Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, presents a demanding supernatural environment where physics-based combat and destructible geometry stress both the processor and graphics card. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, using data from 12 distinct benchmark runs. The focus is strictly on interpreting the empirical results—frame rates, component characteristics, and relative ranking—to understand how this mobile flagship combo handles the game.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination achieves a rank of 612 out of 2,888 tested combos in Control. This places the pairing in the top 21.2% of all tested configurations, a strong showing that indicates a high level of overall capability. However, the rank is not at the absolute pinnacle, suggesting that while this is a premium mobile setup, other combinations—likely with desktop-class components—still outperform it in this specific title.

The ranking data is derived from the `comboRankInGame` field, which considers the aggregate performance of the CPU and GPU together. The rank of 612 implies that the combo is more than capable of delivering a smooth experience at most settings, but the large number of combos above it (1,876) reveals that Control can be exceptionally demanding at its highest settings. The benchmark results show a clear performance ceiling at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate drops to 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players target. This suggests that the combo, despite its high rank, is not a guaranteed 60 FPS lock at maximum settings in 4K.

When considering the individual component scores, the CPU's percentile of 94 indicates it outperforms 94% of all tested processors, while the GPU's percentile of 88 shows it outclasses 88% of all tested graphics cards. The combo rank of 612 is a synthesis of these two strong individual showings. The system is clearly balanced, but the data suggests that in Control, the GPU is likely the more limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, a pattern typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed heavyweight in this pairing, featuring 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a massive 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. Its architecture, Ada Lovelace, includes 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 render output units, along with 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s. These specifications translate to a raw compute capability of 82.58 TFLOPS for FP32 operations.

In Control, the GPU's massive memory pool and bandwidth are crucial for handling high-resolution textures and the game's complex particle effects. The benchmark data shows a clear scaling pattern that reflects the GPU's workload. At 1080p, the RTX 4090 is powerful enough to push frame rates well beyond 100 FPS at all settings, with a peak of 194 FPS at Low settings. Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain high, with the Low preset achieving 147 FPS. At 4K, the GPU begins to show its limits, with the Ultra preset dropping to 54 FPS, a 50% reduction from the 1080p Ultra result of 106 FPS. This demonstrates that the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of performance in this game, with its capabilities directly dictating the playable settings at higher resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate its in-game performance. Its Passmark G3D score of 38,194 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 are indicative of a top-tier graphics solution. The GPU's percentile of 88 versus all GPUs means it is better than 88% of the graphics cards in the database, yet its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks—such as the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a delta of 0% and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 with a delta of 0.3%—are not gaming-focused cards. This highlights that the RTX 4090's strength lies in its sheer compute power, which Control's engine effectively utilizes.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 4090 combo delivers an average of 93 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a significant jump from the 4K High result, indicating that 1440p is a sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming in Control.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K with any settings?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 4K with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 70 FPS, with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 81 FPS. The High preset also stays above 60 FPS with an average of 62 FPS, but the Medium preset provides a more comfortable margin.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's memory bandwidth affect performance in Control?

A: The RTX 4090 has a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, which is a key factor in handling Control's detailed environments and particle-heavy combat. The high bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions where texture data demands are greatest.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 194 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 106 FPS. This represents an 83% increase in performance for the Low preset, demonstrating the significant impact of the game's graphical settings on the GPU workload.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at any resolution in this benchmark?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial (e.g., from 122 FPS to 62 FPS at High settings), which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU, with its high multi-core score of 35,589 in Cinebench R23, is likely not the limiting factor in these scenarios.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the RTX 4090?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 has a launch MSRP of 1,599 USD. This is the only pricing information available in the data and is provided for reference.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1080p, the combo is exceptionally powerful, with the Low preset hitting an average of 194 FPS. The Medium preset averages 138 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 158 FPS. High settings bring the average down to 122 FPS, while Ultra averages 106 FPS. All 1080p results are far above the 60 FPS threshold, making the game exceptionally smooth on any display.

At 1440p, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset still delivers a very high average of 147 FPS. The Medium preset averages 104 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. High settings produce an average of 93 FPS, while Ultra averages 80 FPS. These results indicate that 1440p is the ideal resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors, with all presets remaining comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 4K, the RTX 4090's limits become more apparent. The Low preset is the only one that provides a high frame rate, with an average of 99 FPS. The Medium preset averages 70 FPS, with a minimum of 60 FPS, which is playable but with less headroom. High settings average 62 FPS, which is right at the boundary of the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS mark and indicates that this setting is not ideal for a perfectly smooth experience at this resolution. The data shows a clear progression, with the 4K Ultra result being the only one in the entire dataset that falls below 60 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the frame rates decrease proportionally, indicating that the RTX 4090 is the primary factor limiting performance. For example, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 122 at 1080p to 93 at 1440p (a 24% decrease) and then to 62 at 4K (a 33% decrease from 1440p). This pattern is consistent across all settings presets.

This scaling behavior confirms that the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, is not the bottleneck in this configuration. The CPU has 24 cores and 24 threads, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, and its performance in synthetic benchmarks like Cinebench R23 (multi-core score of 35,589) is robust. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at a certain level regardless of resolution. Instead, the frame rates continue to drop as resolution increases, which is the definitive signature of a GPU-limited workload.

The most significant drop occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K at the Ultra preset, where the average FPS falls from 80 to 54, a 32.5% reduction. This steep decline highlights the immense pixel-pushing demands of 4K Ultra in Control. The GPU's raw power is substantial, but the combination of 4K resolution and the Ultra preset's intensive effects is too much for it to maintain a 60 FPS average. The data suggests that players using this combo should either lower the resolution to 1440p or reduce the settings to High or Medium when playing at 4K to achieve a more consistent frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For players with a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset is highly recommended, as it delivers an average of 106 FPS, providing a smooth and visually rich experience. The High preset at 122 FPS is also excellent for those who prioritize higher frame rates. At 1080p, every preset is viable, so the choice comes down to visual fidelity versus maximum refresh rate.

For 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 104 FPS and a minimum of 89 FPS. The High preset, at 93 FPS average, is also a strong option. The Ultra preset, at 80 FPS, is playable but may not be ideal for competitive play where higher frame rates are preferred. Given the minimum FPS data for Medium (89 FPS), it is a safer choice for maintaining a smooth experience in intense combat sequences. The Low preset at 147 FPS is for players who want maximum frame rates above all else.

At 4K, the recommendations become more critical. The Ultra preset averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may lead to noticeable stuttering. The High preset averages 62 FPS, which is just above the threshold but leaves little room for dips. The Medium preset is the safest choice for 4K, with an average of 70 FPS and a minimum of 60 FPS, ensuring a stable and playable experience. The Low preset, at 99 FPS average, is the best option for players with a 4K high-refresh-rate display who want to push frame rates as high as possible. For a balanced 4K experience, the data strongly supports using the Medium preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a flagship mobile processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture using a 3 nm process node from TSMC. It features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The CPU has a 36 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. Its synthetic benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,589 and a single-core score of 2,204, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

In Control, the CPU's role is to handle the game's physics simulation, AI, and game logic. The data from the measured FPS shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration. This is evident from the resolution scaling, where performance decreases as resolution increases, which is a GPU-bound pattern. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rates would be similar across all resolutions for a given settings preset.

The CPU's high multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 19,899 and Passmark multithread score of 55,759, ensures that the game's background tasks are handled efficiently. The 24 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom for any modern game's threading requirements. However, Control is known to be more demanding on the GPU, and this benchmark confirms that the RTX 4090 is the component that determines the final frame rate. The CPU's performance is more than sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output, ensuring that the system operates as a cohesive unit without any processor-induced stutters or frame time inconsistencies.