Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a formidable combination for Control, delivering playable frame rates at every tested resolution and preset. The data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution, maintaining high performance even under maximum graphical load. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, compares it to similar hardware, and provides practical guidance on settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo covers three resolutions and four quality presets, with average frame rates ranging from a solid 60 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 214 FPS at 1080p Low. Here is the detailed breakdown.

1920x1080 (1080p): At this resolution, the combo is never challenged. The Low preset produces an average of 214 FPS. Moving to Medium drops the average to 152 FPS, with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 175 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 135 FPS. Even at the Ultra preset, the average remains high at 118 FPS. The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings but has ample headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors.

2560x1440 (1440p): Performance remains excellent at this mainstream resolution. The Low preset achieves an average of 162 FPS. Medium settings drop the average to 115 FPS, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS. The High preset still delivers a smooth 102 FPS average. At Ultra, the average FPS is 89, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for balancing visual fidelity and high frame rates.

3840x2160 (4K): This is where the RTX 4070 SUPER starts to work harder, but the results are still very playable. The Low preset produces an average of 110 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. The High preset maintains an average of 69 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset hits an average of exactly 60 FPS, which is the defined playable threshold. This shows that 4K Ultra is playable, but with no headroom for frame rate drops in more intense scenes.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: the gap between Low and Ultra presets narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (214 FPS) and Ultra (118 FPS) is 96 FPS. At 4K, that difference shrinks to 50 FPS (110 FPS vs 60 FPS). This is a classic sign of the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the benchmark database, the components in this combo have close rivals that would produce very similar performance in Control. The data for these alternatives comes from their average benchmark scores, which are nearly identical to the parts in question.

CPU Alternatives: The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X has a percentile rank of 91 among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average score, include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (which scores 0.2% lower), the AMD EPYC 8124P (0.3% lower), the Intel Core i9-13900F (0.4% higher), and the Intel Core i7-14700 (0.7% lower). In a game like Control, which is not heavily multi-threaded, swapping the Ryzen 9 5950X for any of these processors would likely result in an imperceptible difference in frame rates, as the performance delta is under 1%. The practical takeaway is that any of these CPUs would pair equally well with the RTX 4070 SUPER.

GPU Alternatives: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER holds a percentile rank of 83 among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are a mix of professional and mobile parts. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB scores 0.1% lower, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 0.1% lower, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 scores 0.2% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 1.0% lower. While the Quadro cards are not gaming-focused, their raw compute scores suggest they would deliver similar frame rates in Control at the tested settings. The RTX 4090 Mobile's slightly lower score is interesting but still within a 1% margin, meaning its desktop counterpart is likely a tier above. For a desktop builder, these rivals indicate that the RTX 4070 SUPER is positioned at a performance level where only the RTX 4090 Mobile is within a single percentage point.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in component responsibility depending on the resolution and preset. At 1080p, the CPU plays a more significant role, as the GPU can render frames faster than the processor can feed it data. This is evidenced by the massive frame rates at the Low preset (214 FPS), which are likely CPU-limited. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU's workload becomes more demanding, and the frame rates converge, indicating the GPU is now the limiting factor.

Comparing the scaling between resolutions provides a clear picture. At the Ultra preset, the average FPS drops from 118 at 1080p to 89 at 1440p (a 24.6% decrease), and then to 60 at 4K (a 32.6% decrease from 1440p). This steep decline at higher resolutions is a direct result of the GPU being pushed to its limits. Conversely, at the Low preset, the drop from 1080p (214 FPS) to 1440p (162 FPS) is 24.3%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K (110 FPS) is 32.1%. This pattern confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component at 1440p and 4K, while the Ryzen 9 5950X provides ample compute headroom to avoid bottlenecking at 1080p.

The data also shows that the gap between the High and Ultra presets is consistent. At 1080p, the difference is 17 FPS (135 vs 118). At 1440p, it is 13 FPS (102 vs 89). At 4K, it is 9 FPS (69 vs 60). This narrowing gap indicates that the Ultra preset's additional effects (likely including ray tracing or higher-quality shadows) become more expensive relative to the base rendering as the resolution increases. For this combo, the CPU is never a weak link; it is the GPU that determines the final frame rate at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes, the data shows the combo achieves an average of 60 FPS at the 3840x2160 Ultra preset, which meets the playable threshold. However, there is no headroom, so frame rates could dip below 60 FPS in heavy scenes.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a high refresh rate monitor?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 89 FPS, and the High preset averages 102 FPS. For a 144Hz monitor, the Low preset at 1080p (214 FPS) or the Low preset at 1440p (162 FPS) would be better suited.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the data suggests the CPU has a more significant role, as the GPU can produce very high frame rates (up to 214 FPS on Low). The Ryzen 9 5950X is powerful enough to keep up, but a weaker CPU might bottleneck at these frame rates.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1440p to 4K?

A: At the Ultra preset, the average FPS drops from 89 at 2560x1440 to 60 at 3840x2160, a decrease of 32.6%. At the Medium preset, it drops from 115 to 78, a decrease of 32.2%.

Q: Are the minimum FPS numbers concerning?

A: The only min/max data available is for the Medium preset. At 1080p, the minimum is 130 FPS; at 1440p, it is 98 FPS; and at 4K, it is 66 FPS. All of these are above the 60 FPS playable threshold, indicating stable performance.

Q: Does the system support ray tracing well in this game?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has 56 RT cores, but the measured FPS data does not specify whether ray tracing is enabled in the tested presets. The performance at 4K Ultra (60 FPS) suggests any ray tracing effects are manageable at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 639th out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the top 17.2% of all systems tested for this game. This rank reflects the strong performance of the GPU and the capable CPU. Given that the combo can achieve playable frame rates at 4K Ultra, it outperforms a significant majority of other hardware configurations. The high rank is primarily driven by the RTX 4070 SUPER, which has a percentile rank of 83 among all GPUs, while the CPU's percentile rank of 91 ensures it never holds the system back. This top-tier positioning means the system is well-suited for high-fidelity gaming at high resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the measured data and the 60 FPS playable threshold, the following settings provide the most demanding visual quality while maintaining a playable frame rate.

• 1920x1080: The best settings are Ultra, which yields an average of 118 FPS. This provides the highest visual fidelity with a massive performance buffer above the 60 FPS threshold.

• 2560x1440: The best settings are Ultra, which yields an average of 89 FPS. This is an ideal balance, offering a high-quality image with a comfortable frame rate headroom.

• 3840x2160: The best settings are Ultra, which yields an average of 60 FPS. This is the maximum visual quality possible at 4K, but it operates right at the playable threshold. For a more stable experience, dropping to High (69 FPS) or Medium (78 FPS) would provide more headroom.