Control

Similar Performance Alternatives

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 sits in a tightly contested performance band. Its average benchmark score of 17,035 places it within 0.2% of several processors. The Intel Core i7-1260P scores 17,007, a mere 0.2% behind, while the Intel Core i5-11400 scores 17,067, also 0.2% off. Two AMD EPYC server parts, the EPYC 7573X at 17,070 and the EPYC 7742 at 16,998, round out the immediate neighborhood. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame pacing in this game when paired with the same graphics card, as the delta between the slowest and fastest in this group is only about 0.4%.

On the graphics side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves an average benchmark score of 54,247. Its closest competitor is the RTX 4080 SUPER at 54,209, just 0.1% behind, which means the two cards are effectively interchangeable in this title. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828, placing it 1.1% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB reaches 55,698, a 2.6% advantage. The AMD Radeon 8060S tops the group at 55,757, 2.7% ahead. These differences are small enough that users upgrading from one of these cards to another would see negligible changes in Control's frame rates.

For a system built around this combination, the data suggests that swapping the CPU to any of the four listed rivals would not meaningfully alter performance, since the CPU scores cluster so tightly. Similarly, the GPU alternatives all fall within a 2.7% band, so the overall experience would remain consistent across these hardware choices. The bottleneck analysis, however, depends on resolution and settings, which the measured FPS data clarifies below.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Ryzen 5 3600 and the RTX 4080 shifts noticeably across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the CPU carries more weight relative to the GPU, yet the RTX 4080 still drives very high frame rates. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 36 FPS, from 171 down to 135, indicating that the GPU is still the primary limiter even at lower settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the Low preset would not scale so far above the Ultra preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU load increases, and the spread between presets widens. Low averages 156 FPS, while Ultra drops to 102, a 54 FPS difference. This wider gap shows the graphics card becoming more dominant, as higher settings demand more shading, texture, and memory throughput from the RTX 4080. The CPU, meanwhile, has enough headroom to keep feeding frames at these rates, since even the Ultra preset clears 100 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the clear limiting factor. Low averages 126 FPS, Medium drops to 89, High to 79, and Ultra to 69. The 57 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is the largest of any resolution, confirming that the RTX 4080's rendering workload scales heavily with resolution. The Ryzen 5 3600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, continues to supply frames without becoming the primary constraint, as evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding preset stays above 60 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth prove sufficient for Control's demands. The CPU's 3.60 GHz base and 4.20 GHz boost clocks, along with its 32 MB shared L3 cache, keep up with the GPU's output. At 1080p and 1440p, the CPU matters more relatively, but the measured data shows the GPU still dictates the FPS ceiling. At 4K, the GPU is unquestionably the dominant component, and the CPU's role recedes further.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides average FPS for every resolution and preset combination, with min and max values available for Medium settings only. At 1920x1080, Low settings average 171 FPS. Medium averages 151 FPS with a minimum of 128 and a maximum of 173. High settings average 145 FPS, and Ultra averages 135 FPS. All four presets clear the 60 FPS playability threshold by a wide margin, with even the demanding Ultra preset holding 135 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 156 FPS. Medium averages 132 FPS, with a minimum of 113 and a maximum of 152. High settings average 118 FPS, and Ultra averages 102 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, but every preset remains far above 60 FPS. The minimum recorded value at Medium, 113 FPS, indicates that even transient drops do not threaten playability.

At 3840x2160, Low settings average 126 FPS. Medium averages 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 103. High settings average 79 FPS, and Ultra averages 69 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset approaches the playability threshold, but it still clears it by 9 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 76 FPS shows that even the lowest recorded frame stays well within smooth territory.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the RTX 4080 delivers playable performance at every setting, and the Ryzen 5 3600 does not introduce any frame rate collapse. The min FPS data, available only for Medium, reinforces this, as the worst-case numbers at each resolution remain above 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 69, which clears the 60 FPS playability threshold by 9 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p for maximum visual quality while staying playable?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 average 102 FPS, making it the best visual preset that remains well above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 54,247 in average benchmarks, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209, a 0.1% difference. In Control, this translates to virtually identical frame rates.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 3600 a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The data shows no CPU-induced frame drops. At all resolutions and presets, the average FPS stays high, and the CPU's nearest rivals score within 0.2% of it, indicating the 3600 keeps pace.

Q: What is the lowest recorded FPS across all measured settings?

A: The lowest min FPS recorded is 76, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This still exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Control?

A: This combination ranks 536 out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the top 14.4% of all systems tested for this game.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control at every resolution and preset combination tested. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, are playable at 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160. The 60 FPS threshold is met or exceeded in all twelve measured scenarios.

At 1080p, the weakest preset, Ultra, still averages 135 FPS, which is more than double the playability threshold. At 1440p, Ultra averages 102 FPS, providing a comfortable margin. At 4K, the most demanding scenario, Ultra averages 69 FPS, which clears the threshold but leaves less headroom. Users seeking higher frame rates at 4K can drop to High for 79 FPS, Medium for 89 FPS, or Low for 126 FPS.

The data indicates that this system is not just playable but comfortably playable across the board. The RTX 4080's 16 GB memory and 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 performance handle Control's rendering demands, while the Ryzen 5 3600's 12 threads provide sufficient CPU throughput. No configuration falls below 60 FPS in the recorded averages, and the only min FPS data points, all at Medium settings, remain above 76 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 135 FPS. This is the highest visual quality available, and it still delivers more than double the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings average 102 FPS, making it the best preset while maintaining smooth performance. The 102 FPS average provides a 42 FPS margin over the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring consistent frame delivery.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings average 69 FPS, which is the best preset that clears 60 FPS. The 9 FPS margin is sufficient, but users who prefer more headroom can select High for 79 FPS or Medium for 89 FPS. The data shows Ultra remains the top choice for maximum visual fidelity at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 536 out of 3,720 tested combos for Control. This places the system in the upper tier of all configurations tested, with roughly 85.6% of tested combos ranking below it.

This ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. The Ryzen 5 3600, which sits in the 71st percentile among all CPUs, provides adequate processing power, while the RTX 4080, in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, delivers strong graphics performance. The combination's rank of 536 suggests that while it is not the absolute top performer, it outperforms the vast majority of systems in the database for this specific game.

The CPU's nearest rivals, all within 0.2% in average score, would likely produce identical rankings if substituted. The GPU's nearest rivals, within 2.7%, would also yield similar results. This indicates that the combo's rank is stable across minor hardware variations, and the system's position in the top 15% is a reliable indicator of its capability in Control.