Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 9 5900X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a commanding performance profile in Control, placing 44th out of 2,888 tested combinations. This places the combo in the top 1.5% of all tested systems, with measured frame rates that consistently exceed 83 FPS even at 4K Ultra settings. The data shows a system capable of handling the game's demanding physics and particle effects with substantial headroom, though the scaling patterns across resolutions and settings reveal a nuanced balance between the 12-core CPU and the flagship GPU.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K resolution, the High preset at 96 FPS average represents the optimal balance between visual fidelity and frame rate stability. The jump from High to Ultra costs 13 FPS (from 96 to 83), a 13.5% performance penalty that yields diminishing returns in Control's already demanding visual effects. Conversely, dropping from High to Medium at 4K only gains 12 FPS (to 108), while reducing several visual quality parameters that affect the game's signature destructible environments and lighting. The Medium preset at 4K does provide a measurable minimum FPS of 92, which is the only 4K row with a recorded minimum, suggesting more consistent frame pacing than the High or Ultra presets.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 160 FPS average (136 minimum, 184 maximum) emerges as the sweet spot. The High preset at 142 FPS is respectable, but Medium offers 12.7% more performance with only modest visual compromises. The Ultra preset at 124 FPS still exceeds 120 FPS, making it viable for high-refresh-rate 1440p displays, though the 36 FPS gap between Ultra and Medium indicates that Control's highest settings carry a significant cost at this resolution.

For 1080p, the High preset at 188 FPS is the recommended choice. The Low preset at 232 FPS exceeds the refresh rate of most displays and introduces noticeable visual degradation in a game where atmosphere and lighting are central. The Medium preset at 204 FPS provides a 16 FPS advantage over High, but the High preset's superior visual quality justifies the difference for most users. The Ultra preset at 163 FPS still comfortably exceeds 144 Hz displays, so enthusiasts with 240 Hz panels may prefer Medium or Low to fully utilize their hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D brings 32 GB of GDDR7 memory across a 512-bit bus, yielding 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is substantial for Control, which features high-resolution textures across its shifting environments. The 32 GB capacity far exceeds the game's requirements, eliminating any possibility of memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in during extended play sessions. The 512-bit bus width ensures that the memory subsystem never becomes a bottleneck, even when the game loads complex geometry and particle systems simultaneously.

The GPU's clock behavior shows a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The boost clock represents a 19.3% increase over base, and the data suggests the RTX 5090 D maintains high boost states during Control's less demanding scenes. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate provide ample compute for Control's physics-based destruction and time-manipulation effects. The 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores support the game's ray-traced reflections and DLSS implementations, though the measured FPS data does not separate these features.

The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate its gaming performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and PassMark G3D score of 44,065 place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 310,674 and Vulkan score of 376,915 indicate strong compute capabilities that translate to Control's particle-heavy combat encounters. The GPU ranks near the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.6% higher average score) and NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants (2.1-2.4% higher), though these are mobile and datacenter parts respectively, making the RTX 5090 D's desktop positioning distinct.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system scales from 1080p to 4K across settings. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 188 at 1080p to 142 at 1440p (24.5% decrease) and further to 96 at 4K (48.9% decrease from 1080p). This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU becomes progressively more dominant as resolution increases, with the 4K result representing a 2.0x reduction in FPS compared to 1080p.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 232 FPS at 1080p drops to 211 at 1440p (9.1% decrease) and 152 at 4K (34.5% decrease from 1080p). The relatively small drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (21 FPS) suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p Low, as the GPU has ample headroom. At 4K Low, the 152 FPS result shows the GPU beginning to become the primary constraint, though the frame rate remains exceptionally high.

Medium settings show the most consistent scaling: 204 FPS at 1080p, 160 at 1440p (21.6% decrease), and 108 at 4K (47.1% decrease). The minimum FPS values at Medium settings—173 at 1080p, 136 at 1440p, and 92 at 4K—maintain a similar proportional relationship, indicating stable frame pacing across resolutions. Ultra settings follow the steepest scaling curve: 163 FPS at 1080p, 124 at 1440p (23.9% decrease), and 83 at 4K (49.1% decrease), confirming that the highest preset amplifies GPU load disproportionately at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads provide sufficient headroom for the GPU to reach its frame rate ceiling, particularly at Low and Medium settings. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU's workload scales with pixel count, and the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth become the determining factors in maintaining playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best 4K preset for this combo?

A: The High preset at 96 FPS average offers the best balance for 4K. Ultra drops to 83 FPS (13.5% slower), while Medium only gains 12 FPS over High (to 108), making High the recommended choice for visual quality and performance.

Q: Can this system maintain 144 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, at Medium settings the combo averages 160 FPS with a 136 FPS minimum, comfortably exceeding 144 FPS. High settings at 142 FPS average fall just short, so Medium is required for consistent 144 FPS gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5090 D's average benchmark score of 77,712 is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904) and 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940). It trails the NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants by 2.1-2.4%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the 232 FPS result with a 21 FPS drop to 1440p (to 211) indicates the CPU is limiting performance, as the GPU has sufficient headroom. At 1080p Ultra, the 163 FPS result suggests the GPU is becoming more involved, though the CPU still plays a role.

Q: What minimum FPS can be expected at Medium settings?

A: The data records minimum FPS values for Medium settings: 173 at 1080p, 136 at 1440p, and 92 at 4K. These minimums are all above 90 FPS, indicating smooth frame pacing without significant drops.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 44th out of 2,888 tested combinations, placing it in the top 1.5% of all systems tested for Control. This top-tier ranking reflects the synergy between the 12-core CPU and the flagship GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 44th out of 2,888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 98.5th percentile of all systems tested. This exceptional ranking underscores the hardware's capability to handle the game's demanding physics engine and high-resolution textures. The combo's position in the top 1.5% means it outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations, with only 43 combinations achieving higher average frame rates.

The ranking is particularly notable given the CPU's age relative to newer processors. The Ryzen 9 5900X, released with a launch MSRP of $549, still competes effectively due to its 12 cores and 24 threads. The RTX 5090 D, with a launch MSRP of 2,299 USD, provides the graphical horsepower necessary to push Control to its limits. The combination of a mature high-core-count CPU with a current-generation flagship GPU creates a balanced system that avoids obvious bottlenecks.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 92nd among all GPUs and the CPU's 87th percentile among all CPUs suggest that neither component is the sole driver of this 44th-place finish. Instead, the synergy between the 12-core/24-thread CPU and the 32 GB GPU enables sustained high frame rates across all tested configurations. The data indicates that this combo outperforms systems with newer CPUs but less powerful GPUs, as well as systems with top-tier GPUs but weaker processors.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X provides 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 3 (Vermeer) architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process. The CPU operates at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, with 64 MB of L3 cache distributed across the chip. This configuration delivers substantial multi-threaded performance that supports Control's background physics calculations and AI routines.

The CPU's benchmark results show strong scaling from 2 to 16 threads: 3DMark scores range from 1,852 at 2 threads to 9,075 at 16 threads, with the max-thread score reaching 10,075. This scaling indicates the CPU effectively utilizes its 12 cores, with a 5.4x improvement from 2 to 16 threads. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16,262 and single-core score of 1,527 demonstrate balanced performance for both heavily threaded workloads and single-thread-dependent tasks.

In Control, the CPU's role becomes apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 232 FPS average suggests the CPU can feed the GPU sufficiently, but the 21 FPS drop to 1440p Low (to 211) indicates that the CPU's single-thread performance becomes a factor as frame rates approach 200+. The PassMark single-thread score of 3,469 and Geekbench single-core score of 2,083 show competitive per-core performance, though not class-leading.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H (0.3% higher), Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (0.4% higher), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 (0.4% higher), with the Intel Core i7-14650HX trailing by 0.5%. These competitors are laptop processors, highlighting the desktop Ryzen 9 5900X's continued relevance. The CPU's 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its position as a high-end desktop part, even when paired with the latest-generation GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce 232 FPS average, Medium 204 FPS (173 minimum, 235 maximum), High 188 FPS, and Ultra 163 FPS. The 69 FPS spread between Low and Ultra demonstrates the GPU's headroom at this resolution, with even the most demanding preset exceeding 160 FPS. The Medium preset's maximum of 235 FPS approaches the Low setting's average, indicating the GPU can burst to very high frame rates when scene complexity allows.

At 2560x1440, frame rates remain high but show clearer differentiation between presets. Low settings average 211 FPS (a 9.1% drop from 1080p), Medium 160 FPS (136 minimum, 184 maximum), High 142 FPS, and Ultra 124 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 87 FPS at 1440p, compared to 69 FPS at 1080p, reflecting the increased GPU load from additional pixels. The Medium preset's 136 FPS minimum ensures smooth playback on 144 Hz displays, while the 184 FPS maximum shows the GPU can still push well above average in less demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the system delivers playable frame rates across all settings. Low settings average 152 FPS, Medium 108 FPS (92 minimum, 124 maximum), High 96 FPS, and Ultra 83 FPS. The 69 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 4K mirrors the 1080p spread, though at a lower absolute level. The Medium preset's 92 FPS minimum is the only recorded minimum at 4K, suggesting that other presets may experience more variable frame pacing. The High preset at 96 FPS and Ultra at 83 FPS both remain above 60 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even at the highest settings.

The data reveals that the RTX 5090 D's performance scales predictably with resolution, with 4K representing roughly half the frame rate of 1080p at equivalent settings. The scaling factor is consistent across presets: High settings drop 48.9% from 1080p to 4K, Medium drops 47.1%, Low drops 34.5%, and Ultra drops 49.1%. The Low setting's smaller drop (34.5%) indicates that at lower graphical demands, the CPU begins to play a larger role, limiting the frame rate increase at 1080p and reducing the proportional decrease at 4K.