Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, presents a demanding mix of physics-based combat and destructible environments. The data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 shows a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor’s substantial headroom becomes apparent only when the resolution drops. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the three primary resolutions reveal a system whose playability hinges entirely on the balance between the CPU's massive compute potential and the GPU's Turing-era limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS deltas across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K clearly illustrate where the bottleneck lies. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on High settings reduces the average frame rate from 68 FPS to 51 FPS, a drop of 17 FPS or 25%. Scaling further to 3840x2160 on the same preset yields an average of 35 FPS, which is 33 FPS lower than the 1080p result. This consistent decline as pixel count increases is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario; the rendering workload is expanding faster than the RTX 2060 can process it.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The transition from 1080p Ultra (59 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (45 FPS) represents a 23.7% performance hit, and the jump to 4K Ultra (30 FPS) marks a further 33% reduction from the 1440p figure. The fact that the 4K Ultra result lands precisely on 30 FPS suggests the graphics card is hitting a hard computational ceiling, delivering only a cinematic frame rate that is generally unsuitable for fast-paced action. The data indicates that the RTX 2060 is the primary limiting component at 1440p and above, as the CPU’s performance headroom cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to fill the additional pixels.

Conversely, the scaling from 1440p to 1080p shows a smaller relative gain than the drop from 1440p to 4K. For instance, Low settings see a jump from 81 FPS at 1440p to 107 FPS at 1080p, a 32% increase. This suggests that at 1080p, the system begins to shift away from a pure GPU limit, allowing the CPU to play a more significant role in defining the final frame rate, although the GPU remains the dominant factor. The overall trend confirms that this combination is best suited for 1080p gaming; pushing to higher resolutions yields diminishing returns and eventually results in sub-60 FPS averages.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process at TSMC. Its specifications include 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The card operates with a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. Memory is a crucial factor in Control, which is known for its heavy use of textures and visual effects. The RTX 2060 is equipped with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a likely source of constraint at higher resolutions and settings, where texture data requirements can exceed the available VRAM capacity, potentially leading to frame time spikes or texture streaming issues that are not fully captured by average FPS alone.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are rated at 6.451 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. In the context of Control, which features real-time ray tracing and complex particle effects, this level of compute performance is moderate. The presence of 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores is noteworthy, as they are designed to accelerate ray-traced workloads and DLSS, respectively. However, the measured FPS data does not include ray tracing or DLSS-specific results, so the analysis must focus on the rasterization performance. The GPU's benchmark scores show a Passmark G3D score of 14111, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (deltaPct 0), the AMD Radeon 680M (deltaPct 0.1), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (deltaPct 0.6), indicating that the RTX 2060 sits in a specific performance tier that is now considered entry-level to mid-range.

The measured FPS data supports the notion that the GPU is the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the card delivers 30 FPS, and at 4K High, it only reaches 35 FPS. These figures are consistent with a GPU that is being pushed to its absolute limit. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is a particular concern; at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the asset streaming requirements for Control are immense, and the 192-bit memory bus may struggle to keep up with the data demands, potentially causing hitches that affect the minimum FPS, even if the average remains playable.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 2274 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the bottom half of all configurations, indicating that while it can run the game, it does so with performance that is significantly lower than many other pairings. The rank of 2274 reflects the bottleneck created by the RTX 2060; the CPU is capable of far more, but the GPU holds the entire system back in this title.

The CPU itself, however, is a top-tier performer. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus achieves an average benchmark score of 84003, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (deltaPct 0.2), the AMD EPYC 4584PX (deltaPct 1.1), and the AMD EPYC 9135 (deltaPct 1.2). This shows that the processor is among the fastest available, but its performance is wasted in this specific gaming configuration. The combo's rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's 58th percentile standing, which drags the overall system performance down. The data shows a severe mismatch: a 96th percentile CPU paired with a 58th percentile GPU results in a combo that ranks in the 21st percentile (calculated from 2274/2888) for this game. This indicates that the RTX 2060 is the sole reason for the low ranking, and any upgrade to the graphics card would yield a massive improvement in Control's performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

A detailed look at the measured FPS rows shows a clear performance hierarchy based on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of playable frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 107 FPS, Medium 76 FPS, High 68 FPS, and Ultra 59 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 65 and a maximum of 88, indicating a stable experience with no major frame drops. The 1080p results are the only resolution where the system consistently exceeds 60 FPS, and even achieves over 100 FPS on Low, demonstrating that the CPU can push the GPU to its limits at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 81 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 58 FPS, High to 51 FPS, and Ultra to 45 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution has a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS, showing that while the average is near 60, there are noticeable dips that could be perceivable during intense combat scenarios. The 1440p results highlight the GPU's increasing struggle to maintain high frame rates, as the pixel count demands more from the memory bandwidth and shading units.

At 3840x2160, the system is firmly GPU-bound and struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings yield an average of 55 FPS, which is marginal, but Medium drops to 39 FPS, High to 35 FPS, and Ultra to a barely playable 30 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum FPS of 33 and a maximum of 45, indicating significant frame time variance that would result in a stuttery experience. The 4K results are largely unplayable for a fast-paced action game, as any setting above Low fails to provide a consistent 60 FPS experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is an absolute powerhouse on paper. It features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. It is built on a 3 nm process at TSMC, with a massive L3 cache of 36 MB shared across the cores. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303. The Passmark multithread score is 60860, and the single-thread score is 4823. These figures place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, making it one of the most powerful processors available for desktop use.

However, in Control, the CPU's role is secondary. The game is heavily GPU-bound, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The CPU's immense processing power, particularly its 24 cores, is largely underutilized in this title, which is not optimized to take advantage of such high core counts. The single-thread performance, while strong, is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck; for instance, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 107 FPS, which is high but not a reflection of the CPU's full potential. The bottleneck is the GPU, which is unable to render frames fast enough to saturate the CPU's capabilities.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 and a dual-channel bus with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth provides a solid foundation, but this does not translate into higher FPS in this scenario. The processor's integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU) are irrelevant when a discrete GPU is present. The CPU's performance headroom is vast, meaning it will not be a limiting factor in Control regardless of the settings used. This is a classic case where a high-end CPU cannot rescue a mid-range GPU from its performance ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combination is at 1920x1080 resolution. At 1080p, all settings presets are playable, with Low providing the highest average FPS at 107. However, for a balanced experience that prioritizes visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, the High preset at 1080p is the best choice. It delivers an average of 68 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and it offers significantly better visual fidelity than Low or Medium settings. The Ultra preset at 1080p also achieves 59 FPS, which is very close to 60, but the High preset provides a safer margin against frame drops during intense scenes.

For users who prefer 1440p, the Low preset is the only option that provides a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 81 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 58 FPS, which is borderline, but the minimum FPS of 49 suggests that there will be noticeable stutters during heavy action, making it a less desirable choice. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p should be avoided, as they drop to 51 FPS and 45 FPS respectively, which is below the ideal threshold for a responsive action game.

At 4K resolution, the data shows that this GPU is not suitable for a good experience. Even the Low preset only averages 55 FPS, with a minimum that is likely lower. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all average below 40 FPS, which is not recommended for a game that requires precise timing and quick reactions. Therefore, the recommendation is to stick to 1080p with the High preset as the best balance of visual quality and performance. This configuration allows the system to utilize the CPU's power to some extent while keeping the GPU within its comfort zone.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently achieves high frame rates. At 1080p, all settings presets average above 59 FPS, with Low reaching 107 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, the average FPS drops significantly, making 1080p the most viable option for smooth gameplay.

Q: Can this system handle Control at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the measured results are poor. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, but Medium drops to 39 FPS, High to 35 FPS, and Ultra to 30 FPS. These frame rates are not ideal for a fast-paced action game, as they fall below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best experience at 1080p?

A: The High preset at 1080p is recommended. It delivers an average of 68 FPS, which is above 60 FPS, and provides a good balance of visual quality. The Ultra preset also achieves 59 FPS, but High offers a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the primary limiting factor. The resolution scaling shows a significant FPS drop as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a benchmark score in the 96th percentile, far exceeding the GPU's 58th percentile, indicating the CPU has ample headroom.

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

A: This combo ranks 2274 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This rank is low due to the GPU's performance limitations, as the CPU is a top-tier component. The GPU's average benchmark score is similar to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 and AMD Radeon 680M, placing it in a lower performance tier.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 81 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 45 FPS. This represents a 36 FPS difference, or a 44% performance drop. The Ultra preset also likely has lower minimum FPS, making it less stable for gameplay.