Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is an extreme combination for Control, a 2019 action-adventure title. The benchmark data shows this combo achieves a rank of 46 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.3% of all systems tested for this game. This is a staggeringly high placement, driven primarily by the RTX 5090’s raw rasterization power, which sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The Ryzen 5 9600X, while a strong modern CPU in the 81st percentile, is clearly the supporting actor here, but that is not a criticism; the entire system is built to obliterate this game's requirements at every setting.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific CPU-GPU pairing at the 46th position out of 3,720 combinations tested for Control. This is a top-tier result, indicating that the system is not just capable of running the game, but is performing at a level that exceeds the vast majority of other configurations. The rank is a composite outcome of the CPU's and GPU's individual strengths, but the sheer magnitude of the GPU’s performance is the primary driver. The RTX 5090, with its Blackwell architecture and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, generates scores that dwarf most other components. For context, its average benchmark score is 79,842, and it holds a 92nd percentile ranking against all GPUs. This means the RTX 5090 is in the top 8% of all graphics cards ever tested on this database.

In contrast, the Ryzen 5 9600X, while no slouch, is a different class of component. Its average benchmark score is 29,713, placing it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. The combination of a top-10% GPU with a top-20% CPU yields a result in the top 1.3% of all combos, which demonstrates a synergistic effect where the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU enough data to prevent a bottleneck. The ranking suggests that this system is overkill for Control, a game that does not feature the most demanding physics or simulation systems. The data implies that the system will not be challenged by the game's mechanics, and the frame rate will be limited almost exclusively by the graphics settings and resolution chosen.

Best Settings per Resolution

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for each resolution, all of which exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 80.9 FPS. While lower presets naturally yield higher frame rates—Low hitting 143.9 FPS and Medium reaching 103.1 FPS—the Ultra preset is the best choice because it delivers the highest visual fidelity while still maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. High settings also clear the bar at 91.9 FPS, but Ultra is the definitive "best" setting for a full visual experience.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the story is similar. The Ultra preset is again the most demanding option that stays well above 60 FPS, with an average of 119.5 FPS. This is a significant leap from the 4K result, showing the GPU has ample headroom. The Low preset at this resolution reaches 216.7 FPS, which is useful for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, but for pure visual quality, Ultra is the clear winner. At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset achieves an average of 155.1 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. This is the most responsive and fluid experience possible, and the system is so powerful that even the highest settings cannot push the frame rate below the playable threshold. The data shows that this combo can run the game at its absolute maximum visual quality at every common resolution, with frame rates that are suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU's role diminishes as the resolution increases. The most telling comparison is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (284.2 FPS) and Ultra (155.1 FPS) is 129.1 FPS. This massive gap indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions, as the CPU can easily feed it frames, and the workload is entirely on the graphics card to render the scene. The CPU is capable of pushing well over 280 FPS, but the GPU cannot keep up.

At 1440p, the gap between Low (216.7 FPS) and Ultra (119.5 FPS) narrows to 97.2 FPS. The GPU is still the main constraint, but the increased pixel count places a heavier load on it, reducing the maximum achievable frame rate. At 4K, the gap between Low (143.9 FPS) and Ultra (80.9 FPS) is 63 FPS. The GPU is now heavily taxed, and the CPU's headroom is less relevant. This progression shows a classic GPU-bound scenario: as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU’s ability to process game logic and draw calls becomes less critical. The Ryzen 5 9600X, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is more than sufficient to handle the game's CPU overhead at any resolution, but the data confirms that the RTX 5090 is the component that determines the final frame rate. The system is never CPU-bound, as the FPS scales consistently with GPU workload.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with all settings maxed out?*

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows an average of 80.9 FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best setting to use for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Ultra preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 119.5 FPS, which is both visually superior and far above the 60 FPS minimum.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 4K?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor. The FPS drop from 143.9 (Low) to 80.9 (Ultra) at 4K shows that the graphics card is handling the increased workload, while the CPU is not a bottleneck.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other systems?

A: It ranks 46th out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.3% of all configurations tested for Control.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this system can achieve in this game?

A: The highest recorded average is 284.2 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 a strong GPU in general?

A: Yes, it holds the 92nd percentile ranking against all GPUs, and its average benchmark score is 79,842.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements at each resolution and settings preset.

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• Low: 143.9 FPS
• Medium: 103.1 FPS
• High: 91.9 FPS
• Ultra: 80.9 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• Low: 216.7 FPS
• Medium: 155.0 FPS
• High: 135.2 FPS
• Ultra: 119.5 FPS

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Low: 284.2 FPS
• Medium: 202.2 FPS
• High: 178.2 FPS
• Ultra: 155.1 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: the frame rate scales predictably with both resolution and settings. The RTX 5090's immense compute power ensures that even the heaviest preset at 4K remains playable, while lower resolutions and settings push frame rates into territory that is only useful for esports-grade monitors. There are no anomalies in the data, indicating stable performance across the board.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally answers the question: yes, this PC can absolutely run Control. The verdict by resolution is clear. At 3840x2160, the system can run the game at Ultra settings with an average of 80.9 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, it achieves 119.5 FPS on Ultra, and at 1920x1080, it reaches 155.1 FPS on Ultra. In all cases, the most demanding preset clears the playable threshold by a wide margin. The data indicates that this system does not just run the game; it dominates it. There is no resolution or settings preset in the measured data where the system falls below 60 FPS. This is a definitive pass, and the only limitation is the refresh rate of the user's monitor. This combination is overpowered for a game from 2019, but that is precisely the point—it provides an unrivaled, future-proof experience with maximum headroom for any possible mods or future updates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users looking to understand how other components might perform, the nearest rivals provide useful context. For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is closely matched by the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, which has an average score 0.2% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H and AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT are also within 0.5% and 0.6% of its score, respectively. This means a system with any of these CPUs would show nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Control. The AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS trails by 0.8%, which is still a negligible difference in real-world gaming. For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has a more varied set of rivals. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 12 GB versions are the closest, with average scores only 0.3% and 0.6% lower, respectively. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.1% behind, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% ahead. These are all high-performance parts, but the data shows that the RTX 5090 sits in a performance tier where small percentage differences will not translate into noticeable FPS changes in Control, given that all of these GPUs would easily exceed the 60 FPS target at any resolution. The practical takeaway is that this combo is at the top of a performance plateau, and small deviations in component choice will not alter the gameplay experience.