Control

Control pairs the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, a combination that delivers a wide performance envelope across the game’s four presets and three resolutions. The measured data shows that this system is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and remains playable at 4K, though the gap between presets and resolutions reveals a clear performance hierarchy.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of how each preset scales. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 111 FPS average, which is fully playable on high-refresh displays. However, the Medium preset reaches 144 FPS average, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, representing a 30% improvement over Ultra. The Low preset pushes further to 203 FPS, but Medium offers a better balance between visual fidelity and frame rate. For 1080p, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides a substantial margin above 120 FPS while retaining more graphical detail than Low.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 97 FPS, while Medium averages 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 84 FPS. Given that the difference between High and Medium is only 12 FPS, but the minimum frame rate for Medium is 93 FPS, Medium again offers the most consistent experience. The 1440p Medium preset keeps the average above 100 FPS, which suits most gaming monitors, while High and Ultra sacrifice too much performance for diminishing visual returns.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The High preset averages 65 FPS, Medium averages 73 FPS, and Ultra drops to 57 FPS. Low reaches 103 FPS, but that preset strips away most graphical effects. For a 4K display, Medium is the best default choice, as it maintains an average of 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS. This keeps gameplay smooth without requiring a move to Low. High is also viable if visual quality takes priority, but the 8 FPS difference between High and Medium makes Medium the more sensible option. Across all resolutions, Medium delivers the best experience per the measured data, offering the highest average frame rate that still includes a full set of graphical features.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this system in Control is 563 out of 2888 tested combinations. This places it in the top 19.5% of all tested combos, indicating strong overall performance. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU, and in a game like Control, which is demanding on both components, this position is respectable but not top-tier.

The CPU’s nearest rivals provide context for the processor’s contribution. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which is 0.1% above the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX at 76155. It trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P by 0.4% (76492) and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by 0.4% (76513). The closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which scores 75779, placing the 8945HX 0.6% ahead. These deltaPct values show that the CPU is essentially tied with its nearest competitors, meaning the combo rank is not being held back by a weak processor.

The GPU’s nearest rivals are older or less capable parts. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, which is 0.3% above the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79605) and 0.6% above the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79396). It leads the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT by 1.1% (78940) but trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4% (80959). The RTX 5090’s percentile of 92 versus all GPUs indicates it is a top-tier part, but the combo rank of 563 suggests that Control’s specific workload does not fully exploit the GPU’s capabilities, likely because the game is from 2019 and does not scale perfectly with modern hardware.

The rank of 563 out of 2888 means that 2325 other combos perform worse, but 562 perform better. This is a strong result for a mobile CPU paired with a flagship desktop GPU, and the data indicates that the system is well-balanced for this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this combo, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and its memory runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective. These specifications are critical for Control, which is a visually intensive game with heavy use of physics and particle effects.

The GPU’s 32 GB VRAM is far more than Control requires, even at 4K Ultra settings. The game’s 2019 release date means it was designed for GPUs with a fraction of this memory capacity. As a result, the VRAM is not a limiting factor in any measured scenario. The bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s, however, does play a role in the higher resolutions, where the GPU must move more data per frame.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance scaling. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 46 FPS (103 vs 57), which is a 45% drop. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 5090’s compute units are fully utilized. The GPU’s 21760 shading units and 680 tensor cores provide substantial raw compute power, reflected in its 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance. In Control, this translates to high frame rates even at 4K, with the Medium preset hitting 73 FPS.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its strength. Its PassMark G3D score is 39650, and its Geekbench OpenCL score is 334370, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 5090’s performance in Control is not held back by memory capacity or bandwidth; instead, the game’s engine limits how much the GPU can be pushed. The data shows that the GPU is never the bottleneck at 1080p, where even Ultra settings produce 111 FPS, but at 4K, the GPU’s raw power is what maintains playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS. High averages 65 FPS, and Ultra drops to 57 FPS. Medium provides the best balance, keeping the average above 70 FPS while retaining more detail than Low.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 563 out of 2888 tested combinations, placing it in the top 19.5%. The CPU is within 0.6% of its nearest rivals, and the GPU is within 1.4% of its nearest rivals, indicating a balanced system.

Q: Is the RTX 5090’s 32 GB VRAM necessary for Control?

A: The 32 GB VRAM is far more than Control requires, as the game was released in 2019. The measured data shows no VRAM-related performance drops, even at 4K Ultra. The GPU’s bandwidth and compute power are the relevant factors.

Q: Why does the Low preset at 1080p reach 203 FPS?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 averages 203 FPS, which reflects the GPU’s massive headroom when graphical effects are minimized. This is the highest measured frame rate across all settings and resolutions.

Q: What is the CPU’s performance relative to its closest competitor?

A: The AMD 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 and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by 0.4%.

Q: Does the game prefer the CPU or GPU at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 109 FPS, while Ultra averages 84 FPS. The 25 FPS gap between presets indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p, the Medium preset averages 144 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 109 FPS, a 24% reduction. Moving further to 4K drops the Medium preset to 73 FPS, a 49% reduction from 1080p and a 33% reduction from 1440p.

The Low preset shows a similar trend: 203 FPS at 1080p, 153 FPS at 1440p (25% lower), and 103 FPS at 4K (49% lower than 1080p). The High preset scores 128 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p (24% lower), and 65 FPS at 4K (49% lower). Ultra follows the same pattern: 111 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p (24% lower), and 57 FPS at 4K (49% lower).

The consistent 24% drop from 1080p to 1440p and the 49% drop from 1080p to 4K across all presets indicate that the GPU is the limiting component. Resolution scaling affects the pixel count, which directly impacts the GPU’s workload. The CPU’s performance does not change with resolution, so if the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain flat across resolutions. Instead, the measured data shows a proportional decrease tied to pixel count, confirming that the RTX 5090 is fully utilized.

The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical across all settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) suggests that Control’s rendering path is consistent, and the GPU’s fill rate and shading power are the primary constraints. At 1080p, the GPU has excess capacity, as shown by the 203 FPS Low result. At 4K, the GPU is stretched, with Ultra dropping to 57 FPS. The data indicates that for players targeting 4K, the Medium preset is the optimal choice, as it maintains a playable frame rate while the resolution scaling shows diminishing returns beyond that point.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with 64 MB of L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores are strong: its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 42713, and its single-core score is 6030. Its PassMark multi-thread score is 51405, and its single-thread score is 3907.

In Control, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The game is not heavily multithreaded, but the 8945HX’s high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is critical for game logic. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p, where the GPU has the most headroom, the Low preset reaches 203 FPS, indicating the CPU can handle frame rates well above what the GPU can render at higher settings.

The CPU’s 32 threads are more than Control can utilize, but the high clock speeds and 64 MB of L3 cache help maintain consistent frame pacing. The CPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, which is reflected in its nearest rival comparisons. The 8945HX scores 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, showing that it is competitive with the best desktop and mobile processors.

The data shows that the CPU’s performance is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5090 in all tested scenarios. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU could theoretically render more frames, the 203 FPS average suggests the CPU is not limiting the system. At 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes further, as the GPU’s rendering time dominates. The 8945HX’s 55 W TDP is a notable specification for a mobile chip, but its performance in Control is not constrained by power limits, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates across resolutions. In this game, the CPU provides ample headroom, and the combo’s rank in the top 19.5% reflects the balance between the 16-core processor and the flagship GPU.