Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 pairing delivers a remarkably consistent experience in Control, with the bottleneck shifting from the GPU at 4K to a balanced workload at lower resolutions. This combination is capable of high-refresh 1440p gaming and clears the 60 FPS threshold at 4K with settings dialed back. The data shows a system that is well-matched for a game of this era, offering headroom for demanding presets at mainstream resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination covers three resolutions and four quality presets, revealing a clear performance hierarchy. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset produces an average of 185 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 131 FPS with a minimum of 111 FPS and a maximum of 151 FPS. High settings bring the average down to 117 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 101 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the RTX 3080 has ample bandwidth to push frame rates far beyond the playable threshold, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but scales down predictably. The Low preset still delivers a high average of 140 FPS. Medium settings produce 99 FPS on average, with a recorded minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. High settings average 88 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to an average of 77 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is noticeable, with the Ultra preset losing roughly 24 FPS on average, but the experience remains fluid and well above the 60 FPS threshold across all presets. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium settings (84 FPS) suggests that even in demanding scenes, the system holds its ground.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve steepens, and the need for settings adjustments becomes apparent. The Low preset averages 94 FPS, which is still excellent for 4K. Medium settings average 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. High settings drop to exactly 60 FPS on average. The Ultra preset, however, falls below the playable threshold with an average of 52 FPS. The data indicates that 4K Ultra is the only configuration where this combo cannot maintain a smooth experience. The Medium preset’s minimum of 57 FPS shows that while the average is playable, there can be brief dips below 60 FPS in the most intense moments.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data from the database, the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F sits in a tight performance cluster. The Intel Core i5-14600T is the closest match, with an average benchmark score that is only 0.1% higher. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 are also nearby, with scores 0.2% and 0.3% higher, respectively. On the lower side, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H has a score that is 0.2% lower. Practically speaking, in a game like Control, these differences are negligible; swapping the 7400F for any of these rivals would result in performance that is within the margin of error.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080’s nearest rivals present an interesting picture. The NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and AMD Radeon R9 M290X all have average scores within 0.4% of the RTX 3080. This is a diverse group, but the data suggests their gaming performance in this title would be comparable. A user with any of these GPUs paired with a similar-tier CPU would likely see frame rates within a few percentage points of those listed here. It is notably the RTX 3080’s percentile ranking (68) is lower than the CPU’s (83), suggesting the GPU is the more limiting factor in this pairing, but the measured FPS shows it is still more than sufficient for this game.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results across resolutions and presets show a shifting balance of responsibility between the Ryzen 5 7400F and the RTX 3080. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. The scaling from Low to Ultra presets shows a steep decline from 94 FPS to 52 FPS, a 42 FPS drop. This large variance is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where the graphics card’s render capacity dictates the frame rate. The CPU, with its high single-thread score of 3072 in Cinebench R23, is not the bottleneck here; it is waiting on the GPU to finish its work.

At 2560x1440, the system becomes more balanced. The performance drop from Low to Ultra is still significant (140 FPS to 77 FPS), but the overall frame rates are high enough that neither component is fully saturated. The 7400F’s strong multi-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21765, allows it to feed the GPU efficiently. The result is a smooth experience where the GPU is still the primary driver of performance scaling, but the CPU is providing adequate support.

At 1920x1080, the CPU’s role becomes more prominent. The performance is so high that the GPU is less likely to be the sole limiting factor. The scaling from Low to Ultra is still present (185 FPS to 101 FPS), but the absolute numbers are so high that game logic and physics, which are CPU-dependent, can start to influence frame times. The 7400F’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for Control, but the data implies that at this resolution, the gap between the CPU and GPU narrows, and the system’s overall capability is more evenly distributed between the two components.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database’s ranking of tested combos for Control, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 holds the 1071st position out of 3720 total combinations. This places it in the upper third of all systems tested, indicating that it is a capable setup for this title. The percentile rank of the CPU (83) is notably higher than that of the GPU (68), which suggests that the processor is a stronger performer relative to its peers than the graphics card is relative to its own peers.

The ranking reflects the overall measured performance across all tested resolutions and presets. Given that the combo achieves over 60 FPS at 4K High and significantly higher frame rates at lower resolutions, its position in the top 29% of all tested systems is logical. A higher rank would require a more powerful GPU, as the CPU is already performing near the top of its class. The data indicates that this is a well-rounded pairing that leverages a strong CPU to support a high-end GPU, resulting in a system that is more than adequate for Control.

The Verdict

The data shows a clear verdict for this PC configuration. At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable at all tested presets, with the Ultra preset delivering an average of 101 FPS. The best setting for a smooth experience is Ultra, which provides the highest visual quality while maintaining a high frame rate. At 2560x1440, the system is also fully playable at all presets, with the Ultra preset averaging 77 FPS. This resolution offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, making it the recommended target for this hardware. At 3840x2160, the system can run the game at High settings with an average of exactly 60 FPS, which meets the playable threshold. The Low and Medium presets also clear this threshold, but the High preset is the best playable option as it offers superior visuals. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 52 FPS, is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS and should be avoided. In summary, this combination is a strong performer, capable of running Control at high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, and at 4K with settings adjusted to High or lower.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with ray tracing enabled at 60 FPS?

A: The measured data does not include any ray tracing benchmarks. The data shows that at 3840x2160 with the High preset (no ray tracing data), the system averages exactly 60 FPS. The Ultra preset, which would typically include higher graphical demands, averages 52 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game at with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At this resolution, the Ultra preset averages 77 FPS, providing a high level of visual quality that is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is a better balance than 1080p, where performance is higher but the visual upgrade to 1440p is significant, and better than 4K, where settings must be reduced.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is very closely matched with its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i5-14600T scores 0.1% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H scores 0.2% lower. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 are 0.2% and 0.3% higher, respectively. These differences are minimal and would not produce a noticeable change in frame rate.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 a bottleneck for the Ryzen 5 7400F in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the more limiting component, as its percentile rank (68) is lower than the CPU's (83). At 4K, the scaling between presets is significant, indicating a GPU-bound workload. However, the GPU is still powerful enough to deliver high frame rates, so the bottleneck is only relevant at the highest resolutions and settings.

Q: What frame rate can I expect with the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 99. The minimum FPS recorded is 84, and the maximum is 114. This indicates a smooth and stable experience, with no significant dips below the playable threshold.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the components in this build?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has a launch MSRP of $229, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has a launch MSRP of 699 USD.