Control

Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title, places measurable demands on system hardware, and the combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT produces a distinct performance profile across resolutions and settings. The data shows a setup that is clearly capable of smooth gameplay at 1080p, but which becomes increasingly constrained as resolution and graphical fidelity rise. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS figures, examines the role of each component, and contextualizes the combo's standing against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The benchmark data for this game reveals a steep performance penalty as resolution increases, a pattern that points directly at the graphics card as the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 75.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that average to 59.9 FPS, a reduction of 16.0 FPS. The jump to 4K is more punishing, with the average falling to 39.4 FPS, which is 36.5 FPS below the 1080p result and a 21.1% decrease from the 1440p figure.

This scaling behavior is consistent across all quality presets. With Low settings, the system achieves 122.4 FPS at 1080p, 92.8 FPS at 1440p, and 61.7 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is 60.7 FPS, which is a larger absolute drop than the 36.5 FPS difference seen at High settings. This suggests that at lower settings, where the CPU has more headroom, the GPU's workload scales directly with pixel count, making the resolution impact more pronounced. The pattern is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario; the CPU is capable of feeding the frames, but the Radeon RX 7600 XT cannot maintain the same output as pixel count quadruples.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the decisive factor in this combo's gaming performance. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is sufficient for the textures in Control but does not prevent the frame rate from collapsing at 4K Ultra. The card's boost clock is listed at 2755 MHz, with a game clock of 2470 MHz, figures that allow it to post a Passmark G3D score of 17132. This places the GPU in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, a mid-range standing that aligns with the measured results.

The card's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Radeon RX 7600, which is 0.6% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, which is 1.9% slower. These close margins in synthetic tests do not translate to a strong 4K experience in this game. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 37.1 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth, consistent gameplay. The data indicates that the GPU's raw compute power, rated at 22.57 TFLOPS FP32, is well-suited for 1080p and acceptable for 1440p, but it is overextended at 4K, particularly with higher settings like Medium (46.8 FPS) and High (39.4 FPS).

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT holds a rank of 1064 out of 1636 tested combos for Control. This places it in the lower third of all configurations, a position that reflects the GPU's limitations rather than the CPU's capabilities. The ranking is not a measure of failure; it is a statement of where this mid-range graphics card sits in a field that includes many high-end and enthusiast pairings.

The combo's position is more understandable when considering the individual component percentiles. The CPU is in the 89th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 63rd percentile. This imbalance suggests that the Ryzen 7 9700X is providing ample headroom, but the system's overall gaming performance is tethered to the RX 7600 XT. In practical terms for Control, the combo outperforms the 37% of tested pairings that rank below it, but it is not in contention with configurations built around stronger GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo shows a wide range of performance based on settings. Low settings produce an average of 122.4 FPS, which is highly playable for fast action. Medium settings reduce the average to 84.6 FPS, a 30.9% drop from Low. High settings yield 75.9 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 70.2 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 52.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the game's visual features but that the most demanding preset still has a tangible cost.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 92.8 FPS (Low), 66.3 FPS (Medium), 59.9 FPS (High), and 49.4 FPS (Ultra). The step from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra settings results in a 20.8 FPS loss, which is a significant 29.6% decrease. This suggests that 1440p Ultra is the edge of the card's comfortable performance envelope, as it dips below the 60 FPS mark.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a system under heavy load. Low settings yield 61.7 FPS, which is the only playable result at this resolution. Medium settings average 46.8 FPS, High settings drop to 39.4 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 37.1 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 24.6 FPS, showing that even with substantial graphical compromises, the card cannot maintain high frame rates at this resolution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-performance processor that does not present a bottleneck in this game. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, it scores 31588 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 4459 in the single-core test. Its Passmark multithread score is 37161, and its single-thread score is 4654. These results place the CPU in the 89th percentile of all processors, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14500HX, which is 0.2% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, which is 0.6% faster.

The CPU's base clock is 3.80 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, which provides the single-thread performance that many games require. In Control, the frame rate data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The evidence is that FPS scales predictably with resolution and settings, a symptom of GPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, particularly at Low settings. Instead, the FPS drops from 122.4 at 1080p Low to 61.7 at 4K Low, indicating that the GPU is fully occupied at higher pixel counts. The 65W TDP and 4nm process node also indicate an efficient processor that is well-suited for pairing with a mid-range GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT achieves an average of 75.9 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings.

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

A: The data shows that 4K is only playable at Low settings, where the average FPS is 61.7. At Medium, High, and Ultra settings, the averages are 46.8, 39.4, and 37.1 FPS, respectively, which are below the standard for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested configurations?

A: For Control, this specific combo ranks 1064 out of 1636 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of all tested systems.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops significantly with increased resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation, while the CPU's strong benchmark scores (89th percentile) suggest it has ample headroom.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 92.8 on Low settings to 49.4 on Ultra settings, a difference of 43.4 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's average benchmark score and percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 20146, which places it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its Passmark G3D score is 17132.