Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and AMD Radeon RX 7800M produces a highly resolution-dependent experience. The measured data indicates that this mobile platform is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, while 4K requires significant graphical compromises to remain playable. The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher settings, with the CPU providing ample headroom even at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear and consistent decline as resolution increases, which is typical for a title that stresses the graphics pipeline. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 76 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that average to 57 FPS, a reduction of 25%. At 4K High, the average falls further to 39 FPS, which is a 32% drop from 1440p and a 49% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern strongly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 7800M is the primary limiting factor; the render resolution directly dictates the frame rate, with the CPU not appearing to bottleneck the process at any point.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings within each resolution confirms this analysis. At 1080p, the spread between Low (120 FPS) and Ultra (66 FPS) is 54 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU has to work progressively harder as graphical fidelity increases. At 1440p, the spread narrows to 41 FPS (91 FPS on Low versus 50 FPS on Ultra), and at 4K, it narrows further to 27 FPS (61 FPS on Low versus 34 FPS on Ultra). The shrinking delta between settings at higher resolutions is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario; the graphics card is already saturated, so the additional load from higher settings has a proportionally smaller impact on the frame rate than it does at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.

The 4K data is particularly telling. The jump from Low (61 FPS) to Medium (43 FPS) is a substantial 18 FPS loss, highlighting the cost of increasing texture and shading quality at this resolution. The step from Medium to High (39 FPS) is a smaller 4 FPS loss, and the step to Ultra (34 FPS) is another 5 FPS loss. This pattern suggests that the memory bandwidth and raw pixel throughput of the RX 7800M are being heavily taxed at 4K, and the incremental performance gains from lowering settings diminish as you approach the lowest presets. For a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, the data shows that only the Low preset (61 FPS) is capable of achieving it, indicating that this combination is not ideal for 4K gaming without significant visual sacrifices.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and AMD Radeon RX 7800M ranks 1927 out of 2888 combos. This places it in the lower third of all tested systems, a position that reflects its performance profile as a capable but not high-end mobile solution. The percentile ranking for the RX 7800M against all GPUs is 73, which is relatively strong, but the combo's overall rank in this specific game is dragged down by the demanding nature of the title and the GPU's performance at higher resolutions.

The rank of 1927 out of 2888 suggests that while the components are individually respectable, their combined performance in Control does not compete with top-tier desktop configurations or higher-end mobile offerings. It is a mid-pack result, indicating that users should not expect this system to top any leaderboards for this game. The data shows a system that is competent for mainstream gaming but will require settings adjustments to achieve high frame rates, particularly at 1440p and above. The combo's position in the rankings is a direct consequence of the GPU's inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K, a scenario that many other combos in the database likely handle with more ease.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is a mobile GPU based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a significant asset for a title like Control, which features detailed environments and high-resolution textures. The 12 GB frame buffer is likely sufficient to handle the game's assets at 1080p and 1440p without hitting memory limits, allowing for smooth performance at those resolutions.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant to its performance. It has a base clock of 1295 MHz, a game clock of 2145 MHz, and a boost clock of 2335 MHz. The high boost and game clocks are indicative of the GPU's ability to sustain high performance under load. The measured FPS data supports this, showing strong performance at 1080p. The GPU also has 96 ROPs and a pixel rate of 224.2 GPixel/s, which are key specifications for rasterization performance. However, the data shows that these specifications are not enough to overcome the sheer pixel count at 4K, where the average FPS on High settings drops to 39. The GPU's raw compute power, rated at 35.87 TFLOPS FP32, is substantial, but the game's demands at 4K Ultra (34 FPS average) show the limits of this mobile part.

The VRAM capacity is particularly important when comparing the performance drop from Medium to High settings. At 4K, the drop is 4 FPS (43 to 39), while at 1080p, the drop is 9 FPS (85 to 76). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the GPU has enough bandwidth and memory to handle the increased texture detail, but at 4K, it becomes more constrained. The 12 GB of VRAM is a forward-looking feature that ensures the system won't be immediately obsolete, but the data shows that the GPU's processing power, not its memory capacity, is the primary bottleneck in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed picture of the system's performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the combo is at its best. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 120 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings yield 85 FPS (min 72, max 98), High settings yield 76 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 66 FPS. All presets at 1080p are playable, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining a smooth frame rate. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this hardware, offering a wide range of options for players to prioritize either visual quality or frame rate.

At 2560x1440, performance remains solid but begins to show strain. Low settings deliver 91 FPS, which is still very good. Medium settings average 64 FPS (min 55, max 74), which is a comfortable 60+ FPS experience. High settings average 57 FPS, which is playable but not as fluid. Ultra settings drop to 50 FPS, which may be acceptable for some but is not ideal for fast-paced action. The data shows a clear step-down in performance, with the GPU struggling to maintain the high frame rates seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, performance is the most constrained. Low settings average 61 FPS, barely hitting the 60 FPS target. Medium settings average 43 FPS (min 37, max 50), which is a noticeable drop. High settings average 39 FPS, and Ultra settings average 34 FPS. The frame rates at 4K are not suitable for smooth gameplay unless the player is willing to use the Low preset. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable option for a high-quality experience with this combination, and users will be forced to choose between resolution and fidelity.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At 1080p, the combo delivers 76 FPS on High and 66 FPS on Ultra, providing a smooth experience across all presets. Performance at 1440p is also good, but 4K requires the Low preset to achieve 61 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, but with significant limitations. At 4K, only the Low preset achieves an average of 61 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra presets produce averages of 43, 39, and 34 FPS respectively, which are not ideal for a smooth gaming experience.

Q: How does the combo's performance rank compared to other systems?

A: This pairing ranks 1927 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the lower third of all systems, indicating it is a capable but not high-end performer for this specific game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark data indicates the AMD Radeon RX 7800M is the limiting component. The FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 91 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 50 FPS. This is a 41 FPS difference, showing a significant performance cost for maximum visual fidelity.

Q: What is the memory configuration of the GPU in this combo?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800M features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This is a substantial amount of VRAM, but the data suggests the GPU's processing power, not memory, is the primary performance constraint in Control.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread mobile processor based on the Panther Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration provides a strong foundation for gaming, ensuring that the CPU does not become a bottleneck for the GPU. In the benchmark results for this combo, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data and process game logic, a task it handles with ease given the consistent GPU-bound scaling observed.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is strong. Its average benchmark score of 44466 places it nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, which scores 44573 (a -0.2% delta). It is also slightly ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which scores 44342 (a +0.3% delta). This indicates that the Ultra X9 388H provides top-tier processing power, keeping it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. However, this processing power does not translate into higher frame rates in Control because the GPU is the limiting factor.

The high boost clock of 5.10 GHz is beneficial for the single-threaded performance that many games rely on. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2200.5 and multi-core score of 18911 demonstrate its capability. In the context of Control, the CPU's ample performance headroom means that even at 1080p with Low settings (120 FPS), the system is not CPU-limited. The data confirms that the CPU's role is to provide a stable platform, and it does so without being a performance ceiling. The 16 cores and threads are more than sufficient for the game's demands, ensuring that the focus remains on the GPU's output.