Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a playable Control experience across most resolutions, but 4K demands a significant compromise in visual fidelity. At 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, the combo clears the 60 FPS threshold even at the highest preset, while 3840x2160 only becomes playable when settings are dropped to Low.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data indicates that the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS varies sharply by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 77.2 FPS on Ultra settings, making it the clear choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. Dropping to High yields 86.3 FPS, Medium produces 100.2 FPS, and Low reaches 141.8 FPS, but none of these lower presets are necessary to hit the playability target.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset still manages to stay above the 60 FPS line, with an average of 60.4 FPS. This is a marginal pass, leaving little headroom for demanding scenes, but it technically meets the playability criterion. High settings deliver 69.5 FPS, Medium achieves 75.8 FPS, and Low reaches 109 FPS. The 60.4 FPS at Ultra is the optimal balance for this resolution, though users sensitive to frame drops may prefer High for extra buffer.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. Ultra settings produce only 40.8 FPS, High yields 43.4 FPS, and Medium reaches 51.8 FPS — none of these clear the 60 FPS bar. Only the Low preset achieves playability, with an average of 72.8 FPS. This means 4K gaming requires sacrificing nearly all visual enhancements to maintain smooth motion, as the gap between Medium (51.8 FPS) and Low (72.8 FPS) represents a 21 FPS jump that cannot be bridged by any intermediate setting.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X and RTX 4060 ranks 1956th out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places the system in the lower-middle tier of the database, indicating that while it handles the game adequately at many settings, a substantial portion of tested hardware configurations outperform it. The ranking reflects the RTX 4060's position as a mid-range GPU rather than the CPU, which sits in the 92nd percentile among all processors. The GPU's 61st percentile ranking among all graphics cards is the more binding constraint, and the combo's overall position aligns more closely with that lower figure.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 43.4, which falls well below the 60 FPS playability threshold. Even Medium settings only reach 51.8 FPS. Only the Low preset achieves playability at 4K, with an average of 72.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 60.4 FPS, which just clears the 60 FPS threshold. This is the most demanding playable preset at this resolution. For additional safety margin, High settings deliver 69.5 FPS.

Q: How much performance difference is there between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 141.8 on Low to 77.2 on Ultra. This represents a 64.6 FPS difference, or roughly 45% lower performance at the highest preset compared to the lowest. Both remain comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to bottleneck in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 9900X ranks in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4060 ranks in the 61st percentile among GPUs. The steep FPS drops at higher resolutions and presets are consistent with GPU-bound behavior, as the CPU's substantial headroom is not the constraint.

Q: Does the RTX 4060's 8 GB of memory limit performance in Control?

A: The measured FPS data does not indicate memory-related stutters or anomalies. At 1080p Ultra, the system maintains 77.2 FPS, and at 1440p Ultra it holds 60.4 FPS. The 8 GB frame buffer appears sufficient for this game at these tested settings, as performance scales predictably with resolution and preset changes.

Q: What frame rate can I expect with medium settings at each resolution?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium settings yield 100.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium produces 75.8 FPS. At 3840x2160, Medium drops to 51.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for each component provides context for what other hardware would produce similar results. For the CPU, the AMD EPYC 9015 scores 0.1% lower than the Ryzen 9 9900X in average benchmarks, making it functionally equivalent for gaming purposes. The Intel Core i9-14900 is 1.1% faster, while the AMD EPYC 7313 is 0.2% slower and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M is 1.4% slower. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, so systems built around any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Control.

On the GPU side, the closest match is the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 0.2% lower than the RTX 4060. The AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% faster, the AMD Radeon Pro 560 is 0.5% faster, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 is 0.7% faster. These deltas are so small that they would translate to less than one frame per second difference in most scenarios. A system with any of these GPUs paired with a similarly performing CPU would produce nearly indistinguishable results in Control, meaning the playability verdicts at each resolution would remain unchanged.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals which component carries more weight for Control at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the FPS spread between Low (141.8) and Ultra (77.2) is 64.6 FPS, indicating that GPU load scales substantially with preset quality. The CPU, ranked in the 92nd percentile, provides ample headroom even at the highest settings. The system is clearly GPU-bound at this resolution, as the RTX 4060's mid-range position (61st percentile) becomes the limiting factor when visual effects are maximized.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues. Ultra settings produce 60.4 FPS while Low reaches 109 FPS, a 48.6 FPS spread. The GPU's workload increases with resolution, and the CPU's contribution remains constant. The fact that the combo can still hit 60 FPS at Ultra suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution either, but the GPU is working near its limits.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's dominance becomes even more pronounced. All presets except Low fall below 60 FPS, and the spread from Low (72.8) to Ultra (40.8) is 32 FPS. The CPU's performance is essentially irrelevant at this resolution — even the strongest processor cannot compensate for the RTX 4060's inability to render Control at 4K with higher presets. The scaling between resolutions reinforces this: at Ultra settings, FPS drops from 77.2 at 1080p to 60.4 at 1440p to 40.8 at 4K. These are steep, consistent declines that track directly with pixel count, confirming a GPU-bound workload where the CPU plays a secondary role.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system delivers a flawless performance across all presets, with Ultra settings averaging 77.2 FPS — well above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings just barely clear the bar at 60.4 FPS, making it playable but with limited headroom; High settings at 69.5 FPS offer a more comfortable margin. At 3840x2160, the verdict is mixed: the system can run the game, but only at Low settings, which average 72.8 FPS. Every other preset at 4K falls below 60 FPS, with Medium at 51.8 FPS, High at 43.4 FPS, and Ultra at 40.8 FPS. Users prioritizing visual fidelity at 4K will need to consider stronger GPUs, while those targeting 1080p or 1440p can enjoy the game at maximum settings with this combination.