Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and AMD Radeon RX 570 pairing is a study in contrast: a modern, high-IPC Zen 3 processor paired with an older Polaris graphics card. In Control, this combination is heavily constrained by the GPU, resulting in a playable experience only at lower resolutions and settings. The data indicates a system where the CPU’s potential is largely untapped, with the RX 570 acting as the definitive performance ceiling.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X brings substantial processing power to the table. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, built on the Zen 3 architecture (codenamed Vermeer) using a 7 nm process. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, and it has a 65 W TDP. This CPU is a strong performer in synthetic benchmarks, scoring 18,578 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,622 in single-core, placing it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs.

However, in Control, the CPU’s workload is relatively light. The game is graphically intensive and relies heavily on the GPU for rendering its physics-heavy environments and particle effects. The 5600X’s 32 MB of L3 cache and high single-thread performance are more than sufficient to feed the RX 570. The benchmark results show that the limiting factor is never the processor; instead, the frame rates are dictated by the GPU’s rendering throughput. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU load is highest relative to the GPU, the average FPS of 59.2 strongly suggests the RX 570 is maxing out its capabilities before the 5600X becomes a bottleneck. The CPU is ready for a much more powerful GPU, but in this pairing, it is effectively idling.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of CPU and GPU ranks 1565 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the bottom 5% of all pairings, indicating that it is a low-performance configuration for this title. The rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's age and tier, as the CPU is a high-end part from its generation. The data shows that while the 5600X is a capable processor, its pairing with the RX 570 drags the overall system performance down significantly.

In terms of component-level comparisons, the CPU’s average benchmark score is 20,680. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT with an average score of 20,740 (a 0.3% delta), the Intel Core i7-10700 at 20,746 (0.3% delta), and the Intel Core i5-12490F at 20,794 (0.5% delta). The differences are negligible, confirming the 5600X is a solid mid-range performer. On the GPU side, the RX 570's average score is 30,158, with rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (0.2% delta) and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (0.2% delta) showing near-identical average scores. This is surprising, but the data shows that these newer cards score similarly in the aggregate benchmark, even though their real-world performance in Control would be vastly different. For this specific game, the combo rank is a stark indicator that the GPU is not suited for high-fidelity gaming.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 59.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 42.8 FPS, a 27.7% decrease. At 4K Low, it plummets to 28.7 FPS, a further 33% drop from 1440p. This steep decline with increasing pixel count is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance.

The pattern persists across all settings presets. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 37.6 at 1080p to 29.8 at 1440p and then down to 17.6 at 4K. The frame rate nearly halves from 1080p to 4K, underscoring that the RX 570's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and its 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are overwhelmed at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance is consistent; it is not the source of this scaling issue. If the CPU were the limit, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions. The data shows a clear and consistent drop, confirming that the RX 570 is the limiting component, unable to handle the increased pixel workload of 1440p and 4K in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the system is marginally playable. With Low settings, it averages 59.2 FPS. Medium settings yield 43.1 FPS, while High settings produce 37.6 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, bringing the average down to 28.3 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates become less comfortable. Low settings average 42.8 FPS, which is still smooth enough for many players. Medium and High settings are nearly identical, at 30.1 FPS and 29.8 FPS, respectively. Ultra settings drop to 23.4 FPS, which starts to feel stuttery.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system is not viable for this game. Low settings average just 28.7 FPS. Medium drops to 20.1 FPS, High to 17.6 FPS, and Ultra to 14.3 FPS. These frame rates are well below the threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that 4K is out of the question for this pairing.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Control at 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, but only at 1080p with Low settings, where the average FPS is 59.2. Any other setting or resolution will result in frame rates below 60 FPS.

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Control?*

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides a consistently playable experience. At 1440p, frame rates hover around 30 FPS, which is playable but not ideal.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there when moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At High settings, the frame rate drops from 37.6 FPS at 1080p to 29.8 FPS at 1440p. At Low settings, the drop is from 59.2 FPS to 42.8 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X a bottleneck for the RX 570 in this game?

A: No. The data shows the frame rate scales heavily with resolution, which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU has ample performance headroom.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 1565 out of 1636 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 5% of systems for this game.

*Q: Is the RX 570's 4 GB of memory a problem in Control?*

A: Yes, the memory size is a likely contributor to the severe frame rate drop at 4K. The game is demanding on video memory, and the 4 GB capacity is insufficient for high resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that delivers an average frame rate near 60 FPS (59.2). This setting provides the smoothest gameplay, which is critical for a fast-paced action-adventure title like Control. The jump to Medium settings at 1080p results in a significant 27% performance loss (43.1 FPS) for a modest visual improvement, making it a poor trade-off for the target frame rate.

For players who prioritize visual fidelity over smoothness, 1080p Medium (43.1 FPS) is a viable compromise. However, the data suggests that High settings (37.6 FPS) at 1080p are not worth the additional performance cost over Medium, as the frame rate dips further into stutter territory. Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution, as they consistently produce the lowest frame rates (28.3 FPS at 1080p) without providing a stable experience. At 1440p, Low settings (42.8 FPS) are the only acceptable option, while 4K should be avoided entirely due to sub-30 FPS performance across all presets. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally 1080p Low, with 1080p Medium as the fallback if you can tolerate a lower frame rate.