Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D

This combination pairs a mid-range 6-core/12-thread Zen 3 processor with a flagship-class 32 GB GDDR7 GPU, producing a highly asymmetric system for Control. The measured frame rates across resolutions reveal that the RTX 5090 D is the dominant performance driver, while the Ryzen 5 5500 becomes a limiting factor primarily at lower resolutions where CPU overhead matters more. The data shows a system that delivers playable to excellent performance at every tested setting, with the GPU's raw throughput carrying the load even when the CPU's older architecture and PCIe Gen 3 interface might otherwise constrain it.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename), built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU has a 16 MB L3 cache, with 512 KB L2 per core and 64 KB L1 per core, and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The processor's benchmark scores place it in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, with a single-thread score of 836 in 3dmark and 2319 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Multi-threaded performance shows a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16429 and a Geekbench multicore score of 7976.

In Control, the CPU's role is most apparent when examining the FPS deltas between low and high settings at 1080p. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 205 FPS, while at 1080p High it drops to 173 FPS — a 32 FPS gap that reflects both GPU load changes and the CPU's ability to feed frames. The CPU's 12 threads are sufficient for Control's engine, which is not heavily multi-threaded but does benefit from the 6 physical cores. The nearest rival comparisons show the Ryzen 5 5500's average benchmark score of 19593 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (19617, deltaPct -0.1%) and the Intel Core i5-12500 (19668, deltaPct -0.4%), while being slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-10700F (19499, deltaPct 0.5%) and slightly behind the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19723, deltaPct -0.7%).

The processor's PCIe Gen 3 interface is worth noting in this pairing. While the RTX 5090 D supports PCIe 5.0 x16, the CPU only provides Gen 3 lanes, which could theoretically reduce bandwidth for the GPU. However, the measured results indicate the GPU still performs strongly, suggesting Control's data transfer requirements do not saturate the available bandwidth at the tested settings. The CPU's 65 W TDP and 7 nm process mean it runs efficiently, but its 2022 release date and Zen 3 architecture are older than the GPU's Blackwell 2.0 generation, creating a generational gap that manifests in CPU-bound scenarios.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship-class GPU from the GeForce 50-series, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process. It features an enormous 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. Its base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 44065 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 310674.

In Control, the GPU's massive memory capacity and bandwidth are the primary drivers of high frame rates, especially at 4K resolution. The 32 GB VRAM is far beyond what Control requires, but it ensures no memory-related bottlenecks at any setting. The GPU's nearest rivals are notably different in tier — the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904 avg score, deltaPct 1.1%) and RX 6850M XT (78940, deltaPct -1.6%) are mobile-class parts, while the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79396, deltaPct -2.1%) and 16 GB (79605, deltaPct -2.4%) are data-center accelerators. This suggests the RTX 5090 D's average benchmark score of 77712 is positioned between these parts, though its gaming performance in Control is clearly flagship-tier.

The GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate explain its ability to maintain high frame rates even at 4K Ultra. The 176 ROPs ensure efficient pixel processing, while the 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate handles detailed surfaces in Control's environments. The GPU's 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU requirement indicate a power-hungry part, but the measured results show it delivers accordingly. The dual-slot design and 304 mm length are typical for a flagship, though the 16-pin power connector is a consideration for system builders.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear pattern: the system becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution rises, while CPU limitations appear at lower resolutions. From 1080p High to 1440p High, the average FPS drops from 173 to 142 — a 31 FPS decrease (approximately 18% reduction). Moving from 1440p High to 4K High, the average FPS drops from 142 to 96 — a 46 FPS decrease (approximately 32% reduction). This accelerating drop with resolution is classic GPU-bound behavior, where the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. From 1080p Low (205 FPS) to 1440p Low (186 FPS), the drop is 19 FPS (about 9%). From 1440p Low to 4K Low (152 FPS), the drop is 34 FPS (about 18%). The fact that 1080p Low only reaches 205 FPS — rather than higher — indicates a CPU bottleneck at that resolution, as the RTX 5090 D is capable of far more than 205 FPS in less demanding scenarios. The 4K Low result of 152 FPS shows the GPU still has headroom even at 4K with minimal settings.

The Medium settings data includes min/max FPS values, providing additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 180 FPS with a minimum of 153 and maximum of 207. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 160 FPS with a range of 136-184. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 108 FPS with a range of 92-124. The minimum FPS values at each resolution are notably lower than the averages, suggesting occasional frame hitches that could be CPU-related at lower resolutions or GPU-related at 4K. The narrowing of the FPS range from 1080p (153-207, spread of 54) to 4K (92-124, spread of 32) indicates more consistent frame pacing at higher resolutions, where the GPU is more uniformly loaded.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 205 FPS, Medium averages 180 FPS (min 153, max 207), High averages 173 FPS, and Ultra averages 163 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 42 FPS, showing that Control's settings have a moderate impact at 1080p. The CPU is the likely limiter here, as the GPU should be capable of higher frame rates at Low settings.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. Low averages 186 FPS, Medium averages 160 FPS (min 136, max 184), High averages 142 FPS, and Ultra averages 124 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 62 FPS, wider than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is beginning to take more of the load. The 1440p results show a healthy balance between CPU and GPU utilization.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low averages 152 FPS, Medium averages 108 FPS (min 92, max 124), High averages 96 FPS, and Ultra averages 83 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 69 FPS, the widest of any resolution, confirming that GPU rendering load dominates at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 83 FPS is still well above playable thresholds, demonstrating the RTX 5090 D's capability even in the most demanding configuration.

Comparing across settings, the Ultra preset at 4K (83 FPS) is roughly 40% slower than Low at 4K (152 FPS), while at 1080p the Ultra-to-Low difference is about 20%. This disproportionate scaling at higher resolutions is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios where pixel count amplifies the cost of advanced effects.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This CPU+GPU combination ranks 117th out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations. This is a strong showing given the CPU's mid-range positioning, highlighting how the GPU's flagship performance boosts the overall ranking. The rank of 117 of 2888 indicates the combination outperforms the vast majority of tested systems, though it falls short of the very top configurations that likely pair the RTX 5090 D with more powerful processors.

The ranking suggests that while the Ryzen 5 5500 is not the ideal partner for the RTX 5090 D in terms of raw CPU throughput, the GPU's dominance in Control's GPU-heavy rendering pipeline compensates. The combo's position relative to other RTX 5090 D configurations is not directly provided, but the 117th rank out of 2888 implies that many higher-ranked combos use newer or higher-end CPUs. The deltaPct values from the CPU's nearest rivals (all within ±0.7%) indicate that swapping to a slightly faster processor would not dramatically change the ranking, as the GPU remains the primary factor in this game.

The data being "measured" (true) adds confidence to these rankings, as they are based on actual benchmark runs rather than estimates. The combination's performance at 4K Ultra (83 FPS) is particularly notable for a game from 2019, showing that modern flagship GPUs can handle older titles at maximum settings with high frame rates.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

At 3840x2160, the High preset (96 FPS) offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the Ultra preset (83 FPS) provides diminishing returns for a 13 FPS cost. The Medium preset (108 FPS) is a strong alternative for those prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, though the jump from Medium to High is only 12 FPS — a reasonable trade for improved graphics. The Low preset at 4K (152 FPS) is excessive for most users, as the visual quality reduction is not justified by the frame rate gain over High.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset (124 FPS) is fully playable and provides the best visual experience, with the High preset (142 FPS) as a viable option for higher refresh rates. The Medium preset (160 FPS) is ideal for 144 Hz displays, offering a comfortable margin above the refresh rate. The Low preset (186 FPS) exceeds what most 1440p monitors can display, making it unnecessary unless targeting very high refresh rates (200+ Hz).

At 1920x1080, all presets exceed 160 FPS, so the Ultra preset (163 FPS) is recommended for maximum visual quality. The High preset (173 FPS) provides a slight frame rate boost with minimal visual difference, while the Medium (180 FPS) and Low (205 FPS) presets cater to competitive play or very high refresh rate monitors (240 Hz). For most users with 1080p 144 Hz displays, the High or Ultra preset is ideal, as both comfortably exceed 144 FPS.

Overall, the recommended configuration depends on the display. For 4K displays, High is the sweet spot at 96 FPS. For 1440p, Ultra at 124 FPS is the best choice. For 1080p, Ultra at 163 FPS maximizes visual quality without sacrificing playability.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 205 at 1920x1080 with Low settings, followed by 186 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 152 FPS at 3840x2160 Low.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB VRAM affect Control's performance?

A: The 32 GB GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures no memory-related bottlenecks at any resolution or setting, allowing the GPU to maintain consistent frame rates even at 4K Ultra.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5500 a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in this game?

A: At 1080p Low, the system reaches 205 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited given the GPU's capability. However, at 4K resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the narrower FPS ranges and larger drops between settings.

Q: What is the best 4K setting preset for this combo?

A: The High preset at 96 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance at 4K, as the Ultra preset drops to 83 FPS with minimal visual improvement, while Medium at 108 FPS sacrifices some quality for a 12 FPS gain.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combination ranks 117th out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations, with the GPU's flagship-tier performance being the primary contributor.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at different resolutions?

A: The Medium preset data shows a minimum FPS of 153 at 1080p, 136 at 1440p, and 92 at 4K, with maximums of 207, 184, and 124 respectively. The spread narrows at higher resolutions, indicating more consistent frame pacing when the GPU is fully utilized.