Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers a robust Control experience, with the data indicating a system that scales predictably across resolution and settings. The measured results place this combo in the 70th percentile of tested configurations, offering a strong foundation for high-refresh-rate 1440p play and a viable 4K experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, revealing a system that transitions from being CPU-bound at lower resolutions to heavily GPU-bound at higher ones. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 177 FPS, which falls to 134 FPS at 1440p and further to 90 FPS at 4K. This progression shows a 24% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 33% reduction from 1440p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

Under High settings, the scaling pattern is similar but with lower absolute numbers: 112 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 25% and 32% respectively, showing that the relative impact of resolution remains consistent regardless of preset. This consistency suggests the GPU is the primary constraint once resolutions exceed 1080p, as the CPU's headroom becomes less relevant.

The Medium settings row provides the only complete data with minimum and maximum frame times. At 1080p Medium, the average is 126 FPS with a minimum of 107 FPS and maximum of 144 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS and maximum of 109 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and maximum of 74 FPS. The narrowing frame time range at higher resolutions—from a 37 FPS spread at 1080p to a 19 FPS spread at 4K—indicates that the GPU's workload becomes more consistent as it approaches its limits, reducing CPU-induced frame pacing variations.

Ultra settings show the steepest curve, with 97 FPS at 1080p dropping to 73 FPS at 1440p and 50 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold commonly associated with smooth gameplay, suggesting that this preset is only suitable for 1080p and 1440p displays. The data shows that the RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 4K, as the frame rates decline proportionally with resolution rather than collapsing due to memory capacity limits.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080's specifications directly inform these results. With a boost clock of 2505 MHz and 9728 shading units, the GPU delivers 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. This raw throughput translates into the observed frame rates, which are consistently high enough for smooth gameplay at 1440p across all settings. The GPU's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores support the game's ray tracing and DLSS features, though the measured data does not include those specific scenarios.

The memory subsystem plays a critical role in the 4K results. The 16 GB VRAM capacity, paired with a 256-bit bus and 22.4 Gbps effective memory speed, provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. This is adequate for 4K textures and effects, as evidenced by the 57 FPS average at 4K High. The lack of minimum frame time data for High and Ultra settings at 4K makes it difficult to assess frame pacing, but the Medium settings data shows a minimum of 55 FPS, indicating that the GPU can maintain playable frame rates even in demanding scenes.

The GPU's 320 W TDP and triple-slot cooler design suggest it is a high-power part, but the measured performance shows it is well-suited for this game. The benchmark results place the RTX 4080 in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the RTX 4080 SUPER at a 0.1% delta. This marginal difference in synthetic benchmarks aligns with the in-game results, which show the card delivering strong performance without any obvious bottlenecks.

At 1080p, the GPU's role is less critical, as the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them. The 177 FPS at Low settings and 112 FPS at High settings both exceed typical 144 Hz refresh rates, making the GPU the limiting factor only when the user demands maximum visual fidelity. The Ryzen 9 8945HX, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and single-core score of 6030, which places it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. This headroom means the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution tested.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Control with this hardware?

A: The data shows 1440p as the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo delivers 84 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, while 4K High drops to 57 FPS. The 1440p Medium preset provides 95 FPS average, offering a balance between visual quality and smoothness.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low, the average is 90 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 64 FPS. However, 4K High drops to 57 FPS and 4K Ultra falls to 50 FPS, meaning users need to use Low or Medium settings for a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in this game?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54247 is nearly identical to the RTX 4080 SUPER's 54209, a delta of just 0.1%. This suggests in-game performance would be very similar, with the SUPER offering a negligible advantage in synthetic tests.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The CPU is not the bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 8945HX's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030 and multi-core score of 42713 indicate ample processing power. The GPU limits performance, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling from Low (177 FPS) to Ultra (97 FPS) at 1080p.

Q: Does the memory configuration affect 4K performance?

A: The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with 716.8 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 4K. Frame rates scale linearly with resolution, suggesting no memory capacity or bandwidth constraint. The 4K Medium results show a minimum of 55 FPS, indicating the GPU can handle memory-intensive scenes.

Q: What settings provide the most stable frame times?

A: The Medium preset shows the tightest frame time range at each resolution. At 1080p, the spread is 37 FPS (107-144), at 1440p it is 28 FPS (81-109), and at 4K it is 19 FPS (55-74). This suggests Medium settings provide the most consistent experience across all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 879 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 69.6th percentile of all configurations, indicating that it outperforms roughly 70% of tested systems while being surpassed by the remaining 30%. The ranking reflects the balance between the high-end mobile CPU and the desktop-class GPU, which together deliver strong but not class-leading performance.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for this ranking. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX has an average benchmark score of 76155, which is 0.1% lower than the Ryzen 9 8945HX's 76212. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D scores 75779, a 0.6% deficit. These margins are within statistical noise, suggesting that the CPU choice has minimal impact on overall system performance in this game. The GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209 versus the RTX 4080's 54247, a 0.1% difference that is unlikely to change the combo's ranking meaningfully.

The combo's rank of 879 suggests that while the hardware is capable, other configurations with more powerful GPUs or optimized CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher frame rates. The data indicates that the RTX 4080, despite being a strong performer, is not the fastest GPU available, and systems with higher-tier cards like the RTX 4090 or newer RTX 50-series parts would rank higher. The CPU's 95th percentile standing does not boost the combo beyond the GPU's 86th percentile, highlighting that the GPU is the primary determinant of in-game performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset is viable, with an average of 97 FPS that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold and approaches 100 FPS. The High preset at 112 FPS provides additional headroom for higher refresh rate monitors, while Medium at 126 FPS offers the best balance for 144 Hz displays. Low at 177 FPS is excessive for most 1080p panels but useful for competitive play.

At 1440p, the High preset with 84 FPS is recommended for 60 Hz or 75 Hz monitors, though users with 144 Hz displays should consider Medium at 95 FPS. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS is playable but may exhibit noticeable frame drops in demanding scenes. Low at 134 FPS is suitable for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, providing smooth motion without the visual fidelity of higher presets.

For 4K, the Low preset at 90 FPS is the only option that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. Medium at 64 FPS is playable but close to the threshold, and the minimum of 55 FPS indicates potential stuttering. High at 57 FPS and Ultra at 50 FPS are below the 60 FPS target and are not recommended for smooth gameplay. The 4K experience is best served by Low or Medium settings, depending on tolerance for occasional frame rate dips.

The Medium preset provides the most consistent frame times across all resolutions, with the smallest spread between minimum and maximum FPS. This consistency reduces perceived stutter and makes Medium the recommended setting for users who prioritize smoothness over maximum visual quality. For users with adaptive sync displays, the higher presets become more viable, as frame rates below the refresh rate are handled fluidly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset averages 177 FPS, providing maximum performance for competitive play. Medium averages 126 FPS with a minimum of 107 FPS and maximum of 144 FPS, offering a balanced experience. High averages 112 FPS, while Ultra averages 97 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 45% reduction in frame rate, reflecting the increasing GPU workload from reduced effects to maximum fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the GPU's growing workload. Low averages 134 FPS, Medium averages 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS and maximum of 109 FPS, High averages 84 FPS, and Ultra averages 73 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with an average reduction of approximately 25%. The Medium preset's frame time spread of 28 FPS is tighter than at 1080p, indicating more consistent GPU utilization.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary constraint. Low averages 90 FPS, Medium averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS and maximum of 74 FPS, High averages 57 FPS, and Ultra averages 50 FPS. The reduction from 1440p to 4K is steeper than the 1080p to 1440p drop, averaging 33% across settings. The Medium preset's minimum of 55 FPS suggests that even at this setting, the GPU can experience significant load spikes that could cause perceptible stutter on standard 60 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 50 FPS is below the playable threshold for most users, making it unsuitable for 4K gaming with this hardware.