Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 pairs six cores and twelve threads with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. This 2000-series Zen+ processor, built on a 12 nm process, provides the computational foundation for this Control test combo. Its 16 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 46.9 GB/s are the structural limits the game must work within. In Control, a game that leans on both physics calculations and object interactions, the processor’s multi-threaded capacity is relevant. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11186 and single-core score of 1579 indicate a balanced capability, though the single-thread result is modest by modern standards. The PassMark physics score of 673 and data encryption score of 12429 further suggest that while the CPU can handle parallel workloads adequately, its per-core strength is not exceptional. This matters in Control because the game’s combat sequences with destructible environments can spawn numerous scripted events that require quick single-thread responses. The 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier hint that this chip is intended for broad compatibility, but the benchmark results place it firmly in the mid-range of desktop processors, with an average benchmark score of 19616 and a percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo, consisting of the Ryzen 5 2600 and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, holds the 508th position out of 1636 tested combinations in Control. This placement, roughly in the 69th percentile of all combos, is intriguing because the graphics card is a high-end part. The data suggests that the CPU is the constraining factor in this pairing, preventing the GPU from fully expressing its potential. When examining the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 2600 sits within a tight cluster: it is 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-1345U, 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U, 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600KF, and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i7-10700F. These deltas are negligible, indicating that the Ryzen 5 2600’s raw compute performance is virtually interchangeable with those parts. The fact that a 2018 CPU is competitive with much newer mobile and desktop chips in aggregate benchmarks underscores how the Ryzen 5 2600’s six cores remain a viable baseline. However, the combo’s mid-pack ranking in Control implies that the game’s engine rewards the higher single-thread performance found in newer architectures. The RTX 3080 Ti, with its 80 RT cores and 10240 shading units, is clearly overqualified for the CPU’s output in this title.

FAQ

Q: Why does the combo rank only 508th when the RTX 3080 Ti is a top-tier GPU?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score of 19616 and its position relative to rivals like the Intel Core i5-11600KF (0.6% ahead) indicate that the Ryzen 5 2600 is the limiting component. The GPU’s high throughput cannot be fully utilized if the processor cannot feed it frames fast enough.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between the lowest and highest settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 150.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 106.7 FPS. This represents a 43.9 FPS gap, showing that the Ultra settings impose a significant load on the GPU that the CPU can still partially keep up with at this resolution.

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 2600 bottleneck the RTX 3080 Ti more at 1080p or 4K?

A: The data shows a 150.6 FPS average at 1080p Low versus 97 FPS at 2160p Low. At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the constraint because the GPU can render frames quickly, but the processor’s single-thread scores (Cinebench R23 single-core of 1579) limit the frame delivery rate. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel throughput demands increase.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 2600 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average score?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 19616. It is 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-1345U (score 19691) and 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (score 19508), meaning it is statistically tied with both.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 Ti’s 12 GB of memory sufficient for Control at high settings?

A: The measured FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 61.8 FPS, and the GPU has 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The 12 GB capacity is not directly tested in the data, but the playable frame rates across all resolutions suggest that memory capacity is not a limiting factor in this game.

Q: What does the combo’s rank of 508 out of 1636 imply for the CPU’s future?

A: With a percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs, the Ryzen 5 2600 is above average overall, but the combo rank in Control indicates that the pairing with a high-end GPU is suboptimal. The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 2239 is the weak point, suggesting that upgrades focusing on single-core performance would yield better Control results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Starting at 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 150.6 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 131.4 FPS, a 19.2 FPS reduction. The High preset further reduces the average to 122.4 FPS, and Ultra brings it down to 106.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, the scaling follows a similar pattern: Low averages 136.8 FPS, Medium 101.3 FPS, High 89.4 FPS, and Ultra 80.8 FPS. The step from Low to Medium at 1440p is the largest single drop, at 35.5 FPS, which suggests that Medium introduces significant visual effects that tax the GPU. At 3840x2160, the averages compress into a narrower band. Low runs at 97 FPS, Medium at 72.9 FPS, High at 61.8 FPS, and Ultra at 55.9 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 5.9 FPS, indicating diminishing returns for the highest preset at this resolution. The data reveals that the RTX 3080 Ti maintains a playable experience even at 4K Ultra, crossing the 60 FPS threshold only at High settings. The overall spread from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra is 94.7 FPS, demonstrating a wide performance envelope that scales predictably with resolution and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip fabricated on an 8 nm Samsung process. Its 28,300 million transistors and 628 mm² die size make it a large, power-hungry part with a 350 W TDP. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). It has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The shading units number 10240, alongside 320 TMUs and 112 ROPs, with 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. These specifications translate to 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 532.8 GTexel/s. In Control, the GPU’s role is dominant in determining visual fidelity. The measured FPS shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 150.6 FPS, but the GPU’s raw power is not the only factor; the CPU must keep up. The PassMark G3D score of 26896 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5077 confirm the GPU’s high compute capability. Yet, the percentile rank of 83 among all GPUs indicates it is not the absolute top, sitting 0.5% behind the RTX 3090 in average score. The GPU’s 12 GB frame buffer is ample for Control’s textures, and the 912.4 GB/s bandwidth prevents memory bottlenecks, as seen in the 61.8 FPS average at 4K High.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of the optimal experience. At 1080p, the Low preset at 150.6 FPS is excessive for most displays, and the Ultra preset at 106.7 FPS still exceeds the 100 FPS mark, making Ultra the best choice for high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution. The jump from High (122.4 FPS) to Ultra (106.7 FPS) is a 15.7 FPS cost, which is worth it for the visual uplift if the display can handle it. At 2560x1440, the High preset at 89.4 FPS offers a balanced experience, staying above 60 FPS while maintaining good visual quality. Ultra at 80.8 FPS is also viable, but the 8.6 FPS penalty over High is more noticeable. For 3840x2160, the High preset at 61.8 FPS is the only setting that crosses the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for smooth 4K gameplay. Ultra at 55.9 FPS is playable but dips below the smoothness standard. Medium at 72.9 FPS is an alternative for those prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, but High provides the best balance of quality and performance. Across all resolutions, the Low preset is unnecessary for this GPU, as even Ultra at 1080p delivers over 100 FPS. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for 1440p and 4K, while Ultra is viable at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

Examining the FPS drops from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 150.6 at 1080p to 136.8 at 1440p, a 13.8 FPS drop, and then to 97 at 4K, a further 39.8 FPS drop. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 53.6 FPS, or a 35.6% decrease. This relatively modest drop indicates that the GPU is not fully stressed at lower resolutions, but the CPU is. At Ultra settings, the averages are 106.7 at 1080p, 80.8 at 1440p, and 55.9 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 25.9 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 24.9 FPS, for a total of 50.8 FPS, or 47.6%. The larger percentage drop at Ultra settings suggests that the GPU becomes the bottleneck as the pixel count increases, while at Low settings, the CPU’s single-thread limits cap the frame rate regardless of resolution. The Ryzen 5 2600’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1579 and PassMark single-thread score of 2239 are the constraining factors at 1080p Low, where the GPU could theoretically render more frames than the CPU can process. At 4K, the RTX 3080 Ti’s workload increases significantly, and the FPS drop is more proportional to the increase in pixels (2.25x from 1080p to 4K). The data implies that the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p, while the GPU takes over at 4K, with the crossover point around 1440p where both components are relatively balanced.