Control

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile delivers a dominant performance in Control, ranking in the top 23% of all tested system combos. The data shows that this combination is exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and is even capable of smooth 4K gameplay on High settings. The CPU’s 24-core architecture ensures the GPU is never starved for data, while the RTX 4090 Mobile’s 16 GB of VRAM provides ample headroom for the game’s demanding textures and effects. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, component roles, and optimal settings based on the benchmark data.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU/GPU combo in Control?*

A: The combo ranks 866th out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 23.3% of all systems. This is a strong result, indicating top-tier performance for this title.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches an average of 194 FPS. This is the peak performance measured across all tested configurations.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming at playable frame rates?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 62. Even at Ultra settings, it maintains an average of 54 FPS, which is playable for most users.

*Q: How does the RTX 4090 Mobile's memory configuration benefit Control?*

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 576.0 GB/s. This allows the game to load high-resolution textures and complex scenes without stuttering, even at high resolutions.

Q: What is the single-core performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX?

A: The CPU scores 2204 points in the Cinebench R23 single-core test. This high single-threaded performance is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in games that rely on a few fast cores.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 147 FPS on Low settings to 80 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a 45.6% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data places this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile at rank 866 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This percentile position, roughly the top 23%, is a clear indicator that this system is far above average for this game. It is not the absolute fastest configuration possible, but it is firmly in the high-end tier, outclassing the vast majority of systems tested.

To contextualize this ranking, consider the individual component performance. The CPU itself sits in the 94th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 67469. This puts it in the same league as workstation-class chips like the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (which has an average score of 67673, a mere 0.3% higher) and the AMD EPYC 4484PX (67822, 0.5% higher). The GPU is also a high performer, ranking in the 84th percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 43667. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (44075, 0.9% higher) and the Quadro M6000 (43301, 0.8% lower).

The fact that the combo’s overall rank in Control is not even higher than its individual component percentiles suggests that the game is well-optimized and scales effectively with both CPU and GPU power. The system is not bottlenecked in a way that would drag its ranking down. Instead, the high rank is a direct consequence of two powerful components working in concert. The top 23% placement is a strong verdict: this is a premium setup for playing Control, capable of delivering high frame rates at high resolutions without compromise.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is the primary driver of frame rates in this combo, and its specifications support this role. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 render output units. Its 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores are also present, though their specific impact on Control's standard rasterized performance is not directly measured in these tests.

A key specification is the 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is substantial. This large VRAM pool, coupled with a 256-bit bus and 576.0 GB/s bandwidth, ensures that the GPU can hold all the necessary textures and geometry for Control's detailed environments without resorting to slower system memory. This is particularly important at 4K resolution, where memory demands are highest. The data supports this: at 3840x2160, the average FPS only drops from 70 on Medium to 62 on High, a modest 11.4% decrease, suggesting the GPU has enough memory bandwidth to handle the increased texture quality.

Clock speeds are also a factor. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1335 MHz and can boost to 1695 MHz. While the boost clock is relatively modest for a flagship mobile part, the sheer number of cores compensates for the clock speed. The FP32 performance is rated at 32.98 TFLOPS, which is immense and directly translates to the high raw frame rates seen in the benchmarks. The GPU's performance in synthetic tests, such as a Passmark G3D score of 27212, confirms its position in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. This is a physically large chip with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, and its power is evident in the measured results. It is the clear limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 54, but at every other tested setting, it provides an excellent experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a clear picture of how this system scales across resolutions and settings.

1920x1080 (1080p): This is where the combo shines brightest. At Low settings, the average frame rate is a staggering 194 FPS. Even at the highest quality preset, Ultra, it maintains an average of 106 FPS. The Medium preset averages 138 FPS (with a minimum of 117 and maximum of 158), while High averages 122 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the system is rarely constrained by the GPU, and the CPU's strong single-thread performance helps push frame rates to extreme levels.

2560x1440 (1440p): The performance remains excellent, though the GPU begins to work harder. The average FPS at Low settings is 147. At Medium, it averages 104 FPS (min 89, max 120). High settings yield an average of 93 FPS, and Ultra drops to 80 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a predictable performance hit, but the system still offers a very smooth experience at all settings. For competitive play, the High preset at 93 FPS is ideal, while Ultra is still very playable for a more visually rich experience.

3840x2160 (4K): This is the most demanding resolution, and the system handles it admirably. The average FPS at Low settings is 99. At Medium, it drops to 70 FPS (with a minimum of 60 and maximum of 81). High settings average 62 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 54 FPS. The data clearly shows that High settings at 4K are the sweet spot, offering a near-60 FPS experience that is smooth and visually stunning. Low settings at 4K are also viable, but the visual quality trade-off is not worth the extra frame rate for most users.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent. For example, on High settings, the frame rate drops from 122 FPS at 1080p to 93 FPS at 1440p and finally to 62 FPS at 4K. This 49.2% reduction from 1080p to 4K is a typical result for a high-end GPU, showing that the RTX 4090 Mobile has the raw power to make 4K gaming a realistic option.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This combination of a high core count and high boost clock is key to its performance in Control. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core help reduce memory latency, which is critical for game logic and physics calculations.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game state. The benchmark results show that this processor is more than capable of this task. At 1080p, where the GPU is less burdened, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more important. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2204 is excellent, allowing it to maintain high frame rates in scenes with complex AI or physics. This is evident in the 194 FPS result at 1080p Low, a figure that is clearly not bottlenecked by the processor.

The CPU's multi-threaded prowess also contributes to overall system responsiveness, but its direct impact on Control's average FPS is less pronounced at higher resolutions. The data shows that as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the average FPS on High settings drops by 49.2%, indicating the GPU becomes the limiting factor. This is a healthy balance; the CPU is strong enough to keep up with the RTX 4090 Mobile even at 1080p, ensuring that the GPU's potential is fully realized. The CPU’s 24 cores and 24 threads also mean it has plenty of headroom for background tasks, such as streaming or voice chat, without impacting game performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and performance preferences.

For 1080p: The High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 122 FPS, which is well above the threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors. The jump to Ultra only provides a 13.1% increase in visual quality (as implied by the 16 FPS average drop) but costs 16 FPS. The Medium preset is also excellent, averaging 138 FPS, but the visual improvement from Medium to High is generally worth the performance cost.

For 1440p: The High preset is again the best balance. It averages 93 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 80 FPS is still very smooth and provides the best image quality, but the 14% performance reduction may not be worth it for competitive players. If maximizing frame rate is the goal, the Medium preset at 104 FPS is a good option, but it sacrifices some visual fidelity.

For 4K: The High preset is the clear winner. It maintains an average of 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. This is the best way to experience Control at its highest resolution with good visual quality. The Ultra preset dips to an average of 54 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for action sequences. The Medium preset at 70 FPS is a viable alternative for users who prefer a higher frame rate over maximum visual fidelity, but the step up to High is recommended for the best overall experience.

In summary, the High preset provides the best experience across all resolutions, delivering a smooth and visually rich gameplay experience. The system is powerful enough to run Control at High settings at 4K, which confirms its capabilities. For users with high-refresh-rate displays at 1080p or 1440p, the High preset will ensure the display's potential is fully utilized.