Control

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Control with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER show a clear and consistent pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 77.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 54.2 FPS, a reduction of roughly 30%. At 4K, the High preset yields 35.8 FPS, which is about 34% lower than the 1440p result and 54% lower than the 1080p figure. This scaling behavior is typical of a system where the graphics card becomes the dominant constraint at higher resolutions.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 120.2 FPS, which drops to 88.1 FPS at 1440p and 62.3 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 27% and 29% respectively, showing a slightly shallower curve than High settings. This suggests that even at Low, the GPU is still the primary limiter, but the CPU has more headroom to push frame rates when the pixel count is lower.

Medium settings follow the same trajectory: 85.3 FPS at 1080p, 65.5 FPS at 1440p, and 44.9 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 23%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 31%. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 67.5 FPS at 1080p, 46.8 FPS at 1440p, and 30.8 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result falls below 31 FPS, indicating that this resolution and preset combination is not playable for smooth action.

The data indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component in this pairing. The Ryzen 7 5800XT, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at 1080p, but the GPU's compute throughput cannot sustain high frame rates as pixel counts rise. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is nearly linear for most presets, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p Low, where frame rates exceed 120 FPS, suggesting the processor can handle high refresh rate gaming at lower graphical loads.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a Zen 3 Vermeer part with 8 cores and 16 threads, base clock of 3.80 GHz, and boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its benchmark scores are substantial for this game's workload. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 23794, and the single-core score is 3359. The 3DMark 16-thread score is 7683, while the 2-thread score is 1879. These numbers indicate a processor that can handle both lightly threaded and heavily threaded tasks with ease.

In the context of Control, the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for the game's engine, which typically scales well across multiple cores. The high single-thread performance, evidenced by the PassMark single-thread score of 3538, ensures that the game's main simulation thread is not a bottleneck. The L3 cache of 32 MB provides ample data for the game's streaming needs, and the dual-channel DDR4 memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s is adequate for feeding the GPU at 1080p.

The CPU's percentile ranking among all CPUs is 86, meaning it outperforms 86% of tested processors. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (deltaPct 0.1%), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (deltaPct -0.3%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (deltaPct 0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (deltaPct -0.3%). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that the 5800XT sits squarely in the performance tier of these competing parts.

For Control specifically, the CPU's role is to maintain a steady frame delivery to the GPU. At 1080p Low, where the GPU has less work, the CPU can push frame rates to 120.2 FPS, showing that it is not the limiting factor in that scenario. At higher resolutions and presets, the CPU's load decreases relative to the GPU, but it still provides enough headroom to avoid stuttering or frame pacing issues. The 16 threads are particularly useful for background tasks and the game's physics and AI systems, which can use multiple threads effectively.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and it features 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The FP32 compute throughput is 7.181 TFLOPS, and it includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores for ray tracing and AI workloads.

In Control, the GPU is the clear performance bottleneck at all resolutions above 1080p Low. The game's photorealistic visuals, including extensive use of ray tracing effects, place a heavy load on the GPU's compute and memory subsystems. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 30.8 FPS, which is just below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game at these settings, as the memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is enough to avoid texture thrashing, but the raw compute power of the GPU limits performance.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning. The PassMark G3D score is 16462, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2011. Its percentile ranking among all GPUs is 63, meaning it outperforms 63% of tested graphics cards. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (deltaPct 0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (deltaPct 0.5%), the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 (deltaPct 0.8%), and the NVIDIA Tesla K40m (deltaPct 1.3%). These deltas show that the RTX 2060 SUPER is very close in performance to the RTX 2070, which is notable given the latter's higher position in NVIDIA's product stack.

The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is a key factor in Control at 4K. The game's high-resolution textures can consume a significant amount of memory, but the 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth ensure that data can be moved quickly enough to maintain playable frame rates at Medium settings (44.9 FPS at 4K). The boost clock of 1650 MHz is not particularly high, but the Turing architecture's efficiency helps the GPU deliver consistent performance across the settings range.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1154 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the lower half of the database, which is expected given the GPU's mid-range positioning. The CPU is clearly overqualified for this GPU pairing, as the 5800XT's 86th percentile CPU ranking far exceeds the GPU's 63rd percentile ranking.

In practical terms, this means the combo is hamstrung by the graphics card. The CPU has the headroom to drive higher frame rates, but the GPU cannot keep up at higher resolutions and presets. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, the frame rate of 120.2 FPS is respectable but not exceptional for a CPU with this level of single-thread performance. The gap between the CPU's capabilities and the GPU's output suggests that a more powerful graphics card would unlock significantly higher frame rates in this game.

The rank of 1154 out of 1636 indicates that a majority of tested combos perform better in Control. This is not surprising, as the RTX 2060 SUPER was a mid-range card at its launch, and newer GPUs have since pushed the performance envelope forward. However, the combo still delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with most presets, making it a viable option for gamers who prioritize resolution over maximum graphical fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1080p with High settings is 77.4 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K Ultra smoothly?

A: No, the average FPS at 4K Ultra is 30.8 FPS, which is below the standard threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, and within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS and AMD Ryzen 7 7840H.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile rank among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER has a percentile rank of 63, meaning it outperforms 63% of tested GPUs.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: At 1080p, the combo achieves 120.2 FPS on Low, 85.3 FPS on Medium, 77.4 FPS on High, and 67.5 FPS on Ultra, making it fully playable at all presets.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1080p, all presets are playable, with Low hitting 120.2 FPS, Medium at 85.3 FPS, High at 77.4 FPS, and Ultra at 67.5 FPS. For a 60 FPS target, High settings at 1080p provides a comfortable margin. For higher refresh rate monitors, Low or Medium settings will push frame rates above 85 FPS.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings yield 88.1 FPS, which is suitable for 60 Hz displays with headroom. Medium settings drop to 65.5 FPS, still above 60 FPS. High settings at 54.2 FPS and Ultra at 46.8 FPS fall below the 60 FPS threshold, so those presets are best avoided if smoothness is a priority. For 1440p gaming, Medium settings offer the best balance of visual quality and performance.

At 4K, only Low settings (62.3 FPS) achieves a frame rate above 60 FPS. Medium (44.9 FPS) and High (35.8 FPS) are playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Ultra at 30.8 FPS is marginal at best. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at Low settings, or at Medium if a 30-45 FPS experience is acceptable. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Medium at 4K, but the compute throughput limits higher presets.

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 1080p delivers 77.4 FPS with good visual fidelity. If resolution is the priority, Medium at 1440p provides 65.5 FPS with acceptable quality. The combo ranks 1154 out of 1636, indicating it is not a top-tier performer, but the measured data shows it can handle Control reasonably well at 1080p and 1440p with the right settings.