Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 7 3700X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080

This combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 lands at rank 1114 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 30% of all tested systems. The ranking reflects a pairing that is clearly capable of delivering a smooth experience at most settings, but the data reveals an interesting imbalance: the GPU is the dominant force here, while the CPU punches above its weight in synthetic benchmarks yet shows its age in certain gaming scenarios. The measured FPS numbers across resolutions and settings tell a story of a system that excels at 1440p and handles 4K with careful settings adjustments, but the margins between presets and the scaling behavior from 1080p to 4K hint at where bottlenecks may emerge.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1114 out of 3720 places this system in the 70th percentile of all tested combinations for Control. That is a strong showing, but not an elite one — the top 30% threshold means there are over a thousand configurations that outperform it, likely featuring newer CPUs or higher-tier GPUs. However, the gap between this combo and the very best is not enormous in practice, because the RTX 3080 is a high-end card that can carry most of the workload in this game. The ranking suggests that Control is not particularly CPU-sensitive at higher resolutions, which benefits this pairing since the Ryzen 7 3700X is a 2019-era processor.

The CPU itself sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 34260. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (avg score 34222, delta 0.1%), the AMD EPYC 4244P (avg score 34220, delta 0.1%), and the Intel Core i5-13450HX (avg score 34333, delta -0.2%). This indicates the 3700X is statistically tied with much newer processors in raw multi-threaded performance, which is remarkable for a chip released in 2019. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is slightly behind at 34083 (delta 0.5%). In the context of Control, this means the CPU is not a weak link — it provides enough throughput to keep the RTX 3080 fed, especially at 1440p and 4K where GPU load dominates.

GPU Role

The RTX 3080 is the star of this pairing, and its specifications explain why it delivers such robust frame rates. It features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s — a figure that is critical for high-resolution textures and memory-intensive scenes in Control. The GPU has 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units, along with 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. Its base clock is 1440 MHz, boosting to 1710 MHz, with memory clocked at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The architecture is Ampere on Samsung's 8 nm process, with 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die.

In Control, the GPU's role is clearly dominant. At 4K High, the combo achieves 60 FPS average, which is exactly at the threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1440p High, it jumps to 88 FPS, and at 1080p High, it reaches 117 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RTX 3080 has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the 4K Ultra preset drops to 52 FPS, revealing the card's limits when pushed to maximum settings at 4K. The GPU's percentile ranking is 68th among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rivals in GPU benchmarks are the NVIDIA P106-100 (avg score 23249, delta -0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (avg score 23250, delta -0.3%), AMD Radeon RX 6600M (avg score 23273, delta -0.4%), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (avg score 23276, delta -0.4%) — a list that includes some surprisingly low-end cards, which may reflect the benchmark suite's quirks rather than the 3080's true gaming performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but with diminishing returns as resolution drops. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 117 at 1080p, to 88 at 1440p, to 60 at 4K. That is a 25% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 32% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, which suggests that at 1080p, the CPU may be imposing a ceiling — 117 FPS is good, but not exceptional for a high-end GPU. At 1440p, the GPU takes over more of the load, and at 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as the 60 FPS average at High is likely constrained by the RTX 3080's raw rasterization power.

At Low settings, the pattern is more pronounced: 177 FPS at 1080p, 140 FPS at 1440p, and 94 FPS at 4K. The 1080p Low result of 177 FPS is notably high, but the 4K Low result of 94 FPS shows that even with minimal settings, the GPU cannot maintain the same relative performance — the drop from 1080p to 4K is 47%, which is larger than the drop at High settings (49% from 1080p to 4K). This suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the bottleneck, preventing the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates, while at 4K Low, the GPU's limitations are exposed. The Medium settings show a similar trend: 131 FPS at 1080p, 99 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset follows: 101 FPS at 1080p, 77 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across all four resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 177 FPS on Low, 131 FPS on Medium, 117 FPS on High, and 101 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 1080p has a minimum FPS of 111 and maximum of 151, indicating some frame time variance but generally smooth performance. At 2560x1440, the numbers are 140 FPS on Low, 99 FPS on Medium (min 84, max 114), 88 FPS on High, and 77 FPS on Ultra. At 3840x2160, the results are 94 FPS on Low, 67 FPS on Medium (min 57, max 77), 60 FPS on High, and 52 FPS on Ultra.

The 4K High result of 60 FPS is exactly at the standard for console-like smoothness, but the 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS dips below that threshold, which may be noticeable in fast-paced action sequences. The 1440p results are all above 77 FPS, which is comfortable for most displays. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset at 101 FPS is well above 60 FPS, making this resolution the most forgiving for the combo. The lack of min/max FPS data for most rows means we cannot assess frame pacing across the board, but the available data for Medium settings shows the range is manageable: at 1080p, min 111 and max 151 (a 40 FPS spread), at 1440p, min 84 and max 114 (a 30 FPS spread), and at 4K, min 57 and max 77 (a 20 FPS spread). The narrowing range as resolution increases suggests the GPU is smoothing out frame delivery at higher resolutions, which is counterintuitive but may indicate that CPU-side stutters are less impactful when the GPU is the bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 101 FPS is the clear recommendation — it provides the highest visual quality while staying well above 60 FPS, and the 101 FPS average is smooth on 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors. If a player has a 144 Hz display, the High preset at 117 FPS is a better choice, as the 16 FPS gain from dropping from Ultra to High is meaningful for competitive play. The Medium preset at 131 FPS is also viable for high-refresh gaming, but the visual trade-off from High to Medium is more noticeable than from Ultra to High.

For 1440p, the High preset at 88 FPS is the sweet spot — it offers a good balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, and 88 FPS is smooth on 90 Hz or 100 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 77 FPS is also acceptable, but the 11 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual improvements, which are often subtle in Control. The Medium preset at 99 FPS is the best choice for players prioritizing frame rate over visuals, especially on 120 Hz monitors. At 4K, the High preset at 60 FPS is the recommended setting, as it hits the 60 FPS target exactly. The Medium preset at 67 FPS provides a small buffer above 60 FPS, which could help with frame drops, but the visual difference between Medium and High is significant. The Ultra preset at 52 FPS is not recommended for most players, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel less responsive.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz, based on the Zen 2 architecture (codename Matisse) on TSMC's 7 nm process. It has 64 KB L1 cache per core, 512 KB L2 cache per core, and 32 MB L3 cache, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel interface and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, and it uses PCIe Gen 4 with 24 lanes. Its launch MSRP was $329, and it was released on 2019-07-06.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 3700X shows strong multi-threaded performance: Cinebench R15 multicore scores 2092, Geekbench multicore scores 8899, and Passmark multithread scores 22458. However, single-thread performance is more modest: Cinebench R15 singlecore scores 204, Geekbench singlecore scores 1593, and Passmark single-thread scores 2656. This split is evident in Control's frame rates at 1080p, where the CPU can become a limiting factor at high frame rates. The 177 FPS at 1080p Low is respectable, but the fact that the GPU could likely push higher if the CPU were faster suggests a slight bottleneck. At 1440p and 4K, the CPU's role diminishes, as the GPU becomes the primary constraint.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks — the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 and AMD EPYC 4244P — are within 0.1% of its average score, while the Intel Core i5-13450HX is 0.2% ahead. This indicates that the 3700X remains competitive with modern processors in multi-threaded workloads, despite being several years old. However, its lower single-thread performance compared to newer CPUs may affect games that rely heavily on single-core performance, though Control's data suggests this is not a major issue at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p offers the best balance, with 88 FPS at High settings and 99 FPS at Medium. At 4K, the High preset delivers exactly 60 FPS, which is playable but leaves no headroom, while 1080p pushes frame rates above 117 FPS at High but may expose CPU limitations.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the average FPS is 60, which is the minimum for smooth play. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 67 FPS provides a small buffer, but the High preset is the recommended 4K setting.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 3700X compare to newer CPUs in benchmarks?

A: The 3700X has an average benchmark score of 34260, which is within 0.2% of the Intel Core i5-13450HX (34333) and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (34222) and AMD EPYC 4244P (34220). This indicates it remains competitive in multi-threaded workloads despite being a 2019 processor.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 the bottleneck at any resolution?

A: At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 52 FPS at Ultra and 60 FPS at High. At 1080p, the CPU appears to be the bottleneck, since the GPU could likely achieve higher frame rates if the CPU were faster — the 177 FPS at Low is high but not maxed out. At 1440p, the system is balanced, with the GPU and CPU sharing the load.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows min and max FPS for Medium presets: at 1080p, the range is 111 to 151 FPS (average 131), at 1440p, the range is 84 to 114 FPS (average 99), and at 4K, the range is 57 to 77 FPS (average 67). The spread narrows as resolution increases, suggesting more consistent frame delivery at 4K.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Control?

A: It ranks 1114 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top 30% of all configurations. This is a strong result, but the ranking indicates that over a thousand other systems perform better, likely due to newer CPUs or higher-end GPUs.