Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti pairing in Control presents a fascinating case of component balance. The CPU, a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 part with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and boost of 4.70 GHz, is a modern mid-range processor, while the GPU is a high-end Ampere flagship. The measured results show how this combination handles the game’s unique physics-heavy environments, where both the CPU's thread management and the GPU's raw rendering power are stressed. The data reveals a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but begins to cede ground to the graphics card as resolution increases.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 5 8400F is built on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Phoenix, and its 6 cores and 12 threads are directly relevant to how Control utilizes processing resources. The game is known for its destructible environments and physics simulations, which can create significant single-thread and multi-thread demands. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.70 GHz is a key asset here, as Control often has a primary game thread that benefits from high single-core performance. This is reflected in the benchmark scores, where the CPU achieves a 3dmark_single_thread score of 951 and a passmark_single_thread score of 3684. These numbers, while not directly comparable to the game's FPS, indicate a strong foundation for handling the game’s core logic.

The multi-threaded capabilities are also crucial. With 12 threads, the CPU can distribute background tasks and physics calculations. The passmark_multithread score of 24530 and the cinebench_r23_multicore score of 20851 show a processor with substantial headroom for modern game loads. In the context of Control, this means the CPU is less likely to become a bottleneck when the action on screen becomes chaotic with debris and particle effects. The L3 cache of 16 MB is shared across all cores, which helps reduce latency when threads need to communicate, a common occurrence in a game with complex interactive systems.

The CPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is telling. The 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25064, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, has a nearly identical average score of 25057, a deltaPct of 0. This suggests that despite being a newer, more efficient architecture, the 8400F provides a similar level of overall processing power to that older, higher-core-count chip. This parity is important: it means the 8400F is not an outlier in either direction, and its gaming performance should be predictable and consistent with other CPUs in its performance class.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 120. This indicates the combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, providing a smooth experience above the 60 FPS standard.

Q: How much of a performance drop occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 102.5 at 2560x1440 to 68.7 at 3840x2160, a decrease of 33.8 FPS. This significant drop suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases.

Q: What is the best-performing preset at 4K resolution based on the data?

A: The Low preset at 3840x2160 yields the highest average FPS at 97.3. The Ultra preset, by contrast, produces an average of 54.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at 1440p on the highest settings?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 79.2. This shows the system has enough performance headroom to run the game at its highest visual quality at this resolution while staying well above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest rival in overall benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41224, which is only 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090's score of 41441. This indicates the 3080 Ti performs nearly identically to its higher-tier sibling in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 193.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 106.2 FPS. This represents a performance cost of 86.9 FPS for the maximum visual fidelity settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The pattern of FPS scaling across resolutions is a clear indicator of where the bottleneck lies in this system. At 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound or at least balanced, as the GPU has enough power to render frames quickly. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS at 1920x1080 is 120, but this drops to 94.4 at 2560x1440, a 21.3% decrease. Moving to 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 59.7, a 36.8% decrease from the 1440p figure. This accelerating decline as resolution increases is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

The data at the Low preset further confirms this. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 193.1, which is extremely high and suggests the CPU is doing the heavy lifting to feed the GPU. At 1440p Low, it drops to 144.5, and at 4K Low, it falls to 97.3. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is 48.6 FPS, but from 1440p to 4K is 47.2 FPS. While the absolute drops are similar, the relative percentage drop increases at higher resolutions, reinforcing that the rendering load on the RTX 3080 Ti is growing faster than the CPU can compensate.

This scaling behavior implies that for users with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, the Ryzen 5 8400F is a strong partner, as it can push the frame rate high enough to fully utilize the GPU. However, at 4K, the RTX 3080 Ti becomes the definitive limiting factor. The difference between 1080p High (120 FPS) and 4K High (59.7 FPS) is a 50.3% reduction in performance, which is a substantial cost for the increased resolution. The data suggests that to maintain high frame rates at 4K, users would need to significantly lower settings, as the GPU’s rendering workload is the primary constraint.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 456th out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places the system in the top 27.9% of all configurations tested, which is a respectable position given the wide variety of hardware that could be paired together. This ranking is a holistic measure that considers the performance across all tested resolutions and settings, providing a single data point to gauge the overall capability of this specific pairing.

This rank confirms the balance of the components. While the CPU is a mid-range part (82nd percentile), and the GPU is a high-end part (83rd percentile), their combined performance in Control is strong enough to beat out a majority of other systems. The rank of 456 suggests that while this is not a top-tier, ultra-enthusiast setup, it is a very capable one that will deliver a high-quality gaming experience in this title. The data implies that the 8400F does not hold the RTX 3080 Ti back to a significant degree, as the combo still outperforms 72.1% of all other tested configurations.

The ranking also helps contextualize the absolute FPS numbers. A 4K Ultra average of 54.2 FPS might seem low, but when considering it is part of a combo that ranks in the top 28% of all systems, it shows that this performance level is actually above average for the broader hardware ecosystem. This suggests that the RTX 3080 Ti is being utilized effectively, and the CPU is providing enough support to avoid a severe bottleneck that would drag the ranking down further.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the performance is consistently high across all presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 193.1 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth for competitive or high-refresh-rate play. Moving up, the Medium preset averages 138.8 FPS, High averages 120 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a very playable 106.2 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system has ample performance for any setting, and the GPU is rarely the limiting factor.

At 2560x1440, the performance begins to show the expected scaling. The Low preset achieves 144.5 FPS, demonstrating the GPU’s power even with less demanding settings. The Medium preset averages 102.5 FPS, High averages 94.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 79.2 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for the combo, as even the most demanding preset maintains an average well above 60 FPS, providing a fluid experience with high visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the primary constraint. The Low preset yields 97.3 FPS, which is still excellent for 4K. However, the Medium preset drops to 68.7 FPS, and High to 59.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of 54.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the baseline for a smooth experience. This breakdown shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is effortless, 1440p is ideal, and 4K requires careful settings selection to maintain high frame rates.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a 4K display, the data suggests that the Medium preset is the best choice for balancing visual quality and performance. The average of 68.7 FPS at 3840x2160 is comfortably above 60 FPS, providing a smooth and immersive experience. The High preset is borderline, with an average of 59.7 FPS, which may be acceptable for some but risks dips below the target. The Ultra preset, at 54.2 FPS, should be avoided if a consistent 60 FPS is desired. The Low preset, while achieving 97.3 FPS, sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a game like Control that has a strong atmospheric aesthetic.

For 1440p users, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. The average of 79.2 FPS provides a significant margin above 60 FPS, allowing for the full graphical experience without worrying about performance hits. Even in demanding scenes, the frame rate is likely to remain smooth. The High preset at 94.4 FPS is also a great choice for those who prioritize higher frame rates, but the Ultra preset offers the best visual payoff for the performance cost.

For 1080p, any preset is viable, but the High and Ultra presets are recommended to take advantage of the high refresh rate potential. The High preset at 120 FPS is an excellent balance, offering a near-doubling of the standard 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset at 106.2 FPS is also a strong option for maximum visual quality. Using the Low or Medium presets at this resolution would be leaving performance on the table, as the system can clearly handle higher settings with ease.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a formidable GPU, built on the Ampere architecture with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus. This provides a massive memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s, which is crucial for a game like Control that features high-resolution textures and complex effects. The 12 GB of VRAM is ample for 4K gaming, ensuring that the GPU is not bottlenecked by memory capacity at the tested resolutions. The boost clock of 1665 MHz, combined with 10240 shading units, gives the card immense raw compute power.

The GPU’s performance in Control is directly tied to its ability to process the game’s rendering effects, such as ray tracing and particle simulations. The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 3080 Ti is the dominant factor at higher resolutions. For example, the drop from 1440p High (94.4 FPS) to 4K High (59.7 FPS) is a 36.8% decrease, which is a direct result of the increased pixel count demanding more from the GPU's processing units. The GPU's 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a key metric here, as it dictates how quickly the card can execute the shader instructions required for these effects.

The RTX 3080 Ti holds an 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41224. Its nearest rival, the RTX 3090, has a score of 41441, a deltaPct of -0.5%, indicating that the 3080 Ti is essentially on par with its more expensive sibling in synthetic tests. This high level of performance ensures that in Control, the GPU can deliver high frame rates at 1440p and remains capable at 4K, provided settings are adjusted. The data strongly suggests that for this game, the RTX 3080 Ti is the component that determines the ceiling for visual quality and resolution.