Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure from Remedy, is a demanding title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER delivers a robust experience. The data shows a system capable of high refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and smooth 60+ FPS performance at 4K, with the balance of load shifting predictably as resolution increases. This combination ranks in the 89.5th percentile of all tested combos for this game, indicating a top-tier setup that handles the game's physics-heavy combat and particle effects with authority.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and expected scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 144 FPS at 1080p to 109 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 73 FPS at 4K. This represents a 49.3% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial but typical cost for quadrupling the pixel count. The scaling indicates that while the CPU is powerful enough to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel throughput demands increase at 1440p and especially at 4K.

The pattern is even more pronounced at Low settings, where the frame rate drops from 228 FPS at 1080p to 172 FPS at 1440p, and then to 116 FPS at 4K. The 1080p Low result of 228 FPS suggests the CPU is capable of pushing well beyond typical display refresh rates, but the GPU's rendering limits become apparent as resolution climbs. At Medium settings, the system maintains a 162 FPS average at 1080p, which falls to 122 FPS at 1440p and 83 FPS at 4K, showing a consistent scaling curve. The Ultra preset shows similar behavior, going from 125 FPS at 1080p to 94 FPS at 1440p and 64 FPS at 4K.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 103 FPS (228 vs. 125), while at 4K, the difference narrows to 52 FPS (116 vs. 64). This compression of the performance gap at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, whereas at 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance can maintain high frame rates even with lower graphical loads. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 5.80 GHz boost clock and 24 threads, ensures that the system does not become CPU-bound at any tested resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this hardware combination?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at High settings provides an excellent balance, delivering a 109 FPS average. This ensures smooth gameplay with high visual fidelity, while 4K at High (73 FPS) is also viable for those prioritizing image quality over maximum frame rate.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX. It trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%, indicating it is at the top of the pack for consumer processors.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER capable of running Control at 4K?

A: Yes, the data confirms 4K is playable. At High settings, the GPU achieves a 73 FPS average, and even at Ultra, it maintains a 64 FPS average. This makes 4K gaming feasible, though users may prefer the 1440p preset for higher refresh rates.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves a 228 FPS average, while the Ultra preset delivers 125 FPS. This is a difference of 103 FPS, showing that the graphical settings have a significant impact on performance at this resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Control?

A: The combination ranks 303rd out of 2888 tested combos, placing it in the top 10.5% of all systems. This high ranking indicates that the hardware is well-suited for this specific game's demands.

Q: What is the memory configuration of the GPU and how does it affect performance?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth ensure that texture loading and data transfer are not bottlenecks at any resolution tested.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER combination achieves a rank of 303 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places the system in the 89.5th percentile, meaning it outperforms nearly nine out of ten other configurations tested for this game. The high rank reflects the synergy between the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its 51731 score in Cinebench R23 multi-core, and the GPU's robust rasterization capabilities.

In the context of the CPU's nearest rivals, the data shows the Ultra 9 290K Plus leads the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K by a marginal 0.2% in average benchmark score, which is negligible in real-world gaming. The AMD EPYC 9135 is 1.2% slower, while the AMD EPYC 7F72 is 1.3% faster, though these are server-class processors not typically used in gaming rigs. For the GPU, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER's average benchmark score of 31087 is slightly below the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (-0.4%) and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (-1.4%), but these are professional workstation cards with different driver optimizations.

The rank of 303 indicates that while this is a high-end system, there are still 302 combinations that perform better in Control, likely featuring more powerful GPUs like the RTX 4090 or higher-tier workstation cards. However, for a mainstream consumer pairing of a flagship Intel CPU and a high-end RTX 40-series GPU, this result is exceptional and confirms the combination is well-balanced for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance. The Low preset achieves a 228 FPS average, which is exceptionally high and suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor. Medium settings yield a 162 FPS average with a minimum of 137 FPS and a maximum of 186 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings deliver 144 FPS, while the Ultra preset maintains a solid 125 FPS average. These results show that even at the highest settings, the system stays well above the 100 FPS threshold for competitive play, and at lower settings, it can take full advantage of high refresh rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. The Low preset drops to a 172 FPS average, which is still remarkably high for 1440p. Medium settings produce a 122 FPS average with a minimum of 104 FPS and a maximum of 141 FPS, ensuring a stable experience. High settings deliver 109 FPS, and the Ultra preset manages a 94 FPS average. At this resolution, the system remains firmly in high refresh rate territory, making 1440p a sweet spot for balancing visual quality and performance. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium (104 FPS) suggests that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not dip below playable levels.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload increases significantly, but the system still delivers playable frame rates. The Low preset achieves a 116 FPS average, showing that the hardware has headroom even at 4K when settings are reduced. Medium settings produce an 83 FPS average with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS, which is a solid result for 4K gaming. High settings yield 73 FPS, and the Ultra preset maintains a 64 FPS average. While 4K Ultra does dip below the 60 FPS threshold occasionally based on the minimum data at Medium, the average remains above playable levels. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 52 FPS difference, confirming the GPU is the primary constraint at this resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the defining component for this game's performance, especially at higher resolutions. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s, which is sufficient to handle Control's high-resolution textures and complex environments without memory-related stuttering. The GPU's core configuration includes 8448 shading units, 264 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units, which deliver a pixel rate of 250.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 689.0 GTexel/s. These specifications translate to strong fill rates that are essential for the game's particle-heavy combat and destructible environments.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a factor in its performance. The base clock of 2340 MHz and boost clock of 2610 MHz are relatively high for a 40-series card, and the data shows this translates to real-world gains in Control. The GPU's FP32 performance of 44.10 TFLOPS is substantial, and while Control is not a compute-heavy title like some modern releases, this raw power ensures that the card does not bottleneck the CPU at any resolution. The 66 RT cores and 264 tensor cores are also present, though Control's implementation of ray tracing is limited, so these are not fully utilized in the measured settings.

The GPU's role shifts from being a co-processor at 1080p to being the primary bottleneck at 4K. At 1080p Low, the CPU's single-thread performance (4823 in Passmark single-thread) and the GPU's capabilities combine to produce 228 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 64 FPS, a 71.9% reduction from 1080p Low, which is directly attributable to the GPU's rendering workload. The 76th percentile ranking of the GPU against all other GPUs (based on its 31087 average benchmark score) confirms that while it is a high-end card, it is not the absolute fastest available, which is why the combo ranks 303rd overall in this game.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting maximum performance, the Low preset at 1920x1080 offers the highest frame rate at 228 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or high refresh rate displays. However, this setting sacrifices visual fidelity, and the data shows that even the Medium preset at 1080p delivers 162 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth. For most users, the Medium preset at 1080p represents a good balance, offering a 162 FPS average with a minimum of 137 FPS, ensuring no noticeable frame drops.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice, providing a 109 FPS average that leverages the GPU's capabilities while maintaining high visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 94 FPS, which is also playable, but High offers a 15 FPS advantage with minimal visual difference in most scenes. For those with 144Hz monitors, the Low preset at 1440p (172 FPS) is the only way to fully saturate the refresh rate, but the Medium preset at 122 FPS is a more balanced option that still exceeds 120 FPS.

For 4K gaming, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering a 73 FPS average. This is above the 60 FPS target for console-quality smoothness and provides a significant visual upgrade over lower settings. The Medium preset at 4K offers 83 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS, which is also excellent, but the High preset's visual enhancements are worth the 10 FPS trade-off for most players. The Ultra preset at 4K (64 FPS) is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes, so it is only recommended for those who prioritize maximum image quality over frame rate stability. Overall, the data suggests that the system is best utilized at 1440p High or 4K High, depending on the user's preference for frame rate versus resolution.