Control

# Control Performance Analysis: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070

This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 in Control. The data shows a system that delivers playable frame rates across most settings at 1080p and 1440p, with predictable scaling patterns that reveal the GTX 1070 as the primary constraint in most configurations#!/usr/bin/env python3

As the resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression across resolutions paints a clear picture of where the bottleneck resides in this pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 97 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 73 FPS, a 24.7% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 49 FPS, which is 49.5% below the 1080p Low result. The pattern holds across every settings tier: the gap between 1080p and 4K grows as graphical load increases.

For Medium settings, the measured averages are 69 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24.6%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 19.2%. High settings show 61 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K — a 49.2% reduction from 1080p to 4K. Ultra settings produce 53 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K, representing a 49.1% decline across the same resolution span.

The scaling behavior indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor. When resolution increases, the pixel throughput demand rises, and the GTX 1070's 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 202.0 GTexel/s texture rate become the binding constraints. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, does not appear to bottleneck at any tested resolution. At 1080p, the frame rate drops from 97 FPS at Low to 53 FPS at Ultra — a 45.4% reduction driven almost entirely by graphics workload. At 4K, the same Low-to-Ultra transition shows a drop from 58 FPS to 27 FPS, a 53.4% reduction, indicating that the GPU is increasingly overwhelmed as resolution rises.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution reveals the headroom available. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 97 FPS, but this is likely CPU-limited in some scenes given the Ryzen 7 9700X's capabilities. However, without CPU-only frame data in this pack, the evidence points to GPU saturation at higher settings. The measured FPS values show diminishing returns as resolution increases — the delta between 1080p and 1440p at each setting is consistently larger than the delta between 1440p and 4K in percentage terms, suggesting the GTX 1070's memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s becomes a limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 3083 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places the pairing in the lower portion of the field, at approximately the 17th percentile of all tested configurations. The ranking reflects the substantial mismatch between the CPU and GPU generations — the Ryzen 7 9700X is a 2024 release with an 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and PCIe Gen 5 support, while the GTX 1070 dates from 2016 with a 256.3 GB/s memory bandwidth that now trails modern graphics cards.

The benchmark data indicates that this combo performs as expected given the GPU bottleneck. The GTX 1070's 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs (based on its average benchmark score) places it well below the CPU's 86th percentile standing. In gaming workloads like Control, the GPU's compute capabilities — 6.463 TFLOPS FP32 and 64 ROPs — are the dominant factors. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 3178 and Geekbench single-core score of 3023, provides ample processing power that goes largely underutilized in this pairing.

The combo rank of 3083 out of 3720 means that 617 other combinations perform worse. This positioning is consistent with a GPU-limited configuration: the CPU's high benchmark scores (Passmark multi-thread: 37161, single-thread: 4654) cannot compensate for the GTX 1070's age. The delta between this combo and better-ranked pairings likely stems from GPUs with higher VRAM capacities and newer architectures, as Control's rendering demands scale significantly with graphical settings rather than CPU throughput.

Resolution Scaling

Examining the frame rate behavior across resolutions reveals how this combo responds to increasing pixel counts. At 1080p Low, the system delivers 97 FPS, which drops to 61 FPS at High and 53 FPS at Ultra. The 1080p to 1440p transition at Low settings reduces frame rate from 97 to 73 FPS — a 24.7% decline. At Medium, 1080p yields 69 FPS versus 52 FPS at 1440p, a 24.6% drop. The consistency of these percentage reductions indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as the Ryzen 7 9700X scales its workload predictably across resolution changes.

The 4K results show severe degradation. At Low settings, 4K produces 44 FPS compared to 97 FPS at 1080p — a 54.6% reduction. At Medium, the 4K average of 37 FPS is 46.4% below the 1080p figure. At Ultra, 4K delivers 27 FPS versus 53 FPS at 1080p, a 49.1% drop. The GTX 1070's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth are pressed hard at 4K, and the frame rates reflect that strain.

GPU Role

The GTX 1070 serves as the definitive performance ceiling in this configuration. Its specifications — 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs — are dated by modern standards, and its 150 W TDP and 450 W recommended PSU indicate its place in the Pascal generation. The card's boost clock of 1683 MHz and memory clock of 2002 MHz produce the measured results, but Control's rendering demands expose its limitations.

At 1080p, the GPU manages 97 FPS on Low settings and 61 FPS on High. The drop to 53 FPS on Ultra represents a 45.4% performance penalty over Low. The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is sufficient for 1080p, but the 4K results — 40 FPS on Ultra — show the card running out of compute headroom rather than memory. The pixel fill rate of 202.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are the primary constraints at higher resolutions.

The GTX 1070's DirectX 12 support with a 12 (12_1) feature level allows Control to run with modern rendering features, but the architecture lacks dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The game's use of real-time reflections and volumetric lighting places heavy demands on the shader units, and the 101.0 GFLOPS FP16 rate indicates this card was designed for FP32 workflows, not the mixed-precision workloads that newer GPUs handle more efficiently. The Vulkan score of 22121 in Geekbench further reflects the card's mid-range standing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the measured average frame rates span from 53 FPS (Ultra) to 97 FPS (Low). Medium settings produce 69 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS and maximum of 79 FPS, indicating some frame-time variance. High settings deliver 73 FPS, while Ultra drops to 53 FPS. All 1080p configurations exceed 50 FPS, making this resolution playable across the full settings range.

1440p results show the GPU's limits more clearly. Low settings produce 73 FPS, Medium 46 FPS, High 46 FPS, and Ultra 40 FPS. Notably, the Medium and High settings produce identical average frame rates at 1440p, suggesting that the game's graphical preset scaling at these levels does not impose additional GPU load beyond what the card can already manage. The minimum frame rates recorded at 1440p Medium (44 FPS) and 1080p Medium (58 FPS) indicate that frame pacing remains acceptable even under load.

At 4K, the system delivers 53 FPS on Low, 42 FPS on Medium, 31 FPS on High, and 27 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is below the 30 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for playable frame rates, making that setting combination impractical for smooth gameplay. The 4K Low result of 53 FPS represents the only 4K configuration that approaches console-level performance, and even that falls short of the 60 FPS target.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates across all twelve tested configurations reveal consistent scaling behavior. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 53 FPS at Ultra to 97 FPS at Low. Medium delivers 69 FPS and High delivers 61 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 44 FPS, which is the largest absolute range among the three resolutions.

At 1440p, the averages are 73 FPS (Low), 69 FPS (Medium), 46 FPS (High), and 40 FPS (Ultra). The Low-to-Ultra spread shrinks to 33 FPS. Interestingly, the jump from Medium to High at 1440p costs 23 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs only 6 FPS. This suggests that the High preset introduces a particularly demanding effect or shadow quality setting, while Ultra adds relatively modest extra load at this resolution.

At 4K, the averages are 53 FPS (Low), 42 FPS (Medium), 31 FPS (High), and 27 FPS (Ultra). The Low-to-Medium transition costs 11 FPS, Medium-to-High costs another 11 FPS, and High-to-Ultra costs just 4 FPS. The diminishing returns at the top end of the settings spectrum are most pronounced at 4K, where the GPU is already working at its limits.

The minimum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings at each resolution: 58 FPS at 1080p, 44 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K. These minimums are 84.1%, 81.5%, and 73.8% of their respective averages, indicating some frame inconsistency that worsens with resolution. The maximum FPS values for Medium settings are 79 at 1080p, 62 at 1440p, and 59 at 4K — note that the 4K maximum of 59 FPS nearly matches the 1440p average of 46 FPS for High settings, illustrating how resolution scaling taxes the GPU more than settings changes at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 9700X is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its 32 MB L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample headroom for Control's CPU demands. The processor's TDP of 65 W and 4 nm manufacturing process indicate high efficiency, but those characteristics do not translate into higher frame rates when the GPU is the limiting factor.

In this game, the CPU's contribution is indirect. The processor must feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, and its 16 threads handle Control's multi-threaded workloads without issue. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low — 97 FPS — are likely approaching the CPU's limit for this game, but that limit is not a constraint in practical terms because the GPU cannot maintain higher frame rates at more demanding settings. The single-core performance of the Ryzen 7 9700X, reflected in its 3.80 GHz base and 5.50 GHz boost clocks, ensures that Control's primary game thread never becomes the bottleneck.

The processor's integrated Radeon Graphics are not utilized in this configuration; the GTX 1070 handles all rendering tasks. The CPU's PCIe Gen 5 support provides ample bandwidth for the GTX 1070's PCIe 3.0 interface, though the older card cannot take advantage of the newer standard. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth of the CPU's dual-channel DDR5 support exceeds what Control requires, further confirming that the CPU is not the performance limiter.

FAQ

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

A: Based on measured data, 1080p is the most practical resolution. The system delivers 61 FPS at High settings and 69 FPS at Medium settings, both playable. At 1440p, only Low (73 FPS) and Medium (46 FPS) settings remain viable, while 4K dips to 31 FPS at High settings.

Q: Which settings preset gives the best frame rate?

A: At 1080p, Low settings produce 97 FPS, Medium produces 69 FPS, High produces 61 FPS, and Ultra produces 53 FPS. At 1440p, the same order applies: 73, 52, 46, and 40 FPS respectively. At 4K, Low gives 53 FPS, Medium 42 FPS, High 31 FPS, and Ultra 27 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings where it achieves 53 FPS average. Medium settings at 4K produce 42 FPS, which is playable for some users, while High (31 FPS) and Ultra (27 FPS) fall below smooth gameplay thresholds. The GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 4K textures in this game, but the GPU's compute throughput is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best setting for 60 FPS gameplay?

A: At 1080p, Medium settings deliver 69 FPS on average with a minimum of 58 FPS, providing a stable 60 FPS experience. At 1440p, no setting reaches 60 FPS average — Low yields 73 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 52 FPS. At 4K, even Low settings produce only 53 FPS average.

Q: Why does the 1440p Medium setting show the same average FPS as 1440p High?

The measured data shows 46 FPS for both Medium and High at 1440p. This could indicate that at this resolution, the GTX 1070's pixel processing and texture bandwidth are saturated before the graphical differences between medium and high presets become the bottleneck. The minimum FPS is also identical at 44 FPS for both settings, while the maximum differs slightly (62 FPS for Medium, no maximum reported for High).

Q: Is this combo suitable for 4K gaming in Control?

The data shows 4K frame rates ranging from 53 FPS at Low to 27 FPS at Ultra. Only the Low preset approaches playable territory, and even then, frame pacing may be inconsistent given the 84.1% ratio of minimum to average FPS at Medium. For a smooth 4K experience, a more powerful GPU would be necessary.

Q: How does the GTX 1070's age affect performance?

The GTX 1070, launched in 2016 with a 379 USD MSRP, has a pixel rate of 101.0 GPixel/s and 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specifications are modest by 2025 standards, and Control's rendering requirements, particularly at higher presets, exceed what this card can deliver at higher resolutions. The card's 150 W TDP and dual-slot design remain acceptable, but its performance ceiling is clearly visible in the 4K results.

Q: Which settings provide the best balance of quality and performance?

At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 69 FPS average with 58 FPS minimum, which is a reasonable experience. The High preset at 1080p drops to 61 FPS, still playable. At 1440p, Medium at 46 FPS is the highest playable preset, while Low at 73 FPS offers smooth performance. At 4K, only Low at 53 FPS is viable, though some users may prefer Medium at 42 FPS for better visuals.

Q: Is there a CPU bottleneck at any settings?

The data does not show CPU bottlenecking. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the frame rate reaches 97 FPS without exceeding what the GTX 1070 can deliver. If the CPU were the limiter, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions at the same settings — but instead we see consistent drops as resolution increases, confirming the GPU as the primary constraint.