Control

Control is an action-adventure game that pushes hardware with its physics-heavy environments and particle effects. The measured data for the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 combined with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 shows a system that is clearly capable of delivering a smooth experience at mainstream resolutions, but it hits a firm wall at 4K. The benchmark results indicate a pairing where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU’s 8-core, 16-thread configuration provides ample headroom. This analysis breaks down exactly how this combo behaves across the tested settings and resolutions, using the measured frames per second (FPS) data to guide practical decisions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, revealing a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p High settings, the system averages 75 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 56 FPS, which is a 25% reduction from the 1080p figure. Jumping to 4K High brings the average down to 38 FPS, which is a 49% drop from the 1080p result and a 32% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern is typical for a mid-range graphics card: the RX 7600’s compute units are simply overwhelmed by the 8.3 million pixels at 4K, whereas the 1080p workload lets the GPU keep up with the CPU’s output.

The data shows that lower settings do not fully rescue 4K performance, but they make it playable. At 4K Low, the average FPS jumps to 60, which is a 58% improvement over 4K High. However, this comes at a significant visual cost. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is substantial: 60 FPS at Low versus 33 FPS at Ultra, a difference of 45%. This suggests that the game’s higher presets introduce effects like volumetric lighting and reflections that are particularly taxing on the RX 7600’s 8 GB of VRAM and 2048 shading units.

It is importantly the 1080p to 1440p transition is less punishing than the 1440p to 4K transition. At Medium settings, 1080p yields 84 FPS, while 1440p yields 64 FPS (a 24% drop), and 4K yields 43 FPS (a 48% drop from 1080p). The trend is clear: the RX 7600 is most efficient at 1080p, where it can maintain high frame rates, but the pixel count at 1440p begins to strain the memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. At 4K, the card is clearly out of its comfort zone, and even Low settings are required to approach a 60 FPS average.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the limiting factor in this pairing for Control. Its VRAM capacity is a key concern: 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In a game like Control, which features large, detailed environments and destructible objects, 8 GB is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it struggles at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 33. The game’s texture streaming and high-resolution assets likely exceed the VRAM buffer at 3840x2160, causing stutter and reduced frame rates.

The clock speeds of the RX 7600 are relatively high, with a base clock of 1720 MHz, a game clock of 2250 MHz, and a boost clock of 2655 MHz. These high clocks help the card maintain competitive performance at lower resolutions, but they do not compensate for the raw shader count. With 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs, the card’s pixel fill rate is 169.9 GPixel/s, which is adequate for 1080p but insufficient for 4K at high settings. The benchmark results confirm this: the card’s percentile ranking is 57, meaning it sits slightly above the median of all GPUs, but it is not a high-end part.

Comparing the GPU to its nearest rivals, the RX 7600’s average benchmark score of 15171 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM’s 15199, with a deltaPct of -0.2%. This indicates that in raw compute terms, the RX 7600 is on par with that older NVIDIA card. However, the RX 7600 benefits from newer RDNA 3.0 architecture, which offers better ray tracing and power efficiency, but these features are not reflected in the average score. In Control, the measured FPS is the true test, and the data shows that the card is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can push past 60 FPS on High and Ultra settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The data shows that 4K is only playable at Low settings, where the average FPS is 60. At Medium, it drops to 43 FPS, at High to 38 FPS, and at Ultra to 33 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 4K Low is the only viable option, but this sacrifices visual fidelity.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system to maintain a high refresh rate?

A: At 1080p, the system averages 118 FPS on Low, 84 FPS on Medium, and 75 FPS on High. This is the only resolution where the combo can consistently exceed 75 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh monitors. At 1440p, the best average is 89 FPS on Low, which is still respectable.

Q: How much does the Ultra preset cost in performance compared to High?

A: At 1080p, Ultra averages 65 FPS versus 75 FPS on High, a 13% drop. At 1440p, Ultra averages 49 FPS versus 56 FPS on High, a 12.5% drop. At 4K, Ultra averages 33 FPS versus 38 FPS on High, a 13% drop. The cost is consistent across resolutions, but the absolute FPS loss is more noticeable at 4K.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5700 CPU holding back the GPU?

A: The CPU has 8 cores and 16 threads, and its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20655. The percentile ranking of 78 indicates it is faster than 78% of all CPUs. The data suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the FPS drops are proportional to resolution increases, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 33 at 4K Ultra settings. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 36 at 4K Medium settings, with an average of 43 FPS. This indicates that even at 4K Medium, there are moments of stutter, but the average remains playable.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested combos in terms of overall ranking?

A: This combo ranks 2608 out of 3720 tested combos for Control, placing it in the 70th percentile (2608/3720). This means it outperforms roughly 30% of all tested systems, but it is far from the top tier. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank in Control is 2608 out of 3720 tested combos. This places it in the lower half of the top 70%, meaning it is a solid mid-tier performer but not a high-end contender. The ranking is heavily influenced by the RX 7600’s GPU score, which has a percentile of 57, while the CPU’s percentile is 78. This disparity reinforces the idea that the GPU is the weak link in this pairing.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700’s average benchmark score is 25517, which is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon D-2752TER (25530, deltaPct -0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H (25550, deltaPct -0.1%). This means the CPU is performing as expected for its class, with no significant headroom left on the table. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the RTX 3050 OEM (15199, deltaPct -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon 680M integrated graphics (15270, deltaPct -0.7%), which shows that the RX 7600 is a step up from integrated solutions but not a massive leap over older discrete cards.

In the context of Control, this ranking means that the system will handle the game at 1080p with ease, offering playable frame rates even on Ultra. At 1440p, it is still viable, but users will need to dial back settings from Ultra to High to stay above 60 FPS. At 4K, the system is at the edge of playability, and only Low settings provide a consistent 60 FPS experience. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can deliver a high refresh rate experience without compromising too much on visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a full picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. All numbers below are averages, with minimum and maximum values listed where available.

1920x1080:

• Low: 118 FPS average
• Medium: 84 FPS average, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 97
• High: 75 FPS average
• Ultra: 65 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 89 FPS average
• Medium: 64 FPS average, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 73
• High: 56 FPS average
• Ultra: 49 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 60 FPS average
• Medium: 43 FPS average, with a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 49
• High: 38 FPS average
• Ultra: 33 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the difference between Low and Ultra settings is roughly 45-50% at every resolution. For example, at 1080p, Low is 118 FPS and Ultra is 65 FPS, a difference of 53 FPS. At 1440p, the difference is 40 FPS (89 to 49). At 4K, the difference is 27 FPS (60 to 33). This suggests that the game’s Ultra preset adds significant graphical features that are uniformly taxing on the GPU, regardless of resolution.

The minimum FPS values, recorded only for Medium settings, show that the system can experience stutter. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 71 FPS, which is still smooth. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 54 FPS, which is near the edge of acceptable for fast-paced action. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 36 FPS, which will be noticeable in intense combat scenes. These minimums indicate that while the average FPS may be playable, the frame time consistency degrades as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to a clear choice: 1080p with High settings. This configuration delivers an average of 75 FPS, which is smooth for most players, and it maintains the visual quality that Control’s atmospheric design deserves. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p only costs 10 FPS (75 to 65), but the visual difference is often subtle in motion. If you have a 144Hz monitor, 1080p Medium at 84 FPS is a better target, as it provides a higher frame rate while still looking good.

At 1440p, the recommendation is to use High settings, which yields an average of 56 FPS. This is playable, but not ideal for competitive play. For a smoother experience, dropping to Medium at 1440p gives 64 FPS, which is a 14% improvement over High. The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium is 54, which is acceptable. Avoid Ultra at 1440p unless you can tolerate an average of 49 FPS.

For 4K, the data strongly suggests that this combo is not suited for high-quality gaming. The only way to achieve a 60 FPS average is to use Low settings, which strips away many of the game’s visual effects. If you must play at 4K, Medium is the highest you should go, with an average of 43 FPS and a minimum of 36 FPS. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they drop below 40 FPS, which will feel sluggish.

In summary, the optimal experience for this system is 1080p High for a balance of quality and speed, or 1080p Low if you prioritize maximum frame rates. At 1440p, stick to Medium or High for a playable experience. Avoid 4K unless you are willing to compromise heavily on visual fidelity. The built-in frame rate data shows that this pairing is a capable 1080p machine, a decent 1440p machine, and a poor 4K machine.