Control

Control on this system presents a clear picture: the AMD Radeon RX 580 is the decisive bottleneck at every resolution and preset, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 provides a foundation of extremely high compute headroom that the GPU cannot exploit. The benchmark data shows a combo that ranks in the 9th percentile of tested configurations, with frame rates that range from playable at 1080p Low to a slideshow at 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 with the AMD Radeon RX 580 achieves a rank of 3399 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. That places this system in the bottom 8.6% of all tested configurations, a result that is entirely attributable to the graphics card's age and performance class. The data indicates a profound mismatch: the CPU is a modern, high-end processor, while the GPU is a legacy part from 2017 that was mid-range even at its launch.

The rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capability. The Ryzen 7 7700 sits at the 87th percentile of all CPUs tested, and its average benchmark score of 40081 places it in a virtual tie with its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 is just 0.1% ahead, the Intel Core 5 221E is 0.2% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 9 270 is 0.4% behind. This is a processor that competes with modern laptop and desktop parts at the top of the stack.

Conversely, the RX 580 sits at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12928. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (0.1% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (0.4% ahead), which are themselves older or lower-tier parts. The CPU is performing at a level far above the GPU, yet the combo's rank is dragged down by the graphics card's inability to translate that CPU power into frames. In essence, this is a system where the CPU is waiting on the GPU for virtually every frame rendered.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the sole determinant of this system's performance in Control. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the card's compute capabilities are the limiting factor. The GPU's base clock of 1257 MHz and boost clock of 1340 MHz, combined with 2304 shading units, yield a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s. These figures, while respectable for the card's era, are the reason for the low frame rates observed.

The data shows a direct correlation between the GPU's workload and the frame rate collapse. At 1080p Medium, the RX 580 produces an average of 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS. This is the card operating within its design envelope. However, the game's demands scale rapidly. The RX 580's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Passmark G3D score of 8813 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1005, confirms its position as a 1080p-class card. It is not built for high refresh rates or high resolutions in modern titles, and Control is no exception.

The GPU's memory configuration also plays a role. While 8 GB is often cited as a baseline for modern gaming, the card's bandwidth and the game's engine combine to create a scenario where the GPU is fully saturated. The frame time data, where available, shows a tight spread at Medium settings (e.g., 38-51 FPS at 1080p), indicating that the GPU is consistently maxed out rather than hitting intermittent stutters. The card is working at its absolute limit, and there is no headroom left for higher settings or resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the average FPS drops by roughly half at every settings level, confirming that the RX 580's fillrate and shading power are the primary constraints. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 63 FPS. At 1440p Low, that drops to 48 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 32 FPS. This is a linear decline that mirrors the increase in pixel count, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck at all times.

The scaling is even more pronounced at higher settings. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 40 at 1080p, to 30 at 1440p, to 20 at 4K. At Ultra settings, the numbers are 35, 26, and 18 respectively. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is consistent: approximately 50% across all presets. This consistency is the signature of a GPU that is maxed out; the CPU is not becoming a factor at lower resolutions, as the Ryzen 7 7700 has ample headroom.

The data shows that the system becomes unplayable at 4K, with the High preset averaging 20 FPS and the Ultra preset averaging 18 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K produces an average of 23 FPS, with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 26 FPS, which is still below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Even at 1440p, the system struggles to maintain 30 FPS at High settings, averaging exactly 30 FPS. The only resolution and settings combination that delivers a consistently smooth experience is 1080p Low, with an average of 63 FPS. The scaling behavior leaves no doubt: the RX 580 is a 1080p card, and even then, only at lower presets.

FAQ

Q: Is this CPU-GPU combo balanced for Control?

A: No. The data shows the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is a top-tier CPU (87th percentile), while the AMD Radeon RX 580 is a mid-range GPU (53rd percentile). The combo ranks 3399 out of 3720, indicating the GPU severely limits the system's performance.

Q: Can this system run Control at 1080p?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 63 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 45 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 40 FPS and 35 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The data suggests 1080p is the only viable resolution. At 1440p, the average FPS falls below 50 even at Low settings (48 FPS), and at 4K, all presets produce averages below 32 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU's memory bandwidth affect performance?

A: The RX 580 has 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth from its 8 GB GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. This is sufficient for the game's data at 1080p, but the card's compute power (6.175 TFLOPS FP32) is the limiting factor, causing frame rates to drop significantly as resolution increases.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 7700's performance relevant to this game?

A: The CPU's benchmarks (e.g., 18760 in Cinebench R23 multicore) are far beyond what Control requires. The frame rates are entirely dictated by the GPU, making the CPU's power irrelevant to the gameplay experience in this configuration.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 1080p?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p Low is the only preset that achieves an average FPS above 60. The Medium preset, with an average of 45 FPS, might be playable for some, but it does not meet the 60 FPS threshold.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data indicates that the only way to achieve a smooth, 60 FPS experience in Control with this hardware is to use the Low preset at 1080p, which yields an average of 63 FPS. This is the only configuration in the dataset that breaks the 60 FPS barrier. While the Low preset will reduce visual fidelity, it is the only path to a high frame rate given the RX 580's performance ceiling.

For players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p is the next viable option, producing an average of 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS. This is a playable experience, though it will not be as smooth as the Low preset. The High preset at 1080p (40 FPS) and Ultra preset at 1080p (35 FPS) are progressively less playable, and the frame rate dips become more noticeable.

The data strongly advises against venturing above 1080p. At 1440p, even the Low preset averages only 48 FPS, and the High preset drops to 30 FPS. At 4K, all presets produce averages below 32 FPS, with the Ultra preset at 18 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 19 FPS, which is far below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. The recommendation is clear: 1080p Low for performance, or 1080p Medium for a balanced experience. Anything higher will result in a sub-optimal frame rate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is a Zen 4 (Raphael) processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark results are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18760 and a single-core score of 1930. These numbers place it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 40081 is within 0.6% of its nearest rivals, the Intel Core i9-13905H and the AMD Ryzen 9 270.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data. The Ryzen 7 7700, with its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth, is more than capable of handling the game's logic. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. The frame rates scale inversely with resolution, which is a hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain constant across resolutions, or the scaling would be less severe.

The CPU's performance headroom is so large that it is effectively idle in this configuration. The 3DMark multi-threaded scores (8484 for 16 threads) and Passmark multi-thread score of 34470 demonstrate a processor that can handle far more demanding workloads than Control presents. However, this power is wasted because the RX 580 cannot render frames fast enough to utilize it. The pairing is akin to a high-performance engine connected to a small fuel tank; the potential is there, but the delivery system is inadequate. The Ryzen 7 7700's capabilities are simply irrelevant to the final frame rate in this specific game and GPU combination.