Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure from Remedy Entertainment, demands a great deal from hardware, blending physics-heavy combat with a constantly shifting environment. The data for the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile reveals a configuration that is clearly capable of running the game well, but the relationship between resolution and graphical settings is not a simple linear one. The measured frame rates show a system that is often bound by the GPU at higher resolutions, yet the CPU's high boost clock helps maintain playability even in demanding scenarios, creating a nuanced performance profile that warrants a detailed look.

Resolution Scaling

The most immediate observation from the dataset is the substantial cost of rendering Control at higher resolutions. When running at the High preset, the system averages 76 FPS at 1080p, drops to 58 FPS at 1440p, and then falls more sharply to 39 FPS at 2160p (4K). This progression shows a 24-percent performance reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 33-percent reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. This pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound workload at these higher resolutions; the graphics card's rendering capabilities are being pushed harder as the pixel count increases, while the CPU has more time to process game logic.

The scaling under the "Ultra" settings is even more demanding. The 1080p Ultra average of 66 FPS drops to 50 FPS at 1440p and plummets to just 34 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is only slightly more than half the frame rate of the 1080p Ultra result, confirming that the most demanding settings place the heaviest load on the graphics processor. This pattern suggests that the RTX 5060 Mobile's 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and the Blackwell 2.0 architecture's compute units are the limiting factor at these higher resolutions, not the processing power of the CPU.

Interestingly, the "Low" preset shows a different scaling trend. At 1080p, the system hits 121 FPS, which is a strong result. At 1440p, this drops to 91 FPS, and at 4K, it remains at a playable 62 FPS. The relative drop from 1080p to 1440p (about 25%) is similar to the High preset, but the drop from 1440p to 4K (about 32%) is also large. This indicates that even with the lowest graphics load, the GPU is still a significant constraint at 4K. The fact that the Low preset at 4K (62 FPS) is nearly double the Ultra preset at 4K (34 FPS) highlights the massive impact of graphics settings on the GPU's workload.

It is also worth paying attention to the minimum and maximum FPS figures for the Medium preset, which are the only settings with such data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 86 FPS, but the minimum is 73 FPS and the maximum is 99 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 44 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. These ranges show that even when the average frame rate is playable, there is a noticeable stutter risk. The gap between the minimum and maximum is relatively consistent, suggesting that the performance variance is a function of the game's rendering demands rather than a sudden CPU bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is the workhorse in this configuration, and its specifications directly explain the FPS numbers in the measured data. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, giving a total bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. This level of memory and bandwidth is adequate for Control's textures and effects, but the 4K Ultra data suggests that it is a limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the system only averages 34 FPS, which is a clear sign that the GPU is being pushed to its limit.

The GPU's physical characteristics, such as a 5 nm process from TSMC and a die size of 181 mm², are important context. The chip contains 21,900 million transistors, and with 104 texture mapping units and 48 render output units, it delivers a texture rate of 151.3 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 69.84 GPixel/s. These raw numbers translate to how quickly the GPU can fill the screen with textured polygons, which is exactly what Control's complex environments demand. The boost clock of 1455 MHz is relatively modest, but the architecture relies on high IPC and efficient scheduling to achieve its 9.684 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The GPU's performance in standard benchmark suites places it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the data are the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (which scores 0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6700S (1.3% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (which scores 1.3% lower). This comparison shows that the RTX 5060 Mobile is a mid-range performer that is positioned closely to the previous generation's RTX 4060 Mobile, but is slightly slower. The data from Control shows this to be a GPU that can handle 1080p and 1440p with high settings, but is not a 4K powerhouse.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested hardware combinations for Control, the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and RTX 5060 Mobile combination ranks 2472nd out of 3720 total combinations. This places it in the 66.4th percentile of all combos, which is a solid result for a mobile setup, but not a top-tier score. The rank shows that while this is a competent configuration, it is not at the extreme high end of hardware performance for this game. A significant number of other combinations, likely with more powerful desktop or high-end mobile GPUs, have produced higher average frame rates.

This rank is likely influenced by the GPU's performance at higher resolutions, as the CPU is a strong performer. The GPU's 67th percentile score in general benchmarks aligns with the combo's overall ranking. The data suggests that if the goal is to maximize the frame rate in Control, there are other combinations that will deliver better results, but this setup still offers a very playable experience, especially at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 resolution, the system's performance ranges from a strong 121 FPS on Low to 66 FPS on Ultra. The High preset gives a good balance at 76 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 and a maximum of 99. This shows that at 1080p, the CPU is not a bottleneck, and the GPU is able to deliver high frame rates even with high settings.

Moving to 2560x1440 resolution, the load increases significantly. The Low preset still provides a high average of 91 FPS, which is a great experience. High drops to 58 FPS, Medium to 65 FPS (with a min of 55 and max of 75), and Ultra falls to 50 FPS. The 1440p High and Ultra settings are playable, but the frame rate is getting closer to the lower end of the 60 FPS target, and users may need to adjust settings to maintain a higher refresh rate.

At 3840x2160, the system is severely tested. Only the Low preset can sustain a playable frame rate, with an average of 62 FPS. Medium falls to 44 FPS (min 37), High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 34 FPS. These results reveal that the 4K resolution is too demanding for this GPU to handle with high or ultra settings, and even Medium settings have noticeable stutter. The data is clear that 4K gaming is not the intended use case for this mobile configuration.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a mobile CPU with 16 cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 2.10 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This boost clock of 5.10 GHz is a crucial specification, as it helps to prevent the CPU from becoming a bottleneck in gaming scenarios. The CPU's benchmark scores are very high; it scores 18,911 points in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2,200.5 points in single-core. In the PassMark CPU benchmarks, the single-thread score is 4,280.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 44,466, which puts it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (which scores 0.2% lower), the Intel Core i9-13950HX (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (0.4% higher). This shows that the Ultra X9 388H is a top-tier mobile CPU, rivaling the best desktop chips from a generation before.

In the context of Control, the CPU's high single-thread performance is essential. The game's physics system and AI calculations are often single-thread dependent, and the 5.10 GHz boost clock ensures that the CPU can keep up with the GPU in less demanding scenarios. However, the data shows that at 4K, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the GPU is clearly the primary bottleneck. The CPU's versatility is proven by the fact that the FPS scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K is consistent with GPU-bound workload, rather than a CPU limitation.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The benchmark data shows an average of 76 FPS at 1920x1080 with the High preset.

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

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, only the Low preset reaches an average of 62 FPS. Medium averages 44 FPS, High 39 FPS, and Ultra 34 FPS, indicating that 4K is too demanding for the High and Ultra settings.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high refresh rate monitor (144Hz)?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 121 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 86 FPS, making it the only resolution that can achieve a 120+ FPS average. 1440p is limited to a maximum average of 91 FPS on Low, and 4K is not suitable for high refresh.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H compare to the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Intel CPU has an average score of 44,466, which is 0.2 percent lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D's score of 44,573.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 Mobile compare to the RTX 4060 Mobile in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile has an average score of 22,435, which is 1.3 percent lower than the RTX 4060 Mobile's score of 22,729.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 55 FPS, while the average is 65 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data provides a clear set of recommendations for users of this hardware. For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the High preset at 1080p is a solid choice, with an average of 76 FPS. This is a comfortable experience for most players with a standard 60Hz monitor. If a higher refresh rate is desired, the Medium preset at 1080p is the better option, as it delivers 86 FPS on average and a minimum of 73 FPS, which is likely to feel smoother than the High preset's 76 FPS average, even if the visual fidelity is slightly lower.

For 1440p, the data indicates that High is the most demanding preset that can still maintain a good experience, with an average of 58 FPS. Medium at 1440p is also an option, with an average of 65 FPS and a minimum of 55 FPS. Users who prioritize a stable 60 FPS experience at 1440p should select the Medium preset, as it is less likely to experience dips. Low at 1440p will deliver high frame rates (91 FPS) but at a significant reduction in visual quality.

The data shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo if you want to play at High or Ultra settings, as the average FPS is below the 40 FPS threshold. For this resolution, the Low preset (62 FPS) is the only way to get a playable experience, but it will look significantly worse than higher presets. There is no setting that will enable 4K High at a solid 60 FPS, so the recommendation is to use 1080p or 1440p for a better visual experience. The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution, as it presents a significant drop in FPS for a likely minimal visual improvement; the data shows that at 1080p, Ultra drops to 66 FPS, while High is 76 FPS, and at 1440p, Ultra (50 FPS) is below the 60 FPS threshold.

In summary, the best experience is to use the High or Medium preset at 1080p, or the Medium preset at 1440p. 4K gaming is not recommended for this hardware. The CPU is more than capable, and the GPU is the primary constraint that affects the settings and resolution choices.