Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX pairing in Control delivers a striking contrast: a mid-range Zen 3 processor paired with an enthusiast-grade RDNA 3 flagship. The benchmark data shows this combo is capable of high refresh rate play at 1440p and even solid 4K performance, though the CPU becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured results, the roles of each component, and how this specific configuration stacks up against other tested combos.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo averages 107 FPS, which is well above the 63 FPS average at 3840x2160 Ultra. While 1920x1080 yields higher frame rates (142 FPS High), the 1440p results offer a better balance of visual fidelity and performance for a game like this.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from Low to Ultra settings?

A: The drop is significant. At 2560x1440, the average FPS falls from 170 on Low to 93 on Ultra, a reduction of 77 FPS. At 3840x2160, the drop is from 115 FPS on Low to 63 FPS on Ultra, a 52 FPS decrease. This highlights the heavy GPU load at higher presets.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5500 a bottleneck for the RX 7900 XTX?

A: The data suggests it becomes more of a factor at 1080p. The frame rate difference between 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 is relatively small (142 vs 107 FPS at High), indicating the CPU is limiting the GPU's output at the lower resolution. The GPU has more headroom than the CPU can feed at 1080p.

Q: What is the minimum FPS like at Medium settings?

A: For the resolutions where min FPS was recorded, the results are stable. At 1920x1080 Medium, the min FPS is 136, and at 2560x1440 Medium, it is 103. At 3840x2160 Medium, the min FPS is 69, showing that even at 4K, the frame pacing remains consistent.

*Q: How does this combo's overall rank in Control compare to other tested systems?*

A: The combo ranks 598th out of 3720 tested combinations. This places it in the top 16% of all configurations, indicating a strong overall performance level despite the CPU's lower tier relative to the GPU.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 72, which is playable. On Ultra, the average drops to 63 FPS. For a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, dropping to Medium settings (82 FPS) provides more headroom.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications in the data pack explain why it drives Control so effectively. It features 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a massive 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This is crucial for a game like Control, which has detailed textures and complex visual effects that can consume VRAM quickly.

The GPU's clock speeds are also indicative of its high performance tier. It has a base clock of 1929 MHz, a game clock of 2365 MHz, and a boost clock of 2498 MHz. These high frequencies, combined with 6144 shading units and 192 ROPs, allow it to push the extremely high pixel rates observed in the benchmark results. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1920x1080 Low, the combo hits 205 FPS, but at 3840x2160 Ultra, it drops to 63 FPS. This 142 FPS difference is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering load.

The GPU's memory bandwidth is a key asset at higher resolutions. The 960.0 GB/s figure is likely what prevents the frame rate from collapsing entirely at 4K. The RX 7900 XTX is clearly not the limiting factor in most scenarios, as evidenced by its ability to maintain 115 FPS at 4K Low. The GPU's role is to handle the heavy lifting of resolution and graphical fidelity, and the data shows it does so effectively across the board.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has 6 cores and 12 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. In Control, which is a game that responds well to both single-thread and multi-thread performance, this CPU provides a solid foundation. The processor's 16 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are adequate for feeding the GPU in most scenarios.

However, the benchmark results indicate the CPU's limitations. The single-thread score in Cinebench R23 is 2319, and the multi-core score is 16429. These numbers are respectable, but they are far below what the RX 7900 XTX is capable of utilizing. The data shows that the CPU becomes a bottleneck at 1920x1080. When the resolution is lowered, the GPU has less work to do, but the frame rate does not scale proportionally. For instance, moving from 1440p High (107 FPS) to 1080p High (142 FPS) only yields a 35 FPS increase. This suggests the CPU is hitting its limit around the 142-170 FPS range.

The CPU's performance is also reflected in its benchmark scores. Its Passmark multithread score is 19330, and its Geekbench single-core score is 1730. These are mid-range figures. The percentileVsAllCpus of 73 indicates it performs better than 73% of all CPUs tested, but in a high-end GPU pairing, its relative weakness is exposed at lower resolutions. The CPU's role is to provide a stable base, but it prevents the system from achieving the very high frame rates that the GPU could theoretically produce at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

1920x1080:

• Low: 205 FPS average.
• Medium: 160 FPS average, with a min of 136 and max of 184.
• High: 142 FPS average.
• Ultra: 123 FPS average.

At 1080p, this combo is clearly CPU-limited. The 205 FPS at Low is impressive, but the scaling from Low to Ultra is a 40% drop (205 to 123 FPS). The gap between Medium (160 FPS) and High (142 FPS) is 18 FPS, showing that the CPU is struggling to maintain higher frame rates as the workload shifts.

2560x1440:

• Low: 170 FPS average.
• Medium: 121 FPS average, with a min of 103 and max of 139.
• High: 107 FPS average.
• Ultra: 93 FPS average.

1440p is where the balance shifts. The GPU starts to take on more load, and the frame rates become more reasonable for the hardware. The 170 FPS at Low is still very high, and the drop to 93 FPS at Ultra shows a 77 FPS difference. This resolution provides a strong experience, with High settings offering over 100 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: 115 FPS average.
• Medium: 82 FPS average, with a min of 69 and max of 94.
• High: 72 FPS average.
• Ultra: 63 FPS average.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary driver of performance. The 115 FPS at Low confirms the RX 7900 XTX's raw power. However, at Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 63 FPS, which is just above the console standard for 4K. The min FPS of 69 at Medium shows that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains a playable frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank in Control is 598 out of 3720 tested combinations. This is a strong showing, putting it in the 84th percentile of all tested systems. This rank is impressive considering the CPU is a budget-oriented part. The high rank is almost entirely due to the RX 7900 XTX's immense power, which compensates for the CPU's limitations.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks provide context. The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 19593. Its closest competitor, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, scores 19617, a delta of -0.1%. This means the Ryzen 5 5500 is essentially on par with that chip. The Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668, which is 0.4% higher. These are all very close scores, indicating that the Ryzen 5 5500 is competitive in its CPU class.

The GPU's nearest rivals are a different story. The RX 7900 XTX has an average benchmark score of 19410. However, its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB (score 19334, delta 0.4%) and the NVIDIA TITAN Xp (score 19177, delta 1.2%). This is a peculiar grouping. The RX 7900 XTX's score is only 0.4% higher than a GTX 1060 3 GB in the Passmark G3D test, despite being a much newer and more powerful card. This suggests the benchmark methodology may not fully capture the RX 7900 XTX's capabilities in all scenarios, or that the Passmark G3D test is not a reliable indicator of gaming performance for this card. Despite this, the gaming data in Control clearly shows the RX 7900 XTX's dominance, which is why the combo ranks so high.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate.

• At 1920x1080: The CPU bottleneck limits the benefit of higher settings. High settings at 142 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a very smooth experience without the visual degradation of Medium. Ultra at 123 FPS is also viable if you prefer maximum fidelity, but the frame rate difference between High and Ultra is small (19 FPS) and may not justify the graphical jump.

• At 2560x1440: This is the sweet spot for this combo. High settings at 107 FPS is the best balance. It offers a high refresh rate experience with good visual quality. If you have a 144Hz monitor, Medium at 121 FPS is the better choice to maximize frame rate, but High at 107 FPS is still very playable. Ultra at 93 FPS is playable, but you are sacrificing smoothness for marginal visual gains.

• At 3840x2160: The goal here is to hit a stable 60 FPS. Medium settings at 82 FPS is the best option, as it provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. High settings at 72 FPS is also a good choice if you want better visuals and have a VRR display. Ultra at 63 FPS is right at the edge; it may dip below 60 FPS in intense scenes, so it is not recommended for a locked experience.

In summary, for a 144Hz monitor, use 2560x1440 with High settings. For a 60Hz 4K display, use 3840x2160 with Medium or High settings. The data shows that the combo shines when the GPU is given enough work to do, making 1440p the recommended resolution for this hardware pairing.