Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a distinctly mid-range experience in Control, landing at rank 2950 out of 3720 tested combos. This places the pairing in the lower 21st percentile of all configurations, indicating that while it can run the game, it does so with notable compromises at higher settings. The data suggests a system that is heavily constrained by the GPU, particularly at 4K resolution, where frame rates dip below playable thresholds on maximum presets. For a game released in 2019, this combo shows its age, struggling to maintain high refresh rates at 1080p on Ultra settings, yet it remains a viable option for those targeting stable 60 FPS at 1440p with medium presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data places this exact CPU-GPU combination at position 2950 out of 3720 tested configurations in Control, a ranking that firmly positions it in the lower half of all possible pairings. This percentile placement is not surprising given the hardware profile: a modern 6-core Zen 5 processor paired with a Turing-generation GPU that sits at the 58th percentile among all tested graphics cards. The combination’s rank suggests that in Control, the RTX 2060 becomes the primary bottleneck, preventing the Ryzen 5 9600X’s strong single-threaded performance from translating into high frame rates.

The CPU itself performs exceptionally well in synthetic benchmarks, with an average benchmark score of 29713, placing it at the 81st percentile of all CPUs. However, this headroom is largely wasted in Control because the GPU cannot keep pace. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (deltaPct 0.2) and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (deltaPct -0.5), show that the 9600X is on par with much higher-core-count parts in general processing power, yet the in-game rank does not reflect this advantage. This disparity between CPU compute potential and in-game frame delivery is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario, where the measured FPS is bound by the graphics card’s throughput rather than the processor’s capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 serves as the definitive limiting factor in this configuration. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a severe constraint at 4K. The GPU’s boost clock of 1680 MHz and base clock of 1365 MHz are modest by modern standards, and the Turing architecture’s 6.451 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is challenged by Control’s demanding visual effects. The data shows this clearly: at 4K Ultra, the combo averages just 30 FPS, a figure that drops below the 33 FPS minimum seen at 4K Medium, indicating that the GPU is overwhelmed by the pixel count and shader complexity.

The RTX 2060’s 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are present but do not provide a meaningful advantage in this title at the tested settings, as the frame rates remain low regardless of ray tracing workload. The GPU’s performance percentile of 58 places it just slightly above the average of all tested cards, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (deltaPct 0) and the AMD Radeon 680M (deltaPct 0.1), showing that the 2060 is barely differentiated from much older or integrated solutions in raw compute. This explains why the game’s frame rates at 1080p Low (107 FPS) drop by more than half at 4K Low (55 FPS); the GPU’s memory bandwidth and fill rate simply cannot scale with resolution increases.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best settings preset for playing Control at 1080p with this hardware?*

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 delivers an average of 76 FPS, with a minimum of 65 FPS and maximum of 88 FPS, making it the most balanced option for smooth gameplay at that resolution.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 30 FPS, which is technically playable but not smooth. Dropping to 4K Low improves the average to 55 FPS, but this requires significant visual compromises.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 29713, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE and 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, showing near-identical general processing performance.

*Q: Is the 6 GB VRAM of the RTX 2060 sufficient for Control?*

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the 6 GB frame buffer is sufficient, as shown by the 76 FPS average at 1080p Medium. However, at 4K, the limited VRAM likely contributes to the low 30 FPS average at Ultra settings.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the combo averages 68 FPS, while at 1440p High, it averages 51 FPS. This represents a 25% reduction in frame rate for a 78% increase in pixel count.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU in this configuration?

A: No, the data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 1253 is strong, but the GPU’s passmark G3D score of 14111 is only at the 58th percentile, showing that the graphics card is the limiting component.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates reveal a consistent pattern across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its best results: Low settings produce an average of 107 FPS, Medium drops to 76 FPS (min 65, max 88), High yields 68 FPS, and Ultra falls to 59 FPS. These numbers show that the RTX 2060 can maintain high refresh rates at 1080p only with reduced graphical fidelity. The transition from Medium to High at 1080p costs 8 FPS on average, while the jump from High to Ultra costs another 9 FPS, indicating diminishing returns as settings increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are more pronounced. Low settings average 81 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium falls to 58 FPS (min 49, max 66), High to 51 FPS, and Ultra to 45 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is notable for its low minimum of 49 FPS, which suggests occasional stutters during intense scenes. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened: Low averages 55 FPS, Medium 39 FPS (min 33, max 45), High 35 FPS, and Ultra just 30 FPS. The 4K Medium minimum of 33 FPS is particularly concerning, as it approaches the threshold where gameplay becomes visibly choppy. The data shows a linear relationship between settings and frame rate at each resolution, but the slope is steepest at 4K, confirming that the GPU’s fixed compute resources are spread too thin at higher pixel counts.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 4 nm process node give it excellent single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1253 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2183.5. In Control, this CPU provides ample processing headroom; the game’s engine is not heavily multi-threaded, and the 9600X’s high IPC ensures that it is never the bottleneck in this pairing.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17528.5 and a Passmark multithread score of 30027. However, these figures do not translate into higher frame rates in Control because the GPU is saturated long before the CPU’s resources are fully utilized. The data shows that the 9600X’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (deltaPct -0.6) and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (deltaPct -0.8), have nearly identical average scores, yet none of them would meaningfully change the in-game performance with an RTX 2060. The CPU’s 81st percentile ranking among all processors reflects its power, but in this context, it is a surplus that the GPU cannot exploit.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the clear recommendation, delivering an average of 76 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS. This combination ensures smooth gameplay without requiring the visual compromises of Low settings, while also avoiding the frame rate drop to 68 FPS seen at High. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is again the optimal choice, averaging 58 FPS, though the 49 FPS minimum may cause noticeable dips during action sequences. For players who prefer higher fidelity, the 1440p High setting at 51 FPS is acceptable, but it lacks the headroom needed for consistent frame pacing.

At 4K, no preset offers a truly comfortable experience. The Low setting at 55 FPS is the only viable option for playable performance, but it sacrifices most of the game’s visual effects. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 30 FPS, is not recommended for anything other than screenshot capture. The data suggests that users should prioritize resolution over settings: playing at 1440p Medium provides a far better experience than 4K Low, as the former maintains higher frame rates while retaining more graphical detail. Ultimately, the Medium preset at 1440p is the sweet spot for this hardware, offering a balanced 58 FPS average that is smooth enough for most players.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are stark and reveal the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 107 at 1080p to 81 at 1440p, a 24% reduction, and then to 55 at 4K, a further 32% reduction. This scaling is not linear; the jump from 1440p to 4K is more punishing than the jump from 1080p to 1440p, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate are the limiting factors. At Medium settings, the trend continues: 76 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, with the 4K result falling below the 60 FPS threshold by a significant margin.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings, with 4K performance roughly half of 1080p performance in every case. For example, at High settings, the 4K average of 35 FPS is 51% of the 1080p average of 68 FPS. This halving of frame rates at 4K is a classic symptom of a GPU that is limited by its 6 GB VRAM capacity and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU’s role in this scaling is negligible; the Ryzen 5 9600X’s 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and high clock speeds are more than sufficient to feed the GPU at any resolution. The data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, with 4K being a stretch goal that requires significant compromises in visual fidelity to achieve playable frame rates.