Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a solid, if not spectacular, showing in Control, a 2019 action-adventure title. This combination ranks 1294th out of 2888 tested combos in the game, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. The ranking reflects a system that can handle the game's demanding physics and visual effects, but it's not a top-tier performer. The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates, especially at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1294 out of 2888 tested combos places it in the 55th percentile of all systems tested. This is not a leading-edge configuration, but it is far from a weak one. The ranking suggests that this pairing is a balanced mid-range option, capable of delivering playable performance in Control across most settings. The position is influenced by both components, but the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases.

Looking at the individual components, the Ryzen 5 3600 holds a percentile rank of 71 against all CPUs, while the Radeon RX 7700 sits at the 58th percentile against all GPUs. The CPU is clearly the stronger of the two parts relative to their respective markets. This disparity is important because it means the CPU is likely not the limiting factor in most scenarios. The GPU, while competent, is closer to the middle of the pack, and its performance ceiling will define the combo's overall capability.

The combo's ranking in Control is consistent with what the synthetic benchmarks suggest. The CPU's average benchmark score is 17035, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i7-1260P scores 17007, a delta of 0.2%, while the Intel Core i5-11400 scores 17067, a delta of -0.2%. This places the Ryzen 5 3600 in a tight cluster of processors with similar multi-threaded performance. The data indicates that the CPU is a known quantity, delivering predictable results that won't surprise or disappoint in this title.

For the GPU, the average benchmark score is 15852, with the nearest rival being the AMD Radeon R9 370X at 15862, a delta of -0.1%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 1.7% faster, scoring 16129, while the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is 1% faster at 16014. These small deltas show that the RX 7700 is in a highly competitive segment, where a few percentage points separate many cards. In Control, this translates to a system that will perform similarly to these other configurations, with the exact ranking depending on how the game's engine interacts with each component.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, using the Navi 32 chip on a 5 nm process from TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This is a generous amount of memory for a game like Control, which can be demanding on VRAM at higher settings and resolutions. The 16 GB capacity ensures that memory capacity is unlikely to be a bottleneck, even at 4K with Ultra settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are notable. The base clock is 1900 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The memory operates at 2438 MHz, which translates to 19.5 Gbps effective. These clocks are respectable for the 7000 series, and they allow the card to maintain solid performance across the board. The boost clock of 2459 MHz is the ceiling, and in practice, the card will operate somewhere between the game clock and boost clock depending on the workload and thermal headroom.

In Control, the GPU's role is central. The game features heavy use of particle effects, physics-based destruction, and real-time ray tracing (though the latter is not specifically measured here). The RX 7700 has 40 ray accelerators, which helps with ray-traced effects, but the measured FPS data does not isolate this feature. The core specs, including 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units, provide a strong foundation for rasterization performance. The pixel rate is 236.1 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 393.4 GTexel/s, both of which are healthy numbers.

The GPU's FP32 performance is 25.18 TFLOPS, which is a measure of its raw compute capability. This is relevant for Control's complex shaders and post-processing effects. The data shows that the card is capable of delivering frame rates that are playable, but not exceptional, at the highest settings. The GPU's percentile rank of 58 indicates it is slightly above average, but it faces stiff competition from cards like the RTX 3060 Ti, which is 1.7% faster in synthetic benchmarks. That small edge can translate to a few extra frames per second in real-world gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the combo scales from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 93 FPS. Moving to 1440p, the average drops to 71 FPS, a reduction of roughly 24%. At 4K, the average falls to 48 FPS, a further 32% drop from 1440p. This pattern is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is even steeper. This indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as the pixel count increases. The CPU, which is strong relative to its market, is likely able to feed the GPU adequately at 1080p, but at 4K, the GPU's raw throughput is the constraint. The data supports this: at 1080p Low settings, the combo hits 148 FPS, which is a high number that suggests the CPU is not holding back performance. At 4K Low settings, the average is 76 FPS, which is still playable but shows the GPU is working harder.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution also tells a story. At 1080p, the difference between Low (148 FPS) and Ultra (81 FPS) is 67 FPS, a 45% drop. At 1440p, Low (112 FPS) to Ultra (61 FPS) is a 51 FPS drop, or 46%. At 4K, Low (76 FPS) to Ultra (41 FPS) is a 35 FPS drop, or 46%. The percentage drop is consistent across resolutions, which shows that the settings impact is relatively uniform. However, the absolute frame rates at 4K are low enough that Ultra settings are not recommended for a smooth experience.

The limiting component at 1080p is likely the GPU, but the CPU is not idle. The Ryzen 5 3600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, can handle the game's logic and AI, but the high frame rates at Low settings (148 FPS) suggest that the GPU is still the primary driver. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the CPU has more than enough headroom to keep up with the lower frame rates. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates with reasonable settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo performs well across all settings. On Low, the average FPS is 148, which is excellent for fast-paced action. Medium settings yield 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS, showing good consistency. High settings produce 93 FPS, while Ultra drops to 81 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the user has a wide range of options to prioritize frame rate or visual quality. The minimum FPS of 89 at Medium is particularly encouraging, as it suggests that the system can maintain playable frame rates even during intense scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops as expected. Low settings average 112 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings average 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS. High settings yield 71 FPS, and Ultra drops to 61 FPS. At this resolution, Ultra settings are borderline for a 60 FPS target, but the average of 61 FPS is just above it. The minimum FPS of 68 at Medium is solid, indicating that the system can handle the resolution without major frame drops.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 76 FPS, which is playable. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. High settings drop to 48 FPS, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS. These numbers show that 4K is not the ideal resolution for this combo, especially at higher settings. The minimum FPS of 46 at Medium is below the 60 FPS threshold, which could lead to noticeable stuttering in fast-paced scenes. For a smooth 4K experience, users would need to stick to Low settings or accept lower frame rates.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the sweet spot, 1440p is viable with some compromises, and 4K is only playable at Low settings. The consistency of the frame rates, as indicated by the minimum and maximum values at Medium settings, is good. At 1080p Medium, the range is 89 to 121 FPS, a 32 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 68 to 92 FPS, a 24 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 46 to 62 FPS, a 16 FPS spread. The tighter range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is being utilized more consistently, but the absolute frame rates are lower.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution for this combo. At High settings, the average FPS is 93, and at Low settings, it reaches 148 FPS. This provides a smooth experience with plenty of headroom for adjustments.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: At 4K, the combo averages 48 FPS on High settings and 41 FPS on Ultra. These are below the 60 FPS threshold, so 4K is only playable at Low settings, which yields 76 FPS. For a better experience, 1440p is recommended.

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

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, scores 15862, which is 0.1% faster. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 1.7% faster with a score of 16129.

Q: What is the CPU's performance relative to other processors?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has an average benchmark score of 17035. It is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-1260P, which scores 17007 (0.2% slower), and the Intel Core i5-11400, which scores 17067 (0.2% faster).

*Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and is it enough for Control?*

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. This is more than sufficient for Control at any resolution, as the game does not typically require more than 8-10 GB at 4K Ultra.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: The data suggests not. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 148 FPS, which is a high frame rate. The CPU's strong single-thread and multi-thread performance, as shown by its benchmark scores, is sufficient to keep up with the GPU at this resolution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 3000 series, built on the Zen 2 architecture with the Matisse codename. It uses a 7 nm process from TSMC, which was a significant advancement at its release. The base clock is 3.60 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. This gives it solid single-thread performance, which is important for games that rely on a few fast cores. The CPU's TDP is 65 W, making it a power-efficient option.

In Control, the CPU's role is to handle the game's physics simulation, AI, and game logic. The game is known for its use of the Northlight engine, which can be demanding on the CPU during complex scenes. The Ryzen 5 3600's 6 cores and 12 threads are adequate for this task, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low settings (148 FPS). The CPU's cache configuration includes 32 MB of shared L3 cache, which helps with data access patterns in games.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context. In Cinebench R23, it scores 15045 in multi-core and 2124 in single-core. These are respectable numbers for a 2019 processor. The single-core score is particularly relevant for gaming, as many games, including Control, still rely on a few well-optimized threads. The Geekbench scores are 7372 in multi-core and 1536 in single-core, which are consistent with the Cinebench results.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i7-1260P and the Intel Core i5-11400. The Ryzen 5 3600 is within 0.2% of both in average benchmark score, indicating that these processors are essentially interchangeable in terms of raw performance. In Control, this means that the combo's performance would be similar if paired with any of these CPUs, assuming the GPU is the same.

The CPU's percentile rank of 71 against all CPUs indicates that it is better than most processors in the database. This is a strong position for a processor that is several years old. The data shows that the CPU is not a weak link in this combo. At 4K, where the GPU is the bottleneck, the CPU has plenty of headroom. At 1080p, the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates, as shown by the 148 FPS at Low settings. The main limitation of this combo is the GPU, not the CPU.

The Ryzen 5 3600 also features PCIe Gen 4 support with 16 lanes, which is compatible with the RX 7700's PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. This ensures that the GPU is not bandwidth-limited by the bus. The CPU's memory support is DDR4 with dual-channel configuration, providing a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. This is sufficient for the game's memory requirements. Overall, the CPU provides a stable and capable foundation for the combo, allowing the GPU to perform to its potential.