Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and AMD Radeon RX 6600 pairing delivers a solid 1080p experience in Control, but the data reveals a system that is firmly bound by its graphics card at higher resolutions. With a combo rank of 2904 out of 3720 tested configurations, this setup sits in the lower-middle tier of all tested hardware, offering playable frame rates at 1080p but struggling to maintain smooth performance at 4K. The measured FPS across all settings and resolutions paints a clear picture of a balanced mainstream build that prioritizes affordability over raw performance.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all quality presets, confirming that the RX 6600 is the primary limiting factor. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 108 FPS at 1920x1080 to 82 FPS at 2560x1440, a 24% reduction, and then to 55 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 33% drop. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth as resolution increases. The RX 6600's 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 128-bit bus are simply not sufficient for 4K workloads, where the 8 GB GDDR6 frame buffer also becomes a constraint.

At Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 77 FPS at 1080p to 58 FPS at 1440p, then to 39 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K transition shows a 33% loss, nearly identical to the Low preset's drop. High settings follow a similar pattern: 68 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across presets indicates that resolution scaling is entirely GPU-bound; the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck at any point. The Ryzen 7 3700X's eight cores and 16 threads are more than capable of feeding frames at all tested resolutions.

The most telling data point is the 4K Ultra result, which averages just 30 FPS. This is barely playable and indicates that the combo is not designed for 4K gaming. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K, suggesting that the GPU's memory subsystem and shader throughput are the bottlenecks. The RX 6600's 1792 shading units and 112 texture mapping units are adequate for 1080p but are overwhelmed when pixel count quadruples. The data shows that users should treat 1440p as the practical ceiling for this combo, and even then, only at Medium or High settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a Zen 2 architecture processor built on a 7 nm process at TSMC, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide solid single-threaded performance for gaming, as evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 1593 and Cinebench R15 single-core score of 204. In Control, which is a demanding action-adventure title but not exceptionally CPU-intensive at high resolutions, the 3700X does not appear to be a limiting factor. The measured FPS at 1080p Low — 108 FPS — is well below what the CPU could theoretically push, indicating the GPU is the constraint.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are strong for its class: a Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 2092 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 8899. These scores place it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34260. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (avg score 34222, delta 0.1%) and the Intel Core i5-13450HX (avg score 34333, delta -0.2%), showing that the 3700X holds its own against newer mainstream parts. However, these synthetic scores do not translate into higher frame rates in Control because the game's engine is not pushing the CPU hard enough at the tested settings.

The 3700X's 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for feeding the GPU. The processor's PCIe Gen 4 support with 24 lanes ensures that the RX 6600, which uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, is not bandwidth-starved. The data suggests that the CPU's role in this combo is to provide a stable foundation without bottlenecking, which it does admirably. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the GPU is most stressed, the frame rate of 59 FPS is consistent, and the minimum frame rates recorded at Medium settings (65 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, 33 FPS at 4K) show no signs of CPU-induced stutter.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the measured performance. Built on the RDNA 2 architecture with the Navi 23 chip at 7 nm, the GPU features 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its base clock is 1626 MHz, with a boost clock of 2491 MHz and a game clock of 2044 MHz. The memory configuration consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory subsystem is the key limitation at higher resolutions.

The GPU's synthetic benchmarks reflect its mid-range positioning. Its Passmark G3D score of 15096 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 28850 place it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19036. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (avg score 19030, delta 0%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (avg score 19049, delta -0.1%), indicating that the RX 6600 is competitive with older workstation cards and entry-level mobile GPUs. However, in Control, the GPU's performance is clearly below what is needed for smooth 4K gameplay, as the 4K Ultra average of 30 FPS demonstrates.

The RX 6600's 28 ray tracing cores are present but underutilized in this game at the tested settings, as Control's ray tracing features are not part of the measured presets. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) ensures feature compatibility, but the raw compute power — 8.928 TFLOPS FP32 — is insufficient for 4K with high-quality settings. The 159.4 GPixel/s pixel rate and 279.0 GTexel/s texture rate are adequate for 1080p, where the data shows 59-108 FPS depending on settings, but they fall short at 1440p and beyond.

The GPU's thermal and power characteristics — a 132 W TDP with a suggested 300 W PSU — are modest, and the dual-slot design with a single 8-pin connector is typical for this class. The RX 6600's production status is listed as end-of-life, which is consistent with its 2021 release date, but its performance in Control at 1080p remains competitive. The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at every resolution above 1080p, with frame rates dropping by roughly 30% at each step up in resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2904 out of 3720 tested configurations places this pairing in the 22nd percentile of all tested combos in Control. This is a low ranking, but it must be interpreted in context: the rank includes all possible CPU-GPU pairings, many of which feature high-end components. For a mid-range combo, this rank is expected. The Ryzen 7 3700X's 84th percentile CPU ranking and the RX 6600's 63rd percentile GPU ranking do not translate into a proportional combo ranking because the GPU is the limiting factor in this game.

The delta between the CPU's and GPU's percentile rankings highlights an imbalance. The CPU is significantly stronger relative to its peers than the GPU is, which means the combo is underperforming compared to what the CPU alone could support. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (108 FPS) is robust, but at 4K Ultra (30 FPS), the combo falls below the 60 FPS threshold that most gamers consider playable. The rank of 2904 suggests that users with this combo should not expect high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p or any playable 4K performance.

The nearest rival combos in the benchmark database are not specified for this game, but the component-level rivals provide context. The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, has a nearly identical average score (34222 vs 34260, delta 0.1%), while the GPU's closest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, matches the RX 6600's average score (19030 vs 19036, delta 0%). These close margins suggest that swapping either component for its nearest rival would produce similar results in Control. The combo's rank is a function of both components, but the GPU's lower percentile is the primary driver of the low overall ranking.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the optimal resolution, with frame rates ranging from 59 FPS at Ultra to 108 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset reaches 82 FPS, while Medium and High drop to 58 FPS and 52 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, all presets fall below 55 FPS, with Ultra at just 30 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest GPU rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 19036, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro K6000's score of 19030 (delta 0%). It also closely matches the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile at 19049 (delta -0.1%) and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation at 18954 (delta 0.4%).

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 3700X a bottleneck in this game?

A: No. The CPU's Cinebench R15 multi-core score is 2092 and its Geekbench multi-core score is 8899, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (108 FPS) is well below the CPU's theoretical limit, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 58 FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 67 FPS. This is playable but not consistently smooth, and the minimum frame rate indicates occasional dips below 60 FPS.

*Q: Does the combo support ray tracing in Control?*

A: The RX 6600 features 28 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), but the measured FPS data does not include ray tracing presets. The API support is present, but the GPU's 8.928 TFLOPS FP32 compute power suggests ray tracing would significantly reduce frame rates.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2904 out of 3720 tested configurations in Control, placing it in the lower 22% of all tested combos. This rank is driven primarily by the GPU's 63rd percentile performance, while the CPU ranks in the 84th percentile.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured frame rates are as follows: Low averages 108 FPS, Medium averages 77 FPS with a range of 65 to 88 FPS, High averages 68 FPS, and Ultra averages 59 FPS. These numbers show a clear degradation as settings increase, with a 45% drop from Low to Ultra. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium (65 FPS) is above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating smooth gameplay at this setting.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly: Low averages 82 FPS, Medium averages 58 FPS with a range of 49 to 67 FPS, High averages 52 FPS, and Ultra averages 45 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 49 FPS shows that even mid-range settings can produce noticeable dips. The Ultra preset at 45 FPS is below the playable threshold for many gamers, and the data suggests that 1440p is only viable at Low or Medium settings.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are marginal: Low averages 55 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS with a range of 33 to 45 FPS, High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 33 FPS is barely playable, and all presets at this resolution fall below the 60 FPS target. The 4K data confirms that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming, with even the lowest settings failing to maintain smooth performance.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: each step up in settings costs roughly 10-15% of performance, while each step up in resolution costs roughly 30%. The 1080p Low result of 108 FPS is the only measured value that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. The minimum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings, but the available data (65 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, 33 FPS at 4K) indicates that frame pacing is acceptable at 1080p and 1440p but becomes problematic at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1920x1080 with High settings. This preset delivers an average of 68 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, and the jump from Medium (77 FPS) to High (68 FPS) represents a modest 12% performance cost for improved visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 59 FPS is playable but dips below 60 FPS, making High the best balance of image quality and performance.

For users who prioritize smoothness over visuals, 1920x1080 with Low settings provides 108 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 77 FPS is also a strong choice, offering a significant visual upgrade over Low with only a 29% frame rate reduction. At 2560x1440, the data supports Low settings (82 FPS) as the only fully playable option, with Medium (58 FPS) being borderline for users who can tolerate occasional dips.

At 3840x2160, the data does not support any preset as fully playable. The Low preset's 55 FPS is the closest to playable, but the Medium preset's 39 FPS average and 33 FPS minimum make it unsuitable for action gameplay. Users should avoid 4K entirely with this combo, as even the lowest settings fail to provide a consistent experience. The recommended setup is 1080p High for most users, with 1080p Medium as a fallback for those who want higher minimum frame rates.