Control

The pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER produces a compelling dataset for Control, an Action Adventure title from 2019-08-26. The measured frames per second across three resolutions and four settings tiers reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound, with the CPU providing a stable foundation. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to understand where the bottleneck lies and how to best configure the game for this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of scaling as resolution increases, pointing directly at the GPU as the primary performance limiter. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 231 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 185 FPS, a 20% reduction, and then to 4K Low at 125 FPS, a further 32% reduction. This steep decline with each resolution step is the classic signature of a GPU that is being saturated; the number of pixels being rendered is increasing faster than the GPU can process them, while the CPU has ample headroom to feed it frames.

The scaling becomes even more telling when examining the High and Ultra presets. At 1080p High, the system produces 155 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 117 FPS, and at 4K High, it bottoms out at 79 FPS. The 4K High result is less than half of the 1080p High result, which is a larger performance hit than the pixel count increase alone would suggest. This indicates that the higher resolution is not just adding more pixels but is also amplifying the cost of the more complex shading and post-processing effects that the High preset enables, further loading the GPU's compute and memory subsystems.

The pattern suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is still occasionally able to keep the GPU well-fed, but even there, the GPU is the dominant factor. The fact that the 1080p Low result of 231 FPS is not even higher, relative to the GPU's raw capabilities, hints that the Ryzen 7 5800X's single-thread performance is starting to be a secondary consideration. However, the consistent and dramatic FPS drops at 1440p and 4K confirm that the RTX 4080 SUPER's rendering throughput is the defining constraint for this game. The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM is not a factor at these settings, as the frame drops are consistent with compute and bandwidth limitations, not memory capacity overflow.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this system can achieve in Control?*

A: The highest measured average is 231 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How large is the performance gap between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 185 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 102 FPS. This represents a reduction of 83 FPS, or roughly 45% lower performance when moving to the highest quality settings.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB VRAM appear to be a limiting factor in this game?

A: The measured data does not indicate a VRAM capacity limitation. The FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, which points to GPU compute and memory bandwidth as the bottlenecks, not memory size. The 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth is more likely the relevant memory metric here.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5800X holding back the RTX 4080 SUPER at 1080p?

A: The data suggests it might be a minor factor at 1080p, but it is not a severe bottleneck. The 1080p Low score of 231 FPS is very high, indicating the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU well. The 8-core, 16-thread processor with a 4.70 GHz boost clock is likely sufficient to avoid major frame pacing issues, though the GPU is still the main driver of performance differences.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1440p Medium?

A: The 1440p Medium preset is the only one with full min/max data, showing an average of 132 FPS, with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS. This 40 FPS spread indicates some frame time variance, but the minimum is still high enough for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does this system's performance compare to other tested hardware combinations?

A: According to the data, this specific combo ranks at 326 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 8.8% of all systems tested for this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the undisputed workhorse in this pairing. Its specifications, including 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, are directly reflected in the game's performance scaling. The GPU's architecture, Ada Lovelace, is built on a 5 nm process and features 80 RT cores and 320 Tensor cores, which are relevant for a game like Control that heavily utilizes real-time ray tracing and DLSS, though the measured data here is for native rendering.

The clock speeds are a key component of its performance. The base clock of 2295 MHz and boost clock of 2550 MHz provide the raw frequency headroom needed to push the 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power. As resolution increases, the demand on these compute units grows, and the FPS drops accordingly. The memory subsystem is equally critical. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This high bandwidth is essential for feeding the GPU's many cores, especially at 4K where the data footprint for textures and geometry is massive.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its position. It achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 260075. Its Passmark G3D score of 34245 places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. When compared to its nearest rivals, it sits just 0.1% behind the RTX 4080 and is 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, showing that it is a top-tier performer. The GPU's 320 W TDP and triple-slot cooler are the physical costs of this performance, but the measured FPS in Control shows that power is being translated into high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance envelope.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 231 FPS average.
• Medium: 174 FPS average, with a minimum of 148 and a maximum of 200.
• High: 155 FPS average.
• Ultra: 134 FPS average.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 185 FPS average.
• Medium: 132 FPS average, with a minimum of 112 and a maximum of 152.
• High: 117 FPS average.
• Ultra: 102 FPS average.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 125 FPS average.
• Medium: 89 FPS average, with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 102.
• High: 79 FPS average.
• Ultra: 69 FPS average.

These numbers show a consistent hierarchy. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset maintains a very playable 134 FPS. At 1440p, all presets stay above the 100 FPS mark, with Low pushing 185 FPS. At 4K, the system remains capable, with even the most demanding Ultra preset achieving an average of 69 FPS, which is still smooth for a single-player title. The 4K Low preset, at 125 FPS, shows the system's raw power, while the 4K Medium preset's 89 FPS average with an 76 FPS minimum suggests a good balance for a high-refresh 4K experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 326 out of 3720 tested combinations places it in the 91st percentile of all systems tested for Control. This is a very strong showing, indicating that the Ryzen 7 5800X and RTX 4080 SUPER combination is in the upper echelon of gaming performance. The rank is a holistic measure that accounts for all tested resolutions and settings, reflecting the system's ability to deliver high frame rates across the board.

This high rank is expected given the components involved. The RTX 4080 SUPER is a top-tier GPU, and the Ryzen 7 5800X is a capable high-end CPU from the 5000 series. The data suggests that the system is not being held back by a major bottleneck; it is performing near the limits of its components. The rank of 326 means that only about 325 other combinations of CPUs and GPUs were able to produce better overall results in this game, which reflects the strength of this pairing. The system's performance is not just good for its class; it is genuinely among the best tested.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, plays a supporting but crucial role. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 4.70 GHz provide the single-thread speed that games like Control depend on. The CPU's benchmark scores show a balanced profile, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1574.5 and a multi-core score of 15476. This indicates strong performance in both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads.

In the context of Control, the CPU's job is to process game logic, physics, and draw calls to feed the GPU. The fact that the FPS scales so predictably with resolution suggests the CPU is not the primary limiter. If it were, we would see a plateau where FPS stays the same regardless of resolution. Instead, the FPS drops as resolution rises, which is the GPU-bound signature.

However, the 1080p Low result of 231 FPS is a data point that hints at the CPU's limits. While it is a very high frame rate, it is not as high as the GPU might theoretically be able to produce. This suggests that at lower resolutions with low settings, the Ryzen 7 5800X's processing power can become a secondary constraint, preventing the GPU from reaching its absolute maximum frame output. The CPU's 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to keep the 16 threads active, but the game's engine may not be able to fully utilize all of them, making single-thread performance the key metric. The Ryzen 7 5800X's single-thread score of 943 in 3DMark places it well, but it is the ceiling for this CPU's performance in this scenario.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on the best settings presets for different priorities.

For players with a high-refresh-rate 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 is the best choice. The 134 FPS average is well above the 100 FPS threshold and provides a significant visual upgrade over the High preset, which only offers 21 FPS more. The system has enough headroom at this resolution to absorb the visual fidelity cost of Ultra settings.

For 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot. It delivers a 117 FPS average, which is excellent for a 144Hz monitor, while the visual difference from Ultra is often difficult to discern in fast-paced action. The High preset is also a better choice than Medium, which only provides 15 more FPS but with a noticeable reduction in graphical quality. The 1440p Ultra preset at 102 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize image quality above all else and have a 100Hz or 120Hz display.

For 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice for a balanced experience. Its 89 FPS average and 76 FPS minimum ensure a smooth gameplay experience, while the High preset at 79 FPS is still very playable. The 4K Ultra preset at 69 FPS is on the edge of what is considered ideal for a smooth experience, but it is an option for a cinematic, 60 FPS-targeted playthrough. The 4K Low preset at 125 FPS shows the system's raw capability, but the visual sacrifices are too great for a game like Control with its atmospheric lighting and environments. The data suggests that the Medium preset at 4K is the best compromise between the 89 FPS average and the 102 FPS maximum, offering a high-quality visual presentation without compromising on playability.