Control

# Control — AMD Ryzen 9 5950X + AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT

Control, the 2019 action-adventure from Remedy Entertainment, shows a performance curve that is heavily governed by resolution scaling and the interplay between a 16-core CPU and a high-bandwidth GPU. With the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, measured frame rates span from 208 FPS at 1080p Low to 58 FPS at 4K Ultra, revealing where the bottleneck shifts as pixel count climbs. The combination ranks 740th out of 3,720 tested combos in this game, placing it in the upper quintile of all pairings, though the GPU’s overall percentile against all GPUs sits at 55, indicating that the graphics card is not the absolute top-tier part in the database. This analysis draws exclusively from the measured FPS table and hardware specifications provided, offering a clear picture of what this specific system delivers in Control.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions shows a predictable yet pronounced decline as pixel count increases, but the magnitude of that decline varies by settings preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 208 FPS at 1920x1080 to 157 FPS at 2560x1440 — a 24.5% reduction — and then further to 106 FPS at 3840x2160, which is a 32.5% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU that becomes increasingly stressed at higher resolutions, but the fact that Low settings still yield over 100 FPS at 4K indicates that the RX 7900 XT has substantial headroom even when the scene complexity is reduced. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at Low costs 51 FPS, while the transition from 1440p to 4K costs another 51 FPS — a nearly linear scaling in absolute terms, suggesting that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at these settings.

At Medium settings, the same trend appears but with slightly steeper relative drops. The average FPS goes from 148 at 1080p to 112 at 1440p (a 24.3% drop) and then to 75 at 4K (a 33.0% drop from 1440p). The Medium preset also provides minimum and maximum FPS values for each resolution, which are useful for assessing frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 125–170 FPS, a spread of 45 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 95–128 FPS (a 33 FPS spread); and at 4K Medium, the range tightens to 64–87 FPS (a 23 FPS spread). This narrowing of the FPS range as resolution increases indicates that the GPU becomes the consistent limiting factor, reducing the variance that CPU-bound scenarios might introduce at lower resolutions.

High settings tell a similar story: 131 FPS at 1080p, 99 FPS at 1440p (a 24.4% drop), and 67 FPS at 4K (a 32.3% drop from 1440p). Ultra settings, the most demanding preset, produce 114 FPS at 1080p, 86 FPS at 1440p (a 24.6% drop), and 58 FPS at 4K (a 32.6% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops — roughly 24% from 1080p to 1440p and 32% from 1440p to 4K across all presets — strongly suggests that the scaling is resolution-limited rather than settings-limited. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s and its 20 GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 320-bit bus are the key specifications driving this behavior, as higher resolutions demand more texture data and pixel throughput.

The limiting component at lower resolutions is more nuanced. At 1080p Low, the 208 FPS figure is high enough that the CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads become relevant, particularly in scenes with many physics objects or AI agents. The Ryzen 9 5950X has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with Zen 3 architecture and a 64 MB L3 cache, which helps maintain high frame rates when the GPU is not saturated. However, the data shows that even at 1080p, the scaling from Low to Ultra (208 to 114 FPS, a 45% drop) is similar to the scaling at 4K (106 to 58 FPS, a 45% drop), indicating that the graphics settings have a consistent impact regardless of resolution. This suggests that while the CPU can feed the GPU at 1080p, the GPU’s raw compute — 51.48 TFLOPS FP32 and 5376 shading units — is still the dominant factor in determining overall performance.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 208 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the other end, Ultra settings at 3840x2160 yield 58 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to all tested combinations?

A: This pairing ranks 740th out of 3,720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the top 19.9% of all systems evaluated for this game.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 148 at 1920x1080 to 75 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 73 FPS or 49.3% of the 1080p value.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for 4K textures in this game?

A: The Radeon RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 320-bit bus and 800.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Control’s 4K Ultra settings, as evidenced by the playable 58 FPS average.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 95, with a maximum of 128 and an average of 112.

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

A: The Ryzen 9 5950X has an average benchmark score of 51,947, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (52,073) and 0.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 8124P (52,121), but 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i9-13900F (51,730).

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, built on TSMC’s 7 nm process with 8,300 million transistors across two 74 mm² dies. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, boosting to 4.90 GHz, with a 64 MB L3 cache and 512 KB L2 per core. In Control, a game that is not heavily threaded but does benefit from high single-thread performance, the CPU’s role is to maintain a high enough frame delivery rate that the GPU never starves. The single-thread benchmark scores are telling: 944 in 3DMark single-thread, 266.5 in Cinebench R15 single-core, 1614 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 2083 in Geekbench single-core. These scores are respectable but not top-tier, and they align with the fact that Control’s engine, while well-optimized, does not scale perfectly with 16 cores.

In practice, the measured FPS at 1080p Low (208 FPS) suggests that the CPU can handle high frame rates without becoming the bottleneck at lower resolutions. However, the 3DMark multi-thread scores — 10,810 for 16 threads, 11,597 for max threads — indicate that the processor’s multi-threading capability is substantial but not the primary driver of Control’s performance. The CPU’s percentile vs all CPUs is 91, meaning it outperforms 91% of all processors in the database, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (0.2% faster), AMD EPYC 8124P (0.3% faster), and Intel Core i9-13900F (0.4% slower). This places the 5950X in a tight cluster of high-end CPUs, where differences of less than 1% are within noise.

The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 in dual-channel mode with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth is a potential limitation for a game like Control that streams textures, but the 64 MB L3 cache helps mitigate latency. The processor’s boost clock of 4.90 GHz is competitive, and its 105 W TDP indicates it is not an extreme power draw. In Control, the CPU’s role is to maintain frame pacing, especially at 1080p where the GPU is less stressed. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the FPS is 208, which is 1.96x the 4K Low FPS of 106 — a ratio that is consistent with resolution scaling rather than CPU limitation. However, at 1080p Ultra (114 FPS), the gap to 4K Ultra (58 FPS) is exactly 1.97x, suggesting that the CPU is not the limiting factor even at high settings. The CPU’s multi-threaded performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 multi-core (26,017) and Geekbench multi-core (15,233), is strong but not exceptional, and it does not appear to constrain Control’s frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 5950X and RX 7900 XT ranks 740th out of 3,720 tested combos in Control, which puts it in the 80.1st percentile of all system pairings. This is a strong result, but not a top-tier one, and it is influenced by the GPU’s own percentile of 55 against all GPUs. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 13,745, which is 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon 660M (13,812) and 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13,821), but 1.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (13,543). This indicates that the RX 7900 XT is not the fastest GPU in the database, and its rank of 740 reflects that it is paired with a very capable CPU but still falls short of the absolute best combos.

The combo’s rank is better than the GPU’s individual percentile would suggest, which implies that the CPU’s high multi-threaded performance (91st percentile) helps boost the overall system. In Control specifically, the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (58 FPS) is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays, while at 1440p High (99 FPS) it is smooth. The rank of 740 out of 3,720 means that roughly 2,980 other combos perform worse, and only 740 perform better. This places the system in the top 20% of all tested configurations, which is respectable for a CPU released in November 2020 and a GPU released in November 2022. The combo’s performance is further contextualized by the fact that the GPU is end-of-life, with its successor (Navi IV) already on the market, but the measured data shows it still delivers competitive frame rates in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, even Ultra settings produce an average of 114 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the Low preset reaches 208 FPS for competitive or high-refresh-rate play. For most users at 1080p, High settings (131 FPS) offer a good balance between visual quality and performance, as the difference between High and Ultra is only 17 FPS (131 vs 114), while the visual uplift may be minimal. At 2560x1440, High settings (99 FPS) are the best choice for a 60–100 Hz monitor, while Medium (112 FPS) provides a slight headroom for frame time spikes, as evidenced by the minimum FPS of 95 at Medium versus no min data at High. Ultra at 1440p (86 FPS) is still playable but begins to approach the lower bound for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes significantly. Medium settings (75 FPS average, 64 FPS minimum) are the highest preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 4K displays with VRR. High settings (67 FPS) are borderline, with no minimum FPS data provided, but the average suggests it may dip below 60 in demanding scenes. Ultra at 4K (58 FPS) is below the 60 FPS threshold and would likely cause noticeable stutter on non-VRR displays. Low settings at 4K (106 FPS) are viable for users who prioritize frame rate over visuals, but Medium strikes the best balance for a smooth and visually acceptable experience. The minimum FPS data at Medium (64 FPS at 4K) confirms that this preset maintains a playable frame rate even in worst-case scenarios, making it the safest choice for 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS table provides 12 data points across four settings presets and three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are as follows: Low 208, Medium 148 (min 125, max 170), High 131, and Ultra 114. The spread from Low to Ultra is 94 FPS, a 45.2% reduction. At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 157, Medium 112 (min 95, max 128), High 99, and Ultra 86. The spread is 71 FPS, a 45.2% reduction from Low to Ultra. At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 106, Medium 75 (min 64, max 87), High 67, and Ultra 58. The spread is 48 FPS, a 45.3% reduction. This consistency in the relative drop from Low to Ultra across all resolutions — approximately 45% — indicates that the settings presets scale uniformly regardless of resolution, which is a hallmark of a well-balanced GPU bottleneck.

The minimum and maximum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range is 125–170, giving a 45 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 95–128 (33 FPS spread). At 4K Medium, the range narrows further to 64–87 (23 FPS spread). This pattern shows that as resolution increases, the frame time variance decreases, meaning the GPU is more consistently the limiting factor. At 1080p, the wider range suggests that CPU or driver overhead can cause occasional frame drops, while at 4K, the GPU is saturated and delivers a more stable output. The average FPS at 4K Medium (75) is 50.7% of the 1080p Medium value (148), which aligns with the pixel count ratio of 4:1 (3840x2160 has four times the pixels of 1920x1080), indicating that the GPU’s fill rate is the primary constraint.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 31 chip, codenamed Plum Bonito, fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process with 57,700 million transistors across a 529 mm² die. It features 5,376 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, 192 ROPs, and 84 ray tracing cores, with a base clock of 1387 MHz, a game clock of 2025 MHz, and a boost clock of 2394 MHz. The GPU has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth, and a memory clock of 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective). Its compute capabilities include 51.48 TFLOPS FP32 and 103.0 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1), with pixel and texture rates of 459.6 GPixel/s and 804.4 GTexel/s, respectively. The GPU’s TDP is 300 W, requiring a 700 W power supply and dual 8-pin connectors.

In Control, the GPU’s role is dominant across all resolutions and settings. The measured FPS scaling of approximately 24% from 1080p to 1440p and 32% from 1440p to 4K is consistent with a GPU that is bandwidth and fill-rate limited. The 800.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is critical for handling the game’s high-resolution textures and particle effects, and the 20 GB VRAM ensures no texture swapping occurs even at 4K Ultra. The GPU’s benchmarks show a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,623, a Geekbench Vulkan score of 71,068, and a Passmark G3D score of 29,009, which are moderate but not top-tier. The GPU’s percentile vs all GPUs is 55, meaning it outperforms 55% of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 660M (0.5% faster), NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (0.5% faster), and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (1.5% slower).

The fact that the GPU’s nearest rivals are lower-end parts (e.g., Radeon 660M is an integrated GPU) suggests that the RX 7900 XT’s average benchmark score of 13,745 is not fully representative of its gaming performance in Control, where it delivers 58–208 FPS depending on settings. The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are well-suited to Control’s engine, which leverages modern graphics features. The GPU’s end-of-life status and its position relative to the RX 9070 XT (which is 1.5% slower in average benchmarks) indicate that this card remains competitive despite being superseded. In Control, the GPU is the clear performance driver, and the CPU’s role is secondary, as evidenced by the uniform settings scaling across resolutions.