Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D pairs an 8-core, 16-thread Zen 3 design with a 96 MB shared L3 cache, a configuration that strongly favors gaming workloads. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz are supplemented by the large cache, which reduces memory latency in scene-heavy titles. In Control, this CPU’s multi-threaded capability is substantial: it scores 24,063 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 10,106 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, while single-thread scores of 3,397 and 1,426 in the same tests show it can also handle the primary game thread efficiently. The data indicates the CPU is not a limiting factor in this title; the measured frame rates align more closely with GPU workload scaling than with CPU thread saturation. The 5800X3D’s 3DMark results reinforce this: 16-thread score of 7,299 and max-thread score of 7,285 are nearly identical, meaning the CPU’s performance ceiling is reached quickly and consistently across all cores. For a game like Control, which relies on physics and particle effects, the 96 MB L3 cache helps maintain smooth frame pacing, but the benchmark rows show that resolution and graphical preset are the dominant variables.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimizing the experience in Control. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 110.4 FPS, while Medium drops to 76.7 FPS, High to 66.2 FPS, and Ultra to 56.9 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 33.7 FPS loss, but the visual uplift is typically worth it for most users. The best balance of smoothness and quality is the Medium preset at 1080p: it maintains an average above 60 FPS, leaving headroom for action sequences without sacrificing the game’s atmospheric lighting. At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 84.8 FPS, but Medium falls to 55.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. For 1440p, the data suggests either accepting Low for high refresh rates or High at 53.6 FPS if visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate. At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained: Low yields 58.1 FPS, Medium 42.1 FPS, High 37.2 FPS, and Ultra 32.4 FPS. The 4K Low preset is the only one approaching playable smoothness, while Ultra at 32.4 FPS is best avoided unless the user has a variable refresh rate display. Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset consistently costs the most frame rate—at 1080p it is 46.5% slower than High, and at 1440p it is 11% slower than High—making it the least efficient choice for this hardware combo.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, with the Medium preset achieving 76.7 FPS and High at 66.2 FPS, both above the 60 FPS target. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset (84.8 FPS) exceeds 60 FPS, while 3840x2160 struggles, with the Low preset at 58.1 FPS being the only option near playable.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 56.9 FPS, which is 9.3 FPS lower than High’s 66.2 FPS. This represents a 14% performance penalty, and the visual differences in Control at this resolution are often subtle, making High a more practical choice.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the frame rate differences between presets?

A: The benchmark rows show that resolution and preset changes produce consistent FPS scaling, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s 3DMark max-thread score (7,285) is nearly identical to its 16-thread score (7,299), indicating it is not saturated, while the GPU’s performance at 4K Ultra (32.4 FPS) versus 1080p Low (110.4 FPS) shows a 3.4x variation that aligns with GPU workload.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking in this game?

A: The combo ranks 1302 out of 1636 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 20% of systems. This is despite the CPU’s strong 83rd percentile standing among all CPUs, suggesting the GPU is the limiting factor for this pairing in Control.

Q: How does the RX 6600’s memory bandwidth affect 4K performance?

A: The RX 6600 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 3840x2160, the frame rates (37.2 FPS High, 32.4 FPS Ultra) indicate that this bandwidth is insufficient for high-detail 4K rendering, as the GPU cannot feed its shaders fast enough.

Q: Does the 5800X3D’s large L3 cache help in Control?

A: The 96 MB shared L3 cache is designed to improve gaming performance by reducing memory latency. While the data does not isolate this effect, the CPU’s single-thread score of 884 in 3DMark and its 83rd percentile ranking suggest it maintains consistent performance, though the frame rates in this title are largely GPU-bound.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Radeon RX 6600 ranks 1302 out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 20th percentile. This low rank is not a reflection of the CPU’s capability—the 5800X3D holds an 83rd percentile rank among all CPUs—but rather the GPU’s modest standing. The RX 6600 sits in the 69th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 890M (deltaPct 0), the RX 580 2048SP (deltaPct -0.2), and the RX 6700M (deltaPct 0.2). These rivals have near-identical average benchmark scores, confirming the RX 6600 is a mid-tier performer. The CPU’s nearest rivals—AMD EPYC 8024P (deltaPct 0.1), Intel Core i9-11900K (deltaPct 0.1), and AMD Ryzen 5 7600 (deltaPct -0.2)—are all within 0.4% of the 5800X3D’s average score, indicating the CPU is extremely competitive. In Control, the data shows that the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions and presets. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system delivers 110.4 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 56.9 FPS, a 48% reduction. This pattern is consistent with a GPU that has 8 GB of VRAM and 1792 shading units; the CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads are more than adequate to feed the GPU, but the GPU’s raw throughput limits the frame rate. The combo’s rank suggests that users seeking higher performance in Control should prioritize a GPU upgrade, as the CPU has substantial headroom.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory operates at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 1626 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz and a boost clock of 2491 MHz. In Control, the GPU’s role is decisive across all measured resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 110.4 FPS, but this falls to 76.7 FPS at Medium, 66.2 FPS at High, and 56.9 FPS at Ultra. This 53.5 FPS spread between Low and Ultra highlights the GPU’s sensitivity to shading and texture loads. At 2560x1440, the pattern continues: Low at 84.8 FPS, Medium at 55.6 FPS, High at 53.6 FPS, and Ultra at 47.7 FPS. The 1440p Medium to High delta is only 2 FPS, suggesting the settings are hitting a similar bottleneck, likely memory bandwidth. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed: Low is 58.1 FPS, Medium is 42.1 FPS, High is 37.2 FPS, and Ultra is 32.4 FPS. The 4K results show a 25.7 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, with the GPU’s 224.0 GB/s bandwidth being a limiting factor. The RX 6600’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 890M, has a deltaPct of 0, meaning they perform identically in average benchmarks, yet the RX 6600’s dedicated VRAM and higher boost clock give it an edge in sustained gaming loads. The GPU’s 69th percentile rank among all GPUs, combined with its 8,928 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, places it as a solid 1080p performer. For Control, the data indicates that the RX 6600 is best utilized at 1080p with Medium or High settings, where it can maintain frame rates above 60 FPS. At 1440p, users must compromise with Low settings, and 4K is only playable at Low preset. The GPU’s 28 ray tracing cores are present, but the measured FPS rows do not include ray tracing data, so their impact on Control’s specific effects cannot be quantified from this dataset.