Control

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination of AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 running Control shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and presets. The database contains average frame rates only, without separate minimum or maximum readings, so the analysis below relies on the recorded averages.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 is clearly operating beyond its comfort zone. The Low preset delivers an average of 55.5 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution that approaches playable territory. Medium drops to 42.1 FPS, High falls further to 36 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 31.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, a difference of 24.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor rather than the CPU. None of these settings reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the picture improves considerably. The Low preset averages 80.4 FPS, which clears the playable threshold with headroom to spare. Medium settles at 56.3 FPS, just short of 60 FPS, while High reaches 52.8 FPS and Ultra drops to 46.8 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a drop of 33.6 FPS, showing that each preset step costs roughly 8 to 10 FPS at this resolution. Only Low is fully playable here, though Medium is close enough that minor tweaks could push it over the line.

At 1920x1080, the combination performs best. The Low preset averages 107.9 FPS, which is more than 80% above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 76.6 FPS, and High averages 70.1 FPS, both comfortably playable. Ultra is the only preset that misses the mark, averaging 58.8 FPS, a shortfall of just 1.2 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 49.1 FPS, demonstrating that visual quality settings have a major impact on this GPU's output.

The overall pattern is consistent: the RTX 2060 scales predictably with resolution and preset changes, and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D provides enough headroom that the GPU remains the primary constraint in every scenario.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: Yes. The recorded average FPS at 1080p High is 70.1, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the highest preset at this resolution that maintains playable performance.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: Low is the only playable preset at 1440p, averaging 80.4 FPS. Medium averages 56.3 FPS, High averages 52.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 46.8 FPS, all below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 3840x2160 playable with any settings?

A: No. The best result at 4K is Low with 55.5 FPS, which falls short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all average below 43 FPS, so 4K is not recommended for this combination.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Low at 1920x1080?

A: The difference is significant. Low averages 107.9 FPS, while Ultra averages 58.8 FPS, a drop of 49.1 FPS. Ultra is the only 1080p preset that fails to reach 60 FPS.

Q: Which resolution offers the smoothest experience overall?

A: 1920x1080 with Low settings provides the highest average FPS at 107.9. However, 1080p High at 70.1 FPS offers a better visual experience while still remaining above the playable threshold.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 2060 ranks in the 58th percentile among all GPUs. The FPS drops steeply as resolution increases, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific pairing of AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2869 out of 3720 tested combinations in the database for Control. That puts it in the lower 23% of all tested combos, which reflects the GPU's age relative to the CPU's capability.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the RTX 2060's performance ceiling. The CPU is a top-tier gaming processor, but the GPU holds the combo back, especially at higher resolutions. The 58th percentile GPU ranking versus the 83rd percentile CPU ranking creates a significant bottleneck.

For context, the RTX 2060's average benchmark score is 15290, while its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 at 15283 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon 680M at 15270 (0.1% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 (0.6% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 at 15171 (0.8% delta). These scores are all within 1% of each other, meaning the GPU's performance class is tightly clustered.

The combo's ranking suggests that in the broader database, many other pairings deliver better results in Control. However, the ranking is not solely about raw FPS; it also reflects how well the CPU and GPU work together. In this case, the CPU is vastly more capable than the GPU, which is a mismatch that shows up in the overall rank.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals data, several hardware alternatives would produce similar performance in Control.

On the CPU side, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D has an average benchmark score of 33079. Its closest rivals are nearly identical in score: the AMD Ryzen 7 8700G at 33089 (0% delta), the Intel Core i7-13650HX at 33089 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX at 33091 (0% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H at 33201 (-0.4% delta). Swapping the 7800X3D for any of these would yield essentially the same CPU performance in Control, though the 7800X3D's large L3 cache may have game-specific effects not captured by the average score.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 at 15283 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon 680M at 15270 (0.1% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 (0.6% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 at 15171 (0.8% delta). These GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control, meaning the gaming experience would be virtually indistinguishable.

For a user considering this combo, swapping to any of these rival components would not meaningfully change the measured FPS. The performance envelope is defined by the GPU class, and the CPU is already far beyond what the GPU needs to reach its limits.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data shows a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Control. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a high-end gaming CPU with an 83rd percentile ranking, while the RTX 2060 is a mid-range GPU with a 58th percentile ranking. This imbalance means the GPU is the bottleneck in virtually every scenario.

Evidence for this comes from the FPS scaling across resolutions. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo averages 107.9 FPS. At 2560x1440 Low, that drops to 80.4 FPS, a reduction of 27.5 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, it drops further to 55.5 FPS, another 24.9 FPS reduction. This steep decline with increasing resolution is the signature of a GPU-bound workload, since the CPU's workload does not scale with resolution.

Preset scaling reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces FPS by 49.1 FPS (from 107.9 to 58.8). At 1440p, the same preset change reduces FPS by 33.6 FPS (from 80.4 to 46.8). At 4K, the reduction is 24.2 FPS (from 55.5 to 31.3). The fact that preset changes have a smaller absolute impact at higher resolutions is consistent with the GPU being fully saturated.

The CPU's role is to keep up with the GPU's demands, and the data suggests it does so effortlessly. The 7800X3D's 96 MB of shared L3 cache and high single-thread performance (1713 in Cinebench R23 single-core) are more than sufficient for Control's engine. The GPU, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 336 GB/s bandwidth, is the component that dictates playable settings.

In practical terms, users should focus on GPU settings rather than CPU settings. Lowering resolution and presets will yield predictable gains, while CPU upgrades would not improve FPS in this configuration.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the playable range is limited by resolution and settings.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The best result is Low at 55.5 FPS, which is close but not enough. Users targeting 4K will need to accept frame rates below the playable threshold or lower their expectations.

At 2560x1440, Low is the only playable setting, averaging 80.4 FPS. Medium at 56.3 FPS, High at 52.8 FPS, and Ultra at 46.8 FPS all fall short of 60 FPS. For 1440p gaming, Low settings are required for a smooth experience.

At 1920x1080, the picture is much better. High averages 70.1 FPS, Medium averages 76.6 FPS, and Low averages 107.9 FPS, all comfortably above 60 FPS. Ultra is the only miss at 58.8 FPS, just 1.2 FPS below the threshold. For 1080p gaming, users can enjoy High settings without issue and can approach Ultra with minor tweaks.

The verdict is straightforward: this combination is best suited for 1080p gaming with High or Medium settings. At 1440p, only Low settings are viable. At 4K, the GPU cannot reach the playable threshold at any setting.

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D provides ample CPU headroom, and the RTX 2060 is the limiting factor. Users who prioritize higher resolutions or visual quality would need a more powerful GPU, but for 1080p play, this combo delivers a solid experience.