Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 presents a familiar mid-range combination from the late 2010s, and in Control it delivers a playable but constrained experience. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet still capable of respectable frame rates when settings are managed properly. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and presets, explaining what the numbers mean for the CPU’s role and how this specific combo ranks against the broader database.

Resolution Scaling

The most telling pattern in the measured FPS is how performance degrades as resolution increases, which clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 95.4 FPS, but dropping to 1440p Low yields 73.6 FPS, and 4K Low falls to 51.2 FPS. This is a 46% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a steep curve that points directly at the GTX 1070’s pixel throughput limits rather than any CPU constraint.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced at higher presets. At High settings, the frame rate goes from 61.5 FPS at 1080p to 45.1 FPS at 1440p and finally 33.4 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at High is 45.7%, nearly identical to the Low setting drop, which suggests the GPU is saturated across all quality levels. The Ultra preset tells a similar story: 52.5 FPS at 1080p, 41.7 FPS at 1440p, and 25.2 FPS at 4K, with a 52% decline from 1080p to 4K.

What this scaling indicates is that the Ryzen 5 3600 is not holding the system back at any resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU workload per frame stays roughly constant. Instead, the consistent 20-25 FPS drops between each resolution step confirm that the GTX 1070 is the ceiling. The 1080p Low result of 95.4 FPS shows the CPU can push well beyond 60 FPS when the GPU is not overwhelmed, and the 1440p Low figure of 73.6 FPS reinforces that the CPU has headroom to spare even at higher pixel counts.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 3600 brings six cores and twelve threads with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, built on the Zen 2 architecture. In Control, an Action Adventure title that relies on physics and particle effects, core count and clock speed both matter, but the benchmark data suggests the CPU is adequately feeding the GTX 1070 in most scenarios.

The CPU’s benchmark scores support this conclusion. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15045 and single-core score of 2124 indicate strong all-around performance, while the PassMark multithread score of 17700 places it in the 76th percentile of all CPUs. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 4605 versus the 2-thread score of 1361 shows good scaling across cores, which is relevant for a game like Control that can use multiple threads for its physics simulation.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 3600 sits within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-11400 and the AMD Ryzen 5 1600, with average benchmark scores of 18150 and 18158 respectively. The deltaPct values of -0.1% and -0.2% mean the 3600 is essentially tied with those processors, which suggests that any CPU differences between these chips would not produce meaningful FPS changes in Control. The fact that the 1080p Low preset reaches 95.4 FPS while the GPU is still the bottleneck at 4K indicates the six-core, twelve-thread configuration is sufficient for this game’s demands.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1080p in Control?*

A: Yes, at Medium settings the average FPS is 69.0, and at High settings it is 61.5. Low settings reach 95.4 FPS. Only the Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, at 52.5 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 51.2. Medium produces 36.0 FPS, High drops to 33.4 FPS, and Ultra is 25.2 FPS. None of these reach a smooth 60 FPS target, so 4K is only playable with significant compromises.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of GPU performance?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 12331, which is 0.7% higher than the Quadro K4200 and 1.3% higher than the GTX 880M. It trails the GTX 1650 SUPER by 1.4% and the Tesla K20Xm by 1.7%, putting it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 3600 a bottleneck for the GTX 1070 in this game?

A: No, the resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The 1080p Low result of 95.4 FPS shows the CPU has headroom, and the consistent FPS drops as resolution increases are characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a balance of quality and performance?

A: 1440p at Medium settings delivers 50.3 FPS, which is close to but below 60 FPS. 1080p at High settings provides 61.5 FPS, making it the highest quality preset that maintains a playable frame rate. For a guaranteed 60 FPS experience, 1080p Medium is the safest choice.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance hold up?

A: The Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2124, and the 3DMark 2-thread score is 1361. These are reasonable figures for a Zen 2 chip and align with the CPU’s 76th percentile ranking, indicating no single-thread deficiency that would hurt Control’s performance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this combination of AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1387 out of 1636 tested combos for Control. This places it in the bottom 15% of all configurations, which reflects the age of the GPU more than any CPU limitation. The rank is a composite measure that includes both components, and the GTX 1070’s 51st percentile GPU standing is the dominant factor dragging the combo down.

The CPU side of the equation is comparatively strong. The Ryzen 5 3600’s 76th percentile ranking among all CPUs means it is performing well above the median, and its nearest rivals show only negligible differences in average score. The 0.1% deltaPct against the Intel Core i5-11400 and 0.2% against the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS confirm that the CPU is not the weak link in this pairing.

For context, a combo ranked at 1387 out of 1636 means there are 249 configurations that perform worse, but a large majority of tested systems deliver higher FPS in Control. This is expected for a GPU that launched in 2016, and the measured data shows the GTX 1070 struggling to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p with any preset above Low. The ranking accurately reflects that this is a 1080p-oriented build, and the CPU has enough headroom to pair with a faster GPU if an upgrade were considered.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured results provides a full picture of performance across all resolution and settings combinations.

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its best numbers. Low settings yield 95.4 FPS, which is the highest average in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 69.0 FPS, still comfortably above 60 FPS. High settings maintain 61.5 FPS, which is exactly at the threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings fall to 52.5 FPS, showing the cost of maxing out visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings produce 73.6 FPS, which is the only 1440p preset above 60 FPS. Medium settings yield 50.3 FPS, High settings give 45.1 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 41.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 1440p is 23.3 FPS, indicating that the GTX 1070’s memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s becomes a limiting factor as texture quality increases.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal for gaming. Low settings reach 51.2 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Medium settings produce 36.0 FPS, High settings drop to 33.4 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 25.2 FPS. The 4K Low result is 22.1 FPS lower than the 1440p Low result, showing the steep cost of pushing 8.3 million pixels.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: Low settings provide the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra always last. The delta between Low and Ultra grows from 42.9 FPS at 1080p to 31.9 FPS at 1440p and 26.0 FPS at 4K, which suggests the GPU is so saturated at higher resolutions that preset changes have a smaller absolute impact.

Settings Recommendations

For a 1080p display, the data supports using High settings as the default choice. The 61.5 FPS average is right at the 60 FPS target, and the visual improvement over Medium’s 69.0 FPS is worth the small performance cost. If the game is played on a 144Hz monitor, Low settings at 95.4 FPS would be preferable, but for standard 60Hz displays, High offers the best balance of quality and smoothness. Ultra at 52.5 FPS should be avoided unless the player prioritizes graphics over frame rate stability.

At 1440p, the situation is more constrained. Low settings at 73.6 FPS provide the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for competitive play. Medium at 50.3 FPS is playable but will have noticeable frame time inconsistencies, and High at 45.1 FPS is best reserved for slower-paced exploration. Ultra at 41.7 FPS is not recommended, as the visual gains do not justify the 31.9 FPS drop from Low.

For 4K, only Low settings at 51.2 FPS are worth considering, and even that is borderline. Medium at 36.0 FPS and below are not suitable for action sequences, which Control frequently employs. Players with 4K displays should either accept Low settings or reduce the resolution to 1440p for a significantly better experience.

The overall recommendation is to prioritize frame rate over preset quality with this hardware. The GTX 1070’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p High settings, but the 25.2 FPS Ultra result at 4K shows the limits of the Pascal architecture. Stick to 1080p High for the best experience, or 1440p Low if higher resolution is essential.