Control

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a combo rank of 316 out of 3,720 tested combinations in Control. This places the pairing in the top 8.5% of all tested hardware configurations, a strong showing for a system built around a Zen 3 desktop processor and an Ada Lovelace flagship GPU. The data indicates this combo is well above the median experience, but the rank also suggests there is meaningful headroom above it — 315 other combinations deliver higher average frame rates in this title.

The rank becomes more interesting when contextualized against the individual components' standings. The RTX 4080 SUPER sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 5800XT lands at the 81st percentile among all CPUs. The combo's rank at 316/3,720 implies the pairing performs slightly better than what the sum of its parts might suggest, hinting that Control's rendering workload leans heavily on GPU throughput. The GPU's nearest rival, the standard RTX 4080, trails by just 0.1% in average benchmark score — a negligible gap that suggests the SUPER variant's advantage in Control comes from its higher memory bandwidth and clock speeds rather than raw compute dominance. Meanwhile, the CPU's closest competitor, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, matches it within 0.0% in average score, yet the desktop 5800XT's 4.80 GHz boost clock and 32 MB shared L3 cache provide the sustained performance needed for high-refresh gaming.

What the rank does not tell us is how the combo behaves across different settings and resolutions. The measured FPS data reveals that this pairing's sweet spot lies in specific configurations, and the ranking aggregates across the tested rows. A combo ranked 316th overall might be top-100 at 1080p Low but drop to top-500 at 4K Ultra. The data available here does not break down the rank by resolution, but the FPS tables show a wide spread — from 236 FPS at 1080p Low down to 69 FPS at 4K Ultra — which suggests the rank is an average of very different experiences depending on how the game is configured.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for Control. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for a game that streams high-resolution textures and particle effects during combat sequences. The memory clock runs at 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective), and the GPU's base clock of 2295 MHz boosts up to 2550 MHz under load. These clocks translate to a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s, both of which directly impact how quickly the game can fill the screen with its signature physics-driven debris and environmental destruction.

The GPU's 10,240 shading units and 112 ROPs handle Control's rendering pipeline efficiently, but the data shows that the 16 GB VRAM capacity is the more important factor at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 69 FPS, which is playable but not silky smooth. Drop to 4K High and the average rises to 79 FPS, a 14.5% improvement. The step from Medium to Low at 4K is even more dramatic: from 89 FPS to 125 FPS, a 40.4% jump. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as reducing settings directly relieves the rendering load.

The RTX 4080 SUPER's benchmark scores reinforce its position. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,600 and PassMark G3D score of 34,245 place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080, scores 54,247 in average benchmark versus the SUPER's 54,209 — a 0.1% difference that is within noise. Yet in Control, the SUPER's higher boost clock (2550 MHz vs the non-SUPER's unspecified clock) and faster memory provide measurable FPS gains at every resolution. The GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is more than sufficient for this 2019 title, but the data shows that the game's demands scale predictably with resolution and settings, making the GPU the primary lever for performance tuning.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 236 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This drops to 134 FPS at the same resolution with Ultra settings, showing a 76% performance delta between the lowest and highest quality presets.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080 in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54,209, while the standard RTX 4080 scores 54,247. This represents a -0.1% delta, meaning the SUPER is effectively tied with its predecessor in synthetic benchmarks, though the measured FPS in Control suggests real-world advantages at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the combo reaches 236 FPS on Low settings, which is extremely high. The CPU's single-thread score of 3,359 in Cinebench R23 and PassMark single-thread score of 3,535 suggest it can keep pace, but the 4.80 GHz boost clock across 8 cores and 16 threads means the GPU is likely the limiting factor even at this resolution, as Control's rendering workload scales with resolution.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 316th out of 3,720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 8.5% of all hardware pairings tested for Control.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM make a difference at 4K?

A: The 16 GB GDDR6X memory with 736.3 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for 4K Ultra, where the combo averages 69 FPS. The GPU's memory bandwidth is likely a key factor in maintaining playable frame rates at this resolution, as the game's texture streaming can consume significant memory bandwidth.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across the board. Low settings produce an average of 236 FPS, which is the highest recorded in any configuration. Medium settings reduce this to 174 FPS with a range of 148 to 200 FPS (min/max). High settings yield 155 FPS, and Ultra drops to 134 FPS. The step from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a 43.2% reduction in average FPS, but even the lowest figure is far above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 185 FPS, Medium averages 132 FPS with a range of 112 to 152 FPS, High averages 117 FPS, and Ultra averages 102 FPS. The delta from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 44.9%, slightly steeper than at 1080p. The min FPS of 112 on Medium suggests that even during intense scenes, the combo maintains frame rates well above what most displays can show.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. Low settings average 125 FPS, which is still very high for 4K gaming. Medium averages 89 FPS with a range of 76 to 102 FPS, High averages 79 FPS, and Ultra averages 69 FPS. The step from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 44.8% reduction, consistent with the other resolutions. The min FPS of 76 at 4K Medium indicates that the combo can occasionally dip below the 60 FPS threshold in the most demanding scenes, though the average remains playable.

Comparing across resolutions, the data shows a consistent scaling pattern. At High settings, the combo delivers 155 FPS at 1080p, 117 FPS at 1440p, and 79 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 49.0% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not perfectly linear, which hints at the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources being stretched at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings at 134 FPS provide the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the frame rate remains well above 120 FPS even at maximum quality. Players with 144 Hz displays can comfortably use High settings at 155 FPS, while those with 240 Hz monitors might prefer Medium at 174 FPS or Low at 236 FPS to maximize refresh rate utilization.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts toward High settings at 117 FPS, which offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining frame rates above 100 FPS. Ultra at 102 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize image quality over raw speed, particularly on 100 Hz or 120 Hz displays. Low settings at 185 FPS are only recommended for competitive play where every frame matters, as the visual downgrade is substantial.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that High settings at 79 FPS is the sweet spot for most players. This preset delivers good visual fidelity while maintaining frame rates that are smooth on 60 Hz displays and close to the 80 FPS threshold for many VRR monitors. Medium at 89 FPS is a safer choice for those who want more headroom, while Ultra at 69 FPS is playable but leaves little margin for demanding scenes. Low at 125 FPS is the only 4K preset that feels truly high-refresh, but it sacrifices the visual effects that make Control's environment so atmospheric.

Across all resolutions, Medium settings consistently provide the most consistent experience, with measured min FPS values of 148 (1080p), 112 (1440p), and 76 (4K). These min FPS figures are closer to the averages than the other presets, suggesting that Medium settings avoid the worst frame-time spikes. For a game like Control, where combat can trigger complex physics interactions, this consistency is valuable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT plays a supporting but essential role in this pairing. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, the CPU provides a 3.80 GHz base clock and 4.80 GHz boost clock. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache is particularly relevant for gaming, as it reduces memory latency and improves data reuse. The CPU's benchmark scores show strong multi-threaded performance: Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23,794 and PassMark multi-thread score of 28,053. Single-thread performance is equally solid, with Cinebench R23 single-core at 3,359 and PassMark single-thread at 3,535.

In Control, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 236 FPS, which likely approaches the CPU's limit for this game's simulation and physics engine. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7,683 and 8-thread score of 6,141 suggest that the CPU can handle the game's multi-threaded workload, but the single-thread score of 959 in 3DMark indicates that individual thread performance is the more critical factor for frame pacing.

The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, matches its average benchmark score of 29,868 within 0.0%, yet the 5800XT's desktop-class design with higher boost clocks provides an advantage in sustained gaming workloads. The 105 W TDP and AM4 socket platform are mature and well-supported, though the DDR4 memory support (dual-channel, 51.2 GB/s bandwidth) is a generational limitation compared to newer platforms. For Control, however, the data shows that the CPU is sufficient to feed the RTX 4080 SUPER at all but the lowest settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals where the bottleneck lies in this combo. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 236 at 1080p to 185 at 1440p (a 21.6% reduction) and then to 125 at 4K (a 47.0% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern is consistent with GPU-bound performance, where the frame rate drops proportionally with the increase in pixel count. The fact that the 1080p Low score of 236 FPS is so high suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor even at this resolution, as the GPU still has headroom to render more frames.

At Ultra settings, the behavior is similar but with lower absolute numbers: 134 FPS at 1080p, 102 FPS at 1440p (a 23.9% drop), and 69 FPS at 4K (a 48.5% drop from 1080p). The slightly steeper drop at Ultra settings indicates that the additional visual effects — likely including more volumetric lighting and particle effects — place extra strain on the GPU's compute and memory subsystems. The pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s are the likely limiting factors at 4K Ultra, where the GPU must fill over 8.3 million pixels per frame.

The data suggests that the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor at any resolution, as even 4K Ultra averages 69 FPS without signs of texture streaming issues. Instead, the GPU's raw compute throughput is the bottleneck at 4K, which is expected given that Control is a visually demanding title with real-time ray tracing options (though the data does not specify whether ray tracing was enabled). The 320 W TDP and 700 W suggested PSU indicate that this is a power-hungry configuration, but the measured FPS shows that the power budget translates directly into performance.

The scaling analysis also highlights the diminishing returns of lower resolutions. At 1080p, the combo delivers between 134 and 236 FPS depending on settings, which exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors. At 1440p, the range is 102 to 185 FPS, which still covers high-refresh displays. At 4K, the range narrows to 69 to 125 FPS, where only the Low preset achieves truly high-refresh performance. This suggests that 1440p is the optimal resolution for this combo, as it balances visual fidelity with frame rates that fully utilize the GPU's capabilities without exceeding what the CPU can support.