Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers overwhelmingly smooth performance in Control, with every tested resolution and preset combination exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold. This pairing produces average frame rates that range from a low of 75.1 FPS at 4K Ultra to a high of 228.1 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that the system has substantial headroom even under the most demanding visual loads. The measured data confirms that this combination is not merely playable but exceptionally fast across the board, making it a strong candidate for high-refresh-rate displays at lower resolutions and for maxed-out settings at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for Control show a clear and predictable scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions and four quality presets. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are the lowest of the group but remain firmly above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset produces an average of 75.1 FPS, while High delivers 87.2 FPS. Dropping to Medium raises the average to 98.2 FPS, and the Low preset achieves a significantly higher 139.2 FPS. This represents a jump of approximately 85% from Ultra to Low at 4K, showcasing how much performance headroom exists when visual fidelity is reduced.

Moving down to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale upward substantially. The Ultra preset here runs at an average of 111.8 FPS, which is 48.9% faster than the 4K Ultra result. The High preset achieves 131.6 FPS, Medium reaches 147.4 FPS, and the Low preset peaks at 206 FPS. The difference between the lowest and highest presets at 1440p is about 84.7%, mirroring the relative spread seen at 4K. Notably, the 1440p Low result of 206 FPS is higher than the 4K Low result of 139.2 FPS by 48%, indicating that resolution has a significant impact on performance even at the most modest settings.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers the highest frame rates in the dataset. The Ultra preset runs at an average of 149 FPS, while High reaches 174.6 FPS. The Medium preset produces 196 FPS, and the Low preset tops out at 228.1 FPS. The scaling from 1080p Ultra to 1080p Low represents a 53.1% increase, which is a smaller relative jump than at higher resolutions, suggesting that the CPU begins to play a more prominent role as resolution decreases. Comparing 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra, the average frame rate nearly doubles from 75.1 to 149 FPS, a 98.4% improvement that highlights the massive cost of rendering at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance data reveals a nuanced division of labor between the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 in Control. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. The average frame rates range from 75.1 FPS at Ultra to 139.2 FPS at Low, and the large gap between presets indicates that pixel throughput and shading complexity are the primary bottlenecks. The CPU has ample headroom at this resolution, as evidenced by the fact that even the lowest preset yields a high frame rate without apparent CPU limitation.

As the resolution drops to 2560x1440, the balance shifts. The frame rates increase across all presets, but the relative gains from lowering settings become more pronounced. The 1440p Low result of 206 FPS is 48% higher than the 4K Low result, which suggests that the GPU is still the main driver of performance, but the CPU is beginning to assert its influence. The jump from 1440p Ultra to 1440p Low (111.8 to 206 FPS) is an 84.3% improvement, which is slightly less than the 85.3% improvement seen at 4K, hinting that the CPU is starting to limit the maximum achievable frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's role becomes more significant. The frame rates are the highest in the dataset, with the Low preset reaching 228.1 FPS. However, the scaling from 1080p Ultra to 1080p Low is only 53.1%, which is much smaller than the scaling at 4K or 1440p. This compression of the preset spread indicates that the CPU is now a limiting factor at the highest frame rates. The Ryzen 5 5600X, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, appears to be the boundary for pushing beyond roughly 230 FPS, even though the RTX 4090 has more rendering capability to spare. The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU becomes increasingly relevant, particularly on the Low preset.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested hardware combinations for Control, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a combo rank of 159 out of 3,720 tested configurations. This places the system in the top 4.3% of all tested combos, indicating that it is among the fastest setups for this game. The high ranking is primarily attributable to the RTX 4090, which sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 60,347. The CPU, while not as dominant, still ranks in the 75th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 21,771.

The combination’s rank is particularly impressive given that the CPU is not a flagship part. The Ryzen 5 5600X is a mid-range desktop processor from the 5000 series, and its percentile ranking of 75 reflects that it is faster than the majority of CPUs but not at the very top. The GPU, however, is near the top of the performance stack, and the pairing benefits greatly from the GPU’s immense compute power. The data suggests that the RTX 4090 can push frame rates high enough that even a relatively modest CPU like the 5600X can keep up, at least up to the point where CPU limits become apparent at 1080p.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for both components provides insight into what other hardware would behave similarly in Control. For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H has an average benchmark score of 21,749, which is just 0.1% lower than the Ryzen 5 5600X’s score of 21,771. This indicates that the 4800H would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in this game, making it a functional equivalent for frame pacing at lower resolutions. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U and Intel Core i7-11700 are also very close, with scores of 21,874 and 21,891 respectively, representing a 0.5% difference from the 5600X. The AMD EPYC 9554P, with a score of 21,899, is 0.6% faster, but its server-oriented nature would not change gaming outcomes in a noticeable way.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090’s nearest rivals are primarily professional workstation cards. The Intel Arc Pro A60 has an average score of 60,326, which is effectively identical to the RTX 4090’s 60,347, showing a delta of 0.0%. This suggests that the Arc Pro A60 would produce nearly the same frame rates in Control, though its driver and feature set may differ. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 0.3% faster with a score of 60,140, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% slower at 61,896. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% faster at 58,657, which would translate to a marginal frame rate improvement in practice. These rivals indicate that the RTX 4090’s performance level is shared by a narrow band of other GPUs, none of which are common gaming cards.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 75.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves?

A: The highest recorded average is 228.1 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How much faster is 1080p Ultra compared to 4K Ultra?

A: The average frame rate at 1080p Ultra is 149 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it is 75.1 FPS. This represents a 98.4% increase in performance when dropping from 4K to 1080p.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the GPU remains the primary bottleneck, as indicated by the large difference between presets. The Low preset achieves 206 FPS while Ultra achieves 111.8 FPS, showing that lowering settings still yields significant gains.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600X a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes a limiting factor at 1080p, where the scaling between presets is much smaller. At 4K and 1440p, the GPU is the clear constraint, and the CPU does not hinder performance.

Q: What is the best preset for this system at 4K?

A: The verdict data indicates that Ultra is the best setting at 3840x2160, with an average frame rate of 75.1 FPS. All presets are playable at this resolution, but Ultra offers the highest visual quality while remaining above 60 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC configuration is unequivocally capable of running Control at high performance levels across all tested settings. At 3840x2160, the system clears the 60 FPS playability threshold with every preset, with the Ultra setting delivering an average of 75.1 FPS and the Low setting reaching 139.2 FPS. The verdict data confirms that all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at 4K, making this a fully viable 4K gaming setup for this title.

At 2560x1440, the system performs even better, with the Ultra preset achieving 111.8 FPS and the Low preset reaching 206 FPS. All presets are marked as playable at this resolution, and the best visual setting, Ultra, still provides more than enough headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast, with the Ultra preset hitting 149 FPS and the Low preset reaching 228.1 FPS. The verdict confirms that all presets at 1080p are playable, and the Ultra setting offers the best balance of visual quality and speed. Based on the measured data, this combination will run Control smoothly at any resolution up to 4K with all settings maxed out, and it will comfortably support high-refresh-rate monitors at 1440p and 1080p.