Control

# Control with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

This combo ranks 1036th out of 2888 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The pairing of Intel's 24-core mobile flagship with NVIDIA's Blackwell-based RTX 5070 Ti produces a system that handles Control comfortably at 1440p, but the game's demands at 4K Ultra expose the limits of this mobile-oriented configuration. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings tell a consistent story: this is a 1440p-high-refresh machine first, a 4K-capable machine only at reduced settings.

How This Combo Ranks

At rank 1036 of 2888 tested combos, this configuration sits in the 64th percentile of all tested pairings for Control specifically. That ranking reflects the RTX 5070 Ti's position as a strong but not top-tier GPU in the database — its 86th percentile among all GPUs is dragged down by the fact that Control is a 2019 title that leans heavily on raw rasterization rather than ray tracing or DLSS enhancements. The Core Ultra 9 275HX, meanwhile, holds a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, meaning the processor is comparatively stronger than the graphics card within their respective pools.

The delta between CPU and GPU percentile rankings matters for interpreting the combo's overall position. A CPU that outperforms its GPU counterpart in relative terms suggests the graphics card is the limiting factor in most scenarios. That pattern holds in the measured data: moving from Low to Ultra settings at any resolution produces frame rate drops far larger than what a CPU bottleneck would cause. The combo's 1036th rank, therefore, reflects a GPU-limited pairing where the processor has headroom to spare.

Comparing against the CPU's nearest rivals reinforces this view. The Core Ultra 9 275HX scores within 0.7% of the Intel Xeon 6515P, and within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX in average benchmark scores. These are workstation-class chips, yet the Ultra 9 275HX trades blows with them — impressive for a mobile processor, but irrelevant to Control's frame rates when the GPU is the bottleneck. The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (2% faster) and RX 6800 XT (3.1% slower), placing the RTX 5070 Ti in familiar high-end territory for rasterization-heavy titles.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070 Ti brings 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. For Control, a game that uses high-resolution textures and physics-heavy environments, that memory capacity is ample — the game never comes close to exhausting 16 GB at any tested setting. The 28 Gbps effective memory clock and 896 GB/s bandwidth ensure texture streaming and debris physics don't cause hitches, even during the game's most chaotic combat sequences with destructible environments.

Clock speeds sit at 2295 MHz base and 2452 MHz boost, which are modest for a high-end GPU but typical for a mobile-oriented Blackwell design. The 8960 shading units and 280 TMUs handle Control's visual effects workload, while 70 RT cores remain largely idle since Control's original release predates widespread ray tracing adoption in mainstream titles. The 96 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s, which becomes relevant at 4K where fill-rate demands spike.

The GPU's benchmark scores contextualize its gaming performance. A Passmark G3D score of 32974 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6604 both indicate strong DirectX 12 performance, which aligns with Control's use of DX12. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 225122 suggests the GPU handles low-level APIs well, though Control's engine isn't particularly Vulkan-optimized. The Passmark DirectX 11 score of 300 and DirectX 12 score of 127 are less useful for direct comparison, but the overall pattern shows a GPU that performs consistently across API generations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a clear GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 102 FPS average. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 77 FPS — a 24.5% reduction. Jumping to 4K High yields just 52 FPS, another 32.5% drop from 1440p. These are steep declines that track closely with pixel-count increases, confirming the RTX 5070 Ti is the limiting component at higher resolutions.

The Low settings comparison makes this even more explicit. At 1080p Low, the system hits 162 FPS average. At 1440p Low, it drops to 123 FPS (24% lower), and at 4K Low, it falls to 83 FPS (32.5% lower than 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings — roughly 24% from 1080p to 1440p and 32% from 1440p to 4K — indicates pure pixel-throughput scaling with minimal CPU involvement. If the CPU were a constraint, the 1080p numbers would show less scaling headroom than they do.

The Medium preset tells the same story with added detail. At 1080p Medium, the combo averages 115 FPS with a 98-132 FPS range. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 87 FPS (74-100 range), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 59 FPS (50-68 range). The minimum frame rates at 4K Medium — 50 FPS — indicate the system stays playable but approaches the edge of smoothness during heavy scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS average, hitting 45 FPS with no reported minimums.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K smoothly?

A: At 4K Medium, the system averages 59 FPS with a 50-68 FPS range, which is borderline playable. At 4K High, it drops to 52 FPS average, and 4K Ultra falls to 45 FPS. For consistent 60+ FPS at 4K, you need to use Low settings, which deliver 83 FPS average.

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

A: 1440p is the sweet spot. At High settings, it delivers 77 FPS average; at Medium, 87 FPS; and at Ultra, 67 FPS. All of these are comfortably above 60 FPS, with the Low preset reaching 123 FPS for high-refresh displays.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti's average benchmark score is 49957, placing it within 2% of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (50951) and 3.1% ahead of the RX 6800 XT (48477). It also edges out the RX Vega 64 by 0.1% and the Intel Arc A550M by 0.4%.

Q: Is the CPU holding back performance in this game?

A: No. The Core Ultra 9 275HX ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 86th percentile. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows consistent pixel-throughput drops, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck, not the 24-core processor.

Q: What settings preserve frame rate stability at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p provides the tightest reported range at 74-100 FPS, with an 87 FPS average. This suggests fewer frame-time spikes than High or Ultra, making it the most consistent option for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM matter for Control?

A: Control's texture and physics requirements are well within the 16 GB GDDR7 capacity, so VRAM is never a limiting factor. The 896 GB/s bandwidth ensures texture streaming keeps pace with the game's destructible environment physics without stutter.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on TSMC's 3 nm process. With a base clock of 2.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz, it delivers strong single-thread performance for a mobile chip — evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2204 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2458. These scores place it firmly in high-end desktop territory despite its mobile segment.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are equally substantial. A Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and Passmark multithread score of 55759 demonstrate that the 24 cores scale well under load. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth provide ample data throughput for game logic and physics calculations. However, none of this matters much for Control specifically, where the GPU is the clear bottleneck at all tested resolutions.

The CPU's 94th percentile ranking versus all CPUs, combined with its nearest rivals being workstation-class Xeons and Threadrippers, shows it has headroom in this game. The Xeon w5-3525 is only 0.3% faster in average benchmark score, and the EPYC 4484PX is 0.5% faster — margins that would never manifest as observable frame rate differences in Control. The 24 threads are more than sufficient for the game's engine, which typically scales well with up to 8-12 threads. The processor's 55 W TDP suggests it maintains boost clocks without thermal throttling in most mobile chassis, ensuring consistent frame delivery.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset delivers 89 FPS average, which is smooth for most players. However, the Medium preset at 115 FPS average with a 98-132 FPS range provides a better experience for high-refresh monitors, especially since the visual difference between Medium and Ultra in Control is subtle during fast-paced combat.

At 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The 87 FPS average with a 74-100 FPS range keeps frame times consistent, avoiding the dips that might occur at High (77 FPS average) or Ultra (67 FPS average). The Low preset at 123 FPS is viable for competitive play, but the graphical downgrade is noticeable in Control's atmospheric lighting.

For 4K, the choice is more constrained. The Ultra preset at 45 FPS average is not recommended for smooth gameplay. High at 52 FPS is playable but will feel sluggish in action sequences. Medium at 59 FPS average with a 50-68 FPS range is the best compromise, though it requires accepting occasional drops below 60 FPS. Low at 83 FPS is the only 4K setting that maintains consistent headroom above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice if 4K resolution is a priority over visual fidelity.

The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming with Medium-to-High settings, where it delivers well-above-60 FPS performance with good visual quality. At 1080p, it offers high-refresh capability. At 4K, it demands settings compromises that undermine the GPU's capability, indicating that users prioritizing 4K should consider a more powerful GPU or embrace upscaling technologies.