Control

Control is an action-adventure title from 2019 that remains demanding on modern hardware, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 produces a wide spread of frame rates depending on how you configure it. The data shows a system that is unequivocally GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but which can also push very high refresh rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across three resolutions and four quality presets, interpreting what the numbers mean for the limiting component and how a builder should approach settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, which is the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 128 FPS at 1920x1080 to 97 FPS at 2560x1440, and then further down to 65 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not linear; the jump to 4K is disproportionately punishing because the pixel count increase from 1440p to 4K is larger than from 1080p to 1440p, and the RTX 5090 is already working hard to maintain that 97 FPS average at 1440p.

Looking at the Low preset, the pattern holds but with higher absolute numbers. The average frame rate goes from 203 FPS at 1080p, to 153 FPS at 1440p, to 103 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are roughly 25% and 49% respectively, which shows that the scaling behavior is consistent regardless of the settings level. This consistency is important: it indicates that the game’s rendering load scales predictably with resolution, and that the RTX 5090’s performance headroom is being consumed by pixel throughput rather than by any specific setting that might bottleneck differently.

The Medium preset offers a middle ground, with averages of 144 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 73 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, drops to 111 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. What is revealing here is that the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 46 FPS (103 vs 57), while at 1080p the gap is 92 FPS (203 vs 111). This compression of the frame rate range at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K; even dropping from Ultra to Low cannot overcome the raw pixel count. At 1080p, the CPU and GPU have more room to breathe, and the settings have a much larger influence on the final frame rate.

The data suggests that for a 4K display, this combo is best suited for High or Medium settings if you want to stay above 60 FPS. At 1440p, you have the headroom to use Ultra with an average of 84 FPS, which is playable for most. At 1080p, the system is capable of exceeding 200 FPS on Low, which makes it a viable platform for high-refresh-rate esports or competitive play, even in a game like Control that is not typically a competitive shooter.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant force in this pairing, and its specifications explain why it behaves as it does. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, which yields a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This massive memory subsystem is not taxed heavily by Control, given the game’s 2019 release date, but it ensures that there are no memory-related bottlenecks even at 4K with the highest textures. The GPU has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, which are the frequencies that determine its peak throughput. The data shows that the GPU is almost always the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions, and its 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is what drives the high frame rates observed at 1080p.

The RTX 5090’s benchmark scores also contextualize its performance. It has a percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score is 79842. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (with a deltaPct of 0.3%), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6%), and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1%). These are not gaming-focused cards, but the comparison shows that the RTX 5090 is in the top tier of raw compute performance. The fact that it is only 1.4% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X in average score, which is a workstation card, suggests that the RTX 5090 is not just a gaming part but also a compute powerhouse.

In the context of Control, the GPU’s role is clear. At 1080p with Low settings, the 203 FPS average indicates that the GPU is barely being challenged, and the CPU is likely providing most of the frame pacing. As you increase the resolution, the GPU’s fill rate and shading units become the primary determinant of performance. The 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs are responsible for the pixel and texture throughput, and the measured frame rates at 4K (57-103 FPS depending on settings) align with what you would expect from a card of this class. The 32 GB of VRAM is overkill for Control, but it does mean that there is zero risk of running out of memory, even with future texture packs or mods.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 563 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the top 19.5% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing but not the absolute top. The rank is influenced by both the CPU and GPU, and given that the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios, the rank is likely held back by the CPU’s performance relative to other high-end processors that might be paired with the same GPU.

The CPU itself has a percentile rank of 94 among all CPUs, which is excellent. Its average benchmark score is 67469, and its nearest rivals are the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (with a deltaPct of -0.3%), the AMD EPYC 4484PX (-0.5%), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX (-0.6%). These are all workstation-class processors, which shows that the Core Ultra 9 275HX is competitive with server and professional parts in synthetic benchmarks. The fact that it is 0.7% ahead of the Intel Xeon 6515P further solidifies its position in the upper echelon of CPU performance.

For Control specifically, the combo rank of 563 suggests that there are 562 other combinations that achieve higher average frame rates. This is likely due to other CPUs that have higher single-thread performance or better memory latency, which can matter in a game like Control that has complex physics and AI. However, the rank is still very good, and it reflects a system that is balanced enough to avoid severe bottlenecks. The data indicates that the RTX 5090 is doing the heavy lifting, and the CPU is keeping up without dragging down the average frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 111 FPS, with no minimum or maximum values recorded. The High preset bumps this up to 128 FPS, and the Medium preset reaches 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS. The Low preset is the standout, achieving an average of 203 FPS, which is more than 80% higher than the Ultra preset. This wide gap at 1080p indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding frames very quickly when the GPU load is low.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 84 FPS on Ultra, 97 FPS on High, and 109 FPS on Medium. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS, which provides a good sense of frame time consistency. The Low preset reaches 153 FPS, which is still very high and suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 25% across all settings, confirming that the GPU is scaling as expected.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 57 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The High preset averages 65 FPS, which is above that threshold. The Medium preset averages 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS, making it the most stable option for 4K. The Low preset averages 103 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K and shows that the RTX 5090 has substantial headroom when the graphical load is reduced. The data suggests that for a 4K display, Medium or High settings are the sweet spot, as they provide a good balance between visual fidelity and frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings for this combo depend entirely on your target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K displays, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS, which means it stays above the 60 FPS threshold in most scenes. The High preset is also viable at 65 FPS average, but the lower minimum (not recorded, but implied by the average) makes it riskier for sustained smoothness. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS average is borderline, and you would likely notice frame drops in combat or areas with heavy particle effects. The Low preset at 103 FPS is excellent if you prioritize frame rate over visual quality, but it sacrifices too much detail for a game that has a strong atmospheric presentation.

For 1440p users, the Ultra preset is the best experience. The 84 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the visual quality is the highest available. If you have a 144Hz monitor, you can drop to High (97 FPS) or Medium (109 FPS) to get closer to the refresh rate cap. The Low preset at 153 FPS is only useful if you are competing in a scenario where every frame matters, which is unlikely for Control.

For 1080p, the Medium preset offers an average of 144 FPS, which is a perfect match for a 144Hz display. The High preset at 128 FPS is also good, and the Ultra preset at 111 FPS is playable but leaves performance on the table. The Low preset at 203 FPS is overkill for most monitors, but it demonstrates that the system is not CPU-bound at this resolution. The recommendation is to use Medium or High for the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, and to reserve Ultra for screenshots or exploration where frame rate is less critical.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture. It has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which provides strong single-thread performance for gaming. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3, which is ample for feeding the RTX 5090 with data. The CPU is built on a 3 nm process node from TSMC, which contributes to its efficiency and performance.

In Control, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, but it is still important. At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU’s boost clock and single-thread performance are what allow the system to reach 203 FPS. The game’s physics and AI systems are likely using a few cores, and the 5.40 GHz boost clock ensures that these threads are processed quickly. The 24-core count is more than sufficient for Control, which does not scale well beyond a handful of cores, but it does not hurt to have the headroom for other tasks running in the background.

The CPU’s benchmark scores show that it is a top-tier part. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 35589, and its single-core score is 2204. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 20795, and its single-core score is 2458. These numbers indicate that the Core Ultra 9 275HX is not just a gaming CPU but also a productivity powerhouse. In the context of Control, the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution, as evidenced by the fact that frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings. The data confirms that this is a balanced combo where the GPU is the primary driver of performance, and the CPU provides enough headroom to avoid limiting the GPU.