Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title, across all tested resolutions and settings. Measured data shows average FPS figures that consistently clear the 60 FPS playable threshold, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining substantial headroom at every resolution. This analysis examines the optimal settings per resolution, the division of labor between CPU and GPU, comparable hardware alternatives, and the overall viability of this combination for running Control.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 76.6 FPS. This is a notable result because the Ultra preset typically represents the maximum visual fidelity a game can offer, and here it not only clears the 60 FPS threshold but does so with a 16.6 FPS margin. The High preset at this resolution produces 88.7 FPS, while Medium reaches 104.3 FPS, and Low jumps to 142.9 FPS. Since Ultra stays above 60 FPS, there is no reason to drop to lower presets for playability at 4K; the data shows all four settings are viable. The gap between Ultra and High is 12.1 FPS, and the jump from Medium to Low is 38.6 FPS, indicating that the Low preset offers a significant performance boost but at the cost of visual quality that is unnecessary given the Ultra result.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the Ultra preset again qualifies as the best setting, achieving an average of 118.8 FPS. This is nearly double the 60 FPS threshold, providing considerable room for frame rate fluctuations or future patches that might impact performance. The High preset runs at 134.2 FPS, Medium at 154.7 FPS, and Low at 199 FPS. The scaling from 4K to 1440p at Ultra shows a 42.2 FPS improvement (from 76.6 to 118.8), which is a 55% increase in average frame rate. This substantial gain suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, while the CPU has more influence at lower resolutions. At 1440p, the difference between Ultra and High is 15.4 FPS, and between Medium and Low it is 44.3 FPS, reinforcing the pattern seen at 4K where the Low preset provides the largest relative boost.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset delivers an average of 156.1 FPS, making it the best setting that stays above 60 FPS. This is the highest Ultra frame rate across all three resolutions, as expected given the reduced pixel count. The High preset reaches 179.6 FPS, Medium hits 187.3 FPS, and Low peaks at 218.4 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p at Ultra is 37.3 FPS (from 118.8 to 156.1), which is a 31% improvement. Interestingly, the jump from 1440p Low (199 FPS) to 1080p Low (218.4 FPS) is only 19.4 FPS, a smaller relative gain than the Ultra preset sees. This suggests that at 1080p and Low settings, the CPU becomes a more significant factor, as the GPU has less work to do and the 5800X3D’s capabilities start to cap the frame rate. Still, every preset at 1080p exceeds 60 FPS by a wide margin, with even the lowest performer (Ultra at 156.1 FPS) being more than 2.5 times the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern regarding which component matters more at each resolution. At 3840x2160, the average FPS scales dramatically with preset changes, indicating that the GPU is the dominant factor. For instance, moving from Low (142.9 FPS) to Ultra (76.6 FPS) at 4K represents a 66.3 FPS drop, or a 46% reduction in performance. This large swing is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 5090’s workload at high resolutions and quality settings dictates the frame rate. The CPU’s role at 4K is secondary, as the 5800X3D has ample headroom to feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck, even at the Low preset where the GPU is least stressed.

At 2560x1440, the scaling between presets remains pronounced but slightly less dramatic than at 4K. The difference between Low (199 FPS) and Ultra (118.8 FPS) is 80.2 FPS, a 40% reduction. This still points to GPU dominance, but the fact that the Low preset approaches 200 FPS suggests the CPU is beginning to exert more influence. The RTX 5090 is capable of extremely high frame rates at 1440p, and the 5800X3D’s eight cores and 16 threads are sufficient to keep up, but the gap between 1440p Low and 1080p Low (199 vs 218.4 FPS) is only 19.4 FPS, which is smaller than the gap at Ultra (118.8 vs 156.1 FPS, a 37.3 FPS difference). This indicates that at lower presets and resolutions, the CPU starts to limit performance, whereas at higher presets, the GPU remains the bottleneck.

At 1920x1080, the CPU’s role becomes even more apparent, particularly at the Low preset. The jump from 1440p Low (199 FPS) to 1080p Low (218.4 FPS) is just 19.4 FPS, despite the 1440p resolution having 78% more pixels than 1080p. If the GPU were the sole limiter, the 1080p Low result would be substantially higher, likely exceeding 300 FPS. Instead, the data suggests that the 5800X3D caps the frame rate around 218 FPS at Low settings, regardless of resolution. Meanwhile, at Ultra, the 1080p result (156.1 FPS) is significantly higher than 1440p (118.8 FPS), showing that the GPU is still the primary constraint at high presets. This dual behavior—CPU-limited at Low, GPU-limited at Ultra—is typical for a high-end GPU paired with a strong but not top-tier CPU. The 5800X3D’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache and Zen 3 architecture help it deliver strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 884 and Geekbench single-core score of 2017, but it cannot fully unlock the RTX 5090 at 1080p Low.

Overall, the data shows that the RTX 5090 is the dominant component at 4K and at high presets across all resolutions, while the 5800X3D becomes a limiting factor at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. For gamers targeting 4K Ultra, the GPU is the clear priority, and the CPU’s role is to provide consistent frame pacing without bottlenecking. At 1080p, the CPU matters more, and users might see diminishing returns from the RTX 5090’s power unless they use higher presets or resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D has an average benchmark score of 27896, placing it in the 80th percentile among all CPUs. Its closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, which scores 27887, a delta of 0%—essentially identical performance. This means that in a system with the RTX 5090, swapping the 5800X3D for a 6800U would yield nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Control, assuming the rest of the system is unchanged. The Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27872, which is 0.1% lower, again a negligible difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 scores 27932, which is 0.1% higher than the 5800X3D, and the Intel Core i5-12600KF scores 27799, 0.3% lower. All four rivals fall within a 0.4% range of the 5800X3D’s average score, suggesting that any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical performance in Control. The 5800X3D’s advantage in gaming scenarios often comes from its large L3 cache, but the benchmark averages indicate that for this game, the differences are within noise.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, placing it in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which scores 79605, a delta of 0.3% lower. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396, 0.6% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, which is 1.4% higher than the RTX 5090. These deltas are all under 1.5%, meaning that from a raw compute standpoint, these GPUs would deliver very similar frame rates in Control. However, it is importantly the RTX 5090’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are far beyond what the Tesla P100 or Radeon Pro Vega 64X offer, but for a game like Control, which was released in 2019, memory capacity is unlikely to be a limiting factor. The measured FPS data for the RTX 5090 shows it easily handles Control at all settings, so any of these rival GPUs would likely also exceed 60 FPS at most presets, though the exact frame rates would vary based on their architecture and driver optimizations.

In practical terms, if a user were to build a system with an RTX 5090 and one of these rival CPUs, the performance in Control would be nearly identical to the 5800X3D combination. The same applies to swapping the GPU for a rival model—the differences in average benchmark scores are so small that they would translate to at most a few FPS in game. The 5800X3D’s nearest rivals include both AMD and Intel parts, spanning mobile and desktop segments, which highlights that the CPU’s performance is well-rounded. Similarly, the RTX 5090’s rivals include professional and mobile GPUs, suggesting that high-end compute performance is what matters most for Control’s engine.

The Verdict

The benchmark data unequivocally shows that this PC can run Control at 60 FPS or higher across all tested resolutions and presets. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 76.6 FPS, exceeding the 60 FPS threshold by 16.6 FPS. The High, Medium, and Low presets also clear 60 FPS, with averages of 88.7, 104.3, and 142.9 FPS respectively. The verdictByResolution field lists all four settings as playable at 4K, with Ultra being the best setting at 76.6 FPS. This means a user can max out the game’s visual quality at 4K and still maintain a smooth frame rate, with no need to compromise on settings.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves 118.8 FPS, which is nearly double the 60 FPS threshold. All presets are playable, and the best setting is Ultra at 118.8 FPS. This resolution offers a substantial performance cushion, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors (up to 120 Hz) without any sacrifices. The difference between Ultra and High at 1440p is 15.4 FPS, so users seeking even higher frame rates could drop to High for 134.2 FPS, but the Ultra experience is already smooth.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 156.1 FPS, which is more than 2.5 times the playable threshold. All presets are playable, with Low reaching 218.4 FPS and Medium at 187.3 FPS. The best setting is Ultra at 156.1 FPS, making this combination ideal for 144 Hz or even 165 Hz monitors at 1080p. The only caveat is that at Low settings, the CPU becomes a bottleneck, capping the frame rate around 218 FPS, but this is far above any practical refresh rate for gaming.

In summary, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 can run Control at 60 FPS or above at every resolution and preset combination tested. The Ultra preset is the best choice at all three resolutions, with 76.6 FPS at 4K, 118.8 FPS at 1440p, and 156.1 FPS at 1080p. There is no scenario in the data where this combo falls below 60 FPS, so it is fully capable of running the game at maximum quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 delivers an average of 76.6 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. All presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: At 1080p, the CPU becomes more influential, particularly at Low settings where the frame rate is capped around 218.4 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is the dominant factor, with the Ultra preset dropping to 76.6 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 achieves 118.8 FPS, the highest of any preset while staying above 60 FPS. High runs at 134.2 FPS, but Ultra offers the best visual quality with a comfortable frame rate margin.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 the main bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, the data shows a 66.3 FPS drop from Low to Ultra at 4K (142.9 to 76.6 FPS), indicating GPU-bound performance. The CPU has less impact at 4K than at lower resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank among tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 141st out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 3.8% of all tested systems.

Q: Can this PC handle 1080p with a 240 Hz monitor?

A: At 1080p Low, the average is 218.4 FPS, which is below 240 Hz. At Ultra, the average is 156.1 FPS. So a 240 Hz monitor would not be fully utilized, but a 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor would be well-served.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 141st out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 3.8% of all systems evaluated. This ranking reflects the high performance of both components, with the RTX 5090 sitting in the 92nd percentile among GPUs and the 5800X3D in the 80th percentile among CPUs. The combo’s rank is impressive given that it includes a CPU that is not the absolute fastest on the market, but the GPU’s raw power compensates for any CPU limitations. The measured FPS data confirms this high ranking: at 4K Ultra, the combo delivers 76.6 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and indicates that the system can handle even the most demanding settings. At 1440p Ultra, the 118.8 FPS result is nearly double the playable threshold, and at 1080p Ultra, the 156.1 FPS figure is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming. The rank of 141 out of 3720 also suggests that there are 140 other combos that perform better, likely featuring newer or higher-end CPUs such as the Ryzen 9 or Core i9 series, but the 5800X3D’s 96 MB L3 cache and strong multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14317) keep it competitive. For Control specifically, the game’s 2019 release date means it does not require the latest hardware, and this combo exceeds all requirements with substantial headroom. The percentile rankings (80th for CPU, 92nd for GPU) indicate that this is a high-tier system, and the combo rank of 141st out of 3720 places it firmly in the upper echelon of tested configurations. Users can expect a flawless experience in Control, with no need to lower settings or resolution to achieve smooth gameplay.