Control

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration, providing 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and the platform uses AMD Socket AM5 with PCIe Gen 5 (24 lanes from the CPU).

For Control, an action-adventure title from 2019, the CPU's single-thread performance is the dominant factor. The Ryzen 5 9600X scores 2,183.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1,253 in 3DMark single-thread tests. These results place it in the 81st percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong per-core throughput. The multi-threaded scores — 17,528.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7,590 in 3DMark max threads — reflect the 6-core/12-thread configuration, which is sufficient for this game's engine but not the primary bottleneck.

The measured FPS data shows that the CPU sustains high frame rates even at 1080p Low settings, where the average reaches 228 FPS. This suggests the processor is not limiting the GPU at lower resolutions. The benchmark results indicate that the Ryzen 5 9600X's nearest rivals in overall CPU performance are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (0.2% ahead), AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (0.5% behind), AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (0.6% behind), and AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (0.8% behind). The 9600X holds its own against these higher-core-count parts in general workloads, but for Control specifically, the single-thread strength matters more.

The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7,585 and 8-thread score of 6,726 show that scaling beyond 8 threads yields diminishing returns — the 6-core/12-thread design delivers 7,590 at max threads, just 0.07% above the 16-thread result. This aligns with Control's engine behavior, which typically uses fewer than 8 threads effectively. The data suggests the CPU has ample headroom for this game, and the bottleneck shifts to the GPU as resolution and settings increase.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 443rd out of 3,720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the top 11.9% of all configurations. This is a strong result, though not elite-tier, reflecting the balance between a high-end CPU and a high-end GPU.

The GPU's percentile ranking (76th among all GPUs) is lower than the CPU's (81st among all CPUs), which suggests the pair is slightly CPU-favored in terms of raw benchmark standing. However, the combo's in-game performance is determined by how these two components interact with Control's specific demands. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 228 FPS, which is 1.58x faster than the 144 FPS at 1080p High and 1.83x faster than the 125 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This spread indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor as settings increase, even at the lowest resolution tested.

The rank of 443 out of 3,720 means that many combos with more powerful GPUs or CPUs outperform this pairing, but it also means the vast majority of tested systems (3,277 combos) fall behind. For a game released in 2019, this combo is overkill at 1080p, but at 4K, the performance drops to a playable range: 64 FPS at Ultra, 73 FPS at High, 83 FPS at Medium, and 116 FPS at Low. The data shows that the combo's rank is driven by the GPU's 4K capabilities, as the CPU's high single-thread scores prevent it from becoming a bottleneck at any resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the combo scales across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 228; at 1440p Low, it drops to 172 (-24.6%); at 4K Low, it falls to 116 (-49.1% from 1080p). This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario at Low settings, where the CPU has enough headroom to feed frames but the GPU's rendering load grows with pixel count.

At High settings, the scaling is different: 144 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p (-24.3%), and 73 FPS at 4K (-49.3%). The percentage drops are nearly identical between Low and High settings, suggesting that the GPU is the consistent limiter across settings. The Ultra preset shows 125 FPS at 1080p, 94 FPS at 1440p (-24.8%), and 64 FPS at 4K (-48.8%). Again, the drop is consistent, reinforcing that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the primary constraint.

The Medium preset, which includes min/max FPS data, shows 162 FPS average at 1080p (min 137, max 186), 122 FPS at 1440p (min 104, max 141), and 83 FPS at 4K (min 70, max 95). The min-to-max spread at 4K Medium (70-95, a range of 25 FPS) is proportionally similar to 1080p Medium (137-186, a range of 49 FPS), indicating that frame pacing scales roughly linearly with resolution. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor — if it were, we would see larger FPS drops at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work. Instead, the FPS scales almost exactly with pixel count, confirming a GPU-bound configuration.

The 4K Ultra result of 64 FPS is the lowest measured, and the 1080p Low result of 228 FPS is the highest. The ratio between these extremes is 3.56x, which closely matches the pixel ratio between 4K and 1080p (3840x2160 vs 1920x1080, exactly 4x). The slightly smaller ratio (3.56 vs 4.0) indicates that at 1080p Low, the CPU begins to impose a mild limit, preventing the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p delivers the highest frame rates, with 228 FPS at Low and 144 FPS at High. At 1440p, High averages 109 FPS, which is still smooth. At 4K, High averages 73 FPS and Medium averages 83 FPS, making 1440p High the sweet spot for high refresh rates, while 4K Medium/High remains playable.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 9600X compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X's average benchmark score of 29,713 is 0.2% below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (29,656), 0.5% above the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (29,868), 0.6% above the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (29,879), and 0.8% above the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (29,955). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, including Control.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER the bottleneck at 4K?

A: Yes. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows nearly linear drops across all settings (e.g., 144 to 73 FPS at High, a 49.3% reduction). If the CPU were the bottleneck, the drops would be smaller at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 64 FPS versus 1080p Ultra's 125 FPS (a 48.8% drop) confirms GPU-bound behavior.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking?

A: The combo ranks 443rd out of 3,720 tested combinations for Control, placing it in the top 11.9%. This is a strong result, driven by the GPU's 16 GB VRAM and high memory bandwidth, which handle the game's 4K textures effectively.

Q: Does the CPU's 65 W TDP limit performance in this game?

A: No. The 65 W TDP is a power envelope, not a performance cap. The Ryzen 5 9600X boosts to 5.40 GHz and scores 2,183.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is more than sufficient for Control's engine. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (228 FPS) shows the CPU is not holding back the GPU.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and does it matter for Control?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with 672.3 GB/s bandwidth. For Control's 4K Ultra preset, the 64 FPS average indicates the GPU has enough VRAM and bandwidth to render the game's detailed environments without stuttering, as evidenced by the lack of min-FPS data below the average at Ultra.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture (AD103 chip) using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. It features 8,448 shading units, 264 texture mapping units, 96 ROPs, 66 RT cores, and 264 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2340 MHz and boosts to 2610 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 672.3 GB/s of bandwidth, and the card supports PCIe 4.0 x16.

For Control, the GPU's role is central. The measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo averages 64 FPS, while at 1080p Low it reaches 228 FPS. This 3.56x range across resolutions is nearly proportional to the pixel count, confirming the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER's 44.10 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 250.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for the game's physics-based combat and destructible environments.

The GPU's benchmark scores include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,569 and a PassMark G3D score of 31,811. Its percentile ranking is 76th among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 31,087. Nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (0.4% ahead), NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q (0.4% ahead), NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (1.4% ahead), and NVIDIA TITAN RTX (1.9% ahead). These deltas are small, indicating the 4070 Ti SUPER sits in a competitive performance tier.

The GPU's 16 GB VRAM is a key asset for Control's 4K Ultra settings, which often exceed 8-10 GB in demanding scenes. The 672.3 GB/s bandwidth ensures textures load without pop-in, and the 66 RT cores handle any ray-traced effects the game may employ. The data shows that at 4K Medium, the combo holds 83 FPS average (min 70, max 95), proving the GPU can maintain playable frame rates with headroom for occasional dips.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, all presets deliver high frame rates: Low averages 228 FPS, Medium 162 FPS, High 144 FPS, and Ultra 125 FPS. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset at 125 FPS is the best choice, as it provides a fully immersive experience while staying well above the 60 FPS threshold. The jump from High to Ultra costs only 19 FPS (144 to 125), a 13.2% reduction for the highest visual quality.

At 1440p, the trade-offs become more pronounced. Low averages 172 FPS, Medium 122 FPS, High 109 FPS, and Ultra 94 FPS. The Ultra preset at 94 FPS is still smooth and offers the best visual fidelity for 1440p displays. However, if the user prefers higher refresh rates, the Medium preset at 122 FPS (min 104, max 141) provides a 29.8% FPS boost over Ultra with only a moderate visual compromise. The High preset at 109 FPS is a balanced middle ground, but the data suggests Ultra is viable for most 1440p setups.

At 4K, the settings matter significantly. Low averages 116 FPS, Medium 83 FPS (min 70, max 95), High 73 FPS, and Ultra 64 FPS. The Ultra preset at 64 FPS is playable but close to the edge of 60 FPS stability — any demanding scene could push it below. The High preset at 73 FPS offers a safer margin with a 14.1% FPS improvement over Ultra. The Medium preset at 83 FPS (min 70, max 95) is the most robust choice for 4K, delivering 29.7% more FPS than Ultra while maintaining a minimum of 70 FPS, which avoids noticeable stutter.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1440p Ultra at 94 FPS, which balances high visual quality with a frame rate that exceeds most 144 Hz monitors' refresh rates. For 4K users, the Medium preset at 83 FPS (min 70) is recommended over High or Ultra, as it provides the best combination of smoothness and visual fidelity without risking dips below 60 FPS. The data clearly shows that the GPU's performance headroom at 1080p and 1440p makes Ultra settings the obvious choice, while at 4K, users should prioritize the Medium preset for consistent frame pacing.