Control

Control pairs a 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, producing a combination that ranks 556th out of 2,888 tested configurations. The game’s measured frame rates reveal a system that is consistently GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet the CPU’s large cache and modest clock speeds still shape the experience at lower settings. This analysis examines the measured data to understand how each component contributes to the final frame rates, where the bottlenecks lie, and which settings offer the best playable experience.

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 based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, built on a 7 nm process. Its base clock is 3.00 GHz with a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, and it features a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache, a hallmark of the X3D series. The processor’s PassMark multithread score is 20,363, with a single-thread score of 2,941, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 37,018 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0.2% higher) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (0.2% higher), while it trails the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 by 0.2% and the Intel Core i9-12900T by 0.3%.

For a game like Control, which is known for its physics-based destruction and complex environments, the CPU’s role is primarily in maintaining a stable frame pipeline, especially when many objects are in motion. The 96 MB L3 cache is particularly advantageous for holding frequently accessed game data, potentially reducing memory latency and improving frame pacing. However, the 4.00 GHz boost clock is modest compared to many modern desktop CPUs, which could limit peak performance in scenarios with heavy single-threaded workloads. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 196 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 113 FPS, a 42% reduction. This scaling suggests that while the CPU can push high frame rates at low settings, the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as visual fidelity rises, but the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU adequately at these levels.

The PassMark physics score of 2,282 indicates the CPU handles physics calculations reasonably well, which is relevant for Control’s destructible environments. The data compression score of 230,392 and encryption score of 13,967 further demonstrate strong multi-threaded throughput. Yet, the find prime numbers score of 170 and extended instructions score of 15,925 show that in integer-heavy, single-threaded tasks, the CPU is competent but not exceptional. In the context of Control, the benchmark results imply that the CPU is rarely the sole limiting factor at 1440p and 4K, but at 1080p with low settings, it may be approaching its ceiling, as evidenced by the 196 FPS average, which is high but not extraordinarily so for a top-tier gaming CPU.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB205 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units, along with 48 ray tracing cores and 192 tensor cores. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 672.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its base clock is 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and memory operates at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The GPU’s PassMark G3D score is 29,137, with a compute score of 15,787, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 40,377 is remarkably close to its nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% higher), while it trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2% and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile by 2%.

For Control, the RTX 5070’s 12 GB VRAM is a critical asset, especially at 4K Ultra where memory demands are highest. The measured FPS data shows a clear progression: at 1080p Ultra, the game runs at 113 FPS, at 1440p Ultra it drops to 85 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 58 FPS. This scaling indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, with the 4K Ultra result dipping below the 60 FPS threshold. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 30.87 TFLOPS and texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s suggest it has ample compute power for the game’s visual effects, but the 192-bit memory bus may be a limiting factor at higher resolutions, where bandwidth demand increases.

The pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and the 80 ROPs are sufficient for 4K rendering, but the data shows that at 4K Medium, the average FPS is 75, dropping to 66 at High and 58 at Ultra. This indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are being taxed progressively. The 12 GB VRAM is unlikely to be a limitation in Control, as the game was released in 2019 and is not known for excessive VRAM consumption, but the GPU’s overall performance at 4K Ultra suggests that it is just below the threshold for a locked 60 FPS experience without adjustments. The GPU’s nearest rivals in average score are all professional or mobile parts, which highlights that the RTX 5070’s gaming performance in this specific title is somewhat unique, as its PassMark G3D score of 29,137 is significantly higher than its average benchmark score would imply, suggesting strong gaming-specific performance.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500X3D compare to its closest rival, the Ryzen 5 5600F?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500X3D has an average benchmark score of 37,018, which is 0.2% higher than the Ryzen 5 5600F’s 36,945. This means the two processors are effectively tied in overall performance, with the X3D’s larger cache not providing a measurable advantage in synthetic averages, though it may impact gaming scenarios differently.

Q: What is the RTX 5070’s performance percentile, and what does it mean?

A: The RTX 5070 is in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, meaning it outperforms 82% of the GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 40,377, which is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40,318) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40,063), indicating that it sits in a competitive mid-to-high tier.

Q: At which settings does the combo achieve its highest measured FPS?

A: The highest measured FPS is 196, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 156 FPS at 2560x1440 Low, followed by 146 FPS at 1080p Medium. This shows that Low settings provide the most headroom for frame rates at any resolution.

Q: Is the combo capable of 60 FPS at 4K Ultra?

A: No, at 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 58, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. However, at 4K High, it achieves 66 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it achieves 75 FPS, so a stable 60 FPS is possible with a slight reduction from Ultra settings.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations in Control?

A: The combo ranks 556th out of 2,888 tested combinations, placing it in the top 19% of all configurations. This indicates that it is a high-performing setup, though not at the absolute top tier.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the average FPS is 111, with a minimum of 94 and a maximum of 127. This shows a variance of 33 FPS between min and max, suggesting some frame time inconsistency, but the average remains well above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Control reveals a clear pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance: Low settings produce 196 FPS, Medium produces 146 FPS with a min of 124 and max of 168, High produces 130 FPS, and Ultra produces 113 FPS. This represents a 42% drop from Low to Ultra, indicating that while the CPU can sustain high frame rates, the GPU is heavily taxed by Ultra settings even at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings achieve 156 FPS, Medium achieves 111 FPS (min 94, max 127), High achieves 98 FPS, and Ultra achieves 85 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra is 24.8% (from 113 to 85 FPS), which is less severe than the drop from 1440p to 4K, suggesting that the GPU is still managing at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings produce 105 FPS, Medium produces 75 FPS (min 63, max 86), High produces 66 FPS, and Ultra produces 58 FPS. The difference between 1080p Ultra (113 FPS) and 4K Ultra (58 FPS) is a 48.7% reduction, highlighting the significant impact of resolution on the GPU’s workload. The frame min and max data at Medium settings across all resolutions (1080p: 124-168, 1440p: 94-127, 4K: 63-86) shows that the variance increases with resolution, indicating more frame time instability at higher pixel counts.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data shows how the system’s bottleneck shifts as pixel count increases. From 1080p to 1440p at Ultra, the FPS drops from 113 to 85, a 24.8% decrease. From 1440p to 4K at Ultra, the FPS drops from 85 to 58, a 31.8% decrease. This escalating drop-off indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU’s performance headroom is less relevant when the GPU is struggling to render more pixels.

At Low settings, the scaling is more gradual: 196 FPS at 1080p drops to 156 at 1440p (20.4% decrease) and then to 105 at 4K (32.7% decrease from 1440p). The larger percentage drop from 1440p to 4K at Low settings suggests that even with minimal graphical load, the GPU’s memory bandwidth or compute capacity is being saturated at 4K. In contrast, the CPU’s role is more evident at 1080p, where the 196 FPS at Low is substantially higher than the 113 FPS at Ultra, indicating that the GPU is the bottleneck even at 1080p Ultra, but the CPU has enough headroom to push higher frame rates when the GPU load is reduced.

The data implies that the system is GPU-bound in almost all scenarios, with the CPU only potentially limiting at 1080p Low where 196 FPS approaches the upper bounds of what the Ryzen 5 5500X3D can deliver. The 42% drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p, compared to a 45% drop at 1440p (156 to 85 FPS) and a 45% drop at 4K (105 to 58 FPS), shows that the GPU’s relative performance penalty for higher settings is consistent across resolutions, further confirming that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K gaming, Ultra settings are not viable, as the average FPS of 58 dips below the 60 FPS threshold. High settings at 4K provide 66 FPS, which offers a smooth experience with a slight reduction in visual fidelity. Medium settings at 4K deliver 75 FPS, which is a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS, and the min FPS of 63 ensures that the frame rate rarely drops below the playable threshold.

For 1440p, Ultra settings are playable at 85 FPS, and High settings at 98 FPS offer a more comfortable margin. Medium settings at 111 FPS are excellent, with a min of 94 FPS ensuring no significant stutters. At 1080p, all settings are well above 60 FPS, with Ultra at 113 FPS and High at 130 FPS. For competitive play or high refresh rate monitors, Low settings at 1080p produce 196 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz or 165Hz display.

The data suggests that for a balanced experience, 1440p Medium or High settings offer the best combination of visual quality and frame rate stability. The frame min and max data at Medium settings (124-168 at 1080p, 94-127 at 1440p, 63-86 at 4K) shows that the variance is acceptable at lower resolutions but becomes more pronounced at 4K, where the min FPS of 63 is close to the average FPS of 75. For players prioritizing smoothness, 1440p Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides a high average FPS with a min FPS well above 60, ensuring a stutter-free experience. For those with 4K displays, High settings are the maximum recommended, as they provide a stable 66 FPS average.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 556th out of 2,888 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the top 19.3% of all configurations. This is a strong result, indicating that the pairing is well-balanced for this game. The CPU’s 85th percentile ranking and GPU’s 82nd percentile ranking are both above-average, but the combo’s overall rank is slightly lower than either component’s individual percentile, suggesting that the pairing may not perfectly complement each other in every scenario.

The combo’s rank is likely driven by the GPU’s performance at higher resolutions, where the RTX 5070’s 12 GB VRAM and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for most games but not exceptional for 4K Ultra settings. The CPU’s performance is adequate, but the 4.00 GHz boost clock and 6-core configuration may not provide the same headroom as higher-clocked or higher-core-count CPUs in CPU-bound scenarios. However, in Control specifically, the measured data shows that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck, so the CPU’s limitations are less impactful.

Compared to the nearest rivals of each component, the combo’s rank makes sense. The CPU is effectively tied with the Ryzen 5 5600F, and the GPU is nearly tied with the AMD Radeon Pro 580, so the combo’s performance is predictable based on its components’ individual scores. The 556th rank out of 2,888 means that there are 555 configurations that perform better, likely featuring higher-end GPUs or CPUs with more cores or higher clocks. For this specific game, the combo delivers a solid experience at 1440p and 1080p, with 4K Ultra being the only setting where it falls short of a locked 60 FPS.