Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers a solid, high-refresh-rate experience in Control, placing in the 73rd percentile of all tested CPU-GPU pairings for this title. With a combo rank of 771 out of 2888 tested configurations, this pairing sits firmly in the upper quartile, indicating that it is well-suited for smooth gameplay across most settings and resolutions. The data shows a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p, while still managing to hold its own at 4K with some adjustments.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 771 out of 2888 tested combinations places it in the top 27% of all systems tested for Control. This is a strong showing, reflecting a balanced pairing where neither the CPU nor the GPU acts as a severe bottleneck in this particular title. In percentile terms, this position translates to a performance level that outclasses the majority of tested hardware, making it a very capable setup for this game.

To contextualize the CPU’s contribution, the Ryzen 5 7400F sits at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 32750 puts it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals. It is essentially neck-and-neck with the Intel Core i5-14600T, scoring only 0.1% higher, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, which it beats by 0.3%. Conversely, it trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H by a negligible 0.2%. This indicates that the CPU provides a very consistent, mid-to-high-end level of processing power that is more than sufficient for feeding the GPU in Control.

On the graphics side, the RTX 3080 holds the 68th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 23172 places it in a peculiar group of rivals, including the NVIDIA P106-100 and AMD Radeon RX 6600M, from which it is separated by less than 0.4%. While these specific rivals are not representative of the RTX 3080's real-world tier, the percentile figure confirms that it is a well-above-average graphics card. The combination of a top-quartile CPU and a solidly upper-half GPU results in a system that is well-positioned to handle Control’s demands without significant compromise.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the primary driver of visual fidelity in this configuration. Its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s, which is crucial for handling the high-resolution textures and complex effects in Control at higher settings. The GPU’s boost clock of 1710 MHz, built on the Ampere architecture, allows it to process the game’s DirectX 12 workload efficiently. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, ensuring full compatibility with the game’s advanced rendering features.

The GPU’s memory configuration is a key factor in its performance scaling. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 52, suggesting that the 10 GB frame buffer and memory bandwidth are being heavily taxed. However, the card’s compute power, with 8704 shading units and 68 RT cores, allows it to maintain very playable frame rates at lower settings. The data indicates that the RTX 3080’s role is to provide a high ceiling for performance, but its 10 GB VRAM becomes a limiting factor at the most demanding 4K preset.

The GPU’s performance relative to its rivals in the database is interesting, as its percentile rank is lower than its historical reputation suggests. This is likely due to the benchmark database including a wide range of newer and more powerful cards. Nevertheless, within this specific test for Control, the RTX 3080 demonstrates that it is more than capable of delivering high frame rates, provided the settings are tuned appropriately for the resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound, delivering very high frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most monitors. Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain high, indicating a good balance between CPU and GPU load. The transition to 4K shows the most significant performance drop, highlighting the increasing strain on the GPU.

At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 185 FPS, which drops to 140 FPS at 1440p Low, and further to 94 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 24% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 49% drop from 1080p to 4K. This scaling pattern suggests that at lower settings, the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution climbs. The game’s visual complexity is not high enough at Low settings to stress the CPU, so the GPU’s fill rate dictates the performance.

Under Ultra settings, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute numbers. The system manages 101 FPS at 1080p, 77 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is almost identical to the Low setting, at roughly 49%. This indicates that the limiting component shifts from the CPU to the GPU in a consistent manner across the settings spectrum. The data suggests that the CPU is sufficient at all resolutions, and the GPU’s rendering load is the primary factor in the frame rate decline.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a comprehensive look at the system’s performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings.

1080p: This resolution is where the combo shines, offering exceptionally high frame rates. At Low settings, the average FPS is a blistering 185, ensuring maximum responsiveness. Medium settings reduce the average to 131 FPS, with a minimum of 111 and a maximum of 151 FPS. High settings see an average of 117 FPS, while Ultra settings still deliver a very smooth 101 FPS. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, 1080p is clearly the sweet spot, as even the most demanding preset stays well above the 100 FPS mark.

1440p: This is the resolution where the system hits its ideal balance between visual quality and performance. Low settings produce an average of 140 FPS, which is excellent. Medium settings follow with an average of 99 FPS, a minimum of 84, and a maximum of 114 FPS. High settings average 88 FPS, and Ultra settings still manage a respectable 77 FPS. The results show that the RTX 3080 is well-suited for 1440p gaming, as it can handle even Ultra presets without dropping below the 60 FPS threshold.

4K: At 2160p, the system’s performance becomes more modest, requiring settings adjustments for a smooth experience. Low settings yield an average of 94 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K. Medium settings drop to an average of 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 and a maximum of 77 FPS. High settings produce an average of 60 FPS, which is the bare minimum for a consistent console-like experience. Ultra settings average 52 FPS, which may be playable for some but is not ideal for fast-paced action. The data shows that for 4K, users will likely need to use Medium or High settings to maintain a stable frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data allows for clear recommendations based on the user’s display and performance priorities. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 101 FPS without sacrificing any visual features. The performance headroom is so large at this resolution that there is no reason to lower settings for a performance gain, as the visual improvement from Ultra is substantial and the frame rate remains high.

For 1440p displays, the High preset is the optimal balance. It provides an average of 88 FPS, which is smooth and responsive, while offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings. The Ultra preset is also viable, with 77 FPS, but the drop in frame rate may be noticeable to some users. The data suggests that High offers the best compromise between frame rate and image quality, ensuring a consistently fluid experience.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point. It delivers an average of 67 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target for most players, and it does so without the frame rate dips seen at High. The High preset just barely hits 60 FPS on average, but the minimum frame rate data suggests it may be less stable. Therefore, Medium is the recommended setting for 4K, as it offers a playable frame rate while still providing a detailed image. Users with less sensitivity to frame rate drops could try High, but Medium is the safer, more consistent choice.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this CPU-GPU combo?*

A: The data indicates that 1440p offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 1440p High, the system averages 88 FPS, which is both smooth and visually detailed. While 1080p offers higher frame rates, the jump to 1440p provides a significant image quality improvement without a major performance penalty.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: Yes, but with some caveats. At 4K Medium settings, the system achieves an average of 67 FPS, which is playable. However, at High settings, the average drops to exactly 60 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 52 FPS. Therefore, 4K is viable only when using Medium or possibly High settings.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is significant. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 185 at Low settings to 101 at Ultra settings. This represents a 45% decrease in performance, but the Ultra preset still delivers a very high frame rate that is suitable for most monitors.

Q: What is the limiting factor for performance at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate drops from 94 FPS at Low to 52 FPS at Ultra, a 45% reduction. This indicates that the RTX 3080’s rendering capabilities and 10 GB of VRAM are being fully utilized at this resolution, while the Ryzen 5 7400F has enough headroom to keep up.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7400F a good match for the RTX 3080 in this game?

A: The benchmark data suggests a good match. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, indicating that the CPU is not holding the GPU back. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent, which implies a balanced system where the GPU becomes the bottleneck only at higher resolutions, as expected.

*Q: How does this combo’s overall rank in Control compare to its component parts?*

A: The combo ranks in the 73rd percentile (771 of 2888), which is higher than the GPU’s individual percentile of 68 and lower than the CPU’s percentile of 83. This indicates that the combination of the two parts yields a result that is greater than the sum of their individual parts, suggesting good synergy for this specific game.