Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, is a demanding title that stresses both CPU and GPU depending on the resolution and settings chosen. The data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination reveals a system that is exceptionally well-balanced, capable of delivering high refresh rates at 1080p and playable 4K experiences, with the primary bottleneck shifting clearly as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable, yet steep, performance gradient as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the "Low" preset, the average frame rate drops from 193 FPS at 1080p to 146 FPS at 1440p, a 24% reduction, and then to 98 FPS at 4K, a further 33% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that at lower resolutions and settings, the system is not purely GPU-bound; the frame rates are high enough that the CPU's performance is a contributing factor. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides enough headroom to feed the RTX 4070, but the GPU is not yet saturated, allowing the CPU to influence the upper limits.

Moving to the "High" preset, the scaling is more linear. The average FPS goes from 122 at 1080p, to 92 at 1440p (a 25% drop), and then to 62 at 4K (a 33% drop from 1440p). This consistent percentage drop suggests a more GPU-centric workload where the graphics card's rendering capabilities are the primary limiting factor at each step. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is significant, but the transition from 1440p to 4K is even more punishing, highlighting the immense pixel count increase.

At the "Ultra" preset, the system's limits are most apparent. The average FPS drops from 106 at 1080p to 80 at 1440p, and then plummets to 54 at 4K. This 4K figure is the lowest measured in the entire dataset. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra shows a 32.5% reduction, demonstrating that the RTX 4070's 12 GB of VRAM and 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth are being heavily taxed by the combination of maximum graphical fidelity and a 3840x2160 resolution. The data indicates that 4K Ultra is the breaking point for this hardware combination, pushing it to the edge of playability.

The nature of the limiting component changes across these resolutions. At 1080p, the high frame rates (up to 193 FPS on Low) and the relatively smaller scaling drop from Low to Ultra (193 to 106 FPS) suggest that while the GPU is the primary renderer, the CPU is not a bottleneck. However, the system is not fully GPU-limited either, as the CPU's single-thread performance (PassMark score of 2941) is sufficient to keep up. At 4K, the workload becomes almost entirely GPU-bound. The massive pixel throughput required means the RTX 4070 is working at its maximum capacity, and the CPU's role diminishes. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU has ample headroom at 4K, as the FPS differences between presets are entirely dictated by the GPU's ability to process the increased graphical load.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of the performance trade-offs at each settings preset. For players targeting the highest refresh rates, the "Low" preset is the only option, delivering an average of 193 FPS at 1080p. This is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the visual fidelity is significantly reduced, which detracts from the game's atmospheric and detailed environments.

For a balanced experience, the "Medium" preset is arguably the sweet spot at 1080p. It delivers a very playable average of 137 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The step up to "High" at 1080p reduces the average to 122 FPS, a 12% drop from Medium, which is still excellent for most displays. The "Ultra" preset, at 106 FPS, is also highly playable and offers the best visual quality, but the performance cost over High is 13%, which may not be worth it for all users.

At 1440p, the "High" preset stands out as the best recommendation. It delivers a smooth 92 FPS average, which is well-suited for 1440p 144Hz monitors. The "Medium" preset offers 104 FPS, but the visual improvement from "High" is substantial in a game like Control, which relies heavily on lighting and particle effects. "Ultra" at 1440p drops to 80 FPS, which is still playable but begins to sacrifice the high-refresh-rate experience. "Low" at 1440p yields 146 FPS, but the graphical compromises are too steep for a single-player, story-driven title.

At 4K, the recommendations become more constrained. The "High" preset is the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience, averaging 62 FPS. This is just at the edge of the 60 FPS target, but playable. The "Medium" preset delivers 70 FPS, providing a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS, and is a strong alternative if the user prefers higher frame rates over maximum visual effects. "Ultra" at 4K is not recommended, as the 54 FPS average is below the standard 60 FPS target, and the "Low" preset, while hitting 98 FPS, ruins the game's visual presentation. The data suggests that for a 4K experience, players should choose between "Medium" for smoother performance and "High" for superior visuals, accepting a near-60 FPS average.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. Its performance in this benchmark is primarily defined by its substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a hallmark of the X3D series. This large cache is particularly effective in gaming workloads, helping to reduce memory latency and improve frame pacing.

In Control, the CPU's role is most critical at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the primary bottleneck. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 193 FPS, a figure that requires a strong CPU to maintain. The PassMark single-thread score of 2941 indicates good single-core performance, which is essential for the game's main game logic and physics threads. The PassMark multithread score of 20363 and physics score of 2282 suggest that the 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to handle the game's parallel workloads without creating a bottleneck.

Benchmark results indicate that the Ryzen 5 5500X3D is well-matched to the RTX 4070. When compared to its nearest rivals, its average benchmark score of 37018 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, deltaPct 0.2) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938, deltaPct 0.2). It is also virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, deltaPct -0.2) and the Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, deltaPct -0.3). This indicates that in synthetic tests, the 5500X3D performs on par with these other mid-range and upper-mid-range parts, meaning its gaming performance is not an outlier but rather a strong, consistent performer.

The impact of the CPU becomes less pronounced as resolution increases. At 4K, the GPU is the definitive limiting factor, and the CPU has enough headroom to ensure it does not hold the system back. The FPS differences between presets at 4K (98, 70, 62, 54) are entirely attributable to the GPU's workload. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game state data, and the 5500X3D's performance is more than adequate for this task, ensuring that the RTX 4070 can operate at its full potential.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Control?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At the "High" preset, it delivers a 92 FPS average, which is smooth and responsive, while 4K requires dropping to "Medium" (70 FPS) or "High" (62 FPS) for playable results.

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

A: Yes, it can, but with caveats. The "Medium" preset at 4K delivers an average of 70 FPS, and "High" delivers 62 FPS. The "Ultra" preset, with a 54 FPS average, dips below the 60 FPS target and is not recommended for a consistent experience.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for high FPS in Control?

A: It depends on the resolution. At 1080p, the high frame rates (193 FPS on Low) indicate that both components are working together, but the CPU's performance is crucial to reach such high numbers. At 4K, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, as the CPU has sufficient headroom to handle the game logic while the RTX 4070 is saturated by the pixel workload.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500X3D compare to similar CPUs?

A: The benchmark data shows it is exceptionally well-matched with its nearest rivals. Its average score of 37018 is within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Intel Core i9-12900T, meaning any of these CPUs would provide similar gaming performance in this title.

Q: What is the role of the CPU's L3 cache in this game?

A: While the measured FPS data does not directly test cache sizes, the processor's design includes 96 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a defining feature of the X3D series and is intended to improve gaming performance by reducing memory access latency, which can positively impact frame times in CPU-bound scenarios like those seen at 1080p.

Q: What settings should I use for a stable 60 FPS experience?

A: For a locked 60 FPS, the "High" preset at 4K (62 FPS average) is the highest visual quality option. For a more comfortable margin, the "Medium" preset at 4K (70 FPS) is safer. At 1440p, all presets except "Ultra" (80 FPS) will easily maintain 60 FPS, with "High" (92 FPS) being the recommended choice.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a powerhouse built on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 5888 shading units, 184 tensor cores, and 46 RT cores. Its specification sheet is impressive: a 1920 MHz base clock and a 2475 MHz boost clock, paired with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This hardware configuration is designed to excel in modern, graphically intensive titles like Control.

In this game, the RTX 4070's role is central to the experience. The PassMark G3D score of 26927 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3854 indicate a high level of raw graphical compute power. The GPU's performance is the primary driver of FPS at 1440p and 4K. The data shows that as the settings increase from Low to Ultra, the average FPS decreases, which is a direct result of the GPU working harder to render more complex lighting, shadows, and particle effects. Control is known for its physics-heavy combat and destructible environments, which stress the GPU's ability to process geometry and effects in real-time.

The 12 GB of VRAM is a critical asset. At 4K Ultra, the game will demand a significant amount of memory for high-resolution textures and assets. The RTX 4070's VRAM capacity ensures it can handle these demands without running out of memory, which would cause stuttering or texture pop-in. The high memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s is also crucial for streaming textures quickly to the GPU cores, especially at 4K where data throughput requirements are immense.

The GPU's performance relative to its peers is consistent. Its average benchmark score of 37648 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628, deltaPct 0.1) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, deltaPct 0.4). It is slightly behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135, deltaPct -1.3) and ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37157, deltaPct 1.3). This places the RTX 4070 in a strong position, offering performance that is competitive with other high-end cards.

The benchmark results show that the RTX 4070 is the definitive bottleneck at 4K. The frame rate drops from 98 FPS at Low to 54 FPS at Ultra demonstrate that the GPU is being pushed to its absolute limit. The card's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial, but the sheer pixel count of 4K combined with Ultra settings is a monumental task. For players seeking the highest fidelity at 4K, the RTX 4070 is sufficient for a playable experience, but it cannot maintain the high refresh rates achievable at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination in Control.

At 1920x1080, the performance is consistently high across all presets. The "Low" preset achieves an average of 193 FPS. The "Medium" preset delivers an average of 137 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. The "High" preset averages 122 FPS. The "Ultra" preset, while the most demanding, still provides a very smooth average of 106 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the system begins to show the strain of higher resolution. The "Low" preset averages 146 FPS. The "Medium" preset delivers an average of 104 FPS, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS. The "High" preset averages 92 FPS. The "Ultra" preset drops to an average of 80 FPS.

At 3840x2160, performance is heavily dependent on the preset. The "Low" preset is the most playable, averaging 98 FPS. The "Medium" preset delivers an average of 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. The "High" preset averages 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. The "Ultra" preset is the most demanding, averaging only 54 FPS. This data highlights that 4K gaming is possible, but requires a willingness to compromise on settings to maintain a smooth frame rate.