Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a formidable Control experience, ranking in the top 2% of all 1,636 tested combos. This pairing leverages a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 5 processor with a 5.40 GHz boost clock alongside a 24 GB GDDR6X graphics card to produce frame rates that remain fluid even under maximum strain. The data shows a system built for high-refresh-rate 1440p play and capable of smooth 4K performance, though the scaling behavior reveals a clear shift in workload as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data from 1080p to 4K paints a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies in this configuration. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 274.2 FPS, which drops to 174.5 FPS at High and 152.4 FPS at Ultra. This represents a 44.4% reduction from Low to Ultra at 1080p, indicating that even at this resolution, the graphics card is beginning to feel the strain of higher fidelity settings. The CPU’s single-thread performance, evidenced by a passmark_single_thread score of 4570, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at these frame rates, so the scaling is driven primarily by the RTX 4090's workload.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with a steeper curve. Low settings produce 206.9 FPS, while High yields 132.7 FPS and Ultra drops to 113.5 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 45.1%, slightly larger than at 1080p. This suggests that the GPU is becoming an increasingly dominant factor, as the additional pixel count compounds the cost of higher visual fidelity. The 9600X’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample headroom, so the frame rate decline tracks almost entirely with the RTX 4090’s rendering load.

At 3840x2160, the curve flattens considerably. Low settings still manage 137.1 FPS, but High falls to 88.6 FPS and Ultra to 77.4 FPS. The gap from Low to Ultra is 43.5%, similar to lower resolutions, but the absolute numbers tell the real story: the GPU is now the undisputed limiting component. The RTX 4090’s 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth are being fully utilized, and the CPU’s role diminishes to that of a bystander. The data indicates that at 4K, the delta between settings is compressed relative to the total frame time, as the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes the sole constraint.

FAQ

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 132.7 FPS. This indicates a smooth experience suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors, with the RTX 4090 providing ample headroom above the 100 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 9600X bottlenecking the RTX 4090 in Control?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 274.2 FPS, and the 9600X’s single-thread score of 3603 in Cinebench R23 demonstrates strong per-core performance. The bottleneck shifts to the GPU as resolution and settings increase, particularly at 4K where the frame rate drops to 77.4 FPS at Ultra.

Q: How does the 9600X compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The 9600X has an average benchmark score of 28,246, placing it 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13490F and AMD Ryzen 5 230, and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming scenarios.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, High settings produce 88.6 FPS, while Ultra produces 77.4 FPS. This is an 11.2 FPS difference, or roughly 12.6% lower performance for the highest fidelity preset, which may be a worthwhile trade-off for visual quality on a 4K display.

Q: Can this combo handle 1080p esports-style frame rates?

A: Yes, the data shows 274.2 FPS at 1080p Low and 196.2 FPS at Medium. Even at Ultra, the combo maintains 152.4 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most standard 144Hz monitors, making it overkill for competitive play.

Q: Does the RTX 4090’s 24 GB VRAM matter for Control?

A: Control is not a VRAM-heavy title at these settings, so the 24 GB capacity is not a limiting factor. The 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth and 384-bit bus are the more relevant specs, ensuring the GPU can feed its 16,384 shading units without stalling.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 1,636 tested combinations for Control, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 secures the 27th position. This places it in the 98.3rd percentile, meaning only 26 other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher average frame rates in this title. The ranking reflects the RTX 4090’s dominance, as the GPU’s 91st percentile standing among all graphics cards (with an average benchmark score of 66,473) carries the combo upward. The 9600X, sitting in the 85th percentile for CPUs, provides a solid foundation without dragging the pairing down.

The delta between this combo and the top spot is not specified, but the data indicates that the 9600X’s nearest rivals—the Intel Core i5-13490F and AMD Ryzen 5 230, both within 0.3% of its average score—would likely produce nearly identical results when paired with the same RTX 4090. This suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of the combo’s high rank, and the CPU choice has a secondary, though not insignificant, influence. The fact that the combo ranks 27th overall, rather than higher, points to a few pairings with even faster CPUs or more optimized configurations for this specific title, but the practical difference is minimal at the frame rates involved.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo exhibits a wide performance envelope. Low settings deliver an average of 274.2 FPS, which is the highest recorded across all resolutions and settings. Medium drops to 196.2 FPS, High to 174.5 FPS, and Ultra to 152.4 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 44.4% reduction, but even the lowest figure at Ultra remains far above the 144 Hz threshold, making 1080p a non-issue for this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show more sensitivity to settings. Low produces 206.9 FPS, Medium 147.1 FPS, High 132.7 FPS, and Ultra 113.5 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap widens slightly to 45.1%, and the Ultra figure dips below the 120 FPS mark, though it still provides a comfortable experience for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. The RTX 4090’s 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate is clearly being exercised here.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals the true cost of 4K. Low settings still achieve 137.1 FPS, which is respectable, but Medium falls to 101.6 FPS, High to 88.6 FPS, and Ultra to 77.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 43.5%, similar to lower resolutions, but the absolute values indicate that 4K Ultra is the only configuration that drops below 80 FPS. This suggests that for 4K gaming, users should consider High settings to maintain a smoother frame rate, as the 11.2 FPS difference between High and Ultra is modest.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed workhorse in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the measured results. With 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, the GPU has an enormous raw throughput capacity, reflected in its 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores further bolster its capabilities, though Control’s rendering workload appears to rely primarily on the traditional shader and texture units. The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for feeding the GPU at 4K resolutions where texture and geometry data demands spike.

The clock speeds—2235 MHz base and 2520 MHz boost—are moderate for a flagship, but the sheer number of execution units compensates. The GPU’s 91st percentile ranking among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 66,473, places it far ahead of its nearest rivals in the database, including the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (0.4% lower) and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (0.9% lower). In Control specifically, the RTX 4090’s performance scales predictably with resolution, but its dominance ensures that even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset remains playable at 77.4 FPS.

The VRAM capacity of 24 GB is not a constraint in this title, as Control’s maximum settings at 4K do not appear to exceed the available memory. Instead, the limiting factor is the GPU’s compute and bandwidth throughput. The 450 W TDP and triple-slot cooler are justified by the sustained performance, and the 1x 16-pin power connector indicates a high power draw, though exact wattage figures are not part of the measured data. The RTX 4090’s role is clear: it provides the raw horsepower to make the 9600X’s CPU capabilities irrelevant at higher resolutions, shifting the bottleneck entirely to the graphics pipeline.