Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 pairing represents a notable matchup in Control, pitting a 2019 eight-core Zen 2 processor against a 2025 Blackwell graphics card. The measured data reveals a combination that is heavily influenced by the GPU’s capabilities, but with clear CPU-imposed limits at lower resolutions. This analysis will break down the component roles, scaling behavior, and optimal settings based strictly on the provided benchmark figures.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process, featuring 3,840 shading units and a boost clock of 2497 MHz. Its memory subsystem is particularly relevant for Control: 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus yields a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is the key enabler for the GPU’s performance in the game’s particle-heavy and physics-driven scenes, which demand rapid texture streaming and buffer updates.

The data shows a stark difference between the 4K Low setting (73.9 FPS) and 4K Ultra (42.7 FPS), a 31.2 FPS drop. This 42% performance loss when moving from Low to Ultra at 4K highlights how the graphics card’s shading units and memory bandwidth are taxed by higher-quality effects. At 1080p, the same settings swing from 146.4 FPS (Low) to 83.7 FPS (Ultra), a 62.7 FPS reduction. The absolute FPS gap is larger at 1080p because the CPU can feed frames faster, but the relative drop is similar, suggesting the GPU’s compute and memory throughput are the primary bottlenecks for quality settings across all resolutions.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor. At 4K Ultra, the card averages 42.7 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. The 128-bit bus, while paired with fast GDDR7, may struggle with Control’s high-resolution textures and complex shaders. The 47.1 FPS at 4K High versus 51.6 FPS at 4K Medium shows a smaller 4.5 FPS difference than the 8.9 FPS jump from Medium to Ultra, indicating that the memory bandwidth or capacity is being saturated at the highest preset. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 20,891 places it in the 73rd percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.6% delta). This suggests the RTX 5060’s raw compute is competitive, but the game’s results show that memory configuration plays a decisive role in Control.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 7 3700X provides 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its Zen 2 architecture, with 32 MB of L3 cache, delivers a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19,087 and a single-core score of 2,694. In the context of Control, which is known to scale with multi-threaded physics, this CPU’s 16 threads are an asset, but its single-thread performance is more modest.

The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 146.4 FPS, which is the highest measured figure in the entire dataset. This suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at high frame rates. However, the percentile rank of 85 for the CPU (vs. all CPUs) and its average benchmark score of 28,631, which is nearly identical to its nearest rival the Intel Core i5-12600 (-0.1% delta), indicates that it is a mid-to-high-tier processor from an older generation. The 3700X’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz is its ceiling, and for a game like Control, that ceiling is reached at 1080p.

The critical evidence of CPU limitation appears in the scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The FPS drops from 146.4 to 73.9, a 49.5% reduction. If the GPU were the sole bottleneck at Low settings, the drop would be more severe. Instead, the data implies that at 1080p, the CPU is limiting the frame rate, preventing the GPU from reaching even higher numbers. At 4K Low, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the frame rate halves. The CPU’s PassMark multi-thread score of 22,458 and single-thread score of 2,656 further corroborate that it is a balanced but not exceptional performer, making it a capable partner for the RTX 5060 at 1440p and 4K, but a limiting factor for extreme high-refresh 1080p play.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60 FPS average on High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo averages 68.7 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS target. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average drops to 47.1 FPS, which is below 60 FPS. Therefore, 1440p is the highest resolution where High settings maintain a 60 FPS average.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra preset compare to the 4K Medium preset in terms of performance?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 42.7 FPS, while the 4K Medium preset averages 51.6 FPS. This represents a 8.9 FPS (or roughly 17%) performance penalty for using Ultra over Medium at 4K, which may not be visually justified given the marginal quality increase.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low settings?

A: The 1080p Low setting achieves 146.4 FPS, which is the highest score in the dataset. Given that the CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2,694, and the FPS drops to 114.2 at 1440p Low, the data suggests the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p, preventing the GPU from pushing frame rates even higher.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 106.8. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 51.6. This is a 55.2 FPS drop, or approximately a 52% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo is ranked 806 out of 1,636 total tested combinations. This places it in the middle of the pack, indicating that while the components are capable, there are many faster or better-balanced pairings in the database.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GPU, and how does it relate to its performance?

A: The GPU has a launch MSRP of 299 USD. The data shows that it outperforms its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, by 0% in average benchmark score, but its performance in Control varies widely by settings, suggesting the price reflects its mid-range positioning.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the system scales across resolutions. For Low settings, the average FPS drops from 146.4 at 1080p to 114.2 at 1440p (a 32.2 FPS drop) and then to 73.9 at 4K (a further 40.3 FPS drop). The 1440p to 4K transition shows a 35% reduction, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios. The 1080p to 1440p drop of 22% is less severe, indicating that at 1080p, the CPU is starting to hold the system back.

For High settings, the FPS drops from 92.2 at 1080p to 68.7 at 1440p (a 23.5 FPS drop) and then to 47.1 at 4K (a 21.6 FPS drop). The percentage drops are 25% and 31%, respectively. This more consistent scaling suggests that at High settings, the GPU is the bottleneck across all resolutions, as the added graphical load reduces the CPU’s ability to limit performance. The 1080p High score of 92.2 is 54.2 FPS lower than the 1080p Low score, showing that the GPU’s shading units are heavily utilized even at 1080p when quality is increased.

The Ultra settings show the most significant impact of resolution, with a 59.8 FPS at 1440p dropping to 42.7 FPS at 4K. This 17.1 FPS drop (28.6%) is the largest relative drop among the presets, confirming that Ultra settings are compute and bandwidth intensive. The data collectively indicates that the RTX 5060 is the dominant bottleneck for most settings, but the Ryzen 7 3700X becomes a limiting factor specifically at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, where the GPU has spare capacity.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 806 out of 1,636 total tested combinations in Control. This places it in the 49th percentile of all combos, meaning roughly half of the tested systems perform better and half perform worse. This rank is surprisingly low given the individual component scores, but it reflects the balance of the pairing.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 30,109 puts it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU’s average score of 28,631 puts it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. The fact that the combo rank is lower than either component’s individual percentile suggests a mismatch. The data shows that the RTX 5060 is a strong performer, but its 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus may not be ideal for Control’s demanding effects, while the 3700X’s single-thread performance may limit the GPU’s potential. The nearest rivals for the GPU include the RX 7700 XT (0% delta) and the RTX 5070 Mobile (0.6% delta), while the CPU is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-12600 (-0.1% delta). This suggests that pairing the 3700X with a different GPU, or the 5060 with a newer CPU, could yield a higher rank, but the current configuration is a middle-of-the-road performer.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal settings depend on the target resolution. For 4K, the Medium preset is the most balanced, delivering 51.6 FPS, which is above the playable threshold of 45 FPS but below the ideal 60 FPS. The High preset at 4K drops to 47.1 FPS, which is still playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K (42.7 FPS) is not recommended, as the 8.9 FPS gain over Medium is likely not worth the performance loss.

For 1440p, the High preset is the best choice, averaging 68.7 FPS. This provides a smooth experience above 60 FPS while maintaining good visual quality. The Medium preset at 83.1 FPS is also viable, but High offers a better visual experience for a 15.6 FPS cost. The Ultra preset at 59.8 FPS is borderline, but it dips below 60 FPS, making High the superior choice.

For 1080p, the Medium preset at 106.8 FPS is the sweet spot, offering high frame rates and good quality. The High preset at 92.2 FPS is also excellent, but Medium provides a 14.6 FPS boost. The Ultra preset at 83.7 FPS is playable, but the performance hit from Medium to Ultra (23.1 FPS) is significant. For competitive play, Low at 146.4 FPS is the best option.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table summarizes all measured average FPS values from the dataset:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 47.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 73.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 51.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 42.7 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 68.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 114.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 83.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 59.8 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 92.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 146.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 106.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 83.7 |

At 1080p, the spread from Low to Ultra is 62.7 FPS, with Low being the only setting above 120 FPS. At 1440p, the spread is 54.4 FPS, with no setting exceeding 120 FPS. At 4K, the spread narrows to 31.2 FPS, with all settings below 75 FPS. This data confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, while the CPU’s influence is most apparent at 1080p Low. The 1440p High result of 68.7 FPS stands out as the best balance of resolution, quality, and performance.