Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, with the data showing a clear shift from CPU-bound performance at lower settings to GPU-bound performance at higher resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the twelve tested configurations indicate that this combination is best suited for High settings at 1440p, where it maintains a playable average while preserving visual fidelity. At 4K, the system struggles to maintain smooth framerates, particularly on Ultra settings, where the average dips below 33 FPS. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data, offering specific recommendations and contextualizing the results against the broader benchmark database.

FAQ

Q: What is the best overall settings preset for this CPU and GPU combo in Control?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset at 2560x1440 provides the best balance, achieving an average of 55.6 FPS. This is notably smoother than the 48.2 FPS on Ultra at the same resolution, while the jump to 1080p High yields 72.6 FPS, which may be preferable for higher refresh rate displays.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows that 4K is demanding for this system. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 57.5 on Low settings down to 32.6 on Ultra. The High preset at this resolution only manages an average of 36.1 FPS, which is below the generally accepted smoothness threshold for fast-paced action.

Q: Is the system more limited by the CPU or the GPU in this game?

A: The performance scaling between resolutions suggests a GPU limitation. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 72.6 at 1920x1080 to 55.6 at 2560x1440, and then to 36.1 at 3840x2160. This consistent drop as resolution increases indicates the graphics card is the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Low and Ultra presets?

A: The performance delta is significant. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 120.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 66.5 FPS. This represents a substantial 54.1 FPS difference, showing a large performance cost for the highest visual settings.

Q: How does this specific combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo is ranked 1228 out of 1636 tested combinations in Control. This places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, indicating that while it can run the game, many other hardware pairings deliver higher average framerates.

Q: What are the clock speeds of the GPU and CPU, and how do they relate to performance?

A: The CPU has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The GPU has a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz. These clocks, combined with the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, are the driving factors behind the measured FPS figures.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to the High preset at 2560x1440 as the optimal configuration. This setting achieves an average of 55.6 FPS, which is smooth enough for the game's action sequences while still providing a significant visual upgrade over the Medium preset's 66.1 FPS at the same resolution. The trade-off is a 10.5 FPS reduction for higher fidelity, which is a reasonable compromise.

If a higher framerate is the priority, dropping to 1920x1080 on High yields a much more responsive 72.6 FPS average. This is the recommended setting for players with 144Hz monitors who prefer fluidity over maximum resolution. The Ultra preset at 1080p offers a marginal visual improvement but reduces the average to 66.5 FPS, a smaller performance hit compared to the 1440p Ultra setting.

The Low preset should be reserved for competitive play or when maximum framerate is essential, as it produces 120.6 FPS at 1080p. However, the visual degradation is substantial. The Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 84.5 FPS, serves as a middle ground, offering a good balance of visual quality and performance, though the jump to High is often worth the 12 FPS cost. At 4K, no preset is ideal; the High setting's 36.1 FPS is borderline playable, but the Medium setting at 41.9 FPS is the only 4K option that stays above the low 30s.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent drop in performance as resolution increases, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound workload. At High settings, the average framerate falls from 72.6 at 1920x1080 to 55.6 at 2560x1440, a 23.4% decrease. Moving to 3840x2160, the average plummets to 36.1, a further 35.1% reduction from the 1440p figure.

This scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For example, on Low settings, the average goes from 120.6 at 1080p to 87.7 at 1440p, and finally to 57.5 at 4K. The magnitude of these drops strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU enough data at lower resolutions, but as the pixel count increases, the GPU's rendering workload grows, and it becomes the primary constraint on performance.

The data shows that the gap between 1080p and 1440p is significant, but the jump to 4K is even more punishing. This suggests that the 8 GB of VRAM and the GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but are saturated at 4K, leading to the steep drop in framerates. For this combo, 1440p is the highest resolution that provides a consistently playable experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER holds a rank of 1228 out of 1636 tested combos for Control. This places it in the 25th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that a significant majority of other hardware combinations deliver higher average FPS in this game.

The ranking suggests that this system is not optimized for pushing maximum framerates in Control. While it can handle the game at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, it does not compete with higher-end CPUs or GPUs. The CPU's benchmark scores show it performs near rivals like the Intel Core i5-11400, with a delta of -0.1%, indicating similar processing power. However, the GPU's average benchmark score of 19774 places it close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, which has a deltaPct of 0.5%, but this is not enough to significantly boost the combo's rank.

The relative position of the combo implies that users will need to make compromises on graphical settings to achieve high framerates. The data shows that the system is more capable at lower resolutions, but it falls behind other combos as the resolution and settings are increased. This rank serves as a clear indicator that the system is a mid-range performer for this title, requiring careful settings management for an optimal experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER plays a central role in determining the performance ceiling for this combo in Control. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gameplay but is likely a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU's boost clock of 1650 MHz, up from a base of 1470 MHz, is what drives the processing of the game's graphics.

The GPU's architecture, Turing, supports features that are relevant for modern titles, but the measured FPS data shows its raw performance limits. The average benchmark score for the GPU is 19774, which places it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, has a very similar average score, with a deltaPct of 0.5%, showing that the 2060 SUPER is competitive within its performance class.

In Control, the GPU's workload increases significantly with resolution. At 1920x1080 on High, the GPU is able to maintain an average of 72.6 FPS. However, when the resolution is increased to 3840x2160 on Ultra, the average FPS drops to 32.6. This demonstrates that the GPU's compute power, measured at 7.181 TFLOPS for FP32, is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The data suggests that the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is not the sole issue, but rather the overall rendering throughput is insufficient to maintain high framerates at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance data shows a wide range of framerates depending on the settings preset. The Low preset delivers the highest average at 120.6 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset reduces the average to 84.5 FPS, while the High preset achieves 72.6 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, still manages an average of 66.5 FPS, providing a playable experience with maximum visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the framerates scale down predictably. The Low preset remains the fastest with an average of 87.7 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 66.1 FPS, and the High preset drops to 55.6 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution is the most taxing, with an average of 48.2 FPS, which is on the edge of smoothness for many players.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overburdened. The Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 57.5 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 41.9 FPS, and the High preset falls to 36.1 FPS. The Ultra preset is the worst performer, with an average of 32.6 FPS, which is below the threshold for acceptable smoothness in an action game. This data confirms that the RTX 2060 SUPER is not suited for 4K gaming in this title, even with the CPU providing adequate support.