Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, is a demanding showcase for any hardware pairing. The data measured for this configuration—an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080—reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet surprisingly capable of maintaining high framerates across the board. The benchmark results indicate a combination that excels at 1440p and 1080p gaming, with 4K Ultra representing the only scenario where the framerate dips below the 60 FPS threshold. This analysis will dissect the measured FPS data, contextualize the performance within the broader hardware landscape, and provide actionable settings recommendations based solely on the provided facts.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend: as resolution increases, average framerates decrease, but the rate of decline reveals the balance between CPU and GPU load. At the High preset, the system delivers 255 FPS at 1920x1080, which drops to 193 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 130 FPS at 3840x2160. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component; the 1080p to 1440p transition results in a 24.3% performance drop, while the 1440p to 4K transition results in a 32.6% drop. The substantial framerate at 1080p High (255 FPS) suggests the CPU has ample headroom, but the drop at 4K highlights the sheer pixel-pushing workload on the RTX 5080.

The scaling behavior is consistent across all settings presets, reinforcing the notion of a GPU-bound scenario. For instance, at Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 181 at 1080p to 137 at 1440p, then to 93 at 4K. The percentage drops are 24.3% and 32.1% respectively, which closely mirrors the High preset pattern. This consistency suggests that the game's rendering engine scales uniformly with pixel count, and that the RTX 5080's performance is the primary determinant of the final framerate, regardless of the visual complexity settings. The CPU's role becomes more pronounced only at the lowest resolution and settings, where the framerates are exceptionally high.

The data points to a system where the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is more than sufficient to feed the RTX 5080. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU load is at its minimum, the average FPS peaks at 255, and the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads are not a bottleneck. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings shows a drop from 255 to 130 FPS, a 49% reduction, which is a significant decrease but still results in a highly playable framerate. This indicates that the RTX 5080, with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, is the decisive factor in this game's performance at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average framerate at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 72 FPS at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is the lowest average framerate recorded across all tested configurations in the fact pack.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p with High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average framerate is 122 FPS. This indicates a smooth and highly playable experience, well above the standard 60 FPS target.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests it is not. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average framerate reaches 255 FPS. The high scores on the Ryzen 9 7900X's single-threaded benchmarks, such as 4238 in Passmark, support the conclusion that the CPU provides sufficient headroom to avoid limiting the GPU at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average framerate at Low settings is 193 FPS, while at Ultra settings it is 106 FPS. This represents a significant 45.1% reduction in average framerate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: What is the system's overall rank among tested combos for this game?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 204th out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places it in the top 5.5% of all tested systems, indicating a very strong performance tier.

Q: Does the RTX 5080 have enough VRAM for this game?

A: The RTX 5080 is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory. Given that the highest tested setting (4K Ultra) runs at 72 FPS, the available memory capacity is sufficient for all presets and resolutions measured in the fact pack.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the star of this configuration for Control. Its performance is directly correlated with the resolution and settings, with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 256-bit memory bus providing a 960.0 GB/s bandwidth. This high bandwidth is crucial for the texture-heavy environments and particle effects that Control is known for, allowing the GPU to feed its 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs efficiently. The GPU's boost clock of 2617 MHz ensures that these units are operating at a high pace, contributing to the strong raw performance figures seen in the benchmark scores.

The GPU's benchmark scores in other synthetic tests are strong, but its in-game performance is what matters here. The data shows that the RTX 5080's performance scales predictably with the workload. At 1080p Low, it achieves 255 FPS, demonstrating immense rendering speed. However, as the resolution increases to 4K, the sheer number of pixels being processed causes the framerate to drop, with the GPU becoming the clear limiting factor. The fact that the framerate at 4K High (82 FPS) is lower than at 1440p High (122 FPS) confirms that the GPU is working harder to fill the additional pixels, and its performance is the primary bottleneck to higher framerates.

The percentile ranking of the GPU (87th percentile vs all GPUs) and its average benchmark score of 56083 place it in a high-performance tier. Its nearest rivals in the aggregate benchmark, such as the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE and AMD Radeon 8060S, have scores that are within 2.2% of the RTX 5080. However, in this specific game, the RTX 5080's 16 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth likely provide an advantage in handling the game's memory-intensive effects at higher resolutions, ensuring a stable experience without hitting memory limits, as evidenced by the consistent framerate scaling.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of benchmark results, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a rank of 204 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places the system in the top 5.5% of all configurations tested, a strong indicator of high-end performance. The rank is a composite measure, but given the GPU-bound nature of the game at higher resolutions, it is likely that the RTX 5080's performance is the primary driver of this excellent ranking, with the Ryzen 9 7900X ensuring the GPU is not held back.

To contextualize this rank, it is useful to look at the individual component rankings. The CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, has a percentile rank of 91 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53288. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark, such as the Intel Core i7-14700F (-0.6% delta) and AMD EPYC 7313P (+0.2% delta), have very similar aggregate scores. This suggests that the 7900X is a top-tier processor that provides a solid foundation. The GPU's rank of 87th percentile is slightly lower than the CPU's, but its strong average score of 56083 and the game-specific data show it is more than capable.

The 204th rank out of 3720 combos confirms the synergy of this pairing. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect the rank to be lower, as other combos with faster CPUs but similar GPUs would pull ahead. However, the data indicates that the system is performing as a cohesive unit, with both components contributing to a smooth and high-framerate experience in Control. The 4K Ultra result of 72 FPS, while not the highest, is a playable framerate for a single-player action game, and the performance at 1440p and 1080p is exceptional.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, plays a supporting but critical role in this configuration. The benchmark results show that its multi-threaded performance is substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29300 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 19267. More importantly for gaming, its single-threaded performance is also strong, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2016.5 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4238. This combination of high multi-threaded and single-threaded performance ensures that the CPU can handle both the game's main logic and any background tasks without causing framerate dips.

In Control, a game that is not known for being particularly CPU-intensive, the Ryzen 9 7900X is clearly not a bottleneck. The evidence for this is the high framerates at 1080p. At 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 255, which is likely near the limit of what the game's engine can produce. Even at 1080p High, the average is 161 FPS, suggesting the CPU has ample headroom to process the game's physics and AI. The base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz are high for a desktop processor, and these clocks, combined with the large 64 MB of shared L3 cache, allow for rapid data access and processing for game logic.

The CPU's performance in this game is further validated by its aggregate benchmark scores. Its average benchmark score of 53288 is just 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P and 0.6% higher than the Intel Xeon 634, showing it is a top-tier performer. However, its high rank does not mean it is the fastest in every scenario; the Intel Core i7-14700F has a score that is 0.6% higher. Regardless, the data from the measured FPS strongly suggests that the Ryzen 9 7900X provides more than enough processing power to keep the RTX 5080 fully utilized, making the GPU the definitive limiting factor in this system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The provided data offers a comprehensive look at the system's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. Here is the exact breakdown of the average framerates (with min/max where available) for each measured configuration:

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Low: 255 FPS average.
• Medium: 181 FPS average (min 154, max 209).
• High: 161 FPS average.
• Ultra: 140 FPS average.

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Low: 193 FPS average.
• Medium: 137 FPS average (min 117, max 158).
• High: 122 FPS average.
• Ultra: 106 FPS average.

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Low: 130 FPS average.
• Medium: 93 FPS average (min 79, max 107).
• High: 82 FPS average.
• Ultra: 72 FPS average.

These numbers paint a clear picture. At 1080p, the system is capable of delivering exceptionally high framerates, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs 115 FPS, but even at Ultra, the 140 FPS average is far above what most displays can show. At 1440p, the performance remains superb, with even the Ultra preset achieving an average of 106 FPS, which is still above the 100 FPS mark and suitable for high refresh rate gaming without compromise.

The 4K results are where the system begins to feel the pressure. While Low settings achieve a very playable 130 FPS, the framerate decreases steadily as quality increases. The Medium preset provides a solid 93 FPS, but the High and Ultra presets drop to 82 FPS and 72 FPS respectively. The min FPS for 4K Medium is 79, indicating that even in the most demanding scenes, the framerate remains stable and above 60 FPS. However, the fact that the 4K Ultra average is only 72 FPS suggests that to achieve a locked 60 FPS experience at 4K, one would need to rely on the High preset or lower, or use upscaling technologies (which are not mentioned in the fact pack).

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend entirely on the target resolution and desired framerate. For gamers with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, the Ultra preset is highly recommended. At 1080p, Ultra averages 140 FPS, and at 1440p, it averages 106 FPS. These framerates are well within the range for a smooth, responsive experience, and the visual fidelity of the Ultra preset is the best the game offers. There is no reason to lower the settings at these resolutions, as even the most demanding preset provides excellent performance.

For 4K gaming, the recommendation is more nuanced. The Ultra preset, while averaging 72 FPS, may not provide a consistently smooth experience on a 120Hz or 144Hz display, though it is playable on a standard 60Hz screen. To ensure a high and stable framerate well above 60 FPS, the High preset is the better choice, as it averages 82 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin over the 60 FPS target and still delivers a high level of visual quality. The Medium preset offers an even greater performance buffer with an average of 93 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often noticeable in a game like Control, which relies heavily on atmospheric effects.

If the priority is achieving the highest possible framerate at 4K, the Low preset delivers 130 FPS, but this comes at a significant cost to visual fidelity. Given the data, the High preset at 4K represents the best balance for 4K gaming, providing a 82 FPS average that is both smooth and visually impressive. For those with 144Hz or higher refresh rate displays at 1440p, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, as it averages 106 FPS, which is close to the refresh rate limit and offers the complete visual experience. In summary, the data indicates that this system can comfortably run Control at maximum settings for 1080p and 1440p, and requires a one-step reduction to High for the optimal 4K experience.