Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a robust, high-refresh-rate experience in Control, though the data reveals a clear performance hierarchy dictated by resolution. Across the measured spectrum from 1080p to 4K, the combination demonstrates its strength as a 1440p-class gaming platform, with frame rates scaling predictably as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution climbs. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 88 FPS, which falls to 67 FPS at 2560x1440 and further down to 45 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 49% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at the High preset, a scaling pattern that points directly to the rendering workload surpassing what the RTX 4070 can sustain at higher pixel densities.

The scaling behavior is even more pronounced at the Low settings tier. Here, the frame rate drops from 140 FPS at 1080p to 106 FPS at 1440p and then to 71 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-4K delta at Low settings is 69 FPS (a 49% drop), nearly identical in percentage terms to the High preset. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck across all settings, as even when graphical load is minimized, the resolution increase still exacts a heavy toll on performance.

Interestingly, the Medium preset shows the most linear scaling, with 99 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs 24 FPS (a 24% reduction), while the step from 1440p to 4K costs another 24 FPS (a 32% reduction). This pattern indicates that the game's rendering engine scales predictably with pixel count, and the RTX 4070's 12 GB GDDR6X memory buffer remains sufficient across all tested configurations, as evidenced by the absence of any anomalous frame rate collapses at 4K.

At Ultra settings, the performance envelope tightens further. The combo manages 77 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. The 4K result falls below the 40 FPS threshold, suggesting that Ultra settings at native 4K are not a viable target for smooth gameplay. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 32 FPS, which is proportionally larger than at 1080p (a 63 FPS gap), reinforcing that the GPU's compute resources are the defining constraint at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of tested hardware combinations for Control, this pairing of the Ryzen 9 8945HX and RTX 4070 sits at rank 1515 out of 2888 combos. This places it in the 52.4th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms just over half of the systems evaluated in this game. While not a top-tier ranking, this position is respectable given the mobile nature of the CPU and the mid-range positioning of the GPU.

The ranking reflects a balance between the CPU's strong multi-threaded capabilities and the GPU's solid but not class-leading rasterization performance. Data indicates that the RTX 4070's average benchmark score of 37648 places it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 9 8945HX's average score of 76212 puts it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. This disparity suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this combo, which aligns with the resolution scaling analysis showing steep FPS drops as resolution increases.

When compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 4070 is nearly identical in average score to the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (delta of 0.1% ) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (delta of 0.4% ). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile by 1.3% and leads the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 by 1.3% . These small deltas indicate that the RTX 4070 sits in a tightly contested performance band, where similar GPUs deliver nearly interchangeable results in synthetic benchmarks.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz , built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. This mobile chip features 64 MB of L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, delivering 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

In Control, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The benchmark results show that the Ryzen 9 8945HX is more than capable of keeping up with the RTX 4070, as evidenced by the fact that frame rates scale so heavily with resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across resolutions, particularly at Low settings where the GPU workload is minimized.

The processor's multi-threaded performance is exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030. These figures place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (delta of 0.1% ) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (delta of 0.6% ). The data suggests that the CPU's 32 threads provide ample headroom for Control's engine, which is known to utilize multiple cores for physics and particle effects.

At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 140 FPS , which is close to the practical limit for many displays. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is not limiting performance, as even a modestly powerful processor could likely push beyond this threshold if the GPU were less constrained. The boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks, such as game logic and AI calculations, are executed with minimal latency.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 , the combo delivers its strongest results across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 140 FPS , which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings yield 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS , providing a smooth experience with some graphical headroom. High settings average 88 FPS , while Ultra settings drop to 77 FPS . The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 63 FPS , giving users a wide range of options to balance visual fidelity against performance.

At 2560x1440 , the frame rates remain playable but show the GPU's increasing workload. Low settings average 106 FPS , which is still suitable for fast-paced action. Medium settings produce 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS , indicating some frame time variance but generally stable performance. High settings average 67 FPS , while Ultra settings fall to 58 FPS . The 1440p results suggest that the High preset is the sweet spot for a balance of visual quality and smoothness, staying comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160 , the RTX 4070 begins to struggle with the higher pixel count. Low settings average 71 FPS , which is playable but requires significant graphical compromises. Medium settings produce 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS , showing that frame rates can dip below 45 FPS during intense scenes. High settings average 45 FPS , while Ultra settings drop to 39 FPS . At 4K, only the Low preset maintains a consistently playable frame rate, and even it may exhibit stutter in demanding sequences.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation processors, along with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz , with a memory clock of 1313 MHz (effectively 21 Gbps ).

The GPU's memory configuration is a key asset for Control, a game known for its dense environments and particle effects. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the game's texture streaming and effect rendering at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, the memory capacity appears adequate, as the frame rate drops are consistent with compute-bound limitations rather than memory capacity constraints.

The RTX 4070's raw compute power is rated at 29.15 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, which translates to solid rasterization performance in Control. The pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s indicate that the GPU can handle the game's visual effects, including its signature destructible environments and physics-based interactions.

Benchmark data places the RTX 4070 in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 37648. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (delta 0.1% ) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (delta 0.4% ), suggesting that the RTX 4070 is a solid mid-range performer. However, its position relative to the RTX 4080 Mobile (delta -1.3% ) shows that there is a meaningful performance gap to the next tier up.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 at High settings provides the best balance, with an average of 67 FPS . At 1080p, frame rates are higher (up to 140 FPS at Low), but 1440p offers a more immersive visual experience while staying comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 4K Low settings, the average frame rate is 71 FPS , while Medium drops to 51 FPS and Ultra falls to 39 FPS . For consistent 60 FPS gameplay at 4K, only the Low preset is viable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX scores 76212 on average, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. It trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P by 0.4% .

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all GPUs?

A: The RTX 4070 is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37648 . This places it ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P4 by 0.1% and behind the RTX 4080 Mobile by 1.3% .

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 140 FPS , and frame rates scale consistently with resolution, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at all tested settings.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 84 at 1080p, 64 at 1440p, and 43 at 4K. The maximum FPS values are 114 , 86 , and 58 respectively, showing tighter frame pacing at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the recommended configuration. This combination produces an average of 67 FPS , which is smooth for a third-person action game, while maintaining visual fidelity that showcases Control's detailed environments and lighting effects. The Medium preset at 1440p is a close alternative, offering 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS , providing additional headroom for demanding scenes.

At 1080p, the High preset delivers 88 FPS , which is an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate displays. Users with 144Hz monitors can opt for Low settings at 140 FPS for maximum smoothness, though this sacrifices visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1080p still produces 77 FPS , making it viable for players who prioritize image quality over frame rate.

For 4K displays, the Low preset is the only option that maintains playable performance at 71 FPS . The Medium preset at 51 FPS is borderline, and the frame rate drops to 45 FPS at High and 39 FPS at Ultra, which are below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. Given these results, 4K is not recommended for this combo unless players are willing to accept substantial graphical compromises or use upscaling technology not reflected in these benchmarks.