Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is an exceptionally high-end combination for running Control. Benchmark data shows this system delivers playable performance at every tested resolution and preset, with average frame rates that far exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, optimal settings, and how this specific combo stacks up against other tested configurations.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 76.5 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a comfortable margin. This is the most demanding scenario tested, and it remains fully playable.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 279.5, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates the system is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions, allowing the RTX 5090 to reach very high frame rates.

Q: How does the resolution scale affect performance?

A: The data shows clear scaling. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 153.9 at 1080p to 116.2 at 1440p, and further to 76.5 at 4K. This represents a 50% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at the highest preset, demonstrating that resolution is a major performance factor.

Q: Is there a significant performance gap between Low and Medium presets?

A: Yes, the gap is substantial. At 4K, Low settings yield 146.1 FPS while Medium drops to 100.8 FPS, a difference of over 45 FPS. At 1080p, the difference is even larger: Low produces 279.5 FPS while Medium produces 203.2 FPS.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark percentile ranking?

A: The Ryzen 9 7900X ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 53,288. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7313P, scores 53,206, which is only 0.2% higher.

Q: What is the GPU's benchmark percentile ranking?

A: The RTX 5090 ranks in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its closest competitor, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, scores 79,605, which is 0.3% lower.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in Control's performance at all tested resolutions. This is evident from the frame rate scaling patterns. At 1080p Low settings, the system produces 279.5 FPS, which is far beyond what the CPU alone could drive in most scenarios. When the resolution increases to 4K Low, the frame rate drops to 146.1 FPS, a reduction of nearly 48%. This dramatic drop with resolution strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting factor.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when comparing preset scaling at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS from 279.5 to 153.9, a 45% decrease. However, at 4K, the same preset change drops performance from 146.1 to 76.5 FPS, a 48% decrease. The similar percentage drops across resolutions indicate that the GPU workload scales consistently with preset quality, while the CPU maintains its ability to feed frames.

The Ryzen 9 7900X's 12 cores and 24 threads provide substantial processing headroom. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29,300 and Passmark multithread score of 51,406 indicate strong multi-threaded performance, which helps maintain consistent frame delivery in a game like Control that features complex physics and destruction systems. However, at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant, as evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 2,617.

At 4K, the GPU's capabilities are the primary determinant of performance. The RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensure that texture streaming and high-resolution assets do not become bottlenecks. The data supports this: at 4K Ultra, the system still manages 76.5 FPS, which is impressive given that this is the maximum load tested.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 76.5 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and it provides a comfortable margin above the playable threshold. High settings produce 91.2 FPS, Medium produces 100.8 FPS, and Low produces 146.1 FPS, but Ultra is the recommended choice since it delivers the best visual quality while remaining well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), Ultra settings are also the best choice, achieving an average of 116.2 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the 4K result, providing a very smooth experience with all visual features enabled. The other presets all exceed 130 FPS, with High at 136.5 FPS, Medium at 150.4 FPS, and Low at 212.4 FPS, but Ultra offers the optimal balance of quality and speed.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), Ultra settings deliver an average of 153.9 FPS. This is far above the 60 FPS threshold and provides an exceptionally fluid gaming experience. High settings produce 179.5 FPS, Medium produces 203.2 FPS, and Low produces 279.5 FPS. Given that even the Ultra preset is nearly 2.5 times the playability threshold, there is no reason to lower settings at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 64th out of 3,720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the top 1.7% of all configurations tested, indicating that it is one of the most capable systems for this game. The high ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates, which show excellent performance across all resolutions and presets.

This ranking is particularly notable because it reflects the system's ability to handle Control's specific demands. While the CPU and GPU each rank in the early 90s percentile individually, their combined performance in this game is even stronger, suggesting good synergy between the components. The 64th position out of 3,720 means there are only 63 other combos that perform better, which is a remarkably small group.

The data suggests that this combo is overkill for Control at lower resolutions, as the frame rates at 1080p exceed 150 FPS even at Ultra settings. However, at 4K, the combination shows its true strength, maintaining playable frame rates at the highest quality preset. This makes it a versatile system capable of handling both competitive play at high frame rates and visually demanding single-player experiences.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals to the Ryzen 9 7900X are the AMD EPYC 7313P, Intel Xeon Phi 7290, Intel Xeon 634, and Intel Core i7-14700F. The AMD EPYC 7313P has an average benchmark score of 53,206, which is just 0.2% lower than the 7900X's 53,288. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53,469, which is 0.3% higher. The Intel Xeon 634 scores 52,974, a 0.6% difference, and the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53,620, which is 0.6% higher. These processors would provide very similar CPU-bound performance in Control, with differences that are negligible in real-world gaming scenarios.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals to the RTX 5090 are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X. The Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605, which is 0.3% lower than the 5090's 79,842. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396, a 0.6% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, which is 1.1% lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80,959, which is 1.4% higher. These GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Control, though the RTX 5090's 32 GB memory capacity is notably larger than the Tesla P100's 16 GB or 12 GB options.

It is worth remembering the rival GPUs listed are primarily professional or workstation cards, which may have different driver optimizations for gaming compared to the RTX 5090. The performance deltas are small, but the RTX 5090's architectural advantages, such as its 21,760 shading units and 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance, may provide benefits in specific gaming scenarios that are not fully captured by average benchmark scores.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Control, and it does so with exceptional performance. According to the verdict data, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) are playable at every resolution tested, meaning they all achieve at least 60 FPS average.

At 4K, the best settings are Ultra with an average of 76.5 FPS. This is a demanding resolution, but the combination of the Ryzen 9 7900X and RTX 5090 handles it with ease. At 1440p, Ultra settings produce 116.2 FPS, providing a very smooth experience with plenty of headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p, Ultra settings deliver 153.9 FPS, which is more than enough for high refresh rate displays.

The verdict is clear: this system clears 60 FPS at all resolutions with the highest quality settings enabled. There is no scenario in the tested data where this combo falls below the playability threshold. The only consideration is whether the user prioritizes maximum visual quality or maximum frame rates, but even the most demanding settings remain highly playable. This is a top-tier configuration for Control, ranking in the 64th position out of 3,720 tested combos, and it provides a gaming experience that is limited only by the display's refresh rate capabilities.