Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, remains a demanding showcase for physics and lighting, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 produces a set of measured results that reveal a system constantly negotiating between visual fidelity and frame rate. The data covers four quality presets at three resolutions, and the overall picture is one of a capable 1080p performer that struggles to maintain smooth motion at 4K. The measured frames per second (FPS) for this combination, ranked 2296 out of 3720 tested combos in this game, place it in the lower-middle tier of the database, which aligns with the GPU’s standing relative to other graphics cards.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—at each resolution. For the best balance of visual quality and playability, the Medium preset is the standout choice across the board, offering a meaningful step up from Low while keeping frame rates within a reasonable range for the hardware. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 88 FPS with a minimum of 75 and a maximum of 101, which is a solid 10 FPS improvement over High’s 78 average and a full 20 FPS ahead of Ultra’s 68 average. The jump from Low to Medium costs only 36 FPS at 1080p (from 124 to 88), but the visual uplift from Low settings in a game like Control—which relies heavily on its atmospheric effects—is substantial enough to justify the trade.

At 2560x1440, Medium again proves to be the sweet spot, with an average of 67 FPS and a minimum of 57, keeping the experience above the 60 FPS threshold most of the time. High at 1440p drops to 59 FPS average, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, while Ultra falls to 52 FPS, a noticeable step down. Low at 1440p hits 94 FPS, but the visual compromise is severe for a game that uses its environment as a storytelling device. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves a fully smooth experience: Medium averages 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52, High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages just 35 FPS. Low at 4K reaches 63 FPS, but that requires sacrificing nearly all graphical features, which undermines the game’s core presentation.

Given the data, the best experience per the measured rows is Medium at 1080p or 1440p. At 1080p, Medium provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS baseline with the least variance between minimum and maximum frames. At 1440p, Medium keeps the average above 60 FPS, making it the highest preset that does so at that resolution. For players prioritizing frame rate over fidelity, Low at 1440p (94 FPS) or 1080p (124 FPS) is an option, but the measured data suggests that Medium offers the most balanced compromise between the game’s visual ambitions and the hardware’s capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2296 out of 3720 tested combinations places this system in the 61st percentile of all recorded pairings for Control. This means roughly 38% of tested combos perform worse, while 61% perform better, indicating that this hardware configuration is below the median for this specific title. The rank reflects the RTX 5050’s position in the GPU hierarchy more than the CPU’s, as the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a strong processor that is unlikely to be the limiting factor at most settings. The game’s release date in 2019 means it is not leveraging the latest graphics features, but its heavy use of physics and real-time lighting still taxes mid-range hardware.

Comparing the individual components to their nearest rivals from the database provides context for the rank. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 21035 places it at the 66th percentile among all GPUs, with its closest competitors being the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (score 21153, 0.6% faster), the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (score 21237, 1% faster), and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (score 20713, 1.6% slower). The RTX 5050 sits right in this cluster, meaning its performance in Control is consistent with its overall compute capabilities. The CPU, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 44573 and sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with rivals like the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (score 44466, 0.2% faster) and the Intel Core i5-14600 (score 44889, 0.7% faster) showing nearly identical aggregate performance.

The disparity between the CPU’s high percentile (89th) and the GPU’s lower one (66th) suggests that the combo’s rank is dragged down by the graphics card. In a game like Control, where the visual effects are GPU-intensive, this is expected. The 2296th rank out of 3720 does not mean the system is unplayable; rather, it indicates that many other tested configurations—likely those with higher-tier GPUs—achieve better frame rates at similar settings. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output without bottlenecking.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB207 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units, along with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz, with a memory clock of 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s, which is a significant factor in how the card handles the high-resolution textures and effects in Control.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU’s memory bandwidth and capacity appear to be adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results suggest a limitation. At 3840x2160, the average FPS across all presets ranges from 35 (Ultra) to 63 (Low), with Medium hitting 45. The drop from 1440p Medium (67 FPS) to 4K Medium (45 FPS) is a 33% reduction, which is steeper than the pixel count increase would suggest if the GPU were purely compute-bound. This points to the 8 GB VRAM buffer being a potential constraint at 4K, as the game’s textures and effects at that resolution may exceed the available memory, causing the card to rely on slower system memory.

The GPU’s compute performance, measured at 13.17 TFLOPS for FP32, is modest by current standards, and its PassMark G3D score of 17326 with a percentile of 66 confirms its mid-range positioning. The nearest rival comparisons show it trading blows with older cards like the Radeon RX 5600 XT (1.6% slower) and the Radeon HD 8970M (1% faster), which underscores that the RTX 5050 is not a high-end part. In Control, this translates to playable frame rates at lower resolutions and settings, but the card’s 130 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU indicate it is designed for efficiency rather than raw power. The bus interface of PCIe 5.0 x8 is sufficient for this class of card, and the 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b outputs offer modern connectivity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete grid of performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 124 FPS, Medium averages 88 FPS (minimum 75, maximum 101), High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 68 FPS. This shows a clear linear progression of diminishing returns as settings increase. The gap between Low and Medium is 36 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 10 FPS, and High to Ultra is another 10 FPS. The minimum FPS of 75 at Medium indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above the 60 FPS threshold, making this the most reliable preset at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats with lower absolute values: Low averages 94 FPS, Medium averages 67 FPS (minimum 57, maximum 77), High averages 59 FPS, and Ultra averages 52 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 57 FPS dips below 60, but the average of 67 suggests that most of the experience is smooth, with occasional drops in heavy combat or particle-heavy sequences. High at 59 FPS average is technically below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra at 52 FPS is noticeably less fluid. Low at 94 FPS is the only preset that maintains a comfortable margin, but the visual quality at Low in Control—which strips away many of the game’s signature effects—makes it a less appealing option.

At 3840x2160, the results are the weakest: Low averages 63 FPS, Medium averages 45 FPS (minimum 38, maximum 52), High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. No preset reaches the 60 FPS average threshold, and even Low, which is the only one above 60, does so by a slim margin. The Medium preset’s minimum of 38 FPS indicates significant frame drops in demanding scenes, which would be noticeable in a game that relies on precise timing for its combat and environmental puzzles. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable option for this combo if smooth gameplay is the priority, and players would need to rely on upscaling or lower internal resolutions to achieve acceptable frame rates.

The variance between minimum and maximum FPS, where available, provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the range is 75 to 101 FPS (a 26 FPS spread), while at 1440p Medium it is 57 to 77 FPS (a 20 FPS spread), and at 4K Medium it is 38 to 52 FPS (a 14 FPS spread). The narrowing spread at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes the consistent bottleneck, whereas at 1080p, the CPU may be causing occasional hitches. This is a typical pattern for a mid-range GPU paired with a strong CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are revealing about the limiting component. At Medium settings, the progression is 88 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is a 24% reduction, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is a 33% reduction. The pixel count increases by 78% from 1080p to 1440p, and by 125% from 1440p to 4K, so the FPS drops are not proportional to the pixel increase. This sub-linear scaling indicates that the GPU is not purely pixel-bound; other factors, such as memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity, are coming into play at higher resolutions.

At Low settings, the scaling is different: 124 FPS at 1080p, 94 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24%, and from 1440p to 4K is 33%, matching the Medium pattern almost exactly. This consistency across settings suggests that the resolution scaling is primarily a function of the GPU’s rendering pipeline, not the specific preset. The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical for Low and Medium indicates that the bottleneck shifts smoothly with pixel count, and that the 8 GB VRAM is not the sole cause of the 4K shortfall—otherwise, the Low preset, which uses less memory, would show a smaller drop.

The data implies that the RTX 5050’s 128-bit memory bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are the more likely constraints at 4K, as the card’s compute capability (13.17 TFLOPS) is insufficient to fill the frame buffer at that resolution without significant time per frame. The 4K results, with the best average at 63 FPS on Low, suggest that the card can render the game at 4K only when shader complexity is minimized. For players targeting 4K, the measured data shows that even the lowest settings barely achieve smooth play, and any visual enhancements push the frame rate below 50 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, based on the Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture, with a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. It has a 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is a defining feature of the X3D line, and a TDP of 65 W. The CPU’s PassMark benchmarks show a single-thread score of 3494 and a multithread score of 25047, with a physics score of 2779. These numbers place it at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong single-thread and multithread performance for its class.

In Control, the CPU’s role is likely secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but at 1080p, it may be the limiting factor in certain scenes. The game’s physics engine and AI routines are known to be CPU-intensive, and the 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient to handle these workloads without becoming a severe bottleneck. The high L3 cache size (96 MB) helps with data locality, which can improve frame times in open sections of the game where streaming is prevalent. The CPU’s memory support for DDR5 with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s ensures that data can be fed to the GPU without starvation.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i9-13950HX (0.5% faster) and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (0.6% faster), show that the 7500X3D is competitive with much higher-priced parts in aggregate benchmarks. However, in a game like Control, the CPU’s performance is less about raw throughput and more about consistent frame delivery. The measured FPS data at 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, shows that the combo achieves 124 FPS on Low, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. The 4K results, where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, further confirm that the CPU is not holding back the system at higher resolutions. The 65 W TDP and 5 nm process node from TSMC also indicate that the CPU runs cool and efficiently, which is beneficial in a gaming system where thermal headroom can affect boost clocks.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo in Control?

A: Based on the measured data, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 offers the best balance, with an average of 88 FPS and a minimum of 75 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium also provides the highest average above 60 FPS with 67 FPS, making it the recommended choice for both resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2296 out of 3720 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This rank is influenced primarily by the GPU, which sits at the 66th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is at the 89th percentile.

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K smoothly?

A: No preset achieves a 60 FPS average at 3840x2160. The best result is Low at 63 FPS, while Medium averages 45 FPS and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable option for smooth gameplay with this hardware.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 5050 and its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (score 21153, 0.6% faster), the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (score 21237, 1% faster), and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (score 20713, 1.6% slower).

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7500X3D compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 44573. It is 0.2% slower than the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H (score 44466) and 0.5% slower than the Intel Core i9-13950HX (score 44342), but 0.7% faster than the Intel Core i5-14600 (score 44889).

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 88 at 1920x1080 to 67 at 2560x1440, and then to 45 at 3840x2160. This represents a 24% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 33% drop from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the GPU becomes increasingly the limiting factor at higher resolutions.