Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Radeon RX 6800 XT combination delivers a compelling 1440p and 1080p experience in Control, but 4K Ultra remains a challenge. The data shows a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, with the CPU providing ample headroom at lower settings. This pairing ranks in the top third of all tested combos, making it a strong, balanced choice for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating that the Radeon RX 6800 XT is the limiting factor as resolution increases. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 113.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 84 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 29.8 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 58.4 FPS, a 45.4 FPS decline from 1440p. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-heavy workload; the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, and the GPU’s rendering throughput becomes the primary bottleneck.

The trend is even more pronounced at the Ultra preset. Here, the 1080p average of 99.8 FPS falls to 76.3 FPS at 1440p and then to 49.8 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Ultra is 26.5 FPS, showing that the most demanding settings amplify the resolution penalty. Conversely, the Low preset shows the smallest relative drop, with 179.9 FPS at 1080p, 136.6 FPS at 1440p, and 88.4 FPS at 4K. This suggests that when the graphical load is lightened, the CPU can better feed the GPU, but the GPU still dictates the final frame rate ceiling at 4K.

The data indicates that 1080p is firmly in CPU-bound territory at lower settings, as the jump from Low to High at 1080p (179.9 to 113.8 FPS) is a 66.1 FPS difference. At 4K, the same settings change yields only a 30.0 FPS difference (88.4 to 58.4 FPS), reinforcing that the GPU is the dominant constraint. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, 1440p High is the sweet spot, while 4K requires dropping to Medium or Low settings to stay above 60 FPS.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6800 XT’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth are substantial assets for Control, a game with heavy texture and effects usage. The GPU’s boost clock of 2250 MHz and game clock of 2015 MHz provide the raw compute power needed to drive the game’s complex physics and particle effects. With 4608 shading units and 72 ray tracing cores, the card is well-equipped for the game’s demanding rendering, though the data shows that the Ultra preset, which likely leverages these features, can push the GPU to its limits at higher resolutions.

The benchmark results show that the RX 6800 XT’s performance is consistent with its 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs. It sits close to rivals like the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, which has a deltaPct of 2.6, and the Intel Arc A550M, with a deltaPct of 0.5. In Control, the GPU’s strength is evident in the 1080p Low result of 179.9 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that many systems cannot achieve. However, the 4K Ultra result of 49.8 FPS shows that even a high-end card like this cannot fully tame the game’s most demanding settings at 4K.

The memory capacity is not a limiting factor at any tested resolution, as the card’s 16 GB is more than sufficient for 4K textures. The bandwidth, however, becomes more critical at 4K, where the GPU must fetch data for a much larger frame buffer. The performance drop from High to Ultra at 4K (58.4 to 49.8 FPS) suggests that the Ultra settings increase memory and compute pressure beyond what the card can comfortably sustain. The GPU’s role is clearly dominant; the CPU’s performance remains largely static across resolutions, while the GPU’s frame rate fluctuates significantly.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, provides a robust foundation for Control. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz, combined with 32 MB of shared L3 cache, ensure that it can keep up with the GPU’s demands in most scenarios. The CPU’s benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22620 and a single-core score of 3193, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. This processing power is sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck at 1080p, where the GPU is often the limiting factor.

The data shows that the CPU’s influence is most apparent at low resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 179.9 FPS, a figure that is likely near the CPU’s practical limit for this game. At 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 136.6 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 88.4 FPS, showing that the GPU is increasingly the limiting factor as resolution scales. The CPU’s performance is consistent, with the Ryzen 7 5700X offering a slight edge over the Intel Core i9-11900KF, which has a deltaPct of 0.1, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, which has a deltaPct of -0.2.

The CPU’s 65 W TDP and Zen 3 architecture make it an efficient partner for the RX 6800 XT. In this pairing, the CPU is never the primary constraint at 1440p or 4K, as the GPU’s frame rates are consistently lower. At 1080p, the CPU does limit the maximum achievable frame rate, but it still allows for very high averages, such as 113.8 FPS at High. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 6858 and the 3dmark_single_thread score of 921 confirm that the CPU has both the multi-threaded and single-threaded performance necessary for a modern title like Control.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Ryzen 7 5700X and RX 6800 XT ranks 557th out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This puts it in the top 34% of all pairings, a strong result that reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. The combo’s rank is influenced by the GPU’s high percentile (87th) and the CPU’s solid 83rd percentile, creating a system that is well-matched for this game. The ranking indicates that while there are faster combinations, particularly those with newer, higher-end GPUs, this pairing offers a high level of performance that will satisfy most gamers.

The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, have similar average benchmark scores, with a deltaPct of 2.6. This suggests that the RX 6800 XT is competitive with newer cards, and the combo’s rank is not significantly held back by the GPU. The CPU’s rivals, including the Intel Core i9-11900KF, are also closely matched, with a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the CPU is not a weak link in this pairing. The overall rank of 557 out of 1636 suggests that this is a very capable system for Control, offering a stable high-refresh-rate experience at 1440p and a playable 4K experience at reduced settings.

The combo’s position in the rankings reflects the synergy between the two components. The CPU’s strong single-threaded performance ensures that it can feed the GPU at high frame rates, while the GPU’s substantial memory and compute resources handle the game’s demanding visuals. This is not a pairing that struggles with bottlenecks; instead, it provides consistent performance across a range of settings and resolutions. The data suggests that for most users, this combo will deliver a smooth and enjoyable experience in Control without needing to compromise heavily on visual quality.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience is achieved at 2560x1440 with the High preset. This combination yields an average of 84 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while still offering high visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 76.3 FPS, a minor reduction in frame rate for a marginal improvement in visual quality, making it a viable option for those who prioritize graphics over a higher refresh rate. At 1080p, the High preset provides 113.8 FPS, and Ultra provides 99.8 FPS, both excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the Medium preset is the optimal choice, as it delivers 62.8 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. The High preset at 4K falls to 58.4 FPS, which is slightly below the ideal threshold, while the Low preset jumps to 88.4 FPS but sacrifices significant visual quality. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as the 49.8 FPS average is below the desired 60 FPS and will result in noticeable stuttering. Therefore, the recommended settings are: 1080p Ultra for maximum visual quality at high frame rates, 1440p High for the best balance of quality and performance, and 4K Medium for a playable experience.

The data shows a clear progression: as resolution increases, the optimal settings preset must decrease to maintain a stable frame rate. At 1080p, all presets are playable, with even Ultra exceeding 90 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra is still viable at 76.3 FPS, but High is the more conservative choice. At 4K, the user must drop to Medium to stay above 60 FPS, or accept a lower frame rate with High settings. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play where frame rate is paramount, as it provides 179.9 FPS at 1080p and 136.6 FPS at 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 179.9 on Low to 99.8 on Ultra. The Medium preset achieves 127.6 FPS, and High achieves 113.8 FPS. This resolution provides the highest frame rates, with all settings exceeding the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin. The data shows a 80.1 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p, indicating a significant performance cost for the highest visual settings.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 136.6 on Low to 76.3 on Ultra. The Medium preset achieves 97 FPS, and High achieves 84 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, offering high frame rates with a good balance of visual quality. The difference between Low and Ultra is 60.3 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset has a substantial performance impact at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 88.4 on Low to 49.8 on Ultra. The Medium preset achieves 62.8 FPS, and High achieves 58.4 FPS. This resolution is the most demanding, and the data shows that only the Low and Medium presets can maintain an average above 60 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 38.6 FPS, which is a smaller absolute gap than at lower resolutions, but the relative impact is significant, as the Ultra preset falls below the playable threshold.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 with the High preset delivers an average of 84 FPS, making it the best balance of visual quality and performance. 1920x1080 offers higher frame rates, with Ultra achieving 99.8 FPS, but 1440p provides a sharper image.

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset achieves 62.8 FPS, which is playable. The High preset falls slightly below 60 FPS at 58.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset is not recommended at 49.8 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU perform relative to its rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X scores 22620 in Cinebench R23 multicore. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900KF and 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT, but 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U.

Q: How does the GPU compare to similar cards?

A: The Radeon RX 6800 XT has an average benchmark score of 49982. It is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A550M and 1.9% ahead of the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, but 1.7% behind the NVIDIA RTX A1000 and 2.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking?

A: This combination ranks 557th out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top third of all systems tested. This indicates a high level of performance relative to other pairings.

Q: Which preset gives the highest frame rate?

A: The Low preset provides the highest frame rates at all resolutions, with 179.9 FPS at 1080p, 136.6 FPS at 1440p, and 88.4 FPS at 4K. However, this comes at a significant visual quality cost.