Control

Similar Performance Alternatives

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 sits in a tight cluster of comparable processors according to the database's average benchmark scores. The Intel Core i7-1260P is the closest match, scoring 17007 versus the Ryzen's 17035, a delta of just 0.2 percent. The AMD EPYC 7742 trails by the same margin at 16998. On the other side, the Intel Core i5-11400 and AMD EPYC 7573X both score slightly higher at 17067 and 17070 respectively, putting them 0.2 percent ahead. For gaming workloads, any of these CPUs would deliver near-identical frame pacing in Control, as the performance differences are within measurement noise.

For the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 shows an average benchmark score of 23172, placing it at the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are unusual: the NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249 (0.3 percent higher), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250 (0.3 percent higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273 (0.4 percent higher), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276 (0.4 percent higher). These deltas are trivial, meaning that in pure compute terms, those cards would behave almost identically to the RTX 3080 in synthetic benchmarks. However, for a game like Control, which relies on modern DirectX 12 features and ray tracing, the RTX 3080's architecture advantage in real-world gaming scenarios likely exceeds what these average scores suggest. The database's measured FPS data for this specific combo is the more reliable indicator of actual gameplay performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS scaling across resolutions reveals that Control is heavily GPU-bound with this combination. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 170 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 138.2 FPS, a reduction of about 19 percent. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 95.9 FPS, another 31 percent drop. This pattern is consistent with the GPU being the primary limiter: as pixel count increases, the RTX 3080's workload grows proportionally, while the Ryzen 5 3600 has ample headroom at lower resolutions.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when comparing settings at the same resolution. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra only reduces FPS from 170 to 101.7, a 40 percent penalty. At 4K, the same settings change drops FPS from 95.9 to 54.6, a 43 percent penalty. The similar relative penalties across resolutions suggest the game's graphical settings scale uniformly with GPU load, and the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 170 FPS. The Ryzen 5 3600's multi-threaded capabilities, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15045 and 3DMark 16-thread score of 4605, are sufficient to feed the RTX 3080 in this title.

At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 54.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This indicates that at the highest settings and resolution, the GPU is stretched to its limit. The CPU is not the constraint here; even a faster processor would not recover the missing 5.4 FPS because the RTX 3080 is already at maximum output. Conversely, at 1080p and 1440p, the data shows the GPU has headroom, as lowering settings from Ultra to Low yields substantial FPS gains (from 101.7 to 170 at 1080p, and from 79.8 to 138.2 at 1440p). This suggests the CPU can sustain high frame rates, and the GPU is the component that dictates the ceiling at each preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers strong performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 170 FPS. Medium settings drop to 129.6 FPS, a 24 percent reduction. High settings yield 118.4 FPS, and Ultra brings the average to 101.7 FPS. All presets clear the 60 FPS playable threshold by a wide margin. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 40 percent performance cost, which is typical for a title with demanding visual effects.

At 2560x1440, the results remain comfortably above 60 FPS at every setting. Low settings average 138.2 FPS. Medium settings average 99.6 FPS, which is a 28 percent drop from Low. High settings produce 87.6 FPS, and Ultra delivers 79.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 42 percent, similar to the 1080p scaling. The Ultra preset at 1440p still maintains nearly 80 FPS, indicating that the RTX 3080 has enough raw throughput for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming in Control.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low settings average 95.9 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings drop to 66.1 FPS, a 31 percent reduction. High settings produce 63.1 FPS, only slightly above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings fall to 54.6 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is 43 percent, consistent with the other resolutions. The key takeaway is that 4K Ultra is the only configuration in the entire measured set that fails to reach 60 FPS. Players targeting 4K should stick with High settings, which offers a 63.1 FPS average, or drop to Medium for a more comfortable margin at 66.1 FPS.

The database records no minimum or maximum FPS values, only averages. This means the data cannot speak to frame time consistency or stuttering. However, the average FPS figures across 12 different configurations provide a clear picture of overall performance headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 1111th out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 70th percentile of all combinations (calculated from the rank and total). The combo sits in the upper third of the database, which aligns with the measured FPS results: it handles 1080p and 1440p at maximum settings with ease, and only struggles at 4K Ultra.

The ranking reflects the balance of this pairing. The RTX 3080 is a high-end GPU from the Ampere generation, and the Ryzen 5 3600 is a capable mid-range processor from the Zen 2 lineup. In Control, a game that is not particularly CPU-intensive, the GPU dominates the performance profile. The combo's rank of 1111 out of 3720 suggests there are many systems with more powerful GPUs (such as RTX 3090 or newer generations) or faster CPUs that achieve higher frame rates, but this pairing still outperforms about 70 percent of all recorded configurations. For context, the CPU's percentile rank among all processors is 71, and the GPU's is 68. The combo's overall rank is consistent with both components being near the 70th percentile of their respective categories.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, and it does so exceptionally well at most resolutions and settings. The verdict by resolution is clear:

At 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with the best settings being Ultra at an average of 101.7 FPS. This is more than enough for a smooth experience on a 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitor.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable. The best settings are Ultra at 79.8 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by nearly 20 frames. High settings at 87.6 FPS and Medium at 99.6 FPS offer even more headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more nuanced. Low, Medium, and High settings are all playable. The best playable setting is High at 63.1 FPS. Medium at 66.1 FPS provides a slightly larger safety margin. Ultra at 54.6 FPS falls short of the 60 FPS threshold, so 4K Ultra is not recommended for a locked 60 FPS experience. Players with G-Sync or FreeSync displays might find 54.6 FPS acceptable, but the data shows it is technically below the playable threshold.

For the best overall experience, 1440p Ultra at 79.8 FPS strikes the ideal balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. The RTX 3080's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth provide ample resources for Control's assets at this resolution. At 4K, High settings are the practical ceiling for maintaining 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 54.6, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable setting at 4K is High, averaging 63.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a 60 FPS experience?

A: At 2560x1440, Ultra settings deliver 79.8 FPS, which is the highest quality preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra reaches 101.7 FPS. For 4K, High at 63.1 FPS is the best option.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 3600 has an average benchmark score of 17035. The Intel Core i7-1260P and AMD EPYC 7742 are 0.2 percent behind, while the Intel Core i5-11400 and AMD EPYC 7573X are 0.2 percent ahead. These differences are negligible for gaming.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests yes. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 170 FPS, and dropping settings from Ultra to Low increases FPS from 101.7 to 170. This indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU can sustain these high frame rates without becoming a constraint.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 1111th out of 3720 total combos, placing it in the upper third of the database. This is consistent with the CPU's 71st percentile and GPU's 68th percentile among their respective categories.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS values for this combo?

A: The database only records average FPS values for this game. No minimum or maximum frame rates are available, so the analysis relies solely on average performance metrics.