Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT delivers a solid, highly playable experience in Control, with the data showing a strong balance between the CPU and GPU across all tested resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to understand how the components scale and where the performance ceiling lies.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable performance curve as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 94 FPS at 1080p to 71 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 48 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24.5% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 32.4% loss when moving from 1440p to 4K. The overall scaling from 1080p to 4K High shows a 48.9% reduction in average FPS.

This scaling pattern indicates that the system is becoming progressively more GPU-bound as resolution increases. The RX 6750 XT's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed more heavily at higher resolutions, which is the expected behavior for a mid-range RDNA 2.0 part. The fact that the 4K High average of 48 FPS is still above the 42 FPS Ultra average suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at this resolution, as the additional rendering work of the Ultra preset yields diminishing returns.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with higher absolute numbers. The 1080p Low average of 148 FPS drops to 112 FPS at 1440p (a 24.3% reduction) and then to 76 FPS at 4K (a 32.1% reduction from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across different presets is notable, suggesting a uniform scaling behavior that is characteristic of a well-optimized game engine. The 4K Low result of 76 FPS is particularly interesting, as it shows that reducing settings can overcome the resolution penalty, bringing the frame rate back into a highly playable range.

The data indicates that the sweet spot for this combination is 1440p, where all presets except Ultra maintain average frame rates above 70 FPS. At 4K, the system can still deliver playable performance, but only with settings adjustments, as the High preset average of 48 FPS and Ultra average of 42 FPS are below the generally accepted 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 1080p results show this combo has headroom to spare, with even the Ultra preset achieving 81 FPS average.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 22 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. The GPU features a base clock of 2150 MHz, a boost clock of 2600 MHz, and a game clock of 2495 MHz. These clocks are relatively high for the RX 6000 series, and the data suggests they contribute to the card's ability to maintain strong frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This memory configuration appears sufficient for Control's demands, as evidenced by the relatively small performance gaps between Medium and High presets at each resolution. At 4K, the Medium preset averages 54 FPS compared to High's 48 FPS, a difference of 12.5%, which indicates the GPU is not being severely bottlenecked by memory bandwidth at these settings.

The GPU's compute capabilities include 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, with a FP32 performance of 13.31 TFLOPS. These specifications place the card in the 71st percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 26011 is within 1.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile. The closest rivals, including the AMD Radeon R9 M395X and AMD FirePro W7100, show deltas of 0.5% and 0.6% respectively, indicating the RX 6750 XT sits in a tightly contested performance tier.

In Control specifically, the GPU's role is dominant, as the frame rate scaling across resolutions shows classic GPU-bound behavior. The measured FPS at 1080p High of 94 FPS indicates the GPU is being fully utilized, while the 4K High result of 48 FPS suggests the GPU is at its limits for this title. The 40 ray accelerator cores support DirectX 12 Ultimate, but the measured data does not include ray tracing results, so the analysis is limited to rasterized performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ranks 1267 out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 56.1st percentile of all possible pairings. This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the component choices: the CPU is a 6-core part with a strong 96 MB L3 cache, while the GPU is a capable but not top-tier RDNA 2.0 card.

This ranking suggests that while the combo delivers playable performance, there are many other combinations that achieve higher frame rates. The CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (deltaPct -0.2%), Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (deltaPct 0.2%), and Intel Core i9-12900T (deltaPct -0.3%). These tight deltas indicate the 5500X3D is well-matched against its direct competitors, but the combo ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier positioning.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 71% against all GPUs, combined with the CPU's percentile ranking of 85% against all CPUs, suggests the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing. This is corroborated by the resolution scaling data, where the frame rate drops significantly at 4K, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck. The combo rank of 1267 out of 2888 means approximately 56% of tested combinations perform better, but this does not diminish the fact that the measured FPS values are perfectly playable at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 148 FPS, Medium averages 105 FPS with a minimum of 90 FPS and maximum of 121 FPS, High averages 94 FPS, and Ultra averages 81 FPS. These numbers show that even at the highest settings, the system maintains an average above 80 FPS, making 1080p gaming a smooth experience across all presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the expected decline. Low averages 112 FPS, Medium averages 80 FPS with a range of 68 to 92 FPS, High averages 71 FPS, and Ultra averages 62 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 68 FPS is notable, as it shows the system can maintain playable frame rates even in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS average is right at the edge of the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that minor dips could occur during intense gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low averages 76 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS with a range of 46 to 62 FPS, High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 46 FPS indicates that 4K gaming will experience noticeable frame drops during heavy action sequences. The Ultra preset's 42 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, making this setting combination less desirable for competitive or fast-paced play.

The Medium preset at each resolution provides the most complete data, with minimum and maximum values recorded. At 1080p, the 90-121 FPS range shows excellent consistency. At 1440p, the 68-92 FPS range indicates good frame pacing. At 4K, the 46-62 FPS range reveals more variance, highlighting the GPU's limitations at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 81 FPS average is the recommended choice. The system has sufficient headroom at this resolution to run the highest settings while maintaining an average frame rate well above 60 FPS. The High preset at 94 FPS offers a 16% performance increase over Ultra, but the visual quality difference may not justify the additional frame rate for most users.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 71 FPS average provides the best balance. It maintains an average above 70 FPS, which is suitable for most gaming scenarios. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is also viable, but the 12.7% performance drop from High to Ultra may result in occasional dips below 60 FPS during intense scenes, making High the safer recommendation.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 54 FPS average is the most reasonable choice. It provides a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that maintains a minimum above 45 FPS. The Low preset at 76 FPS average is smoother but requires significant visual compromises. The High preset at 48 FPS and Ultra at 42 FPS are both below the 60 FPS target and may result in a less enjoyable experience.

The data clearly shows that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for 4K, while High is optimal for 1440p, and Ultra is achievable at 1080p. This tiered approach allows users to prioritize visual fidelity or performance based on their preference.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this CPU and GPU combination?*

A: The data shows 2560x1440 at High settings (71 FPS average) provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings achieve 81 FPS, while 3840x2160 requires Medium settings to reach 54 FPS average.

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

A: Yes, but only at reduced settings. The measured data shows the Medium preset at 3840x2160 achieves a 54 FPS average with a minimum of 46 FPS, which is playable. The High preset at 48 FPS and Ultra at 42 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 94 FPS at 1920x1080 to 48 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 48.9%. The scaling is consistent across presets, with the Low preset dropping from 148 FPS to 76 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combination?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 71st percentile. The frame rate drops significantly at higher resolutions, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking compared to other tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 1267 out of 2888 total tested combos in Control, placing it in the 56.1st percentile. This indicates a mid-pack performance level.

Q: Are there any settings that should be avoided?

A: The 3840x2160 Ultra preset at 42 FPS average is the least recommended, as it provides the lowest frame rate. The 4K High preset at 48 FPS is also below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The CPU features a substantial 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is the defining characteristic of the X3D series and provides significant benefits in cache-sensitive workloads.

The CPU's benchmark results show a single-thread score of 2941 and a multithread score of 20363 in PassMark testing. Its average benchmark score of 37018 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (deltaPct -0.2%), Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (deltaPct 0.2%), and Intel Core i9-12900T (deltaPct -0.3%). These extremely tight deltas indicate the 5500X3D is perfectly competitive with its direct peers.

In Control, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The resolution scaling data shows consistent frame rate drops that are primarily attributed to GPU load, and the CPU's high percentile ranking suggests it is not the bottleneck. The 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for this Action Adventure title, and the large L3 cache likely helps with game logic and physics calculations. The CPU's 105 W TDP and DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation for the GPU to operate without starvation.

The fact that the combo ranks in the 56.1st percentile despite the CPU being in the 85th percentile confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p, where CPU load is relatively higher, the system still achieves 94 FPS on High settings, indicating the CPU has ample headroom. The data shows that upgrading the GPU would yield more significant performance gains in Control than upgrading the CPU, as the current processor is well-positioned to support faster graphics cards.