Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination delivers a strong performance profile for Control, with the data showing that all tested settings at every resolution exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold. The pairing of a mid-range Zen 2 processor with a flagship Ada Lovelace GPU results in a system that is firmly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU becomes a more relevant factor at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded measurements for this combination show a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases and settings are adjusted. At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 173.2 FPS, which is the peak performance recorded for this combo. The Medium preset delivers 150.7 FPS, while the High preset reaches 142.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 138.8 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold and shows that the RTX 4090 has substantial headroom even at maximum settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a modest decline from the 1080p results. The Low preset averages 157.7 FPS, the Medium preset averages 134.8 FPS, and the High preset averages 132.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 114.1 FPS, which represents a 24.7 FPS drop compared to the same settings at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is still the dominant factor, but the increased pixel count begins to exert more pressure on the rendering pipeline.

At 3840x2160, the performance scales down further, yet every preset remains comfortably playable. The Low preset averages 136.5 FPS, the Medium preset averages 97.4 FPS, and the High preset averages 87.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 77.8 FPS, which is the lowest recorded average for this combination but still nearly 18 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 58.7 FPS, showing that the visual quality settings have a significant impact on the GPU workload at this resolution.

The data does not include min or max FPS values, so the analysis relies on average performance. The overall trend shows that the RTX 4090 provides enough raw throughput to keep Control running smoothly at all tested configurations, with the gap between presets widening as resolution increases.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The recorded average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 77.8 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold by a clear margin. The verdict data lists all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) as playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the performance at 1080p compare to 4K?

A: The frame rate difference is substantial. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 138.8 FPS, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 77.8 FPS. This represents a 61 FPS reduction, or roughly a 44% decrease in average performance when moving from 1080p to 4K with identical settings.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best balance at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 114.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The database marks Ultra as the best settings choice at this resolution, meaning you can run the game at maximum quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 3600 a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in this game?

A: The data shows that the system remains playable at all resolutions with every preset, so any CPU limitation is not severe enough to drop frame rates below the threshold. However, the scaling from 1080p to 4K suggests the GPU workload scales predictably with resolution, indicating the CPU is not the primary constraint at higher settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average FPS is 77.8 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is still above the 60 FPS playable threshold, meaning every tested configuration delivers smooth performance.

Q: How does the system perform at Low settings compared to Ultra?

A: At 1080p, the difference is 34.4 FPS (173.2 vs 138.8). At 1440p, the difference is 43.6 FPS (157.7 vs 114.1). At 4K, the difference grows to 58.7 FPS (136.5 vs 77.8). The gap widens with higher resolution, showing that settings have a larger impact on performance as pixel count increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 holds a rank of 375 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places the system in the top 10% of all configurations in the database. The high rank is largely driven by the RTX 4090, which sits in the 88th percentile for all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 60347.

The CPU, with a percentile of 71 against all processors and an average benchmark score of 17035, contributes to the overall ranking but is clearly the weaker component in this pairing. The rank of 375 out of 3720 indicates that while the system is very capable, there are 374 other combos in the database that achieve better performance in Control, likely featuring newer or higher-end CPUs paired with the same or similar GPUs.

The measured FPS data supports this ranking. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 77.8 FPS, which is strong but not the absolute top tier. Systems with more modern CPUs would likely improve the 1080p results where the CPU has more influence, though the 1080p Ultra average of 138.8 FPS is already high. The combination ranks in the 90th percentile of all tested combos, which aligns with the GPU's strong benchmark standing.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core i7-1260P with a delta of 0.2% and an average score of 17007, the Intel Core i5-11400 with a delta of -0.2% and a score of 17067, the AMD EPYC 7573X with a delta of -0.2% and a score of 17070, and the AMD EPYC 7742 with a delta of 0.2% and a score of 16998. These CPUs are all within a fraction of a percent of the Ryzen 5 3600 in overall processing power, so swapping to any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU is the limiting factor.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals to the RTX 4090 are the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a delta of 0% and an average score of 60326, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 with a delta of 0.3% and a score of 60140, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M with a delta of -2.5% and a score of 61896, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 with a delta of 2.9% and a score of 58657. The RTX 4090's average score of 60347 is effectively matched by the Arc Pro A60, meaning a system with that GPU and the Ryzen 5 3600 would likely produce very similar FPS results. The Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% faster in average score, which could translate to a few additional frames per second in Control, while the Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% slower, potentially costing a small margin of performance.

Builders looking for a comparable setup could consider pairing the Ryzen 5 3600 with any of these GPU alternatives and expect similar playability, though the RTX 4090 remains the strongest overall choice in terms of raw benchmark score.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance data shows a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are highest, with the Low preset reaching 173.2 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 34.4 FPS, which suggests that the GPU is still handling most of the workload, but the CPU has more influence at this resolution since the pixel count is lower.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop modestly. The Low preset averages 157.7 FPS, while Ultra averages 114.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 43.6 FPS, which is larger than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU workload is increasing with resolution. The CPU's role remains relatively constant, but the GPU becomes the more dominant factor as the resolution rises.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the primary determinant of performance. The Low preset averages 136.5 FPS, while Ultra drops to 77.8 FPS, a difference of 58.7 FPS. This wide gap shows that the RTX 4090's rendering capabilities are heavily taxed at 4K, and the Ryzen 5 3600 is not holding it back in a meaningful way. The fact that even the lowest preset at 4K exceeds 60 FPS demonstrates that the GPU has enough headroom to overcome the CPU's limitations.

Across all resolutions, the system never falls below 77.8 FPS, which indicates that the CPU is sufficient to feed the GPU at every tested setting. The data suggests that upgrading the CPU would yield diminishing returns, particularly at 1440p and 4K where the GPU is the bottleneck. At 1080p, a faster CPU might push frame rates higher, but the current averages are already well above the playable threshold.

The Verdict

This system can run Control with excellent performance at every resolution and preset tested. The verdict data confirms that all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080, with the average FPS at the best settings exceeding 60 FPS in each case.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, with an average FPS of 77.8. This means you can run the game at maximum visual quality in 4K and still maintain a smooth experience. At 2560x1440, Ultra also represents the best choice, delivering an average of 114.1 FPS, which provides a substantial margin over the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 138.8 FPS, offering a very high refresh rate experience.

The lowest recorded average across all tests is 77.8 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is nearly 30% above the playable threshold. The highest recorded average is 173.2 FPS at 1080p Low. In practical terms, this combination is capable of running Control at maximum settings in 4K without compromise, and it offers enough performance headroom for high refresh rate monitors at 1440p and 1080p. The Ryzen 5 3600 does not present a significant obstacle to the RTX 4090 in this game, and the system delivers playable performance across the board.