Control

# This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile lands at rank 2472 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. That places this configuration in the lower-middle portion of the field, at roughly the 66th percentile of all tested CPU-GPU pairings. The data shows a system that can handle the game reasonably well at lower resolutions and settings, but it trails many other combinations when pushed toward higher visual fidelity.

The ranking position suggests that while neither component is a slouch individually, the combination does not unlock exceptional performance in this specific title. The CPU sits at the 87th percentile among all processors, while the GPU rests at the 67th percentile among all graphics cards. When these two components work together in Control, the resulting rank of 2472 out of 3720 indicates that the pairing yields a result that is slightly below what the individual component percentiles might suggest. This gap invites investigation into which component becomes the limiting factor as resolution and settings scale upward.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H brings 16 cores and 16 threads to this game, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This Panther Lake architecture chip, built on Intel's 3 nm process, carries 18 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 2.5 MB of L2 cache per core. The processor's 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs reflects strong synthetic benchmark performance, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28221 and a single-core score of 3984.

In Control, the CPU's role manifests most clearly at lower resolutions and settings. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 121 FPS average, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. This suggests that the processor can feed the GPU adequately at this level. However, the gap between Low and Medium settings at 1080p — dropping from 121 to 86 FPS — indicates that the CPU has headroom but the game's engine scales with the additional workload.

The processor's nearest rivals include the Intel Core 7 253PE with an average score of 40557 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core 5 223PE at 40585 (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H at 40431 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Xeon 6507P at 40426 (0.2% lower). These margins are remarkably tight, with less than one percent separating these five processors. For Control specifically, the 16-core configuration provides ample parallel processing capability, though the game's engine may not fully utilize all 16 threads given its 2019 release date.

The data suggests that at higher resolutions, the CPU becomes less relevant as the GPU takes on more of the rendering burden. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (34 FPS) versus 4K Low (62 FPS) shows a 45% drop, which is more characteristic of GPU limitations than CPU constraints. The processor's 2.00 GHz base clock with 5.00 GHz boost provides solid single-threaded performance for game logic, physics calculations, and draw call processing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile, built on the GB206 chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 952 MHz with a boost clock of 1455 MHz, delivering 9.684 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. With 3328 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, this mobile graphics solution sits at the 67th percentile among all GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT with an average score of 22549 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 5700 at 22170 (1.2% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6700S at 22154 (1.3% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile at 22729 (1.3% higher). These close margins suggest that the RTX 5060 Mobile performs similarly to its predecessor in synthetic workloads, though Control's specific rendering demands may tell a different story.

In Control, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution scales. At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 66 FPS average, which drops to 50 FPS at 1440p Ultra and further to 34 FPS at 4K Ultra. This progression demonstrates the GPU's diminishing capacity at higher pixel counts. The 8 GB VRAM allocation proves sufficient for this title, as Control's texture requirements from 2019 do not exceed this capacity even at Ultra settings.

The RTX 5060 Mobile's 26 RT cores and 104 tensor cores are present but Control's implementation of ray tracing and DLSS may not be fully exercised in these benchmark measurements. The measured FPS values without specific ray tracing settings suggest that the standard rasterization pipeline is being tested. The GPU's 384.0 GB/s memory bandwidth appears adequate for the game's data streaming requirements, though the 128-bit bus width limits raw throughput compared to wider implementations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the complete range of settings shows a system with notable scaling. Low settings produce 121 FPS average, Medium yields 86 FPS with minimum and maximum of 73 and 99 FPS respectively, High delivers 76 FPS, and Ultra drops to 66 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 45% reduction in frame rate, which is substantial but not unexpected for a game with Control's visual effects.

At 1440p, the same settings pattern emerges with lower absolute values. Low settings achieve 91 FPS, Medium drops to 65 FPS with a range of 55 to 75 FPS, High produces 58 FPS, and Ultra settles at 50 FPS. The step from Low to Medium at 1440p represents a 29% reduction, while the jump from Medium to High is only 11%, suggesting diminishing returns from Medium to High at this resolution.

At 4K, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates across most settings. Low settings yield 62 FPS average, which is the only configuration above 60 FPS at this resolution. Medium produces 44 FPS with a range of 37 to 50 FPS, High drops to 39 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 34 FPS. The data indicates that Ultra settings at 4K are not viable for smooth gameplay, while even High settings hover near the edge of acceptable performance.

The Medium setting at each resolution provides the only measurements with min/max values, offering insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range spans 73 to 99 FPS, a 26 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 55 to 75 FPS, a 20 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range tightens further to 37 to 50 FPS, a 13 FPS spread. This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently saturated as pixel count increases, reducing frame time variance.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the system's bottleneck characteristics. At Low settings, the progression from 121 FPS at 1080p to 91 FPS at 1440p to 62 FPS at 4K shows a 25% drop from 1080p to 1440p and an additional 32% drop from 1440p to 4K. This compound reduction of approximately 49% from 1080p to 4K indicates that the GPU is the primary constraint at Low settings, though the CPU still contributes meaningfully at 1080p.

At Medium settings, the scaling follows a similar pattern: 86 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The 24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and 32% reduction from 1440p to 4K show that the GPU's workload increases proportionally with pixel count. At High settings, the pattern shifts slightly: 76 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, representing 24% and 33% reductions respectively.

At Ultra settings, the scaling becomes more pronounced: 66 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The 24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p is consistent with other settings, but the 32% reduction from 1440p to 4K shows that Ultra settings amplify the GPU's workload disproportionately at higher resolutions. The consistent scaling pattern across settings suggests that the GPU is the limiting component throughout, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at 1080p.

The data implies that the RTX 5060 Mobile's 8 GB VRAM may also factor into 4K performance, though the benchmark measurements do not explicitly indicate VRAM limitations. The 4K Ultra result of 34 FPS suggests that the rendering pipeline becomes heavily constrained at this resolution, whether due to fill rate, memory bandwidth, or shader throughput.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and setting combination for this system in Control?

A: The 1080p Medium setting provides 86 FPS average with a range of 73 to 99 FPS, offering a balanced experience. For higher visual quality, 1440p Medium at 65 FPS is also viable, while 4K only achieves playable frame rates at Low settings with 62 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 Mobile compare to its rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile scores 22435 on average, placing it 0.5% below the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, 1.2% above the AMD Radeon RX 5700, 1.3% above the AMD Radeon RX 6700S, and 1.3% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Control?

A: The GPU is the primary constraint across all settings. The resolution scaling shows consistent frame rate reductions from 1080p to 4K regardless of settings, with the CPU's 16-core configuration providing adequate processing power even at 1080p.

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings with 62 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 44 FPS, High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 34 FPS, making Low the only 4K configuration that stays above 60 FPS.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at different resolutions?

A: The Medium setting measurements show that frame time variance decreases as resolution increases: 26 FPS spread at 1080p, 20 FPS spread at 1440p, and 13 FPS spread at 4K. Higher resolutions produce more consistent frame pacing due to GPU saturation.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H scores 40518 on average, placing it 0.1% below the Intel Core 7 253PE, 0.2% below the Intel Core 5 223PE, 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H, and 0.2% above the Intel Xeon 6507P.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings based on target frame rates. For players prioritizing smooth gameplay at 60 FPS or above, the 1080p Low setting delivers 121 FPS, while 1080p Medium at 86 FPS and 1080p High at 76 FPS both exceed the 60 FPS threshold. Even 1080p Ultra at 66 FPS maintains playability, making 1080p the only resolution where all settings achieve acceptable frame rates.

At 1440p, the options become more constrained. Low settings at 91 FPS provide the smoothest experience, while Medium at 65 FPS also remains above 60 FPS. High and Ultra settings at 58 FPS and 50 FPS respectively fall below the 60 FPS threshold, but remain playable for less demanding users. The 1440p Medium configuration offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, with its 65 FPS average and 55 to 75 FPS range providing adequate consistency.

At 4K, only Low settings at 62 FPS achieve a smooth experience. Medium at 44 FPS, High at 39 FPS, and Ultra at 34 FPS all fall significantly below 60 FPS, making them less desirable for fast-paced action sequences. For 4K gaming, players should accept reduced visual quality to maintain frame rate, or alternatively, use the 1080p or 1440p resolutions with higher settings for a better overall experience.

The overall recommendation from the data is to prioritize 1080p Medium or High settings for the best combination of visual quality and performance. At 1080p Medium, the 86 FPS average provides headroom for demanding scenes, while High at 76 FPS offers improved visuals with only a 12% performance penalty. For users with 1440p displays, Medium at 65 FPS represents the optimal compromise, while 4K remains viable only at Low settings for those who prioritize resolution over visual effects.