Control

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER delivers a compelling 1440p and 4K experience in Control, though the data reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution climbs. The measured frame rates indicate that at 1080p, the combination is capable of pushing well past 200 frames per second on lower presets, while at 4K, the GPU begins to assert its dominance, with average frame rates dropping by roughly half from the lowest to the highest settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, contextualizes the combo's rank against thousands of other tested pairings, and explores the specific roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping the final output.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable but pronounced scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate on Low settings is 228 FPS, which is 2.9 times higher than the 4K Low result of 116 FPS. This massive gap at the Low preset suggests that at 1080p, the system is not constrained by the graphics card, allowing the CPU to push frame rates to extremely high levels. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is also significant, with the average dropping from 228 FPS to 172 FPS, a 24.6% reduction, which indicates the GPU is starting to take on more work but is still not fully saturated.

Moving to the High preset, the pattern shifts slightly. At 1080p High, the average is 144 FPS, which drops to 109 FPS at 1440p and then to 73 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24.3%, nearly identical to the Low preset, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 33%, indicating that the resolution increase is now having a more substantial impact on the GPU's workload. At the Ultra preset, the 1080p average of 125 FPS falls to 94 FPS at 1440p (a 24.8% drop) and then to 64 FPS at 4K (a 31.9% drop from 1440p), reinforcing that the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions and settings.

The Medium preset provides the only complete min/max data, which helps illustrate the consistency of frame delivery. At 1080p Medium, the average is 162 FPS with a min of 137 FPS and max of 186 FPS, showing a 49 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the average is 122 FPS with a min of 104 FPS and max of 141 FPS, a 37 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the average is 83 FPS with a min of 70 FPS and max of 95 FPS, a 25 FPS spread. The shrinking spread at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded, reducing the variability caused by CPU-driven frame spikes. The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU is often waiting for the GPU, while at 4K, the GPU is consistently the bottleneck, leading to lower but more stable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER achieves a combo rank of 443 out of 3720 tested combinations in Control. This places it in the top 11.9% of all tested combos, which is a strong showing for a game that is not typically used as a primary CPU benchmark. The rank is likely influenced by the exceptional performance at 1080p, where the CPU's high single-thread and multi-thread capabilities can shine, as well as the GPU's ability to maintain solid frame rates at 4K.

The combo rank of 443 is notably higher than the GPU's individual percentile rank of 76, which suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for this title. The CPU's percentile rank of 94 is much higher, indicating that the processor is a top-tier performer relative to all other CPUs, and it is likely not the limiting factor in most scenarios. The data suggests that the combo's rank is boosted by the CPU's ability to feed the GPU efficiently at lower resolutions, preventing any CPU-bound frame rate drops that could drag the average down. When compared to other combos that might use a weaker CPU with a similar GPU, this pairing would likely pull ahead in 1080p and 1440p scenarios, while the 4K performance would be more dependent on the GPU alone.

The nearest rival CPUs, such as the Intel Core i7-14700KF with a deltaPct of 1% and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with a deltaPct of 1.3%, have very similar average benchmark scores, but the 265K's higher boost clock of 5.50 GHz likely gives it an edge in gaming workloads that are sensitive to single-thread performance. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA TITAN RTX with a deltaPct of -1.9%, have lower average scores, which may translate to slightly lower frame rates in Control, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU's raw compute and memory bandwidth are critical.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved in Control with this combo?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 228 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the system is heavily CPU-bound at this setting, as the GPU is not being fully utilized.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to the 1080p Ultra performance?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 64 FPS, which is roughly half of the 125 FPS average at 1080p Ultra. This represents a 48.8% reduction in performance, clearly showing that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p High settings?

A: At 1440p High, the average frame rate is 109 FPS. Given the CPU's high single-thread benchmark scores and the GPU's 76th percentile ranking, the data suggests the GPU is the main limiter here, as the frame rate drops are consistent with the resolution increase rather than a CPU stall.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for this combo in the measured data?

A: The only min FPS values recorded are for the Medium preset. The lowest min FPS is 70, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution. The min FPS at 1440p Medium is 104, and at 1080p Medium it is 137.

Q: Does the combo support ray tracing in Control?

A: The FACT PACK does not include any measured FPS data for ray tracing settings. The GPU is equipped with 66 ray tracing cores, but no benchmark results are provided to assess its ray tracing performance in Control.

Q: How does the combo's rank in Control compare to its overall hardware percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 443rd out of 3720 combos, placing it in the top 11.9%. The CPU has a percentile rank of 94, while the GPU has a percentile rank of 76. The combo's rank is better than the GPU's percentile, indicating that the CPU's strong performance helps boost the overall result.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates are organized by resolution and settings, providing a comprehensive view of performance scaling.

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Low: Average 228 FPS
• Medium: Average 162 FPS, Min 137, Max 186
• High: Average 144 FPS
• Ultra: Average 125 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Low: Average 172 FPS
• Medium: Average 122 FPS, Min 104, Max 141
• High: Average 109 FPS
• Ultra: Average 94 FPS

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Low: Average 116 FPS
• Medium: Average 83 FPS, Min 70, Max 95
• High: Average 73 FPS
• Ultra: Average 64 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern where each step up in resolution at the same settings yields a roughly 25-35% reduction in average frame rate. The difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution is substantial; at 1080p, the gap is 103 FPS, at 1440p it is 78 FPS, and at 4K it is 52 FPS. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is becoming the dominant bottleneck, as the performance ceiling is reached regardless of the settings level. The 4K Ultra result of 64 FPS is the lowest average recorded, but it is still above the 60 FPS threshold that many consider playable, suggesting that the combo can handle the game at maximum settings at 4K, albeit with some compromises in frame rate stability.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

• For 1080p: The High preset at 144 FPS offers an excellent balance, providing high visual quality while maintaining a smooth frame rate that is well above 120 FPS. Ultra at 125 FPS is also viable for those who want the best visuals, but the 19 FPS drop from High may not justify the increased load. Low at 228 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is paramount.

• For 1440p: This is the sweet spot for this combo. The High preset at 109 FPS provides a great experience, and the Ultra preset at 94 FPS is still very playable. The Medium preset at 122 FPS offers a higher frame rate with a minimal visual compromise, making it a strong choice for gamers who prioritize smoothness. Low at 172 FPS is ideal for high refresh rate monitors, but the visual downgrade is significant.

• For 4K: The Ultra preset at 64 FPS is barely above the 60 FPS threshold, and the min FPS is not recorded, so stability is uncertain. The High preset at 73 FPS is a safer choice, offering a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 83 FPS with a min of 70 FPS provides the most stable experience at 4K, ensuring no significant drops below 60 FPS. Low at 116 FPS is an option for those who want high frame rates at 4K, but the visual quality is severely reduced.

The data suggests that the most balanced experience is achieved at 1440p with the High or Ultra preset, where the combo can leverage both the CPU's strength and the GPU's capabilities without hitting a hard bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its architecture is Arrow Lake-S, built on a 3 nm process node, and it has a 30 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35850 and a single-core score of 2020, which are reflected in its 94th percentile ranking.

In Control, the CPU's role is most prominent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the 228 FPS average indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach extreme frame rates. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by the Geekbench single-core score of 2713, is critical for the game's physics and AI calculations, which often run on a single thread. The 20 cores and 20 threads, with no hyper-threading, provide ample multi-threading capability for background tasks and any game engine optimizations that utilize multiple cores.

The data implies that the 265K is not a limiting factor in this game at any of the tested settings. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent with GPU-bound behavior, and there is no evidence of CPU stalls that would cause erratic frame times. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, has a deltaPct of 1%, meaning it scores slightly higher on average, but the 265K's higher boost clock of 5.50 GHz likely gives it a slight edge in this game's single-threaded workloads. The CPU's support for DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s also ensures that data can be fed to the GPU quickly, reducing potential bottlenecks.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is based on the AD103 chip with the Ada Lovelace architecture and a 5 nm process. It has a base clock of 2340 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz, with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. The GPU's FP32 performance is 44.10 TFLOPS, and it has 8448 shading units, 264 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 66 ray tracing cores and 264 tensor cores.

In Control, the GPU is the primary determinant of performance at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 64 FPS, which is a 48.8% drop from the 1080p Ultra result. This drop is directly attributable to the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth being saturated by the increased pixel count. The 16 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for the game at 4K, as the measured results do not indicate any memory-related stutters or crashes, though the min FPS data is only available for the Medium preset.

The GPU's 76th percentile ranking is lower than the CPU's, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA TITAN RTX with a deltaPct of -1.9%. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER's boost clock of 2610 MHz is high, but the game's performance at 4K is more dependent on raw compute throughput and memory bandwidth. The 672.3 GB/s bandwidth is substantial, but the data suggests that the GPU is still the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, as the frame rate drops below the 70 FPS mark. The GPU's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) is also relevant, as Control utilizes DX12 features, which can help optimize draw calls and reduce CPU overhead, but the primary bottleneck at 4K remains the GPU's pixel processing capabilities.