Control

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile delivers a surprisingly playable experience in Control, but the data reveals a system that is heavily balanced toward CPU performance, with the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The benchmark results show a clear pattern: this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can push high frame rates, while 4K remains a stretch unless you are willing to drop settings significantly.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and predictable drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a game like Control that relies heavily on visual effects and GPU shading. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 76 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 58 FPS, a reduction of about 24%. At 4K, the average falls to 39 FPS, which is just over half the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 5060 Mobile is the limiting factor at higher resolutions; the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are strained as pixel count increases.

The Low settings row illustrates this even more starkly. At 1080p Low, the system hits 121 FPS, which is nearly double the 4K Low result of 62 FPS. This 49% performance loss from 1080p to 4K on Low settings is a clear sign that the GPU's raw throughput is the constraint. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less of a gap between resolutions, as the CPU workload per frame does not scale with resolution in the same way. The fact that the 4K Low average is still above 60 FPS suggests that the RTX 5060 Mobile has enough headroom to handle Control at 4K only when the visual load is minimized.

Comparing Ultra settings across resolutions reinforces this. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 66 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it plummets to 34 FPS. That is a 48% drop, and the 4K Ultra result is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on many displays. The data suggests that the GPU is being overwhelmed by Control's advanced rendering techniques at 4K, such as ray tracing and high-resolution textures, regardless of the CPU's capability.

The Medium settings row provides the only min/max FPS data in the pack, which offers additional insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the average is 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 and a maximum of 99. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 65 FPS with a min of 55 and a max of 75. At 4K Medium, the average is 44 FPS with a min of 37 and a max of 50. The consistent spread between min and max (roughly 26-30 FPS) across resolutions suggests that the GPU is handling frame time variance consistently, but the average is dropping due to increased pixel workload. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering pipeline is saturated.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on a 5 nm process. It has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is a critical factor in Control, a game known for its detailed environments and particle effects that can consume VRAM quickly. At 1080p and 1440p, 8 GB is generally sufficient for High settings, but at 4K, textures and effects can push beyond that limit, leading to performance degradation. The measured FPS data supports this: 4K High averages 39 FPS, which is below the 4K Medium result of 44 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is not only compute-limited but also potentially memory-limited at higher settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are modest, with a base clock of 952 MHz and a boost clock of 1455 MHz. This is a power-efficient design, with a TDP of 45 W, which is typical for a mobile part. The boost clock is not particularly high compared to desktop GPUs, but the architecture's efficiency allows it to deliver respectable performance. The shading units (3328) and texture mapping units (104) are the workhorses for rasterization, and the 48 ROPs handle pixel output. The data shows that at 1080p High, the GPU can sustain 76 FPS, which indicates it is well-suited for mainstream gaming.

The RTX 5060 Mobile's performance relative to its peers is telling. In the GPU benchmark average, it scores 22435, which places it at the 67th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, which scores 22549, a delta of -0.5%. The RTX 5060 Mobile is also within 1.3% of the AMD Radeon RX 6700S and 1.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 5700. Notably, it is 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile, its direct predecessor. This means that in Control, the RTX 5060 Mobile is not a massive leap over the previous generation; it is a modest improvement that relies on architectural efficiency rather than raw clock speed increases.

The GPU's compute performance is also relevant. The FP32 throughput is 9.684 TFLOPS, which is a measure of raw shader compute. In Control, which uses DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), the GPU's support for advanced features like ray tracing and mesh shaders can impact performance. The data shows that at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 66, which is only 10 FPS lower than High. This suggests that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the extra features of Ultra settings at 1080p, but at 4K, those same features push the GPU to its limits, resulting in the 34 FPS average. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s is a bottleneck at 4K, as the larger frame buffer demands more data transfer.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience for this combo depends on your target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the data shows that High settings provide an average of 76 FPS, which is smooth for most players. Medium settings increase that to 86 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High in Control is often noticeable in terms of shadow quality and texture filtering. If you have a 144Hz display, dropping to Medium is a good trade-off for a 10 FPS gain, but for 60Hz displays, High is the sweet spot.

At 1440p, the picture is more nuanced. High settings average 58 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target for many monitors. Dropping to Medium yields 65 FPS, which is a comfortable margin above 60. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the recommended setting for a balanced experience. Low settings at 1440p push the average to 91 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play or high refresh rate displays, but the visual fidelity takes a significant hit. For most players, the jump from Low to Medium is worth the 26 FPS loss in average frame rate.

At 4K, the situation is challenging. High settings average 39 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for action-oriented gameplay. Medium settings increase that to 44 FPS, but the game will still feel less responsive. Low settings at 4K average 62 FPS, which is the only way to achieve a smooth experience at this resolution. The data indicates that if you are using a 4K display, you should either play on Low settings or consider using upscaling technologies, though the pack does not include data on those features. Ultra settings at 4K are not recommended, as the 34 FPS average will result in noticeable stutter and input lag.

The Medium settings rows are the most informative for this recommendation, as they include min and max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the min is 73 FPS, which means the game never drops below a smooth threshold. At 1440p Medium, the min is 55 FPS, which is acceptable but might dip in intense scenes. At 4K Medium, the min is 37 FPS, which is too low for a consistent experience. Therefore, the data suggests that Medium is the optimal preset for 1440p, while 1080p can handle High with confidence.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K 60 FPS?*

A: No. The measured data shows that even at 4K Low settings, the average FPS is 62, which is just above 60, but at Medium settings it drops to 44 FPS. To achieve a stable 60 FPS at 4K, you would need to play on Low settings and likely experience occasional dips.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1440p is the sweet spot. At Medium settings, the average is 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS, which provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. 1080p is also excellent, especially on High settings at 76 FPS, but 1440p offers more detail.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 Mobile compare to the RTX 4060 Mobile in this game?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile scores 1.3% lower than the RTX 4060 Mobile in the average GPU benchmark score (22435 vs 22729). This suggests that in Control, the performance is nearly identical, with the newer card offering no significant advantage.

*Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in Control?*

A: The data suggests no. The FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K (e.g., from 121 to 62 FPS on Low), which is a characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX has a high multi-core score of 35589 in Cinebench R23, indicating it has ample headroom for this game.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured minimum FPS at 1440p Medium is 55 FPS, with an average of 65 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. This means the game will occasionally dip below 60 FPS but remains playable.

Q: Should I use Ultra settings with this combo?

A: Only at 1080p. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 66 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 50 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 34 FPS. For higher resolutions, stick to Medium or High.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Control, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile ranks 2472 out of 3720 combinations. This places it in the lower third of all tested systems, which is somewhat surprising given the strong CPU. The ranking is likely dragged down by the GPU's mid-range positioning; the RTX 5060 Mobile is at the 67th percentile of all GPUs, and its performance in Control is constrained by its 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus.

The combo rank of 2472 suggests that there are many other systems that achieve higher average FPS in this game. The CPU itself is a high-end part, ranking at the 94th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 67469. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (delta -0.3%), AMD EPYC 4484PX (delta -0.5%), AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX (delta -0.6%), and Intel Xeon 6515P (delta 0.7%). This indicates that the CPU is performing as expected for its class, but the GPU is not able to take full advantage of it in Control.

The rank of 2472 out of 3720 means that roughly 67% of tested combos perform better in this game. This is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-range status. If you are building a system specifically for Control, this combo is adequate but not exceptional. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, and a more powerful GPU would yield a higher rank. However, for a balanced system that can handle a variety of games, this combo offers a reasonable experience, especially at 1080p and 1440p.

CPU Role

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. It has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. This is a high-end mobile CPU, and its benchmark results reflect that. In Cinebench R23, it scores 35589 in multi-core and 2204 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 20795 multi-core and 2458 single-core. These scores place it at the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is a top-tier performer.

In Control, the CPU's role is primarily to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The game is not particularly CPU-intensive compared to some simulation or strategy titles, but it does benefit from a strong single-core performance for frame pacing. The Core Ultra 9 275HX's single-core score of 2204 in Cinebench R23 and 2458 in Geekbench is excellent, ensuring that the game logic is not a bottleneck. The measured FPS data supports this: the performance scales with resolution in a way that indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

The CPU's high multi-core performance (35589 in Cinebench R23) is more relevant for tasks like video encoding or 3D rendering than for gaming. In Control, the game likely uses a handful of cores, so the 24-core design provides ample headroom. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache is also beneficial for game data access, reducing latency. However, the data shows that even with this powerful CPU, the system's performance in Control is capped by the GPU. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 121, which is likely near the game's engine limit or the CPU's single-thread limit, but at higher resolutions, the GPU takes over as the bottleneck.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth is also sufficient for Control. The game does not require excessive memory bandwidth, so this is not a limiting factor. The CPU's integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU) are not used during gaming with a discrete GPU, but they are available for other tasks. Overall, the CPU is a strong partner for the RTX 5060 Mobile, providing more than enough headroom for the GPU to be the primary determinant of frame rate in Control.