Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a comprehensive range of frame rates in Control, scaling from highly playable 4K experiences to very high refresh rate 1080p performance. The measured data covers four quality presets across three resolutions, with all average FPS figures exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold except for one demanding configuration. The following analysis breaks down the exact measured performance, identifies optimal settings, and contextualizes the results against similar hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo produces its most demanding results, yet still maintains solid playability across most presets. The Low preset averages 103.4 FPS, which is the highest frame rate at this resolution. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 76.8 FPS, a substantial but expected reduction of 26.6 FPS. The High preset yields 69.8 FPS, showing a 7 FPS difference from Medium. The Ultra preset is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 58.7 FPS. This represents a 10.9 FPS drop from High and indicates that maximum visual quality at 4K is marginally beyond this hardware's comfort zone.

At 2560x1440, performance becomes more comfortable across the board. The Low preset averages 159.3 FPS, which is the peak for this resolution. Medium follows at 113.6 FPS, representing a 45.7 FPS decrease from Low. High delivers 100.2 FPS, a 13.4 FPS reduction from Medium. The Ultra preset averages 88.5 FPS, which remains well above the 60 FPS threshold and shows only an 11.7 FPS drop from High. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p spans 70.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance. The Low preset reaches 209.7 FPS, which is the highest average across all tested configurations. Medium produces 150.5 FPS, a 59.2 FPS reduction from Low. High averages 132.7 FPS, showing a 17.8 FPS decrease from Medium. The Ultra preset delivers 114.2 FPS, which remains 11.5 FPS below High but still far above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The total scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 95.5 FPS, demonstrating that even the most demanding preset leaves significant performance on the table.

The data shows consistent behavior across resolutions: the gap between Medium and High is generally smaller than the gap between Low and Medium, while the Ultra preset imposes the largest performance penalty. At 4K, the Ultra preset fails to hold 60 FPS, whereas at 1440p and 1080p, all four presets clear the threshold with room to spare.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 69.8 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 58.7 FPS, so High is the recommended maximum for 4K gaming. This configuration provides a 9.8 FPS margin above the playability threshold, which is sufficient for consistent performance in most scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is fully playable, averaging 88.5 FPS. This is the best visual quality available at this resolution and still maintains a 28.5 FPS margin over the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows no reason to compromise on settings at 1440p, as even the heaviest preset leaves substantial headroom.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 114.2 FPS, making it the best choice for this resolution. This provides a 54.2 FPS margin above the playability threshold, indicating that the hardware is not stressed at 1080p. Users with high refresh rate displays could also consider the High preset at 132.7 FPS or Medium at 150.5 FPS, but Ultra remains the best balance of visual quality and performance.

The verdict data confirms these findings: 4K playable settings include High, Low, and Medium, with High as the best; 1440p and 1080p both list all four presets as playable, with Ultra as the best in each case.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals how the CPU and GPU divide responsibilities in Control. At 1920x1080, the performance spread from Low to Ultra covers 95.5 FPS, which is the largest range across all resolutions. This indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1080p, since lowering graphical settings produces significant frame rate gains. The Ryzen 9 5950X, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, provides ample processing power to feed the RTX 5070 at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance spread narrows to 70.8 FPS, showing that the GPU becomes more stressed as resolution increases. The Ultra preset at 88.5 FPS versus the Low preset at 159.3 FPS demonstrates that graphical load has a greater impact on frame rates at this resolution. The CPU still maintains sufficient headroom, as even the Low preset at 159.3 FPS suggests the processor is not limiting performance.

At 3840x2160, the performance spread narrows further to 44.7 FPS, with the Low preset averaging 103.4 FPS and the Ultra preset at 58.7 FPS. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor at 4K, as the increased pixel count places heavier demands on the RTX 5070's 6144 shading units and 80 ROPs. The CPU's role diminishes at higher resolutions, with the 5950X's capabilities being more than sufficient for this game.

The data also shows that the RTX 5070's memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s is sufficient to handle the texture and geometry loads across all presets, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution. The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support contribute to consistent minimum frame delivery, though the measured data only provides average FPS values.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals to the Ryzen 9 5950X provide comparable processing power. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX has an average score of 52073, which is 0.2 percent lower than the 5950X's average. The AMD EPYC 8124P scores 52121, representing a 0.3 percent deficit. The Intel Core i9-13900F scores 51730, which is 0.4 percent higher than the 5950X. The Intel Core i7-14700 scores 52301, showing a 0.7 percent advantage. These differences are minimal, meaning systems with these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals to the RTX 5070 show similar performance characteristics. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 has an average score of 40318, which is 0.1 percent higher than the RTX 5070's average. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063, representing a 0.8 percent advantage. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870, which is 1.2 percent lower. The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568, showing a 2 percent deficit. These small differences indicate that these GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Control, with the RTX 5070 sitting comfortably within this performance band.

The percentile rankings place the 5950X in the 91st percentile among all CPUs and the RTX 5070 in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, confirming that both components are positioned well above average in their respective categories.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 685th out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places the system in the top 18.4 percent of all configurations tested for this game. The rank reflects the balanced performance of the CPU and GPU, with neither component acting as a significant bottleneck at the tested resolutions.

The ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows strong performance at 1440p and 1080p, with 4K performance that is playable at most settings. The 5950X's 91st percentile CPU ranking and the RTX 5070's 82nd percentile GPU ranking combine to produce a system that handles Control well above average. The combo rank of 685 out of 3720 suggests that many other combinations, likely with more powerful GPUs or newer CPUs, achieve higher frame rates, but this pairing delivers solid results across all tested scenarios.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control effectively at all three tested resolutions, with only one configuration falling below the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 69.8 FPS, which clears the playability threshold with a 9.8 FPS margin. The Ultra preset at this resolution is not recommended, as it averages 58.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra delivering 88.5 FPS and Low reaching 159.3 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system excels, with Ultra averaging 114.2 FPS and Low reaching 209.7 FPS.

The verdict data confirms that 4K users should stick to High settings or lower, while 1440p and 1080p users can enable Ultra without concern. The system is well-suited for high refresh rate gaming at 1440p, where the 88.5 FPS Ultra average is particularly impressive. At 1080p, the hardware has substantial headroom for future games or more demanding scenes within Control.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming in Control with this hardware?

A: The High preset is the best choice at 3840x2160, averaging 69.8 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 58.7 FPS, making High the most demanding playable option.

Q: Can this system run Control at 1440p with maximum settings?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 88.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold. All four presets at this resolution are playable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 9 5950X has an average benchmark score of 51947. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX, scores 52073, which is 0.2 percent lower. The Intel Core i7-14700 scores 52301, showing a 0.7 percent advantage.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 209.7 FPS while the Ultra preset averages 114.2 FPS, representing a 95.5 FPS difference between the two extremes.

Q: Is the RTX 5070's performance close to any other GPUs in benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 scores 40318, which is 0.1 percent higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870, which is 1.2 percent lower.

Q: Which resolution shows the largest performance scaling between presets?

A: The 1920x1080 resolution shows the largest scaling, with a 95.5 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. At 2560x1440, the difference is 70.8 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it narrows to 44.7 FPS.