Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination ranks 551st out of 1636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the upper third of all systems tested. This is a strong result for a 2019 action-adventure title, indicating that the pairing delivers well above-average performance without reaching the absolute top tier. The rank reflects a balanced system where neither component becomes a severe bottleneck at the most common settings, though the data shows the GPU carries increasing weight as resolution climbs.

How This Combo Ranks

The 551st rank out of 1636 combos puts this pairing in the 66th percentile of all tested systems for Control. That is a solidly above-median position, but not an elite one. The CPU itself holds an 89th percentile ranking across all CPUs in general benchmarks, while the GPU sits at an 87th percentile across all GPUs. The slight drop in game-specific rank versus component percentiles suggests that Control’s engine does not fully utilize the strengths of either part, or that the game’s demands favor different hardware configurations.

In synthetic tests, the Ryzen 7 7700X posts an average benchmark score of 34313, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i5-13500 scores 34175, just 0.4% behind, while the Intel Core i7-12800HX at 34136 trails by 0.5%. On the GPU side, the RX 6800 XT averages 49982, with the Intel Arc A550M at 49737 (0.5% behind) and the NVIDIA RTX A1000 at 50826 (1.7% ahead). This means the combo is closely matched with systems using those parts, and the 551st rank reflects that tight competition.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6800 XT brings 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. That memory capacity is substantial for Control, a game that can stress VRAM at higher resolutions. The GPU’s boost clock reaches 2250 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz, and it delivers 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. These specifications translate into a card that is well-suited for 1440p and 4K gaming, as the measured FPS data confirms.

At 4K Ultra, the card averages 50.2 FPS, which is playable but not smooth by modern standards. Dropping to 4K High raises that to 61 FPS, a 21.5% improvement. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is stark: 93.8 FPS versus 50.2 FPS, a difference of 43.6 FPS. This shows that the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, as lowering settings directly recovers frame rate. The RX 6800 XT’s 87th percentile GPU ranking supports this interpretation—it is a capable card, but Control’s demanding rendering at 4K pushes it to its limits.

The GPU’s nearest rival comparisons reinforce this. The RTX A1000 is 1.7% faster in average benchmark score, while the CMP 50HX is 1.9% slower. These small deltas mean that in real-world Control gameplay, the RX 6800 XT performs nearly identically to those cards, and the 551st rank is consistent with that level of performance.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 7700X provides 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This is a Zen 4 architecture chip on the AMD Socket AM5 platform, manufactured on a 5 nm process. In Control, the CPU’s role is less critical than the GPU’s, but it still matters for maintaining high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU has headroom.

The CPU’s single-thread performance is strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2985 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4281. Multi-threaded performance is equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30325 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 15538. These numbers indicate that the 7700X can feed the GPU without bottlenecking at 1080p, where the measured FPS reaches as high as 178.2 FPS on Low settings.

The nearest CPU rivals show how close this chip is to others in its class. The Core i5-13500 is 0.4% faster on average, while the Core Ultra 7 165H is 0.8% slower. These margins are negligible, meaning the 7700X’s gaming performance in Control is essentially equivalent to those CPUs. The 89th percentile CPU ranking confirms that this is a high-end processor, but Control’s engine does not appear to be heavily CPU-bound, as evidenced by the FPS scaling patterns.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 178.2 FPS on Low, 128.1 FPS on Medium, 115.8 FPS on High, and 99.2 FPS on Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium is a 50.1 FPS drop, which is significant, but the difference between Medium and High is only 12.3 FPS, and High to Ultra is 16.6 FPS. This suggests that the GPU handles 1080p with ease, and the CPU is not limiting performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers are 133.7 FPS on Low, 96.4 FPS on Medium, 85.9 FPS on High, and 74.2 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, averaging around 24-27% reduction. At 1440p, the GPU begins to show its workload, but the frame rates remain highly playable, with even Ultra staying above 74 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low averages 93.8 FPS, Medium 62.9 FPS, High 61 FPS, and Ultra 50.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 30.9 FPS, the largest single-setting jump at any resolution. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, and the difference between quality presets has a dramatic impact on performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is telling. At High settings, the combo goes from 115.8 FPS at 1080p to 85.9 FPS at 1440p, then to 61 FPS at 4K. That is a 47.4% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the drop is from 178.2 FPS to 133.7 FPS to 93.8 FPS, a 47.4% reduction as well. The consistency of this scaling across settings suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rate scales almost exactly with pixel count.

The CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the 178.2 FPS result indicates that the GPU is not fully saturated. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see smaller gains from lowering resolution. Instead, the proportional scaling points squarely at the GPU. At 4K, the RX 6800 XT is working near its maximum, and the 50.2 FPS Ultra result shows that this combo is not ideal for 4K Ultra in Control without further optimization.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, at 4K High it averages 61 FPS, and at 4K Medium it reaches 62.9 FPS. Ultra drops to 50.2 FPS, so 4K is playable with settings adjustments.

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

A: The Ryzen 7 7700X averages 34313 in benchmarks, which is 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13500 and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800HX.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1440p offers the best balance, with High settings averaging 85.9 FPS and Ultra at 74.2 FPS, both above 60 FPS.

Q: Does lowering settings help more at 4K than at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 4K, Low to Ultra is a 43.6 FPS difference, while at 1080p the same range is 79 FPS, showing the GPU is more strained at 4K.

Q: How does the GPU rank against all GPUs?

A: The RX 6800 XT is in the 87th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 49982, placing it just behind the NVIDIA RTX A1000 by 1.7%.

Q: Is this a balanced pairing for Control?

A: Yes, the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K follows pixel count, indicating the GPU is the primary driver.

Settings Recommendations

For the best measured experience, 1440p High is the sweet spot, delivering 85.9 FPS. This provides a solid frame rate with high visual quality. If you prefer Ultra, 1440p Ultra at 74.2 FPS is still smooth and only 13.7% slower than High. At 1080p, Ultra at 99.2 FPS is the best option for maximum quality without sacrificing performance, as even the most demanding settings stay well above 60 FPS.

At 4K, High settings at 61 FPS are the recommended choice, as this matches the 60 FPS target while preserving visual fidelity. Medium at 4K yields 62.9 FPS, nearly identical to High, so High is preferable. Avoid 4K Ultra, as the 50.2 FPS result falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and the visual improvement over High is typically minimal. For competitive play or high refresh rates, 1080p Low at 178.2 FPS is the maximum performance option, but it sacrifices most visual features.