Control

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

The measured frame rates for Control with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti show a clear, predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p High settings, the combo averages 146 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 111 FPS, a 24% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 75 FPS, which is 49% below the 1080p figure. This scaling curve is steep, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint when resolution climbs, rather than the CPU.

The pattern repeats across all settings presets. At Medium settings, 1080p yields 165 FPS, 1440p yields 125 FPS, and 4K yields 84 FPS. The percentage drops are 24% from 1080p to 1440p and another 33% from 1440p to 4K. At Low settings, the numbers are 226 FPS at 1080p, 176 FPS at 1440p, and 119 FPS at 4K — a 22% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 32% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Ultra, the trend continues: 127 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p, and 65 FPS at 4K, representing 24% and 32% reductions respectively.

The consistency of these scaling ratios — roughly 22–24% for the first step and 32–33% for the second — suggests that the RTX 5070 Ti's rendering throughput is the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would plateau or drop less dramatically at higher resolutions, because the CPU workload per frame does not scale with pixel count. Instead, the data shows a near-linear relationship between pixel count and frame time, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. At 1080p Low, the 226 FPS figure hints that the CPU can still feed the GPU well above 200 frames per second, but the GPU cannot sustain that pace at higher resolutions.

The 4K Medium result of 84 FPS, with a minimum of 72 and a maximum of 97, demonstrates that even with reduced settings, the GPU is working near its practical limit for this title at that resolution. The 4K Ultra result of 65 FPS is the lowest measured average across the entire matrix, reinforcing that the RTX 5070 Ti's 8960 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR7 memory are being pushed hard by Control's visual effects and physics simulation. Overall, the resolution scaling data points to a GPU-bound configuration across all tested settings, with the CPU playing a supporting role that becomes more visible only at 1080p Low where the frame rate exceeds 200 FPS.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. Its cache layout includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. The CPU supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and offers PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU. It was released on 2022-04-03 with a launch MSRP of $299.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 5700X scores 6858 in 3DMark's 16-thread test, 5768 in the 8-thread test, and 3512 in the 4-thread test. Its single-thread score is 921 in 3DMark and 2016 in Geekbench. Cinebench R23 results show 13184 multi-core and 1499 single-core. The PassMark multithread score is 26612, with a single-thread score of 3385. The processor's average benchmark score is 27578, placing it at the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12600K at a 0% delta, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 at +0.2%, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X at -0.2%, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H at +0.3%.

For Control, the CPU's role is to manage the game's physics, AI, and scripted events. Control is an action-adventure title that relies heavily on asynchronous compute and dynamic object interactions. The 5700X's 16 threads provide ample headroom for these workloads, and the measured frame rates indicate that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution above 1080p Low. At 1080p Low, the 226 FPS average suggests the CPU can still push beyond 200 FPS, but the GPU's rendering limits become the binding constraint as resolution increases.

The boost clock of 4.60 GHz is relevant for single-threaded game logic, which often dominates in titles like Control. The single-thread scores — 921 in 3DMark, 2016 in Geekbench, 1499 in Cinebench R23 — are competitive with the 5700X's rival processors. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration ensures that multi-threaded tasks, such as rendering the game's destructible environments and particle effects, do not starve the GPU. The 32 MB shared L3 cache helps with data locality, reducing memory latency for frequently accessed game data. The DDR4 memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s is sufficient for this game, as the GPU's 896.0 GB/s bandwidth handles the bulk of texture streaming.

The CPU's 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs, combined with its near-parity with the Intel Core i5-12600K (0% delta) and AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (+0.2%), indicates that the 5700X is a well-balanced partner for the RTX 5070 Ti in this game. The measured FPS data confirms that the CPU does not limit performance in Control until the GPU is already maxed out.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB203 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. It has 8960 shading units, 280 texture mapping units, 96 ROPs, 70 RT cores, and 280 tensor cores. The GPU's base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2452 MHz. Memory is 16 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus, providing 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU achieves 43.94 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and has a 300 W TDP. It was released on 2025-02-19 with a launch MSRP of 749 USD.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5070 Ti scores 6604 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 212363 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 225122 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its PassMark G3D score is 32974, with a GPU compute score of 20203. The average benchmark score is 49957, placing it at the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 at -0.1% delta, the Intel Arc A550M at +0.4%, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT at -2%, and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT at +3.1%.

For Control, the GPU's role is to handle the game's real-time ray tracing, volumetric lighting, and complex shader effects. Control is known for its physics-heavy gameplay and destructible environments, which put significant load on the GPU's compute and memory subsystems. The 16 GB of GDDR7 VRAM is more than sufficient for Control at any resolution, as the game's textures and geometry do not exceed this capacity. The 896.0 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and buffer updates do not become a bottleneck.

The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 5070 Ti delivers playable frame rates at 4K across all settings, with the lowest average being 65 FPS at Ultra. At 1080p, the GPU can exceed 200 FPS on Low settings (226 FPS) and remains above 120 FPS on Ultra (127 FPS). The 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with the near-parity with the RX Vega 64 (-0.1%) and the small lead over the RX 6900 XT (-2% for the rival), suggests that the RTX 5070 Ti is a high-end card that pairs well with the 5700X for this title.

The GPU's 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores are relevant for Control's optional ray tracing features, though the measured data does not include RT-specific settings. The FP32 throughput of 43.94 TFLOPS provides ample compute for the game's physics simulation, which runs on the GPU. The 300 W TDP and the suggested 700 W PSU indicate that this is a power-hungry card, but the performance data justifies the power draw. Overall, the RTX 5070 Ti is the dominant component in this configuration, and its capabilities determine the frame rate ceiling across all tested resolutions and settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS on High settings?

A: At 4K High, the average FPS is 75, so even 4K High maintains over 60 FPS. At 1440p High, the average is 111 FPS, and at 1080p High it is 146 FPS. All three resolutions exceed 60 FPS on High.

Q: How much faster is Low settings compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings yield 226 FPS, while Ultra yields 127 FPS. That is a 78% increase in average FPS from Ultra to Low.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in the entire test matrix?

A: The lowest average FPS is 65, measured at 4K Ultra settings. This is the only configuration in the dataset that drops below 70 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck at 1440p or 4K, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution. At 1080p Low, the 226 FPS average indicates the CPU can still feed the GPU well above 200 FPS, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 49957, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (50001) and 0.4% higher than the Intel Arc A550M (49737). It is 2% lower than the RX 6900 XT (50951) and 3.1% higher than the RX 6800 XT (48477).

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded in the dataset?

A: The maximum FPS recorded is 226, achieved at 1080p Low settings. The next highest is 190 FPS, which is the maximum at 1080p Medium, and 176 FPS is the average at 1440p Low.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the recommended settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate preference. For 4K gaming, High settings provide an average of 75 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. Medium settings at 4K yield 84 FPS with a minimum of 72 and a maximum of 97, offering a more stable experience if frame pacing is a concern. Ultra at 4K drops to 65 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes.

At 1440p, High settings deliver 111 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings at 1440p provide 125 FPS with a minimum of 106 and a maximum of 143, making it the best balance for competitive play or fast-paced action. Ultra at 1440p yields 96 FPS, which is still above 90 FPS and suitable for most users. Low at 1440p reaches 176 FPS, but the visual quality loss is significant for a game like Control, which relies on atmosphere and lighting.

At 1080p, the GTX 5070 Ti is overkill for most settings. High settings deliver 146 FPS, Medium delivers 165 FPS (with a minimum of 140 and maximum of 190), and Ultra delivers 127 FPS. Low settings at 226 FPS are only useful for extreme refresh rates or if the user prioritizes frame rate over visuals. Given that Control's visual design is central to the experience, Medium or High at 1080p is recommended, as the difference between Low and Medium is more noticeable than between Medium and High.

For the best overall experience, the data suggests that 1440p Medium or High is the sweet spot, as it maintains high frame rates (111–125 FPS) while preserving visual fidelity. At 4K, High is the recommended preset, as it stays above 70 FPS and avoids the 65 FPS dip seen at Ultra. If the user has a 4K 60 Hz display, Ultra is acceptable, but High provides a more comfortable margin.

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

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: Average 226 FPS. No minimum or maximum values recorded.
• Medium: Average 165 FPS, minimum 140 FPS, maximum 190 FPS.
• High: Average 146 FPS. No minimum or maximum values recorded.
• Ultra: Average 127 FPS. No minimum or maximum values recorded.

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: Average 176 FPS. No minimum or maximum values recorded.
• Medium: Average 125 FPS, minimum 106 FPS, maximum 143 FPS.
• High: Average 111 FPS. No minimum or maximum values recorded.
• Ultra: Average 96 FPS. No minimum or maximum values recorded.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: Average 119 FPS. No minimum or maximum values recorded.
• Medium: Average 84 FPS, minimum 72 FPS, maximum 97 FPS.
• High: Average 75 FPS. No minimum or maximum values recorded.
• Ultra: Average 65 FPS. No minimum or maximum values recorded.

The dataset includes minimum and maximum values only for the Medium preset at each resolution. Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently shows a spread of roughly 25–27 FPS between minimum and maximum, indicating stable frame pacing. The overall combo rank for this game is 415 out of 3720 combinations, placing it in the top 11% of tested configurations. All data in this breakdown is measured, not estimated.