Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, pushes the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination through a distinct performance curve. The measured data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, with the CPU's substantial headroom only becoming apparent at 1080p. The 12-core, 24-thread processor, based on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture, provides a robust foundation, while the RDNA 4.0-based graphics card dictates the final frame rates across most settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the Radeon RX 9070 as the primary bottleneck, with the Ryzen 9 7900X providing ample support. At High settings, the transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 sees the average FPS fall from 114.3 to 88.6, a reduction of 25.7 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 60 FPS, representing a 54.3 FPS loss from 1080p, or a 47.5% decrease. This scaling pattern is typical of a system where the GPU's pixel throughput is the limiting factor; the 644.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and 322.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are being saturated as resolution increases.

The pattern holds across other presets, indicating a consistent GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the system delivers 182.2 FPS at 1080p, which is an exceptionally high figure that suggests the CPU is still not the wall. This drops to 138.7 FPS at 1440p and further to 92.1 FPS at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is 90.1 FPS, which is a larger absolute drop than at High settings, confirming that the GPU's raw compute is the constraining factor; as the workload on the GPU decreases, the frame rate rises, but the CPU is never the limiting component in this dataset.

The data indicates that at 4K Ultra, the system lands at 51.1 FPS, a point where the GPU is heavily taxed. The scaling from Medium to High at 4K is only 8.4 FPS (68.4 to 60), while the jump from High to Ultra is a further 8.9 FPS (60 to 51.1). This non-linear compression towards the lower end of the performance spectrum suggests that the RX 9070's 36.13 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is being fully utilized. The 2:1 FP16 ratio of 72.25 TFLOPS does not appear to be leveraged for a significant advantage in this title, as the scaling is consistent with a standard rasterization workload.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows suggest that the High preset offers the most balanced experience, particularly for 4K displays. At 3840x2160, High yields an average of 60 FPS, which aligns perfectly with standard 60Hz display refresh rates. The jump to Ultra provides a marginal visual improvement but costs 8.9 FPS, bringing the average down to 51.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may introduce noticeable judder on standard panels. The Medium preset at 4K, averaging 68.4 FPS, is also viable, but High provides a more consistent experience without the additional 8.4 FPS hit that Medium incurs over it.

For 1440p users, the High preset again stands out with an 88.6 FPS average, comfortably exceeding 60 FPS and approaching higher refresh rate territory. While Ultra at 1440p achieves 73.7 FPS, the performance cost of 14.9 FPS compared to High is significant for what is typically a subtle increase in shadow and reflection quality. At 1080p, the choice is less critical; High provides 114.3 FPS, which is sufficient for 100Hz+ monitors, while Ultra still manages 102.3 FPS, keeping the game playable on high-refresh displays without dropping below the 100 FPS mark.

The Low preset is only recommended for extreme frame rate chasing at 1080p, where it hits 182.2 FPS. However, the visual compromise is substantial. The data shows that the RX 9070 is powerful enough that Low settings are unnecessary for achieving playable frame rates at any resolution tested. The optimal configuration is High for all resolutions, as it maintains a playable 60 FPS floor at 4K while scaling to 114.3 FPS at 1080p, showing the GPU's capability without sacrificing the visual fidelity that Control's atmosphere relies on.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, does not appear to be a limiting factor in Control's benchmark results. The processor's base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz, combined with the Zen 4 architecture, provide a level of single-threaded performance that is more than adequate for the game's engine. This is evident from the 3dmark_single_thread score of 1093 and the passmark_single_thread score of 4238, which are strong indicators of per-core capability. The high boost clock is particularly relevant for a game like Control, which often relies on a few primary threads for game logic and physics.

The multi-threaded performance is also substantial, as shown by the cinebench_r23_multicore score of 43695 and the passmark_multithread score of 51406. However, these figures are far beyond what a game like Control requires; the 24 threads would only be heavily utilized in specific simulation-heavy scenarios within the game, which are not reflected in the average FPS measurements. The 64 MB of shared L3 cache is another asset, helping to reduce memory latency and improve data throughput for the CPU cores, but the benchmark results indicate that the game is not demanding enough to stress this configuration.

The data suggests that at 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 182.2 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's frame generation at lower resolutions. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in the FPS at lower resolutions and settings, but the consistent scaling from Low to High at 1080p (182.2 to 114.3 FPS) shows that the GPU is still the primary driver of performance. The Ryzen 9 7900X's benchmark percentile rank of 93 vs all CPUs further confirms its high-end status, meaning it provides a solid foundation without being a weak link in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and AMD Radeon RX 9070 pairing ranks at 526 out of 1636 combos for Control, placing it in the upper third of all tested systems. This rank of 526 suggests that while the combination is not at the absolute top tier, it offers a competitive performance level that is ahead of more than two-thirds of the tested configurations. The dataIsMeasured flag confirms that this is a direct test result, not an estimation, adding credibility to its position in the rankings.

The GPU's individual performance, as measured by its 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 6290, places it in the 79th percentile vs all GPUs. The CPU is in the 93rd percentile vs all CPUs. This indicates that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU is a step below the absolute highest echelon, which explains why the combo does not rank higher in the game-specific results. The pairing's performance is likely constrained by the GPU's capability in this particular title, as the CPU has more headroom.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the Intel Core i9-13980HX with a deltaPct of -0.8, show that the Ryzen 9 7900X is competitive with other high-end processors. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro GV100 with a deltaPct of 0.3, shows it is closely matched with other professional and enthusiast cards. However, the combo rank of 526 reflects the overall system performance, which is a function of both components. The data shows that this is a strong, upper-mid-range combination that will handle Control at high settings without issue, but it is not a top-100 performer due to the GPU's limitations at the highest settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 60 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rate scales significantly from Low to High settings at 1920x1080, dropping from 182.2 FPS to 114.3 FPS, while the CPU's high single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1093) provides ample headroom.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and AMD Radeon RX 9070 ranks 526th out of 1636 tested combos for Control.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 is recommended, as it delivers an average of 88.6 FPS, which is significantly higher than the 73.7 FPS achieved at Ultra settings.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X a bottleneck for the RX 9070 in this game?

A: No, the benchmark results show that the CPU is not a limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 7900X has a high boost clock of 5.60 GHz and a 93rd percentile ranking vs all CPUs, while the frame rate scaling across resolutions is consistent with a GPU-bound workload.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 182.2 at 1920x1080 to 92.1 at 3840x2160, a difference of 90.1 FPS, which highlights the significant load increase on the GPU at higher resolutions.