Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT + AMD Radeon RX 9060

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1632nd out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing this configuration in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects a system that delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, but struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K. The CPU, which sits in the 81st percentile among all processors, is clearly the stronger component in this pairing, while the GPU, at the 59th percentile, becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The data shows a combination that can handle Control's action-adventure gameplay at mainstream resolutions, though users targeting maximum visual fidelity will need to make compromises.

How This Combo Ranks

At position 1632 out of 2888 total tested combinations, this CPU-GPU pairing sits just below the median of all recorded configurations for Control. The rank indicates that roughly 56% of tested combos outperform this setup, while about 44% deliver worse results. This mid-pack placement is consistent with the component specifications: the Ryzen 7 5800XT is a high-end desktop processor with an average benchmark score of 29879, while the RX 9060's average GPU benchmark score of 16014 places it in the upper-middle tier of graphics cards.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 81 versus the GPU's 59 highlights the imbalance in this pairing. In Control, a game that heavily utilizes both CPU and GPU resources depending on scene complexity, this imbalance manifests as GPU-limited performance in most scenarios. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 130 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU effectively at lower resolutions. However, the frame rate ceiling drops progressively as resolution increases, indicating the GPU's rendering capacity is the limiting factor.

Compared to other combos in the database, this configuration's rank suggests it competes with systems pairing mid-range GPUs with high-end CPUs. The nearest GPU rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 0.7% higher on average, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which scores 1% higher. This positions the RX 9060 in a competitive segment where small performance differences separate products. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H and Ryzen 7 8845HS, both mobile processors with nearly identical average scores, confirming that the 5800XT delivers desktop-class performance comparable to high-end laptop chips.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. It operates at a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz, with a memory clock of 2250 MHz running 18 Gbps effective on 8 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 128-bit bus. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, which is adequate for Control's texture streaming requirements but not exceptional for a modern GPU.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor in Control's performance at higher resolutions. The game's atmospheric environments and physics-heavy scenes require substantial memory allocation, particularly when texture quality is set to High or Ultra. The measured FPS data shows a consistent pattern: at 4K Ultra, the system averages only 36 FPS, and at 4K High, it reaches 42 FPS. These numbers suggest that the GPU is both memory-bandwidth and compute-limited at this resolution, as the 128-bit bus and 8 GB capacity constrain performance in memory-intensive scenes.

The GPU's FP32 compute throughput of 21.43 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s provide the raw processing power needed for Control's particle effects and destructible environments. The texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s supports high-resolution texture filtering, which is evident in the frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution. The GPU's 28 ray tracing cores are present but Control's implementation of ray-traced reflections and indirect lighting is demanding, and the measured data indicates that enabling these features at high resolutions would exceed the GPU's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-limited scaling across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 130 FPS, which drops to 98 FPS at 1440p Low, and further to 66 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 49% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which is consistent with the pixel count increase of approximately 4.4x being offset by the CPU's ability to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions.

At High settings, the scaling is slightly different: 82 FPS at 1080p, 62 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 32%. This suggests that as resolution increases, the GPU's rendering workload grows faster than its memory bandwidth can accommodate, particularly at 4K where the 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a limiting factor.

The Medium settings row provides the only complete min/max FPS data across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS and maximum of 106 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and maximum of 80 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS and maximum of 54 FPS. The minimum frame rates at 1440p and 4K Medium indicate that the GPU occasionally struggles to maintain consistent performance, likely during scenes with heavy particle effects or complex geometry.

The diminishing returns from 1440p to 4K at every settings level confirm that the RX 9060 is the bottleneck. The CPU's strong single-thread and multi-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark scores of 959 single-thread and 7683 16-thread, means it is not holding back the GPU at higher resolutions. The frame rate scaling is almost entirely determined by the GPU's rendering capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 130 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors and provides a smooth experience for fast-paced action sequences. Medium settings average 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS, ensuring consistent gameplay without noticeable stuttering. High settings reduce the average to 82 FPS, still comfortably playable. Ultra settings yield 71 FPS on average, which is acceptable for most players, though the lack of min/max data for this setting means frame time consistency is unknown.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops become more pronounced. Low settings average 98 FPS, which remains highly playable and suitable for competitive play. Medium settings average 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, placing the system at the edge of the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. High settings average 62 FPS, with occasional dips below 60 FPS likely in demanding scenes. Ultra settings average 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable frame pacing issues during intense combat.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is playable but requires significant visual compromises. Medium settings average 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, indicating that frame rates can drop noticeably during complex scenes. High settings average 42 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 36 FPS. These numbers suggest that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the experience may not be consistently smooth.

The Ultra settings at each resolution show a consistent pattern: 71 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. This represents a 49% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is less severe than the 64% drop seen at Low settings. This suggests that at Ultra settings, both the CPU and GPU are more balanced in their workload, with the CPU's strong performance helping to mitigate the GPU's limitations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates at a base clock of 3.80 GHz and boosts up to 4.80 GHz, with a 105 W TDP. The CPU features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. This cache configuration is well-suited for gaming workloads, as Control's physics simulations and AI routines benefit from the large L3 cache.

In Control, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle the game's physics and AI systems. The 5800XT's multi-threaded performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 with a score of 23794 multi-core and 3359 single-core, ensures that CPU-bound scenarios do not become a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The 3DMark scores further confirm this: 7683 in the 16-thread test and 959 in the single-thread test indicate strong performance across both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, running on dual-channel DDR4, is adequate for Control's requirements. The game does not appear to be memory-bandwidth sensitive based on the measured FPS data, as the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent with GPU-bound behavior. However, the CPU's 16 threads are beneficial for Control's background loading and physics calculations, which can occur simultaneously with rendering.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 5800XT performs nearly identically to the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H and Ryzen 7 8845HS, with deltaPct values of 0% and -0.3% respectively. The Ryzen 5 9600X scores 0.6% higher on average. This indicates that the 5800XT's performance is well-aligned with modern processors, and it is not a limiting factor in this pairing. The CPU's 81st percentile ranking among all processors supports this conclusion.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the system can handle Ultra settings with an average of 71 FPS, which is playable for most users. However, for players who prioritize frame rate consistency, Medium settings at 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS provide a more stable experience with minimal visual degradation.

At 1440p, the data suggests that Medium settings at 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS offer the best balance between visual quality and performance. High settings at 62 FPS are also viable, but the frame rate may dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes. Ultra settings at 54 FPS are not recommended, as the average frame rate falls below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable judder.

For 4K gaming, the only viable option is Low settings at 66 FPS, which still requires the player to accept significant visual compromises. Medium settings at 47 FPS may be acceptable for single-player experiences where frame rate consistency is less critical, but the minimum of 40 FPS indicates potential stuttering. High and Ultra settings at 42 FPS and 36 FPS respectively are not recommended for a smooth experience.

The data suggests that the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p High or 1440p Medium, depending on the player's preference for resolution versus frame rate. At 1080p High, the system averages 82 FPS, which is smooth and visually appealing. At 1440p Medium, the higher resolution provides better image clarity with a modest frame rate cost, and the minimum FPS of 59 ensures relatively consistent performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 60 FPS on 1080p Ultra?

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 71 FPS at 1080p Ultra. However, min/max data is not available for this setting, so frame time consistency cannot be guaranteed.

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

A: The data indicates that 1080p provides the most consistent performance, with all settings averaging above 70 FPS. At 1440p, Medium and High settings are playable, while 4K is only viable at Low settings.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in this game?

A: Based on average GPU benchmark scores, the RTX 3060 Ti scores 0.7% higher than the RX 9060. This suggests nearly identical performance, though in-game results may vary depending on the specific workload.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5800XT a bottleneck for the RX 9060 in Control?

A: No, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The frame rate scaling across resolutions is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, and the CPU's performance is comparable to modern processors like the Ryzen 7 7840H.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p High settings?

A: The measured average is 62 FPS at 1440p High. While this is above 60 FPS on average, there is no min/max data available, so occasional dips below 60 FPS are possible in demanding scenes.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance at 4K?

A: The data suggests that 4K performance is significantly reduced, with Ultra settings averaging only 36 FPS. The combination of 8 GB VRAM and a 128-bit memory bus likely contributes to this limitation, as higher resolutions require more memory bandwidth and capacity.