Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a strong performance profile for Control, with benchmark data showing playable frame rates across all tested resolutions. The combination ranks in the 77th percentile of tested configurations for this game, placing it at rank 865 out of 3720 combos. Measured performance indicates that the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at 4K with High settings, while 1440p and 1080p allow for Ultra settings with substantial headroom.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K the system achieves playable frame rates on High, Medium, and Low settings. The best playable setting at 3840x2160 is High, which delivers an average of 62.1 FPS, just above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest setting that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, all four tested settings—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—remain playable. The Ultra preset produces an average of 79.9 FPS, making it the best setting that clears the threshold.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset yields an average of 106.9 FPS. This is the most demanding setting tested, and it remains well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, indicating strong performance at this resolution.

Q: Which resolution offers the highest frame rate?

A: The lowest tested resolution, 1920x1080, produces the highest frame rates. With Low settings, the system reaches an average of 191 FPS, while Ultra settings still deliver 106.9 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9950X3D has an average benchmark score of 75779, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, scores 75738, a difference of just 0.1 percent, indicating nearly identical overall processing performance.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3 percent faster, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 is 0.4 percent slower, showing the desktop card sits in a competitive mid-range position.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU benchmark data, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D performs nearly identically to several other processors. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 scores 75738, a negligible 0.1 percent difference from the 9950X3D's 75779. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D scores 75716, also 0.1 percent off. The AMD EPYC 8224P trails by 0.3 percent with a score of 75582, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 is 0.4 percent behind at 75488. In practical terms, any of these processors would deliver essentially the same frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU, since the game's performance at the tested settings appears to be largely independent of these small CPU differences.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070's average benchmark score of 37648 is closely matched by several alternatives. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 37628, a 0.1 percent difference, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, 0.4 percent lower. The AMD Radeon PRO W6400 is 1.3 percent slower at 37157. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the only nearby rival that outperforms the desktop 4070, scoring 38135, which is 1.3 percent higher. For Control specifically, these GPU alternatives would produce slightly lower or slightly higher frame rates, but the differences are small enough that the overall playability verdict at each resolution would remain unchanged.

The data indicates that the CPU is substantially overqualified for this game relative to the GPU. With the 9950X3D sitting in the 95th percentile of all CPUs and the RTX 4070 in the 81st percentile of GPUs, the system's in-game performance is more likely constrained by the graphics card, especially at higher resolutions where pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 865 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 23 percent of all configurations. This ranking reflects the system's ability to maintain high frame rates across resolutions, but it also shows that many other combinations deliver superior performance in this title.

The rank suggests that while this setup is solidly above average, it is not at the extreme high end for Control. The 4K Ultra preset, which delivers 57 FPS, is the only tested configuration that falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and this single data point likely contributes to the combo's position outside the top 500. At 1440p and 1080p, the system maintains comfortable margins above 60 FPS, but the performance headroom is modest compared to what higher-tier GPUs might achieve.

Given that the CPU is in the 95th percentile while the GPU is in the 81st percentile, the ranking is probably more reflective of the GPU's mid-range position. The system's 4K performance, which hovers near the 60 FPS mark on High settings, indicates that it sits at the boundary of what is comfortably playable at that resolution. The rank of 865 out of 3720 places it within a competitive middle-upper tier, where minor GPU upgrades would likely yield significant improvements in frame rates.

The Verdict

The benchmark data shows that this PC can run Control with playable frame rates at every resolution tested, with the single exception of 4K Ultra. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Medium, and Low, with High being the best option at 62.1 FPS average. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls short at 57 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, all four settings are playable. The Ultra preset delivers 79.9 FPS, which is the best playable configuration at this resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves 106.9 FPS, providing a substantial margin above the playable threshold and indicating smooth performance even in demanding scenes.

The system's performance scales predictably with resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases: at 1080p, the difference is 84.1 FPS (191 vs 106.9), at 1440p it is 68.7 FPS (148.6 vs 79.9), and at 4K it is 39.8 FPS (96.8 vs 57). This pattern suggests that GPU load becomes more significant at higher resolutions, compressing the frame rate differences between settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component importance as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, with frame rates ranging from 191 FPS down to 106.9 FPS. This wide spread indicates that settings changes have a pronounced effect, suggesting the system has enough CPU headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The CPU's high benchmark scores—particularly its 3dmark_max_threads score of 17184 and passmark_multithread score of 70255—support this interpretation.

At 2560x1440, the frame rate spread between Low and Ultra narrows to 68.7 FPS, with the Ultra preset still holding at 79.9 FPS. This compression suggests the GPU is beginning to become more of a limiting factor, as the additional pixel count increases the workload on the graphics card. The RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this resolution, but the performance scaling indicates the GPU is doing more of the heavy lifting.

At 3840x2160, the frame rate spread narrows further to 39.8 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops below 60 FPS to 57 FPS. This is the clearest evidence that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K. The CPU's performance remains constant regardless of resolution, but the GPU's workload increases significantly. The fact that the system can still manage 62.1 FPS on High settings at 4K shows the RTX 4070 is capable, but the Ultra preset's failure to hit 60 FPS confirms that the graphics card is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Across all resolutions, the CPU's role appears consistent and sufficient. The 9950X3D's 16 cores and 32 threads, combined with its high single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1292), provide ample processing power for Control's engine. The GPU's role grows more dominant as resolution increases, with the RTX 4070's performance ceiling becoming apparent at 4K Ultra.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is High, which delivers 62.1 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 57 FPS, so High is the recommended maximum for 4K play. Medium settings provide a buffer at 71.2 FPS, while Low offers 96.8 FPS for those prioritizing frame rate over visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best playable option, achieving 79.9 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the optimal choice for 1440p displays. High settings deliver 89.7 FPS, Medium reaches 106.4 FPS, and Low peaks at 148.6 FPS, but none of these are necessary given that Ultra already clears the threshold with headroom.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 106.9 FPS, which is the best setting available and remains well above the playable threshold. The system has enough performance at 1080p to run the game at maximum settings without concern. High settings reach 123.5 FPS, Medium achieves 136.1 FPS, and Low produces 191 FPS, but Ultra is the clear recommendation given its visual quality and high frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the system delivers an average of 96.8 FPS on Low settings, 71.2 FPS on Medium, 62.1 FPS on High, and 57 FPS on Ultra. The progression shows a steady decline as settings increase, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium and High at 9.1 FPS. The Ultra preset's 57 FPS average is the only measured configuration across all resolutions that falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 148.6 FPS, Medium reaches 106.4 FPS, High achieves 89.7 FPS, and Ultra delivers 79.9 FPS. The frame rate differences between consecutive settings are 42.2 FPS (Low to Medium), 16.7 FPS (Medium to High), and 9.8 FPS (High to Ultra). The narrowing gaps suggest diminishing returns from higher settings as the GPU becomes more loaded.

At 1920x1080, the averages are 191 FPS on Low, 136.1 FPS on Medium, 123.5 FPS on High, and 106.9 FPS on Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 84.1 FPS, the largest of any resolution, indicating that settings have the greatest impact at this lower resolution. The step from Medium to High is relatively small at 12.6 FPS, while the jump from Low to Medium is substantial at 54.9 FPS, suggesting that Medium settings represent a significant visual upgrade with a corresponding performance cost.

All measured FPS values are averages; the data does not include minimum or maximum frame rate figures. The consistency of the results across three resolutions and four settings levels provides a comprehensive picture of the system's capabilities in Control, with the 4K Ultra configuration being the only tested scenario that fails to maintain playable performance.