Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a strong performance profile for Control, with benchmark data showing the combination achieving playable frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings. The measured results indicate a system that scales effectively from 1080p to 4K, maintaining an average of 61 FPS even at the most demanding 4K Ultra preset, while exhibiting significant headroom at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains at least 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 61 FPS, making it the most demanding playable setting. Lower presets also exceed the 60 FPS threshold, with High averaging 66.9 FPS, Medium at 76.3 FPS, and Low at 106.5 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9950X3D posts an average benchmark score of 75,779, placing it just 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (75,738) and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (75,716). It also leads the AMD EPYC 8224P (75,582) by 0.3% and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (75,488) by 0.4%.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 83rd percentile for all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 43,223 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (43,262), which is 0.1% higher, and slightly below the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile (43,667) by 1%.

Q: At which resolution does the frame rate drop closest to the 60 FPS playable threshold?

A: The 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration that approaches the threshold, with an average of 61 FPS. All other settings at 4K, and every preset at 1440p and 1080p, maintain a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

Q: Does the system show a larger performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at higher resolutions?

A: The data shows the opposite trend. At 1080p, the gap between Low (213.1 FPS) and Ultra (118.5 FPS) is 94.6 FPS. At 1440p, the gap narrows to 74.6 FPS (164.4 vs 89.8). At 4K, the difference is 45.5 FPS (106.5 vs 61), indicating that resolution scaling compresses the settings impact.

Q: What launch MSRP is listed for the CPU?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D has a launch MSRP of $699.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data for Control reveals an interesting dynamic between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 213.1 FPS on Low settings, indicating that neither component is heavily taxed at this resolution. The jump from Low to Medium reduces performance to 152.8 FPS, a 28.3% drop, while High and Ultra further reduce averages to 138.3 and 118.5 FPS respectively. This pattern suggests that at 1080p, the GPU begins to assert its influence as settings increase, but the CPU’s strong single-thread and multi-thread capabilities (3DMark single-thread score of 1,292 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,018) prevent it from becoming a limiting factor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings average 164.4 FPS, Medium 115.9 FPS, High 105.5 FPS, and Ultra 89.8 FPS. The relative performance drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 45.4%, compared to 44.3% at 1080p, showing a nearly identical percentage scaling. This consistency indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to handle the increased pixel count without introducing a disproportionate penalty. The GPU’s compute capabilities, with 35.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance, appear to be the primary driver of frame rate differences between presets.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes more dramatically. The average FPS for Low is 106.5, dropping to 76.3 for Medium, 66.9 for High, and 61 for Ultra. The reduction from Low to Ultra represents a 42.7% performance hit, slightly less than at lower resolutions. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is operating closer to its maximum capacity, and the incremental cost of each settings tier becomes more pronounced in absolute terms. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s 80 ROPs and 224 TMUs are likely the limiting factors here, as the CPU’s performance headroom remains ample — the Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s 16 cores and 32 threads provide far more processing capability than a single game thread requires.

The data indicates that the CPU matters most at 1080p where high frame rates (exceeding 200 FPS on Low) could expose CPU bottlenecks with weaker processors. However, with this combination, the CPU never becomes the constraint. The GPU’s role intensifies with resolution, becoming the dominant factor at 4K where the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows to 45.5 FPS, compared to 94.6 FPS at 1080p. This scaling behavior is typical of a well-balanced system, where the RTX 4070 SUPER’s performance ceiling is reached first at higher resolutions, while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s extensive cache (128 MB L3) and high boost clock (5.70 GHz) ensure consistent frame delivery.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 633rd out of 3,720 tested combos for Control. This places the system in the top 17% of all configurations evaluated, indicating a strong overall performance position. The ranking reflects the balanced nature of the pairing: the CPU’s 95th percentile standing among all processors (average benchmark score of 75,779) complements the GPU’s 83rd percentile ranking (average score of 43,223).

The combo’s rank is notable because it pairs a top-tier CPU with a mid-to-high-end GPU. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s nearest rivals — the Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D, EPYC 8224P, and Core Ultra 9 285 — all have average scores within 0.4% of each other, suggesting that the CPU choice has minimal impact on the overall combo ranking. Similarly, the RTX 4070 SUPER’s nearest GPU rivals (Quadro M6000 24 GB, RTX 5050 Mobile, Quadro M6000, and RTX 4090 Mobile) all fall within a 1% performance delta, meaning that swapping to any of these would yield nearly identical frame rates in Control.

This ranking context is useful for understanding the system’s position. A rank of 633 out of 3,720 means there are 3,087 tested combos that perform worse, but also 632 that perform better. Given that the RTX 4070 SUPER is listed as end-of-life and has a successor in the GeForce 50 series, the combo’s position relative to newer GPUs is likely to shift over time. However, for the specific game of Control, the data shows that this pairing delivers consistently above the 60 FPS threshold across all tested configurations, which is the primary playability criterion.

The Verdict

The data answers the central question definitively: this PC can run Control at playable frame rates across every resolution and preset combination tested. The verdict by resolution confirms that all settings are playable at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080, with the playable threshold set at 60 FPS.

At 4K, the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS, just barely clearing the threshold. This is the only configuration that comes close to the limit, making it a viable but not headroom-rich choice for maximum visual fidelity. The High preset at 4K offers 66.9 FPS, providing a more comfortable margin while sacrificing some settings quality. For 1440p, the Ultra preset averages 89.8 FPS, which is 29.8 FPS above the threshold, offering both visual quality and performance stability. At 1080p, the Ultra preset reaches 118.5 FPS, nearly double the threshold, making it the best option for high-refresh-rate displays.

The best settings per resolution are Ultra for all three resolutions, with the average FPS at those settings being 61 at 4K, 89.8 at 1440p, and 118.5 at 1080p. This means that users do not need to compromise on settings to achieve playable performance, even at the highest resolution. The system’s ability to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra is particularly noteworthy given the game’s 2019 release date, which suggests that Control’s rendering demands are well within the RTX 4070 SUPER’s capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all settings and resolutions. The following averages were recorded, with no minimum or maximum frame time data available:

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers an average of 106.5 FPS. Medium increases the visual quality while reducing the average to 76.3 FPS. High settings yield 66.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 61 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 42.7% reduction in average frame rate, from 106.5 to 61 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 164.4 FPS for Low, 115.9 FPS for Medium, 105.5 FPS for High, and 89.8 FPS for Ultra. The performance difference between Low and Ultra is 74.6 FPS, representing a 45.4% reduction. The Medium preset’s 115.9 FPS is notably closer to High’s 105.5 FPS than to Low’s 164.4 FPS, suggesting that the Medium preset includes substantial rendering enhancements.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates: 213.1 FPS on Low, 152.8 FPS on Medium, 138.3 FPS on High, and 118.5 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 60.3 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 19.8 FPS. This indicates diminishing returns for the highest settings tier at 1080p, where the GPU is less constrained and the CPU’s performance becomes relatively more important.

The data shows that the system’s performance scales predictably with resolution. Comparing the same preset across resolutions, Low settings drop from 213.1 FPS at 1080p to 164.4 FPS at 1440p (a 22.9% reduction) and then to 106.5 FPS at 4K (a 50.1% reduction from 1080p). Ultra settings follow a similar pattern: 118.5 FPS at 1080p, 89.8 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure is exactly 1 FPS above the playable threshold, making it the boundary condition for this system.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is the Ultra preset. This is consistent across all three resolutions, demonstrating that the RTX 4070 SUPER has sufficient headroom to run Control at maximum settings without dropping below the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. This is the best playable setting, but it operates with minimal margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Users who prioritize smoothness over visual fidelity might prefer the High preset at 66.9 FPS, which offers 5.9 FPS more headroom. However, the Ultra preset is technically playable, and the data shows it clears the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 89.8 FPS, providing 29.8 FPS of headroom above the threshold. This makes 1440p Ultra the sweet spot for this system, as it combines high visual quality with substantial performance margin. The 89.8 FPS average is also high enough to benefit from displays with refresh rates above 60 Hz.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 118.5 FPS, offering 58.5 FPS of headroom. This is the most comfortable configuration, with frame rates high enough for 120 Hz displays. The 1080p Ultra setting is the recommended choice for competitive play or for users with high-refresh-rate monitors, as it maximizes both visual fidelity and performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide insight into which alternative hardware would behave similarly in this system. For the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, the closest competitors are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (0.1% lower average score), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (0.1% lower), the AMD EPYC 8224P (0.3% lower), and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (0.4% lower). All four processors have average benchmark scores within 291 points of the 9950X3D’s 75,779, meaning that swapping in any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control. The Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 and 9755X3D are particularly close, with scores of 75,738 and 75,716 respectively, suggesting they would be seamless substitutes.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (0.1% higher average score), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (0.2% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile (1% higher). The desktop Quadro M6000 cards are professional-grade offerings, while the RTX 5050 Mobile and RTX 4090 Mobile are laptop parts. Despite their different market segments, their average benchmark scores (43,262, 43,268, 43,301, and 43,667 respectively) are all within 1% of the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 43,223. In practical terms, any of these GPUs would deliver frame rates within a few FPS of the RTX 4070 SUPER in Control.

The combination of the Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 with the RTX 4070 SUPER would likely produce benchmark results nearly indistinguishable from the tested configuration, as both components have deltaPct values of 0.1% versus their respective counterparts. Similarly, pairing the 9950X3D with the Quadro M6000 24 GB would yield a GPU performance delta of -0.1%, which is well within measurement variance. This information is useful for users who may have access to these alternative parts through different channels, as the performance characteristics in Control would be effectively equivalent to the primary configuration.