Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily, and this configuration of an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a particular set of performance characteristics. The benchmark data shows a combination that provides high frame rates at 1080p, remains very playable at 1440p, and can maintain playable performance at 4K, with the balance of load shifting clearly between the processor and the graphics card as resolution increases. The CPU has six cores and twelve threads based on the Zen 2 architecture, and the GPU is a high-end Ampere part with substantial memory and bandwidth. Understanding this combo’s position requires a detailed look at the FPS breakdown, the role each component plays, and how the pairing ranks among thousands of other tested combinations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a six-core, twelve-thread processor from the 3000 series, built on the Zen 2 architecture with a 7 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and can boost up to 4.20 GHz. It has a 32 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU is part of the desktop market segment and uses the AMD Socket AM4. The processor's benchmark results show a balanced profile across various workloads. In multi-threaded tasks, it scores 15,045 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6,318 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Its single-core performance is also solid, with Cinebench R23 single-core at 2,124 and Geekbench single-core at 1,536. The CPU's average benchmark score is 17,035, placing it in the 71st percentile of all tested CPUs.

The nearest rivals to the Ryzen 5 3600, based on average benchmark score, are the Intel Core i7-1260P with an average score of 17,007 (a 0.2% difference), the Intel Core i5-11400 with 17,067 (-0.2% delta), the AMD EPYC 7573X with 17,070 (-0.2%), and the AMD EPYC 7742 with 16,998 (0.2% delta). This shows that the Ryzen 5 3600's raw compute capability is nearly identical to a range of other processors. In the context of gaming, this performance level is sufficient to feed a high-end graphics card at lower resolutions, but at higher resolutions the demands shift.

In this specific game, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p, where the processor must drive the frame rate high enough to saturate the GPU. At the lowest settings, the RTX 3080 Ti is capable of generating a very high frame rate, but the CPU may still be able to keep up. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches an average of 171 FPS. At the High setting, the average drops to 121 FPS; at Medium 136 FPS and at Ultra 105 FPS. The CPU's single-core performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,120 and 3DMark single-thread score of 696, influences how well it can push frame rates in a game like this. The 3DMark multi-thread score of 4,605 and 4,603 for max threads shows that the CPU scales well with multiple threads, but game engines often rely on a mix of single and multi-threaded performance.

The benchmarks indicate that the Ryzen 5 3600 is a capable mid-range CPU that performs similarly to the Intel Core i5-11400. The difference in average scores is just 0.2%, meaning that in most CPU-bound scenarios, these two processors would produce nearly identical frame rates. The CPU's capacity to handle the game's logic, physics, and rendering calls is adequate for the GPU pairing, but it is not so powerful that it eliminates the possibility of a system with a lower-end CPU limiting performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo at any resolution and setting?

A: The highest average FPS is 171, measured at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has an average benchmark score of 17,035. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-11400, has an average score of 17,067, which is a 0.2% difference. This indicates nearly identical raw CPU performance.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, meaning it outperforms 83% of the tested graphics cards.

Q: Does the game become more CPU-bound at 1080p or at 4K?

A: The data indicates that the game becomes more CPU-bound at 1080p. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 171, which is very high. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 98. The lower resolution allows the CPU to push frame rates much higher, suggesting the CPU is a larger factor at 1080p.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and how does it relate to performance?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s, which is very high. This high bandwidth is critical for feeding the GPU's 10,240 shading units and 320 texture mapping units, which are important for rendering the game's visuals.

Q: How does the GPU's average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 41,187. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 with an average score of 40,870, which is a 0.8% difference. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB is also close with a score of 41,707, a -1.2% difference.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU?

A: The CPU's launch MSRP is $199.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GPU?

A: The GPU's launch MSRP is 1,199 USD.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this CPU and GPU combination shows a clear trend as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. The average frame rates decrease significantly, which is expected. However, the rate of decrease provides insight into the nature of the system's bottleneck.

At 1080p, the average FPS for Low settings is 171, and for High settings, it is 121. This steep drop from 171 to 121 FPS indicates that the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution. The CPU is strong enough to push the frame rate to high levels, but the gap between Low and High settings is large, showing that the game's settings can have a substantial impact on frame rate. At 1440p, the average FPS at Low is 145 and High is 92. The trend continues, but the difference between Low and High is smaller in percentage terms. At 4K, the average FPS at Low is 98, and High is 62. The drop from Low to High at 4K is only about 36% of the FPS, whereas at 1080p, the drop is about 29%.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear. For Low settings, the average FPS goes from 192 (1080p) to 145 (1440p) to 98 (4K). This is a 25% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a 32% decrease from 1440p to 4K. For High settings, the FPS goes from 121 (1080p) to 92 (1440p) to 62 (4K), which is a 24% decrease and then a 33% decrease. The drop is more pronounced at higher resolutions because the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The frame rate at 4K with High settings is only 62 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, but the GPU is clearly the bottleneck at this resolution.

The data also shows a significant difference between the settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 171 FPS vs 121 FPS, a difference of 50 FPS. At 1440p, the difference is 145 FPS vs 80 FPS, a difference of 65 FPS. At 4K, the difference is 98 FPS vs 54 FPS, a difference of 44 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is not uniform, indicating that some settings have a larger impact on performance than others.

The game is more CPU-bound at 1080p, where the CPU can still generate frame rates that the GPU can render, but it is more GPU-bound at 4K, where the GPU's rendering load is the primary factor. The high average FPS at 1080p for Low settings is a sign that the CPU is still capable of delivering high frame rates, but the GPU is not able to keep up with the high frame rates at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 1042 out of 3,720 total tested combinations in this game. This ranking places it in the 72nd percentile of all combos, meaning it outperforms 72% of the tested systems. The rank is a relative measure of how well this specific pairing performs in this game, relative to other CPU-GPU combinations.

With a rank of 1042/3720, this combo is positioned in the upper half of the tested configurations, but it is not at the very top. The high rank suggests that the GPU is a strong performer, but the CPU may be holding back the overall frame rate in certain scenarios. The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking is higher than the CPU's 71st percentile, indicating that the GPU is a stronger component than the CPU in this pairing. The combo's rank is a result of this imbalance. If the CPU were stronger, the combo would likely rank higher, but the data shows that the performance is limited by the CPU in some situations.

The ranking also indicates that the combo is not the best at any particular resolution or settings. The highest average FPS is 171, which is high but not the absolute maximum. The rank is an overall measure of performance across the game, and it is important to consider the resolution and settings when interpreting the rank.

The rank relative to all combos is a valuable metric for understanding the overall performance. It shows that this combination is a good performer, but it is not the top-tier configuration. The GPU is a high-end card, but the CPU is a mid-range part, and the combination is a typical pairing of a strong GPU with a mid-range CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a high-end graphics card built on the Ampere architecture. It has 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 Raster Output Pipelines. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, with a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. The clock speeds are a base of 1365 MHz and a boost of 1665 MHz. These specifications make it a very powerful card for gaming and compute tasks. It has a 350 W TDP and a launch MSRP of 1,199 USD.

The GPU's benchmark scores are very high. In 3DMark, it scores 5,077 in Steel Nomad DX12, and in Geekbench Vulkan it scores 192,697. The Passmark G3D score is 26,896. The GPU's average benchmark score is 41,187, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. This shows that it outperforms the majority of graphics cards in the database.

In the game, the GPU's role is to render the game's visuals. The high memory bandwidth and large memory capacity of 12 GB ensure the card can handle high-resolution textures and complex scenes. The GPU is the primary component that determines performance at higher resolutions and higher settings. The data shows that the GPU's performance is the limiting factor at 4K, where the average FPS drops to 54 FPS at Ultra settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is notable. Its average score of 41,187 is 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300's score of 40,870, and it is 2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070's score of 40,377. It is 1.2% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB's score of 41,707. The GPU demonstrates a strong performance in this game, with the data showing that it can deliver high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but it is not enough to maintain a 60 FPS average at 4K with Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this configuration is detailed, covering three resolutions and four settings levels. The data shows a clear performance pattern.

At 1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low settings: Average FPS 171, with no min or max recorded. This is the highest average FPS in the dataset.
• Medium settings: Average FPS 136, with a minimum of 116 and a maximum of 157.
• High settings: Average FPS 121.
• Ultra settings: Average FPS 105.

The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 66 FPS, a 39% reduction. This shows that the CPU can achieve high frame rates, but the settings have a significant impact.

At 2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low settings: Average FPS 145.
• Medium settings: Average FPS 103, with a minimum of 88 and a maximum of 118.
• High settings: Average FPS 92.
• Ultra settings: Average FPS 80.

The drop from Low to Ultra is 65 FPS, a 45% reduction. The frame rates are lower than at 1080p, but the combo remains very playable.

At 3840x2160 (4K):

• Low settings: Average FPS 98.
• Medium settings: Average FPS 70, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80.
• High settings: Average FPS 62.
• Ultra settings: Average FPS 54.

The average FPS at 4K with Ultra settings is 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. The minimum at Medium is 59 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS threshold, but the average is 70 FPS.

The data shows that the combination is capable of high performance at 1080p and 1440p, with the average FPS above 60 FPS in most settings. At 4K, the performance is more variable, with High and Ultra settings falling below 60 FPS on average. The frame rates at 4K with Low settings are 98 FPS, which is still high, but the Ultra setting is 54 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, and that the CPU is not a major factor at this resolution.

The measured FPS data is consistent with the ranking, showing a strong but not top-tier performance. The frame rates at 1080p and 1440p are high, and the 4K performance is playable if not perfect. The combo is a balanced pairing that offers high frame rates in most scenarios, but the GPU is the stronger component, and the CPU may be a limiting factor at 1080p.