Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination delivers a playable but tightly constrained experience in Control, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck across most settings and resolutions. The data shows a system that can push high frame rates at 1080p with lower presets, but which struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K, making the measured results a study in how an older mid-range graphics card holds back a modern high-end processor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep and consistent performance drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, a pattern that indicates the rendering load is squarely on the graphics card. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 74 FPS at 1080p to 56 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 18 FPS, and then plummets to just 38 FPS at 4K. This 36 FPS gap between 1080p and 4K represents a roughly 49% loss in average performance, which is a classic sign that the RTX 2060 SUPER's compute and memory bandwidth are being saturated as pixel count quadruples.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at the Low preset, where the average FPS drops from 118 at 1080p to 89 at 1440p and then to 60 at 4K. While the 4K Low figure of 60 FPS is technically playable, the fact that it requires the lowest possible settings to achieve that frame rate underscores the GPU's limitations. In contrast, the Ultra preset at 4K yields only 33 FPS, which is below the threshold for a fluid action game experience. The data suggests that the 9850X3D is never the limiting factor here; even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would typically be taxed to feed frames, the 118 FPS average is well within what a modern 8-core processor can handle, leaving the RTX 2060 SUPER as the clear constraint on performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a formidable processor on paper, and its benchmark results suggest it provides more than enough headroom for Control at the settings measured. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, the CPU has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, which are high frequencies that translate well to gaming workloads. The large 96 MB shared L3 cache is particularly relevant for a game like Control, which features complex physics and destructible environments that can benefit from rapid data access.

In synthetic tests, the 9850X3D scores 22,807 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,228 in single-core, placing it in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 58,386 is nearly identical to that of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M, which scores 58,323 (a mere 0.1% difference), and it slightly edges out the Intel Core i9-14900, which scores 58,115 (0.5% slower). These results indicate that the CPU has ample computational power to drive frame generation in Control, and the measured FPS data supports this interpretation: the consistent frame rates across resolutions suggest the CPU is not stuttering or bottlenecking, as would be evident in erratic minimum FPS values. Since the 9850X3D is capable of far higher frame rates than the RTX 2060 SUPER can deliver at high settings, its role in this combo is to ensure that the GPU is the only thing holding back performance.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset offers a solid 74 FPS average, which is smooth for most players, while the Medium preset provides 84 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS, indicating a more consistent frame pacing. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 65 FPS, which is still playable, but the diminishing returns on visual fidelity versus the 9 FPS loss from High make it a less attractive option. For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 118 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the picture changes. The High preset yields 56 FPS, which is borderline for an action title, while the Medium preset offers 63 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS, making it the best balance of smoothness and visual quality. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 89 FPS, which is excellent, but it sacrifices significant visual detail. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces 49 FPS, which is too low for a comfortable experience. At 3840x2160, the data strongly suggests that players should stick to Low settings, which achieves 60 FPS, or Medium settings, which manages 43 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 4K, at 38 FPS and 33 FPS respectively, are not recommended for gameplay, as they fall below the standard of 60 FPS and approach the territory of noticeable stutter. The best experience per the measured rows is Medium at 1080p or 1440p, where the frame rate stays above 60 FPS with a minimum above 50 FPS, striking the optimal balance between fluidity and graphical fidelity for this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations for Control, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2054th out of 2888 combos. This places it in the lower third of all systems tested, which reflects the fact that the GPU is a generation older than the CPU and is not well-matched to the CPU's high-end capabilities. The rank of 2054 is a quantitative measure of overall performance, and it indicates that while the combo is functional, it is far from the top of the leaderboard.

The CPU itself is a top-tier part, ranking in the 92nd percentile, but the GPU only ranks in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs. This discrepancy highlights the imbalance: the 9850X3D is capable of competing with the best processors, while the RTX 2060 SUPER is a mid-range card that holds the combo back. The nearest rivals to the GPU in terms of average benchmark scores include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (0.4% faster) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (0.5% faster), which are similarly positioned in the performance hierarchy. The combo rank of 2054 suggests that many other systems, likely those with more powerful GPUs, will outperform this setup in Control, even if the CPU is superior. The data makes it clear that to improve this combo's standing, a GPU upgrade would be far more impactful than a CPU change.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration, and its specifications and benchmark results explain why the measured FPS numbers are what they are. The GPU is built on the 12 nm Turing architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the 8 GB capacity can become a limiting factor, particularly with higher texture quality settings. The GPU has a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, which are modest by modern standards, and it delivers 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The GPU's benchmark results show it sits in the 62nd percentile, with an average score of 18,093. Its nearest rivals are the RTX 3060 Mobile (0.4% faster) and the Radeon Pro 5700 (0.5% faster), indicating that it performs slightly below those parts. In Control, the GPU's role is to handle the rendering, and the data shows that it struggles at higher resolutions. For example, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is just 33, which is a clear sign that the GPU's compute units are overwhelmed. The frame rates at 1080p are more respectable, with 118 FPS at Low, but the fact that the GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K even on the High preset (38 FPS) confirms that it is a mid-range part from a previous generation. The 8 GB of VRAM is also a concern for a game like Control at higher presets, as the 4K Ultra setting likely requires more memory than is available, leading to potential texture swapping and performance degradation. The data shows that the GPU is the component that determines the overall experience, and its limitations are the primary reason for the combo's low rank.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 118 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in this dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 84 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS, indicating a stable frame time. The High preset at 1080p averages 74 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 65 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each step up in settings costs roughly 9 to 10 FPS at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 89 FPS, a substantial drop from 1080p Low. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS, which is a good balance for a 60 Hz monitor. The High preset at 1440p averages 56 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 49 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 1440p is 7 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is also 7 FPS, showing a consistent scaling behavior.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 60 FPS, which is marginal but playable. The Medium preset at 4K averages 43 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 49 FPS, indicating that frame rates will dip during intense scenes. The High preset at 4K averages 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 33 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium at 4K is 17 FPS, which is a significant jump, while the difference between High and Ultra is only 5 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset is not worth the performance cost. The minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution (36, 54, and 71 FPS at 4K, 1440p, and 1080p respectively), which gives some insight into frame pacing, but the absence of min/max data for other presets limits the analysis of stutter potential.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this combo for a consistent 60 FPS experience?*

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 at High settings is the optimal choice, delivering 74 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset achieves 63 FPS, which is also above 60 FPS but closer to the limit. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset reaches 60 FPS, making 4K gaming less desirable.

Q: How does this combo's performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Low?

A: The difference is substantial. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 33, while at 1080p Low, it is 118. This represents a 85 FPS difference, or about a 72% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest settings at 1080p to the highest settings at 4K.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system for Control?*

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU is a high-end part with a 92nd percentile ranking, while the GPU is in the 62nd percentile. The FPS drops significantly with resolution increases, which is a GPU-bound behavior, and the CPU has enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at all settings.

*Q: What is the combo's overall rank among all tested systems for Control?*

A: This combo ranks 2054th out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of all systems. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-range performance, which holds back the high-end CPU.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18,093. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, scores 18,159, which is 0.4% faster. Another rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, scores 18,189, which is 0.5% faster.

Q: Does the Medium preset at any resolution provide a playable frame rate with a recorded minimum?

A: Yes, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 provides an average of 84 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 63 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 43 FPS with a minimum of 36 FPS, which is below 60 FPS and not ideal for smooth gameplay.