Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination delivers a decisive performance margin in Control, with the measured data showing every tested settings preset at every resolution clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold. The pairing of a 6-core Zen 5 processor with an Ada Lovelace flagship-class GPU produces frame rates that range from a 68 FPS average at 4K Ultra to a 244.5 FPS average at 1080p Low, indicating that this system is not merely capable but offers substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate displays across the board.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the benchmark results show a clear hierarchy across settings. The Low preset averages 124.8 FPS, which drops to 86.5 FPS on Medium, 77.6 FPS on High, and 68 FPS on Ultra. The scaling pattern here is notable: moving from Low to Medium costs 38.3 FPS, while the step from Medium to High costs only 8.9 FPS, and High to Ultra costs another 9.6 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset imposes a relatively modest additional load over High at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 68 FPS is the lowest average in the entire dataset, yet it still sits 8 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance envelope expands considerably. The Low preset averages 183 FPS, Medium hits 129.6 FPS, High reaches 118.5 FPS, and Ultra settles at 102.2 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 80.8 FPS, which is proportionally larger than the 56.8 FPS spread seen at 4K. This indicates that resolution scaling affects the cost of higher settings, with the 1440p results showing more pronounced differences between presets. The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 102.2 FPS, which is over 40 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold and suggests that this combo has significant spare capacity at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the results become almost excessive for standard 60 Hz displays. Low averages 244.5 FPS, Medium hits 174.3 FPS, High reaches 156.5 FPS, and Ultra maintains 134 FPS. The 1080p Low result is more than four times the 60 FPS threshold, and even the most demanding Ultra preset at 1080p delivers 134 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 70.2 FPS, which is the largest single-step drop in the entire dataset, while the subsequent steps to High and Ultra cost 17.8 FPS and 22.5 FPS respectively. This pattern suggests that the Medium preset at 1080p represents a significant jump in visual complexity relative to Low.

Across all resolutions, the data shows no min or max FPS values recorded, meaning the analysis relies entirely on average frame rates. The spread between the highest and lowest averages within a single resolution grows as resolution decreases: 56.8 FPS at 4K, 80.8 FPS at 1440p, and 110.5 FPS at 1080p. This widening gap indicates that lower resolutions become increasingly CPU-bound at higher settings, allowing the GPU headroom to express larger differences between presets.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals which component constrains performance. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 68 FPS, while at 1440p Ultra it rises to 102.2 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra it reaches 134 FPS. The progression from 4K to 1440p yields a 50.3% increase in frame rate, while the step from 1440p to 1080p yields a 31.1% increase. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the pixel throughput demands grow faster than the CPU's ability to feed frames.

The 1080p Low result of 244.5 FPS compared to the 4K Low result of 124.8 FPS shows a 95.9% increase, which is close to the theoretical scaling expected from pixel count differences. However, the 1080p Ultra result of 134 FPS compared to 4K Ultra's 68 FPS shows a 97.1% increase, nearly identical scaling. This consistency across presets suggests that the RTX 4080 SUPER maintains its relative performance advantage regardless of settings, and the CPU is not significantly limiting even at 1080p Low where frame rates approach 250 FPS.

The role of the Ryzen 5 9600X becomes more apparent when examining the preset scaling within each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 110.5 FPS, while at 4K the same comparison yields only 56.8 FPS. This larger spread at lower resolutions indicates that the CPU can drive higher frame rates when the GPU is less burdened, but the GPU's rendering workload at 4K compresses the performance differences between presets. The data implies that at 4K, the RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant factor, while at 1080p, the CPU's 6-core, 12-thread configuration with a 5.40 GHz boost clock becomes more influential in maximizing frame rates.

The 1440p results sit between these extremes, with the 102.2 FPS Ultra result suggesting a balanced workload where neither component fully saturates. The fact that 1440p Ultra achieves nearly the same frame rate as 4K High (77.6 FPS) indicates that the GPU has sufficient headroom to handle higher resolutions without the CPU becoming a limiting factor at this performance tier.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K Ultra settings above 60 FPS?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 68 FPS, which is 8 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the lowest average FPS recorded in the entire dataset, but it remains playable.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 244.5 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is more than four times the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 134 at 1920x1080 to 68 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 66 FPS or approximately 49%. At Low settings, the drop is from 244.5 FPS to 124.8 FPS, a reduction of 119.7 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at every resolution tested?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset produces 68 FPS at 3840x2160, 102.2 FPS at 2560x1440, and 134 FPS at 1920x1080. All three results exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Which resolution shows the largest performance gap between Low and Ultra presets?

A: The largest gap is at 1920x1080, where the difference between Low (244.5 FPS) and Ultra (134 FPS) is 110.5 FPS. The 2560x1440 gap is 80.8 FPS, and the 3840x2160 gap is 56.8 FPS.

Q: Does this combo ever drop below 60 FPS in the measured data?

A: No. The lowest average FPS recorded is 68 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. All 12 measured configurations exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Ryzen 5 9600X are all AMD processors with similar average benchmark scores. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE scores 29656, which is 0.2% higher than the 9600X's 29713 average. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H scores 29868, representing a 0.5% advantage, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT scores 29879, a 0.6% edge, and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS scores 29955, a 0.8% lead. These deltas are all within one percentage point, meaning any of these CPUs would likely produce similar frame rates in Control when paired with the same RTX 4080 SUPER GPU. The 9600X sits at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, indicating that these rivals occupy a closely clustered performance band.

For the GPU side, the closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, which scores 54247 on average, just 0.1% below the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54209. This effectively means the non-SUPER RTX 4080 would produce nearly identical FPS in Control. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, a 1.1% higher average, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, a 2.7% advantage, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, a 2.8% lead. Despite these higher synthetic scores, the differences remain small enough that in-game performance for Control would be virtually indistinguishable. The RTX 4080 SUPER holds the 86th percentile among all GPUs, and its rivals all fall within a 2.8% performance envelope.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control with exceptional ease. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings presets are playable at every resolution tested, with the lowest result being 68 FPS at 4K Ultra. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 102.2 FPS, and at 1920x1080, it reaches 134 FPS. The best settings at each resolution are the Ultra preset, which maintains the highest visual quality while staying comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

The data indicates that users seeking maximum visual fidelity at 4K can enable Ultra settings and still enjoy a playable experience, though the 68 FPS average leaves less headroom than the 1440p or 1080p results. For those with high-refresh-rate displays, the 1440p Ultra result of 102.2 FPS and 1080p Ultra result of 134 FPS provide ample frame rates for smooth gameplay. The system's performance is so robust that even the most demanding configuration tested — 4K Ultra — exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by 13.3%.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 309th out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 8.3% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong synergy between the 9600X's single-thread performance, evidenced by its 2183.5 Cinebench R23 single-core score, and the RTX 4080 SUPER's raw rendering power, shown by its 34245 Passmark G3D score. The rank indicates that while there are 308 combos that perform better in this game, the vast majority of systems — 3411 out of 3720 — deliver lower frame rates than this pairing.

The percentile standings of the individual components support this ranking. The CPU sits at the 81st percentile among all processors, and the GPU at the 86th percentile among all graphics cards. The combined rank of 309 out of 3720 suggests that the pairing is slightly more effective than the individual percentiles might imply, likely due to the balanced nature of the CPU-GPU relationship in Control's workload.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best settings that stay at or above 60 FPS are the Ultra preset, which achieves an average of 68 FPS. While the High preset produces 77.6 FPS and Medium produces 86.5 FPS, Ultra delivers the highest visual quality while still clearing the threshold by 8 FPS. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity at 4K, the Low preset offers 124.8 FPS, but the Ultra preset remains the optimal choice for maximum quality.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again provides the best experience, with an average of 102.2 FPS. This result is 42.2 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, offering substantial headroom. The High preset at 118.5 FPS and Medium at 129.6 FPS are viable alternatives, but Ultra's 102.2 FPS is sufficient for most displays and provides the full visual experience.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 134 FPS, which is 74 FPS above the threshold. This configuration allows for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p with maximum settings. The Low preset at 244.5 FPS would be appropriate for competitive play on 240 Hz monitors, but the Ultra preset at 134 FPS balances visual quality with performance. Across all three resolutions, the Ultra preset is the recommended setting, with the 4K result of 68 FPS being the only configuration that approaches the 60 FPS threshold.