Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, presents an interesting stress profile for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. The measured data shows a configuration that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but retains enough CPU headroom to deliver very high frame rates at 1080p. This analysis walks through the FPS scaling, component roles, and practical settings based strictly on the measured rows.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a classic pattern of GPU saturation. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 140 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 106 FPS, a 24.3% reduction, and then to 71 FPS at 4K, a further 33.0% reduction from 1440p. This steady decline indicates that the frame rate is being dictated by the pixel throughput capabilities of the RTX 4070, not by the CPU.

The scaling from 1080p High (88 FPS) to 1440p High (67 FPS) shows a 23.9% drop, while 1440p to 4K High (45 FPS) is a 32.8% drop. These consistent percentage losses across different quality presets suggest the GPU’s rendering pipeline is the limiting factor. The Ultra preset tells the same story: 77 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p Ultra is 24.7%, while the gap between 1440p and 4K Ultra is 32.8%.

What is notable is the delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the spread is 63 FPS (140 vs 77). At 1440p, the spread narrows to 48 FPS (106 vs 58). At 4K, the spread is just 32 FPS (71 vs 39). This compression of the performance envelope at higher resolutions is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU has enough bandwidth to feed the GPU at 1080p, but as pixel count rises, the GPU’s fill rate becomes the bottleneck, making the settings choice less impactful on absolute frame rate.

The data implies that for this specific game, the Core Ultra 9 275HX is not a constraining factor until frame rates approach or exceed 140 FPS. Since the maximum recorded average is 140 FPS at 1080p Low, the CPU is never fully taxed in this title. The 4K results, particularly the drop from Medium (51 FPS) to High (45 FPS) and then to Ultra (39 FPS), show a clear linear relationship between quality and GPU workload, further confirming that resolution scaling is entirely dependent on the graphics card's capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 in this system features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The chip runs at a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. These specifications align with the observed performance trends, where the card’s raw throughput is the primary driver of frame rates in Control.

At 4K Ultra, the card produces an average of 39 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold often desired for smooth gameplay. This suggests that the 12 GB frame buffer, while sufficient for capacity, is paired with a memory bus and shading unit count (5888) that struggles with the combined load of 4K resolution and maximum quality settings. The transition from 1440p Ultra (58 FPS) to 4K Ultra (39 FPS) represents a 32.8% performance hit, which is proportionally larger than the 24.7% drop from 1080p Ultra (77 FPS) to 1440p Ultra. This indicates that the card is hitting a hard computational wall at 4K.

Conversely, the GPU shows strong headroom at lower resolutions. The 140 FPS average at 1080p Low demonstrates that the card can easily handle the geometry and effects at that resolution, leaving the frame rate largely uncapped. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3854 and Passmark G3D score of 26927 place this GPU in the 81st percentile among all GPUs, confirming it is a high-end part, but the Control results show that even such a card has limits with this title’s demanding visual effects.

The VRAM capacity is not the limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios, as the game never exceeds the 12 GB available. Instead, the compute load from the game’s physics and particle effects appears to be the bottleneck. The data shows that the RTX 4070 is most comfortable at 1440p, where it delivers playable frame rates across all settings (58-106 FPS), and it requires a settings reduction to achieve 60 FPS or higher at 4K, as evidenced by the 71 FPS result at 4K Low.

FAQ

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 67 FPS, with the Medium preset showing a minimum of 64 FPS, indicating that High should stay comfortably above 60 FPS in most scenes.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Control?

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary limiter. The frame rate drops consistently with resolution increases (e.g., from 140 FPS at 1080p Low to 71 FPS at 4K Low), while the CPU’s 24 cores and 5.40 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient for this title.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, but not at maximum settings. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 39 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. For a better experience, the 4K High preset (45 FPS) or 4K Medium (51 FPS) are options, though 4K Low (71 FPS) is the only preset that exceeds 60 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost by enabling Ultra settings over High?

A: At 1080p, the drop is from 88 FPS to 77 FPS, a 12.5% reduction. At 1440p, it drops from 67 FPS to 58 FPS, a 13.4% reduction. At 4K, it drops from 45 FPS to 39 FPS, a 13.3% reduction. The relative cost of Ultra is consistent, but the absolute frame rate loss is more noticeable at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware?

A: The data suggests 1440p is the sweet spot. It delivers between 58 FPS (Ultra) and 106 FPS (Low), with High and Medium presets falling in the 67-75 FPS range, which balances visual fidelity with smooth performance.

Q: Does the RTX 4070’s 12 GB VRAM cause any issues in Control?

A: No. The measured data shows no signs of VRAM-related stuttering or memory bottlenecks. The performance scaling is consistent with computational load rather than memory capacity limits.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: 140 FPS average
• Medium: 99 FPS average (min 84, max 114)
• High: 88 FPS average
• Ultra: 77 FPS average

At 1080p, the system has significant headroom. The jump from Low to Medium costs 41 FPS, but the step from Medium to High only costs 11 FPS, and High to Ultra costs another 11 FPS. This suggests that Medium is a very efficient preset at this resolution, retaining most of the performance while improving quality over Low.

2560x1440:

• Low: 106 FPS average
• Medium: 75 FPS average (min 64, max 86)
• High: 67 FPS average
• Ultra: 58 FPS average

1440p results show a more pronounced cost for each settings tier. Low to Medium costs 31 FPS, Medium to High costs 8 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 9 FPS. The minimum frame rate of 64 FPS at Medium indicates that this preset is the boundary for maintaining a solid 60 FPS experience.

3840x2160:

• Low: 71 FPS average
• Medium: 51 FPS average (min 43, max 58)
• High: 45 FPS average
• Ultra: 39 FPS average

4K is demanding. Only Low settings achieve an average above 60 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 43 FPS shows that there can be significant dips below the average, making High and Ultra presets less suitable for fast-paced action. The 39 FPS at Ultra is consistent with the GPU’s raw compute limits at this resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It features 36 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. In the context of Control, these specifications are more than adequate.

The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 140 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would typically start to stress a CPU’s single-thread performance. However, the consistent scaling across resolutions—where the CPU workload remains constant but FPS drops with resolution—confirms that the processor is not the bottleneck. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and single-core score of 2204 place this CPU in the 94th percentile, indicating it has ample headroom for this game’s threading model.

Control is known for its physics and destruction effects, which can be CPU-intensive. However, the data suggests that even in chaotic scenes, the Core Ultra 9 275HX’s high boost clock and 24 cores prevent any frame rate dips that could be attributed to processor limitations. The nearest rival, the Intel Xeon w5-3525, scores a comparable average benchmark score (67673 vs 67469, a -0.3% delta), but the mobile Ultra 9’s higher boost clock likely gives it better single-thread responsiveness in gaming workloads, though the measured FPS is what matters here. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU efficiently, and it does so without issue in all measured presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the Medium preset (99 FPS) offers the best balance, as it provides a substantial improvement over Low (140 FPS) in visual quality while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS. The High preset (88 FPS) and Ultra (77 FPS) are also viable, but the marginal visual gains over Medium come at a cost of 11-22 FPS.

At 1440p, the Medium preset (75 FPS) is the recommended starting point. It delivers a smooth experience with a minimum of 64 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset (67 FPS) is also acceptable, but the Ultra preset (58 FPS) dips below 60 FPS and may be noticeable in fast action sequences. For gamers prioritizing smoothness over fidelity, Low settings (106 FPS) are an option, but Medium offers a better visual experience for only a 29% FPS reduction.

At 4K, the choices are more constrained. The Low preset (71 FPS) is the only one that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for competitive play or high refresh rate displays. The Medium preset (51 FPS) is a compromise, offering better visuals while still being playable, but its minimum of 43 FPS indicates potential stutter in demanding scenes. High (45 FPS) and Ultra (39 FPS) are best reserved for screenshots or slow-paced exploration, as the frame rates are too low for fluid combat. The data suggests that for the best overall experience, 1440p Medium provides the most consistent performance across all settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 1515 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the 52.5th percentile, meaning it performs better than roughly half of all tested configurations, but it is not in the top tier.

The GPU’s individual percentile (81st) is higher than the combo’s rank, indicating that the RTX 4070 is a strong performer, but the pairing with this specific CPU may not be optimal for this title. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 4484PX (0.5% faster) and Intel Xeon 6515P (0.7% slower), show that the processor is competitive, but the combo rank suggests that other CPU-GPU pairings in the database achieve higher frame rates in Control.

This rank is likely influenced by the fact that the RTX 4070 is a mobile GPU (end-of-life production status), and desktop GPUs with similar or better performance may push the combo higher. The measured FPS data shows that the system is GPU-bound, so a stronger GPU would likely improve the rank substantially. Conversely, the CPU’s high benchmark scores (94th percentile) do not translate to a top-tier gaming rank, because Control’s engine is not heavily multi-threaded enough to fully utilize the 24 cores. The 1515 rank reflects a balanced but not exceptional gaming system, where the GPU is the primary driver of performance and the CPU provides sufficient support without becoming a bottleneck.