Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, remains a demanding showcase for GPU-heavy effects like ray tracing and physics-based destruction. The data for the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900M reveals a configuration that is clearly optimized for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, while still offering a playable, though compromised, 4K experience. This analysis examines the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, interpreting what the numbers indicate about the system's balance and its standing among 2,888 tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a pronounced performance cliff as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel counts. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on High settings, the average frame rate drops from 100 FPS to 76 FPS, a 24% reduction. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more aggressive, with the High preset average falling from 76 FPS to 51 FPS, a 33% decrease. This steep decline is a strong indicator that the Radeon RX 7900M's rendering throughput is the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the pixel count nearly doubles from 1440p to 4K.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At Low settings, the system delivers 158 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 120 FPS at 1440p (a 24% decrease) and then to 81 FPS at 4K (a 33% decrease from 1440p). This consistent ~24% and ~33% scaling pattern regardless of quality level suggests that the performance delta is driven by fill-rate and memory bandwidth demands rather than CPU-side logic or shader complexity. The CPU is not the bottleneck; if it were, the frame rate would be more consistent across resolutions at lower settings where the GPU has less work to do.

What the data implies is that the RX 7900M is a 1440p-class part for this title. The jump to 4K requires a 37% reduction in frame rate at High settings (from 76 to 51 FPS), moving the experience from comfortably smooth to the edge of playability. The 4K Low preset’s 81 FPS is interesting, as it shows the GPU’s raw pixel throughput is sufficient for high frame rates even at 4K when the visual load is light, but the 4K Ultra average of 44 FPS confirms that maxing out the game at this resolution is beyond the card's capabilities for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The scaling pattern is linear and predictable, indicating no thermal or power throttling anomalies in the data.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900M is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The benchmark results show the GPU sits in the 94th percentile of all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 97,487. This places it in the upper echelon of mobile graphics solutions, though its nearest rivals in the database—the AMD Radeon Pro VII (0.4% slower) and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 (4.3% faster)—are professional workstation cards, not direct gaming counterparts. This context suggests the RX 7900M is a high-end part, but its performance in Control is still subject to the game's specific engine demands.

The card's clock behavior, with a base of 1825 MHz and a boost of 2090 MHz, combined with its 4608 shading units, provides the raw compute power for the high frame rates seen at 1080p. The 16 GB VRAM buffer is a critical asset for 4K, as it prevents memory capacity from becoming a limiting factor even at Ultra settings, which often require more than 8 GB or 12 GB. The data confirms this; the 4K Ultra preset still renders at an average of 44 FPS rather than experiencing a catastrophic drop due to memory swapping. The high memory bandwidth is also evident in the resolution scaling, as the 4K performance does not collapse entirely, indicating the card can feed its shaders efficiently at higher resolutions.

The relationship between VRAM and clocks is evident in the performance delta between settings. The frametime data for Medium settings at 4K shows a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS, a 17 FPS variance. This variance suggests that while the GPU is powerful, it is working hard to maintain frame pacing, likely due to the high memory load and shader complexity at that resolution. The 180 W TDP is a significant power envelope for a mobile part, and the sustained performance across the benchmark rows implies the cooling solution is adequate to maintain boost clocks, as we do not see a trend of lower-than-expected scores at 4K that would indicate thermal throttling.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with a consistent 60 FPS?

A: No. The data shows the highest 4K average is 81 FPS on Low settings, but the more visually demanding presets do not hit 60 FPS. The 4K High preset averages 51 FPS, and 4K Ultra drops to 44 FPS, indicating that a stable 60 FPS is not achievable at higher quality settings.

Q: What is the most balanced resolution for this CPU/GPU combo?

A: According to the measured rows, 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The High preset delivers a 76 FPS average, and even the Ultra preset maintains a 66 FPS average, which is playable and provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p without the steep performance penalty of 4K.

Q: How does the RX 7900M compare to its closest rivals in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 97,487 is 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro VII and 4.3% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000. It is also significantly ahead of the AMD Radeon Instinct MI60, which has a score that is 5.4% lower.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests it is not a limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 158 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in frame rates across different settings at the same resolution. Instead, the FPS scales from 87 FPS on Ultra to 158 FPS on Low, indicating the GPU is the primary driver of performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The difference is 54 FPS. The Low preset averages 120 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 66 FPS. This 45% reduction in frame rate from Low to Ultra highlights the significant cost of the game's high-end visual effects like ray tracing and advanced post-processing.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM provide a benefit in this game?

A: Yes, the data implies it does. The 4K Ultra preset maintains a 44 FPS average without any signs of a catastrophic frame rate drop, which would typically occur if the GPU ran out of memory. The 16 GB capacity appears sufficient for Control's maximum settings at 4K, allowing the GPU to focus on rendering rather than swapping textures.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance. The Low preset hits an average of 158 FPS, which is ideal for competitive or high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset provides a 112 FPS average with a min of 96 FPS and a max of 129 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience. High settings bring the average down to 100 FPS, still very fluid. Even the most demanding Ultra preset at 1080p yields an average of 87 FPS, which is perfectly playable on a standard 60 Hz monitor and only slightly below the threshold for 100 Hz displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected cost of additional pixels. The Low preset still achieves a very high 120 FPS average. Medium settings deliver an 85 FPS average, with a min of 72 FPS and a max of 98 FPS, providing a solid high-refresh experience. High settings average 76 FPS, which is right at the edge of what is considered optimal for fast-paced action. The Ultra preset falls to a 66 FPS average, which is still smooth on a 60 Hz display but requires a VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) monitor to avoid screen tearing if the frame rate fluctuates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly taxed. The Low preset is the only setting that provides a frame rate above 60 FPS, averaging 81 FPS. Medium settings drop to a 57 FPS average, with a min of 49 FPS and a max of 66 FPS. This variance indicates potential stutter in demanding scenes. High settings average 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but still playable for slower-paced exploration. The Ultra preset averages 44 FPS, which is playable but not ideal, and will be noticeably less smooth during combat sequences with heavy particle effects. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p for maximum frame rates, 1440p for the optimal balance, and 4K for a visual showcase that requires compromises.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. It features 18 MB of shared L3 cache and supports LPDDR5X memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 18,911 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,200.5 in single-core, placing it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 44,466 is nearly identical to its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, which is only 0.2% faster.

In the context of Control, this CPU is more than sufficient. The game is known to be heavily GPU-bound, especially at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data supports this, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings changes, which is a hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. If the 388H were a bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p Low and 1440p Low, as the CPU would be unable to feed the GPU fast enough. Instead, we see a jump from 158 FPS to 120 FPS, indicating the GPU is still the limiting factor at these settings.

The high boost clock of 5.10 GHz is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in games that rely on single-threaded performance for game logic and physics. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the CPU is able to push the GPU to 158 FPS, demonstrating that its single-core performance is not holding back the system. The 16 cores also ensure that background tasks and the game's multi-threaded rendering pipeline do not cause frame pacing issues. The CPU's performance is effectively a non-factor in this analysis, as the GPU's capabilities dictate the user experience across all measured configurations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended starting point. It delivers a 100 FPS average, which is a good balance of visual quality and speed. For those who prioritize frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 158 FPS is an option, but the visual downgrade is significant. The Medium preset at 112 FPS is a strong middle ground if the High preset's visual effects are too taxing.

For 1440p, the High preset at an average of 76 FPS is the best overall experience. It provides a substantial visual upgrade over 1080p and maintains a frame rate that is comfortable for most gamers. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS is also viable for users with a VRR display, as it offers the best image quality. However, the 10 FPS gap between High and Ultra is often not worth the performance cost, especially during fast-paced combat. The Medium preset at 85 FPS is a solid choice for those who want a higher frame rate buffer.

At 4K, the recommendations are more constrained. The Low preset at 81 FPS is the only setting that provides a fully smooth experience and is the recommended choice for 4K gaming on this hardware. The Medium preset at 57 FPS is playable but will have noticeable frame drops in intense scenes, as indicated by the 49 FPS minimum. The High and Ultra presets, at 51 FPS and 44 FPS respectively, are best reserved for screenshots or slow, methodical exploration, as the frame rates are too low for responsive gameplay. The data suggests that 4K is a stretch goal for this combo, and users should prioritize frame rate over fidelity at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and AMD Radeon RX 7900M ranks 1192nd out of 2,888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 59th percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of other systems. While this is a respectable showing, it is not a top-tier ranking, which is surprising given the high percentile scores of both the individual components (88th for the CPU and 94th for the GPU).

This discrepancy between component benchmarks and the in-game combo rank suggests that the pairing is not perfectly optimized for Control's specific engine. The high individual scores indicate that both parts are powerful, but the game's performance is heavily dependent on GPU features like ray tracing, which the RX 7900M handles well but not exceptionally. The 4K results, which fall below 60 FPS on most presets, are the primary reason the combo is not ranked higher. A configuration ranked in the top 500 would likely feature a more powerful GPU, such as one that could maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra.

The ranking also implies that the CPU is not contributing to a higher placement. Since the game is GPU-bound, a more powerful CPU would not improve the frame rates. The 1192nd rank is a reflection of the GPU's performance in this specific title. Against other combos with similar GPUs, this ranking would likely be consistent. The data shows that while this is a very capable system for 1440p gaming, it does not break into the upper echelon of Control performance rankings due to its limitations at 4K. For users prioritizing high-refresh 1440p, this rank reflects its suitability, but for 4K enthusiasts, it signals a need for a more powerful GPU.