Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination delivers a robust experience in Control, with the data showing a clear progression of performance that scales predictably with resolution and settings. This analysis breaks down the measured results, contextualizes the component roles, and provides practical guidance based solely on the benchmark data.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer codename) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The CPU features a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a defining characteristic of this chip, along with 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 cache per core. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The PassMark physics benchmark score of 2282 provides a reference point for its computational throughput in game-like scenarios. The processor's single-thread score of 2941 and multithread score of 20363 indicate a balanced capability, which is sufficient for a title like Control that is not typically considered CPU-bound at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to allow the GPU to reach 166 FPS on Low settings, suggesting that the processor is not a limiting factor even at lower resolutions. The 6-core/12-thread configuration is well-suited for modern game engines, and the large 96 MB L3 cache likely helps with data locality, though the benchmark data does not directly quantify this effect in Control.

The CPU's overall standing is strong, holding an 85th percentile ranking against all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 37018 places it in close competition with several rivals. Specifically, it is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (which scores 36945) and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (which scores 36938). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 by 0.2% (which scores 37093) and the Intel Core i9-12900T by 0.3% (which scores 37112). These negligible deltaPct values indicate that the 5500X3D's processing power is essentially on par with its nearest competitors, meaning the CPU is unlikely to introduce a performance variance between systems using these chips.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is the primary driver of frame rates in this combo. It is based on the Ampere architecture (GA104 chip) fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. The GPU packs 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation pipelines. It also includes 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores, which are relevant for Control's ray tracing and DLSS features, though the measured FPS data does not specify whether these features were enabled. The GPU has a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. Its memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor for Control at higher resolutions. The game's texture-heavy environments and particle effects can be demanding on memory. The data shows a significant performance drop when moving from 1440p to 4K, which is partly attributable to the GPU's compute limits but also to the memory bandwidth and capacity constraints. The GPU's passmark_g3d score of 23356 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3478 provide a general measure of its rendering capability. The GPU sits in the 75th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29945. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% faster, scoring 29928), the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.5% faster, scoring 30095), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% slower, scoring 29783), and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 (1.6% faster, scoring 30433). These small deltas show the RTX 3070 Ti is positioned competitively within its performance tier.

For Control, the GPU's raw throughput is the dominant factor in the measured FPS. The boost clock of 1770 MHz, combined with the high memory bandwidth, allows for strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results show the GPU's limits. The 8 GB VRAM may also cause texture thrashing at 4K Ultra settings, which could explain the lower average FPS of 47 at that configuration.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this system for Control. At 1080p High settings, the combo achieves 105 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces the frame rate to 79 FPS, a drop of 26 FPS or approximately 24.8%. At 4K High, the average FPS falls to 54, a further drop of 25 FPS from 1440p. This linear degradation suggests that the GPU is being saturated as pixel count increases.

The scaling is even more pronounced when examining the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 166 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 126 FPS, a decrease of 40 FPS (24.1%). At 4K Low, the average is 85 FPS, another 41 FPS reduction (32.5%). The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p, which is expected due to the non-linear increase in pixel count (1440p has 3.7 million pixels, while 4K has 8.3 million, a 2.25x increase). The fact that the FPS does not halve when moving to 4K indicates that while the GPU is the main limiter, the CPU is still providing enough support to prevent a complete collapse.

The data shows that the limiting component changes based on settings. At 1080p Low, the system is likely more CPU-bound, as the GPU can process frames quickly (166 FPS), and the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck, as the 47 FPS average is well below what the CPU could theoretically support. The medium settings row, which includes min and max FPS data, further illustrates this: at 4K Medium, the average is 60 FPS with a min of 51 and max of 69. The spread of 18 FPS suggests some frame time variance, likely due to GPU load spikes.

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

This section details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset yields an average of 166 FPS, which is the maximum measured across all configurations. The Medium preset averages 118 FPS, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS. The High preset averages 105 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 91 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 75 FPS, indicating that the game's settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down appropriately. The Low preset averages 126 FPS. The Medium preset averages 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS. The High preset averages 79 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 69 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 57 FPS, showing a slightly smaller absolute gap than at 1080p, but the relative performance drop is consistent with the increased pixel load.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset is the only one that maintains a high frame rate, averaging 85 FPS. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. The High preset averages 54 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 47 FPS. The minimum FPS of 51 at Medium settings is notable, as it indicates that the system can occasionally dip below 60 FPS even on Medium, which is a consideration for players with high-refresh-rate 4K displays.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

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

A: The highest average FPS measured is 166, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: At 4K Medium settings, the average FPS is 60, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69. This means it can average 60 FPS, but it will not consistently hold that frame rate, as the minimum FPS dips below 60. At 4K High and Ultra, the average FPS drops to 54 and 47, respectively, so 60 FPS is not achievable on those presets.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D has an average benchmark score of 37018. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, and 0.2% and 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 and Intel Core i9-12900T, respectively. These differences are negligible, indicating near-identical performance.

Q: What is the performance gap between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 105. At 1440p High, the average FPS drops to 79. This represents a decrease of 26 FPS, or approximately 24.8%, when moving from 1080p to 1440p.

Q: Does the GPU have any direct competitors with similar benchmark scores?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti scores 29945 on average. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile scores 29928 (0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095 (0.5% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433 (1.6% higher). All are within a 1.6% performance delta.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 47, which is measured at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the High preset at 105 FPS is the recommended balance. It offers a significantly higher frame rate than Ultra (91 FPS) while still providing a quality visual experience. The Medium preset at 118 FPS is also viable for players prioritizing higher refresh rates, but the drop from High to Medium in visual quality is not justified by the modest 13 FPS gain. The Low preset at 166 FPS is only recommended for competitive play or extremely high refresh rate displays.

For 2560x1440, the High preset at 79 FPS is the best choice. It maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS and offers the best visual fidelity among the presets that achieve this. The Medium preset at 89 FPS provides a smoother experience with a 10 FPS advantage, but sacrifices visual details that are noticeable in Control's atmospheric environments. The Ultra preset at 69 FPS is playable but may not provide enough headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 126 FPS is excessive for this resolution.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 60 FPS is the recommended choice, as it is the only preset that averages 60 FPS. However, the minimum FPS of 51 indicates that there will be stutters. The High preset at 54 FPS is a compromise, offering better visuals but a lower average frame rate. The Ultra preset at 47 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 85 FPS is viable for players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but it underutilizes the GPU's capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 971st out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 66.4th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the configurations in the database. This is a solid mid-to-high tier ranking, consistent with the individual component standings: the CPU is in the 85th percentile, and the GPU is in the 75th percentile.

The rank of 971 out of 2888 suggests that while this system is capable of running Control well at 1080p and 1440p, there are many other combos with higher performance, particularly those with more powerful GPUs or newer generations. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor for the overall ranking, as the CPU's percentile is higher. If a user were to pair this CPU with a stronger GPU, the combo rank would likely improve significantly. Conversely, the 8 GB VRAM and the GPU's compute limits at 4K are the primary reasons it does not rank higher. The benchmark results show that this combo is well-balanced for 1440p gaming, offering a high frame rate experience without being bottlenecked by the processor. The 4K performance is serviceable but requires a reduction in settings to maintain playable frame rates.