Control

Control’s benchmark results for the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination show a system that is decisively GPU-limited at every resolution, with the CPU’s substantial headroom only becoming apparent at lower settings. The data indicates that this pairing is best suited for high-refresh 1440p gaming, where it delivers a strong balance of image quality and frame rate, while 4K Ultra remains a marginal experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p High, the combo produces an average of 105 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 79 FPS, a 24.8% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 54 FPS, which is a 48.6% reduction from 1080p and a 31.6% reduction from 1440p. This scaling pattern shows that the rendering load is saturating the GPU well before the CPU becomes a limiting factor.

The differential between Low and Ultra settings further confirms this. At 1080p, the spread from Low (166 FPS) to Ultra (91 FPS) is 75 FPS, a 45.2% performance loss for maximum quality. At 1440p, the same spread is 57 FPS (126 FPS Low vs 69 FPS Ultra), and at 4K, it is 38 FPS (85 FPS Low vs 47 FPS Ultra). The absolute delta shrinks as resolution increases, which is typical of a GPU that is working closer to its maximum capacity at higher pixel counts. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads based on Zen 4 architecture, is not the bottleneck in any of these configurations.

The data suggests that the RTX 3070 Ti is the primary constraint. The Ryzen 9 7900X’s high boost clock of 5.60 GHz and strong PassMark single-thread score of 4238 are more than sufficient to feed the GPU. The fact that 1080p Low reaches 166 FPS shows the CPU can drive very high frame rates, but the GPU’s rendering capacity limits the upper ceiling. For users targeting 4K, the results are playable but not ideal, with High settings averaging 54 FPS and Ultra falling to 47 FPS. The 1440p results are the sweet spot, where the GPU’s 608.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are better utilized.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience is found at 1440p with High settings. This configuration yields an average of 79 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The step to Ultra at 1440p provides a 69 FPS average, a 12.7% performance penalty for what is typically a marginal visual gain. Conversely, dropping to Medium at 1440p yields 89 FPS, a 12.7% improvement over High, but the visual quality reduction is less justifiable when High is already comfortably playable.

At 1080p, High settings are the clear recommendation for competitive or high-refresh displays. The 105 FPS average is excellent, and the jump to Ultra (91 FPS) is not worth the 13.3% performance loss. The 1080p Medium preset (118 FPS) provides a significant boost for those with 120Hz+ monitors, but the 1440p High option is a better overall package for image clarity. The Low preset at any resolution offers high frame rates (166 FPS at 1080p, 126 FPS at 1440p, 85 FPS at 4K) but sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a system with this level of hardware.

For 4K, the recommendation is to stick with High settings. The 54 FPS average is the only 4K preset that approaches a consistently playable frame rate. Medium at 4K (60 FPS) is technically smoother, but the 11.1% improvement over High comes with a noticeable reduction in texture and effect quality. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the 47 FPS average dips below the 50 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth action-adventure experience. The absence of min FPS data for most presets, except for Medium, makes it difficult to assess frame time consistency, but the averages provide a clear hierarchy.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is the defining component in this combo’s gaming performance. Its 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for Control’s textures at 1440p but appears to be a limiting factor at 4K Ultra. The GPU’s base clock of 1575 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz are modest for the Ampere architecture, but the 6144 shading units and 48 RT cores deliver the raw compute needed for this title.

The benchmark results show that the GPU’s performance is consistent with its position in the market. Its PassMark G3D score of 23356 places it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs. The data indicates that it is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6700 in aggregate scores. This positioning is reflected in the game’s frame rates, which are competitive but not class-leading. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS is the theoretical peak, but Control’s engine is likely not achieving perfect utilization.

The VRAM capacity is a potential concern for future titles, but for Control, the 8 GB allocation appears adequate at the tested settings, as the GPU does not show signs of severe memory throttling in the average frame rates. The 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS is more likely a compute and bandwidth limitation than a capacity issue. The GPU’s 339.8 GTexel/s texture rate and 169.9 GPixel/s pixel rate are the physical limits that the game’s rendering demands are hitting, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 1339th out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the 64th percentile of all systems tested, indicating that it performs better than the majority of configurations but is far from the top tier. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range position rather than the CPU’s high-end capabilities, as the CPU alone sits in the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores provide context for its contribution. The Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.2% faster than the AMD EPYC 7313P and 0.6% faster than the Intel Xeon 634. It is 0.3% slower than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 and 0.6% slower than the Intel Core i7-14700F. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, confirming that the CPU is not a differentiating factor in this combo’s rank.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in aggregate scores show a similar clustering. The RTX 3070 Ti is 0.1% faster than the RTX 5070 Mobile and 0.5% faster than the RTX 2080 Ti. It is 0.5% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 6800 and 1.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 6700. The tight grouping of these scores, all within 2% of each other, means that the combo’s rank in Control is largely determined by the game’s specific optimization for NVIDIA hardware and the system’s overall balance. The rank of 1339 suggests that many other combinations with faster GPUs or better-matched CPUs achieve higher frame rates, but this pairing is a solid, balanced performer.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High is the optimal choice, delivering an average of 79 FPS. This provides a smooth experience without the significant performance drop seen at 4K.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average is 105 FPS. At 4K High, the average is 54 FPS. This represents a 51 FPS difference, meaning 1080p is 94.4% faster than 4K in this configuration.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops significantly with resolution and settings, while the CPU’s high benchmark scores (e.g., 29300 in Cinebench R23 multicore) suggest it has ample headroom.

Q: Does the combo achieve a playable frame rate at 4K Ultra?

A: The measured average at 4K Ultra is 47 FPS. This is below the 50 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, making it a marginal experience for most users.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to the RTX 2080 Ti in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 2080 Ti’s score of 29783. This indicates nearly identical performance levels.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 1440p Low, the average is 126 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 69 FPS. This is a 57 FPS difference, with Ultra being 45.2% slower than Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p

• Low: Average 166 FPS
• Medium: Average 118 FPS, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS
• High: Average 105 FPS
• Ultra: Average 91 FPS

The 1080p results show the combo’s ability to drive high refresh rates. The jump from Low to Medium is a 28.9% performance drop, while the jump from High to Ultra is a 13.3% drop. The consistent frame delivery at Medium, with a 35 FPS range between min and max, suggests good stability.

1440p

• Low: Average 126 FPS
• Medium: Average 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS
• High: Average 79 FPS
• Ultra: Average 69 FPS

At 1440p, the performance scaling is more pronounced. The drop from Low to Medium is 29.4%, and from High to Ultra is 12.7%. The Medium preset shows a 27 FPS range between min and max, indicating slightly more variance than at 1080p but still within acceptable limits.

4K (3840x2160)

• Low: Average 85 FPS
• Medium: Average 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS
• High: Average 54 FPS
• Ultra: Average 47 FPS

The 4K results highlight the GPU’s limitations. The drop from Low to Medium is 29.4%, and from High to Ultra is 13.0%. The Medium preset’s minimum of 51 FPS is close to the average of High, suggesting that High settings are more demanding than the frame rate alone suggests. The 4K Medium data is the only set with min/max values, providing a frame range of 18 FPS, which is the widest of all recorded presets, indicating increased frame time variability at this resolution.