Control

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the AMD Radeon 8060S delivers a playable, though not flawless, Control experience, with the data clearly showing that 1440p Medium is the optimal balance of visual fidelity and frame rate. The combo ranks in the 56th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating solid mid-pack performance that is heavily influenced by resolution and settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in Control?

A: The measured data indicates that 2560x1440 with Medium settings provides the best experience, achieving an average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, which keeps the game comfortably smooth.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H has an average benchmark score of 44,466, which is nearly identical to its closest competitor, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, with a negligible delta of -0.2%. It is also effectively tied with the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which scores 44,342, putting the Ultra X9 388H just 0.3% ahead.

Q: Is this GPU more comparable to a desktop card or a laptop card?

A: The AMD Radeon 8060S is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), but its performance rivals discrete desktop options. Its average benchmark score of 55,757 is within 0.1% of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and only 0.6% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, a high-end desktop card.

Q: What kind of performance can be expected at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the combo is only comfortable at Low settings, where it achieves an average of 66 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 47 FPS, and at High, it falls to 42 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness threshold.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU appear to be the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 130 FPS, but scaling to 4K Low drops performance to 66 FPS, a pattern typical of a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering load exceeds the processor's influence.

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

A: This pairing of Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and AMD Radeon 8060S ranks 1632nd out of 2888 total tested combos for Control, placing it in the middle of the pack rather than at the top.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread mobile processor from the Core Ultra Series 3, built on Intel's 3 nm Panther Lake architecture. Its high boost clock of 5.10 GHz is a key asset for gaming, as it ensures strong single-threaded performance that is often critical for game logic and frame pacing. While the base clock is 2.10 GHz, the processor's ability to reach its boost ceiling under load is what allows it to keep pace with the GPU in less demanding scenes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU shows its strength. It scores 18,911 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2,200.5 in single-core, placing it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. This strong foundational performance is reflected in its near-identical standing to rivals like the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, which has a delta of -0.2%, and the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which it edges out by 0.3%. The processor's 18 MB of shared L3 cache further helps by providing a large pool of fast memory for frequently accessed data.

The role of the CPU in Control becomes clear when examining the frame rate scaling. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 130 FPS, indicating the processor is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to produce very high frame rates. The performance difference between settings presets at the same resolution is also telling. The jump from Low to Medium only reduces the average FPS from 130 to 92, a 38 FPS difference. This shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at these settings; rather, the increasing graphical load is what begins to tax the GPU more heavily. The CPU's consistent performance across resolutions, where the processor load remains relatively stable while the GPU load changes dramatically, confirms that it provides a solid foundation without holding back the overall system.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 8060S is a significant piece of silicon, featuring the Strix Halo chip on TSMC's 4 nm process with a die size of 308 mm². It operates with a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz, and it is equipped with 2560 shading units and 40 ray tracing cores. Its memory is system-shared, meaning its bandwidth and capacity are dependent on the system's main RAM, which is a crucial characteristic for performance. The GPU's theoretical peak performance is 14.85 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, and it is rated for a 55 W TDP.

In terms of raw graphics power, the Radeon 8060S is a formidable integrated solution. Its average benchmark score of 55,757 places it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. The benchmark data shows it is a direct peer of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, with a delta of just 0.1%, and it is even competitive with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, which it trails by only 0.6%. This level of performance explains why it can handle modern games at high resolutions, though its system-shared memory is a potential limiting factor.

In Control, the GPU's role is the dominant factor in determining playability. The measured FPS data shows a clear correlation between resolution, settings, and frame rate. At 1920x1080, the GPU is able to produce an average of 82 FPS at High settings and 71 FPS at Ultra. However, when the resolution is increased to 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. At 4K High, the average FPS falls to 42, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 36. This steep decline, from 82 FPS at 1080p High to 42 FPS at 4K High, demonstrates that the Radeon 8060S's rendering capabilities are quickly overwhelmed by the pixel count of 4K, making it the clear performance bottleneck in this configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and AMD Radeon 8060S earns a rank of 1632 out of 2888 tested combinations for Control. This places the system in the 56th percentile, meaning it outperforms more than half of all other tested configurations, but it is not among the high-end performers. This mid-pack ranking aligns with the individual standings of its components; the CPU is in the 88th percentile and the GPU in the 87th percentile, but the integrated nature of the GPU and its system-shared memory likely prevent the combo from climbing higher.

This ranking is a direct reflection of the system's measured capabilities. The combo is clearly capable of delivering high frame rates at 1080p, where it excels, but its performance at 4K pulls its overall standing down. A system that could maintain 60+ FPS at 4K would rank much higher, but this one cannot. The data shows that the system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver a smooth experience. The rank of 1632 suggests that while this is a competent gaming platform, it is not a top-tier one, and users should calibrate their expectations accordingly, especially when considering high-resolution displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a detailed picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. The data was collected using real-world testing, as indicated by the `dataIsMeasured` flag, and includes average FPS figures for all configurations, with minimum and maximum FPS for Medium settings.

At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably across the board. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 130 FPS, providing an exceptionally smooth experience. Moving up to Medium yields an average of 92 FPS, with a minimum of 78 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. High settings produce an average of 82 FPS, while Ultra settings still manage a respectable 71 FPS average. This resolution is clearly where the combo is most comfortable, offering high frame rates even at maximum quality.

At 2560x1440, performance remains solid but begins to show the strain of increased resolution. The Low preset delivers an average of 98 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset offers an average of 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS, making it a viable option for a 60 Hz display. The High preset averages 62 FPS, which is playable, and the Ultra preset drops to an average of 54 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 66 FPS. The Medium preset falls to an average of 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS, which can result in noticeable stuttering. The High preset averages 42 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 36 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware depend on the user's resolution and performance priorities.

For users with a 1920x1080 display, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. The system averages 71 FPS at this setting, which is well above the smoothness threshold and allows for the full visual experience of the game. Even at the highest quality, there is enough headroom for a very playable experience.

For users with a 2560x1440 display, the Medium preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, ensuring that the game remains smooth even in demanding scenes. While the High preset is playable at 62 FPS, the Medium preset provides a more consistent frame rate and a better safety margin, making it the superior choice for a stable experience.

For users with a 3840x2160 display, the Low preset is the only reasonable option. It achieves an average of 66 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. The jump to Medium results in a significant performance drop to 47 FPS, which is not recommended for a smooth experience. Therefore, 4K gaming should be limited to Low settings to maintain playability.

In summary, the data suggests that the sweet spot for this combo is 1440p with Medium settings. This configuration offers a balanced combination of visual quality and performance, providing an average frame rate of 70 FPS that is suitable for most players. While 1080p Ultra is also a great experience, the 1440p Medium setting offers a noticeable increase in image clarity without sacrificing smoothness, making it the most versatile recommendation.