Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, is a demanding showcase of physics-driven environments and particle effects. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, based on measured frame rate data. The combination ranks in the 64th percentile of tested systems for this game, indicating a configuration that delivers a solid high-refresh-rate experience at mainstream resolutions while facing challenges at the extreme high end. The data reveals a system where the GPU is the primary workload driver, with CPU headroom that allows for significant scaling when settings are lowered.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination achieves a rank of 1036 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places the pairing in the upper third of all configurations, signifying a strong performer that should handle the game's intensive physics and visual effects without bottlenecking the graphics card. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's substantial processing power and the GPU's mid-to-high-end rasterization capabilities.

In the context of the GPU's overall standing, the RX 7700 XT holds the 67th percentile among all tested graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 22549 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile, which scores 22435, a negligible 0.5% difference. The RX 7700 XT also edges out the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 1.7%, while trailing the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile by 0.8% and the older NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 by 1.5%. This clustering indicates that the RX 7700 XT's raw compute performance is squarely in a competitive tier, and its ranking in Control is consistent with that position.

The CPU, meanwhile, is a different class of performer. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 93785. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6520P, scores an almost identical 93786, a 0% difference. The AMD EPYC 4564P trails by 1.5%, and the score gap widens to 2.1% against the AMD EPYC 4565P. This high percentile suggests the processor provides ample compute resources for Control's game logic and physics, ensuring that the frame rate ceiling is determined almost entirely by the graphics card. The system's rank of 1036, therefore, can be interpreted as a GPU-limited result, where the full potential of the CPU is not being exercised in this specific title.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the decisive component in this configuration for Control. It is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The card features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game’s high-resolution textures and complex shaders at 1440p, though the frame rate data suggests it becomes a limiting factor at 4K ultra settings.

Clock speeds are a key indicator of the card's performance profile. The GPU has a base clock of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost clock of 2544 MHz. The boost behavior is critical in Control, as the card sustains high frequencies under load to maintain the measured FPS. The compute throughput is substantial, with 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, driven by 3456 shading units, 216 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units. The texture rate of 549.5 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s directly influence how quickly the game can fill the screen with its detailed environments and effects.

The GPU’s overall benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range positioning. Its Passmark G3D score is 22547, with a Passmark GPU Compute score of 12912. In DirectX 12, a key API for Control, it scores 79 in the Passmark test. The card's performance relative to its nearest rivals, such as the RTX 5060 Mobile and RTX 4060 Mobile, shows that it competes effectively with that segment of the market. In Control specifically, the GPU demonstrates an ability to push high average frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results show a clear performance ceiling, indicating that the card's 12 GB frame buffer and memory bandwidth are challenged by the game's maximum settings at that resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern across resolutions, confirming that the Radeon RX 7700 XT is the performance bottleneck. When moving from 1080p to 1440p, and then to 4K, the average frame rates drop significantly at every settings level. This scaling behavior is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the graphics card, and the frame rate is dictated by the pixel count and shading complexity.

Analyzing the High preset, the average FPS falls from 102 at 1920x1080 to 77 at 2560x1440, a 24.5% decrease. Moving to 3840x2160, the frame rate drops to 52, a further 32.5% reduction from the 1440p result. This steep decline at 4K indicates that the GPU is struggling to manage the increased pixel throughput, even on the High preset. The same pattern is visible on the Medium preset, where the average FPS drops from 115 at 1080p to 87 at 1440p, and finally to 59 at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K on Medium shows a total reduction of 48.7%, highlighting the significant workload increase.

The Low preset shows the most dramatic scaling, but also the highest absolute performance. At 1080p, the system achieves 162 FPS, which drops to 123 FPS at 1440p and 83 FPS at 4K. The fact that the 1080p Low preset exceeds 160 FPS suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at very high rates, but even at this low graphical load, the GPU still limits performance at higher resolutions. The Ultra preset shows the least scaling in absolute terms, from 89 FPS at 1080p to 45 FPS at 4K, but the relative drop is significant. This data collectively suggests that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU, as the frame rate drops are proportional to the increase in pixel count, rather than being capped by CPU processing power.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data details the exact measured performance of the combo at each resolution and settings level. The numbers represent the average frame rate observed during testing, with minimum and maximum values provided for the Medium preset.

At 1920x1080, the system is highly capable. On the Low preset, it averages 162 FPS. The Medium preset averages 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS. The High preset averages 102 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 89 FPS. These results show that at 1080p, the combination can easily drive high-refresh-rate monitors, even with settings maxed out, maintaining an average above 85 FPS on all presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the GPU's load increasing. The Low preset averages 123 FPS. The Medium preset averages 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. The High preset averages 77 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that the system is well-suited for this resolution, providing a smooth experience on High settings and a playable, though less fluid, experience on Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The Low preset averages 83 FPS, which is still playable. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, placing it right at the edge of smoothness for many users. The High preset averages 52 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 45 FPS. The 4K data shows that this configuration is not ideal for maximum settings at this resolution, as the average frame rates fall below the 60 FPS target that many consider the baseline for a good experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and performance, with the GPU being the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. The system averages 89 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a highly responsive experience. The high average frame rate indicates that there is still headroom, and the visual benefits of Ultra settings over High are worth the 13 FPS cost. The High preset, at 102 FPS, is also an excellent choice for those with 144Hz monitors, but the Ultra settings provide a more complete visual experience without sacrificing playability.

For 2560x1440, the High preset offers the best balance. At an average of 77 FPS, it provides a smooth and immersive experience that exceeds the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset, at 67 FPS, is also viable and may be preferable for users who prioritize image quality over a higher frame rate headroom. However, the Medium preset, at 87 FPS, is the better choice for gamers with 144Hz displays, as it provides a significant boost in smoothness. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for a 60Hz monitor, while Medium is better for high-refresh-rate panels.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only setting that consistently provides a frame rate above 60 FPS, averaging 83 FPS. The Medium preset, at 59 FPS, is borderline, and its minimum FPS of 50 indicates potential stutters in demanding scenes. The High and Ultra presets, at 52 and 45 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K gaming, users should either lower settings to Low or consider reducing the resolution to 1440p to maintain higher visual quality settings.

FAQ

Q: Is this system good for 1440p gaming in Control?

A: Yes. The data shows strong performance at 2560x1440, with an average of 77 FPS on High settings and 67 FPS on Ultra settings, making it suitable for both 60Hz and higher refresh rate monitors.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K at maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system averages only 45 FPS. Even on High settings, it averages 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its direct rivals in raw compute?

A: The RX 7700 XT's average benchmark score of 22549 is 0.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile and 1.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5700. It is 0.8% lower than the RTX 4060 Mobile and 1.5% lower than the RTX 2080.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap when changing resolutions?

A: The largest relative drop occurs between 1440p and 4K. On the High preset, the average FPS falls from 77 to 52, a 32.5% reduction, indicating the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are heavily taxed at 4K.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. This is evidenced by the significant frame rate drops as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The CPU, which ranks in the 96th percentile, provides ample headroom.

Q: What settings provide the highest frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Low preset provides the highest average frame rate at 1920x1080, achieving 162 FPS. However, the Ultra preset still delivers a smooth 89 FPS, making it the best choice for visual quality without sacrificing playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a high-end desktop processor that provides a substantial foundation for this gaming configuration. It features 24 cores and 24 threads, a combination that offers significant multi-threaded performance. The base clock is 3.70 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, allowing for high single-thread performance when needed. This processor is built on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture and is manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC, containing 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die.

The CPU's memory support is limited to DDR5, utilizing a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. It also supports ECC memory, a feature more common in workstation processors. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and a 36 MB shared L3 cache. This large cache and high memory bandwidth are beneficial for feeding the GPU with data in a game like Control, which streams a lot of assets.

In terms of computational power, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus excels in multi-core workloads. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 44253, and its Passmark multi-thread score is 68574. Single-thread performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2439 and a Passmark single-thread score of 5068. These scores place the CPU in the 96th percentile of all processors, indicating it is far more powerful than is strictly necessary for this gaming workload. The data shows that in Control, the CPU is never the bottleneck, as the frame rates scale consistently with GPU load. The processor's high performance ensures that even in the most physics-intensive scenes, it can keep up with the GPU's demands, allowing the graphics card to operate at its full potential. The launch MSRP of the CPU is $299.