Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a wide range of performance in Control, scaling from a demanding 4K experience to a high-refresh-rate 1080p one. The measured data shows that this combination is capable of clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every resolution, but the preset headroom varies dramatically depending on the target resolution. At 4K, the system is constrained, while at 1440p and 1080p, it can handle the highest visual settings with room to spare.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data provides clear guidance on which preset to select for a smooth experience at each resolution, defined as maintaining an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low. The benchmark results show an average of 75.4 FPS at this setting. The next step up, Medium, drops to 53.9 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold. High and Ultra presets are even more demanding, with averages of 46.8 FPS and 38.9 FPS respectively, making them unsuitable for a 60 FPS target at this resolution.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the system has significantly more headroom. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 65.1 FPS. This is a substantial jump from 4K, where even the High preset was not viable. The data shows that all four presets—Low at 110.3 FPS, Medium at 81.6 FPS, High at 72.3 FPS, and Ultra at 65.1 FPS—clear the 60 FPS bar, allowing the user to prioritize visual fidelity without compromising on frame rate.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the CPU and GPU combination is at its most comfortable. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with a strong average of 83.1 FPS. This leaves a significant margin above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the system can handle the game’s maximum settings with ease. The lower presets offer even higher performance, with Low reaching 151.1 FPS, Medium at 106.2 FPS, and High at 91.5 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions and presets reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU for Control. The data shows a clear pattern where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases.

Comparing the performance drop from 1080p to 4K at the same preset illustrates the GPU’s growing influence. For example, at the Ultra preset, the average frame rate falls from 83.1 FPS at 1080p to 65.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 38.9 FPS at 4K. This represents a 53% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a significant decline that is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. Similarly, at the High preset, performance drops from 91.5 FPS at 1080p to 72.3 FPS at 1440p and 46.8 FPS at 4K. The consistent and large drops as resolution increases point to the graphics card being the limiting factor.

The CPU’s role is more apparent at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is less taxed. At 1080p with the Low preset, the system achieves 151.1 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to maintain very high performance. The relatively small performance difference between presets at 1080p, compared to the larger gaps at 4K, also indicates the CPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the workload is more balanced, with the CPU able to push frame rates high enough to potentially expose GPU limits at lower settings. However, as the resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the pixel-pushing demands on the RTX 5060 grow exponentially, making the GPU the dominant factor in determining final performance. The fact that the 1440p Ultra preset (65.1 FPS) achieves a higher frame rate than the 4K High preset (46.8 FPS) further confirms this, as the resolution change has a more substantial impact than the preset change.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with the High preset?

A: No. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with High settings is 46.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. To achieve a playable experience at 4K, the Low preset must be used, which yields 75.4 FPS.

Q: What is the highest quality setting I can use at 1440p while staying above 60 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 2560x1440, with an average frame rate of 65.1 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 151.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 83.1 FPS. This represents a performance increase of 68 FPS, or roughly 82% higher frame rate when using Low settings.

Q: Is the game more demanding at 4K with Medium settings or at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: The 4K Medium preset is more demanding. It produces an average of 53.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. In contrast, the 1440p Ultra preset produces 65.1 FPS, which is above the threshold. This shows that the resolution increase to 4K has a larger negative impact on performance than the settings increase at 1440p.

Q: What is the average frame rate for the High preset at 1440p?

A: The benchmark data shows an average of 72.3 FPS for the High preset at 2560x1440 resolution. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Does the system ever drop below 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: No. All four presets tested at 1920x1080—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—report average frame rates above 60 FPS. The lowest of these is the Ultra preset at 83.1 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the components in this system provide a reference for what other hardware might offer similar performance in Control. These comparisons are based on aggregate benchmark scores and may not perfectly translate to in-game results, but they offer a general idea of equivalents.

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 39768. Its closest rivals are a group of processors with very similar scores. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS scores 39603, which is 0.4% lower. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40048, which is 0.7% higher. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 scores 39485, which is 0.7% lower. Finally, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 scores 40081, which is 0.8% higher. These deltas are all under 1%, indicating that in synthetic benchmarks, these CPUs would perform nearly identically to the 9800X3D, though real-world gaming performance could still differ.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals show a similar pattern of close scores. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401, which is 0.3% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, which is 0.8% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% lower. These small percentage differences suggest that these graphics cards would deliver a comparable level of performance in most scenarios, including games like Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section provides the complete set of measured average frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination in Control. All figures are average FPS; no minimum or maximum frame rate data is available.

At 1920x1080, the system performs as follows:

• Low: 151.1 FPS
• Medium: 106.2 FPS
• High: 91.5 FPS
• Ultra: 83.1 FPS

At 2560x1440, the performance is:

• Low: 110.3 FPS
• Medium: 81.6 FPS
• High: 72.3 FPS
• Ultra: 65.1 FPS

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly:

• Low: 75.4 FPS
• Medium: 53.9 FPS
• High: 46.8 FPS
• Ultra: 38.9 FPS

The data shows a clear and consistent pattern: for every preset, the frame rate decreases as the resolution increases. The transition from 1080p to 1440p incurs a moderate performance hit, while the jump to 4K is much more severe, particularly at higher presets.

The Verdict

The benchmark data confirms that this PC configuration is capable of running Control, but the experience varies significantly by resolution and settings.

At 3840x2160, the system is playable, but only with the Low preset, which achieves an average of 75.4 FPS. This is the only setting at this resolution that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Users who prioritize higher visual fidelity at 4K would need to accept frame rates below 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the system is fully playable across the board. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—achieve average frame rates above 60 FPS. The best playable experience is with the Ultra preset, which delivers 65.1 FPS, allowing for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1920x1080, the system excels. Every preset, including Ultra, runs well above the 60 FPS threshold, with the Ultra preset hitting 83.1 FPS. This makes 1080p the ideal resolution for this combination, offering high frame rates and the ability to max out all settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Control, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is positioned in the middle of the pack. The combo rank is 1697 out of a total of 3720 tested combinations.

This ranking places the system in the 45th percentile of all tested combos. While this might seem low for a high-end CPU paired with a new-generation GPU, it reflects the fact that Control is a demanding title, particularly at higher resolutions. The ranking is likely influenced by the RTX 5060’s 8 GB of memory and its performance relative to other, more powerful graphics cards that are also included in the database. The data shows that while this system is more than capable of providing a playable experience in most scenarios, it is not at the top of the performance hierarchy for this specific game.