Control

Similar Performance Alternatives

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F sits in a tightly contested performance band. Its nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which trails by only 0.2%, and the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which leads by 0.2%. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.7% behind, while the Intel Core i7-14700K is 0.9% behind. In practical terms, any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame pacing in Control, with differences well below the margin of perceptible variance. The Ryzen 7 9700F ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, confirming that its compute headroom is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

On the graphics side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is bracketed by a curious set of neighbors. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 matches it within 0%, while the AMD Radeon 680M is 0.1% behind, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is 0.6% behind, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 trails by 0.8%. The RTX 2060 sits in the 58th percentile among all GPUs, a mid-pack position that explains why this combo's performance is constrained by graphics throughput rather than processor capability. Users stepping up from any of these rivals would see essentially no change in Control's frame rates, while those coming from a weaker GPU would notice a meaningful jump.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data shows a clear pattern: this game is heavily GPU-bound across most of the tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 48 FPS, dropping from 107 FPS to 59 FPS, which demonstrates that graphics load, not processor speed, drives the frame rate. The Ryzen 7 9700F, with its 94th percentile standing, provides ample headroom; the RTX 2060's 58th percentile position is the bottleneck.

As resolution climbs, the GPU's dominance becomes even more pronounced. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings reduces average FPS from 68 to 51, a 25% drop. Scaling further to 3840x2160 at High yields 35 FPS, a 31% reduction from the 1440p figure. These scaling ratios align with the GPU's rendering load increasing faster than the CPU's involvement. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 30 FPS, confirming that the RTX 2060 is fully saturated while the processor idles with capacity to spare.

The CPU's role is not entirely negligible, however. The Ryzen 7 9700F's strong single-thread score of 4691 in the database ensures that Control's physics and AI systems, which are not heavily multithreaded, never stall the frame pipeline. But the evidence points to the GPU as the component that determines playability at every resolution and preset combination tested. Users considering an upgrade path should focus on the graphics card first; the processor is unlikely to become a limiting factor until paired with a substantially faster GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 2060 delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 107 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium settings average 76 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS, meaning even the worst-case frame drops stay above the threshold. High settings average 68 FPS, still playable, while Ultra drops to 59 FPS on average, just below the 60 FPS line. The data records no min or max values for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution, so only the Medium preset provides the full variance picture.

At 2560x1440, the picture tightens considerably. Low settings average 81 FPS, the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings average 58 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS, placing the average just below the threshold and the minimum well below it. High settings average 51 FPS, and Ultra drops to 45 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 23 FPS, a substantial penalty that reflects the GPU's memory bandwidth constraints at higher resolutions.

At 3840x2160, none of the tested presets reach 60 FPS. Low settings average 55 FPS, the closest approach. Medium averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS. High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 16 FPS, and the gap between Medium and High is 4 FPS, indicating diminishing returns as settings increase. The RTX 2060's 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for smooth 4K operation in this title.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 60 FPS on 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 High is 68, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

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

A: Low settings is the only playable option, with an average of 81 FPS. Medium averages 58 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: No. The highest average at 3840x2160 is 55 FPS on Low settings, and every other preset averages between 30 and 39 FPS, all below the threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to the RX 7600 in Control?

A: The RTX 2060 leads the RX 7600 by 0.8% in the database's average benchmark scores, meaning the two GPUs perform nearly identically in this game.

Q: Does Ultra settings ever reach 60 FPS at any resolution?

A: No resolution is playable at Ultra. At 1080p Ultra the average is 59 FPS, at 1440p Ultra it is 45 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it is 30 FPS.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1920x1080 Medium settings?

A: The recorded minimum is 65 FPS, with a maximum of 88 FPS and an average of 76 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700F a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 in this game?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores and 94th percentile ranking indicate it provides ample compute headroom; the GPU's 58th percentile position is the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing ranks 2950th out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower portion of the database's tested configurations. The rank reflects the RTX 2060's mid-pack GPU standing more than the CPU's strength. The Ryzen 7 9700F ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 2060 ranks in the 58th percentile among all GPUs. The combination of a top-tier processor with a mid-tier graphics card produces a system that is balanced toward CPU-heavy workloads, but Control is not one of those workloads.

The rank of 2950 out of 3720 means that approximately 770 tested combinations deliver worse performance in this game. The gap between the CPU's percentile and the combo's rank highlights how much the GPU dictates the outcome. Users with this pairing should interpret the rank as a GPU limitation, not a processor deficiency. Upgrading the graphics card while keeping the Ryzen 7 9700F would likely produce a substantial improvement in Control, whereas replacing the CPU would yield no measurable benefit in this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 68 FPS. Medium also qualifies at 76 FPS, and Low reaches 107 FPS, but High offers the best visual quality while staying above the threshold. Ultra falls just short at 59 FPS, so it is not recommended for a locked 60 FPS experience.

At 2560x1440, the only preset that maintains 60 FPS is Low, averaging 81 FPS. Medium averages 58 FPS, which is below the threshold, and High and Ultra are further behind at 51 and 45 FPS respectively. Users at this resolution must accept Low settings to maintain smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 55 FPS, followed by Medium at 39 FPS, High at 35 FPS, and Ultra at 30 FPS. The database records no playable settings at this resolution, so users should either lower the resolution or upgrade the GPU before attempting 4K play.