Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER pairing presents an interesting study in generational contrast. The CPU is a 2018-era 6-core, 12-thread Zen part, while the GPU is a 2024 Ada Lovelace design. The benchmark data for Control reveals how this combination behaves across resolutions and presets, and the results are surprisingly strong for the older processor.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K the combination delivers playable frame rates on High, Medium, and Low settings. High settings produce an average of 70.9 FPS, Medium averages 75.9 FPS, and Low averages 111.4 FPS. Ultra settings fall just short at 58.1 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p for this system?

A: Ultra settings are fully playable at 1440p, with an average frame rate of 91.7 FPS. This is the most demanding preset tested, and it clears the 60 FPS threshold by a comfortable margin. High settings average 105.2 FPS, Medium averages 118 FPS, and Low averages 134.7 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 sits at the 75th percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 21484 is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, which scores 21440 and is only 0.2% behind. The Intel Core i9-11900H scores 21367, a 0.5% difference. The AMD EPYC 9454 scores 21223, putting it 1.2% behind the Ryzen.

Q: What is the GPU's performance ranking relative to other graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER ranks in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 43223 is closely matched by the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, which scores 43262 and is effectively tied at -0.1% delta. The GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43268, also a -0.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is 1% ahead with a score of 43667.

Q: Is there a large performance gap between 1080p and 1440p for this game?

A: The data shows modest scaling. At Ultra settings, 1080p averages 120.6 FPS while 1440p averages 91.7 FPS, a drop of 24%. At Low settings, the difference is smaller: 148.5 FPS at 1080p versus 134.7 FPS at 1440p, a 9.3% reduction. The GPU remains the dominant factor even at lower resolutions.

Q: Which component is more likely to limit performance in Control?

A: Benchmark results suggest the GPU is the primary constraint across all tested resolutions. The RTX 4070 SUPER shows consistent scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, with frame rates dropping predictably as pixel count increases. The Ryzen 5 2600, despite its age, appears capable of feeding the GPU adequately, since even at 1080p Low settings the system reaches 148.5 FPS average.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Ryzen 5 2600 provide context for CPU-bound scenarios. The Intel Core Ultra 5 228V has an average score of 21440, which is 0.2% lower than the Ryzen's 21484. This means in CPU-heavy workloads, these two processors would deliver nearly identical results. The Intel Core i9-11900H, with a score of 21367, is 0.5% behind, again a negligible difference in practical terms. The AMD EPYC 9454 scores 21223, 1.2% lower, while the Intel Xeon D-1746TER scores 21635, 0.7% higher than the Ryzen. All four rivals fall within a narrow 1.9% band, indicating that the Ryzen 5 2600's performance class is well established.

For the GPU side, the RTX 4070 SUPER's nearest rivals are interesting because they span different generations and market segments. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, a professional workstation card, scores 43262, essentially identical at -0.1% delta. The GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile, a laptop part, scores 43268, also -0.1%. The original Quadro M6000 scores 43301, -0.2% relative to the 4070 SUPER. Finally, the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667, which is 1% higher. These close scores suggest that in raw compute terms, the 4070 SUPER behaves similarly to these other cards, though gaming performance may differ due to driver optimizations and architecture-specific features.

For a system like this one, the practical implication is that swapping the Ryzen 5 2600 for any of its listed rivals would produce minimal change in frame rates, assuming the GPU remains the same. Likewise, replacing the RTX 4070 SUPER with a Quadro M6000 or a mobile 5050 would likely yield similar average FPS in most titles, though the 4070 SUPER's feature set and power efficiency are not captured in these aggregate scores.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured frame rates across resolutions reveal a clear pattern: the GPU dominates performance scaling in Control. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 148.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 134.7 FPS, and 4K Low yields 111.4 FPS. This progression is smooth and consistent, indicating that the GPU is handling the increased pixel workload without the CPU becoming a bottleneck.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is more pronounced. 1080p Ultra averages 120.6 FPS, 1440p Ultra averages 91.7 FPS, and 4K Ultra averages 58.1 FPS. The 37.9% drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is larger than the 25% drop at Low settings, which suggests that the more complex rendering techniques used at Ultra place additional strain on the GPU's compute and memory subsystems.

The CPU's role appears secondary but not irrelevant. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 148.5 FPS represents a scenario where the GPU is not fully stressed, yet the system still cannot exceed this value. This could indicate a CPU limitation, but the Ryzen 5 2600's six cores and twelve threads are evidently sufficient to maintain high frame rates. The fact that 1080p Medium (134.7 FPS) and 1080p High (128.8 FPS) are both above 120 FPS reinforces that the CPU is not a major constraint at lower resolutions.

At 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes further. The difference between 4K High (70.9 FPS) and 4K Medium (75.9 FPS) is only 5 FPS, while the jump from Medium to Low (111.4 FPS) is 35.5 FPS. This non-linear scaling is typical of GPU-bound scenarios where the render workload changes dramatically between preset levels. The data supports the conclusion that for Control, the RTX 4070 SUPER is the determining factor for playability, with the Ryzen 5 2600 providing adequate support without becoming a limiting factor in any tested configuration.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this combination can run Control at all three tested resolutions, though 4K Ultra is the only configuration that fails to reach 60 FPS. At 4K, the playable settings are High, Medium, and Low, with High being the best preset that stays above the threshold. The average frame rate at 4K High is 70.9 FPS, which provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

At 1440p, every preset is playable. Ultra settings average 91.7 FPS, High averages 105.2 FPS, Medium averages 118 FPS, and Low averages 134.7 FPS. The best preset at this resolution is Ultra, since it delivers the highest visual quality while maintaining a frame rate well above the playable threshold.

At 1080p, the system is even more capable. Ultra settings average 120.6 FPS, High averages 128.8 FPS, Medium averages 134.7 FPS, and Low averages 148.5 FPS. All presets clear the 60 FPS mark by a substantial margin, making 1080p the resolution where the system has the most headroom. The overall verdict is positive: this PC runs Control smoothly at 1080p and 1440p with maximum settings, and at 4K with High settings as the optimal choice.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which produces an average of 70.9 FPS. This provides a 10.9 FPS buffer over the playable threshold, allowing for minor drops during intense scenes without falling below 60 FPS. Medium settings average 75.9 FPS, and Low averages 111.4 FPS, but High offers the best balance of visual quality and performance.

For 2560x1440, Ultra is the recommended preset, averaging 91.7 FPS. This is 31.7 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, giving significant headroom. The next step down, High, averages 105.2 FPS, which is even faster but sacrifices some visual fidelity. Since Ultra comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, it is the clear choice for this resolution.

For 1920x1080, Ultra is again the best option, with an average of 120.6 FPS. This is more than double the playable threshold, ensuring a very smooth experience. High averages 128.8 FPS, Medium averages 134.7 FPS, and Low averages 148.5 FPS, but none of these offer a meaningful performance advantage over Ultra given the ample margin.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 831st out of 3720 tested combinations in Control. This places it in the top 22.3% of all system configurations in the database. The ranking reflects the strong GPU performance compensating for the older CPU. Given that the RTX 4070 SUPER sits at the 83rd percentile among GPUs, while the Ryzen 5 2600 sits at the 75th percentile among CPUs, the combined rank is consistent with the GPU being the dominant contributor to gaming performance.

The rank of 831 out of 3720 means there are 831 configurations that achieve higher average frame rates in Control, but also 2889 configurations that perform worse. This positions the system well above the median. The data indicates that this pairing is not an outlier; it performs as expected given the components' individual standings. For users considering this hardware, the rank suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER boosts the aging Ryzen 5 2600 to a level where it can handle demanding titles like Control at high settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides a complete picture of performance across all resolution and preset combinations.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings achieve 111.4 FPS, Medium settings achieve 75.9 FPS, High settings achieve 70.9 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 58.1 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decrease, with the largest drop occurring between Low and Medium (35.5 FPS), followed by a smaller drop between Medium and High (5 FPS), and then a 12.8 FPS drop from High to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 134.7 FPS, Medium at 118 FPS, High at 105.2 FPS, and Ultra at 91.7 FPS. The differences between consecutive presets are 16.7 FPS (Low to Medium), 12.8 FPS (Medium to High), and 13.5 FPS (High to Ultra). This represents a more uniform scaling compared to 4K, suggesting that the GPU's resources are being utilized more consistently across preset levels.

At 1920x1080, the averages are: Low at 148.5 FPS, Medium at 134.7 FPS, High at 128.8 FPS, and Ultra at 120.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 13.8 FPS, between Medium and High is 5.9 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 8.2 FPS. Interestingly, the 1080p Medium and 1440p Low both average 134.7 FPS, indicating that the resolution increase is offset by the preset reduction in terms of GPU load.

The minimum and maximum frame rates are not recorded in the database for this game, so only average values are available. However, the averages alone are sufficient to determine playability at the 60 FPS threshold. Across all tested configurations, the system only falls below this threshold at 4K Ultra, with an average of 58.1 FPS. Every other preset and resolution combination maintains an average above 60 FPS, with the lowest playable configuration being 4K High at 70.9 FPS.