Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a solid, playable experience in Control, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and presets. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is fully mastered, 1440p handles even Ultra settings comfortably, and 4K requires a drop to Low settings to maintain smooth gameplay. This pairing offers a balanced performance profile, though the RTX 5060's capabilities form the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU benchmarks, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D sits in a tight cluster with several Intel alternatives. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF is the closest match, scoring 55,093 versus 54,762 for the AMD chip, a negligible 0.6% difference. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K trails by 1.3% with a score of 54,053, while the Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701) and Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620) are 2% and 2.1% behind, respectively. In practical terms, any of these processors would deliver virtually identical frame rates in Control, as the game is far more GPU-bound at the resolutions tested. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs means it will not be the limiting factor in this pairing.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5060's nearest rivals are a mixed bag. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26,401, just 0.3% ahead of the RTX 5060's 26,331 average. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 is also 0.3% ahead at 26,421, while the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary leads by 0.8% (26,553). The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the only rival that trails, at 26,011, which is 1.2% behind. These deltaPct values are all within a narrow band, suggesting that swapping the RTX 5060 for any of these cards would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control. The RTX 5060's 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is a mid-to-upper tier card, but not a top performer.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and RTX 5060 ranks 1,665th out of 3,720 tested combos for Control. That places it in the 55th percentile of all tested system pairings, meaning it outperforms roughly 55% of combinations but falls behind the top 45%. This is a respectable showing, though not exceptional. The ranking reflects that while the CPU is a high-end part (91st percentile), the GPU's more modest standing (72nd percentile) drags the overall combo down. In a game like Control, which has demanding visual effects and physics, the GPU's role becomes more prominent as resolution increases, so the combo's rank is largely driven by the RTX 5060's capabilities rather than the processor's headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060 delivers excellent performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 149 FPS, which is the highest measured in any configuration. Medium settings drop to 106 FPS average, with a minimum of 90 FPS and a maximum of 122 FPS. High settings yield 94 FPS average, while Ultra still maintains a strong 82 FPS average. All of these are well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, so users have complete freedom to choose any preset at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected scaling. Low settings average 113 FPS, Medium drops to 80 FPS (with a minimum of 68 and maximum of 92), High averages 71 FPS, and Ultra just clears the playable bar at 62 FPS average. The Medium preset's minimum of 68 FPS indicates that even during demanding scenes, frame pacing stays above the threshold, though Ultra's average of 62 FPS leaves less headroom for fluctuation.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings are the only playable option, averaging 76 FPS. Medium drops to 54 FPS average, with a minimum of 46 FPS and maximum of 62 FPS. High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS. None of these three higher presets maintain a consistent 60 FPS, and the Medium preset's minimum of 46 FPS shows noticeable dips below the playable threshold. This pattern is consistent with the GPU's memory bandwidth and raw compute limits at 4K resolution.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 42, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is Low, which averages 76 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 average 62 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that remains playable. High (71 FPS), Medium (80 FPS), and Low (113 FPS) all also clear the threshold.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from Ultra to Low at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 149 FPS versus 82 FPS on Ultra, representing a gain of 67 FPS, or roughly 82% higher frame rate. The minimum FPS data is not available for these presets, but the average difference is substantial.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D necessary for this game, or would a cheaper CPU work?

A: The nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (0.6% difference) or Intel Core i7-14700F (2.1% difference), are statistically very close. Since Control is GPU-bound at higher resolutions, the CPU choice has minimal impact on the measured FPS.

Q: What is the minimum FPS on Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 68, with an average of 80 and maximum of 92. This indicates frame times remain consistent without major stutters.

Q: Does the RTX 5060 outperform the RX 6750 XT in this game?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the RTX 5060 scores 26,331 versus 26,011 for the RX 6750 XT, placing the RTX card 1.2% ahead. In Control, this translates to a negligible difference of roughly 1-2 FPS at any given resolution and preset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and RTX 5060. At 1080p, the CPU has more influence because the GPU can produce very high frame rates (up to 149 FPS on Low), but even here, the processor's 91st percentile standing means it is never the bottleneck. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop from 149 to 82 FPS, a 45% reduction, which is almost entirely attributable to GPU load from increased visual effects and rendering quality.

At 1440p, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The frame rate drops from 113 FPS on Low to 62 FPS on Ultra, a 45% reduction, similar to 1080p but from a lower starting point. The CPU continues to have ample headroom, as evidenced by the fact that the combo still achieves playable frame rates even at Ultra. The 1440p results show the RTX 5060 is the limiting factor, as the 91st percentile CPU would not struggle with the game's physics or AI workloads at this resolution.

At 4K, the GPU completely dominates the performance equation. The frame rate drops from 76 FPS on Low to 42 FPS on Ultra, a 45% reduction, but the absolute numbers are much lower. The CPU's performance is essentially irrelevant here; the RTX 5060's 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 448 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain 60 FPS at higher presets. The scaling between resolutions shows this clearly: at Low settings, 1080p averages 149 FPS, 1440p averages 113 FPS (76% of 1080p), and 4K averages 76 FPS (51% of 1080p). This resolution scaling is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 82 FPS. Since all four presets (Low 149 FPS, Medium 106 FPS, High 94 FPS, Ultra 82 FPS) exceed the playable threshold, users can select Ultra for maximum visual quality without sacrificing frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 62 FPS. This narrowly clears the 60 FPS threshold, so users who prefer additional headroom might consider High (71 FPS) or Medium (80 FPS). However, Ultra remains technically playable based on the data.

At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low, which averages 76 FPS. Medium (54 FPS), High (48 FPS), and Ultra (42 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS threshold. For 4K gaming, users must accept Low settings to maintain smooth gameplay, or alternatively, consider lowering the resolution to 1440p to unlock higher presets.