Control

Control pairs a 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with an 11 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, and the measured frame rates in this Action Adventure title reveal a system where the GPU is the clear bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom. The data shows a significant performance drop as resolution increases, with the average FPS at 1080p High (84) falling to 64 at 1440p and further to 43 at 4K, indicating that the graphics card’s capabilities are the limiting factor in this configuration. This combination ranks in the 1585th position out of 2888 tested combos for this game, placing it in the middle of the pack despite the powerful processor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend: performance degrades as resolution increases, which is typical for a system where the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 84 FPS, but this drops by 23.8% to 64 FPS at 1440p, and then by another 32.8% to 43 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has more than enough processing power to feed the GTX 1080 Ti at lower resolutions, but the graphics card’s rendering throughput becomes the wall as pixel count rises.

The delta between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further confirms this. At 1080p, the jump from Low (133 FPS) to Ultra (73 FPS) represents a 45.1% reduction in frame rate, highlighting how much graphical workload impacts the GTX 1080 Ti. At 4K, the same settings swing from 68 FPS on Low to 37 FPS on Ultra, a 45.6% drop. The consistency of this percentage across resolutions suggests that the GPU’s compute units and memory bandwidth are being saturated in a linear fashion, with no unexpected bottlenecks from the CPU or system memory.

What is more telling is that the 4K Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 41 and a maximum of 56, while the 1440p Medium preset shows a minimum of 61 and a maximum of 82. The tight range at 4K (a 15 FPS spread) versus the wider range at 1440p (a 21 FPS spread) implies that at 4K, the GPU is working near its maximum capacity for sustained periods, leaving less variance as it consistently hits its ceiling. The CPU’s role is negligible here, as its high single-thread and multi-thread scores (7303 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 51731 in multi-core) suggest it is not the source of these frame rate fluctuations.

FAQ

Q: How does the GTX 1080 Ti perform at 4K Ultra settings in Control?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 37, which is below the typical 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, indicating that this settings/resolution combination is not ideal for this GPU.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus a bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: The data shows 133 FPS at 1920x1080 Low, which is a high frame rate, but the CPU’s benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731) are far above what this game requires, suggesting the GPU is still the limiting factor, not the processor.

Q: What is the best resolution for maintaining a 60+ FPS average with this combo?

A: At 1440p with High settings, the average FPS is 64, and at Medium it is 72, both exceeding 60 FPS. At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS, with High at 43 FPS and Low at 68 FPS, making 1440p the highest resolution for a consistent 60+ FPS experience.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1585 out of 2888 tested combos in this game, placing it in the 54.9th percentile, which is just above the median performance level for all tested systems.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The average FPS drops from 133 on Low to 73 on Ultra, a decrease of 60 FPS or 45.1%, showing the substantial impact of graphical fidelity on the GTX 1080 Ti’s frame output.

Q: Does the 11 GB VRAM on the GTX 1080 Ti cause any issues at 4K?

A: The data shows playable frame rates at 4K Low (68 FPS) and Medium (48 FPS), with no indication of memory-related stutters in the minimum FPS values (41 at Medium), suggesting the 11 GB VRAM is sufficient for these settings in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1585 out of 2888 tested combinations places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance distribution for Control. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the CPU’s high percentile (96th for all CPUs), but it is a direct consequence of the GPU’s lower standing (58th percentile for all GPUs). The data indicates that the GTX 1080 Ti, while a capable card, is holding the system back from higher ranks, as the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor.

When examining the GPU’s nearest rivals, the GTX 1080 Ti’s average benchmark score of 15548 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon R9 M380, which scores 15521 with a deltaPct of 0.2%. It also sits close to the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, which has a score of 15679 and a deltaPct of -0.8%. This puts the GTX 1080 Ti in a tight performance cluster, and the rankings in Control reflect this, as the combo does not stand out from other systems with similar graphics cards.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with a deltaPct of 0.2%, show that the 290K Plus is not providing a significant performance advantage in this game. The difference in average CPU scores is minimal (84003 vs 83807), which translates to no meaningful FPS gain in a GPU-bound scenario. This suggests that upgrading the CPU within this range would not improve the combo’s rank in Control, and the focus should be on the GPU for better positioning.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo shows a wide range of performance across settings. On Low, the average FPS is 133, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the game is not heavily taxing the system. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 95 FPS, with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 109, showing a smooth experience with some variance. High settings produce 84 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 73 FPS. The 60 FPS gap between Low and Ultra demonstrates the GPU’s sensitivity to graphical load at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings yield an average of 101 FPS, which is still very playable, while Medium produces 72 FPS (min 61, max 82), and High drops to 64 FPS. Ultra settings result in 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable for many users. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 24% across all settings, indicating a consistent GPU-bound scaling.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly stretched. Low settings provide 68 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K that maintains a 60+ FPS average. Medium settings drop to 48 FPS (min 41, max 56), High to 43 FPS, and Ultra to 37 FPS. The data shows that 4K gaming at high fidelity is not feasible with this GPU, as even Medium settings struggle to maintain a smooth frame rate. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (41) suggests occasional stutters, but the overall average remains consistent for a demanding resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. In Control, however, these capabilities are largely underutilized, as the game’s performance is dictated by the GPU at all tested resolutions.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s and 36 MB of L3 cache are more than sufficient for this game, which is not known for being CPU-intensive in a way that would stress such a high-end processor. The data supports this, as the FPS differences between settings are consistent across resolutions, with no anomalies that would suggest CPU bottlenecking. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would be most likely to limit performance, the 133 FPS average indicates that the processor is not the constraining factor.

The nearest rivals to the CPU, such as the AMD EPYC 7F72 with a deltaPct of -1.3%, show that the 290K Plus is marginally faster on average, but this does not translate to higher FPS in Control. The game appears to be GPU-bound, and the CPU’s high performance is essentially headroom that is not being tapped into. For users with this combo, the CPU is a future-proofing asset, but it does not actively contribute to higher frame rates in this specific title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s resolution and refresh rate preferences. For 1080p displays, High settings at 84 FPS provide a balanced experience, but Ultra at 73 FPS is also viable if visual fidelity is a priority. The data shows that Medium settings offer a significant FPS boost to 95, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the jump from High to Ultra is only an 11 FPS drop, making Ultra a reasonable choice.

At 1440p, Medium settings are the sweet spot, delivering 72 FPS with a minimum of 61, ensuring smooth gameplay. High settings at 64 FPS are also playable, but they leave less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 55 FPS is marginally below the 60 FPS target, so it is recommended only for users who prioritize graphics over frame rate consistency.

For 4K resolution, the data clearly shows that Low settings at 68 FPS is the only preset that achieves a comfortable frame rate. Medium at 48 FPS is borderline playable, but the minimum FPS of 41 might cause noticeable hitches. High and Ultra settings (43 and 37 FPS, respectively) are not recommended for a smooth experience. The best experience overall, balancing frame rate and visual quality, is 1440p with Medium settings, which provides a 72 FPS average and a tight minimum FPS range, ensuring consistent performance without sacrificing too much graphical fidelity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a Pascal architecture GPU with 11 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 352-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s. Its base clock is 1481 MHz with a boost clock of 1582 MHz, and it features 3584 shading units. The GPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 18600, place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, which is modest compared to the CPU’s high standing.

In Control, the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates. The measured FPS data shows a direct correlation between resolution/settings and performance, with the GPU’s rendering capacity being the limiting factor at all resolutions. The 11 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game, as the minimum FPS values at 4K Medium (41) do not indicate memory-related issues, but the raw compute power of the GP102 chip is not enough to handle 4K Ultra (37 FPS) smoothly.

The GPU’s nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (deltaPct -0.8%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (deltaPct 1.7%), are closely matched in average benchmark score, which is reflected in the combo’s mid-tier rank in Control. The GTX 1080 Ti’s performance is being outpaced by newer architectures, but it still offers a capable experience at 1080p and 1440p. The data suggests that for this game, the GPU is the component to upgrade for better performance, as the CPU has substantial headroom that is not being utilized.