Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers strong performance in Control, with the measured data showing a clear progression from high frame rates at 1080p to still-playable numbers at 4K. The combo ranks in the 91st percentile among all tested configurations, placing it 336th out of 3720 combos, which is a solid result for a game that was released in 2019 but still stresses modern hardware at maximum settings. The RTX 4080, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and Ada Lovelace architecture, handles this title with ease, while the 5800X3D's 3D V-Cache appears to keep the CPU from becoming a bottleneck even at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show how the RTX 4080's load increases as resolution climbs, but the drop from 1080p to 4K is not as steep as one might expect from a less capable GPU. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 156 at 1920x1080 to 118 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 38 FPS, then falls further to 79 at 3840x2160, another 39 FPS drop. This pattern—roughly a 24% decline from 1080p to 1440p and a 33% decline from 1440p to 4K—indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor at higher resolutions, but the 5800X3D's strong single-thread performance keeps the lower-resolution numbers high.

Looking at Low settings, the scaling is even more revealing. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 216 FPS average, which drops to 186 at 1440p and 126 at 4K. The 4K Low result is still 80% of the 1080p Low number, showing that even when the graphics load is reduced, the RTX 4080 has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates. The fact that 4K Low (126 FPS) exceeds 1080p Ultra (135 FPS is the Ultra number, but the 4K Low is close) suggests the GPU is not fully saturated until you push both resolution and settings.

The Medium preset data, which includes min and max FPS values, provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 175 FPS with a min of 149 and max of 201, showing a tight frame delivery. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 132 with a min of 113 and max of 152. At 4K Medium, the average is 89 with a min of 76 and max of 103. The min-to-max spread widens slightly at higher resolutions, but the minimums remain well above playable thresholds, indicating that the combo handles frame pacing well even under load.

The 4K Ultra result of 69 FPS average is the only measured point that dips below the 70 FPS mark, which is still smooth for a single-player action adventure. The delta between 4K High (79 FPS) and 4K Ultra (69 FPS) is just 10 FPS, while the jump from 4K Medium (89 FPS) to 4K High (79 FPS) is also 10 FPS. This suggests diminishing returns from Medium to Ultra at 4K, where the GPU is increasingly limited by raw pixel throughput rather than settings complexity.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080's specifications align well with the measured results. The GPU has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, with 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Control's textures and effects at 4K. The memory clock is listed at 1400 MHz with 22.4 Gbps effective, and the pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are high enough to avoid bottlenecks in this title.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS is substantial, and the 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are present but not heavily utilized in Control's non-ray-traced benchmark data. The measured frames are all from standard rasterization presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), so the RTX 4080's ray tracing capabilities are not directly reflected in these numbers. However, the fact that the GPU maintains 69 FPS at 4K Ultra without DLSS or frame generation indicates that raw rasterization power is sufficient for this game.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the benchmark database, the RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, with the RTX 4080 SUPER scoring 54209 (a delta of 0.1% lower, effectively identical). The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (1.1% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (2.6% higher). These differences are within a few percentage points, meaning the RTX 4080 is positioned at the top of its performance tier for this game. The GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs reinforces that this is a high-end part, and the measured FPS in Control reflects that positioning.

The RTX 4080's 320 W TDP and triple-slot cooler suggest it runs warm, but the benchmark data shows no thermal throttling evidence in the FPS numbers. The 16 GB VRAM is never a limiting factor in Control, as even at 4K Ultra the game does not exceed this capacity, and the memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s ensures textures stream without stutter. The GPU's PCIe 4.0 x16 interface is fully utilized, and the 1x 16-pin power connector is the only power input needed, which is typical for this class of card.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, all presets are playable, but the jump from High (156 FPS) to Ultra (135 FPS) costs 21 FPS for presumably marginal visual gains. The Medium preset at 175 FPS is the highest average below Low (216 FPS), and it maintains a minimum of 149 FPS, making it the best choice for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p. However, for most users, High at 156 FPS is likely the sweet spot, as it delivers near-Ultra visuals without the frame rate penalty.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. High (118 FPS) is solid, but Ultra (102 FPS) is still above 100 FPS, so users with 144 Hz monitors might prefer High for the extra headroom. Medium (132 FPS) is the best option for those who want to stay above 120 FPS consistently, with a minimum of 113 FPS that keeps frame pacing smooth. Low (186 FPS) is unnecessary unless chasing maximum frame rates, as the visual degradation is significant for only a 54 FPS gain over Medium.

At 4K, the choice is more nuanced. Ultra (69 FPS) is just below the 70 FPS threshold that many consider ideal for smooth gameplay, but it is still playable. High (79 FPS) is the recommended preset for 4K, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while keeping most visual features intact. Medium (89 FPS) is a viable alternative for those who prioritize frame rate over fidelity, and the 76 FPS minimum ensures no drops below 60 FPS. Low (126 FPS) is overkill at 4K, as the GPU is capable of higher settings without sacrificing playability.

The data suggests that the RTX 4080 is well-matched to 1440p Ultra and 4K High in Control. At 1440p, the combo delivers 102 FPS at Ultra, which is excellent for a demanding title. At 4K, High settings at 79 FPS is the practical ceiling, and pushing to Ultra only reduces the average by 10 FPS while potentially introducing more noticeable frame time spikes. For the best overall experience, 1440p Ultra or 4K High are the presets to choose, depending on whether the user prioritizes resolution or settings fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 336 out of 3720 tested configurations places it in the top 9% of all combinations in the database. This is a strong showing, especially considering that Control is not a particularly new title and many newer GPUs and CPUs may have been tested since the game's release. The 5800X3D and RTX 4080 combination benefits from the CPU's high single-thread performance and the GPU's raw throughput, which are both important for this game's engine.

The rank percentile (approximately 91%) means that this combo outperforms 91% of all tested configurations in Control. This is higher than the CPU's own percentile of 80% against all CPUs, indicating that the GPU is doing more heavy lifting in this title. The CPU's average benchmark score of 27896 places it near the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (27887, 0% delta) and Intel Core i9-10900K (27872, 0.1% delta), but the 5800X3D's 96 MB of L3 cache likely provides an advantage in games that benefit from large cache sizes.

The GPU's rank of 86th percentile against all GPUs is close to the combo's overall rank, suggesting that the RTX 4080 is the dominant factor in this pairing for Control. The CPU's role is less critical at 4K, where the GPU is the bottleneck, but at 1080p the 5800X3D's 8 cores and 16 threads ensure that frame rates stay high without CPU limitations. The combo's rank is not the highest achievable (that would be rank 1), but it is respectable for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D has 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The 96 MB of shared L3 cache is the standout feature, as it is much larger than typical desktop CPUs and helps with gaming workloads that benefit from data locality. The CPU's TDP is 105 W, and it supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The 7 nm process node and 8,850 million transistors on a 74 mm² die indicate a dense design that delivers strong per-core performance.

In the measured data, the CPU's influence is most apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 216 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU is not fully saturated at such low settings. The 5800X3D's single-thread score of 884 in 3DMark and 1452 in Cinebench R23 indicate strong per-core performance, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in games like Control that rely heavily on a few threads. The CPU's multi-thread scores (7299 in 3DMark 16-thread, 14317 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) are solid but not exceptional, which is fine for this game.

The CPU's benchmark scores show a clear scaling from 2 threads (1746 in 3DMark) to 8 threads (5906) and then a plateau to max threads (7285), indicating that Control benefits from up to 8 cores but does not scale significantly beyond that. The 5800X3D's 16 threads are more than sufficient, and the 96 MB L3 cache likely helps with the game's asset streaming and physics calculations. The CPU's percentile rank of 80% against all CPUs is lower than the GPU's 86%, but in gaming, the 5800X3D is often considered a top-tier choice due to its cache advantage.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 5800X3D's average benchmark score of 27896 is within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-12600KF (27799) and 0.1% of the Intel Core i9-10900K (27872), showing that it is competitive with newer and older high-end CPUs. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 scores 27932 (0.1% higher), which is a negligible difference. These numbers indicate that the 5800X3D is not the fastest CPU in the database, but its gaming-specific features make it a strong match for the RTX 4080 in this title.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p Ultra at 102 FPS average is the highest settings/resolution combination that stays above 100 FPS. For 4K, High settings at 79 FPS is the recommended ceiling, as Ultra drops to 69 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM ever become a bottleneck in Control?

A: No. The measured frame rates at 4K Ultra (69 FPS) and 4K High (79 FPS) indicate that VRAM capacity is not limiting, as the game does not exceed 16 GB even at maximum settings.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209, a delta of 0.1%. In practice, they perform nearly identically in this game.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5800X3D the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo hits 216 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited. The CPU's single-thread score of 884 in 3DMark suggests it is strong, but at such high frame rates, the CPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at 4K Medium?

A: The measured data shows an average of 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS. The 27 FPS spread indicates some variance, but the minimum stays above 60 FPS for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 336th out of 3720 combos, placing it in the top 9% of all tested systems for Control. This is driven primarily by the GPU, which ranks in the 86th percentile among all GPUs.