Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

This combo ranks 1632nd out of 2888 tested CPU/GPU pairings in Control, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The pairing of a modern 6-core Zen 4 processor with a Turing-era GPU produces a system that is firmly GPU-limited at most settings, though the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures that frame pacing stays consistent even when the graphics card is the bottleneck. The data shows a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, while 4K remains demanding for this older graphics card.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1632 out of 2888 tested combinations places it in the 56th percentile of all tested pairings for Control. This is a mid-pack result, which makes sense given the component mix: the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a high-percentile CPU (89th percentile vs all CPUs in the database), while the RTX 2070 SUPER sits at the 65th percentile vs all GPUs. The GPU is clearly the weaker link, and it drags the overall combo ranking below what the CPU alone would suggest.

Look at the CPU's nearest rivals to understand the processor's standing. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D scores an average benchmark of 44573, which is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (44466) and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342). It also edges out the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 by 0.6% (44309). However, it trails the Intel Core i5-14600 by 0.7% (44889). These deltas are all under 1%, meaning the 7500X3D sits in a tightly contested performance band. For Control specifically, this CPU headroom matters less because the game's frame rates are dominated by the GPU at higher resolutions.

On the GPU side, the RTX 2070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 20282 places it just 1% below the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480), 1.2% below the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534), and 1.3% below the Intel Arc B570 (20556). It trails the Intel Arc A750 by 1.5% (20582). These are all close margins, indicating that the 2070 SUPER is competitive with mid-range offerings from later generations but lacks the raw throughput of newer high-end cards. In Control, this translates to playable but not exceptional frame rates, especially at 4K.

The rank disparity between the CPU percentile (89) and GPU percentile (65) tells the story: this is a CPU that could push far more frames if paired with a stronger GPU. The measured FPS data confirms this, showing that at 1080p Low, the system hits 130 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 36 FPS. The CPU is not the limiting factor in any measured configuration — the GPU saturates first.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this combo?

A: The data shows 1440p as the sweet spot. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 62, which is playable, while 1440p Low reaches 98 FPS. 1080p offers higher frame rates (82 High, 130 Low), but 4K drops below 50 FPS at High settings (42 FPS), making it less ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's cache configuration affect Control's performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is substantial for a 6-core processor. The PassMark data shows a multithread score of 25047 and a single-thread score of 3494. Control benefits from strong single-thread performance, and this CPU delivers it, but the benchmark results indicate the GPU becomes the bottleneck before the CPU's cache advantage can be fully utilized.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Control at 4K?

A: The measured data shows 4K Ultra at 36 FPS and 4K High at 42 FPS, suggesting the GPU is struggling with both compute and memory bandwidth. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1440p (62 FPS High), but 4K pushes the card to its limits.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 2070 SUPER's direct competitors?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 1% lower than the Quadro M4000M and 1.2% lower than the RTX 3070 Mobile. In Control, the measured FPS at 1080p Ultra (71 FPS) indicates this card performs within a narrow band of its closest rivals, with no dramatic swings in either direction.

Q: What settings should I use for a locked 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1440p, Medium settings yield 70 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS, which is the closest match to a 60 FPS lock. At 1080p, High settings give 82 FPS, and Low gives 130 FPS, both comfortably above 60. For 4K, no setting reaches 60 FPS; the best is Low at 66 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration limit Control?

A: No. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 25047 and the fact that frame rates scale inversely with resolution (higher FPS at lower resolutions) indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the CPU pushes 130 FPS without issue, showing it has ample headroom.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 130 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p (a 24.6% drop) and then to 66 at 4K (a 49.2% drop from 1440p). This steep decline at higher resolutions is the signature of a graphics card that runs out of pixel throughput, not a CPU that runs out of processing power.

At High settings, the scaling is similar: 82 FPS at 1080p, 62 FPS at 1440p (a 24.4% drop), and 42 FPS at 4K (a 32.3% drop from 1440p). The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is smaller at High settings because the GPU is already working harder at 1440p, so the additional resolution hit is less dramatic in relative terms. The absolute FPS numbers, however, show a clear trend: 4K is only viable at Low settings (66 FPS), and even then, it's borderline.

Ultra settings tell the harshest story: 71 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the 1440p Ultra result is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The scaling pattern across all settings indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER's 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 113.3 GPixel/s pixel rate are the decisive factors. The CPU's role is minimal in this game's resolution scaling — it simply feeds the GPU fast enough at every resolution tested.

The min FPS data available for Medium settings reinforces this: at 1080p Medium, the min is 78 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it's 59 FPS; at 4K Medium, it's 40 FPS. These minimums track the averages closely, meaning there are no severe frame-time spikes that would suggest CPU stutter. The system is consistently GPU-limited across the resolution spectrum.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce 130 FPS average, which is extremely smooth for a 2019-era GPU. Medium settings yield 92 FPS average with a minimum of 78 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. High settings drop to 82 FPS average, and Ultra settles at 71 FPS. All 1080p presets are playable, with even Ultra staying above 70 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 59 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough headroom at this resolution to handle significant visual upgrades without compromising playability.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates become more moderate. Low settings hit 98 FPS, Medium averages 70 FPS (min 59, max 80), High drops to 62 FPS, and Ultra falls to 54 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 59 FPS is the only sub-60 result at this resolution, making it a borderline case for a locked 60 FPS experience. High and Ultra are playable but not ideal for competitive play, while Low remains comfortably smooth.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. Low settings average 66 FPS, Medium averages 47 FPS (min 40, max 54), High drops to 42 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 36 FPS. Only Low settings achieve a playable frame rate at 4K, and even that is borderline. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the 50 FPS threshold, making 4K a poor choice for this combo unless the user prioritizes visual fidelity over smoothness.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 2070 SUPER is a 1080p/1440p card for Control, with 4K reserved for low settings only. The CPU's performance is never the limiting factor, as evidenced by the fact that even at 1080p Low (130 FPS), the system doesn't show signs of CPU bottlenecking.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, built on TSMC's 5 nm process with a Raphael codename. It runs at a base clock of 4.00 GHz and boosts to 4.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and 83.2 GB/s bandwidth, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The PassMark physics score of 2779 and the multithread score of 25047 indicate solid computational throughput, but the game's frame rates are not constrained by these figures. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 130 FPS, which is high enough to demonstrate that the CPU can handle the game's threading requirements without becoming a bottleneck.

The 96 MB L3 cache is notable because it's larger than what most CPUs offer, and it can help with game data that benefits from fast, on-die storage. However, Control's measured FPS scaling suggests that the GPU's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are more critical. The CPU's single-thread score of 3494 is strong, but the game doesn't push it hard enough to create a CPU limit — the GPU saturates first at every resolution and setting combination tested.

The CPU's nearest rivals all score within 0.7% of its average benchmark, which means that swapping to a different high-end CPU would likely produce negligible changes in Control's frame rates. The bottleneck is the GPU, and the data supports this conclusion: the FPS drops are proportional to resolution increases, not to CPU load. For a builder considering this combo, the CPU is a future-proofing investment — it has headroom for a GPU upgrade later, but with the RTX 2070 SUPER, it's the graphics card that defines the experience.

Settings Recommendations

For a 60 FPS target at 1080p, the High preset is the best choice. It delivers 82 FPS average, which is well above 60, and Ultra is also viable at 71 FPS if you prefer maximum visual quality. Low settings at 130 FPS are overkill for most displays and unnecessary for a good experience.

For a 60 FPS target at 1440p, Medium settings are the safest bet. The average is 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, which means you'll occasionally dip just below 60 but stay close. High settings at 62 FPS average are also playable but with less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 54 FPS is not recommended if you want consistent smoothness.

For 4K, the only playable option is Low settings, which average 66 FPS. Medium drops to 47 FPS, High to 42 FPS, and Ultra to 36 FPS — all below the threshold for smooth gameplay. If 4K is a priority, this combo requires significant settings compromises. The data suggests that 1440p Medium is the best overall balance of visual quality and performance, offering 70 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS.

The Medium preset at 1440p is the standout recommendation because it provides the closest thing to a locked 60 FPS experience while still offering moderate visual fidelity. At 1080p, High is the sweet spot for most users, giving 82 FPS without the visual sacrifices of Low or Medium. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, 1080p Low at 130 FPS is the only preset that takes full advantage of such displays, but it comes at the cost of visual quality.

Given the GPU's age and the game's demands, the practical advice is to prioritize resolution over settings: 1440p Medium will look better than 4K Low in most cases, and it performs better (70 FPS vs 66 FPS). The CPU's headroom means you can upgrade the GPU later without changing the processor, but with the current RTX 2070 SUPER, Control is best experienced at 1080p High or 1440p Medium.