Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti presents a striking imbalance in Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. The data shows a processor that ranks in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, paired with a graphics card that sits in the 25th percentile among all GPUs. This configuration produces playable frame rates only at the lowest settings and resolution, with the GPU acting as the definitive bottleneck across all tested scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable but severe drop in performance as resolution increases, confirming that the GTX 1050 Ti is overwhelmed by the pixel throughput demands of Control. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 46 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure for this pairing. Stepping up to 2560x1440 at the same Low settings reduces the average to 34 FPS, a 26% decrease. Moving to 3840x2160 at Low settings further drops the average to 23 FPS, which is exactly half of the 1080p Low result.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For High settings, the average FPS falls from 29 at 1080p to 22 at 1440p, and finally to 15 at 4K. Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 32 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce the lowest floor, starting at 25 FPS at 1080p, dipping to 19 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 13 FPS at 4K.

This scaling behavior indicates that the limiting component is unambiguously the GPU. The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings reduces the frame rate by 50%, which is a classic symptom of a graphics card hitting its memory bandwidth and shader throughput ceiling. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 5 architecture, is not the constraint here; the GTX 1050 Ti's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus provides only 112.1 GB/s of bandwidth, which is insufficient for the texture and geometry loads at higher resolutions. The data suggests that even at 1080p, the GPU is the primary limiter, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames far beyond the 46 FPS maximum observed.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor includes 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a significant asset for gaming workloads that benefit from large pools of fast-accessible data. Its benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and a single-core score of 2228, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs tested.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role is to manage game logic, physics, and draw calls. The PassMark physics score of 4171 and the multithread score of 41318 indicate substantial computational throughput. However, the measured FPS data shows that this CPU power is largely untapped in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 46, which is likely far below what the Ryzen 7 9850X3D could deliver if paired with a more capable graphics card. The nearest rivals to this CPU in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (0.1% slower), the Intel Xeon w5-2545 (0.2% faster), and the Intel Core i9-14900 (0.5% slower), all of which would exhibit similar behavior in this GPU-bound scenario.

The CPU's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz and 16 threads are more than sufficient for Control's demands. The data indicates that the processor is not the bottleneck at any resolution, as the FPS scaling is entirely consistent with GPU limitations. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, but instead, the FPS continues to rise as resolution drops, reaching 46 FPS at 1080p Low, which is still a modest figure for such a powerful processor. The conclusion is that the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is severely held back by the GTX 1050 Ti, and its performance characteristics are not reflected in the final frame rates of this configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is an end-of-life graphics card from the GeForce 10-series, based on the Pascal architecture and the GP107 chip. It operates with a base clock of 1291 MHz and a boost clock of 1392 MHz, with 768 shading units and 48 texture mapping units. The card has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s. Its compute capabilities are modest, with an FP32 performance of 2.138 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 44.54 GPixel/s. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its age and positioning, with a PassMark G3D score of 6340 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 305, placing it in the 25th percentile of all GPUs.

In Control, the GPU is the decisive factor in every measured scenario. The highest average FPS recorded is 46 at 1080p Low, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience in a fast-paced action game. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 32 FPS, and at High, it falls to 29 FPS. The Ultra preset yields an average of 25 FPS at 1080p, which is marginal at best. The GPU's 4 GB VRAM is a critical limitation, as Control is known for its detailed environments and effects that can exceed this capacity, leading to texture thrashing and reduced frame rates.

The nearest rivals to the GTX 1050 Ti in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (0.6% faster), the NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (1% faster), and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (1.1% slower). These comparisons illustrate that the GTX 1050 Ti is positioned at the very low end of the performance spectrum. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 13 FPS, which is effectively unplayable. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 112.1 GB/s is insufficient for the high-resolution textures and shading requirements of Control, and the 128-bit bus width limits the data throughput. The GTX 1050 Ti is the clear bottleneck, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for its lack of raw graphics processing power.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti ranks 2854 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the bottom 1.2% of all configurations, a position that reflects the severe mismatch between the high-end CPU and the entry-level GPU. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, and the data shows that this combo consistently produces frame rates that are at or near the bottom of the distribution.

The rank of 2854 out of 2888 indicates that nearly every other tested combination of CPU and GPU delivers better performance in this game. This is not surprising given the GPU's percentile rank of 25, which means it performs better than only a quarter of all GPUs in the database. The CPU's percentile rank of 92 is irrelevant in this context, as the GPU bottleneck dominates the final results. The data suggests that even a significantly weaker CPU paired with a mid-range GPU would outperform this combo, as the limiting factor is entirely graphical.

The ComboRankInGame metric is a holistic measure that considers all data points, including the 12 measured FPS scenarios. The highest score of 46 FPS at 1080p Low is a modest achievement, but the average across all settings and resolutions is far lower, pulling the overall rank down. The combo's position at 2854 out of 2888 is a clear indictment of the GTX 1050 Ti's inability to keep pace with modern game demands, regardless of the CPU's capabilities. In practical terms, this configuration is only suitable for low-resolution, low-detail gaming in Control, and even then, the frame rates are inconsistent.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 46 FPS, Medium settings produce 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37, High settings produce 29 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 25 FPS. The 1080p Low result is the only scenario that approaches a playable frame rate, though it still falls short of the 60 FPS target that many players prefer.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings yield an average of 34 FPS, Medium settings yield 24 FPS with a range of 21 to 28, High settings yield 22 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 19 FPS. None of these results are playable for a smooth experience, as they are all below the 30 FPS threshold that is often considered the minimum for acceptable gameplay. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is 12 FPS, a 26% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the results are the worst. Low settings produce an average of 23 FPS, Medium settings produce 17 FPS with a range of 14 to 19, High settings produce 15 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 13 FPS. These figures are uniformly unplayable, with the 4K Ultra result being the lowest at 13 FPS. The data shows a clear and consistent degradation in performance as resolution increases, with the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading capacity being the primary constraints. The measured FPS values are all below 50, and the majority are below 30, indicating that this combo is not viable for Control at any setting above 1080p Low.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 46, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

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

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The GTX 1050 Ti's 4 GB VRAM and 112.1 GB/s bandwidth limit performance, while the Ryzen 7 9850X3D has ample headroom, as evidenced by the consistent FPS drops with increasing resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Control?

A: It ranks 2854 out of 2888 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 1.2% of all configurations.

Q: What is the average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS is 24, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 28.

Q: What is the lowest recorded average FPS in the data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 13, achieved at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the CPU's high benchmark score translate to better FPS in this game?

A: No. Despite the CPU's 92nd percentile ranking and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807, the measured FPS is entirely limited by the GPU, which ranks in the 25th percentile.