Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 pairing in Control produces a classic bottleneck scenario, where the Pascal-era GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong 96 MB L3 cache provides ample headroom at 1080p. The measured data shows a system that is capable of delivering playable frame rates at 1080p, but which struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K, regardless of the graphics preset selected.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, a clear indicator that the GTX 1070 is the primary constraint in this combination. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 61 FPS, which drops to 46 FPS at 1440p, a 24.6% reduction. Pushing further to 4K yields an average of just 31 FPS, representing a 49.2% decline from the 1080p baseline and a 32.6% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth, rather than a CPU limitation.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. With Low settings, the 1080p average of 97 FPS falls to 73 FPS at 1440p (a 24.7% reduction) and then to 49 FPS at 4K (a 49.5% reduction from 1080p). The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 69 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p (down 24.6%), and 35 FPS at 4K (down 49.3%). Even at the lowest settings, the 4K result remains well below the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that resolution, not graphical fidelity, is the dominant factor in performance degradation.

The data suggests that the Ryzen 5 5500X3D is not the bottleneck in this scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller performance gap between 1080p and 1440p, as the GPU would have more headroom to work with at lower resolutions. Instead, the consistent ~25% drop from 1080p to 1440p and the ~50% drop from 1080p to 4K across all presets points directly to the GTX 1070’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus being saturated at higher pixel counts. The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS, which is only slightly below the High preset’s 31 FPS, further illustrates that the GPU is already at its computational limits, with the additional shader work from Ultra settings having minimal impact on the already low frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, built on the 16 nm Pascal architecture with the GP104 chip, has a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory operates at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus, providing 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications are the key determinants of Control's performance, as the game’s demanding visual effects and high-resolution textures place significant stress on both the GPU’s compute units and its memory subsystem.

The GTX 1070’s 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs, based on an average benchmark score of 9780, places it in the mid-range tier for modern gaming. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD FirePro W5000 (avg score 9803, delta -0.2%), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (avg score 9832, delta -0.5%), the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (avg score 9724, delta 0.6%), and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (avg score 9716, delta 0.7%). These close scores indicate that while the GTX 1070 is not a top-tier performer, it remains competitive with a specific set of workstation and older enthusiast cards.

In Control, the GPU’s role is underscored by the fact that its 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 64 ROPs are insufficient to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p with High settings (46 FPS average). The memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s also appears to be a limiting factor, as the 4K Medium result (35 FPS) is only 4 FPS higher than the 4K High result (31 FPS), suggesting that the extra texture detail in High does not cost much performance because the GPU is already stalled on memory fetches. The 4K Low result of 49 FPS, while the best 4K score, still falls short of a smooth 60 FPS, underscoring that the GPU’s raw compute power is the ceiling at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 2395 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the bottom 17% of all tested system configurations, a position that aligns with the GPU’s mid-range status and the game’s high system requirements. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GTX 1070, as the CPU’s performance metrics are far more competitive.

The Ryzen 5 5500X3D itself holds an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37018. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (avg score 36945, delta 0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (avg score 37093, delta -0.2%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (avg score 36938, delta 0.2%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T (avg score 37112, delta -0.3%). This indicates that the CPU is a high-performing part, sitting near the top of its class in synthetic tests. However, in Control, its potential is squandered by the GPU’s inability to keep up.

The low combo rank is a direct consequence of this mismatch. While the 5500X3D can easily feed the GTX 1070 at 1080p, as evidenced by the 97 FPS Low result, the GPU’s performance ceiling caps the system’s overall capability. The data implies that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield a significantly higher combo rank, as the CPU’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache and 6 cores / 12 threads would not be a bottleneck even at higher frame rates. As it stands, the combo rank reflects a system where the GPU is the constraining element, dragging down the overall gaming experience in a title like Control.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this system is at 1920x1080 resolution. At this resolution, the High preset delivers an average of 61 FPS, which is playable but not perfectly smooth. For a more fluid experience, the Medium preset offers an average of 69 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS, providing a better balance of visual quality and performance. The Low preset achieves 97 FPS, but at a significant cost to visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that only the Low preset (73 FPS) is viable for consistent playability, as the Medium preset drops to 52 FPS and High falls to 46 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not recommended, with an average of only 40 FPS. For 4K (3840x2160), no preset achieves a playable frame rate. The best 4K result is Low at 49 FPS, followed by Medium at 35 FPS, High at 31 FPS, and Ultra at 27 FPS. These 4K figures are all below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay and would likely result in a subpar experience.

Therefore, the recommended configuration is to use the Medium settings preset at 1920x1080. This setup provides the best combination of a frame rate comfortably above 60 FPS (69 average) and a reasonable level of graphical detail. If a higher visual quality is desired, the High preset at 1080p (61 FPS) is a trade-off, but the 69 FPS of Medium is the sweet spot for this hardware. For users who prioritize performance above all else, the Low preset at 1440p (73 FPS) is the only way to get a high frame rate at a higher resolution, but it sacrifices the game’s visual atmosphere.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following breakdown details the exact average frame rates measured for each resolution and settings preset combination.

1920x1080

• Low: 97 FPS average
• Medium: 69 FPS average (min 58, max 79)
• High: 61 FPS average
• Ultra: 53 FPS average

At 1080p, the system shows a clear scaling path. The jump from Low to Medium is a significant 28 FPS drop, while the step from Medium to High is a smaller 8 FPS decrease. The Ultra preset is 8 FPS slower than High, indicating diminishing returns for the highest settings.

2560x1440

• Low: 73 FPS average
• Medium: 52 FPS average (min 44, max 60)
• High: 46 FPS average
• Ultra: 40 FPS average

At 1440p, performance drops across the board. The Low preset remains playable, but the Medium preset’s minimum of 44 FPS shows that it can dip into less smooth territory. The High and Ultra presets are both below 50 FPS, making them less desirable for action-oriented gameplay.

3840x2160

• Low: 49 FPS average
• Medium: 35 FPS average (min 30, max 40)
• High: 31 FPS average
• Ultra: 27 FPS average

At 4K, all presets fail to reach a consistent 60 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, while the Ultra preset’s 27 FPS average is a slideshow. The Medium preset’s minimum of 30 FPS is the absolute floor for playability, but the average of 35 FPS is still low.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 4K resolution?*

A: The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves an average of 49 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 27 FPS. While technically playable, no preset reaches a smooth 60 FPS, so 4K is not recommended for a good experience.

Q: What is the best settings preset to use at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 provides the best balance, with an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 58 FPS. The Low preset is faster at 97 FPS, but the High and Ultra presets drop to 61 FPS and 53 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780. Its closest competitors are the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803, -0.2% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832, -0.5% delta), the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724, 0.6% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (9716, 0.7% delta).

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The consistent ~50% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings presets points to the GTX 1070’s memory bandwidth and compute capabilities being overwhelmed at higher resolutions.

*Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested systems for Control?*

A: This specific AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination ranks 2395 out of 2888 tested combos for Control, placing it in the lower 17% of all configurations.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 97 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 53 FPS. This represents a 44 FPS difference, or a 45.4% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.