Control

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The processor’s average benchmark score of 44,573 places it 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (44,466) and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX (44,342). It trails the Intel Core i5-14600 (44,889) by 0.7%, indicating a tightly clustered field where the 7500X3D is essentially performance-equivalent to these competitors.

Q: What is the GPU’s standing relative to other graphics cards in the database?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER holds an average benchmark score of 54,209, which is 0.1% below the standard RTX 4080 (54,247). It also sits 1.1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828) and 2.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698), showing that the SUPER variant is marginally slower than these specific alternatives in aggregate testing.

Q: Does the CPU’s cache configuration influence its gaming performance in Control?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500X3D features 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is substantial for a 6-core part. Given that the combo achieves a rank of 222 out of 2,888 tested combinations in this game, the large cache likely helps maintain high minimum frame rates, though the measured FPS data shows no min FPS values for most settings, making it difficult to isolate the cache’s exact effect.

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate recorded across all tested configurations?

A: The highest average FPS is 234, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is followed by 185 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 125 FPS at 3840x2160 Low, demonstrating that the Low preset consistently yields the highest throughput at every resolution.

Q: How does the GPU’s memory bandwidth compare to its closest rival?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has a memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s across a 256-bit bus with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory. The nearest rival data only provides aggregate scores, not bandwidth figures, so direct comparison on this metric is not possible from the provided facts. However, the SUPER’s bandwidth is a fixed specification that supports its high-resolution performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS drops to 69, which is 52% lower than the 1440p Ultra score of 102. This steep decline suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU’s performance (89th percentile) is strong enough to sustain higher frame rates at lower resolutions where the load shifts.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a combo rank of 222 out of 2,888 tested combinations in Control. This places the pairing in the top 7.7% of all tested systems, indicating a high-performance match for this specific title. The rank is a composite measure that accounts for both CPU and GPU contributions, and the data confirms that this combination delivers consistently high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings.

Breaking down the rank, the CPU’s percentile of 89 among all CPUs suggests it is a strong performer, while the GPU’s percentile of 86 among all GPUs is slightly lower. The combination of a top-decile CPU with a slightly less dominant GPU creates a balanced system where neither component drastically outclasses the other. In Control, this balance yields playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra, though the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The rank of 222 is notable because it exceeds what either component would achieve in isolation. The CPU’s 96 MB L3 cache and the GPU’s 16 GB VRAM work together to handle the game’s physics and rendering loads. Compared to the nearest rival combos, the data shows that the 7500X3D is within 0.7% of the Intel Core i5-14600 in CPU benchmarks, and the RTX 4080 SUPER is within 2.8% of the AMD Radeon 8060S in GPU benchmarks. This suggests that the combo’s high rank is more a function of the pairing’s synergy than any single component’s dominance.

The measured FPS data reinforces the rank. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 155 FPS, which is 15% higher than the 4K High score of 79 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a predictable decline, but the combo remains above 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is the most demanding configuration tested. This indicates that the rank is earned through consistent performance across the board, not just at lower resolutions where the CPU might dominate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The processor supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The 96 MB shared L3 cache is the standout feature, providing a large pool of fast memory for game data.

In Control, the CPU’s role is primarily to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The game is an action-adventure title with complex particle effects and destructible environments, which can strain CPUs with lower thread counts. The 12 threads provide adequate parallel processing, and the high L3 cache helps reduce memory latency. The PassMark single-thread score of 3,494 indicates strong per-core performance, which is critical for games that rely on a main thread.

The CPU’s benchmark scores show a balanced profile: integer math at 70,774, floating point at 43,594, and extended instructions at 20,455. The multithread score of 25,047 is respectable but not exceptional, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. In Control, this translates to frame rates that are limited by the GPU at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the FPS scaling.

At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 234 FPS, which is likely CPU-bound. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.50 GHz allows it to keep up with the GPU’s output, but the frame rate is not limited by the processor’s core count. The 6 cores are sufficient for this game, as the measured FPS at 1080p Low is nearly double the 4K Low score of 125 FPS. This suggests that the CPU can handle the game’s single-threaded tasks without becoming a bottleneck until the GPU is pushed to its limits.

Comparing to rivals, the 7500X3D’s average score of 44,573 is within 0.7% of the Intel Core i5-14600 (44,889), which has a different core configuration. The data does not provide rival core counts or clocks, so the comparison is purely on aggregate performance. The 0.2% lead over the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and 0.5% lead over the Core i9-13950HX shows that the 7500X3D competes well in synthetic tests, though the real-world game performance depends on the specific workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), for a total of 12 configurations. The highest average FPS is 234 at 1080p Low, while the lowest is 69 at 4K Ultra. The Medium preset provides the only min/max FPS values, which offer insight into frame time consistency.

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 234 (Low) to 134 (Ultra). The Medium preset shows a minimum of 148 FPS and a maximum of 200 FPS, with an average of 174 FPS. The High preset achieves 155 FPS, which is 11% lower than Medium. The Ultra preset drops to 134 FPS, a 43% reduction from Low. This scaling indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, as even the most demanding settings remain above 130 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 185 (Low) to 102 (Ultra). The Medium preset shows a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS, with an average of 132 FPS. The High preset achieves 117 FPS, which is 37% lower than Low. The Ultra preset drops to 102 FPS, a 45% reduction from Low. The gap between Medium and High is 15 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is also 15 FPS, showing a linear degradation.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 125 (Low) to 69 (Ultra). The Medium preset shows a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS, with an average of 89 FPS. The High preset achieves 79 FPS, which is 37% lower than Low. The Ultra preset drops to 69 FPS, a 45% reduction from Low. The 4K Medium minimum of 76 FPS is notable because it remains above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that Medium is the highest setting that guarantees smooth gameplay at this resolution.

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the FPS drops proportionally. The average FPS at 4K is roughly 55% of the 1080p FPS for each settings tier. For example, High drops from 155 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 4K, a 49% reduction. Medium drops from 174 to 89, a 49% reduction. Low drops from 234 to 125, a 47% reduction. Ultra drops from 134 to 69, a 49% reduction. This uniformity indicates that the game’s rendering load scales predictably with resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with an AD103 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It has 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, with 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2550 MHz, with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus. The memory bandwidth is 736.3 GB/s, and the pixel rate is 285.6 GPixel/s.

In Control, the GPU is responsible for rendering the game’s detailed environments, particle effects, and lighting. The game supports ray tracing, though the measured FPS data does not specify whether RT is enabled. The GPU’s 16 GB VRAM is ample for 4K textures, and the 80 RT cores provide hardware acceleration for ray-traced effects. The PassMark G3D score of 34,245 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6,600 indicate strong raw performance.

The GPU’s percentile of 86 among all GPUs is slightly lower than the CPU’s 89th percentile, which suggests that the GPU is the more likely bottleneck in this pairing. The measured FPS data supports this hypothesis: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 234 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s limit. At 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 69, which is likely near the GPU’s limit. The GPU’s boost clock of 2550 MHz and memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s are sufficient for high-resolution gaming, but the 4K Ultra score indicates that the GPU is fully utilized.

Comparing to rivals, the RTX 4080 SUPER’s average score of 54,209 is 0.1% below the RTX 4080 (54,247), showing that the SUPER variant offers minimal performance gain. The GPU is 1.1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828) and 2.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698). These small deltas suggest that the GPU is competitive but not class-leading. In Control, this translates to frame rates that are high but not the highest possible with other GPUs.

The GPU’s memory configuration is critical for Control’s high-resolution textures. The 16 GB VRAM and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth allow the game to load assets without stuttering, as evidenced by the min FPS values at Medium settings. At 4K Medium, the min FPS is 76, which is 15% lower than the average of 89, indicating some frame time variance but no severe drops. The GPU’s 112 ROPs handle the pixel fill rate needed for 4K, and the 320 TMUs support texture filtering.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings offer the best experience. The Medium preset is the most balanced option, offering a minimum FPS of 76 at 4K, 112 at 1440p, and 148 at 1080p. These minimums are all above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay. The average FPS at Medium is 89 at 4K, 132 at 1440p, and 174 at 1080p, which are all high enough for a responsive experience.

The High preset is the next best option, but it comes with a significant FPS penalty. At 4K High, the average FPS drops to 79, which is 11% lower than Medium. At 1440p High, the average is 117, which is 11% lower than Medium. At 1080p High, the average is 155, which is 11% lower than Medium. The High preset offers better visual quality but requires a 10-15% FPS reduction, which may not be worth it for players who prioritize frame rate.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with average FPS of 69 at 4K, 102 at 1440p, and 134 at 1080p. The 4K Ultra score is below the 70 FPS mark, which may cause noticeable frame drops in fast-paced action sequences. The Ultra preset also has no min FPS data, so it is unclear whether the frame time consistency is acceptable. Players who own high refresh rate monitors (e.g., 144 Hz) would likely prefer Medium or High at 1440p to maximize smoothness.

The Low preset offers the highest frame rates, with 234 FPS at 1080p, 185 FPS at 1440p, and 125 FPS at 4K. However, Low settings typically reduce visual fidelity significantly, including textures, shadows, and effects. For most players, the Medium preset is the recommended choice because it provides a 50% improvement in FPS over Ultra at 4K (89 vs. 69) while maintaining acceptable visual quality. The Medium preset also has the only min/max FPS data, which shows a range of 76-102 FPS at 4K, indicating that the game is playable even during intense scenes.

At 1080p, the Medium preset’s min FPS of 148 and max FPS of 200 show excellent consistency, with an average of 174. This makes Medium the best choice for high refresh rate gaming at 1080p. At 1440p, Medium’s min FPS of 112 and max of 152 provide a solid experience on standard 144 Hz monitors. At 4K, Medium’s min FPS of 76 ensures that the game stays above 60 FPS, which is the minimum for a smooth experience on most displays.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals which component is the limiting factor at each resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 234 FPS, which is the highest recorded. At 1440p Low, the FPS drops to 185, a 21% reduction. At 4K Low, the FPS drops to 125, a 47% reduction from 1080p and a 32% reduction from 1440p. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU is capable of higher frame rates but the GPU’s rendering load becomes the bottleneck.

The scaling factor is nearly identical across all settings tiers. For Low, the 1080p-to-4K drop is 47%. For Medium, the drop is 49% (174 to 89). For High, the drop is 49% (155 to 79). For Ultra, the drop is 49% (134 to 69). This uniformity suggests that the game’s rendering pipeline scales linearly with resolution, and the GPU is the sole limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The CPU’s role becomes more apparent at 1080p. The 1080p Low score of 234 FPS is likely near the CPU’s maximum output, as the GPU is underutilized at this resolution and settings. The 1080p Ultra score of 134 FPS is 43% lower than Low, which indicates that the GPU’s workload increases with settings, but the CPU can still keep up. The fact that the 1080p Low score is 87% higher than the 4K Low score (234 vs. 125) shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K.

The 1440p scores provide a middle ground. At 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 132 FPS, which is 25% lower than 1080p Medium (174) and 32% higher than 4K Medium (89). This suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this pairing, offering a balance between visual fidelity and frame rate. The 1440p Ultra score of 102 FPS is still above 100, making it a viable option for high refresh rate monitors.

The data implies that the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is more than capable of driving the RTX 4080 SUPER at all resolutions. The CPU’s 96 MB L3 cache and 12 threads provide enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking the GPU, even at 1080p where the CPU typically has a larger impact. The GPU’s performance scales predictably with resolution, and the 16 GB VRAM ensures that texture memory is not a constraint at 4K. The result is a combo that delivers a premium experience at 1440p and remains playable at 4K Ultra, with the Medium preset being the best choice for consistent frame times.