Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 pairing delivers a highly playable Control experience across mainstream resolutions, though 4K Ultra demands compromises. This analysis uses measured data to break down how the combo scales, where each component matters, and how it stacks up against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable performance curve as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 94 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 71 FPS, a 24.5% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 48 FPS, which is 48.9% lower than the 1080p result. This scaling pattern indicates the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor as pixel count rises.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the spread from Low (149 FPS) to Ultra (82 FPS) is 67 FPS. At 1440p, the spread from Low (113 FPS) to Ultra (62 FPS) is 51 FPS. At 4K, the spread from Low (76 FPS) to Ultra (42 FPS) is 34 FPS. This narrowing spread at 4K suggests the GPU is saturated even at Low settings, leaving less headroom for quality improvements.

The 1080p Low result of 149 FPS is the highest measured score in the entire dataset. The 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS is the lowest. The gap between these two extremes is 107 FPS, representing a 71.8% performance drop. This is a substantial penalty that reflects the massive pixel count difference between 1920x1080 and 3840x2160.

For 1440p gaming, the sweet spot appears to be Medium settings, which delivers 80 FPS. This is 12.7% faster than High (71 FPS) and 29% faster than Ultra (62 FPS). The Medium setting also shows the only complete min/max data in the dataset, with a minimum of 68 FPS and maximum of 92 FPS at 1440p. This suggests stable frame pacing at that configuration.

At 4K, Medium settings yield 54 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The drop from Medium to Ultra at 4K is 12 FPS (22.2%), while the drop from Medium to High is 6 FPS (11.1%). The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo requires either Low or Medium settings to maintain smooth performance.

The resolution scaling behavior confirms that this is a GPU-bound scenario at 1440p and above. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the RTX 5060 at lower resolutions, but the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become constraints as resolution climbs.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB206 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It contains 21,900 million transistors on a 181 mm² die. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2280 MHz and a boost clock of 2497 MHz. Memory runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective on 8 GB of GDDR7 memory.

The memory subsystem is a critical factor in Control's performance. The 128-bit bus width provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is the same bandwidth class as many previous-generation cards, but the GDDR7 memory type offers improved efficiency. The 8 GB capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at most settings, but 4K Ultra can strain this limit.

The GPU's compute resources include 3840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. It also has 30 ray tracing cores and 120 tensor cores. The pixel rate is 119.9 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 299.6 GTexel/s. Floating point performance is rated at 19.18 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio).

The RTX 5060's benchmark scores place it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 26331. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 3628. Geekbench results show 112787 in OpenCL and 113321 in Vulkan. Passmark scores include 20891 in G3D and 10899 in GPU compute.

The nearest rival comparisons show tight competition. The AMD Radeon 860M has an average score of 26401, which is 0.3% higher than the RTX 5060. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, also 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, which is 0.8% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% lower. These deltas are all within 1.2%, indicating the RTX 5060 sits in a very competitive performance band.

In Control specifically, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM appears adequate for the measured settings. The 4K results drop significantly at Ultra (42 FPS) compared to High (48 FPS), which may reflect memory pressure or pixel shader load. The 48 ROPS are a modest count for a 4K card, potentially limiting fill-rate-bound scenarios.

The GPU's power characteristics include a 145 W TDP and a suggested 300 W PSU. It uses a single 8-pin power connector and occupies a dual-slot form factor. The PCIe 5.0 x8 interface provides sufficient bandwidth for this performance class.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p Medium delivers 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS and maximum of 92 FPS. This offers the best balance of visual quality and smooth performance. At 1080p, High settings achieve 94 FPS, but 1440p Medium provides 85% of that frame rate at a higher resolution.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. The 4K High setting averages 48 FPS, which is playable. For smoother performance, 4K Medium averages 54 FPS, and 4K Low reaches 76 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting drops to 42 FPS, which may feel sluggish in action sequences.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5060's average benchmark score is 26331. This is within 1.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (26011), 0.3% of the AMD Radeon 860M (26401), and 0.3% of the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26421). The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary is 0.8% higher at 26553.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9850X3D compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 58386. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (58323), 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14900 (58115), 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon w5-2545 (58504), and 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 (58826).

Q: What settings provide the highest frame rates?

A: The 1080p Low setting achieves 149 FPS, the highest measured result. At 1440p Low, the combo hits 113 FPS. At 4K Low, it reaches 76 FPS. Lowering settings has a more pronounced effect at higher resolutions.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K. The CPU's strong benchmarks, including a 92nd percentile ranking and 22807 in Cinebench R23 multicore, suggest it has ample headroom. The GPU's 72nd percentile ranking and the significant FPS drops with resolution increases point to GPU limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1237 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 57.2nd percentile of all tested configurations. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the CPU is a top-tier part.

The CPU alone performs in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 58386. This is a strong result, but the GPU's 72nd percentile ranking (average score 26331) drags the combo down in overall rankings. The pairing is somewhat unbalanced, with the CPU capable of supporting a more powerful GPU.

The combo rank of 1237 out of 2888 means there are 1236 tested combinations that perform better in Control. This suggests that many configurations with higher-end GPUs and similar or weaker CPUs achieve better results. The RTX 5060's performance class limits this combo to mid-pack rankings despite the excellent CPU.

The nearest CPU rivals show how close the processor competition is. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M is 0.1% ahead, the Intel Xeon w5-2545 is 0.2% behind, the Intel Core i9-14900 is 0.5% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 is 0.7% behind. These small deltas mean the CPU choice has minimal impact on the combo's ranking; the GPU dominates the outcome.

For gamers looking to improve this combo's ranking, the data suggests upgrading the GPU would yield the largest gains. The CPU's 8 cores, 16 threads, and 96 MB of shared L3 cache provide strong fundamentals, but Control's performance scales with GPU capabilities at the resolutions tested.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a 9000-series processor based on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It is manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC, containing 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die. The chip has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The TDP is rated at 120 W.

The cache hierarchy is substantial. Each core has 80 KB of L1 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache. The shared L3 cache is 96 MB, which is a large pool for gaming workloads. This large cache helps with data reuse and can reduce memory latency in certain scenarios.

Memory support includes DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. ECC memory is supported. The CPU uses the AMD Socket AM5 and provides PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes. An integrated Radeon Graphics solution is present, though the discrete RTX 5060 handles Control's rendering.

Benchmark results show strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. Cinebench R23 scores are 22807 multicore and 2228 singlecore. Cinebench R15 scores are 3551 multicore and 343 singlecore. Passmark results include 41318 multithread and 4704 single thread. The CPU's average benchmark score is 58386, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals demonstrate its competitive position. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M has an average score of 58323 (0.1% lower), the Intel Xeon w5-2545 scores 58504 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 scores 58826 (0.7% higher). These margins are minimal, showing the 9850X3D is well-matched against these alternatives.

In Control, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 149 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's frame generation limit for this title. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz and 96 MB L3 cache help maintain consistent frame pacing.

The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are sufficient for Control's threading model. The game was released in 2019 and does not heavily utilize many cores, so the single-thread performance from the Zen 5 architecture is more important. The 4704 Passmark single-thread score indicates strong per-core capability.

The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking suggests it is not the limiting factor in this combo. The 120 W TDP and AM5 socket provide a solid foundation for sustained gaming loads. The integrated Radeon Graphics does not contribute to Control's performance, as the discrete GPU handles all rendering.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset includes 12 measured FPS results across 3 resolutions and 4 quality settings. All results are average FPS unless otherwise noted.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce 149 FPS, the highest result in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 106 FPS, with a minimum of 90 FPS and maximum of 122 FPS. High settings average 94 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 82 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 67 FPS, a 45% reduction.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but drops noticeably. Low settings average 113 FPS. Medium settings average 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and maximum of 92 FPS. High settings average 71 FPS. Ultra settings average 62 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 51 FPS, a 45.1% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, performance becomes the primary concern. Low settings average 76 FPS. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and maximum of 62 FPS. High settings average 48 FPS. Ultra settings average 42 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 34 FPS, a 44.7% reduction.

The Medium settings at each resolution are the only configurations with complete min/max data. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 90 to 122 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it ranges from 68 to 92 FPS. At 4K Medium, it ranges from 46 to 62 FPS. These ranges indicate stable performance with no major frame time spikes.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent drop across settings. Low drops from 149 to 113 FPS (24.2% reduction), Medium from 106 to 80 FPS (24.5% reduction), High from 94 to 71 FPS (24.5% reduction), and Ultra from 82 to 62 FPS (24.4% reduction).

The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a larger drop. Low drops from 113 to 76 FPS (32.7% reduction), Medium from 80 to 54 FPS (32.5% reduction), High from 71 to 48 FPS (32.4% reduction), and Ultra from 62 to 42 FPS (32.3% reduction).

The data reveals that the relative performance penalty for Ultra settings is consistent across resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra is 45% slower than Low. At 1440p, it is 45.1% slower. At 4K, it is 44.7% slower. This consistency suggests the GPU is scaling predictably with both resolution and quality settings.

For the best overall experience, 1440p Medium at 80 FPS offers a good balance. For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low at 149 FPS is the top choice. For 4K gaming, 4K Low at 76 FPS is the most playable option, while 4K High at 48 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay.