Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti pairing produces results that are almost entirely dictated by the graphics card. The data places this combo at rank 1611 out of 1636 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 2% of all pairings for Control. The CPU is a modern, high-performance part, but the GPU is a legacy entry-level model, creating a massive bottleneck that defines every frame rate in this dataset.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, running on the AMD Socket AM5 platform. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores impressively, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25525 and a single-core score of 3603. Its average benchmark score of 28246 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, showing it is a top-tier processor for productivity and general compute tasks.

However, its role in this specific game combo is largely passive. The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and high single-thread performance are more than sufficient to feed the GTX 1050 Ti. The benchmark results show that even at the lowest resolution and settings (1080p Low), the average FPS is only 46.2. This is a low number for a CPU of this caliber, indicating that the processor is not the limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 9600X is effectively waiting for the GPU to finish its work, meaning its vast computational headroom is left unused in this configuration. In terms of rivals, the Ryzen 5 9600X scores 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-13490F and AMD Ryzen 5 230, and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, confirming that the CPU performance is not the weakness here.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the clear bottleneck. This Pascal-architecture GPU, released in late 2016, features 768 shading units and 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus. Its memory bandwidth is 112.1 GB/s, and it operates at a base clock of 1291 MHz with a boost of 1392 MHz. The GPU’s benchmark scores are low, sitting in the 30th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 5316. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce 930A, has a deltaPct of 0, indicating they are virtually identical in compute performance.

The 4 GB VRAM capacity is a critical limitation for Control, a game known for high-resolution textures and effects. At 4K resolution, the GPU’s memory bandwidth and capacity are overwhelmed, leading to average frame rates that are nearly unplayable. The data shows that the GPU’s performance is the primary driver of the low FPS across all settings. Even at 1080p Low, the 46.2 average FPS suggests the GPU is running at its absolute limit, struggling to maintain playable frame rates in a modern title. The GTX 1050 Ti is simply outclassed by the demands of this game, and its age (14 nm process node) is evident in the results.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 9600X and GTX 1050 Ti ranks 1611 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the bottom 1.5% of all pairings, a position that clearly indicates a severe performance mismatch. The high-ranking CPU is unable to boost the overall result because the GPU holds the entire system back. This is a classic example of a pairing where the CPU’s percentile rank (85th) and the GPU’s percentile rank (30th) are wildly divergent, and the final combo rank reflects the weaker component. The data shows that this is not a balanced system; it is a modern processor crippled by an obsolete graphics card. For context, the combo rank suggests that almost any other GPU paired with this CPU would yield a substantially better result, as the CPU is not the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern of low performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the highest average FPS is 46.2 on Low settings. High settings drop to 31.4 FPS, Medium to 29.9 FPS, and Ultra to 22.8 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at the most common gaming resolution, the experience is subpar, with only the Low preset approaching a playable level.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades further. The Low preset averages 33.2 FPS, High averages 25.1 FPS, Medium averages 22.0 FPS, and Ultra averages 19.5 FPS. At this resolution, the GPU's limitations become more pronounced, and the frame rates dip into the territory where smooth gameplay is impossible.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are mostly unusable. The Low preset averages 24.1 FPS, which is the only setting that breaks the 20 FPS mark. Medium averages 19.0 FPS, High averages 16.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to a slideshow-like 14.4 FPS. The data shows that 4K is not a viable option for this combo, as even the lowest settings fail to provide a fluid experience.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a stark drop in performance that is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 46.2 at 1080p to 33.2 at 1440p (a 28% decrease) and then to 24.1 at 4K (a further 27% decrease from 1440p). This steep decline is directly attributable to the GTX 1050 Ti’s inability to handle the increased pixel count and the associated memory pressure.

The pattern is consistent across other settings. For High settings, the FPS drops from 31.4 at 1080p to 25.1 at 1440p and then to 16.7 at 4K. This indicates that the GPU is the sole limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions, as the CPU workload does not scale with resolution. Instead, the data shows a clear inverse relationship between resolution and FPS, confirming that the graphics card is saturated at all times. The 4 GB VRAM is likely overflowing at 4K, causing the dramatic performance collapse.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the only playable experience is at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which yields an average of 46.2 FPS. This is the single data point that approaches a standard for smooth gameplay, though it still falls short of the 60 FPS target. The 1080p Medium preset averages 29.9 FPS, which is a noticeable drop and likely to feel stuttery in action sequences.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the 1080p High preset at 31.4 FPS might be acceptable, but the data does not support it as a good experience. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it only achieves 22.8 FPS at 1080p and dips to 14.4 FPS at 4K. The recommendation is clear: to get the best experience from this combo, one must use the Low preset at 1080p. Any other combination of settings and resolution results in average frame rates below 35 FPS, which is generally considered too low for an action-adventure game like Control. The data suggests that the system is only suitable for low-detail 1080p gaming.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of playing Control at 4K?

A: No. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 14.4 on Ultra to 24.1 on Low. These frame rates are far too low for a playable experience.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this system?

A: The data indicates that the 1920x1080 Low preset provides the highest average FPS at 46.2. All other presets at this resolution are below 32 FPS, making Low the only reasonable choice.

Q: How does the GTX 1050 Ti compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1050 Ti has an average benchmark score of 5316. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce 930A, has a deltaPct of 0, meaning they perform identically in synthetic tests. It is 0.4% faster than the GeForce 940M and 0.7% faster than the Radeon R7 240.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 9600X the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU is a high-performance part with an average benchmark score of 28246, placing it in the 85th percentile. The low FPS across all resolutions is caused by the GPU, which is in the 30th percentile.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Low and 1440p Low?

A: The average FPS drops from 46.2 at 1920x1080 to 33.2 at 2560x1440. This is a 28% decrease, demonstrating the GPU's sensitivity to resolution changes.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1611 out of 1636 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 2% of all systems tested for Control, indicating severely limited performance.