Control

# Control Performance Analysis: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with AMD Radeon RX 580

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X processor and the AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card presents a notable imbalance for Control, a game released in August 2019. The Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, featuring a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with 64 MB of L3 cache. The RX 580, on the other hand, is a Polaris 20 chip built on a 14 nm process with 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory operates across a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The recorded benchmark data shows that this pairing achieves playable frame rates only at 1080p with Low settings, while higher resolutions and presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Ryzen 9 5950X sits in a performance tier where several processors deliver nearly identical average benchmark scores. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX achieves an average score that is 0.2 percent lower, while the AMD EPYC 8124P trails by 0.3 percent. The Intel Core i9-13900F scores 0.4 percent higher, and the Intel Core i7-14700 leads by 0.7 percent. These four alternatives would behave essentially the same as the 5950X in CPU-bound scenarios, meaning that swapping the processor for any of these would not materially change frame rates in Control, given that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at most settings.

For the RX 580, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, which scores 0.1 percent lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, which trails by 0.4 percent. On the AMD side, the Radeon 740M scores 0.5 percent higher, and the AMD FirePro W5100 scores 0.6 percent higher. These deltas are small enough that in practical gaming terms, the RX 580 and its nearest competitors would produce nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Control. The GTX 1660 SUPER, in particular, is a common point of comparison for the RX 580 in older titles, and the data confirms that their overall benchmark averages are very close, though the RX 580's specific architectural characteristics may influence performance differently depending on the workload.

The CPU's average benchmark score places it in the 91st percentile among all processors tested, while the GPU sits in the 53rd percentile among all graphics cards. This percentile gap highlights that the RX 580 is a mid-range component from 2017, while the 5950X is a high-end desktop processor from late 2020. In Control, the GPU's relative weakness dominates the performance picture, and any of the CPU alternatives listed above would yield essentially identical results.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals that the RX 580 is the primary bottleneck across all tested resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 20.1 FPS, while at 4K Low it rises to 31.9 FPS. This scaling of roughly 59 percent between Low and Ultra at the same resolution indicates that the GPU's rendering load is the dominant factor, as the CPU has ample headroom with 16 cores and 32 threads.

At 1440p, the pattern continues. Low settings produce 45.7 FPS, Medium drops to 35.6 FPS, High yields 30.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 27.8 FPS. The differences between settings are substantial, confirming that the GPU is struggling to keep up with the geometry, textures, and shading demands of Control. The step from Low to Medium costs 10.1 FPS, and from Medium to High another 5.5 FPS, while High to Ultra costs only 2.3 FPS. This diminishing return at the top end suggests that the most demanding presets are hitting the GPU's compute limits rather than revealing any CPU limitation.

At 1080p, the same trend holds but with higher absolute numbers. Low settings achieve 65.6 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium drops to 42.9 FPS, High to 41.3 FPS, and Ultra to 36.1 FPS. The CPU's role at 1080p Low is minimal, as the Ryzen 9 5950X's single-thread performance, reflected in a 3DMark single-thread score of 944 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1614, is more than sufficient for Control's game logic and draw call processing. Even the 2-thread 3DMark score of 1856 indicates strong low-thread performance.

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings shows a consistent drop. At Low, the frame rate falls from 65.6 to 45.7 FPS, a reduction of 30 percent. At Medium, it falls from 42.9 to 35.6 FPS, a 17 percent reduction. At High, it falls from 41.3 to 30.1 FPS, a 27 percent reduction. At Ultra, it falls from 36.1 to 27.8 FPS, a 23 percent reduction. These drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior, as increasing pixel count directly raises the shading and rasterization load. If the CPU were the limiting factor, resolution scaling would produce much smaller differences.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, none of the tested presets achieve 60 FPS. The highest average frame rate is 31.9 FPS at Low settings, followed by 23.9 FPS at Medium, 20.1 FPS at Ultra, and 19.2 FPS at High. Interestingly, High is slightly slower than Ultra in the measured data, which may reflect variance in scene complexity, but both are far below playable levels. The best settings at 4K would be Low if a user were forced to choose, but even that preset fails to reach the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains insufficient. Low settings produce 45.7 FPS, Medium 35.6 FPS, High 30.1 FPS, and Ultra 27.8 FPS. None of these reach 60 FPS, and even the lowest preset falls 14.3 FPS short. The best settings at 1440p would be Low, but the experience would still feel sluggish compared to the target.

At 1920x1080, Low settings achieve 65.6 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with a margin of 5.6 FPS. This is the only playable configuration in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 42.9 FPS, High to 41.3 FPS, and Ultra to 36.1 FPS, all of which fall below the threshold. The best settings at 1080p are therefore Low, as it is the only preset that maintains an average frame rate above 60 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but only under specific conditions. The verdict data shows that at 3840x2160, there are no playable settings, meaning every preset at 4K fails to reach 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same conclusion applies: no preset achieves 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, Low settings are playable with an average frame rate of 65.6 FPS, while Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the threshold.

The playable settings list for 1080p contains only Low, and the best settings at that resolution are Low with an average FPS of 65.6. For users who prioritize visual fidelity, the RX 580 cannot deliver a smooth experience in Control at any resolution above 1080p, and even at 1080p, only the lowest preset maintains the target frame rate. The Ryzen 9 5950X has no bearing on this limitation; the GPU simply lacks the raw throughput needed for Control's demanding rendering features, which include complex particle effects and destructible environments.

It is also importantly the measured FPS values do not include minimum or maximum frame rates, so the average figures may conceal occasional dips below 60 FPS even at 1080p Low. Users seeking a consistently smooth experience may need to accept some frame time variance, but the average of 65.6 FPS provides a reasonable margin.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 1080p with High settings?

A: No. The measured average frame rate at 1080p High is 41.3 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p?

A: Low settings produce the highest average frame rate at 1440p with 45.7 FPS, but this still does not reach 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 5950X has strong single-thread and multi-thread scores, but the RX 580's mid-range performance cap dominates all tested configurations.

Q: Does the RX 580 support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, the GPU supports DirectX 12 with feature level 12_0, along with Vulkan 1.3 and OpenGL 4.6.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to the GTX 1660 SUPER?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the GTX 1660 SUPER scores 0.4 percent higher, so the two GPUs would perform similarly in Control.

Q: Is 4K playable with any settings?

A: No. The highest average frame rate at 4K is 31.9 FPS at Low settings, which is far below the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 5950X and RX 580 ranks 3381 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places the pairing in the lower 9 percent of all tested configurations, reflecting the GPU's age and performance tier. The CPU's high percentile ranking among processors does not compensate for the GPU's limitations in this game, as Control's rendering demands are primarily GPU-bound. The rank indicates that most other tested combos achieve better frame rates, likely due to more balanced or more powerful graphics hardware. Users considering this configuration for Control should expect a bottom-tier experience relative to the broader database.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the RX 580 delivers an average of 19.2 FPS at High settings, 31.9 FPS at Low, 23.9 FPS at Medium, and 20.1 FPS at Ultra. These numbers show that Low is the only preset that approaches playability, but even it falls short by 28.1 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the results are 30.1 FPS at High, 45.7 FPS at Low, 35.6 FPS at Medium, and 27.8 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 10.1 FPS, and between Medium and High is 5.5 FPS, while High to Ultra is only 2.3 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the data shows 41.3 FPS at High, 65.6 FPS at Low, 42.9 FPS at Medium, and 36.1 FPS at Ultra. The Low preset is the only one above 60 FPS, and it exceeds the threshold by 5.6 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 22.7 FPS, which is the largest step in the entire dataset, indicating that Medium settings introduce a significant rendering load increase. High and Medium are nearly identical at 41.3 and 42.9 FPS respectively, while Ultra drops to 36.1 FPS.

Overall, the data paints a clear picture: the RX 580 is capable of running Control at 1080p only when settings are reduced to their minimum, and even then the average frame rate leaves little headroom. Higher resolutions are not viable for a 60 FPS target, and users should adjust expectations accordingly.