Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combination delivers a highly capable Control experience, though its performance ceiling is firmly dictated by the graphics card at higher resolutions. The data indicates a system where the CPU provides immense headroom, allowing the GPU to operate as the primary bottleneck across most settings. This analysis examines the measured frame rates, component specifications, and how this specific pairing ranks against other tested configurations.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The processor includes 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a significant asset for gaming workloads that benefit from high-speed data access. Its benchmark scores are exceptional; for instance, it achieves 34,004 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,800 points in the single-core test, placing it in the 90th percentile against all CPUs.

In the context of Control, this CPU's role is to feed the GPU with frames without becoming a limiting factor. The measured FPS data shows that performance scaling is almost entirely dependent on resolution and graphics settings, not CPU load. For example, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 119.1 FPS, which is the highest recorded average. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do; however, the data shows a clear progression from 119.1 FPS at 1080p Low down to 32.7 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicating that the GPU is the constraining component.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Xeon 6353P (deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core i9-13900HK (deltaPct -0.6), and Intel Core i5-13600KF (deltaPct -0.7). This places the Ryzen 7 9800X3D within a tight performance cluster, but its gaming-oriented cache design provides an advantage in frame pacing that synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture. The processor's 120 W TDP and DDR5 memory support with dual-channel bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s ensure that memory bandwidth is not a constraint in this title. Given that Control is an action-adventure game with complex physics and destruction, the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance (16 threads) and high single-core speed (4,800 in Cinebench R23) are more than sufficient to handle the game's simulation logic, leaving the GPU as the sole determinant of frame rate.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is an Ampere-architecture GPU (GA104 chip) manufactured on an 8 nm process by Samsung. It comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 4,864 shading units, 152 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with base and boost clocks of 1410 MHz and 1665 MHz, respectively. Its compute capabilities include 16.20 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 38 ray tracing cores, which are relevant for Control's use of real-time ray tracing effects.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a 69th percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average score of 25,120. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6700M (deltaPct -0.2), AMD Radeon RX 6600 (deltaPct -0.5), AMD Radeon 890M (deltaPct -0.5), and AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (deltaPct -0.7). This indicates that the RTX 3060 Ti is positioned as a mid-range performer in the current landscape, which aligns with its measured FPS in Control.

The measured FPS data reveals the GPU's limitations clearly. At 1080p High, the system produces 72.7 FPS, but at 4K High, it drops to 39.3 FPS. This is a substantial reduction that points to the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and bandwidth being strained at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 32.7, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The GPU's memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests that 4K resolution, particularly with High or Ultra settings, exceeds the card's comfortable operating range. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is also telling: 59.3 FPS versus 32.7 FPS, a 44.8% drop, which demonstrates how the GPU's shading units and ROPs are overwhelmed by the increased graphical load.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data provides a clear picture of system behavior. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 119.1. Moving to 1440p Low reduces this to 88 FPS, a 26.1% drop. At 4K Low, the average is 59.3 FPS, which is a 50.2% drop from 1080p. This pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU has ample headroom to maintain frame rates, but the GPU's rendering workload increases with pixel count.

For High settings, the progression is 72.7 FPS at 1080p, 57.1 FPS at 1440p, and 39.3 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 21.5%, and from 1080p to 4K is 46.0%. The Ultra settings show a similar trend: 67.9 FPS at 1080p, 48.7 FPS at 1440p, and 32.7 FPS at 4K, with drops of 28.3% and 51.8% respectively. These consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that the limiting component is the GPU, as the CPU's performance is not resolution-dependent.

If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively constant regardless of resolution, because the CPU's workload (game logic, physics, draw calls) does not scale with resolution. The data does not show this; instead, FPS scales inversely with resolution, confirming that the RTX 3060 Ti is the limiting factor. The CPU's high single-thread and multi-thread scores (4,800 and 34,004 in Cinebench R23) ensure that it can process the game's data faster than the GPU can render frames, even at 4K. This is further supported by the fact that the lowest FPS at 4K Ultra (32.7) is still above what would be expected if the CPU were struggling, as the 9800X3D's 96 MB L3 cache and 5.20 GHz boost clock provide exceptional per-core performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Control?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 119.1, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 37,780, which is 0.1% behind the Intel Xeon 6353P and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13600KF. It sits in the 90th percentile for all CPUs.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Control?

A: At 4K with High settings, the average FPS is 39.3, and at Ultra it drops to 32.7. While playable, these frame rates are below the 60 FPS target for smooth action-adventure gameplay. At 4K Low, it achieves 59.3 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it affect performance?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The data shows significant FPS drops at 4K, indicating that the memory capacity and bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p but become a limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for Control?

A: This combo ranks 1156th out of 1636 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 88 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 48.7 FPS. This represents a 44.7% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank in Control is 1156 out of 1636 total tested combinations, which places it in the 29th percentile of all configurations. This ranking is notably lower than what the individual component benchmarks might suggest, given that the CPU is in the 90th percentile and the GPU is in the 69th percentile. The discrepancy arises because the GPU is the bottleneck, and the CPU's immense power is underutilized in this specific title at the tested settings.

The rank of 1156 indicates that there are 1,155 other combos that achieve higher average FPS in Control. This is expected, as many combos will pair the RTX 3060 Ti with more powerful CPUs, but the data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is what limits this system. For instance, the CPU's nearest rivals (Intel Xeon 6353P, Core Ultra 5 225) have similar average scores, but the ranking is determined by the combined FPS, which is dominated by the GPU. The RTX 3060 Ti's nearest rivals (RX 6700M, RX 6600) have similar GPU scores, but the overall combo rank is 1156, suggesting that many other GPU models provide better frame rates in this game.

The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve 60+ FPS at High settings (72.7 FPS at 1080p High, 57.1 FPS at 1440p High). At 4K, users would need to lower settings to Low (59.3 FPS) to approach playable frame rates. The rank of 1156 reflects this limitation, as it is lower than what a top-tier CPU would typically achieve, but it is also proof of the GPU's mid-range positioning. For users with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this combo provides a solid experience, but those aiming for 4K Ultra will find the frame rates insufficient (32.7 FPS), which is consistent with the combo's overall ranking in the database.