Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination delivers a playable but not exceptional experience in Control, with the data showing a clear dependence on resolution and preset selection. This pairing, ranked 1330 out of 1636 tested combos, places it in the lower-mid tier of the benchmark database, indicating that while the hardware is capable, it requires careful settings management to achieve smooth frame rates at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 61.7 FPS on Ultra to 110 FPS on Low, making it the only resolution where all presets exceed the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset averages above 60 FPS at 78.4 FPS, while High and Ultra dip to 49.4 FPS and 43.9 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves a 60 FPS average, with the best being Low at 56.4 FPS.

Q: How does the Low preset compare to Ultra in terms of performance?

A: The performance gap between Low and Ultra is substantial across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Low delivers 110 FPS compared to Ultra's 61.7 FPS, a difference of 48.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the gap narrows to 34.5 FPS (78.4 FPS vs 43.9 FPS), and at 3840x2160 it is 25.4 FPS (56.4 FPS vs 31 FPS). The relative performance penalty for Ultra increases with resolution.

*Q: Is the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM sufficient for Control?*

A: The benchmark data indicates that the 6 GB GDDR6 memory is adequate for the tested presets, as frame rates scale predictably with settings rather than collapsing due to memory limitations. The memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s and 192-bit bus width support the measured performance, though the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages only 31 FPS, suggesting memory capacity may be a contributing factor at extreme settings.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 3600 sits at the 76th percentile among all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 18129 places it nearly even with the Intel Core i5-11400 (18150, deltaPct -0.1) and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (18101, deltaPct 0.2). The CPU's multi-threaded performance is demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15045.

Q: How does the GPU's overall benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074, placing it at the 58th percentile among all GPUs. It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and AMD Radeon Pro 5700, both scoring 16351 (deltaPct -1.7), but leads the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996, deltaPct 0.5) and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786, deltaPct 1.8). The PassMark G3D score of 14111 reflects its DirectX 11 capability, while the DirectX 12 score is 53.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: Only with the Low preset, which averages 78.4 FPS. The Medium preset averages 60.3 FPS, just barely crossing the threshold, while High (49.4 FPS) and Ultra (43.9 FPS) fall short. Users targeting 60 FPS at 1440p must compromise on visual quality, as the data shows no high-fidelity option reaches this target.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 provides six cores and twelve threads based on the Zen 2 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. With a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, this processor delivers single-thread performance that is competitive for its generation, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 696 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2124. The 76th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it performs better than roughly three-quarters of tested processors, though its average benchmark score of 18129 is nearly identical to several rivals, with deltaPct values within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-11400, AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, AMD Ryzen 5 1600, and AMD EPYC 9274F.

In Control, the CPU's role is to maintain consistent frame pacing across the game's physics and AI computations. The multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15045 and a PassMark multithread score of 17700, ensure that the six cores can handle the game's workload without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The L3 cache of 32 MB shared across the cores helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for the game's asset streaming. The dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate data throughput for the CPU's needs.

The benchmark results show that at 1920x1080, the CPU is not the limiting factor, as frame rates scale primarily with GPU settings. The jump from Low (110 FPS) to Ultra (61.7 FPS) at 1080p is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, indicating the Ryzen 5 3600 can feed the RTX 2060 effectively at this resolution. However, at 3840x2160, where the GPU is heavily stressed regardless of preset, the CPU's performance becomes less relevant to the overall frame rate, as the GPU's computational limits dominate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture with the TU106 chip, featuring 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Its memory configuration includes 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz, and its FP32 performance is rated at 6.451 TFLOPS. The 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier, with an average benchmark score of 16074 that is competitive with its nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996, deltaPct 0.5) and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786, deltaPct 1.8).

The RTX 2060's performance in Control is directly tied to its rendering capabilities. The 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores provide hardware support for ray tracing and DLSS, though the measured frame rates do not account for these features. The pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s determine the GPU's ability to fill frames with detailed textures, which is critical for the game's visual effects. At 1920x1080, the GPU delivers playable frame rates across all presets, with Ultra averaging 61.7 FPS. The performance at 2560x1440 shows a more pronounced impact of the GPU's limitations, as only the Low preset (78.4 FPS) and Medium preset (60.3 FPS) maintain playable averages.

The GPU's memory bandwidth becomes a factor at higher resolutions. The 336.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 3840x2160, the data shows a significant drop in performance. The High preset at 4K averages 33.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 31 FPS, indicating that the 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit bus are strained by the game's high-resolution textures. The PassMark G3D score of 14111 provides a baseline for the GPU's overall compute capability, while the DirectX 12 score of 53 suggests it can handle modern APIs, though Control's specific engine optimizations will influence real-world results.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and performance targets. At 1920x1080, the High preset offers a strong balance, averaging 70.3 FPS while providing better visual fidelity than Medium (78.1 FPS) or Low (110 FPS). The Ultra preset at 61.7 FPS is also viable for users prioritizing visual quality over a larger frame rate buffer, though the 8.6 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the additional GPU load.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, averaging 60.3 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. This preset provides a reasonable visual experience while maintaining smooth gameplay. The Low preset (78.4 FPS) is an option for users who prefer higher frame rates, but the visual compromise is significant. High (49.4 FPS) and Ultra (43.9 FPS) should be avoided for competitive or fast-paced play, as sub-50 FPS averages will result in noticeable stuttering.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets deliver a 60 FPS average, making this resolution unsuitable for this combo. The Low preset (56.4 FPS) is the only option that approaches playability, but even it falls short of the 60 FPS target. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with High or Ultra settings, or 1440p with Medium settings. Users attempting 4K will need to accept frame rates below 60 FPS, with the Low preset providing the best compromise at 56.4 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 1330 out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 19th percentile of all tested combinations. This ranking reflects the hardware's mid-range positioning: the CPU at the 76th percentile and GPU at the 58th percentile combine to produce a system that is capable but not competitive with high-end configurations. The combo's rank suggests that approximately 306 other combinations deliver better performance in this game, which is consistent with the RTX 2060's age and the Ryzen 5 3600's status as a mainstream processor.

The nearest rival CPUs, with average scores within 0.3% of the Ryzen 5 3600, indicate that the processor is not the primary differentiator in this ranking. The Intel Core i5-11400 (18150, deltaPct -0.1) and AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (18101, deltaPct 0.2) would likely produce similar results in Control when paired with the same GPU. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996, deltaPct 0.5) and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786, deltaPct 1.8), show that the RTX 2060 is competitive within its immediate tier, but the overall combo rank is dragged down by the GPU's lower percentile placement.

The measured frame rates across all twelve configurations demonstrate that this combo's performance envelope is well-defined. At 1080p, it handles all presets with average frame rates above 60 FPS, which is a positive result. At 1440p, only the Low and Medium presets achieve this target. At 4K, no preset manages a 60 FPS average. The rank of 1330 out of 1636 reflects this pattern: the combo is capable of smooth gameplay at mainstream resolutions but struggles at enthusiast settings. Users with this hardware should focus on 1080p or 1440p, accepting that 4K gaming is not viable with this combination.