Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT produces a clear performance profile in Control, with benchmark data showing a system that is heavily influenced by resolution and graphics settings. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the tested configurations reveal a component balance that shifts depending on the workload.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and consistent across all settings, indicating that the graphics card is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 122 FPS at 1920x1080 to 63 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 48%. This steep decline is also visible at Medium settings, where the average drops from 87 FPS at 1080p to 44 FPS at 4K, a 49% decrease. The High preset follows the same pattern, falling from 77 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 4K, a 49% reduction. At Ultra settings, the average slides from 67 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 4K, a 49% drop.

The consistency of this scaling across all four presets is telling. When the frame rate halves as pixel count quadruples, the bottleneck is squarely on the GPU's rendering throughput. The RX 6650 XT's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 280.3 GB/s bandwidth is being saturated as resolution increases, particularly with the higher texture and shading demands of Control's environments. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, but as resolution climbs, the GPU's raw compute and memory subsystem take over as the decisive factor. The 4K results, with averages between 34 and 63 FPS depending on settings, suggest that 4K gaming is only viable on the Low preset, and even then, the 63 FPS average is not consistently smooth.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average is 122 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo dip below 40 FPS?

A: At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 34. The Medium preset at the same resolution yields an average of 44 FPS, while High produces 39 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 93 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 51 FPS. This represents a 42 FPS difference, or roughly an 82% improvement in average frame rate when using Low settings.

Q: Is the minimum FPS data available for all settings?

A: No, minimum FPS data is only provided for the Medium preset across all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 74 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 56 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 38 FPS.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 77 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: The combo ranks 2438th out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of all systems benchmarked in Control.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the dominant component in determining performance at higher resolutions and quality settings. Its benchmark data shows a percentile rank of 65 against all GPUs, indicating it sits above the median but is not a high-end part. The GPU's specifications include a base clock of 2055 MHz and a boost clock of 2635 MHz, with a game clock of 2410 MHz. These clocks are high, but the card's memory configuration—8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus—is a limiting factor in a game like Control that uses detailed textures and complex particle effects.

The measured FPS data reinforces this. At 1080p, the GPU can push high frame rates, but the scaling to 4K shows a sharp falloff. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1859 and the Passmark G3D score of 17166 are moderate, suggesting the card is capable but not exceptional. The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K40m with a deltaPct of -0.6%, and the AMD FirePro D300 with a deltaPct of 0.7%, showing the RX 6650 XT sits in a competitive but crowded performance band. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a constraint at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 34. The card's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K results indicate that the pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are not sufficient for smooth high-fidelity gameplay at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Control, this pairing of the Ryzen 5 2600 and RX 6650 XT achieves a rank of 2438 out of 3720 combos. This places it in the 66th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly one-third of combinations perform worse. The rank reflects a system that is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles at 4K with high or ultra settings.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 21484 places it at the 75th percentile against all CPUs, which is a strong showing for a processor from the 2000 series. However, the GPU's 65th percentile rank is lower, and in Control, the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The combo's overall rank is dragged down by the GPU's performance ceiling. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V with a deltaPct of 0.2% and the Intel Core i9-11900H with a deltaPct of 0.5%, show that the Ryzen 5 2600 is competitively positioned. Yet, in this game, the CPU's strength does not translate to top-tier results because the graphics card cannot keep up with the demands of 4K rendering. The 2438th rank out of 3720 is a clear indicator that this is a mid-tier gaming setup, capable of solid performance at mainstream resolutions but not a high-end contender.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 provides the processing foundation for this combo, with 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen architecture. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 3.90 GHz are modest by today's standards, but the CPU's benchmark scores are respectable. The Cinebench R15 multicore score of 1248 and single-core score of 157.3 show balanced performance. The Geekbench multicore score of 5648 and single-core score of 1154 further confirm that the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios.

In Control, the CPU's role is more pronounced at lower resolutions where the GPU can render frames quickly. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 122, which is high enough that the CPU's single-thread performance becomes relevant. The Passmark single-thread score of 2239 is moderate, and the data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output. However, at 4K, the CPU is less of a factor because the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 46.9 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for feeding the GPU. The 12 threads handle Control's background tasks without issue, but they do not boost the frame rates at higher resolutions. The CPU's 75th percentile rank against all CPUs indicates it is a solid performer, but in this game, its contributions are overshadowed by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 122 FPS, which is the highest recorded for this combo. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. The High preset averages 77 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the combo can handle even the Ultra preset with an average above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 93 FPS, which is a 24% drop from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 76. The High preset averages 58 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 51 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less ideal for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 63 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that approaches playable levels. The Medium preset averages 44 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS. The High preset averages 39 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 34 FPS. These 4K results are consistently below 60 FPS, with the Medium, High, and Ultra presets all falling into a range that would be considered choppy for action-adventure gameplay. The data shows a clear trend: the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K only viable on the Low preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 67 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This makes Ultra the best choice for 1080p, as it provides the highest visual quality while maintaining playable frame rates. If a higher refresh rate is preferred, the High preset at 77 FPS or the Medium preset at 87 FPS offer smoother motion with only a modest reduction in visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 58 FPS, which is slightly below 60 FPS but still playable. The Medium preset averages 66 FPS, making it the best balance of quality and performance at this resolution. The Ultra preset at 51 FPS is playable but may show stutter in intense scenes, while the Low preset at 93 FPS is the smoothest option but sacrifices significant visual detail.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 63 FPS. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below 45 FPS, which is not smooth enough for a fast-paced action game. The 4K Low preset is recommended for those who prioritize resolution over visual effects, but the 63 FPS average is close to the edge of acceptable performance. The data indicates that users should stick to 1080p or 1440p for the best experience, with 4K reserved for less demanding scenes or when using the Low preset. The Medium preset at 1440p offers the best compromise, with an average of 66 FPS and a minimum of 56 FPS, ensuring consistent performance throughout the game.