Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080

This combination of AMD's Zen 5-based Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA's Ampere-generation RTX 3080 delivers a solid Control experience across all tested resolutions, with the data showing a rank of 771 out of 2,888 tested combos for this game. The pairing places the system in the top 27% of all tested configurations, indicating strong overall capability. Measured frame rates range from a playable 52 FPS at 4K Ultra to a highly fluid 185 FPS at 1080p Low, demonstrating that this hardware combination can adapt to a wide spectrum of visual demands. The benchmark data reveals consistent performance scaling, with the CPU and GPU each playing distinct roles depending on resolution and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 771 out of 2,888 tested combinations places this system well above the median for Control. This percentile position reflects a balanced pairing where neither component becomes a severe bottleneck across the tested scenarios. The ranking is particularly notable given the game's 2019 release date, which means the title's engine responds predictably to both CPU and GPU resources.

Looking at the individual components, the Ryzen 7 9700F sits in the 94th percentile among all CPUs in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 69,996. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark rankings show extremely tight competition: the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69,875 (0.2% lower), the Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70,163 (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69,515 (0.7% lower), and the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 69,355 (0.9% lower). This clustering indicates that the 9700F delivers performance squarely within the high-end desktop CPU tier.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3080 achieves a 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23,172. The nearest rivals in GPU benchmarks include the NVIDIA P106-100 (23,249, 0.3% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23,250, 0.3% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23,273, 0.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X (23,276, 0.4% higher). These delta percentages are remarkably small, suggesting the RTX 3080's overall benchmark position is tightly contested, though its gaming performance in Control specifically benefits from its architectural strengths.

The combined rank in Control reflects that this system outperforms roughly 73% of all tested combos. This is a strong result for a game that can be demanding at higher settings, and the data indicates the pairing is well-suited for smooth gameplay at most configurations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename, manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU has a 65 W TDP and supports DDR5 memory through a dual-channel interface with 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache.

For Control, the CPU's 8-core/16-thread configuration is more than sufficient for the game's threading model. The boost clock of 5.50 GHz provides strong single-thread performance, which is critical for game logic and physics calculations. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,691 confirms this capability, while the multithread score of 36,470 indicates robust parallel processing. Additional CPU benchmarks show a floating-point math score of 77,955, integer math at 120,788, and extended instructions at 33,688.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most Control scenarios. At lower resolutions like 1080p, where GPU load decreases, the CPU's high boost clock helps maintain high frame rates. The 185 FPS result at 1080p Low demonstrates that the CPU can feed the GPU effectively even in lighter rendering loads. The 94th percentile CPU ranking means this processor outperforms 94% of all CPUs in the database, placing it in the upper echelon for gaming workloads.

The memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, combined with DDR5 support, provides adequate data throughput for Control's asset streaming. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency for frequently accessed game data. The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores show it performs nearly identically to the Ryzen 9 7940HX and slightly better than the Core i7-14700K, which contextualizes its standing among high-end desktop and mobile processors.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. It features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The card includes 8,704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, 96 raster operation units, 68 ray tracing cores, and 272 tensor cores. Its pixel rate is 164.2 GPixel/s, texture rate is 465.1 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance reaches 29.77 TFLOPS.

For Control, the RTX 3080's 10 GB of VRAM is adequate for the game's texture requirements at all tested settings. The memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s ensures that high-resolution textures can be streamed efficiently, particularly at 4K resolutions. The boost clock of 1710 MHz provides substantial compute throughput, and the 68 ray tracing cores support the game's implementation of real-time ray tracing effects, although the measured FPS data does not specify whether ray tracing was enabled.

The GPU's benchmark results include a PassMark G3D score of 25,086 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 152,423. The 68th percentile among all GPUs indicates this is a strong but not top-tier card in the broader database context. The 320 W TDP requires a 700 W suggested PSU, and the dual-slot design with a 12-pin power connector fits standard desktop configurations.

In Control, the GPU becomes the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, average FPS decreases consistently, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. At 4K Ultra, the RTX 3080 delivers 52 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. The GPU's architecture, with its high texture rate and pixel throughput, is well-suited for Control's visual effects and particle systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the results show: Low settings produce 185 FPS average, Medium settings deliver 131 FPS with a minimum of 111 and maximum of 151, High settings achieve 117 FPS, and Ultra settings reach 101 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system can comfortably handle even the highest settings with frame rates above 100 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales as expected: Low settings yield 140 FPS, Medium settings deliver 99 FPS with a range of 84 to 114, High settings achieve 88 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 77 FPS. The 1440p results show that the system remains fluid at High and Medium settings, while Ultra still maintains playable frame rates above 75 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the impact of higher resolution becomes apparent: Low settings produce 94 FPS, Medium settings deliver 67 FPS with a range of 57 to 77, High settings achieve 60 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 52 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that the RTX 3080 can handle 4K gaming in Control, but the highest settings push the GPU to its limits with frame rates in the 50-60 FPS range.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows that the system maintains reasonably stable frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 111 FPS is 84.7% of the average, while at 1440p Medium, the minimum of 84 FPS is 84.8% of the average, and at 4K Medium, the minimum of 57 FPS is 85.1% of the average. This consistency indicates stable performance without severe frame drops.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the performance bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 185 at 1080p to 140 at 1440p (75.7% of the 1080p value) and then to 94 at 4K (50.8% of the 1080p value). This scaling pattern suggests that at Low settings, the system becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution increases, with the CPU able to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions.

At High settings, the scaling shows: 117 FPS at 1080p drops to 88 FPS at 1440p (75.2%) and then to 60 FPS at 4K (51.3%). The Ultra settings follow a similar trend: 101 FPS at 1080p drops to 77 FPS at 1440p (76.2%) and then to 52 FPS at 4K (51.5%). The consistency in these percentages across settings levels indicates that the performance scaling is primarily resolution-driven rather than settings-driven.

The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K across all settings, as the frame rate drops are proportional to the pixel count increase. The 4K resolution has approximately 4.4 times the pixels of 1080p, and the observed FPS reductions to roughly half at 4K indicate that the GPU cannot fully compensate for the increased pixel throughput. At 1080p and 1440p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance helps maintain high frame rates, particularly at lower settings where the GPU load is lighter.

The Medium settings data, which includes both minimum and maximum FPS, provides additional insight into scaling behavior. At 4K Medium, the average of 67 FPS with a maximum of 77 shows that the GPU can occasionally reach higher frame rates but is generally constrained. The tight min-max ranges at all resolutions for Medium settings indicate stable performance without significant thermal or power throttling.

FAQ

Q: Is this combination suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 185 FPS, at Medium settings it reaches 131 FPS, at High settings it delivers 117 FPS, and at Ultra settings it maintains 101 FPS. These frame rates are well above typical 144 Hz refresh rate thresholds.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: The system can play Control at 3840x2160 with playable frame rates. At Ultra settings, the average FPS is 52, at High settings it is 60, at Medium settings it is 67, and at Low settings it reaches 94 FPS. The experience at High and below is smooth, while Ultra is borderline but playable.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the system delivers 117 FPS at 1920x1080 and 60 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 48.7% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K, indicating the GPU is increasingly stressed at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F compare to other CPUs in the database?

A: The CPU holds a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69,996. It performs within 0.9% of the Intel Core i7-14700K and 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, while being 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX in average score.

Q: What is the GPU's overall standing compared to other graphics cards?

A: The RTX 3080 ranks in the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23,172. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, all within 0.4% of each other in average score.

Q: Are there notable frame rate drops at Medium settings across resolutions?

A: The minimum FPS data for Medium settings shows stable performance. At 1080p, the minimum is 111 FPS versus a 131 average. At 1440p, the minimum is 84 FPS versus a 99 average. At 4K, the minimum is 57 FPS versus a 67 average. The consistent ratio of minimum to average FPS (approximately 85%) indicates stable frame pacing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings levels provide excellent performance, with even Ultra settings delivering 101 FPS average. For players seeking the highest visual quality at 1080p, Ultra settings are recommended as the frame rate remains well above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, High settings provide a strong balance with 88 FPS average, while Medium settings offer 99 FPS with a tighter frame pacing range. Ultra settings at 1440p produce 77 FPS, which remains smooth for most gameplay. For the best experience at 1440p, High settings are recommended as they deliver near-Ultra visual quality with an 11 FPS advantage over Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the settings choice becomes more critical. Ultra settings yield 52 FPS, which is playable but may feel less responsive in fast-paced combat scenarios. High settings improve this to 60 FPS, providing a smoother experience. Medium settings offer 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS, ensuring consistent performance above typical 60 Hz display refresh rates. Low settings at 4K achieve 94 FPS, but the visual compromise may not be worthwhile. For 4K gaming, High settings are recommended as they maintain a 60 FPS average while preserving significant visual fidelity.

The data indicates that Medium settings across all resolutions provide the most consistent frame pacing, as evidenced by the available minimum FPS data showing approximately 85% of average FPS values. This consistency suggests Medium settings are a reliable choice for users who prioritize stability in frame delivery. However, for the best visual experience at frame rates above 100 FPS, 1080p with Ultra settings is the recommended configuration based on the measured results.