Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a formidable Control experience, placing in the 259th position out of 1,636 tested combos. This places the configuration comfortably in the top 16% of all tested systems, indicating that this pairing is well above average for running this 2019 Action Adventure title. The data reveals a system capable of high-refresh-rate 1080p gameplay, solid 1440p performance, and even respectable 4K framerates, though the scaling patterns hint at where the bottleneck shifts across resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 259 out of 1,636 tested configurations, this system outperforms roughly 84% of all recorded pairings for Control. The percentile positioning suggests that users with this hardware will rarely encounter performance ceilings in typical gameplay scenarios. The CPU itself holds a 90th percentile ranking against all tested CPUs, while the GPU sits at an 84th percentile against all GPUs, meaning both components are individually strong performers in their respective pools. The combination of a top-decile processor with an upper-tier graphics card creates a balanced platform where neither component dramatically outclasses the other, which is reflected in the strong overall combo ranking. The fact that this rank is achieved despite Control being a title that can be demanding on both CPU and GPU resources speaks to the effectiveness of this pairing. Interestingly, the CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Xeon 6353P, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, Intel Core i9-13900HK, and Intel Core i5-13600KF, with all delta percentages within 0.7% of the 9800X3D's average benchmark score of 37,780. This indicates that while the 9800X3D is strong, the competition at its performance tier is exceptionally tight, making the GPU choice particularly important for gaming outcomes.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D brings 8 cores and 16 threads to the table, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. Its base clock of 4.70 GHz can boost up to 5.20 GHz, providing substantial single-thread headroom that benefits games like Control, which often rely on a few heavily utilized threads. The processor's 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a notable asset for gaming workloads, as it allows frequently accessed data to remain close to the cores. The CPU's 3DMark scores illustrate its threading capabilities: 2,394 for 2 threads, 4,669 for 4 threads, 8,252 for 8 threads, and 10,081 for 16 threads. The scaling from 8 to 16 threads (from 8,252 to 10,081) shows only a 21.8% improvement, suggesting that Control may not fully utilize all 16 threads, but the strong 8-thread performance is what matters most for this title. In Cinebench R23, the processor achieves 34,004 multi-core and 4,800 single-core points, with the single-core figure being particularly relevant for games that have strict frame timing requirements. The 9800X3D's 4 nm process node and 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die contribute to its efficiency, though the 120W TDP indicates it can draw significant power under load. For Control specifically, the CPU's high boost clock and large cache likely prevent bottlenecking even in scenes with numerous physics interactions or AI-driven enemies, allowing the RTX 4070 SUPER to operate at its full potential.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the graphics workhorse in this configuration, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Its Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, includes 7,168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units. The GPU's boost clock of 2,475 MHz helps drive its 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is ample for rendering Control's physics-heavy environments and particle effects. The 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for ray tracing and DLSS features, though the measured FPS data in this pack appears to reflect standard rasterization performance. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 84th percentile ranking places it above the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE in average benchmark scores, with delta percentages of -0.2% and -0.3% respectively, meaning it trades blows with those cards within a fraction of a percent. However, the GPU's average benchmark score of 42,576 is notably higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580X and NVIDIA Tesla M40, which trail by 1.4% and 1.6% respectively. For Control, the 12 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient at all tested settings and resolutions, as the game's textures and geometry do not appear to exceed this allocation even at 4K Ultra. The GPU's 220W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a mid-range power profile that pairs well with the CPU's 120W TDP, creating a system that should be manageable in terms of thermals and power delivery.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 214.6 FPS on Low settings, 155.6 FPS on Medium, 137.0 FPS on High, and 116.0 FPS on Ultra. These figures show that even at the most demanding 1080p preset, the system easily exceeds 100 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong: 159.9 FPS on Low, 118.7 FPS on Medium, 101.7 FPS on High, and 89.3 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p Ultra result still maintains near-90 FPS, which is excellent for a visually demanding title. At 3840x2160, the system delivers 111.1 FPS on Low, 77.5 FPS on Medium, 71.9 FPS on High, and 61.8 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 61.8 FPS hovers just above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the RTX 4070 SUPER is near its limit at this resolution and preset combination. The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent performance penalty: at 1080p, Ultra is 45.9% slower than Low; at 1440p, the gap is 44.2%; and at 4K, it narrows to 44.4%. This consistency suggests that the settings scaling affects the GPU workload uniformly across resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the system's bottleneck characteristics. At Low settings, performance falls from 214.6 FPS at 1080p to 159.9 FPS at 1440p (a 25.5% reduction) and then to 111.1 FPS at 4K (a 48.2% reduction from 1080p). At Ultra settings, the drop is from 116.0 FPS at 1080p to 89.3 FPS at 1440p (a 23.0% reduction) and then to 61.8 FPS at 4K (a 46.7% reduction from 1080p). The near-linear scaling of these percentage drops across settings indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance likely allows the GPU to stretch its legs, but at 4K, the pixel throughput demands take over, and the RTX 4070 SUPER's raw compute becomes the limiting factor. The fact that the 1080p to 1440p drop is smaller than the 1440p to 4K drop at every settings level suggests that the transition from 1440p to 4K represents a more significant challenge for the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading capacity. This scaling behavior implies that users targeting 4K should expect to dial back settings to High or Medium to maintain playable framerates, while 1440p and 1080p users can afford to max out settings without compromising smoothness.

FAQ

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

A: At 2560x1440, the system delivers 101.7 FPS on High settings and 89.3 FPS on Ultra, making it the sweet spot for balancing visual quality with high refresh rates. At 1920x1080, the system exceeds 116 FPS even on Ultra, which is ideal for competitive play.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160, the system achieves 71.9 FPS on High settings and 61.8 FPS on Ultra, so 4K is playable if you are willing to accept framerates in the 60-72 FPS range. Low settings at 4K produce 111.1 FPS for those prioritizing performance over visuals.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 37,780, which is within 0.7% of the Intel Xeon 6353P, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, Intel Core i9-13900HK, and Intel Core i5-13600KF. The tight deltas indicate these processors perform nearly identically in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the GPU's relative performance against similar cards?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 42,576 places it slightly above the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (both within 0.3% slower), while it clearly outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro 580X and NVIDIA Tesla M40 by 1.4% and 1.6% respectively.

Q: Does the system maintain 60+ FPS at all settings and resolutions?

A: Yes, every measured configuration in the data exceeds 60 FPS. The lowest recorded value is 61.8 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra, while all other combinations deliver at least 71.9 FPS.

Q: How much performance is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to Low?

A: At 1080p, Low settings provide 214.6 FPS versus 116.0 FPS on Ultra, representing an 85.0% improvement. At 1440p, the gain is 79.1% (159.9 vs. 89.3 FPS), and at 4K, the improvement is 79.7% (111.1 vs. 61.8 FPS).

Settings Recommendations

For users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity with smooth gameplay, the High preset at 2560x1440 offers the best compromise, delivering 101.7 FPS while retaining most of the game's graphical flourishes. The Ultra preset at 1440p still achieves 89.3 FPS, making it a viable choice for those with 144Hz monitors who prefer visual quality over a few extra frames. At 4K, the High preset at 71.9 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains a comfortable framerate above 60 FPS while offering significantly better visuals than Medium or Low. For competitive players or those with high-refresh-rate 1080p displays, the Medium preset at 155.6 FPS provides an excellent balance, as the difference between Medium and High at 1080p is only 18.6 FPS, while the jump from Medium to Low adds 59 FPS but likely sacrifices noticeable visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1080p (116.0 FPS) is a strong option for those who want maximum settings without dropping below 100 FPS, though the 1440p High preset offers a similar framerate with higher resolution. Overall, the data suggests that users should prioritize resolution over settings: dropping from Ultra to High provides a 41.4% FPS increase at 4K, while the visual difference between these presets is typically less impactful than the resolution jump from 1080p to 1440p.