Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, but the data shows that 4K Ultra settings push the GPU to its limits, resulting in a sub-60 FPS average. This combo ranks in the 70th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating strong performance that is primarily bound by the graphics card at higher resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals the GPU-bound nature of this pairing. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 117.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 88.1 FPS at 2560x1440, a 25% reduction, and then further to 57.5 FPS at 3840x2160, a 51% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a system where the RTX 3080 becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens significantly at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (183 FPS) and Ultra (101.9 FPS) is 81.1 FPS. At 1440p, that gap narrows to 65.4 FPS (141.1 vs 75.7). At 4K, the spread compresses further to 42.8 FPS (96.4 vs 53.6). This compression suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even dropping to Low settings cannot fully relieve the bottleneck — the frame rate ceiling is dictated by raw pixel throughput rather than shader complexity.

Interestingly, the 1080p Low result of 183 FPS indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions. The Ryzen 7 5800XT, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, maintains headroom even when the GPU is less stressed. However, the 4K Ultra result of 53.6 FPS shows that the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are taxed by Control’s demanding visual effects at maximum settings, preventing the system from achieving a smooth 60 FPS target.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 1636 tested combinations, this CPU-GPU pairing achieves rank 490 in Control. This places it in the top 30% of all configurations, which is a strong showing for a desktop-class setup. The percentile position reflects balanced performance: the CPU is not holding back the GPU at most settings, but the GPU’s age relative to newer cards prevents a higher ranking.

The RTX 3080’s average benchmark score of 35787 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (36101, delta -0.9%) and slightly above the AMD Radeon 880M (35646, delta 0.4%). This suggests that in synthetic tests, the 3080 is competitive with newer mid-range offerings. However, in Control specifically, the 4K Ultra result of 53.6 FPS indicates that the 10 GB VRAM capacity may be a limiting factor at the highest settings, as the game’s textures and effects can consume significant memory.

The Ryzen 7 5800XT’s average benchmark score of 29774 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (29740, delta 0.1%) and AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (29856, delta -0.3%). This CPU is not a performance outlier; it delivers expected Zen 3 performance. In this combo, the CPU’s 86th percentile ranking versus all CPUs means it is more than capable of keeping up with the RTX 3080 in Control, which is not a heavily CPU-threaded title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60 FPS?

A: At 1440p, the High preset delivers 88.1 FPS, and even Ultra achieves 75.7 FPS, both comfortably above 60. At 4K, High yields 57.5 FPS, which is slightly below the 60 FPS target, so 1440p is the recommended resolution for a consistent high-refresh experience.

Q: Does the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM cause issues in Control?

A: The 4K Ultra result of 53.6 FPS suggests the GPU is heavily taxed, but the 10 GB memory size is not explicitly listed as a bottleneck in the measured data. The bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s is substantial, and the frame rate drop from High (57.5) to Ultra (53.6) at 4K is modest, indicating memory pressure is not catastrophic.

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

A: The Ryzen 7 5800XT scores 29774 in average benchmarks, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (29740) and 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (29856). This places it in a tight performance cluster with those mobile and PRO variants.

Q: Is the 1080p Low setting CPU-bound?

A: The 183 FPS result at 1080p Low suggests the CPU is still capable of pushing higher frame rates, as the GPU is not the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 5800XT’s boost clock of 4.80 GHz and 32 MB of L3 cache provide ample single-thread performance for this scenario.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium achieves 101.4 FPS while High achieves 88.1 FPS, a difference of 13.3 FPS. This indicates that High settings add a noticeable but not overwhelming load on the GPU.

Q: How does the combo rank overall in this game?

A: The combination ranks 490 out of 1636 tested combos, placing it in the 70th percentile. This is a strong result, driven by the GPU’s solid performance at 1440p and the CPU’s adequate feeding capability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are high across all settings. Low delivers 183 FPS, Medium 135 FPS, High 117.6 FPS, and Ultra 101.9 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 44.3% reduction, showing that even at the highest settings, the combo is far from struggling. The 1080p results suggest this is a great pairing for high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, with all presets exceeding 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU’s load. Low hits 141.1 FPS, Medium 101.4 FPS, High 88.1 FPS, and Ultra 75.7 FPS. The step from Medium to High costs 13.3 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 12.4 FPS. This indicates that each preset tier adds a similar visual load, with diminishing returns in frame rate as settings increase. The Ultra result of 75.7 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1440p Ultra a viable option.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low achieves 96.4 FPS, Medium 65.4 FPS, High 57.5 FPS, and Ultra 53.6 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 31 FPS, which is the largest single-tier reduction across all resolutions. This suggests that Medium settings introduce significant shader or texture complexity that heavily impacts the RTX 3080. High and Ultra are within 3.9 FPS of each other, indicating that the GPU is nearing its performance ceiling at 4K, with memory bandwidth or compute limits preventing higher frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the dominant component in this combo, as evidenced by the sharp FPS decline at 4K. Its base clock of 1440 MHz and boost clock of 1710 MHz, combined with 8704 shading units, provide substantial compute throughput. The 68 RT cores are relevant for Control’s ray tracing effects, though the measured data does not isolate RT performance. The 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus delivers 760.3 GB/s bandwidth, which is sufficient for most scenarios but becomes taxed at 4K Ultra.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 35787 places it at the 80th percentile versus all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, scores 36101 (delta -0.9%), indicating the 3080 is slightly slower on average. However, in Control, the 3080’s performance is competitive, with the 4K High result of 57.5 FPS being playable if not perfect. The 3080’s 8 nm process node from Samsung and 28,300 million transistors show an older architecture, which explains why newer cards with similar power envelopes may outperform it in newer titles.

The FP32 compute of 29.77 TFLOPS is a strong indicator of raw performance, but Control’s engine appears to favor memory bandwidth and fill rate. The pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s are high, yet the 4K Ultra result of 53.6 FPS shows that the GPU is not able to maintain a 60 FPS lock. This is likely due to the combination of high resolution and the game’s particle effects, which stress the ROPs and memory subsystem.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, Ultra is the clear choice, as the 101.9 FPS result provides a smooth experience with maximum visual fidelity. The drop to High (117.6 FPS) offers a 15.4% frame rate increase but sacrifices visual quality that is barely noticeable at this resolution. Given the high frame rates across all presets, users should prioritize visuals over raw FPS at 1080p.

At 1440p, Ultra is also recommended, as the 75.7 FPS average is above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. However, if a user prefers higher refresh rates or has a 144 Hz monitor, dropping to High (88.1 FPS) or Medium (101.4 FPS) provides meaningful gains. The difference between High and Ultra is 12.4 FPS, so the visual uplift from Ultra may not justify the frame rate cost for competitive play. Medium offers a 34% improvement over Ultra, making it the best choice for high-refresh 1440p displays.

At 4K, the situation is more nuanced. Low (96.4 FPS) is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, but it sacrifices significant visual quality. Medium (65.4 FPS) is the best compromise, providing a playable frame rate while retaining more graphical features. High (57.5 FPS) and Ultra (53.6 FPS) are below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stutter on standard 60 Hz displays. For 4K, Medium is the recommended preset, as it balances performance and visual fidelity without dipping below the playable threshold.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT plays a supporting role in Control, as the game is not heavily threaded. With 8 cores and 16 threads, the CPU has ample resources, but the benchmark results show that its performance is not the limiting factor. The boost clock of 4.80 GHz and single-thread score of 959 in 3DMark demonstrate strong per-core performance, which is crucial for game logic and draw calls.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 29774 places it at the 86th percentile, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (29740, delta 0.1%). This tight clustering shows that the 5800XT is not a standout performer, but it is more than sufficient for this game. The 1080p Low result of 183 FPS indicates that the CPU can drive frame rates well above 144 Hz, so it will not bottleneck the RTX 3080 in most scenarios.

The L3 cache of 32 MB and dual-channel DDR4 memory support contribute to low latency, which benefits Control’s real-time physics. The 105 W TDP and Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer) on a 7 nm TSMC process provide efficient performance. In synthetic tests, the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794 highlights strong all-core throughput, but Control does not leverage all 16 threads equally. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU without delays, and the data confirms it does so effectively up to 1440p, with 4K being entirely GPU-limited.