Control

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boosts up to 4.60 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The chip carries 16 MB of L3 cache, with 64 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core. Its memory bandwidth is rated at 51.2 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4 interface. The processor sits on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with PCIe Gen 3 connectivity (16 CPU lanes).

In synthetic benchmarks, the 5600GT posts a multi-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 17,272 and a single-core score of 2,438. Its PassMark multithread score is 20,325, while the single-thread result is 3,348. The average benchmark score across all tests is 20,740, which places it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs. This puts it essentially at parity with the Intel Core i7-10700 (deltaPct 0%) and a hair behind the Intel Core i5-12490F (deltaPct -0.3%). It edges out the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X by 0.3% and the AMD EPYC 7J13 by -0.5%.

For a game like Control, which is an Action Adventure title from 2019, the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration is more than adequate. The game's engine benefits from having multiple threads available for physics, AI, and streaming, but it does not heavily scale beyond 8 threads. The 5600GT's 12 threads provide headroom for background tasks and ensure that frame pacing remains consistent, especially when the GPU is pushing high frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the measured average FPS reaches 225.9, which indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions. The single-thread performance, reflected in the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,438, matters more in this title for maintaining consistent frame times, as Control's gameplay loop involves frequent object interactions that rely on a responsive main thread.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture (GB203 chip) using TSMC's 5 nm process. It ships with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective), while the GPU base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2617 MHz. The card features 10,752 shading units, 336 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 84 RT cores, and 336 tensor cores. Its FP32 compute throughput is 56.28 TFLOPS, and the texture rate is 879.3 GTexel/s.

The RTX 5080's PassMark G3D score is 36,565, with a Geekbench OpenCL score of 264,461 and Vulkan score of 257,942. Its average benchmark score across all GPU tests is 59,188, placing it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, it leads the Intel Arc A570M by 1.6% and the Intel Arc A580 by 2.5%, while trailing the Intel Arc Pro A60 by -1.9% and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X by -2.6%. These deltas are small in percentage terms, but the absolute scores are high, indicating that the RTX 5080 sits in a performance tier well above mainstream cards.

Control's rendering engine is known for its heavy use of volumetric lighting, particle effects, and destructible environments, all of which place significant load on the GPU. The 16 GB VRAM capacity ensures that even at 4K with Ultra settings, texture streaming does not become a bottleneck. At 3840x2160, the measured average FPS ranges from 72.5 (Ultra) to 135.1 (Low). The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 62.6 FPS, which shows that the GPU is doing substantial work as settings scale up. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 225.9 FPS, while Ultra drops to 146.3 FPS — a 79.6 FPS difference that highlights how the game's graphical features scale with GPU load.

FAQ

Q: How does the RTX 5080 perform at 4K Ultra in Control?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 72.5. This is the lowest average across all tested resolutions and settings, but it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that the card can handle the game's maximum visual fidelity at 4K.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 198.3 FPS, while Ultra averages 110 FPS. The difference of 88.3 FPS shows that the graphical settings have a substantial impact on performance, with Ultra roughly halving the frame rate compared to Low.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600GT a bottleneck for the RTX 5080 in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 225.9 FPS, which is near the upper bound of typical display refresh rates. The CPU's single-thread score of 3,348 in PassMark is sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output at lower resolutions.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 90th out of 1,636 tested combinations, placing it in the top 5.5% of all configurations. This suggests that the pairing of the 5600GT and RTX 5080 is well-balanced for Control, delivering high frame rates across all settings.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 144+ FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) achieve average FPS above 146.3. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium presets exceed 138.3 FPS, with High at 125.1 FPS. For consistent 144+ FPS, 1080p with Ultra is the highest fidelity option that stays above this threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance relate to the game's results?

A: The 5600GT's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17,272 and PassMark multithread score of 20,325 indicate strong multi-threaded throughput. Control's engine can utilize these threads for physics simulation and streaming, which contributes to stable frame pacing even at high frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 146.3 FPS, which is well above the standard 144 Hz refresh rate. This makes Ultra the recommended choice at 1080p, as it provides the full visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 125.1 FPS, while Ultra drops to 110 FPS. For users with 120 Hz displays, High is the better option because it stays above 120 FPS while still offering significant visual fidelity over Medium (138.3 FPS). The 15.1 FPS difference between High and Ultra is a modest cost for the additional graphical features, but High represents the sweet spot for maintaining high refresh rates at this resolution.

For 3840x2160, the situation changes. High settings average 85.4 FPS, while Ultra averages 72.5 FPS. Both are playable, but the 12.9 FPS gap between them is noticeable. Medium at 95.7 FPS offers a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS and is recommended for 4K gaming, as the visual difference between Medium and High in a fast-paced action game is less perceptible than the frame rate difference. Low at 135.1 FPS is viable for competitive play, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a single-player experience like Control.

The data shows a consistent trend: as resolution increases, the optimal preset shifts downward. At 1080p, Ultra is the clear choice. At 1440p, High provides the best balance. At 4K, Medium is the recommended preset for a smooth experience, with High as an option for users who prioritize visuals over frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination ranks 90th out of 1,636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the top 5.5% of all configurations, which is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The ranking reflects the fact that the RTX 5080 is the primary driver of performance in this title, while the 5600GT provides sufficient CPU throughput to avoid limiting the GPU.

The 5600GT's average benchmark score of 20,740 puts it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs, which is respectably above average. However, its nearest rivals — the Intel Core i7-10700 (deltaPct 0%), Intel Core i5-12490F (deltaPct -0.3%), and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (deltaPct 0.3%) — are all within a fraction of a percent in performance. This indicates that any of these CPUs would likely produce nearly identical results in Control, as the game's engine is not particularly CPU-sensitive at higher resolutions.

The GPU's ranking within its own peer group is more telling. The RTX 5080's average score of 59,188 places it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs, but its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A570M (deltaPct 1.6%) and Intel Arc A580 (deltaPct 2.5%), which are not typically considered direct competitors at this performance tier. The small deltas suggest that the RTX 5080's position is not dominant among its immediate neighbors, but the absolute performance is high enough to drive Control at very high frame rates across all tested settings.

The 90th overall rank out of 1,636 combos indicates that there are 89 configurations that perform better, likely featuring higher-tier CPUs (such as 8-core or 12-core parts) paired with the RTX 5080 or similar GPUs. However, the actual FPS differences are likely marginal at 4K, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 225.9 FPS, which is close to the ceiling for most displays. At 4K Ultra, it maintains 72.5 FPS, which is respectable for a demanding title. The combo's ranking reflects a well-matched pairing that extracts most of the RTX 5080's potential without the CPU becoming a significant bottleneck in this specific game.