Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a performance profile in Control that hinges almost entirely on the chosen resolution and preset. The measured data reveals a system that can comfortably handle the game at 1080p and 1440p with maximum settings, but which falls short of the 60 FPS threshold at 4K when pushing beyond the lowest settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the division of labor between the CPU and GPU, and where this combo stands among all tested configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates substantial headroom. The Low preset produces an average of 149 FPS, which is the highest raw result in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 106 FPS, with measured minimum and maximum values of 90 and 122 FPS respectively. The High preset yields an average of 94 FPS, while the Ultra preset, the most demanding setting in the game, still maintains an average of 82 FPS. At no point in the 1080p range does the frame rate approach the playable threshold of 60 FPS, indicating that this resolution is well within the capability of the hardware.

At 2560x1440, the performance scaling is predictable. The Low preset delivers an average of 113 FPS. The Medium preset sees a significant reduction to 80 FPS average, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS. The High preset posts an average of 71 FPS, which is still comfortably above the playable threshold. The Ultra preset, however, brings the average down to 62 FPS. This is a critical data point, as it remains above 60 FPS, but with less margin than at 1080p. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at High settings shows a reduction from 94 to 71 FPS, a 23 FPS difference.

The 3840x2160 resolution presents the most challenging environment. The Low preset manages an average of 76 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution that clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset average drops to 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. The High preset falls further to 48 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 42 FPS. None of these four settings at 4K, except Low, reach the playable threshold. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K is a stark 34 FPS, demonstrating the heavy toll the highest settings take on the GPU at this resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals that the RTX 5060 is the dominant bottleneck in this configuration. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p, the CPU is likely feeding the GPU sufficiently, as evidenced by the high frame rates. However, the GPU's capabilities are taxed increasingly as the resolution rises. The scaling between resolutions shows that the GPU is the limiting factor.

The Ryzen 7 9700F, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, appears to be more than adequate for this task. The fact that the average frame rates at 1080p with the Low preset reach 149 FPS suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this scenario. The game's performance scales with GPU load, which is evident when comparing the 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 results. The gap between the High preset at 1440p (71 FPS) and the High preset at 4K (48 FPS) is a 23 FPS drop, a more significant decline than the 23 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p at High settings. This non-linear scaling points to the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources becoming the primary constraint.

The RTX 5060 has an 8 GB memory size and a 128-bit memory bus, which are likely significant factors at 4K. The data shows that the GPU's performance at 4K is insufficient for High and Ultra presets, with averages of 48 and 42 FPS respectively. Conversely, the CPU is not the primary constraint in any scenario. The data suggests that even at 4K Low, the 76 FPS result is still well above the playable threshold, which could indicate that the CPU is still capable of providing frames, but the GPU is the one dictating the final output. The game is clearly more demanding on the GPU, making the RTX 5060 the component to upgrade for better 4K performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

According to the benchmark data, the CPU performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is closely matched by several other processors. The data shows a deltaPct of 0.2% against the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, meaning the 9700F is effectively tied with it. The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 0.2% performance difference, again a negligible margin. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.7% behind the 9700F, and the Intel Core i7-14700K is 0.9% behind. This means that for the purpose of running Control, any of these CPUs would provide a near-identical experience, and the GPU would still be the primary determinant of FPS.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has a nearestRivals list that includes the AMD Radeon 860M, which is 0.3% behind in average score. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 is also a 0.3% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary is 0.8% slower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is 1.2% faster than the RTX 5060. This indicates that, in terms of raw score, the RTX 5060 is a mid-range performer, and a user with an RX 6750 XT would see slightly better performance. However, the game's specific requirements are what matter. The RX 6750 XT, being 1.2% faster, would likely produce an average FPS a couple of points higher in Control, but the overall playability conclusions would remain the same. The RTX 5060, with its 8 GB of memory, is the deciding factor for 4K performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS in 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows that all presets at 1920x1080 produce average FPS above 60. The Ultra preset has an average of 82 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 149 FPS.

Q: What is the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 yields an average of 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All other presets at this resolution also clear 60 FPS.

Q: Is the game playable at 4K with High settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 48, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Only the Low preset reaches a playable average of 76 FPS at 4K.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: The combo is ranked 1665 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control. This places it in the upper half of tested systems, but not at the top tier.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more influential in this game?

A: The data shows the GPU is the primary bottleneck. Performance scales heavily with resolution, and the CPU, with a 94th percentile score, is not the limiting factor in the tested scenarios.

Q: What is the average FPS range for the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: The data shows a minimum of 90 FPS, an average of 106 FPS, and a maximum of 122 FPS for the Medium preset at 1920x1080.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination holds a rank of 1665 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the 45th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of configurations. The rank is a composite indicator of the overall performance of the whole system. While the RTX 5060 is a mid-range card, the strong 8-core CPU likely contributes to the combo's ability to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. The low percentage of the rank indicates that the system is not a top-tier performer for this game, but it is far from being a low-end setup.

The ranking reveals that this system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, but it will struggle with 4K at high quality. The data suggests that the combo is better served by a 1440p monitor, where it can achieve very high frame rates at any preset. The rank of 1665 out of 3720 also indicates that there are a lot of faster systems, but the 60 FPS playable threshold is met in most scenarios the system is used for.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which yields an average of 82 FPS. This is the most demanding preset and it keeps the frame rate well above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are Ultra, producing an average of 62 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that still maintains an average above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, with an average of 76 FPS. This is the only preset at 4K that achieves an average FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Control. The data shows a clear verdict: the system is fully playable at all settings for 1080p and 1440p, with the Ultra preset averaging 82 FPS and 62 FPS, respectively. At 4K, the system is only playable at the Low preset, which reaches an average of 76 FPS. The High, Medium, and Ultra presets at 4K all fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 48, 54, and 42 FPS. The verdict is that for the best experience, the user should stick to 1440p or lower to enjoy high-quality visuals. At 4K, the user must accept the Low preset to maintain a playable frame rate. The data confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU is a capable partner that does not hold the system back.