Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and Radeon RX 6650 XT pairing delivers a solid, predictable 1080p experience in Control, but the data clearly shows that 1440p and 4K resolutions demand significant settings compromises. The measured results indicate a system where the GPU is the primary performance arbiter, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings presets, which is a clear indicator that the Radeon RX 6650 XT is the limiting component at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 77 FPS at 1920x1080 to 58 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 25%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 drops the average to 39 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result.

This scaling pattern is repeated across the other presets. At Low settings, the system achieves 122 FPS at 1080p, but this falls to 93 FPS at 1440p and 63 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 87 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, sees averages of 67 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and just 34 FPS at 4K.

The fact that the frame rate drops so dramatically with resolution, even at Low settings, suggests that the RX 6650 XT's raw rendering throughput, rather than its 8 GB of VRAM, is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is significant, but the gap between 1440p and 4K is even more punishing, indicating that the GPU is being pushed well beyond its comfortable operating range at the highest resolution. For a smooth experience at 4K, the data suggests that even the Low preset, with its 63 FPS average, is the only viable option, and it still represents a major compromise in visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing sits in the middle of the pack. The combo's rank is 1875 out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the 65th percentile of all tested combos in Control. This indicates that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it outperforms a majority of other CPU and GPU pairings in this specific game.

This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the individual hardware components' benchmark percentiles. The Ryzen 5 5600F sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, while the RX 6650 XT is in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. The combo's overall rank appears to be dragged down by the GPU's relative position, reinforcing the idea that the graphics card is the limiting factor in this pairing.

When looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5600F is essentially tied with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, with a delta of 0%. It is also within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and 0.5% behind the Intel Core i9-12900T. These tiny deltas suggest that the CPU is not a differentiator in this system; swapping it for any of these alternatives would yield nearly identical results in Control. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and AMD FirePro W7000, are all within a 0.8% delta, showing that the RX 6650 XT is also in a very tightly contested performance tier, though these are all older workstation cards.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip. It operates with a base clock of 2055 MHz and a boost clock of 2635 MHz, with a game clock rated at 2410 MHz. The card is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. These specifications, while not exceptional by today's standards, are sufficient to deliver playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p in Control.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Passmark G3D score of 17166, aligns with its mid-range positioning. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1859 further confirms that this is not a high-end part. In Control, the data shows that the GPU's capabilities are the deciding factor in frame rate output. The scaling from Low to Ultra at any given resolution shows a predictable decrease in performance, with the Ultra preset at 4K being the most taxing scenario, resulting in a 34 FPS average.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity appears to be sufficient for this game at the tested settings. If the VRAM were a bottleneck, we would expect to see severe frame rate hits or stuttering at higher resolutions and settings, but the measured average FPS values show a smooth, albeit steep, decline. The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 4K is 38 FPS, which is not a catastrophic drop from the 44 FPS average, suggesting that memory allocation is not causing major hitches. The GPU's pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s are the raw throughput figures that ultimately determine how it handles the increasing pixel counts at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this hardware depends entirely on the target resolution. For a 60 FPS experience at 1080p, the High preset is the clear choice, delivering an average of 77 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p still provides a playable 67 FPS average, but the 10 FPS gain from dropping to High is not worth the minor visual difference for most users. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 87 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but High is the sweet spot for balancing visuals and performance.

At 1440p, the situation is more nuanced. The High preset yields a 58 FPS average, which is close to the 60 FPS target but not consistently above it. The Medium preset provides a more comfortable 66 FPS average, making it the recommended choice for a smooth 1440p experience. The Low preset at 1440p achieves 93 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is substantial. For 1440p, the data suggests that Medium is the best balance, offering a significant improvement in visual fidelity over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the playability threshold.

At 4K, the options are limited. The High preset's 39 FPS average is below the threshold for a smooth action game. The Medium preset is only slightly better at 44 FPS. The Low preset is the only configuration that achieves a 60 FPS average in this test. Therefore, if 4K is a priority, the Low preset is the only viable option. The Ultra preset at 4K is essentially unplayable at 34 FPS. For most users, the best experience will be at 1440p with the Medium preset, which provides a good balance of visual quality and performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is from direct measurement of the hardware combination in Control.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: The average frame rate is 122 FPS. This is the highest performance tier and is suitable for very high refresh rate displays.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. This preset provides a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining high frame rates.
• High: The average frame rate is 77 FPS. This is a solid choice for a standard 60 Hz monitor, offering a good balance of visuals and smoothness.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 67 FPS. This is the most visually demanding preset at 1080p but still remains playable.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: The average frame rate is 93 FPS. The performance is still high, but the visual quality is noticeably reduced.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS. This is the recommended preset for 1440p, balancing visual quality and smooth gameplay.
• High: The average frame rate is 58 FPS. This is borderline for 60 FPS gameplay and might be acceptable for some users.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 51 FPS. This preset is not ideal for 1440p if you prefer consistent 60 FPS performance.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: The average frame rate is 63 FPS. This is the only preset at 4K that achieves a 60 FPS average.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 44 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS. This is a playable, but not smooth, experience.
• High: The average frame rate is 39 FPS. This is below the threshold for a smooth action game.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 34 FPS. This is not a playable experience for most users.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS on a 1080p monitor?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows that the High preset at 1920x1080 delivers an average of 77 FPS, and the Medium preset delivers 87 FPS, both well above the 60 FPS target. Even the Ultra preset achieves a playable 67 FPS average.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset is the best choice. It provides an average of 66 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, while the High preset drops to 58 FPS and the Ultra preset falls to 51 FPS.

*Q: Is this combination capable of 4K gaming in Control?*

A: It is only viable with significant compromises. The Low preset is the only one to reach a 60 FPS average at 3840x2160. All other presets, including Medium (44 FPS) and High (39 FPS), are below the 60 FPS mark, and Ultra is unplayable at 34 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600F compare to its closest rivals in this game?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600F is effectively tied with its nearest rivals. The data shows a 0% delta compared to the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, and it is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450. This indicates that the CPU choice has a minimal impact on performance in this title.

*Q: Is the 8 GB of VRAM on the RX 6650 XT a problem in Control?*

A: The measured data does not indicate a VRAM capacity issue. The frame rates decline consistently with resolution and settings, but there are no catastrophic drops or stutters that would typically signify a VRAM overflow. The minimum FPS values, such as 38 FPS at 4K Medium, are close to the average, suggesting stable memory usage.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck for this system in Control?*

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops by more than 50% from 1080p to 4K at the same settings, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's high benchmark percentile (85th) and tight rival deltas suggest it is not holding the system back.