Control

Control, Remedy’s supernatural action-adventure, places a heavy load on both processor and graphics card, but the data for this specific pairing shows a clear delineation of responsibilities. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination delivers a playable experience at 1080p, but struggles to maintain high framerates at 4K. Benchmark results indicate that the RTX 2060 is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios, while the 9700F provides ample headroom for the game’s physics and AI-driven chaos.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) and manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This configuration is well-suited for a game like Control, which features complex destruction physics, telekinetic object manipulation, and numerous AI-driven enemies that can stress multiple threads simultaneously. The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed game data close at hand, reducing latency in fast-paced combat scenarios.

In terms of raw computational power, the 9700F’s PassMark multithread score of 36,470 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% ahead), Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% behind), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.7% ahead), and Intel Core i7-14700K (0.9% ahead). This grouping shows that the 9700F is essentially on par with high-end desktop and mobile flagship chips from the previous generation, meaning it is unlikely to be the limiting factor in Control at any of the tested resolutions.

The single-thread performance is equally strong, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4,691. This is critical for Control’s main game thread, which handles player input, UI updates, and core game logic. The high boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures that this thread can execute quickly, reducing frame time spikes that could otherwise cause stutter. Given that the CPU’s average benchmark score of 69,996 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, the data suggests that the 9700F delivers consistent, predictable performance that will not bottleneck the GPU in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU (chip TU106) built on a 12 nm process by TSMC. It comes with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz, and it features 1,920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. In Control, which leverages NVIDIA’s ray tracing and DLSS technologies, the RTX 2060’s 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are technically capable of enabling these features, though the measured data in this pack does not include ray tracing or DLSS results.

The RTX 2060’s PassMark G3D score of 14,111 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (0% delta), AMD Radeon 680M (0.1% ahead), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (0.6% ahead), and AMD Radeon RX 7600 (0.8% ahead). This is a critical data point: the RTX 2060 is performing on par with an integrated GPU (Radeon 680M) and a decade-old GTX 580 in synthetic benchmarks. This indicates that the GPU is a mid-range part that has been surpassed by newer and more efficient designs.

The GPU’s 6 GB of VRAM is a potential concern for Control at higher resolutions and settings. The game features detailed textures and large, destructible environments that can quickly fill memory buffers. The data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 30, which is likely a combination of both GPU compute limits and memory capacity pressure. The 336.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p gaming but may become a limiting factor as the resolution increases and the demand for texture streaming grows.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, pointing directly to the GPU as the bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 107 FPS, while at 4K Low settings, it drops to 55 FPS. This represents a 48.6% reduction in performance. For High settings, the drop is from 68 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 4K, a 48.5% reduction. This near-linear scaling with pixel count strongly suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor; instead, the RTX 2060’s shading units, texture fill rate, and memory bandwidth are being saturated as the resolution increases.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution is also telling. At 1080p, the gap between Low (107 FPS) and Ultra (59 FPS) is 44.9%. At 1440p, the gap is 44.4% (81 FPS vs. 45 FPS). At 4K, the gap shrinks to 45.5% (55 FPS vs. 30 FPS). This consistency in relative performance across resolutions indicates that the GPU is equally stressed by the additional visual effects (shadows, reflections, post-processing) at every resolution, reinforcing the notion that the RTX 2060 is the primary performance limiter.

The CPU’s role in this scaling is negligible. If the 9700F were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller FPS gap between 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU would be unable to feed the GPU frames faster than a certain rate. However, the data shows a nearly perfect proportional drop in FPS with resolution, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The Ryzen 7 9700F’s high multi-threaded and single-threaded scores provide enough headroom to ensure that it does not artificially cap the framerate in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs best:

• Low: 107 FPS average
• Medium: 76 FPS average (min 65, max 88)
• High: 68 FPS average
• Ultra: 59 FPS average

This is the only resolution where the combo consistently exceeds 60 FPS, and only on the Low preset. The Medium preset is close, with an average of 76 FPS, but the minimum of 65 FPS suggests there are occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold. High and Ultra settings are playable but require a tolerance for sub-60 FPS averages.

At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly:

• Low: 81 FPS average
• Medium: 58 FPS average (min 49, max 66)
• High: 51 FPS average
• Ultra: 45 FPS average

The Low preset remains smooth, but every other preset falls below 60 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 49 FPS indicates noticeable stutter during intense action sequences. High and Ultra are playable for those who prioritize visual fidelity over framerate, but the averages of 51 and 45 FPS are not ideal for a fast-paced action game.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles:

• Low: 55 FPS average
• Medium: 39 FPS average (min 33, max 45)
• High: 35 FPS average
• Ultra: 30 FPS average

None of the presets achieve 60 FPS at 4K. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, with an average of 55 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 40 FPS, with Ultra bottoming out at 30 FPS, which is borderline unplayable for a game that requires precise timing for dodging and aiming.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes, but not at a consistent 60 FPS. The average FPS at 1080p High is 68, which is above 60, but the data does not provide a minimum FPS for this preset. The Medium preset has a minimum of 65, suggesting that High may dip below 60 during heavy scenes.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo can consistently exceed 60 FPS, and only on the Low preset (107 FPS). For a balance of quality and performance, 1080p Medium (76 FPS average) is the highest settings preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700F or the RTX 2060 the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The FPS drops nearly proportionally with resolution increases, which is a classic GPU-bound behavior. The CPU’s benchmark scores are in the 94th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all high-end chips, indicating it has ample performance headroom for Control.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2060’s PassMark G3D score (14,111) is virtually identical to the GTX 580 (0% delta) and the Radeon 680M (0.1% ahead). It is slightly behind the RTX 3050 OEM (0.6%) and the RX 7600 (0.8%). This suggests that in raw compute, it is a mid-range part that has been matched by newer integrated graphics.

Q: Is 6 GB of VRAM enough for Control?

A: At 1080p, the VRAM appears sufficient, as the combo achieves playable framerates even on Ultra (59 FPS). At 4K, the performance drops to 30 FPS on Ultra, which is likely a combination of VRAM capacity limits and GPU compute limits. The 336.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth is a more significant constraint at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations for Control?

A: The combo ranks 2,274 out of 2,888 total combinations. This places it in the bottom 21% of all tested hardware pairings, indicating that it is a lower-mid-range setup for this specific game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the display resolution.

For 1080p, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point. It delivers an average of 76 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS, ensuring a mostly smooth experience that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset (68 FPS average) is a viable alternative for those who want better visual fidelity and can tolerate occasional dips below 60 FPS, though the minimum FPS is not measured. The Low preset (107 FPS) is unnecessary unless the user has a 144 Hz display and wants to maximize framerate, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that is known for its atmospheric lighting.

For 1440p, the Low preset (81 FPS average) is the only option that maintains a comfortable framerate above 60 FPS. The Medium preset (58 FPS average) is borderline, with a minimum of 49 FPS that will cause noticeable stutter. Given that the game is an action-adventure title, a stable framerate is more important than visual effects, so Low is the recommended preset at this resolution.

For 4K, the data shows that no preset delivers a consistently playable experience. The Low preset (55 FPS average) is the closest to playability, but the lack of a minimum FPS reading makes it risky. The Medium preset (39 FPS average, min 33) is not recommended, as the sub-40 FPS average will feel sluggish. Users with a 4K display should strongly consider lowering the resolution to 1440p or 1080p to achieve a better framerate, as the 6 GB RTX 2060 is not capable of handling Control at 4K with acceptable performance. The Ultra preset at any resolution is only for users who prioritize maximum visual quality over gameplay smoothness, as the 30-59 FPS averages are not competitive for a game that requires quick reflexes.