Control

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 3rd out of 1,636 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the top 0.2% of all systems. This position is earned through a blend of immense raw GPU throughput and a CPU that never bottlenecks it, even at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 280 FPS. The benchmark results show a configuration that is effectively GPU-bound at 4K and CPU-bound only at extreme frame rates, making it a top-tier choice for this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this combo in Control?

A: The combo ranks 3rd out of 1,636 tested combinations, placing it in the top percentile of all systems.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has an average benchmark score of 79,102. Its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, scores 79,240, which is 0.2% higher. The Core i9-14900K is 0.9% ahead, while the AMD EPYC 7413 leads by 1.2%.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 285.8 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the data.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5090 features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 157.3 at 1920x1080 to 78.3 at 3840x2160, representing a 50.2% reduction in frame rate.

Q: What is the GPU's core clock speed?

A: The RTX 5090 has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, providing substantial single-thread headroom for game logic. Its 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth ensure high data throughput to feed the GPU.

In this game, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 285.8 FPS, a figure that demands strong per-core performance to process the game's physics and AI in Control's destructible environments. The processor's single-thread score of 4,904 in Passmark and its 97th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggest it is well above the threshold needed to avoid limiting frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra only drops performance by 44.9%, indicating the CPU maintains a high minimum frame rate even when graphics load increases.

The chip's synthetic benchmarks reinforce its capability for this title. With a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 50,009 and a single-core score of 7,060, it delivers high throughput for background tasks while gaming. Its nearest rivals, like the Core i9-14900KF, are within 0.2% in average score, meaning the 265K does not lose any meaningful ground in CPU-bound scenarios. The processor's 125W TDP and unlocked multiplier allow for sustained performance, ensuring that long gaming sessions in Control do not experience throttling-related dips.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this pairing, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 21,760 shading units. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for Control's high-resolution textures and particle effects. The GPU's boost clock of 2407 MHz and FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS allow it to handle the game's ray-traced reflections and physics-based destruction at high frame rates.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly clear as resolution scales up. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 78.3 FPS, a demanding workload that leverages the card's 104.8 TFLOPS of compute power and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate. The RTX 5090's 170 RT cores are particularly relevant here, as Control is known for its real-time ray tracing effects. The passmark G3D score of 39,650 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,411 indicate strong DirectX 12 performance, which is the API used by the game.

The memory configuration is a standout feature. With 32 GB of VRAM, the card has ample headroom for Control's maximum texture quality at 4K without risk of exceeding memory capacity. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming does not cause hitches, even in the game's most chaotic scenes. The GPU's 94th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms it is a top-tier part, and its 1.3% deltaPct advantage over the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 in average score shows it holds a solid lead over most alternatives.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination achieves a rank of 3 out of 1,636 tested combos in Control, which is a top-0.2% result. This position is notable because it places the system ahead of almost every other configuration tested, including those with higher-clocked CPUs or more specialized gaming hardware. The rank reflects the synergy between the 265K's high single-thread performance and the RTX 5090's massive compute throughput.

The data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution tested. At 4K Ultra, where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, the combo still delivers 78.3 FPS, which is playable for most users. The rank of 3rd place suggests that only two other combinations in the entire database achieve higher average frame rates, likely those with even more aggressive GPU overclocks or CPUs with higher boost clocks. The 265K's 97th percentile CPU score and the RTX 5090's 94th percentile GPU score combine to create a system that is well-balanced for this specific game.

When compared to other combos, the 265K's nearest rivals are all within 1.2% of its average score, meaning that swapping to an EPYC 7413 would not yield a meaningful FPS increase in Control. Instead, the performance difference comes from the GPU, which holds a 1.3% advantage over the AMD Radeon PRO W6600. This confirms that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of this combo's high rank, while the CPU provides sufficient support to avoid holding it back.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the recommended starting point, delivering 133.3 FPS. This setting provides a 14.2% frame rate improvement over Ultra at the same resolution, while the visual difference between High and Ultra is often subtle in Control. At 4K, High is also the optimal choice, yielding 91.5 FPS, which is 16.9% faster than Ultra's 78.3 FPS while maintaining high-quality textures and effects.

For users with 4K displays who prioritize smoothness over maximum detail, the Medium preset offers 105.9 FPS, which is a 35.2% improvement over Ultra. This setting still provides good texture quality but reduces some of the heavier post-processing effects. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 285.8 FPS, which is beneficial for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, though it sacrifices significant visual quality. The Ultra preset is only recommended for users with high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p monitors, as it maintains 157.3 FPS and 116.7 FPS respectively, both of which are smooth.

The data indicates that the High preset is the sweet spot across all resolutions. It delivers frame rates above 90 FPS at 4K and above 130 FPS at 1440p, ensuring a responsive experience without requiring the performance trade-offs of Low settings. The Medium preset is a viable alternative for 4K users who want higher frame rates without dropping to Low quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS scales from 285.8 on Low to 204.5 on Medium, 177.1 on High, and 157.3 on Ultra. This represents a 44.9% drop from Low to Ultra, showing that the GPU is still the main performance driver even at this resolution. The 204.5 FPS on Medium is a significant 26.4% improvement over High, making it a strong choice for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS is 212.8 on Low, 155 on Medium, 133.3 on High, and 116.7 on Ultra. The transition from Low to Ultra here results in a 45.2% performance reduction, consistent with the 1080p scaling. The 133.3 FPS on High is suitable for 144Hz monitors, while the 116.7 FPS on Ultra still provides a smooth experience for most users.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 145.8 on Low, 105.9 on Medium, 91.5 on High, and 78.3 on Ultra. The Low to Ultra reduction is 46.3%, slightly larger than lower resolutions due to increased GPU load. The 91.5 FPS on High is close to the 90 FPS threshold for a premium experience, while the 78.3 FPS on Ultra is still playable but may require VRR for best results.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is most pronounced at Low settings, where the frame rate falls from 285.8 to 145.8, a 49% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 157.3 to 78.3, a 50.2% reduction. This consistent scaling across settings indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at all resolutions, as the CPU's performance headroom is not exhausted until frame rates exceed 280 FPS.

The data shows that the RTX 5090's 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient to handle the increased pixel throughput at 4K without causing a disproportionate frame rate drop. The 50.2% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is expected given the 4x increase in pixel count, but the absolute frame rates remain high. At 1440p, the frame rate at Ultra is 116.7 FPS, which is 74.2% of the 1080p result, showing a more moderate scaling curve.

This scaling pattern reveals that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the GPU load. At 1080p Low, the 285.8 FPS result suggests the CPU is approaching its limits, but the 265K's single-thread performance prevents any significant stutter. The 50% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K is a typical pattern for a GPU-bound system, confirming that the RTX 5090 is the component that defines this combo's performance ceiling in Control.