Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a strong performance profile for Control, with measured data indicating that every resolution from 1080p to 4K offers at least one preset that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. The pairing is particularly potent at 1440p and 1080p, where even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains high frame rates, while 4K requires a slight settings reduction to stay smooth.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, it can. The measured data shows playable settings at 3840x2160 include High, Low, and Medium presets. The High preset achieves an average of 62 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, while the Medium preset averages 70 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 80 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are listed as playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an average benchmark score of 58386. It performs nearly identically to the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M, which scores 58323 (a 0.1% difference), and is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14900, which scores 58115.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The RTX 4070 sits in the 81st percentile among all GPUs, based on its average benchmark score of 37648. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, scores 37628, putting the RTX 4070 just 0.1% ahead.

Q: Are there any presets that fail to hit 60 FPS?

A: Yes, at 4K resolution the Ultra preset only averages 54 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold. However, this is the only setting across all resolutions that fails to reach 60 FPS in the measured data.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 193 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 106 FPS. This represents a significant 87 FPS drop, but both remain far above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU's influence becomes more apparent at lower resolutions where frame rates are higher. At 3840x2160, the frame rate scales almost linearly with graphics preset: Low averages 98 FPS, Medium averages 70 FPS, and High averages 62 FPS. This steep drop-off from Low to High (a 36 FPS decrease) indicates that the RTX 4070's rendering workload is the limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same preset scaling pattern persists but with higher absolute frame rates. The Low preset averages 146 FPS, Medium averages 104 FPS, and High averages 92 FPS. The gap between Low and High narrows to 54 FPS at 1440p compared to 36 FPS at 4K, suggesting that the GPU is still the dominant constraint but the CPU begins to contribute more meaningfully as resolution decreases.

At 1920x1080, the relationship shifts noticeably. The Low preset averages 193 FPS, Medium averages 137 FPS, and High averages 122 FPS. The frame rate ceiling at Low settings (193 FPS) is likely approaching the CPU's maximum throughput capability, as the Ryzen 7 9850X3D's 8 cores and 16 threads must process more game logic per frame relative to GPU rendering work. The difference between Medium and High at 1080p is just 15 FPS, whereas the same preset gap at 4K is 8 FPS, indicating that the GPU's workload scaling is beginning to saturate.

The Ultra preset data reinforces this interpretation. At 4K, Ultra drops to 54 FPS (below the 60 FPS threshold), at 1440p it holds at 80 FPS, and at 1080p it reaches 106 FPS. The proportional scaling from 1080p to 1440p (a 26 FPS drop) and from 1440p to 4K (another 26 FPS drop) shows that the GPU's performance degrades consistently with pixel count, while the CPU maintains sufficient capability to avoid becoming a limiting factor until very high frame rates.

For players targeting 60 FPS, the CPU is effectively never the bottleneck in this configuration. The GPU dictates which presets are viable at each resolution, with the CPU's strong single-thread and multi-thread scores (2228 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 22807 in multi-core) ensuring that even at 1080p Low with 193 FPS, the processor can keep up with the GPU's output.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which averages 62 FPS. This preset is the optimal choice for 4K, as it provides a comfortable margin above the threshold while delivering significantly better visual quality than Medium (70 FPS) or Low (98 FPS). The Ultra preset at 54 FPS falls short of playable, so High represents the best balance.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, averaging 80 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and still maintains a 20 FPS buffer above the playable threshold. All lower presets also clear 60 FPS, with High at 92 FPS, Medium at 104 FPS, and Low at 146 FPS, but Ultra offers the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 106 FPS, making it the recommended setting. This provides a substantial cushion above 60 FPS and ensures maximum graphical fidelity. The High preset at 122 FPS and Medium at 137 FPS are also viable options for players seeking even higher frame rates, but the Ultra preset's 106 FPS is more than sufficient for a smooth experience.

The Verdict

This PC can unequivocally run Control, with measured performance data confirming playable frame rates across all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system achieves playable status on every preset, with the Ultra setting averaging 106 FPS — more than 75% above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 80 FPS, providing excellent headroom for demanding scenes.

The situation at 3840x2160 is slightly more nuanced. The High preset averages 62 FPS, which clears the playable threshold, and both Medium (70 FPS) and Low (98 FPS) are also playable. However, the Ultra preset drops to 54 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS target. For 4K players, the recommendation is to use High settings, which deliver the best visual quality while maintaining fluid gameplay. Overall, the combination of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and RTX 4070 is more than adequate for Control, with only the absolute highest settings at 4K requiring compromise.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for both components provides useful context for players considering alternative hardware. The CPU, with an average benchmark score of 58386, performs within 1% of several comparable processors. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 58323 (0.1% slower), the Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115 (0.5% slower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 scores 58826 (0.7% faster). These processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Control, meaning players with any of these CPUs can expect similar gameplay performance.

For the GPU, the RTX 4070's average score of 37648 places it very close to several alternatives. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 37628 (0.1% slower), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507 (0.4% slower), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157 (1.3% slower). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 1.3% faster. These GPUs would produce comparable frame rates in Control, with differences of only a few FPS at each resolution and preset combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination ranks 904th out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top quarter of all systems tested. This ranking reflects the strong overall performance of the pairing, which consistently delivers playable frame rates across all resolutions and nearly all presets. The rank is driven primarily by the GPU's capability at higher resolutions, where the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth handle Control's demanding visuals effectively. The CPU's high single-thread performance ensures that even at 1080p with frame rates approaching 200 FPS, the system avoids CPU-related frame drops. For a game released in 2019, this combination provides substantial headroom for current and future play, with the only limitation being the Ultra preset at 4K. Players seeking a higher rank could look to GPUs with greater memory bandwidth or more shading units, but for the vast majority of gaming scenarios, this combo delivers a smooth and responsive experience.