Control

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination lands in the middle of the pack for Control, ranking 1551st out of 2888 tested combos. That places it just past the halfway point, meaning it outperforms roughly 54% of all tested systems while trailing the top performers by a significant margin. This is not a pairing that will top leaderboards, but it is far from a bottom-tier experience. The CPU alone sits in the 94th percentile against all processors, showing it is a high-end mobile part, while the GPU’s 82nd percentile ranking is solid but not elite. The data suggests this combo is constrained by the graphics card in most scenarios, as the processor has ample headroom to push higher frame rates if paired with a stronger GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1551 out of 2888 places it in the 46th percentile of tested configurations for Control. This is a mid-pack result that reflects a mismatch between the CPU’s strong compute capabilities and the GPU’s more modest standing. The Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core Arrow Lake-HX part with a 36 MB shared L3 cache, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 puts it in the top tier of mobile processors. Its nearest rivals in the broader CPU benchmark database include the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (0.3% lower average score), AMD EPYC 4484PX (0.5% lower), and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX (0.6% lower), showing it trades blows with workstation-class silicon. This processor is clearly not the bottleneck in Control.

The RTX 5070, by contrast, sits at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% higher average score), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% higher), and AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (1.2% lower). These are professional workstation cards, not gaming-oriented GPUs, which highlights that the RTX 5070’s raw compute scores are competitive but its gaming-specific performance in Control is what determines the combo’s overall rank. The data indicates that in this title, the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU’s performance headroom remains untapped.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX a good match for the RTX 5070 in Control?

A: The CPU is far more capable than the GPU in this pairing. The Ultra 9 275HX scores 35589 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the RTX 5070 is at the 82nd percentile of GPUs. In Control, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K and high settings, meaning the processor has headroom that the graphics card cannot fully utilize.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its closest rivals in raw benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5070’s average benchmark score of 40377 is 0.1% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 580, 0.8% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, and 1.2% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300. It is 2% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile. These are marginal differences, indicating the GPU performs in line with mid-range professional cards.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?

A: At 1080p, the combo delivers 137 FPS on Low settings and 75 FPS on Ultra, making it highly playable across all presets. At 1440p, it maintains 104 FPS on Low and 57 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, it drops to 70 FPS on Low and 39 FPS on Ultra, so 1440p is the sweet spot for a balance of visuals and smoothness.

Q: Does the RTX 5070 have enough VRAM for Control at high resolutions?

A: The RTX 5070 comes with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The measured results show it handles 4K Ultra at 39 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The VRAM capacity is sufficient for Control’s demands, as the frame rate drops are more attributable to raw compute limits than memory capacity.

Q: How does the CPU’s cache configuration affect gaming performance?

A: The Ultra 9 275HX has 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. This large L3 cache helps with gaming workloads, but in Control, the GPU’s performance ceiling at higher resolutions means the CPU’s cache advantages are not fully expressed. The data shows the combo’s frame rates scale more with GPU settings than CPU capabilities.

Q: What is the GPU’s launch MSRP?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 has a launch MSRP of 549 USD.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB205 chip manufactured on a 5 nm TSMC process. It packs 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. The GPU’s 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores provide hardware support for ray tracing and AI-driven features, though Control’s measured results do not specifically isolate ray tracing performance. The card runs at a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz for an effective 28 Gbps transfer rate.

The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Control’s textures and effects. The GPU’s compute capabilities are substantial, with 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s. These specifications translate into the measured frame rates, where the card shows clear scaling with resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, it hits 137 FPS, but this drops to 39 FPS at 4K Ultra, demonstrating that the GPU’s compute throughput is the primary constraint at higher loads.

The GPU’s 82nd percentile ranking places it below the top-tier cards, which explains why the combo cannot push 4K Ultra past 39 FPS. The card’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores are professional workstation GPUs, but in gaming, its performance is more aligned with mid-range consumer parts. The 250 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate it is a power-hungry mobile part, but the measured results show it delivers consistent performance across the tested settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 137 FPS on average, making for an exceptionally smooth experience. Medium settings drop to 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 112 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings yield 87 FPS, while Ultra pulls 75 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is thoroughly playable at every preset, with even the most demanding settings maintaining a solid frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable but start to show the GPU’s limitations. Low settings achieve 104 FPS, which is still excellent for a 1440p resolution. Medium settings produce 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS, keeping gameplay smooth. High settings drop to 66 FPS, close to the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings fall to 57 FPS, which is playable but begins to show strain. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 24-32% of the frame rate across settings.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates take a significant hit. Low settings still manage 70 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. High settings produce 44 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is only viable on Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not ideal for a fast-paced action game. The minimum FPS of 42 at 4K Medium suggests occasional stutters during intense scenes.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the limiting component. At Low settings, the combo delivers 137 FPS at 1080p, 104 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 49% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, with the 4K resolution placing disproportionate stress on the GPU. At Ultra settings, the progression is 75 FPS at 1080p, 57 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, a 48% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The fact that the CPU is not the bottleneck is evident from the consistent frame rate drops as resolution increases. The Ultra 9 275HX’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and Passmark multithread score of 55759 indicate it can handle the game’s physics and AI calculations without breaking a sweat. If the CPU were the limiting factor, frame rates would remain flat across resolutions, but the data shows a clear downward trend as the GPU takes on more pixel-pushing duties.

The 4K results are particularly revealing. At 4K Low, the combo manages 70 FPS, which is 51% of the 1080p Low result. This suggests the GPU’s compute resources are being fully utilized at 4K, with the 12 GB VRAM and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth proving sufficient but not excessive. The drop to 39 FPS at 4K Ultra shows that the GPU cannot handle the combination of high resolution and maxed-out settings, pointing to the RTX 5070 as the clear constraint in this pairing.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing smooth gameplay, 1080p Low delivers the best experience with 137 FPS, offering a high refresh rate that is ideal for fast-paced combat. However, this setting sacrifices visual fidelity. The 1080p Medium preset provides 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS, striking an excellent balance between visual quality and performance. This is the recommended choice for most players, as the minimum frame rate stays well above 60 FPS, ensuring no noticeable hitches during gameplay.

At 1440p, Medium settings are the optimal choice, delivering 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS. The minimum frame rate is just above the 60 FPS threshold, so players with 60 Hz monitors will experience smooth gameplay. High settings at 1440p produce 66 FPS, which is also playable, but the lower minimum frame rate of 63 FPS on Medium makes it the safer option. Ultra at 1440p drops to 57 FPS, which is borderline and not recommended for competitive play.

For 4K, players should stick to Low settings to achieve 70 FPS, which is the only preset that maintains a playable frame rate. Medium at 4K produces 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS, which can feel sluggish during intense action sequences. High and Ultra at 4K are not viable for a smooth experience, with 44 FPS and 39 FPS respectively. The data suggests that 4K gaming on this combo requires significant compromise, and players should either lower resolution or accept lower settings for a playable frame rate.

The overall recommendation is to run Control at 1440p Medium for the best balance of visuals and performance. This preset provides 74 FPS on average with a minimum of 63 FPS, ensuring a consistent experience. For players who prioritize frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low at 137 FPS is the clear winner. Those who insist on 4K should use Low settings and accept the 70 FPS result, as any higher preset will result in frame rates below the 60 FPS target.