Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title from Remedy Entertainment, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical preset. This analysis examines the performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, using measured FPS data to understand the balance between CPU and GPU responsibilities. The data indicates a system that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, while 4K performance requires careful settings management to maintain smooth framerates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 105 FPS at 1920x1080 to 79 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 26 FPS. Moving further up to 3840x2160, the average falls to 54 FPS, which is a substantial 51 FPS drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling behavior is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the increased pixel count places a proportionally larger load on the rendering hardware.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, with a 25 FPS loss (from 79 to 54 FPS) at High settings. This indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and its 608.3 GB/s bandwidth are being heavily taxed at 4K resolution. The 4K High result of 54 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth experience, suggesting that players targeting 4K will need to compromise on visual fidelity.

At the Low preset, the performance headroom becomes apparent. The system achieves 166 FPS at 1080p, 126 FPS at 1440p, and 85 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is 48.8%, which is less severe than the 48.6% drop at High settings but still substantial. The fact that 4K Low still produces 85 FPS indicates that the GPU has enough raw compute power (21.75 TFLOPS FP32) to handle the game at lower settings, but the memory bandwidth and capacity become limiting factors at higher resolutions and settings.

The pattern suggests that the limiting component shifts as resolution changes. At 1080p, the CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is likely providing enough frame data to keep the GPU fed, but the gap between Low (166 FPS) and Ultra (91 FPS) at 1080p shows the GPU's workload scaling with settings. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck, as even the fastest CPU would struggle to push frame rates much beyond what the RTX 3070 Ti can render at that pixel density.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip, is the primary driver of frame rates in this configuration. Its 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines provide the computational foundation for rendering Control's physics-heavy environments and particle effects. The GPU's boost clock of 1770 MHz and base clock of 1575 MHz dictate the pace at which these units operate, and the measured results show that the card performs within expectations for its class.

The memory subsystem is a critical factor in Control's performance. The 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K Ultra settings, the game's texture streaming and high-resolution assets likely push against this 8 GB capacity. The drop from 60 FPS at 4K Medium to 47 FPS at 4K Ultra suggests that the additional memory pressure and shader complexity at Ultra settings cause a 21.7% performance penalty over Medium. This is a more significant relative drop than the 12.4% reduction seen when moving from High (54 FPS) to Ultra (47 FPS) at 4K.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 23356 places it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 29945 is closely matched by its nearest rivals. The RTX 3070 Ti sits within 0.5% of the RTX 2080 Ti (29783) and within 0.1% of the RTX 5070 Mobile (29928), but trails the AMD Radeon RX 6700 (30433) by 1.6%. This competitive positioning explains why the card delivers solid but not class-leading performance in Control. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3478 further confirms the card's DirectX 12 capabilities, which Control utilizes effectively.

The GPU's 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are present but not directly measured in this dataset. However, the PassMark DirectX 12 score of 91 indicates that the card's driver and hardware handle modern API workloads well. The 169.9 GPixel/s pixel rate and 339.8 GTexel/s texture rate provide the throughput needed for Control's visual effects, and the measured FPS numbers reflect a GPU that is well-balanced for 1440p gaming.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 105 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings, which provides a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti's performance compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 2080 Ti?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3070 Ti scores 29945 on average, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 2080 Ti's 29783 score. This indicates near-parity in raw compute performance.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming in Control?

A: At 4K Medium settings, the system averages 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS, indicating playable performance. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 47 FPS, suggesting that 8 GB is a limiting factor for the highest settings at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 126 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 69 FPS. This represents a 45.2% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination ranks 971st out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 33.6% of all configurations.

Q: Does the CPU's single-thread performance impact the game's frame rates?

A: The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 2872 indicates strong single-core performance, which is important for game logic and draw calls. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 166 FPS, suggesting the CPU can support high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti achieves a rank of 971 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places the system in the 66.4th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of all tested configurations. The rank is determined by the measured FPS data across all resolutions and settings, and it reflects the balanced nature of this pairing.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 36945 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are extremely close in performance. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36938 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018 (-0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093 (-0.4%). This clustering indicates that the 5600F is a solid mid-range processor that does not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 29945 places it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs, with rivals within a narrow band. The system's overall rank of 971 suggests that while the individual components are strong, there are many higher-performing combos in the database, likely featuring higher-end GPUs or newer architectures. The rank also reflects the game-specific nature of Control, which can be particularly demanding on memory bandwidth and shader complexity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across the board. The Low preset produces an average of 166 FPS, while Medium achieves 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 105 FPS, and Ultra drops further to 91 FPS. This 1080p range from 91 to 166 FPS demonstrates the GPU's ability to handle the game at high refresh rates, even at the most demanding settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings maintain a high 126 FPS average, while Medium delivers 89 FPS (minimum 76, maximum 103). High settings drop to 79 FPS, and Ultra falls to 69 FPS. The 1440p results are particularly relevant for users with 1440p 144Hz monitors, as the system can comfortably exceed 60 FPS at all settings and approach 144 FPS at Low settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limitations. Low settings still produce a respectable 85 FPS, but Medium drops to 60 FPS (minimum 51, maximum 69). High settings average 54 FPS, and Ultra falls to 47 FPS. The 4K results show that the system is capable of 4K gaming, but only at lower settings if a smooth 60 FPS experience is desired. The minimum FPS data for Medium settings at all three resolutions (101 at 1080p, 76 at 1440p, 51 at 4K) shows that frame pacing remains consistent, with no severe hitches or stutters.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 105 FPS provides an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, while the Ultra preset at 91 FPS is still highly playable and offers the best visual fidelity. Users with 1080p 144Hz monitors can achieve 118 FPS at Medium settings, which maximizes the display's potential while maintaining good visuals.

For 1440p, the High preset at 79 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 89 FPS offers a slightly higher frame rate with a minor reduction in visual quality, and the minimum of 76 FPS ensures consistent performance. The Ultra preset at 69 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, but the 79 FPS of High settings provides a better margin for demanding scenes.

For 4K, the data suggests that Medium settings at 60 FPS represent the sweet spot. The minimum of 51 FPS indicates that some scenes may dip below 60 FPS, but the overall experience remains playable. The Low preset at 85 FPS offers a smoother experience but with significant visual compromises. The High preset at 54 FPS and Ultra at 47 FPS are below the ideal 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering in action-heavy sequences. Therefore, 4K users should prioritize Medium settings to balance visual fidelity with smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, based on the Zen 3 architecture with the Vermeer codename, provides the computational backbone for this system. Its 6 cores and 12 threads operate at a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache is substantial and helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for game logic and physics calculations. The 7 nm process node from TSMC, with 4,150 million transistors on a 74 mm² die, contributes to its efficiency and performance.

In terms of synthetic benchmarks, the 5600F scores 19236 in PassMark multithread and 2872 in single-thread tests. These scores place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong performance for its class. The CPU's nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its average benchmark score of 36945, showing that it is competitive with other mid-range processors. The Intel Core i9-12900T (37112) is the closest at -0.5%, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018) trails by -0.2%.

The CPU's role in Control is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 166 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this workload. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's performance is less critical. The 12 threads are sufficient for modern games like Control, which can utilize multiple cores for physics and AI, but the 6-core design means that heavily multithreaded scenes may see some performance variation. The CPU's 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR4 support are adequate for the GPU's needs, ensuring that data transfer does not become a limiting factor.