 1.5% of its average benchmark score, confirming its position in the performance hierarchy.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU's diminishing returns at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 130 FPS average suggests the GPU can handle the workload with significant headroom, but at 4K Ultra, the 36 FPS average indicates the GPU is saturated. The Medium preset's minimum FPS values — 78 at 1080p, 59 at 1440p, and 40 at 4K — reveal that frame pacing remains consistent even under load, with no sudden drops below playable thresholds at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2152 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 42nd percentile of all tested configurations. This mid-pack ranking reflects the GPU's age and tier rather than the CPU's capabilities, as the Core Ultra 7 265K itself ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 70879.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks — the Intel Xeon 6511P at 71051 (0.2% ahead), Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 at 71370 (0.7% ahead), Intel Core i7-14700KF at 70163 (1.0% behind), and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F at 69996 (1.3% behind) — all demonstrate that the processor is competitive with high-end server and desktop parts. However, the combo ranking in Control is dragged down by the GPU, which ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 20282 and sits within 1.5% of mid-range rivals like the Intel Arc A750.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the combo's mid-pack position in Control indicates a significant bottleneck where the GPU limits overall gaming performance. This is further evidenced by the fact that the CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads, with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, provide far more processing capability than Control's gameplay typically demands, while the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and mid-range compute throughput become the constraining factors at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers playable frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce 130 FPS average, Medium achieves 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 and maximum of 106, High reaches 82 FPS, and Ultra maintains 71 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate that the GPU can handle Control's demands comfortably at this resolution, with even the most demanding Ultra preset staying well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains respectable but begins to show strain. Low settings yield 98 FPS, Medium averages 70 FPS with a range of 59 to 80, High drops to 62 FPS, and Ultra falls to 54 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 59 FPS indicates that occasional dips below 60 FPS occur, while Ultra's 54 FPS average suggests that this resolution requires settings compromises for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become pronounced. Low settings manage 66 FPS, but Medium drops to 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 and maximum of 54, High falls to 42 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 36 FPS. The 4K results clearly show that only the Low preset achieves consistently playable frame rates, with Medium and above falling below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider essential for action games.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: No. The highest 4K average frame rate is 66 FPS at Low settings, but Medium drops to 47 FPS, High to 42 FPS, and Ultra to 36 FPS. Only the Low preset at 4K exceeds 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: 1920x1080 provides the most consistent experience, with all settings presets from Low at 130 FPS to Ultra at 71 FPS remaining above 60 FPS. The 2560x1440 resolution is viable with Medium or High settings, but Ultra dips to 54 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 2152 out of 3720 total combinations, placing it in the 42nd percentile of all tested configurations in Control. This mid-pack position reflects the GPU's performance tier rather than the CPU's capabilities.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting component. The CPU has 20 cores and 20 threads with a 5.50 GHz boost clock and ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 65th percentile and shows significant frame rate drops at higher resolutions.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 78 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 59 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum falls to 40 FPS, indicating that 4K Medium may experience noticeable stutter during intense scenes.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark performance compare to its rivals?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER scores 20282 on average, placing it within 1.5% of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, RTX 3070 Mobile, Intel Arc B570, and Intel Arc A750. Its benchmark scores range from 67 in Passmark DirectX 12 to 90637 in Geekbench Vulkan.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting 60 FPS as a minimum, the 1920x1080 resolution offers the most flexibility, with all presets from Low through Ultra maintaining averages above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 71 FPS provides the best visual fidelity while still delivering smooth gameplay, making it the recommended choice for players with 1080p displays who prioritize image quality.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 70 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum represents the best balance between visual quality and performance. High settings at 62 FPS are also viable, though the lower minimum frames may cause occasional dips. Ultra at 54 FPS falls below the 60 FPS target and should be avoided for competitive or fast-paced play.

For 4K displays, the Low preset at 66 FPS is the only configuration that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. Medium at 47 FPS is playable but will exhibit noticeable frame rate variability, with minimums dropping to 40 FPS. High and Ultra at 42 and 36 FPS respectively are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as the frame pacing will be inconsistent during Control's action sequences.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K provides substantial processing power that far exceeds the demands of Control at the tested settings. With 20 cores and 20 threads, a base clock of 3.90 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, this Arrow Lake architecture processor delivers single-threaded performance that ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 35850 multicore and 2020 single-core, along with Geekbench scores of 23085 multicore and 2713 single-core, demonstrate exceptional capability for both gaming and productivity workloads.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with a dual-channel configuration and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth ensures that the system can feed data to the GPU efficiently, while the 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide low-latency access to frequently used data. The processor's 17,800 million transistors on a 3 nm process node from TSMC, with a die size of 243 mm², represent modern manufacturing efficiency that contributes to its strong benchmark performance.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role is largely to maintain consistent frame pacing and handle game logic, physics, and AI computations. The measured FPS data shows no signs of CPU bottlenecking, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution changes and settings adjustments — a pattern that would be different if the CPU were limiting performance. The processor's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, including the Intel Xeon 6511P and Intel Core i7-14700KF, all score within 1.3% of the Core Ultra 7 265K, confirming that this CPU is more than capable of supporting the RTX 2070 SUPER in this game.