Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination produces a distinctive performance profile in Control, one that shifts its bottleneck characteristics depending on resolution and quality settings. The data reveals a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, but one that becomes progressively GPU-limited as resolution scales upward. This analysis walks through the measured frame rates, the role of each component, and how this pairing ranks among other tested configurations.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, and manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. 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 integrates 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache. This large L3 cache is often beneficial in gaming workloads, though the benchmark data here shows how the CPU interacts with the GPU across different settings.

In synthetic tests, the CPU scores 22,807 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,228 in single-core. Its PassMark single-thread score is 4,704, while the multithread score reaches 41,318. The processor sits at the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 58,386. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M, which scores 58,323 (a 0.1% delta), and the Intel Core i9-14900 at 58,115 (0.5% higher). The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 scores 58,826, which is 0.7% higher than the 9850X3D. These margins are tight, indicating the CPU is positioned in a competitive performance band.

For Control, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data. At 1080p Low, the measured average FPS is 140, which is the highest in the entire dataset. This suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates without becoming a limiting factor. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration is more than sufficient for this game’s threading model, and the high boost clock of 5.60 GHz helps maintain responsiveness in single-threaded scenarios. However, the data also shows that as resolution increases, the FPS drops consistently, which points to the GPU becoming the primary constraint rather than the CPU.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 140, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed by 106 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 88 FPS at 1920x1080 High.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution across settings?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 39 on Ultra to 71 on Low. Medium settings yield 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 and maximum of 58, while High settings produce 45 FPS. This indicates that 4K Ultra is not playable at smooth frame rates, but Low settings can approach playable territory.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 88 at 1920x1080 to 67 at 2560x1440, and further to 45 at 3840x2160. This represents a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K, highlighting the GPU’s struggle at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the combo provide consistent frame times at Medium settings?

A: The data includes min and max FPS only for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the average is 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 and maximum of 114. At 2560x1440, the average is 75 with a range of 64 to 86. At 3840x2160, the average is 51 with a range of 43 to 58. These ranges suggest moderate frame pacing variability, but no severe stutters are evident from the data.

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

A: The combo ranks 1515 out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range positioning rather than the CPU’s high percentile performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS of 140 suggests the CPU is capable of high throughput, but the GPU is likely still the limiting factor given the RTX 4060’s specifications. The drop to 88 FPS at High settings indicates that GPU load is increasing, while the CPU has headroom.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent downward trend as resolution increases, which is a classic indicator of GPU-bound performance. Starting at 1920x1080, the average FPS across all settings is 101 (calculated as the mean of 140, 99, 88, and 77 for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra respectively). Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 76.5 (106, 75, 67, 58). At 3840x2160, the average falls to 51.5 (71, 51, 45, 39).

The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 24%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 33%. This non-linear scaling is typical for a GPU with 8 GB of memory and a 128-bit memory bus, as the pixel throughput demands increase exponentially with resolution. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 39 is only 28% of the 1080p Low result, indicating that the RTX 4060 is severely overtaxed at that resolution.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (140 FPS) and Ultra (77 FPS) is 63 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 48 FPS (106 vs 58). At 4K, the gap narrows to 32 FPS (71 vs 39). This narrowing suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so constrained that even lowering settings cannot fully compensate for the resolution burden, whereas at 1080p, the GPU has more headroom to respond to settings changes.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 140 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the dataset. Medium settings yield 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 and maximum of 114. High settings average 88 FPS, and Ultra settings average 77 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this pairing, as even Ultra settings remain above 60 FPS, providing a smooth experience for most users.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops but remains respectable. Low settings average 106 FPS, Medium settings average 75 FPS with a range of 64 to 86, High settings average 67 FPS, and Ultra settings average 58 FPS. The Ultra result dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which may be noticeable for users with high refresh rate monitors. Medium settings offer the best balance, with an average that stays above 60 FPS and a minimum that does not drop too far.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 71 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 51 FPS with a range of 43 to 58, High settings average 45 FPS, and Ultra settings average 39 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is only viable on Low settings, and even then, the margin above 60 FPS is slim. The min FPS of 43 at Medium settings suggests potential dips below 40 FPS in demanding scenes.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD107 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, with memory running at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). It includes 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 24 RT cores, and 96 tensor cores.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4060 scores 19,545 in PassMark G3D and 9,213 in GPU compute. Its percentile among all GPUs is 61, with an average benchmark score of 17,639. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17,666 (0.2% higher), and the AMD Radeon 780M at 17,588 (0.3% lower). The Radeon Pro 560 scores 17,551 (0.5% lower), and the Radeon Pro 460 scores 17,509 (0.7% lower). These rivals are all older or integrated solutions, indicating the RTX 4060 is a modern mid-range card.

In Control, the GPU’s role is dominant across most settings. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the memory capacity and bandwidth become limiting factors. The 128-bit bus is narrow for high-resolution textures, which explains the significant FPS drop at 3840x2160. The boost clock of 2460 MHz helps maintain performance at lower resolutions, but the overall compute throughput of 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 is not enough to sustain high frame rates at 4K Ultra. The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at resolutions above 1080p, as the CPU’s high scores in synthetic tests do not translate to higher FPS once resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings provide an average of 77 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and offers the best visual quality. For users prioritizing high refresh rates, High settings at 88 FPS or Medium at 99 FPS are better choices, with Medium offering a minimum of 84 FPS that ensures smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the recommended choice, delivering an average of 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS. This provides a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, as High settings drop to 67 FPS and Ultra falls to 58 FPS, which may introduce noticeable stutter on some displays. Low settings at 106 FPS are an option for competitive play, but the visual compromise is significant.

At 3840x2160, Low settings are the only viable option for a smooth experience, with an average of 71 FPS. Medium settings at 51 FPS are playable but may suffer from dips below 45 FPS, which can be jarring. High and Ultra settings are not recommended, as they average 45 and 39 FPS respectively, falling well below the 60 FPS target. For 4K users, the data suggests that this combo is best suited to Low settings, or alternatively, lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1515 out of 2888 tested combinations in Control. This places the combo in the 52nd percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly half of the database but lags behind the upper tier. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range performance, as the CPU’s high percentile (92nd among all CPUs) is offset by the RTX 4060’s lower percentile (61st among all GPUs).

In practical terms, this rank means that many other combos, particularly those pairing high-end CPUs with more powerful GPUs, will achieve higher frame rates in Control. However, the combo still delivers playable performance at 1080p and 1440p across most settings, which aligns with its position in the middle of the rankings. The data indicates that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor in this pairing, as the CPU’s strong synthetic scores do not boost the combo’s rank above its GPU-bound performance tier. Users seeking higher rankings would need to pair the 9850X3D with a more powerful GPU, while those satisfied with 1080p gaming will find this combo adequate.