Control

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X brings a 12-core, 24-thread configuration based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. This is a desktop-class processor from the 5000 series, built on TSMC's 7 nm process, and it supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The substantial thread count and high boost clock provide a strong foundation for handling both game logic and the background system tasks that typically run during gameplay.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 5900X demonstrates a balanced profile. Its multi-threaded performance is particularly strong, scoring 33,150 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 13,923 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Single-thread performance, which often matters more for gaming responsiveness, reaches 4,680 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 941 in 3DMark single-thread. The processor's 3DMark scores scale well with thread count: 1,852 with 2 threads, 3,588 with 4 threads, 6,601 with 8 threads, and 10,075 with max threads.

Looking at nearest rivals, the 5900X sits within a tight cluster. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4245P average score, 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700F, but 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS and 1% behind the Intel Core i7-13700. The processor ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, placing it firmly in the high-performance tier for gaming workloads.

For Control, a game from 2019, the CPU's job is less about pushing extreme frame rates and more about maintaining consistent frame pacing. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 213.2 FPS, which indicates the CPU can feed the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates. The 12-core design also ensures that any background processes or streaming workloads won't starve the game of processing resources, which is relevant for a title that often runs alongside capture or streaming software.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, featuring the AD104 chip with 35,800 million transistors. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1980 MHz and boosts to 2475 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). It comes equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

This memory configuration matters for Control because the game's physics-heavy environments and detailed textures can consume significant VRAM, especially at higher resolutions. The 12 GB capacity proves sufficient across all tested settings, as evidenced by the smooth scaling of frame rates from Low to Ultra. The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial: 7,168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, 80 ROPs, 56 ray tracing cores, and 224 tensor cores. Its FP32 throughput is 35.48 TFLOPS, with pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s.

In the GPU benchmark landscape, the RTX 4070 SUPER holds the 84th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals show a mixed picture: it is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A6000, 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, but 1.4% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 580X and 1.6% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M40. These deltas are small, suggesting the 4070 SUPER sits at a competitive performance level in its segment.

The GPU's role in Control becomes evident when examining the FPS data. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 60.8 FPS, which is playable but shows the GPU is working hard. Dropping to 4K Low yields 107.6 FPS, a substantial 46.8 FPS improvement that demonstrates how much headroom the GPU has when graphical load is reduced. The 220 W TDP and suggested 550 W PSU indicate this is a power-efficient design relative to its performance class.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling across resolutions. Starting at 1080p Ultra, the combo delivers 118.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p Ultra, this drops to 89.1 FPS, a 24.7% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate falls to 60.8 FPS, which is 48.6% lower than the 1080p figure. This scaling is characteristic of a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases.

Looking at Low settings tells a similar story but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 213.2 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 161.3 FPS (24.3% decrease), and at 4K Low, it hits 107.6 FPS (49.5% decrease from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the GPU's rendering pipeline is the limiting factor, rather than any CPU-related constraint.

The medium and high settings follow the same trend. At Medium, the FPS goes from 152.5 at 1080p to 116.3 at 1440p (23.7% drop) to 77.3 at 4K (49.3% drop from 1080p). At High, it's 138.3 at 1080p, 100.5 at 1440p (27.3% drop), and 71.9 at 4K (48.0% drop from 1080p).

This pattern indicates that the CPU has ample headroom even at 1080p Low with 213.2 FPS. The fact that frame rates scale almost perfectly with pixel count suggests the Ryzen 9 5900X is not the limiting component in this configuration. The GPU's performance envelope, particularly at 4K, defines the upper bounds of what this combo can achieve. For players targeting 4K, the data suggests that High settings (71.9 FPS) provide a reasonable balance, while Ultra pushes the frame rate below 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 274th out of 1,636 tested combos in Control. This places it in the top 16.7% of all configurations tested for this game, which is a strong showing for a mid-to-high-range pairing. The percentile position reflects the balance between the CPU's 90th percentile ranking and the GPU's 84th percentile ranking, with the combo achieving a better overall position than either component's individual percentile might suggest.

This rank indicates that the pairing is well-matched for Control's specific demands. The game, being an action-adventure title from 2019, doesn't necessarily require the absolute top-tier hardware to run smoothly. The 274th position out of 1,636 means there are 273 combos that perform better, but these likely include configurations with higher-end GPUs or more recent flagship processors. The data suggests that this combo delivers performance that would satisfy most players, particularly those at 1440p or 1080p with high refresh rate monitors.

When interpreting this rank, it's important to consider that the measured FPS values are actual performance data, not synthetic estimates. The combo's ability to maintain above 60 FPS at 4K High settings (71.9 FPS) and above 100 FPS at 1440p High (100.5 FPS) demonstrates that it's well-positioned for modern gaming expectations. The rank of 274 also implies that the 5900X's 12-core processing power and the 4070 SUPER's 12 GB VRAM work together effectively in Control's physics-heavy environments, where both CPU and GPU resources are taxed.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 213.2 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This represents the most GPU-light scenario tested, where the CPU's capabilities are fully utilized.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 60.8 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K High, it averages 71.9 FPS, providing a more comfortable margin. For smoother 4K performance, Low settings yield 107.6 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 5900X is 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4245P and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700F in average benchmark score. It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS by 0.7% and the Intel Core i7-13700 by 1%.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and why does it matter?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth. This capacity is sufficient for Control at all tested settings, including 4K Ultra, which is important for maintaining texture quality and physics calculations.

Q: How much FPS is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the combo delivers 138.3 FPS at 1080p and 71.9 FPS at 4K, representing a 48.0% reduction. This drop is consistent with GPU-bound scaling, where the increased pixel count directly impacts render time.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 274th out of 1,636 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 16.7% of all configurations. This rank reflects a balanced pairing that performs well above average for this game.

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

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its strongest performance. Low settings produce 213.2 FPS, Medium produces 152.5 FPS, High produces 138.3 FPS, and Ultra produces 118.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 94.8 FPS, indicating that graphical settings have a significant impact on frame rates at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings average 161.3 FPS, Medium averages 116.3 FPS, High averages 100.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 89.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 72.2 FPS, which is a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p but still substantial.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low settings still manage 107.6 FPS, which is respectable for 4K. Medium drops to 77.3 FPS, High to 71.9 FPS, and Ultra to 60.8 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 46.8 FPS, which is the smallest absolute gap across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU's rendering capacity is the bottleneck at this resolution.

The data shows a consistent hierarchy: Low always provides the highest FPS, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra providing the lowest. This ordering is expected, but the specific margins are informative. At every resolution, the step from Low to Medium is the largest single drop (60.7 FPS at 1080p, 45.0 FPS at 1440p, 30.3 FPS at 4K), suggesting that the Medium preset includes a significant increase in rendering complexity compared to Low.

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

For players targeting 60 FPS as a minimum, the data shows that Ultra settings are viable at 1080p (118.4 FPS), 1440p (89.1 FPS), and even 4K (60.8 FPS). However, the 4K Ultra result is marginal, leaving little headroom for demanding scenes or background applications. For a more comfortable 4K experience, High settings at 71.9 FPS provide a 11.1 FPS buffer over Ultra while still delivering strong visual fidelity.

At 1440p, which is the sweet spot for this combo, the choice depends on refresh rate priorities. High settings at 100.5 FPS will satisfy 100 Hz displays, while Ultra at 89.1 FPS is suitable for typical 90 Hz panels. Medium settings at 116.3 FPS could enable 120 Hz operation, but the visual trade-off from Ultra to Medium is substantial, as evidenced by the 27.2 FPS difference.

For 1080p users with high refresh rate monitors (144 Hz or above), the data supports using High settings (138.3 FPS) as the best balance. Medium (152.5 FPS) offers additional headroom for 165 Hz displays, while Low (213.2 FPS) is only necessary for extreme refresh rates unlikely to be common. Ultra at 118.4 FPS still exceeds 100 FPS, making it a viable choice for those prioritizing visuals over frame rate.

The best overall value in the measured data appears at 1440p High, which delivers 100.5 FPS with a 40.4 FPS improvement over the 4K Ultra result. This setting combination offers the most balanced experience, providing smooth frame rates while maintaining a high level of graphical detail. For players who cannot tolerate any frame rate drops, 1080p Ultra at 118.4 FPS is the most conservative recommendation, offering both high visual quality and substantial performance headroom.