Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination produces a highly playable experience in Control, with benchmark data showing that this pairing handles the game comfortably at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires settings adjustments to maintain smooth frame rates. The data indicates a clear progression of performance scaling across the three tested resolutions, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck at higher graphical presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 2008 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all possible pairings. This position reflects a balanced configuration where neither component drastically limits the other in this specific title. The ranking percentile suggests that roughly 54% of all tested combinations deliver either higher or comparable performance, but the data shows this combo still achieves solid frame rates across most settings.

Breaking down the components individually, the Ryzen 9 5950X sits in the 91st percentile among all CPUs tested, indicating top-tier processing power. This is corroborated by its average benchmark score of 51947, which places it within 0.7% of its nearest rivals including the Intel Core i7-14700 (52301, -0.7% delta) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (52073, -0.2% delta). The CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads provide substantial headroom for Control’s workload, which rarely utilizes more than a fraction of this capacity.

The RTX 4060, in contrast, ranks in the 61st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% delta), showing that the GPU sits in a competitive mid-range segment. This disparity between the CPU’s high percentile (91st) and the GPU’s more modest percentile (61st) is the defining characteristic of this combo, meaning the graphics card will typically be the limiting factor when pushing higher resolutions and presets.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance data for Control reveals a clear division of labor between the Ryzen 9 5950X and the RTX 4060. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 140 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 77 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of 45%. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is heavily involved even at lower presets, as the CPU’s immense thread count and high clock speeds are more than sufficient for this game’s demands.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates compress further: Low delivers 106 FPS while Ultra drops to 58 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows from 63 FPS at 1080p to 48 FPS at 1440p, suggesting that the GPU is becoming more saturated as resolution increases. At 3840x2160, the pattern intensifies, with Low producing 71 FPS and Ultra falling to 39 FPS—a 32 FPS difference. This progressive narrowing of the performance gap across resolutions confirms that the RTX 4060 is the dominant constraint at higher pixel counts.

The CPU’s role becomes relatively less important as resolution rises. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (3dmark single thread score of 944) helps maintain high frame rates even on Low settings. However, at 4K, the GPU’s rendering workload dominates, and the CPU’s contribution diminishes. The data shows no scenario where the Ryzen 9 5950X becomes the bottleneck—even at 1080p Low with 140 FPS, the CPU has ample headroom given its 3dmark max threads score of 11597 and passmark multithread score of 45424.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS or above is Ultra, which delivers an average of 77 FPS. This is the optimal choice for full visual fidelity at this resolution, as the combo easily clears the playable threshold even with all settings maxed out.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, producing an average of 67 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 58 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold, so High represents the sweet spot for 1440p gaming. This setting provides a solid balance between visual quality and smooth performance, with the data showing no minimum FPS readings that would indicate stuttering.

For 3840x2160, only the Low preset remains playable, achieving an average of 71 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 51 FPS, and High falls to 45 FPS, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay. Low at 4K still delivers a playable experience, though it requires significant graphical compromises to maintain frame rates above 60 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, several processors perform nearly identically to the Ryzen 9 5950X based on average benchmark scores. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (52073, -0.2% delta) and Intel Core i7-14700 (52301, -0.7% delta) are the closest matches, with the AMD EPYC 8124P (52121, -0.3% delta) also within a negligible margin. Any of these alternatives would produce virtually identical frame rates in Control when paired with the RTX 4060, as the game’s CPU demands are modest relative to what these processors offer.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4060’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2% delta), AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% delta), AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, 0.5% delta), and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17509, 0.7% delta). These alternatives would deliver nearly identical performance in Control, meaning users with any of these GPUs paired with a similarly powerful CPU could expect comparable FPS numbers to those measured here. The extremely small delta percentages (all under 1%) indicate that swapping to any of these rivals would result in no perceptible difference in gameplay smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest performance. Low settings produce an average of 140 FPS, Medium reaches 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 and maximum of 114, High achieves 88 FPS, and Ultra maintains 77 FPS. The spread between minimum and maximum at Medium shows consistent frame delivery without major dips.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains robust but scales down predictably. Low hits 106 FPS, Medium averages 75 FPS with a range of 64 to 86, High produces 67 FPS, and Ultra drops to 58 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 64 FPS confirms that even momentary drops stay above the 60 FPS threshold for this setting.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become apparent. Low still manages 71 FPS, but Medium averages just 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 and maximum of 58. High falls to 45 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 39 FPS. The Medium preset’s maximum of 58 FPS being below 60 FPS highlights that 4K gaming with this GPU requires Low settings for a consistently smooth experience.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Control, with the data showing playable performance across all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, every preset including Ultra clears the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra delivering 77 FPS average. The 2560x1440 resolution offers High settings at 67 FPS, though Ultra falls slightly short at 58 FPS. For 3840x2160, only Low maintains playability at 71 FPS, while Medium (51 FPS), High (45 FPS), and Ultra (39 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS mark.

The verdict is straightforward: for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo provides excellent performance with high to ultra settings. At 4K, users must accept Low settings for smooth gameplay, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p to enjoy higher visual fidelity. The data suggests that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the Ryzen 9 5950X provides more than enough processing power for Control’s requirements.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K with high settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 45 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Only the Low preset at 4K maintains playable performance at 71 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution-to-settings combination for this system?

A: The optimal configuration is 2560x1440 with High settings, delivering 67 FPS average. This provides the best balance between visual quality and smooth performance, as 1080p Ultra also works but at a lower resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4060’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (-0.2% delta), AMD Radeon 780M (+0.3% delta), AMD Radeon Pro 560 (+0.5% delta), and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (+0.7% delta). All are within 1% of the RTX 4060’s performance, making them functionally equivalent for Control.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 5950X overkill for Control?

A: The data suggests yes, as the CPU ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, while the game’s demands are modest. The GPU emerges as the bottleneck at higher resolutions, meaning the CPU’s extensive 16-core, 32-thread configuration is not fully utilized by this title.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the combo delivers an average of 99 FPS, with minimum and maximum readings of 84 and 114 FPS respectively. This provides a very smooth experience well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: No. At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 58, which is just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset at this resolution achieves 67 FPS and is the recommended maximum setting.