Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a specific bottleneck profile in Control. The data shows a system where the GPU is the primary constraint, but the CPU’s headroom is not enough to overcome the graphics card’s age. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and presets reveal a clear picture of where this combination sits in the performance hierarchy.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, confirming that the RX 580 is the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 64.2 FPS, which is the only measured scenario that crosses the 60 FPS threshold. Moving to 1440p Low, the average falls to 46.4 FPS, a reduction of 17.8 FPS. At 4K Low, the average plummets to 34.4 FPS. This pattern indicates that the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth are saturated as pixel count increases.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at High settings shows a drop from 38.7 FPS to 30 FPS, a 22.5% reduction. The jump to 4K High further reduces performance to 22 FPS. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario; the CPU is not the primary factor in these losses. The RX 580’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus width are being overwhelmed by the higher resolution workloads. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable target for this pairing, as even the lowest settings at 4K yield only 34.4 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay.

At 1080p, the scaling is more forgiving. The difference between Low (64.2 FPS) and Ultra (36.9 FPS) is substantial, but the system remains playable at Medium (43.1 FPS) and High (38.7 FPS). The 1440p results are borderline; Low is playable, but Medium (35.6 FPS) and High (30 FPS) require compromises. The conclusion is that resolution scaling is harsh, and users should target 1080p for a consistent experience.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 580, built on the Polaris 20 chip with a 14 nm process, operates at a base clock of 1257 MHz and a boost clock of 1340 MHz. Its memory runs at 2000 MHz, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth across a 256-bit bus. These specifications place the GPU in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13559. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (deltaPct 0) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (deltaPct 0.1), indicating the RX 580 is positioned in the mid-range of legacy hardware.

In Control, the GPU’s limitations are exposed. The 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is insufficient for the game’s particle effects and physics at higher settings. The 4K Ultra result of 18.7 FPS demonstrates the card’s inability to handle the full visual load. The 8 GB VRAM is adequate for the game’s textures, but the raw compute power is not. The Pixel Rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and Texture Rate of 193.0 GTexel/s are simply not enough to maintain fluidity at high resolutions.

The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 8813 reflects its mid-pack standing. The DirectX 12 score of 43 suggests that the card’s API support is not a bottleneck, but rather its execution units. The data implies that the RX 580 is best utilized with lowered graphical presets to shift the balance toward playability. While the GPU is end-of-life, it still delivers playable results at 1080p Medium, which is the sweet spot for this hardware.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a modern 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 9000 series, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU’s benchmarks are strong, with a multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 31588 and a single-core score of 4459. Its average benchmark score of 36029 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU’s role in Control is to feed the GPU. At 1080p Low, the CPU allows the GPU to reach 64.2 FPS, suggesting that the processor is not the bottleneck at this resolution. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9824 indicates sufficient multi-threaded capacity. However, the CPU’s performance is not fully utilized because the GPU is the limiting factor. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14500HX, has an average score of 35940 (deltaPct 0.2), which is nearly identical, confirming that the CPU is not a differentiator in this pairing.

The 8 cores and 16 threads are more than enough for Control, which is not heavily multi-threaded. The single-core performance (PassMark single-thread score of 4654) ensures that the game’s main thread is handled without issue. The L3 cache of 32 MB shared provides ample data for the CPU to process. In this configuration, the CPU is effectively idle waiting for the GPU. The data shows that upgrading the GPU would yield significant gains, whereas upgrading the CPU would not change the FPS in this specific game.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where the combo achieves playable frame rates across most settings. At 1080p Low, the average is 64.2 FPS, and at Medium it is 43.1 FPS. Higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K result in averages below 46.4 FPS even on Low, making them less suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its closest rivals in raw benchmark scores?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 scores 13564, which is a deltaPct of 0, meaning they are statistically identical. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 scores 13549, a deltaPct of 0.1, also nearly identical. The AMD Radeon Pro 455 is 1.1% slower.

Q: Should I play on High or Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The measured results show that High settings yield 38.7 FPS, while Ultra yields 36.9 FPS. The difference is only 1.8 FPS. Neither reaches 60 FPS, so players must decide between slightly better visuals and a marginal frame rate change. Medium settings provide a more noticeable boost to 43.1 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the bottleneck. When moving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, the FPS drops from 64.2 to 34.4, a clear sign of GPU limitation. The CPU’s strong scores (e.g., Cinebench R23 multi-core of 31588) show it is not the constraining factor.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 46.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 29 FPS. The difference is 17.4 FPS. This shows that the graphical preset has a significant impact on performance, but even Low settings do not reach 60 FPS.

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

A: The data suggests no. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 34.4, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 18.7 FPS, which is not playable. The GPU’s compute power is insufficient for this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 1506 out of 1636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations. The rank is driven by the GPU’s age and performance, as the CPU is a modern high-end part. The data shows that the CPU is capable of much higher frame rates if paired with a more powerful GPU.

The low rank is unsurprising given the GPU’s percentile of 53 versus the CPU’s percentile of 89. The pairing creates a significant mismatch, where the CPU’s potential is wasted. The measured FPS results, such as 38.7 FPS at 1080p High, are consistent with a mid-range GPU from 2017. The combo is outperformed by the vast majority of systems, which likely use newer graphics cards. For a builder, this rank indicates that the CPU is a solid foundation for a future GPU upgrade, but the current configuration is not competitive for modern games like Control.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear guide for the best experience. At 1080p, the Low preset offers the highest average FPS at 64.2, which is the only setting that approaches a smooth 60 FPS experience. However, for better visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 43.1 FPS is a reasonable compromise, providing a playable experience without the harsh visual cuts of Low. The High preset (38.7 FPS) is playable but begins to show the GPU’s strain. The Ultra preset (36.9 FPS) offers minimal visual gains over High for a slight FPS loss.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable option, yielding 46.4 FPS. Medium (35.6 FPS) and High (30 FPS) are below the threshold for comfortable gameplay, and Ultra (29 FPS) should be avoided. For 4K, no preset is recommended, as even Low (34.4 FPS) fails to provide a smooth experience. The data suggests that users should prioritize 1080p Medium for the best balance of visuals and performance, or 1080p Low if frame rate is the absolute priority. The settings should be used to reduce the load on the RX 580, allowing the Ryzen 7 9700X to maintain a stable frame delivery.