Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 5 5600G + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

This pairing of AMD's 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 5600G with NVIDIA's flagship RTX 4090 creates an unusual matchup for Control, where the data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but increasingly CPU-limited at 1080p. The measured FPS across all settings and resolutions indicates a combo that ranks 78th out of 1636 tested configurations in this game, placing it in the top 5% of all pairings tested. The RTX 4090's raw performance potential is evident, yet the Ryzen 5 5600G's Zen 3 architecture with a 3.90 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost clock becomes the constraining factor at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck shifts. At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 152.4 at 1920x1080 to 112.5 at 2560x1440, then further to 77.5 at 3840x2160 — a reduction of approximately 49% from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline suggests that at 4K, the RTX 4090's rendering workload dominates, and the GPU's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are being pushed hard.

Interestingly, the scaling pattern changes with settings. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p (213.8 FPS) to 1440p (190.5 FPS) is only about 11%, while the jump to 4K (137.3 FPS) represents a 28% further reduction. This non-linear scaling hints that at Low settings and 1080p, the CPU is limiting performance — the frame rate of 213.8 FPS appears capped by the Ryzen 5 5600G's processing capabilities rather than the GPU's potential. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting component, and the FPS scaling becomes more predictable.

The data implies that this combo is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, where even Ultra settings maintain 112.5 FPS, or for 4K gaming at Medium settings (97.9 FPS) where the visual quality remains respectable while staying above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K Ultra, the 77.5 FPS average indicates the GPU is still delivering playable performance, but the CPU's influence diminishes significantly.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 5600G's specifications provide context for its role in this pairing. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on Zen 3 architecture, it offers solid multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16758 and Geekbench multicore score of 7693. However, its single-thread capabilities — Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2365 and Geekbench single-core score of 1933 — are more modest, which matters for Control's frame generation.

The CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are adequate, but the 5600G's integrated Radeon Vega 7 graphics are irrelevant when paired with the RTX 4090. The CPU's 78th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it performs better than most, yet when paired with the top-tier GPU, its limitations become apparent at lower resolutions. The 3DMark scores show scaling from 1705 (2 threads) to 5455 (max threads), suggesting that while multi-threading helps, the CPU's peak throughput is reached relatively quickly.

In Control specifically, the data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the 213.8 FPS average is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability. This is supported by the fact that increasing settings from Low to Medium at 1080p only drops FPS to 185.4, and High to 172.5 — a smaller relative drop than what the GPU's workload increase would suggest. The CPU is not completely saturating, but it's clearly the limiting factor at these settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 78 out of 1636 tested combinations places this pairing in the top 4.8% of all configurations tested in Control. This high ranking is primarily driven by the RTX 4090's exceptional performance, as the GPU's 91st percentile ranking among all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 66473 demonstrate. The CPU's 78th percentile ranking is respectable but not elite, suggesting that other CPU pairings could extract more performance from the RTX 4090 in this game.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5600G shows nearly identical performance to several enterprise and mobile chips. The Intel Core i7-11600H trails by just 0.2% in average benchmark score (19949 vs 19983), while the Intel Core i7-11800H and AMD EPYC 7713P are 0.2% ahead (20024). The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX is 0.3% behind (19928). These negligible differences indicate that the 5600G's CPU performance is well within the typical range for its class, and the combo's high rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU.

The RTX 4090's nearest rivals tell a similar story of tight competition at the top. The NVIDIA Tesla T4 is 0.4% behind in average score (66733 vs 66473), the Tesla P40 is 0.5% ahead (66127), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 is 0.9% behind (67097). These professional-grade cards are close in raw compute benchmarks, but the RTX 4090's gaming-specific features and driver optimizations make it superior for Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS ranges from 152.4 at Ultra to 213.8 at Low, with Medium at 185.4 and High at 172.5. The spread of 61.4 FPS between Low and Ultra indicates that settings have a significant impact at this resolution. The 1080p Ultra result of 152.4 FPS is still highly playable, but the data suggests that the CPU's frame delivery limit is being approached at Low settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the FPS drops across all settings: Low produces 190.5 FPS, Medium 148.3 FPS, High 129 FPS, and Ultra 112.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 78 FPS, reflecting the GPU becoming more of a limiting factor. At 1440p, even Ultra settings maintain over 110 FPS, making this the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens considerably: Low delivers 137.3 FPS, Medium 97.9 FPS, High 88 FPS, and Ultra 77.5 FPS. The 4K results show the RTX 4090's strengths, as it maintains playable frame rates even at Ultra settings. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K (137.3 to 77.5 FPS) represents a 44% reduction, indicating that the GPU's rendering load increases substantially with settings at this resolution.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the data shows 4K Ultra settings achieve 77.5 FPS average, while 4K Medium reaches 97.9 FPS and 4K Low hits 137.3 FPS, all above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rates?

A: At 2560x1440, Ultra settings deliver 112.5 FPS, and Low settings reach 190.5 FPS, making 1440p the optimal choice for monitors with refresh rates up to 190 Hz.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest competitors?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600G scores 19983 in average benchmarks, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i7-11600H and 0.2% lower than both the Intel Core i7-11800H and AMD EPYC 7713P.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 bottleneck the CPU at any settings?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the 213.8 FPS average suggests the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU's potential exceeds what the Ryzen 5 5600G can feed.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 152.4 at 1080p to 112.5 at 1440p and finally to 77.5 at 4K, representing a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 78th out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 4.8% of all configurations tested.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that Ultra settings at 2560x1440 provide the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 112.5 FPS. This is above the 100 FPS threshold that most high-refresh-rate gamers consider smooth, while maintaining the highest visual fidelity. For 4K displays, Medium settings at 97.9 FPS offer a strong experience, as the jump to High (88 FPS) provides diminishing returns for the 10% performance cost.

At 1080p, the choice between High (172.5 FPS) and Ultra (152.4 FPS) depends on whether the user prioritizes maximum frame rates or maximum visual quality. The 13% FPS difference may be noticeable on a 240 Hz monitor, but Ultra's visual improvements are substantial. For users with standard 60 Hz displays at 1080p, Ultra settings are clearly recommended, as the 152.4 FPS average far exceeds display capabilities.

The data indicates that Low settings are only advisable for competitive play at 1440p or 4K, where the 190.5 FPS and 137.3 FPS averages respectively provide maximum responsiveness. However, the visual degradation from Low settings is significant in a game like Control, which relies heavily on atmospheric effects and detailed environments.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain why the combo ranks so highly. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, the GPU features 16384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 raster operation units. Its 128 ray tracing cores and 512 tensor cores provide substantial compute capability, reflected in its 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate.

The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, which is critical for Control's high-resolution textures and effects at 4K. The GPU's 2235 MHz base clock and 2520 MHz boost clock, combined with a 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate, enable the high frame rates observed in the measured data. The RTX 4090's 91st percentile ranking among all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 66473 support its position as one of the fastest consumer graphics cards.

Compared to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores, the RTX 4090 shows tight competition with professional cards, but its gaming performance in Control is exceptional. The GPU's ability to maintain 77.5 FPS at 4K Ultra settings demonstrates its headroom, even when paired with a mid-range CPU. The 450 W TDP and 850 W suggested PSU indicate this is a power-hungry component, but the performance justifies the requirement. The RTX 4090's role in this combo is to provide massive rendering headroom, which the Ryzen 5 5600G can only partially utilize at lower resolutions.