Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 pairing delivers a mid-range experience in Control, landing at rank 1756 out of 2888 tested combos. The data shows a configuration that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming comfortably but struggles to maintain high refresh rates at 4K, with performance scaling predictably as settings increase.

FAQ

*Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in Control?*

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1756 out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 5500X3D has an average benchmark score of 37018. It is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and Intel Core Ultra 5 225, both showing a 0.2% delta, while it trails the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 by 0.2% and the Intel Core i9-12900T by 0.3%.

Q: What are the best and worst average frame rates recorded?

A: The highest average FPS is 124 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest average FPS is 35 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile compared to all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 sits in the 66th percentile for all GPUs, indicating it outperforms a majority of its peers, though it is not a top-tier part.

Q: Does the GPU have enough memory for 4K gaming?

A: The RTX 5050 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The measured data shows that at 4K with High settings, the average FPS drops to 40, suggesting that the memory capacity is a limiting factor for high-resolution, high-detail gameplay.

Q: What is the boost clock of the CPU?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D has a boost clock of 4.00 GHz across its 6 cores and 12 threads.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, on the AMD Socket AM4 platform. Its base clock runs at 3.00 GHz, and it boosts up to 4.00 GHz, with a shared 96 MB of L3 cache. The data shows a Passmark single-thread score of 2941, which is a modest figure, indicating that while the CPU is capable, it is not a top-tier performer in lightly-threaded workloads. Its multithread score of 20363 is more robust, and the CPU holds an 85th percentile ranking across all CPUs.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The Passmark physics score of 2282 suggests that the CPU is competent for this task, but the performance deltas against its nearest rivals are minuscule, all within 0.3% of each other. This means that for this particular game, the CPU is unlikely to be the primary bottleneck; it is providing a consistent baseline that allows the GPU to scale performance with resolution and settings. The data shows that the CPU's performance is a non-factor in differentiating between the tested combinations, as its average score of 37018 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450.

The benchmark results indicate that the 5500X3D is a steady, reliable performer. It does not have extreme single-thread capabilities that would dominate a game's main thread, but its 12 threads allow it to handle background tasks and multi-threaded game engines without issue. The 96 MB L3 cache is a significant asset, potentially reducing memory latency in complex scenes, which can help maintain frame pacing. However, the measured FPS data for this combo shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rates drop consistently when moving from 1080p to 4K, which points to the GPU becoming the primary constraint as pixel count increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and is a 5 nm part from TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, along with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. Its base clock is 2317 MHz, boosting to 2572 MHz, and it is paired with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's Passmark G3D score is 17326, placing it in the 66th percentile for all GPUs, which is a solid mid-range position.

In Control, the GPU is the dominant component, as evidenced by the FPS scaling. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 124 FPS, but this drops to 40 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by the game's rendering requirements at high resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM is a notable constraint; at 4K with High settings, the average FPS of 40 suggests that the memory bandwidth and capacity are being pushed to their limits, potentially causing the GPU to fall back on slower memory management. The GPU's performance rivals are the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (0.6% slower), AMD Radeon HD 8970M (1% slower), AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (1.6% faster), and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (1.6% slower), showing that the RTX 5050 is in a tightly contested performance bracket.

The GPU's FP32 performance is 13.17 TFLOPS, which is a moderate figure. The data shows that at 1440p with Medium settings, the combo hits 67 FPS, which is a playable experience, but at 4K, even Low settings only yield 63 FPS. This suggests that the RTX 5050 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates, while 4K gaming requires significant settings reductions to remain fluid. The GPU's memory clock of 2500 MHz and 20 Gbps effective speed, combined with the 320.0 GB/s bandwidth, are adequate for its class, but the 8 GB capacity appears to be a bottleneck in this specific title at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1756 out of 2888 tested combinations places it in the 60th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly 60% of other combos. This is a solid mid-pack result, indicating that the hardware is balanced but not exceptional for this game. The CPU's performance percentile of 85 is notably higher than the GPU's 66, which implies that the RTX 5050 is the weaker link in this pairing. The benchmark results for the CPU show it is competitive with its direct rivals, but the GPU's lower percentile means it drags down the overall combo ranking.

When looking at the measured FPS data, the combo's rank is justified by its performance across various settings. At 1080p, it can achieve 124 FPS on Low and 78 FPS on High, which are respectable numbers. However, at 4K, the average FPS drops to 35 on Ultra, which is a sub-optimal experience. The data indicates that this combo is designed for mainstream gaming, not for pushing high refresh rates at 4K. The CPU's strength in multi-threaded workloads does not translate into a higher combo rank because the GPU's limitations cap the overall performance. The rank suggests that for Control, users can expect a playable experience at lower resolutions, but they will need to compromise on settings at higher resolutions to achieve smooth frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's capabilities across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 124 FPS on Low, 88 FPS on Medium, 78 FPS on High, and 68 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS, indicating some variance but overall stable performance. This resolution is where the combo shines, with all settings yielding playable frame rates, and even Ultra settings maintaining an average above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 94 on Low, 67 on Medium, 59 on High, and 52 on Ultra. The Medium setting again reports a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS, showing a tighter range compared to 1080p. At this resolution, Low and Medium settings provide smooth gameplay, while High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that users may need to adjust settings for a consistent experience. At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 63 on Low, 45 on Medium, 40 on High, and 35 on Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS, which highlights the significant performance drop at 4K. Only Low settings manage to stay above 60 FPS, while all other settings struggle to maintain playable frame rates.

The data shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution and settings increase. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is 56 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K, indicating that the GPU's headroom shrinks at higher resolutions. The minimum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings at all resolutions, but they show that the combo can maintain a baseline performance, with the 4K Medium minimum of 38 FPS being the lowest recorded, suggesting that demanding scenes can cause noticeable stuttering.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is viable, as it maintains an average of 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. For users who prioritize higher refresh rates, the Low preset offers 124 FPS, but the Medium preset at 88 FPS provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. The High preset at 78 FPS is also a strong choice, offering improved visuals over Medium without a significant performance hit.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best recommendation, as it achieves an average of 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS. This ensures that the gameplay remains fluid in most scenes. The Low preset at 94 FPS is suitable for competitive play, but the High preset at 59 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 52 FPS may cause noticeable dips. Users should avoid Ultra at this resolution if they prefer a consistent frame rate. At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only setting that provides a playable experience, with an average of 63 FPS. The Medium preset at 45 FPS is playable but may have stutters, and High and Ultra are not recommended for a smooth experience.

The data suggests that the best overall experience is achieved at 1440p with Medium settings, as it offers a good visual quality to performance ratio. At 1080p, users can push to Ultra for a more detailed image, while 4K gaming is limited to Low settings for a playable frame rate. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings highlight that the combo has enough headroom to handle most scenes, but users should be aware of potential frame drops in demanding areas.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a clear trend of performance degradation, with the average FPS dropping significantly as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 124 at 1080p to 94 at 1440p and then to 63 at 4K. This represents a 24% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 33% drop from 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 78 at 1080p to 59 at 1440p and then to 40 at 4K, which is a 24% drop and a 32% drop, respectively. The scaling is consistent across settings, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor.

The data reveals that the GPU's performance does not scale linearly with resolution. The pixel count increases by 2.25 times from 1080p to 1440p and by 4 times from 1080p to 4K, but the FPS does not decrease proportionally. This suggests that the GPU is not purely pixel-bound, and other factors, such as memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity, play a role. At 4K, the 8 GB VRAM may be insufficient, causing the GPU to spend time managing memory, which further reduces performance. The CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as its performance is consistent across the board.

The scaling pattern indicates that the combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the GPU can maintain high frame rates. The significant drop at 4K suggests that users should not expect a high-end 4K experience from this hardware. The data also shows that the difference between Low and Ultra settings is more pronounced at lower resolutions, as the GPU has more headroom to render additional details. At 4K, the gap narrows, indicating that the GPU is already saturated and cannot leverage the extra settings for a meaningful visual improvement. This analysis points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck in this configuration, with the CPU providing a stable foundation that does not hinder performance.