Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile lands at rank 2983 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. That places this configuration in the bottom 20% of all tested systems, a surprising result given the hardware’s individual benchmark scores. The combo rank reflects real-world gameplay where the RTX 5050 Mobile’s modest performance ceiling becomes the dominant constraint, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU struggles to maintain smooth frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The 2983rd position out of 3720 combos is sobering for a system built around a 16-core, 32-thread Ryzen 9 8945HX. The CPU itself sits in the 95th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 76212. Yet in Control, this combo trails behind most other tested configurations. The gap between CPU potential and in-game ranking highlights how GPU-bound this title is at the tested settings.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 8945HX posts an average score just 0.1% above the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155). It also edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D by 0.6% (75779), though it falls 0.4% short of both the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492) and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513). These are marginal differences, suggesting the 8945HX is a top-tier compute chip. Yet none of that raw processing power translates into a competitive position in Control.

The GPU tells a different story. The RTX 5050 Mobile ranks in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 43268. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, matches it exactly at 43262 (0% delta), while the Quadro M6000 trails by 0.1% (43301). The RTX 4070 SUPER is 0.1% ahead (43223), and the RTX 4090 Mobile leads by 0.9% (43667). These are close scores, but the 5050 Mobile’s 8 GB VRAM and Blackwell architecture are clearly not enough to push Control into higher frame rate territory. The data shows a system that is compute-rich but graphically limited, resulting in a combo rank that underperforms what the CPU alone might suggest.

FAQ

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

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 103 FPS average. This is the only configuration that crosses the 100 FPS threshold. Medium settings at 1080p yield 73 FPS, while High drops to 65 FPS. Ultra at 1080p produces 56 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 Mobile compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 Mobile’s average benchmark score of 43268 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (43262, 0% delta). It is 0.1% behind the Quadro M6000 (43301) and RTX 4070 SUPER (43223), and 0.9% behind the RTX 4090 Mobile (43667). These are negligible performance differences in synthetic tests.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 8945HX CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: No. The CPU’s 95th percentile ranking and strong synthetic scores (e.g., 42713 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) suggest it is not the limiting factor. The GPU becomes the bottleneck, especially at 4K where the RTX 5050 Mobile manages only 33 FPS on High settings.

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

A: At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 56 FPS average. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 29 FPS average. That represents a 48% reduction in frame rate, demonstrating the GPU’s inability to handle higher pixel counts.

Q: Is the RTX 5050 Mobile’s 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Control at high settings?

A: Based on measured data, yes. At 1440p High, the combo produces 49 FPS average, and at 1080p High it reaches 65 FPS. The VRAM does not appear to cause severe frame rate drops, though the GPU’s overall compute power limits performance at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX scores 42713 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 0.1% above the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155 average score) and 0.6% above the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (75779). It is 0.4% below the EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492) and Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513) in average score.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, pointing squarely at the GPU as the limiting component. Starting at 1920x1080, the combo delivers 103 FPS on Low settings, which is playable for most action-adventure titles. Moving to 2560x1440, that same Low setting drops to 78 FPS, a 24% reduction. At 3840x2160, Low falls to 52 FPS, another 33% drop. This pattern holds across all settings presets, with the RTX 5050 Mobile unable to maintain frame rates above 60 FPS at 4K under any tested condition.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. At Medium settings, 1440p produces 55 FPS average (with min/max of 47/63), while 4K Medium drops to 37 FPS (min/max 32/43). That’s a 33% loss, consistent with the additional pixel load. High settings show a similar trend: 49 FPS at 1440p versus 33 FPS at 4K, a 33% drop. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 43 FPS at 1440p falling to 29 FPS at 4K, a 33% reduction.

This consistent ~33% penalty across settings suggests the GPU’s raw throughput—not VRAM or bandwidth—is the constraint. The RTX 5050 Mobile’s 384.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 performance are simply not enough for 4K rendering in Control. The CPU’s 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and 64 MB L3 cache are more than sufficient, as evidenced by the stable frame rate drops that scale with pixel count rather than scene complexity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo shows a clear progression across presets. Low settings deliver 103 FPS average, the highest recorded for this configuration. Medium produces 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84 FPS, showing some frame time variance. High drops to 65 FPS, while Ultra bottoms out at 56 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 47 FPS, representing a 46% performance loss when maxing out all visual features.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates compress. Low achieves 78 FPS, still respectable for a 1440p display. Medium yields 55 FPS (min 47, max 63), which is near the edge of smoothness for fast-paced action. High falls to 49 FPS, and Ultra manages only 43 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 35 FPS, a 45% reduction, similar to the 1080p scaling.

At 3840x2160, the numbers become marginal. Low produces 52 FPS, barely playable. Medium drops to 37 FPS with a minimum of 32 FPS, which will feel stuttery in combat. High falls to 33 FPS, and Ultra hits just 29 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap narrows to 23 FPS (44% reduction), but absolute performance is poor across the board. For a game like Control, which relies on physics-heavy environments and particle effects, these sub-40 FPS averages will likely result in noticeable input lag and visual tearing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile is built on the GB207 chip using Blackwell 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It packs 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die, yielding a density of 113.4M per mm². The GPU operates at a base clock of 1020 MHz and boosts to 1500 MHz, with memory running at 1500 MHz (24 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p but strained at higher resolutions.

In Control, the GPU’s 2560 shading units and 32 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s, but the FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is modest for a 2025-era mobile GPU. The 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores support ray tracing and DLSS, but the benchmark data shows no ray tracing tests, so their impact remains unmeasured. The GPU’s 83rd percentile ranking places it above most discrete GPUs, yet its nearest rivals—the Quadro M6000 24 GB and RTX 4070 SUPER—show that synthetic parity does not translate to 4K gaming competence.

The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (29 FPS) versus 1080p Ultra (56 FPS) highlights the GPU’s fill rate limitations. With only 32 ROPs, the RTX 5050 Mobile cannot efficiently process the pixel shader workload at 3840x2160. The 50 W TDP also suggests thermal constraints that may prevent sustained boost clocks, though the data does not include clock behavior during gameplay. The 8 GB VRAM appears sufficient for Control at these settings, as no min-FPS anomalies suggest memory swapping.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor from the 8000 series, based on Zen 4 architecture (Dragon Range). It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosts to 5.40 GHz, with a 55 W TDP. The 5 nm process and TSMC foundry produce a die size of 2x 71 mm², containing 13,140 million transistors. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 64 MB L3, providing ample data for game logic and physics.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 8945HX excels. Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 42713, while single-core hits 6030. PassMark multi-thread reaches 51405, and single-thread scores 3907. These numbers place it in the 95th percentile, and its average score of 76212 is within 0.6% of the top-tier Ryzen 9 9950X3D (75779). The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s and DDR5 support ensure no bottleneck in feeding the GPU.

However, in Control, the CPU’s role is secondary. The measured FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows consistent ~33% drops per resolution step, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads are more than enough for Control’s physics and AI, as evidenced by the fact that Low settings at 1080p reach 103 FPS—a frame rate that would expose CPU limits if they existed. The data implies the 8945HX is not holding back the RTX 5050 Mobile, and the combo’s low rank is entirely attributable to GPU performance.

Settings Recommendations

For playable frame rates, the data suggests prioritizing resolution over visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, Medium settings provide a solid 73 FPS average with acceptable frame time consistency (min 62, max 84). This is the sweet spot for this combo, balancing visual quality with smoothness. Low settings at 1080p push to 103 FPS, ideal for competitive play but sacrificing graphical detail in a game known for its atmospheric visuals.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings yield 55 FPS average, which is at the edge of playability for a third-person action game. Players who prefer smoother motion should drop to Low (78 FPS), while those who want better visuals can accept High at 49 FPS. Ultra at 1440p (43 FPS) is not recommended, as the frame rate dips below 45 FPS, which can cause noticeable judder.

At 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves 60 FPS. Low is the only viable option at 52 FPS, and even that may feel inconsistent. Medium (37 FPS) and High (33 FPS) are borderline unplayable, while Ultra (29 FPS) should be avoided. For 4K gaming, the data indicates this combo is not suitable for Control without significant graphical compromises or external upscaling solutions.

The best overall experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, offering 73 FPS with the highest visual fidelity that still clears the 60 FPS threshold. For players with 1440p monitors, 1440p Low at 78 FPS provides the smoothest gameplay, though it sacrifices texture and shadow quality. The RTX 5050 Mobile’s 8 GB VRAM does not appear to cause issues at these settings, so players can focus on resolution and preset selection rather than memory management.