Control

Control pairs the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT with the AMD Radeon RX 580, creating a system where a modern, high-core-count CPU is matched with a much older graphics card. The benchmark data for this specific game reveals a configuration that is severely constrained by its GPU, as the processor's substantial capabilities are largely left untapped at every tested resolution. The combination ranks 1529 out of 1636 tested combos in this title, placing it in the bottom 7% of systems, which immediately signals that the graphics subsystem is the primary bottleneck.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a Zen 3 (Vermeer) processor on the AMD Socket AM4 platform, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The CPU has a 32 MB L3 cache and a 105 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, this processor demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance, scoring 23,794 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 9,993 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Its single-thread scores are equally robust, with 3,359 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1,410 in Cinebench R20 single-core. The CPU sits at the 86th percentile of all processors, with a passmark multi-thread score of 27,988.

However, the measured FPS data in Control suggests that this CPU power is not the deciding factor. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 64 FPS, but this is not an indication of CPU limitation; rather, it is the ceiling imposed by the GPU. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS with an average score of 29,856 (0.3% higher) and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H with 29,868 (0.3% higher), are all similarly capable. The data implies that even a much weaker CPU could deliver identical frame rates in this game because the RX 580 cannot feed frames fast enough to stress the 5800XT. The 5800XT's 16 threads and high boost clock are effectively idle resources in this pairing, as the bottleneck lies downstream.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a Polaris 20 chip built on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process, featuring 2,304 shading units and 32 ROPs. It operates with a base clock of 1257 MHz and a boost clock of 1340 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GPU's compute capability is rated at 6.175 TFLOPS FP32. In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 580 scores 8,813 in Passmark G3D and 45,173 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (0.1% higher average score) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0% difference), which underscores its age and performance tier.

In Control, the RX 580's limitations are stark. At 1080p Low, the card manages 64 FPS, but this drops dramatically as settings increase. The GPU's memory bandwidth and fill rate appear to be the constraining factors, as the game's visual effects and particle systems demand more than the Polaris architecture can deliver. The RX 580's pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s are simply insufficient for high-fidelity rendering in this title. The data suggests that the GPU is the sole performance limiter, as the CPU never becomes a factor at any resolution or settings level.

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

Analyzing the frame rate scaling across resolutions provides clear evidence of the GPU bottleneck. At Low settings, the system delivers 64 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 51.2 FPS at 1440p (a 20% drop) and further to 34.3 FPS at 4K (a 46% drop from 1080p). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where increasing pixel count directly impacts fill rate and memory bandwidth. The RX 580's 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is strained at 4K, and the 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a factor as the framebuffer demands grow.

At High settings, the drop from 1080p (38.5 FPS) to 1440p (31.1 FPS) is a 19% reduction, and to 4K (17.9 FPS) is a 54% reduction. The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe than from 1080p to 1440p, indicating that the GPU's compute units are overwhelmed. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect frame rates to remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not scale with pixel count. The data clearly shows the opposite: FPS scales inversely with resolution, confirming the RX 580 as the bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 5800XT's performance headroom is never utilized, as the GPU cannot produce enough frames to saturate the CPU's processing capacity.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 64 FPS on Low settings, 43.5 FPS on Medium, 38.5 FPS on High, and 34.1 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low to Medium is a 32% performance drop, while the step from Medium to High is an 11% drop, and High to Ultra is an 11% drop. This suggests that the Low preset is the only setting where the RX 580 can maintain a playable frame rate at 1080p, as anything above Medium falls below the generally accepted 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop to 51.2 FPS on Low, 31.5 FPS on Medium, 31.1 FPS on High, and 24.9 FPS on Ultra. The difference between Medium and High at this resolution is negligible (31.5 vs 31.1 FPS), indicating that the GPU is saturated and additional visual features do not significantly change the render time. At 3840x2160, the performance is severely limited: 34.3 FPS on Low, 24.2 FPS on Medium, 17.9 FPS on High, and 18.3 FPS on Ultra. Interestingly, the Ultra setting at 4K is marginally faster than High (18.3 vs 17.9 FPS), which could be due to driver-level optimization or measurement variance, but it underscores that the GPU is completely overwhelmed at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 1529 out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the bottom 6.5% of all systems tested. This rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, as the CPU is in the top 14% of all processors (86th percentile). The disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the combo's low rank highlights the severe imbalance in this pairing. The RX 580's performance is comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 and GTX 570, which are both older and less capable than the 5800XT's typical pairings.

The data implies that this combo is likely matched with much weaker CPUs in the benchmark database, yet the frame rates remain similar, confirming that the GPU is the sole determinant of performance here. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (0.1% difference) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (0.3% difference), would likely produce identical FPS in this game when paired with the RX 580. This rank of 1529 is a clear indicator that users of this system will need to make significant compromises in settings or resolution to achieve playable frame rates in Control.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 64 FPS. This is the only measured row that exceeds 60 FPS, which is the standard target for fluid gameplay. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate drops to 43.5 FPS, which is playable but may exhibit stuttering in action-heavy scenes. The High and Ultra presets at 1080p (38.5 and 34.1 FPS) are best avoided for a responsive experience.

For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, 1440p Low at 51.2 FPS is a viable alternative, though it is below 60 FPS. The 1440p Medium and High presets (31.5 and 31.1 FPS) are too low for comfortable play. At 4K, all settings are effectively unplayable, with even Low at 34.3 FPS being marginal. The data strongly suggests that 1080p Low is the optimal setting for this combo, as it is the only one that leverages the CPU's headroom while keeping the GPU within its limits. Any other setting will result in a sub-60 FPS experience that detracts from the game's fast-paced action.

FAQ

Q: Is this CPU-GPU combo capable of running Control at 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that the system achieves 64 FPS only at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At any other resolution or settings preset, the average FPS falls below 60, making 1080p Low the sole configuration that meets this target.

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so significantly from 1080p to 4K?

A: The average FPS at Low settings drops from 64 at 1080p to 34.3 at 4K, a 46% reduction. This scaling is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, as the RX 580's 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6.175 TFLOPS compute power are insufficient for the increased pixel workload at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems in Control?

A: This combo ranks 1529 out of 1636 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 7% of systems. This low rank is primarily due to the RX 580's age and performance level, as the CPU itself is in the 86th percentile of all processors.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this system?

A: The 1080p Low preset is the best option, delivering an average of 64 FPS. The next best option is 1440p Low at 51.2 FPS, but this falls below the 60 FPS threshold. All other settings and resolutions produce average FPS below 50.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5800XT being fully utilized in this game?

A: No, the data does not indicate any CPU limitation. The frame rates are consistently low across all settings, which suggests the GPU is the bottleneck. Even at 1080p Low with 64 FPS, the RX 580 is the limiting factor, as the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are likely idle.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13,559, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13,564) and GTX 950 (13,549). This similarity in synthetic scores aligns with the GPU's low percentile rank of 53, indicating it is an entry-level performer by modern standards.