Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER pairing is a classic mid-range combination from the 2019-2020 era, and the measured results in Control illustrate exactly how that hardware ages in a demanding action-adventure title. The data shows a combo that can handle 1080p comfortably, struggles at 4K, and has a clear bottleneck profile that shifts depending on the resolution and settings you choose.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about where this system's limits lie. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 77 at 1920x1080 to 49 at 2560x1440, then plummets to 26 at 3840x2160. That is a 66% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, which is a severe scaling curve that points directly at the GPU as the primary constraint. The GTX 1660 SUPER simply does not have the raw throughput to feed a 4K panel in this title.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 131 at 1080p down to 83 at 1440p and finally 44 at 4K. The Medium preset shows the same trend: 96 FPS at 1080p, 61 at 1440p, and 32 at 4K. Even the Ultra preset, which starts at a playable 60 FPS average at 1080p, falls to 38 at 1440p and a slideshow-like 20 at 4K. The consistent proportional drops across all presets confirm that resolution scaling is dominated by GPU load, not by CPU or memory bandwidth limitations.

What is notable is that the gap between 1080p and 1440p is relatively smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K. For instance, at High settings, 1080p to 1440p costs 28 FPS, while 1440p to 4K costs 23 FPS. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus become increasingly stressed as pixel count rises, with the 4K results particularly impacted by memory bandwidth constraints. The 336.0 GB/s bandwidth is simply insufficient for 4K workloads in a game like Control, which features complex particle effects and destructible environments.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 3700X brings substantial compute resources to this pairing, and the data indicates that it is rarely the limiting factor in Control. This CPU features 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 2 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 2092 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 204 in single-core, positioning it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (0.1% ahead) and the Intel Core i5-13450HX (0.2% behind), showing that this older chip still holds its own in general compute tasks.

In Control, the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for the game's threading model. The fact that FPS scales so dramatically with resolution and settings changes, while remaining relatively high at 1080p, indicates that the CPU is delivering frames faster than the GPU can render them. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 131 FPS average, which is well above what most 60 Hz displays can use and suggests the CPU is not bottlenecking. The 32 MB of L3 cache helps with the game's asset streaming, and the dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate data throughput for the CPU's needs.

The CPU's PassMark multi-thread score of 22458 and single-thread score of 2656 indicate balanced performance that handles both the game's main thread and background physics tasks. The 3700X's 65 W TDP also means it runs cool and consistently boosts to its 4.40 GHz maximum without thermal throttling, which is important for maintaining stable frame times in prolonged gaming sessions. The data suggests that even at 1080p High settings with 77 FPS average, the CPU is not the primary constraint; the GPU is already working near its limits.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 SUPER is the clear bottleneck in this system for Control, and the measured FPS data confirms this unequivocally. This GPU features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1785 MHz, and it delivers 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In GPU benchmarks, it scores 12699 in PassMark G3D, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (0.4% ahead) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 (0.4% ahead), indicating it sits right at the edge of modern playability.

The 6 GB VRAM capacity is the most critical limitation for Control at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 20, which is unplayable. Even at 4K Medium, the average is only 32 FPS with minimums of 27 and maximums of 37, showing that the GPU is constantly hitting its memory ceiling. The 6 GB capacity is likely insufficient for 4K textures and the game's complex shading effects, causing the GPU to swap data to system memory over the PCIe 3.0 x16 bus, which further degrades performance.

The GPU's pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s are decent for 1080p but fall short for 1440p and especially 4K. At 1440p High, the average FPS of 49 is borderline playable, but frame pacing issues are likely given the GPU is near its limits. The 12 nm Turing architecture, while supporting DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, lacks dedicated ray tracing cores, which is not directly relevant since Control does not require RT for these measurements. The GPU's 1408 shading units and 48 ROPs are simply outmatched by the pixel count at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Ryzen 7 3700X and GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 2864 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. That places it in the bottom 23% of all system configurations tested, which is a sobering statistic for owners of this hardware. The ranking reflects the GPU's age and the game's demanding nature at higher resolutions. While the CPU is in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, the GPU's 53rd percentile ranking drags the overall combo down significantly.

The rank of 2864 out of 3720 means that roughly three-quarters of tested systems outperform this combo in Control. This is unsurprising given that the GTX 1660 SUPER was a mid-range card at launch in 2019, and Control is a graphically intensive title that pushes even modern hardware. However, the ranking also indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor; if it were, the combo would rank much higher relative to systems with similar GPUs. The bottleneck is squarely on the GPU, and the data supports this conclusion.

For context, the CPU's average benchmark score of 34260 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (34222, 0.1% ahead), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (34083, 0.5% behind). This shows the 3700X is still competitive in CPU-bound scenarios. The GPU's average benchmark score of 12986 is also close to its rivals, with the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile at 12940 (0.4% ahead) and the RX 580 at 12928 (0.4% ahead). The combo ranking, therefore, is a direct reflection of the GPU's limitations in Control specifically, not a general indictment of either component.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 1080p?*

A: Yes, comfortably. The measured data shows 77 FPS average at High settings, 96 FPS at Medium, and 60 FPS at Ultra at 1920x1080. At Low settings, it reaches 131 FPS average.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where this combo consistently exceeds 60 FPS on High and above settings. At 2560x1440, High settings yield only 49 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Control?*

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The FPS scales dramatically with resolution (131 FPS at 1080p Low to 44 FPS at 4K Low), which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU has 8 cores and 16 threads, sufficient for this game.

Q: How does this combo compare to systems with the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER scores 0.4% higher in average GPU benchmarks than the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile. However, the desktop GTX 1660 SUPER has a higher boost clock of 1785 MHz and more bandwidth at 336.0 GB/s, which may translate to better sustained performance.

Q: What settings should I use for a playable experience at 1440p?

A: According to the data, Medium settings at 2560x1440 yield 61 FPS average with minimums of 52 FPS. Low settings improve this to 83 FPS average. High settings drop to 49 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players but is below 60 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: Technically yes, but not at playable frame rates. The best 4K result is 44 FPS average at Low settings. Medium settings drop to 32 FPS, and High settings yield only 26 FPS. Ultra is unplayable at 20 FPS average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following are the exact measured average FPS values for this combo in Control, organized by resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080 (Full HD)

• Low: 131 FPS
• Medium: 96 FPS (min 81, max 110)
• High: 77 FPS
• Ultra: 60 FPS

At 1080p, this system delivers a fully playable experience across all presets. The Low setting at 131 FPS is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, while Ultra at exactly 60 FPS is suitable for standard 60 Hz displays. The Medium preset, with its 96 FPS average and 81 FPS minimum, offers the best balance of visual quality and smoothness for most users.

2560x1440 (Quad HD)

• Low: 83 FPS
• Medium: 61 FPS (min 52, max 70)
• High: 49 FPS
• Ultra: 38 FPS

At 1440p, the system becomes playable only on lower presets. Low settings at 83 FPS are smooth, and Medium at 61 FPS is borderline. High and Ultra drop below 50 FPS, which will introduce noticeable stutter in fast-paced action sequences. The Medium preset's minimum of 52 FPS is the lowest acceptable for consistent gameplay.

3840x2160 (4K UHD)

• Low: 44 FPS
• Medium: 32 FPS (min 27, max 37)
• High: 26 FPS
• Ultra: 20 FPS

At 4K, the system is not viable for serious play. Even Low settings at 44 FPS average will struggle in combat scenes. The Medium preset shows the GPU's VRAM and bandwidth limits, with a narrow 27 to 37 FPS range indicating consistent performance but at unplayable levels. High and Ultra are effectively slideshows.

The data across all resolutions shows a clear pattern: the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting factor, and the Ryzen 7 3700X has ample headroom. For owners of this combo, sticking to 1080p is the only way to fully enjoy Control without significant graphical compromises. The 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are the primary constraints at higher resolutions, and no amount of CPU power can overcome those hardware limitations.