Control

Control’s benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and AMD Radeon RX 570 combination shows a system that is fundamentally constrained by the graphics card, with performance falling sharply as resolution increases. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all tested settings indicate that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve playable frame rates, while 4K resolution remains largely out of reach.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, clearly demonstrating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo averages 57 FPS, but at 4K with the same settings, it drops to 29 FPS — a reduction of nearly half. This pattern holds across all quality presets, with the gap widening as settings increase. For example, at High settings, the average falls from 36 FPS at 1080p to 18 FPS at 4K, a 50% loss. The most extreme case is at Ultra settings, where 1080p delivers 31 FPS but 4K manages only 16 FPS.

The scaling between 1440p and 4K is particularly telling. At Medium settings, 1440p yields 30 FPS, while 4K drops to 21 FPS — a 30% reduction. This steep decline suggests that the RX 570’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the pixel throughput required at 4K. The data indicates that the limiting component is unambiguously the GPU, as the CPU’s performance characteristics would not cause such dramatic frame rate collapses purely from resolution changes. The 1080p to 1440p transition is less punishing — at Low settings, FPS drops from 57 to 43, a 25% reduction — but still substantial enough to classify this as a GPU-bound scenario.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is built on the GCN 4.0 architecture with a Polaris 20 chip, fabricated on a 14 nm process. Its clock speeds are modest by modern standards, with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. The memory operates at 1750 MHz, translating to 7 Gbps effective, across a 256-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. With 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, the card has enough capacity for 1080p gaming but struggles as resolution and texture demands increase.

The GPU’s compute capabilities include 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units, yielding a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 5.095 TFLOPS. These specifications explain the measured results: at 1080p Low, the card achieves 57 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 16 FPS, showing that the render output units and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed at higher resolutions. The GPU’s percentile ranking among all GPUs is 74, placing it above average, yet its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 470, which has a nearly identical average benchmark score (28996 vs. 28766, a delta of -0.8%). This indicates the RX 570 is a mid-tier card from its generation, and Control’s demanding visuals push it to its limits.

The 4 GB memory capacity is a critical factor. At 4K resolution, the game likely exceeds this capacity, causing performance to plummet. Even at 1440p, the memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor, as evidenced by the 30 FPS average at Medium settings. The data strongly suggests that the GPU’s memory subsystem, rather than its raw compute power, is the primary constraint in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 5500 and RX 570 ranks 3549 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the bottom 5% of all configurations. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU’s age and memory limitations, as the CPU is relatively capable. The CPU’s percentile ranking among all CPUs is 73, indicating it outperforms nearly three-quarters of all processors, while the GPU’s percentile is 74. Despite both components being above average individually, their combined performance in this specific game is poor due to the GPU bottleneck.

The combo rank of 3549 out of 3720 means that 170 other combinations perform worse, but the vast majority of systems tested deliver better results. This suggests that Control is particularly demanding on the GPU, and the RX 570’s 4 GB memory is a significant disadvantage. The ranking reflects the system’s inability to maintain smooth frame rates at higher resolutions, with the measured data showing that even at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is only 31, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience. The data indicates that this combo is at the lower end of the performance spectrum for this game, and users should expect to compromise on settings to achieve playable frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves an average FPS above 30 across all settings, with Low settings hitting 57 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings reach 43 FPS, while Medium and High fall to 30 FPS and 27 FPS respectively. 4K is not viable, with the highest average being 29 FPS at Low settings.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest GPU rival?

A: The RX 570’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 470, which has an average benchmark score of 28996 compared to the RX 570’s 28766, a delta of -0.8%. This means the RX 470 is marginally faster, but the difference is negligible in real-world terms.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The CPU’s benchmark scores are respectable — for example, a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 — but the GPU’s performance drops dramatically with resolution increases, indicating that the graphics card cannot keep up with the CPU’s capabilities.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 36 FPS at 1080p High settings. This is playable but not smooth, and users may experience occasional dips, as evidenced by the Medium settings range of 34 to 46 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 19593. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 with a score of 19617, a delta of -0.1%, meaning they are nearly identical in performance. The Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668, a delta of -0.4%, also very close.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only minimum FPS values recorded are at Medium settings: 17 FPS at 4K, 26 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 1080p. These indicate that frame pacing can be inconsistent, particularly at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo delivers an average of 18 FPS on High, 29 FPS on Low, 21 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 17 and maximum of 24), and 16 FPS on Ultra. These numbers are all well below playable thresholds, confirming that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the results are marginally better but still limited. High settings produce 27 FPS, Low produces 43 FPS, Medium produces 30 FPS (ranging from 26 to 35), and Ultra produces 24 FPS. Only the Low setting approaches a playable frame rate, and even that falls short of 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its best performance. High settings average 36 FPS, Low settings average 57 FPS, Medium settings average 40 FPS (ranging from 34 to 46), and Ultra settings average 31 FPS. The Low setting is the only one that achieves a frame rate suitable for smooth gameplay, while Medium and High are playable with some compromises.

The data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs approximately 6-10 FPS, and each step up in resolution costs approximately 50% of the frame rate. This indicates that the GPU is operating at its maximum capacity even at 1080p, with little headroom for higher resolutions or settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. It has a 65 W TDP and supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache.

In Control, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, as the game is graphically intensive. However, the CPU’s multi-threaded performance is adequate for the game’s physics and AI calculations. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 and single-core score of 2319 indicate that the CPU can handle the game’s threaded workloads without becoming a bottleneck. The CPU’s 3DMark scores — 5386 for 16 threads, 3151 for 4 threads, and 836 for single-thread — show that it scales well with additional threads, which is beneficial for modern games.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-10700F, which has a delta of 0.5% (average score 19499 vs. 19593), and the Intel Core i5-11600KF with a delta of -0.7% (average score 19723). These small deltas indicate that the Ryzen 5 5500 is competitive with mid-range Intel processors from the same era. In the context of this game, the CPU’s performance is more than sufficient, as the measured FPS is consistently limited by the GPU at all resolutions and settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s priority for smoothness versus visual quality. For the best overall experience, 1080p with Low settings is the clear recommendation, as it delivers 57 FPS on average, which is the only configuration that approaches a consistent 60 FPS experience. This setting provides a smooth frame rate that minimizes input lag and stuttering, which is crucial for an action-adventure game like Control.

If visual quality is preferred over absolute smoothness, 1080p with Medium settings offers a reasonable compromise, averaging 40 FPS with a range of 34 to 46 FPS. This is still playable, though the frame drops to 34 FPS may be noticeable during intense scenes. High settings at 1080p average 36 FPS, which is borderline playable but may suffer from occasional slowdowns. Ultra settings at 1080p, averaging 31 FPS, are not recommended due to the significant frame rate reduction for marginal visual gains.

At 1440p, the data shows that only Low settings are viable, with 43 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 30 FPS, which is uncomfortable for most players, and High and Ultra are not playable at 27 FPS and 24 FPS respectively. 4K resolution is entirely unsuitable, with the highest average being 29 FPS at Low settings, which is below the minimum threshold for a playable experience.

The data suggests that the best experience is achieved by prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity. The RX 570’s 4 GB memory and limited compute power are best utilized at 1080p, and users should accept the graphical trade-offs of Low settings to ensure a smooth, responsive experience. For those who cannot tolerate the visual compromises of Low settings, Medium at 1080p is the only alternative that maintains a reasonably playable frame rate, though users should be prepared for occasional dips below 40 FPS.