Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title from Remedy Entertainment, is a demanding showcase of physics-based combat and destructible environments. The benchmark data for this configuration, pairing the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, provides a clear picture of how this high-end hardware handles the game’s unique visual load. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is consistently capable, though the balance between CPU and GPU workload shifts significantly depending on the graphical configuration chosen. This analysis will break down the measured FPS data, interpret the performance scaling, and contextualize the results within the broader database of tested hardware combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K with this hardware configuration shows a predictable but steep curve in performance cost, directly tied to the rendering resolution. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 156 FPS at 1920x1080 to 118 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 38 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average further falls to 79 FPS, representing a 77 FPS total drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p, the system is not fully utilizing the GPU’s capabilities, as the frame rate is exceptionally high, but at 4K, the rendering load becomes the primary bottleneck.

Examining the Low preset further clarifies the performance ceiling. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the configuration achieves an average of 246 FPS. This number is remarkably high and suggests that the CPU, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach near its theoretical maximum at this resolution. However, at 2560x1440 Low, the average drops to 186 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 126 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 1440p Low is 60 FPS, which is a larger absolute drop than the 38 FPS seen on High for the same resolution change. This indicates that while the CPU can push very high frame rates at lower resolutions, the GPU's fill rate and shading power are quickly saturated as pixel count increases.

The data suggests that the RTX 4080 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, regardless of the preset. The scaling from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 on the Ultra preset shows a drop from 102 FPS to 69 FPS, a 33 FPS reduction. This is a significant penalty for the 2.25x increase in pixel count. At 1080p Ultra, the system still manages 135 FPS, which is a strong result, but the 4K Ultra performance of 69 FPS shows that even a GPU with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 9728 shading units will be challenged by this game’s maximum settings at that resolution. The frame rate scaling is nearly linear with pixel count, highlighting that Control’s rendering pipeline is heavily dependent on raw GPU throughput at these settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target display resolution and the user's preference for visual fidelity versus raw frame rate. For 1920x1080 displays, the Ultra preset remains highly viable, with an average of 135 FPS. This is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1080p offers a significant boost to 156 FPS, which could be preferable for competitive play or for users with 240Hz displays, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often subtle in this title, making Ultra a strong default choice.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides a balanced experience with an average of 132 FPS and a minimum of 113 FPS, ensuring consistent frame pacing. The High preset at this resolution delivers 118 FPS, which is also excellent, but the Medium preset’s higher minimum frame rate of 113 FPS compared to High’s unspecified minimum suggests better stability. For users who prioritize visual quality, the Ultra preset at 102 FPS is still perfectly playable, but the jump to Medium or High yields a substantial performance increase with minimal visual compromise. The data indicates that Medium or High is the sweet spot for 1440p, as they provide a comfortable margin above 100 FPS.

For 3840x2160, the choices become more constrained. The High preset at 79 FPS is the best balance of quality and performance, offering a playable experience close to 80 FPS. The Medium preset at 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS is also a strong option, potentially offering better frame pacing than High. The Ultra preset at 69 FPS is at the edge of playability for some users, but the drop below 70 FPS may be noticeable. The Low preset at 126 FPS is the only way to achieve high refresh rates at 4K, but it requires significant visual sacrifices. The benchmark results suggest that for a 4K display, the Medium or High presets are the recommended choices to maintain a stable frame rate above 75 FPS without compromising the game’s atmospheric detail.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the extensive database of tested CPU and GPU combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 241 out of 3720 combos for Control. This places the configuration in the top 6.5% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a very high-performance pairing for this specific game. The rank reflects the combined capabilities of both components and their ability to work together efficiently in this title’s engine.

The ranking confirms the strength of both the CPU and GPU. The CPU, which sits in the 96th percentile compared to all other tested CPUs, provides a robust foundation for the game’s physics and logic simulation. The GPU, in the 86th percentile, delivers the necessary rendering power. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a high-end GPU yields a result that is significantly better than the vast majority of systems in the database. This suggests that users with this configuration will not be limited by their hardware in Control, and the bottleneck will be primarily determined by the chosen resolution and graphical settings.

It is importantly the rank is specific to Control. The game’s unique rendering techniques, such as its use of real-time ray tracing and complex particle effects, may favor certain hardware architectures over others. The data shows that this Intel and NVIDIA combination performs exceptionally well, but other games may see different relative rankings. The high rank of 241 out of 3720, however, confirms that this is a top-tier setup for this particular title, offering performance that only a small fraction of the user base can achieve.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate this configuration can achieve in Control?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 246 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this combination capable of 4K gaming at 60 FPS or higher?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160 resolution, the average frame rates are 89 FPS on Medium, 79 FPS on High, and 69 FPS on Ultra. All three presets exceed the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score that is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX, but it is 1.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 7F72.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the High and Medium presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves an average of 118 FPS, while the Medium preset achieves an average of 132 FPS. The Medium preset also shows a higher minimum frame rate of 113 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU have enough memory for maximum settings?

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory. The benchmark data shows that the Ultra preset is playable at all tested resolutions, indicating that the memory capacity is sufficient for the game’s demands at these settings.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K on the High preset?

A: The average frame rate on High settings drops from 156 FPS at 1920x1080 to 79 FPS at 3840x2160, a total reduction of 77 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the primary driver of graphical performance in this configuration, and its role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. The GPU’s architecture, Ada Lovelace, is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC and contains 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. The high transistor count and 9728 shading units provide the raw compute power needed to handle Control’s complex shaders and visual effects. The GPU’s boost clock of 2505 MHz, up from a base of 2205 MHz, allows it to dynamically increase performance under load, which is critical for maintaining high frame rates in intense combat scenarios.

The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This is a crucial specification for Control, as the game features high-resolution textures and detailed environments that require substantial memory throughput. The benchmark data confirms that this bandwidth is sufficient, as the GPU does not appear to be memory-limited at any of the tested settings. The GPU’s performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 and a Passmark G3D score of 34457, corroborates its strong gaming performance. The GPU’s percentile rank of 86 among all tested GPUs indicates it is a high-tier component.

The scaling of frame rates with resolution highlights the GPU’s dominance at 4K. The drop from 126 FPS at 4K Low to 69 FPS at 4K Ultra shows a 57 FPS difference, which is a direct result of the increased shading and texture work required by higher settings. This indicates that the RTX 4080 is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and presets, as the CPU is powerful enough to keep up with the GPU’s demands. The GPU’s 76 RT cores also play a role in Control’s optional ray tracing effects, though the measured data does not specify if they are enabled. The performance at 4K Ultra, while not hitting 100 FPS, is still a very strong result for a game known for its visual intensity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus serves as a high-performance foundation for this configuration, ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data. With 24 cores and 24 threads, this processor is designed to handle heavily threaded workloads. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.80 GHz provide excellent single-threaded performance, which is crucial for game logic and physics calculations. The CPU’s 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 tested CPUs.

The CPU’s role in Control is most evident at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is not fully utilized. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 246 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that requires a CPU capable of processing game state updates quickly. The 3 nm process node and 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die contribute to the CPU’s efficiency and performance. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core help reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for maintaining smooth frame pacing.

As the resolution increases, the CPU’s influence on the final frame rate diminishes, as seen in the frame rate scaling. However, the CPU’s performance ensures that it does not become a bottleneck, even at 4K with the Ultra preset. The 115.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth from the dual-channel DDR5 support is sufficient to feed the CPU’s cores. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the CPU is 1.1% faster than the AMD EPYC 4584PX and 0.2% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, but 1.3% slower than the AMD EPYC 7F72. This places it at the top of the consumer desktop segment, making it a perfect match for the RTX 4080 in this gaming scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average frame rates for this configuration in Control, organized by resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080:

• Low: 246 FPS average.
• Medium: 175 FPS average, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS.
• High: 156 FPS average.
• Ultra: 135 FPS average.

2560x1440:

• Low: 186 FPS average.
• Medium: 132 FPS average, with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS.
• High: 118 FPS average.
• Ultra: 102 FPS average.

3840x2160:

• Low: 126 FPS average.
• Medium: 89 FPS average, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS.
• High: 79 FPS average.
• Ultra: 69 FPS average.

The data clearly shows that the Medium preset is the only one with measured minimum and maximum frame rates across all resolutions, providing a fuller picture of performance variability. At 1080p, the system is capable of delivering frame rates well above 135 FPS even at the highest settings, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p, the Ultra preset still exceeds 100 FPS, which is a strong result for a demanding game. At 4K, the High and Medium presets provide the best balance, with the Ultra preset being the most demanding but still playable. The Low preset at 4K, at 126 FPS, demonstrates the GPU’s raw capability when visual effects are minimized. This data confirms that the configuration is versatile, offering excellent performance for a wide range of gaming preferences.