Control

Control’s physics-heavy action and destructible environments make it a demanding title, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile produces a clear, measurable performance profile. The data shows a system that is consistently capable across all tested settings, though the gap between low and ultra presets is substantial. This combination ranks at 2008 out of 3720 tested combos for the game, placing it in the middle of the pack, with the benchmark results indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions while the CPU provides ample headroom at 1080p.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its base clock is 2.70 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. For a game like Control, which is not heavily threaded but does require consistent single-core performance for game logic and physics calculations, these specifications are more than sufficient. The processor’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2204 and multi-core score of 35589 confirm its strength, but the measured frame rates in this game reveal that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. The 24 cores and 36 MB of shared L3 cache provide a robust foundation, yet the performance ceiling in Control is set by the GPU.

The RTX 4070 Mobile, with its 4608 shading units and boost clock of 1695 MHz, is the workhorse here. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 140 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU without issue. Even at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 39 FPS, a figure that points directly to the graphics card’s limits rather than any CPU constraint. The processor’s Passmark single-thread score of 4713 and its 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicate that it is a top-tier mobile part, but in Control, the headroom is untapped at lower resolutions. The data implies that the Core Ultra 9 275HX is effectively future-proofing the system for more CPU-intensive scenarios, but in this specific title, its role is to maintain a stable frame delivery without becoming a bottleneck.

The architecture’s dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth also plays a quiet but vital role. Control’s streaming of assets and physics data benefits from this throughput, but the measured FPS deltas across settings show that memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor either. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is the more constrained resource, particularly at 4K resolution where the Ultra preset’s 39 FPS average indicates a struggle to maintain both data throughput and rendering load. In summary, the CPU’s job is to stay out of the way, and it does so admirably; the benchmark results show that the RTX 4070 Mobile is the component that defines the experience.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average frame rate the combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest measured average is 140 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only setting and resolution combination that breaks the 120 FPS threshold, with 1440p Low reaching 106 FPS and 4K Low hitting 71 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 9 275HX has an average benchmark score of 67469, placing it 0.3% behind the Intel Xeon w5-3525 and 0.5% behind the AMD EPYC 4484PX. It is 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Xeon 6515P, making it statistically comparable to all four.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Mobile’s performance closer to a desktop GPU or a weaker mobile part?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 27435 is effectively identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, with a deltaPct of 0. It is 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 and 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell, showing it performs like a mid-range desktop card.

Q: Does the system maintain playable frame rates at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at lower presets. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 51 with a minimum of 43 and maximum of 58. At 4K High, it drops to 45 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 39 FPS, which may be below the smoothness threshold for some players.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1440p Medium?

A: The data shows an average of 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 and maximum of 86 FPS. The 11 FPS gap between the average and minimum indicates moderate frame pacing variability, but it remains within a playable range.

Q: How does the combo rank relative to all other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2008 out of 3720 combos for Control, placing it in the 54th percentile of all tested systems. This is a middle-of-the-pack result, reflecting that while the components are capable, they are not at the top tier for this specific game.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured data shows a predictable and steep decline in performance as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound workload. At the High preset, the average FPS moves from 88 at 1080p to 67 at 1440p, a drop of 21 FPS or roughly 24%. Moving from 1440p to 4K High brings the average down to 45 FPS, another 22 FPS reduction, or about 33%. This progressive degradation is consistent with the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB VRAM being pushed harder at higher pixel counts.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with more absolute headroom. At 1080p Low, the system hits 140 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low yields 106 FPS, a 24% reduction. At 4K Low, the average is 71 FPS, which is a 33% drop from 1440p and a 49% drop from 1080p. The scaling factors are nearly identical across presets, reinforcing that the GPU’s rendering throughput, not the CPU, dictates the frame rate. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the FPS to remain flat when resolution drops, but that is not the case.

The Ultra preset shows the most extreme scaling. Starting at 77 FPS at 1080p, it falls to 58 FPS at 1440p and then to 39 FPS at 4K. The jump from 1440p to 4K represents a 33% loss, which is the largest absolute drop in the dataset. This pattern indicates that at 4K Ultra, the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high pixel count and demanding visual effects, such as ray-traced reflections and volumetric lighting, which Control is known for. The 4K Medium results, with an average of 51 FPS and a minimum of 43 FPS, further confirm that the GPU is the bottleneck; the CPU’s 24 cores and 5.40 GHz boost clock are irrelevant once the resolution climbs.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo’s rank of 2008 out of 3720 tested combinations places it squarely in the middle of the database for Control. This is a noteworthy result because both components individually score well in their respective benchmarks. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 73rd percentile against all GPUs. Yet, when combined in this game, the pair only achieves a 54th percentile rank among combos. This discrepancy suggests that Control’s specific demands, likely its heavy use of asynchronous compute and memory bandwidth for physics, do not favor this particular mobile pairing.

Looking at the nearest rivals for the GPU, the RTX 4070 Mobile’s average score of 27435 is within 0.5% of the RTX 3090 and exactly matches the RX 6700 XT. In a desktop context, those cards would be expected to perform better in Control, but the mobile variant’s 115 W TDP and reduced memory bandwidth likely cap its potential. The CPU’s rivals, such as the Xeon w5-3525, are workstation parts with different power and thermal characteristics, so the comparison is not directly transferable to gaming frame rates. The rank of 2008 out of 3720 implies that many other combinations, likely including desktop-class GPUs, outperform this laptop setup. However, for a mobile platform, the results are competent, and the measured FPS data shows that it can handle 1440p High at 67 FPS, which is a solid gaming experience.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS rows provide a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 99 FPS on average, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. This is the sweet spot for smooth gameplay, as it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers better visuals than Low, which hits 140 FPS but sacrifices detail. High at 1080p produces 88 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium’s 11 FPS advantage with a higher minimum frame rate makes it the more consistent choice.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. Medium yields 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS, which is acceptable for most players. High drops to 67 FPS, and Ultra falls to 58 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p Medium is the optimal balance, as it maintains a 64 FPS minimum, avoiding the dips below 60 that can cause stutter. Pushing to High at 1440p is viable, but the 8 FPS loss in the average and the lack of a recorded minimum make it riskier for frame pacing. For 4K, the only preset that maintains a playable average is Low at 71 FPS, though Medium at 51 FPS is borderline. The 4K High and Ultra results of 45 and 39 FPS respectively are below the ideal threshold for an action game.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, which offers a 99 FPS average and a 84 FPS minimum. This combination provides headroom for dips without falling below playability, and the visual upgrade over Low is significant. For users with 1440p displays, Medium is the recommended preset, as it keeps the minimum above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions unless the user prioritizes visuals over smoothness, as it yields 77 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 140 FPS, the highest in the entire dataset. Medium produces 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. High lowers the average to 88 FPS, and Ultra drops further to 77 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 63 FPS reduction, which is a 45% performance loss for the highest visual settings.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 106 FPS. Medium averages 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. High averages 67 FPS, and Ultra averages 58 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 48 FPS, or a 45% reduction, mirroring the 1080p scaling pattern.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 71 FPS. Medium averages 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS. High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 39 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 32 FPS, or exactly 45%, consistent with the other resolutions. This uniformity indicates that the RTX 4070 Mobile’s performance scales linearly with the load, and the CPU does not introduce any variance. The 4K Medium minimum of 43 FPS is the lowest recorded in the dataset, showing that even the middle preset can struggle at this resolution. The data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K playable only on Low settings.