Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination delivers a robust performance profile in Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. The measured data reveals a system capable of high frame rates across all tested configurations, though the balance between CPU and GPU shifts dramatically depending on resolution and settings. This analysis examines the measured FPS data, the combo's ranking among 1,636 tested configurations, and the specific roles of the GPU and CPU in shaping the gameplay experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is sharp and consistent, indicating a clear transition from a CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound one at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 224.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 184 FPS, a decrease of 40.6 FPS, and at 4K Low the average falls further to 128.1 FPS. This scaling pattern shows that at 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the RTX 4080 SUPER has ample headroom to render frames far faster than the Ryzen 5 5600X can feed it.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher settings. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 134.6 at 1080p to 102.6 at 1440p (a 32 FPS drop), and then to 70.6 at 4K (another 32 FPS drop). The consistent ~32 FPS drop between 1440p and 4K at Ultra suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at these higher resolutions, as the workload on the graphics card scales directly with pixel count. The data implies that for competitive or high-refresh-rate play at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance is the ceiling, while at 4K the RTX 4080 SUPER's raw rendering power dictates the final frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this CPU-GPU pairing ranks 122nd out of 1,636 combos for Control, placing it in the top 7.5% of all tested systems. This is a strong result, but the rank reflects a balance of both components. The GPU's percentile of 88 versus all GPUs is higher than the CPU's percentile of 78 versus all CPUs, suggesting that the graphics card is the more dominant component in this pairing.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5600X's average benchmark score of 20,680 is nearly identical to its closest competitors. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT scores 20,740 (a delta of -0.3%), the Intel Core i7-10700 scores 20,746 (-0.3%), and the Intel Core i5-12490F scores 20,794 (-0.5%). The only rival that scores lower is the Intel Xeon 6325P at 20,538 (a delta of 0.7% in favor of the 5600X). This indicates that in synthetic benchmarks, the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class, and the 122nd rank is likely influenced more by the GPU's strong showing than by any CPU advantage.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the workhorse of this combo, and its specifications align perfectly with the high frame rates observed. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. In a game like Control, which features detailed environments and particle effects, this memory capacity and bandwidth are crucial for maintaining smooth performance at 4K Ultra, where it still manages 70.6 FPS.

The GPU's clock speeds are 2295 MHz base and 2550 MHz boost, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 10,240 shading units. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Passmark G3D score of 34,245 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,600. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, has an average score of 53,489, which is only 0.2% lower than the RTX 4080 SUPER's 53,610. This marginal difference in synthetic tests is reflected in the game's measured FPS, where the RTX 4080 SUPER demonstrates a clear ability to push high frame rates at 1440p and 4K. The 23 Gbps effective memory clock and 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are key factors in its ability to handle the game's physics and lighting calculations at high settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how settings impact performance, allowing for specific recommendations based on the target resolution. At 1080p, all presets deliver playable frame rates, but the jump from High (157.2 FPS) to Ultra (134.6 FPS) costs 22.6 FPS, which might not be worth the visual gain for players with 144Hz monitors. For maximum smoothness at 1080p, the Low preset at 224.6 FPS is the top choice, but High offers a better balance of visual fidelity and speed.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset still delivers an average of 102.6 FPS, which is excellent for most displays. The High preset at 116.8 FPS is a 14.2 FPS improvement over Ultra, making it the recommended setting for players who want a bit more headroom. The Medium preset (130.7 FPS) is also viable, but High appears to be the sweet spot for 1440p. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 70.6 FPS, which is still playable but near the edge of what many consider smooth. High at 81.6 FPS is a better choice for 4K, as it provides a 11 FPS improvement with a likely minimal visual difference. The Medium preset at 88.3 FPS is the recommended choice for 4K players seeking a higher frame rate without sacrificing too much detail.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080: The lowest resolution tested yields the highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 224.6 FPS, which drops to 175.1 FPS at Medium, 157.2 FPS at High, and 134.6 FPS at Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 90 FPS swing, indicating that the GPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution.

2560x1440: At this resolution, the average FPS values are 184 FPS (Low), 130.7 FPS (Medium), 116.8 FPS (High), and 102.6 FPS (Ultra). The delta between Low and Ultra is 81.4 FPS, showing a similar scaling pattern to 1080p but with lower absolute values.

3840x2160: At 4K, the average FPS drops to 128.1 FPS (Low), 88.3 FPS (Medium), 81.6 FPS (High), and 70.6 FPS (Ultra). The difference between Low and Ultra is 57.5 FPS, and the gap between 1440p and 4K at each setting is significant, confirming that the GPU is the primary limiter at this resolution.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming in Control with this combo?*

A: The data shows that the High preset at 81.6 FPS offers a better experience than Ultra at 70.6 FPS. The Medium preset at 88.3 FPS is also a strong option for players prioritizing frame rate.

*Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations in Control?*

A: It ranks 122nd out of 1,636 tested combos, placing it in the top 7.5% of all systems in the database for this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 224.6 FPS. This high frame rate, combined with the CPU's lower percentile (78) compared to the GPU (88), suggests the Ryzen 5 5600X is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER's performance compare to its closest rival?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT has an average benchmark score of 53,489, which is 0.2% lower than the RTX 4080 SUPER's 53,610. This indicates near-parity in synthetic tests.

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

A: The average FPS drops from 134.6 at 1080p to 70.6 at 4K, a decrease of 64 FPS, which highlights the significant GPU workload increase at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the CPU's performance align with its closest rivals?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 5 5600X's average score of 20,680 is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and Intel Core i7-10700, showing it performs exactly as expected for its class.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X features 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are standard for its generation. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 18,578 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,622 in single-core, which places it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs.

In Control, the CPU's role is most apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 224.6 FPS average is likely limited by the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls. The high boost clock of 4.60 GHz helps maintain solid frame times, but the 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient for this game's multi-threaded workload, as evidenced by the 3DMark 16-thread score of 5,582. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-10700, scores nearly identically, suggesting that neither has a distinct advantage in this title. However, the data indicates that the 5600X is not holding back the RTX 4080 SUPER at 4K, where the GPU is the clear bottleneck. The 65W TDP and 7nm process node also suggest efficient operation, allowing the CPU to sustain high clocks without thermal throttling, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame rates over long gaming sessions.