Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination lands in the middle of the pack for Control, securing the 1038th spot out of 1636 tested combos. That places it in the 63rd percentile, meaning roughly a third of all tested pairings deliver higher frame rates in this title. The ranking suggests a balanced pairing rather than an extreme one — the CPU and GPU both sit near the middle of their respective performance hierarchies, and the game's demands seem to align with what this duo can deliver. The data indicates this is a competent setup for 1080p and 1440p play, but the 4K results reveal where the system begins to strain.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's 1038th position out of 1636 tested combinations places it solidly in the middle tier. The GPU's percentile of 63 against all tested GPUs mirrors this positioning — the RX 7600 XT is a mainstream performer, not a flagship. The CPU, however, ranks in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, showing that the Ryzen 9 5900X is the stronger component in this pairing. The benchmark data reflects this: the CPU's average benchmark score of 39453 sits nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4245P, which scores 39383 with a deltaPct of 0.2. The Intel Core i7-13700F trails slightly at 39095 (deltaPct 0.9). The CPU is clearly not the bottleneck in most scenarios.

The GPU tells a different story. Its average benchmark score of 20146 places it just 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 460 (20088) and 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (20258). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER sits 1.9% behind at 19774. These tight margins indicate that the RX 7600 XT is a mid-range card that competes closely with several other options. In Control, this translates to playable frame rates at lower resolutions but clear limitations at 4K, where the GPU's compute power becomes the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The RX 7600 XT brings 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 2250 MHz, which equates to 18 Gbps effective. The GPU's boost clock reaches 2755 MHz, with a game clock of 2470 MHz and a base clock of 1980 MHz. These clocks are reasonably high for a mid-range card, and the 16 GB VRAM capacity is generous for Control, a game from 2019 that does not require extreme memory amounts at most settings.

The measured FPS data shows how the GPU's capabilities scale. At 1080p, the card delivers 123.2 FPS on Low settings, dropping to 65.9 FPS on Ultra. At 1440p, the range narrows from 94.8 FPS on Low to 50.5 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the card manages 60.7 FPS on Low but falls to 37 FPS on Ultra. This pattern indicates that the GPU's raw compute power — rated at 22.57 TFLOPS FP32 — is sufficient for smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra setting pushes the card beyond its comfortable operating range. The 16 GB VRAM likely prevents memory-related stuttering even at 4K, but the pixel rate of 176.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 352.6 GTexel/s become limiting factors at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The 1440p High setting delivers 60 FPS on average, which is the standard for smooth gameplay. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 80.4 FPS, offering headroom above the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the RX 7600 XT compare to its closest GPU rival in this game?

A: The RX 7600 XT's average benchmark score of 20146 is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 460's 20088, and 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600's 20258. The differences are marginal in synthetic tests, but in Control, the 16 GB VRAM may help at higher settings.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 5900X holding back the GPU in this game?

A: The CPU's 90th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 39453, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 4245P, suggest it has ample headroom. The GPU is the primary constraint, especially at 4K where FPS drops below 60 even on Low settings.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 80.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This setting balances visual quality and performance effectively.

Q: Does the combo handle 4K at all?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves 60.7 FPS. Medium settings drop to 44.7 FPS, High to 41.5 FPS, and Ultra to 37 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting is not recommended for a consistent experience.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 5900X scores 33150 in Cinebench R23 multicore, which is higher than its nearest rivals' average scores. The closest rival, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS, averages 39747 with a deltaPct of -0.7, meaning the 5900X trails slightly in that comparison.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo starts strong: Low settings produce 123.2 FPS, Medium yields 86.2 FPS, High drops to 80.4 FPS, and Ultra brings up the rear at 65.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 57.3 FPS, a significant range that gives players flexibility. The Medium to High step is small (5.8 FPS), suggesting that High settings are worth the minor performance cost.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers compress. Low settings deliver 94.8 FPS, Medium hits 66.6 FPS, High reaches 60 FPS exactly, and Ultra falls to 50.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 28.2 FPS, which is more punishing than at 1080p. At this resolution, High settings provide the minimum acceptable frame rate for most players.

At 3840x2160, the card struggles. Low settings manage 60.7 FPS, but Medium drops to 44.7 FPS, High to 41.5 FPS, and Ultra to 37 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 16 FPS, and the progression from Medium to High to Ultra shows diminishing returns in visual quality for increasingly large performance hits. The 4K Low setting is the only one that maintains a 60 FPS average, and even that is close to the edge.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component clearly. At Low settings, 1080p yields 123.2 FPS, 1440p gives 94.8 FPS, and 4K produces 60.7 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 23% reduction, while 1440p to 4K is a 36% reduction. At High settings, the pattern is similar: 80.4 FPS at 1080p, 60 FPS at 1440p, and 41.5 FPS at 4K — a 25% drop, then a 31% drop.

These scaling factors indicate that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, can feed the GPU adequately at all resolutions, but the RX 7600 XT's 128-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth become bottlenecks as pixel count increases. The 16 GB VRAM is not the issue; rather, the compute throughput and memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K Ultra. The data shows that the combo is optimized for 1080p and 1440p, where it can deliver smooth frame rates across most settings.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, running at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide solid gaming performance. The CPU's benchmark scores are robust: Cinebench R23 multicore reaches 33150, while the single-core score is 4680. The PassMark multithread score of 39002 further confirms its multi-threaded strength.

In Control, the CPU's role appears to be supportive rather than primary. The game's measured FPS scales with resolution in a way that points to GPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the 123.2 FPS result suggests the CPU can push well beyond 120 FPS, but the GPU caps the output. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39453, places it ahead of rivals like the Intel Core i7-13700F (39095, deltaPct 0.9) and behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS (39747, deltaPct -0.7). This performance headroom means the 5900X will not bottleneck the RX 7600 XT in this title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data supports a clear hierarchy for the best experience. At 1080p, High settings at 80.4 FPS provide the best balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, leaving enough headroom above the 60 FPS threshold for minor stutters. Ultra at 65.9 FPS is acceptable but offers diminishing returns. At 1440p, High settings at exactly 60 FPS are the recommended choice — this hits the standard target while maintaining good image quality. Medium at 66.6 FPS is a viable alternative if players prefer extra headroom, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often noticeable in Control.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. Low settings at 60.7 FPS is the only option that maintains a 60 FPS average, but it sacrifices significant visual quality. Medium at 44.7 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The data suggests that players with 4K displays should either accept Low settings or drop to 1440p for a better experience. The Ultra preset, at 37 FPS at 4K, is not recommended unless the player prioritizes visuals over gameplay smoothness. Overall, the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p High or 1440p High, depending on the monitor's native resolution.