Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT delivers a mid-pack result in Control, securing the 1238th position out of 1636 tested combinations. This places the combo in the lower-mid tier of the database, indicating that while it can run the game, it does not excel in frame rate headroom compared to more modern hardware pairings. The percentile positioning of the components themselves—82nd for the CPU and 68th for the GPU—shows a system where the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card, a dynamic that becomes increasingly apparent as resolution and settings are scaled upward. The data suggests this is a balanced but aging configuration, capable of smooth play at lower resolutions but struggling to maintain high refresh rates at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1238 out of 1636 places it within the bottom quarter of all tested systems for Control. This is a telling statistic; it means the majority of other combinations in the database outperform this pairing in this specific title. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU, given that the RX 5700 XT sits at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 5700X3D is much stronger at the 82nd percentile among CPUs. This imbalance means the graphics card is the primary limit on overall game performance.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 5700X3D is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-1360P (0.2% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D (0.3% faster) in average benchmark score. It is also only 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600. This clustering shows that the CPU’s raw compute power is not a differentiator; any performance gap in Control will come from the GPU. On the graphics side, the RX 5700 XT is similarly closely matched with its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (0.1% slower), Intel Arc A350M (0.3% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (0.6% slower). The delta percentages are all under 1%, indicating that the GPU is in a performance class where minor architectural differences, rather than raw throughput, define the outcome.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the defining component in this pairing for Control. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The card’s base clock is 1605 MHz, with a game clock of 1755 MHz and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. These specifications are relatively modest by current standards, which is reflected in the measured frame rates.

At 1080p, the GPU is capable of pushing high frame rates, but at 4K it becomes the bottleneck. The data shows a clear pattern: at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 32.7, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The GPU’s RDNA 1.0 architecture, with 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs, is not designed for the pixel throughput required at 4K. The texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s are insufficient to maintain high frame rates when resolution increases. The 8 GB VRAM is also a factor at higher settings, as Control can consume significant memory, but the core limitation is the raw compute power of the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 77.1 FPS, which is playable. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 54.2 FPS, a decrease of approximately 30%. At 4K High, the average falls to 38.2 FPS, another 30% drop. This consistent decrease indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor; the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at all resolutions, but the GPU cannot maintain frame rates as pixel count rises.

The scaling is even more pronounced at lower settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 117.6 FPS. This drops to 90.5 FPS at 1440p Low and 61.5 FPS at 4K Low. The fact that even Low settings at 4K only yield 61.5 FPS shows the GPU is severely stressed by the resolution, regardless of the graphical load. In contrast, the CPU’s performance is not a factor here; the Ryzen 7 5700X3D’s 8 cores and 16 threads are more than adequate for Control. The 96 MB of shared L3 cache also helps in maintaining consistent frame pacing, but it cannot overcome the GPU’s limitations. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being a stretch and 4K only viable at the lowest settings.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data points to Medium settings at 1080p as the optimal choice. The average FPS at 1080p Medium is 81.8, which is only slightly higher than High settings (77.1 FPS) but provides a more stable experience. The jump from Medium to Ultra at 1080p is significant, with Ultra dropping to 64 FPS. While this is still playable, the visual improvement from Medium to Ultra may not justify the 20% frame rate loss.

At 1440p, Medium settings yield 60.6 FPS, which is acceptable for most players. High settings at 1440p drop to 54.2 FPS, which is still fluid but closer to the edge of playability. Ultra at 1440p falls to 48.4 FPS, which may feel less responsive for action-oriented gameplay. For 4K, the data is clear: only Low settings (61.5 FPS) provide a playable experience. Medium at 4K drops to 42.5 FPS, and High/Ultra fall below 40 FPS, making them unsuitable for smooth play. Therefore, the recommended presets are: 1080p Medium for a high-frame-rate experience, 1440p Medium for a balance of quality and speed, and 4K Low for those who prioritize resolution over detail.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in Control?*

A: The highest average FPS measured is 117.6, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 32.7, which is below the common 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 5700X3D ranks at the 82nd percentile among CPUs, while the RX 5700 XT ranks at the 68th percentile among GPUs, and frame rates drop consistently with resolution increases.

Q: What settings provide the highest FPS at 1440p?

A: Low settings at 2560x1440 provide the highest average FPS at 90.5, while Medium settings yield 60.6 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in terms of benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700X3D is 0.2% faster than the Intel Core i7-1360P in average benchmark score, indicating nearly identical performance.

Q: Can this combo run the game smoothly at 4K?

A: Only at Low settings, where it achieves 61.5 FPS. Higher settings at 4K fall below 43 FPS, which is not considered smooth.