Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a solid 1080p experience in Control, with Ultra settings averaging 68.6 FPS. At 1440p, the combo drops to Medium settings for a 62 FPS average, while 4K requires Low settings to hit 62.8 FPS. The CPU is far more powerful than the GPU in this pairing, but the data shows the RX 7600 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combo sit near distinct performance clusters, meaning users with similar hardware would see comparable frame rates. AMD Ryzen 9 7900X has an average benchmark score of 53,288, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7313P (53,206 average, 0.2% slower), Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53,469 average, 0.3% faster), Intel Xeon 634 (52,974 average, 0.6% slower), and Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620 average, 0.6% faster). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, so any of these processors would produce nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Control.

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 averages 15,171 in GPU benchmarks, ranking in the 57th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest competitors are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15,199 average, 0.2% faster), AMD Radeon Pro 560X (15,082 average, 0.6% slower), AMD Radeon 680M (15,270 average, 0.7% faster), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti (15,063 average, 0.7% slower). The RX 7600 sits nearly equidistant between these rivals, meaning frame rates in Control would be within a few FPS regardless of which of these GPUs is installed.

For the full combo, the CPU’s massive headroom means the GPU choice dictates performance. Users swapping the Ryzen 9 7900X for any of its rivals would see no measurable FPS change, as the CPU is never the bottleneck in this game. Conversely, swapping the RX 7600 for the RTX 3050 OEM would yield virtually identical results, while the Radeon 680M or GTX 660 Ti would produce slightly lower or higher frames respectively, all within the margin of error.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor: the Ryzen 9 7900X is vastly overqualified for Control, while the RX 7600 determines playable settings. At 1920x1080, the GPU handles the load comfortably across all presets. Frame rates scale from 122.1 FPS at Low to 86.1 FPS at Medium, 73.1 FPS at High, and 68.6 FPS at Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 53.5 FPS, a 44% reduction, which is consistent with GPU-bound rendering where settings directly impact pixel throughput.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to strain. Low settings yield 88.4 FPS, but Medium drops to 62.0 FPS, High falls to 54.9 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 52.0 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 26.4 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 2.9 FPS. This compression at the top end suggests the GPU is hitting a memory or bandwidth ceiling, as the RX 7600’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus become limiting factors at higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low settings produce 62.8 FPS, but Medium drops to 45.8 FPS, High to 39.6 FPS, and Ultra to 34.1 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a 34.5 FPS loss (from 68.6 to 34.1), a 50% reduction. This halving of performance across a fourfold pixel increase indicates the RX 7600’s fill rate (169.9 GPixel/s) and texture rate (339.8 GTexel/s) are insufficient for 4K Ultra.

The CPU’s role is negligible in this game. With a single-thread score of 4,238 in Passmark and a multi-thread score of 51,406, the Ryzen 9 7900X has far more processing power than Control requires. Even at 4K Low, where the GPU produces 62.8 FPS, the CPU is not the constraint. The data shows no scenario where CPU performance limits frame rates, as the GPU consistently scales downward with resolution and settings without any CPU-related stutter or cap.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination ranks 2,485th out of 3,720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 33rd percentile. This means roughly two-thirds of all tested CPU/GPU pairs deliver higher frame rates in this game. The ranking reflects the RX 7600’s mid-range positioning rather than the CPU’s high-end status; the Ryzen 9 7900X alone ranks in the 91st percentile of CPUs, but the GPU’s 57th percentile drags the combo down.

The rank is consistent with the GPU’s performance tier. The RX 7600’s nearest rival, the RTX 3050 OEM, would place this combo in a nearly identical rank, while pairing the CPU with a top-tier GPU would move it into the top few hundred positions. The data indicates that users seeking higher rankings should focus on GPU upgrades, as the CPU already provides ample headroom for any modern graphics card.

At 1080p, this combo outperforms its overall rank suggests, since the GPU can maintain 68.6 FPS at Ultra. However, at 1440p and 4K, the rank becomes more representative, as the combo falls below the 60 FPS threshold at High and Ultra settings. The 33rd percentile ranking is a balanced assessment across all resolutions and presets, weighted toward the GPU’s mid-range capabilities.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but playability depends heavily on resolution and settings. The verdict data uses a 60 FPS threshold, and the results are clear:

• 1920x1080: All four presets clear 60 FPS. Low averages 122.1 FPS, Medium 86.1 FPS, High 73.1 FPS, and Ultra 68.6 FPS. This is the sweet spot for this combo, offering smooth gameplay at maximum settings.
• 2560x1440: Only Low and Medium pass the 60 FPS mark. Low averages 88.4 FPS, while Medium hits exactly 62.0 FPS. High (54.9 FPS) and Ultra (52.0 FPS) fall short.
• 3840x2160: Only Low is playable, averaging 62.8 FPS. Medium (45.8 FPS), High (39.6 FPS), and Ultra (34.1 FPS) all fail to reach 60 FPS.

The verdict is straightforward: this combo is a 1080p Ultra machine for Control, a 1440p Medium machine, and a 4K Low machine. Users prioritizing higher settings at 1440p or 4K would need a stronger GPU, as the CPU will not help overcome the RX 7600’s limits. The 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are the primary constraints at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 1080p Ultra?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra is 68.6 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets at 1080p are playable.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p for this PC?

A: Medium is the highest playable preset at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 62.0 FPS. Low is also playable at 88.4 FPS, but High (54.9 FPS) and Ultra (52.0 FPS) fall below 60 FPS.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 7900X bottleneck the RX 7600 in Control?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark scores (51,406 multi-thread, 4,238 single-thread) far exceed what Control requires. The GPU is the limiting factor, as shown by frame rates scaling directly with resolution and settings.

Q: How does this combo compare to similar hardware in Control?

A: The combo ranks 2,485th out of 3,720 tested pairs. The GPU’s nearest rival, the RTX 3050 OEM, performs within 0.2% of the RX 7600, so swapping between them would produce nearly identical frame rates.

Q: Is 4K playable with this setup?

A: Only at Low settings, which averages 62.8 FPS. Medium (45.8 FPS), High (39.6 FPS), and Ultra (34.1 FPS) all fail to reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What resolution offers the best balance of quality and performance?

A: 1920x1080 Ultra provides 68.6 FPS, allowing maximum settings with a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. At 1440p, Medium hits exactly 62.0 FPS, leaving little headroom for demanding scenes.

Best Settings per Resolution

The optimal preset is the highest quality setting that maintains at least 60 FPS average, based on measured data:

• 3840x2160: Low — 62.8 FPS average. This is the only playable preset at 4K. Medium drops to 45.8 FPS, so users must accept Low for smooth gameplay.
• 2560x1440: Medium — 62.0 FPS average. This setting barely clears the threshold, while Low offers 88.4 FPS for those preferring higher frame rates over visual fidelity.
• 1920x1080: Ultra — 68.6 FPS average. This is the highest preset available, and it still maintains an 8.6 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Low (122.1 FPS) and Medium (86.1 FPS) are options for competitive play or high-refresh displays.

For users with 144Hz or higher refresh monitors, 1080p Low at 122.1 FPS is the only preset that approaches triple-digit refresh rates. At 1440p, Low at 88.4 FPS is the best option for high-refresh gameplay, while 4K users are limited to 60 Hz-class performance at Low settings. The data suggests this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it delivers full quality and solid performance.