Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT delivers a robust 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, but the data shows a clear shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution climbs. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 177 FPS, which drops to 136 FPS at 1440p Low and 92 FPS at 4K Low. This scaling pattern—a 23% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 32% reduction to 4K—indicates that the CPU is comfortably feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, with the graphics card becoming the primary limiter only at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 79 FPS (177 vs 98), a substantial margin that highlights how much headroom the CPU retains even when the GPU is pushed harder. At 4K, the same Low-to-Ultra delta narrows to 42 FPS (92 vs 50), confirming that the RX 6800 XT is the constraining factor at that resolution. The measured frames at 4K Medium (65 FPS average, with a minimum of 55 and maximum of 75) sit in a playable range, but the 4K Ultra average of 50 FPS is marginal for a fast-paced action game. The 1440p Medium result of 96 FPS, with a 82–111 FPS range, shows the combo hitting a sweet spot where neither component is severely oversubscribed. The data suggests that at 1080p, the Ryzen 7 3700X’s eight cores and 16 threads provide ample compute headroom, while the 1440p results represent a balanced load distribution. The 4K numbers, however, reveal that the RX 6800 XT’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized, as the frame rate drops are proportionally larger than the resolution increase would suggest if the CPU were the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression across resolutions tells a clear story about component utilization. From 1080p High (113 FPS) to 1440p High (86 FPS), the drop is 24%, which is close to the pixel count increase of 78%, implying the GPU is becoming more dominant. Moving to 4K High (58 FPS), the additional 33% reduction from 1440p indicates a near-linear scaling with pixel count, a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios. The Low preset shows a similar trend: 177 FPS at 1080p falls to 136 FPS at 1440p (a 23% drop) and then to 92 FPS at 4K (a 32% drop from 1440p). This pattern—where the percentage drop accelerates at higher resolutions—suggests that the CPU’s role diminishes as resolution rises, but it does not entirely disappear. At 1080p Low, the 177 FPS figure likely approaches the CPU’s practical limit for this game, given that the Ryzen 7 3700X has a boost clock of 4.40 GHz and a base clock of 3.60 GHz. The 4K Medium result of 65 FPS, compared to the 4K High result of 58 FPS, shows only a 12% difference between presets, indicating that at 4K, the GPU’s shading units (4608) and texture rate (648.0 GTexel/s) are the primary drivers of performance, not the preset’s CPU-related settings. The data implies that for the most demanding 4K Ultra preset (50 FPS), the RX 6800 XT is operating near its limits, as the 20.74 TFLOPS FP32 compute is being saturated. Conversely, the 1080p Ultra result of 98 FPS, which is still well above 60 FPS, suggests that even at maximum settings, the CPU does not bottleneck this combination at lower resolutions. The scaling from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra—a 49% performance drop—is consistent with a GPU-bound workload where the memory bandwidth (512.0 GB/s) becomes a critical factor. Overall, the resolution scaling data indicates a well-matched pair for 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring settings compromises to maintain high frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT ranks 1221 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 67th percentile of all configurations. This rank is respectable but not top-tier, reflecting the age of the CPU relative to the GPU. The CPU itself sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU stands at the 85th percentile among all GPUs, yet the combo’s rank is lower than either individual component’s percentile, suggesting that the pairing introduces some inefficiency. The CPU’s nearest rivals—the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (average score 34222, delta 0.1%), AMD EPYC 4244P (34220, delta 0.1%), and Intel Core i5-13450HX (34333, delta -0.2%)—all post nearly identical average scores, indicating that the 3700X’s compute capability is on par with much newer parts. The GPU’s rivals—the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile (47743, delta 1.5%), Intel Arc A550M (49737, delta -2.5%), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (49957, delta -3%)—show that the RX 6800 XT’s average benchmark score of 48477 is competitive with these alternatives. The combo rank of 1221 out of 3720 means that roughly one-third of tested configurations outperform this pair in Control, which is a strong showing given that many of those combos likely feature newer CPUs. The data suggests that the 3700X, despite being from the 3000 series (Zen 2 architecture), does not drag the RX 6800 XT down significantly in this game, as the rank is closer to the GPU’s percentile than the CPU’s would suggest if it were a severe bottleneck. For context, the CPU’s multi-threaded PassMark score of 22458 and Geekbench multi-core score of 8899 indicate solid overall compute, but the combo’s rank in Control specifically reflects the game’s engine characteristics rather than raw synthetic performance. The 16 threads of the 3700X likely help maintain frame pacing in Control’s action sequences, contributing to a rank that, while not elite, is well above the median.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X brings eight cores and 16 threads to this pairing, built on the Zen 2 architecture with a 7 nm process from TSMC. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide a solid foundation for gaming, though the 4.40 GHz boost is modest compared to newer chips. The CPU’s cache hierarchy—64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and a 32 MB L3 cache—is typical for the 3000 series, and the 32 MB L3 is particularly relevant for game workloads that benefit from shared cache. In Control, the CPU’s role appears secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but at 1080p, the 177 FPS Low result suggests the CPU is capable of driving very high frame rates. The single-threaded performance, as measured by Geekbench (1593) and PassMark (2656), is adequate for the game’s main thread, while the multi-threaded scores (Cinebench R15 multi-core: 2092, PassMark multi-thread: 22458) show that the CPU can handle background tasks without interfering with frame generation. The 65 W TDP indicates efficient power draw, which is notable for sustained gaming sessions. The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for this workload, though it is not a differentiator. The CPU’s percentile ranking of 84% among all CPUs, combined with its nearest rivals all scoring within 0.5% of each other, suggests that the 3700X remains a competent gaming processor even in 2025, but its age relative to the RX 6800 XT means it may not fully unlock the GPU’s potential in CPU-bound scenarios. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 177 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s ceiling for Control, as the GPU has ample headroom at that resolution. At 4K, however, the CPU’s influence wanes, as evidenced by the 92 FPS Low result being more than double the 4K Ultra’s 50 FPS, a delta driven by GPU settings rather than CPU compute. The 16 threads are likely beneficial for Control’s physics and AI systems, but the game does not appear to be heavily multi-threaded based on the scaling behavior. The CPU’s PassMark data encryption score of 18900 and integer math score of 66399 indicate strong general-purpose performance, but these are not directly relevant to gaming. The 3,800 million transistors on a 74 mm² die highlight the efficiency of the 7 nm process, though this does not translate into a gaming advantage over the 3700X’s rivals. Overall, the CPU provides sufficient compute for 1440p and 4K gaming, with the bottleneck shifting to the GPU at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The 1440p Medium preset delivers 96 FPS average (82–111 FPS range), which is the highest frame rate at a balanced setting. At 1440p High, the average drops to 86 FPS, still smooth. For a locked 60 FPS experience, 4K Medium (65 FPS) is viable, but 4K Ultra (50 FPS) falls below the ideal threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 34260, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (34222) and AMD EPYC 4244P (34220), and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i5-13450HX (34333). The differences are negligible, indicating the 3700X remains competitive.

Q: Is the RX 6800 XT a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 177 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, 98 FPS. The CPU’s 16 threads and 32 MB L3 cache are sufficient to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the high frame rates across all presets at this resolution.

Q: What are the GPU’s key specifications for this game?

A: The RX 6800 XT has 4608 shading units, 72 RT cores, 128 ROPs, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. Its 16 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU’s percentile rank is 85% among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48477.

*Q: How does the combo rank globally for Control?*

A: It ranks 1221 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 33% of all configurations. This is a solid result given the CPU’s 2019 release date and the GPU’s 2020 release date, both of which are older than many current parts.

Q: Does the CPU’s memory bandwidth affect gaming performance?

A: The 51.2 GB/s dual-channel DDR4 bandwidth is sufficient for Control, as the game’s scaling from 1080p to 4K shows GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. The 32 MB L3 cache mitigates memory latency, helping maintain frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing at higher resolutions, as the data confirms. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for Control’s texture-heavy environments at 4K. The GPU’s boost clock of 2250 MHz (base 1825 MHz, game clock 2015 MHz) drives its 4608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 128 ROPs, resulting in a pixel rate of 288.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 648.0 GTexel/s. The 20.74 TFLOPS FP32 compute is substantial, but the 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS shows that Control at maximum settings can stress even this hardware. The GPU’s 72 RT cores are relevant for Control’s ray tracing features, though the measured FPS data does not specify RT settings. The memory clock of 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) ensures the 512.0 GB/s bandwidth is fully realized, which is likely why the 4K Medium result of 65 FPS is achievable. The GPU’s percentile rank of 85% among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48477, places it slightly above the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile (47743, delta 1.5%) and below the Intel Arc A550M (49737, delta -2.5%) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (49957, delta -3%). The deltaPct values show that the RX 6800 XT is within 3% of these rivals, indicating competitive performance despite being end-of-life. The 300 W TDP and dual-slot design require a 700 W PSU, and the 2x 8-pin power connectors are standard for this class. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which are all compatible with Control’s rendering requirements. The 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die (51.5M / mm² density) reflect the RDNA 2.0 architecture’s efficiency. In practical terms, the GPU’s role is to provide high frame rates at 1440p and playable rates at 4K, with the 4K Low result of 92 FPS showing that even at lower settings, the GPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p—the CPU is. The data indicates that the RX 6800 XT is well-suited for 1440p Ultra (74 FPS) and can handle 4K with settings adjustments, making it a versatile choice for this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data across presets and resolutions provides a clear picture for optimal settings. At 1080p, all presets exceed 98 FPS, with Low at 177 FPS, Medium at 127 FPS, High at 113 FPS, and Ultra at 98 FPS. The jump from Medium to High is only 14 FPS, while Ultra costs another 15 FPS, so High offers the best balance of visual quality and performance at this resolution. At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 96 FPS (82–111 FPS range), which is the recommended choice for a 1440p monitor with a 100 Hz refresh rate. High at 86 FPS is still viable, but Ultra at 74 FPS may cause noticeable dips in fast action. For 4K, the Medium preset at 65 FPS (55–75 FPS range) is the only setting that consistently stays above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 4K gaming. The Low preset at 4K (92 FPS) sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a marginal frame rate gain over Medium. The Ultra preset at 4K (50 FPS) is not recommended for a smooth experience, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The data suggests that the combo’s sweet spot is 1440p Medium, where the 96 FPS average with a 82 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay even during intense scenes. At 1080p, the High preset (113 FPS) is preferable to Medium (127 FPS) because the visual upgrade is significant while the frame rate remains well above 100 FPS. For players using a 144 Hz 1080p monitor, the Low preset at 177 FPS is the only setting that fully utilizes the refresh rate, but this requires accepting lower visual quality. The 4K Medium result of 65 FPS is the best compromise for 4K displays, as it provides a 55 FPS minimum that prevents stutter. The Ultra preset at any resolution is only recommended for players who prioritize visuals over frame rate, as the 4K Ultra’s 50 FPS average is below the playable threshold for a game like Control with fast-paced combat. The data supports a settings hierarchy: Medium for 4K, Medium or High for 1440p, and High for 1080p, with Low reserved for competitive play at high refresh rates.