Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and Radeon RX 7900 XTX pairing delivers a broad spectrum of performance in Control, scaling from exceptionally high refresh rates at 1080p to solid 4K playability. The data shows a GPU-bound configuration at higher resolutions, with the CPU’s capabilities becoming more apparent only when the graphical load is reduced. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to guide settings choices and clarify the role of each component.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS demonstrates a classic resolution scaling curve, with the most significant performance drop occurring between 1080p and 1440p, followed by a steeper decline to 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 139.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 109.2 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 22%. Moving to 3840x2160 yields 73.1 FPS, a further 33% drop from the 1440p result. This pattern indicates that the RX 7900 XTX is the primary limiter at 4K, as the pixel throughput demand outpaces the GPU's raw compute.

The scaling is even more pronounced at the Low preset. The 219.9 FPS average at 1080p plummets to 169.7 FPS at 1440p and then to 117.1 FPS at 4K. While 117 FPS at 4K is still very smooth, the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is approximately 47%, compared to a 48% drop at High settings. This similar relative decline across presets suggests that the game's engine is consistently demanding on the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth, regardless of the quality level. The RX 7900 XTX’s 960.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is a critical asset here, preventing a more severe bottleneck at 4K.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (219.9 FPS) and Ultra (122.3 FPS) is 97.6 FPS. At 4K, the gap narrows to 53.9 FPS, with Low at 117.1 FPS and Ultra at 63.2 FPS. This compression at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is the bottleneck; the additional shading work required for Ultra settings becomes relatively less costly compared to the sheer pixel fill rate needed at 4K. The data suggests that for maximum frame rates, dropping to 1440p is far more effective than merely lowering settings at 4K.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is clearly the dominant component in this pairing for Control. Its 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus provides 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial for a game with as many dynamic textures and particle effects as Control. The benchmark results show that even at the highest Ultra preset with 4K resolution, the card maintains an average of 63.2 FPS, indicating it has enough headroom to handle the game's most demanding visual scenarios without running out of memory or bandwidth.

The GPU's clock behavior further explains its performance. The listed game clock of 2365 MHz and boost clock of 2498 MHz are high for a 5 nm part, allowing the 6144 shading units to process geometry and effects rapidly. The transition from Medium to High settings at 1440p shows a modest 8.8 FPS drop (118.0 to 109.2 FPS), suggesting the card is not yet saturated at Medium. However, the jump from High to Ultra at 1440p (109.2 to 93.2 FPS) is a more significant 14.7% reduction, pointing to the increased load from advanced lighting and reflection techniques.

At 4K, the GPU's limits become clearer. The 73.1 FPS at High settings is respectable, but the 82.9 FPS at Medium and 117.1 FPS at Low show a steep curve. The data indicates that the 7900 XTX is most comfortable at 1440p where it can deliver high refresh rates without compromising on visual fidelity. The 63.2 FPS at 4K Ultra is playable but suggests that users prioritizing 60 FPS minimums will need to use Medium or High presets at that resolution. The card's performance is consistent with its 85th percentile ranking among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 44019 places it slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti in synthetic tests.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested system combinations for Control, this pairing of the Ryzen 7 5700 and RX 7900 XTX holds a strong position. The combo rank of 230 out of 1636 tested combinations places it in the top 14% of all systems. This is a solid result, indicating that the combination of a capable 8-core CPU and a high-end GPU is well-balanced for this title. The ranking suggests that while there are faster configurations, this setup outperforms the vast majority of systems tested.

The CPU's individual standing supports this. The Ryzen 7 5700 ranks at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27220. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-9900K, which scores 27043 with a deltaPct of 0.7, and the Intel Core i7-12700H at 27006 with a deltaPct of 0.8. This means the 5700 is statistically on par with these processors, delivering comparable multi-threaded performance. The GPU's 85th percentile ranking and a score of 44019 also align with its rivals, such as the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (43313, deltaPct 1.6) and the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (44195, deltaPct -0.4).

Given that the combo rank is higher (better) than the individual component percentiles might suggest, the data implies that this specific pairing is well-suited for Control. The 8-core, 16-thread CPU provides enough processing power to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, while the GPU's massive memory pool ensures no stutter at high settings. The rank of 230 indicates that users can expect a high-performance experience without being at the absolute top tier, which is likely reserved for configurations with newer, more expensive CPUs.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings balance depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is entirely viable, as the 122.3 FPS average is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors. There is little reason to drop below High settings at this resolution, as even High yields 139.8 FPS. The Medium preset at 161.4 FPS offers marginal gains for those seeking maximum competitive advantage, but the visual fidelity loss is likely not worth the 15% frame rate increase.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot. The 109.2 FPS average is ideal for 100 Hz or 120 Hz displays, and the visual quality is excellent. Dropping to Medium reduces the average to 118.0 FPS, a modest 8% increase, but the reduction in shadow quality and texture filtering may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 93.2 FPS is also acceptable for 60 Hz or 90 Hz monitors, but the jump from High to Ultra yields only a 7.4% performance cost for what is often a subtle visual improvement in Control's dark environments.

For 4K, the choice is more constrained. The High preset at 73.1 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it provides a smooth experience on most 60 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 63.2 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for dips in intense combat sequences. Conversely, the Medium preset at 82.9 FPS offers a safer margin above 60 FPS, making it the better choice for those who prioritize frame stability over maximum fidelity. The Low preset at 117.1 FPS is only recommended for users with 120 Hz 4K panels who are willing to sacrifice most visual enhancements.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for this combination is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 219.9 FPS, Medium reaches 161.4 FPS, High hits 139.8 FPS, and Ultra settles at 122.3 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 44% reduction in performance, highlighting the significant cost of the game's advanced rendering features.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 169.7 FPS for Low, 118.0 FPS for Medium, 109.2 FPS for High, and 93.2 FPS for Ultra. The relative drop from Low to Ultra is 45%, consistent with the 1080p scaling, but the absolute numbers are much lower due to the increased pixel count. The High preset here offers nearly double the frame rate of the 4K Ultra preset, making 1440p High the most efficient configuration for high-refresh gaming.

At 3840x2160, the performance is as follows: Low averages 117.1 FPS, Medium averages 82.9 FPS, High averages 73.1 FPS, and Ultra averages 63.2 FPS. The data shows a steep decline from Low to Medium (29% drop) and a more gradual decline from Medium to High (12% drop) and High to Ultra (14% drop). This suggests that the Low preset is not GPU-bound, whereas Ultra is heavily constrained. The average FPS figures across all resolutions confirm that this system can handle Control at any setting, but the user must choose between resolution and visual quality.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 plays a supporting but essential role in this configuration. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, it provides ample processing power for Control's physics and AI systems. The CPU's base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz are sufficient to keep up with the GPU's demands at lower resolutions. The evidence for this is the 219.9 FPS result at 1080p Low, which indicates the CPU is not bottlenecking the GPU, as such high frame rates require strong single-thread performance.

The CPU's benchmark scores show it is a capable mid-range processor. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20655 and single-core score of 2916 are solid for a 65W TDP part. The passmark multithread score of 24303 places it in the same league as the Intel Core i9-9900K (27043, deltaPct 0.7) and Intel Core i7-12700H (27006, deltaPct 0.8). This means the 5700 is not a weak link; it can handle the game's logic without dragging down the GPU.

However, the CPU’s influence on Control's frame rates is limited. The consistent performance scaling across resolutions, where frame rates drop as resolution increases, indicates that the GPU is the primary determinant of FPS. The Ryzen 7 5700's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide enough bandwidth to feed the GPU, but the data does not show any CPU-induced stutters or frame pacing issues. In essence, this CPU is a reliable foundation that allows the RX 7900 XTX to stretch its legs, but it is the GPU that ultimately defines the gaming experience in Control.