Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title that pushes hardware through its physics-heavy environments and particle effects. The benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and AMD Radeon RX 580 combination reveals a system that is severely constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions, yet provides a playable experience at 1080p with adjusted settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance metrics to clarify where this combo stands.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, clearly identifying the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 63 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 48 FPS, a 23.8% reduction. Pushing further to 4K at Low settings yields only 32 FPS, a 33.3% drop from the 1440p figure and a 49.2% collapse from the 1080p baseline.

This scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. With High settings, the averages are 40 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset tells a similar story: 35 FPS, 26 FPS, and 18 FPS respectively. The frame rate reduction from 1080p to 4K is nearly uniform at roughly 50% for each preset, which is a classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the FPS gap between resolutions to be smaller, as the processor's workload remains constant while the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the bottleneck.

The data indicates that the RX 580's memory bandwidth and processing power are insufficient for 4K in this title. Even at Low settings, the 4K average of 32 FPS falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 1440p results are marginally better, with Low hitting 48 FPS and Medium at 34 FPS, but the High and Ultra presets at this resolution are still below 30 FPS. The sweet spot for this combo is unequivocally 1080p, where even the High preset manages a 40 FPS average, and the Low preset approaches the 60 FPS target.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. In the context of Control, this processor is not the limiting factor. The benchmark scores for the CPU are strong; for instance, it achieves 21,765 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,072 points in single-core. Its percentile ranking against all CPUs is 83, indicating it outperforms most processors on the market.

Given that the FPS scales inversely with resolution, the CPU is providing frames faster than the GPU can render them. At 1080p Low, the 63 FPS average is likely near the CPU's limit for this title, but it is still a playable frame rate. The processor's high single-thread performance, evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score, is crucial for a game like Control, which relies on a primary game thread for physics and entity updates. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache also helps reduce latency when accessing game data.

The comparison to nearest rivals reinforces the CPU's capability. The Ryzen 5 7400F has an average benchmark score of 32,750, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600T and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. It also edges out the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H by 0.2% in its average score. These negligible deltas suggest that swapping the processor for a direct rival would yield virtually no change in Control's FPS, as the frame rate is capped by the RX 580's output. The CPU is simply waiting for the GPU to finish its work.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for the settings presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, achieving a 63 FPS average. The Medium preset offers a 45 FPS average, which is a solid 60% of the Low preset's performance. High drops to 40 FPS, and Ultra falls to 35 FPS. For a game like Control, which features fast-paced combat and environmental destruction, the 63 FPS at Low is the most responsive option.

However, the visual quality difference between Low and Medium is often significant in this title. The Medium preset at 1080p, with its 45 FPS average and a minimum of 38 FPS, is a more balanced choice. It provides a smoother visual experience than Low while keeping the frame rate above 30 FPS consistently. The High preset's 40 FPS average is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset is not recommended at 1080p, as the 35 FPS average sacrifices too much fluidity for marginal visual gains.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable option for a reasonable experience, with a 48 FPS average. The Medium preset drops to 34 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a third-person action game. At 4K, all presets produce averages below 32 FPS, making the game unplayable for most users. The recommendation is to prioritize 1080p with Medium settings for a balanced experience, or Low settings if frame rate is the absolute priority. The data does not support using High or Ultra presets at any resolution if a consistent 40+ FPS average is required.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 7400F and RX 580 ranks 2,633rd out of 2,888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the bottom 9% of all tested systems, which is a low position. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance limitations in this specific game. The RX 580, with its GCN 4.0 architecture and 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, was released in 2017 and is now end-of-life. Control, released in 2019, was demanding at launch and has not aged well for this older graphics card.

The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 53, meaning it is average compared to the general pool of graphics cards. However, its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and the GTX 1660 SUPER, with the RX 580 scoring 0.1% lower and 0.4% lower than these cards, respectively. These are all mid-range parts, and in a modern title like Control, they struggle to maintain high frame rates at high resolutions.

The CPU's high percentile ranking (83rd) does little to improve the combo's standing in this game. The bottleneck is so severe that even an exceptional CPU cannot compensate for the GPU's lack of raw throughput. The 2,633rd rank is a strong indicator that this pairing is mismatched for Control, with the GPU holding back the system's overall capability. Users with this combo should expect to make significant compromises in settings to achieve playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K?

A: The data shows 4K performance is not playable. The highest average at 4K is 32 FPS with Low settings, while High, Medium, and Ultra yield 20, 23, and 18 FPS respectively. All of these are below the 30 FPS minimum for a consistent experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The 1920x1080 resolution is the only one where the system achieves a 60+ FPS average, doing so with the Low preset. At higher resolutions, frame rates drop significantly, making 1080p the only practical choice.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the average FPS drops by roughly half at every settings preset. This scaling pattern indicates the graphics card is saturated, while the CPU has headroom to deliver more frames.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its direct rivals?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 580's average score of 12,928 is 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and 0.4% lower than the GTX 1660 SUPER. It scores 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon 740M. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: What settings should I use for a smooth experience?

A: For the highest frame rate, use Low settings at 1080p for 63 FPS. For a balance between visuals and performance, the Medium preset at 1080p provides a 45 FPS average, which is the most reasonable compromise for playability.

Q: Why is the combo's ranking so low if the CPU is powerful?

A: The combo's rank of 2,633rd out of 2,888 is driven by the GPU's performance. The RX 580's age and architecture limit its ability to render Control's effects, and the powerful CPU cannot overcome this hardware ceiling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measured for the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and AMD Radeon RX 580 in Control:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 20 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 32 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 23 | 19 | 26 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 18 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 30 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 48 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 34 | 29 | 39 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 26 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 40 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 63 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 45 | 38 | 51 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 35 | - | - |

The data indicates a consistent step-down in performance as settings increase. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 18 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 5 FPS, and High to Ultra costs another 5 FPS. This suggests that the Low to Medium transition is the most significant performance hit, likely due to increased texture detail and shadow complexity. The Medium preset's minimum of 38 FPS and maximum of 51 FPS show a 13 FPS variance, indicating some scene-dependent fluctuation.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the decisive factor in this combo's performance in Control. It is built on the GCN 4.0 architecture with a 14 nm process node. The card features 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. Its core operates at a base clock of 1257 MHz and a boost clock of 1340 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR5 memory runs at 2000 MHz, providing a 256.0 GB/s bandwidth over a 256-bit bus.

In Control, these specifications are insufficient for high-resolution rendering. The game's effects, such as particle simulations and dynamic lighting, require significant fill rate and shader throughput. The RX 580's pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s are quickly overwhelmed at 1440p and 4K. The card's FP32 performance of 6.175 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, and the data confirms that it cannot maintain playable frame rates above 1080p.

The GPU's own benchmarks support this assessment. It scores 8,813 in PassMark G3D and 1005 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its percentile ranking of 53 against all GPUs places it in the middle of the pack, but its release date of 2017 and end-of-life status indicate it is a legacy part. The memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s is adequate for 1080p but becomes a limiting factor when the resolution increases and the demand for texture data rises. The data shows that the GPU is the sole reason the system cannot achieve a 60 FPS average at any setting above 1080p Low, and it is the primary reason for the combo's low rank in the database.