Control

Control, the 2019 Action Adventure title, presents a demanding scenario for this particular hardware pairing. The data shows a configuration anchored by a high-end 12-core processor and a decidedly entry-level graphics card, making the measured frame rates a study in extreme bottlenecking. The results across the three tested resolutions reveal a system where the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor, struggling to maintain playable frame rates at higher graphical presets.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, confirming that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the primary constraint. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo averages 58.3 FPS, but this falls to 44.3 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 30.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 32% drop when scaling up to 4K. This pattern is consistent across all settings, indicating a classic GPU-bound scenario where the rendering resolution directly dictates the frame rate.

The scaling behavior suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution. The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing, with the average frame rate at High settings dropping from 25.4 FPS to just 18 FPS. This steep decline points to the GTX 1650's limited raw throughput being saturated by the pixel count. The data implies that the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X has ample headroom, as the frame rate is entirely dependent on the GPU's workload. At 1080p, the frame rates are more varied but still low, with the Ultra preset yielding only 31.9 FPS, which is barely above the 4K Low result.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking for this combination in Control is remarkably low. It sits at rank 1567 out of 1636 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 4.2% of all configurations. This poor standing is a direct consequence of the pairing's extreme imbalance. The data shows that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU's capabilities drag the entire system down to a level that is competitive only with much older or weaker hardware configurations.

This rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capability but rather proof of the GPU's dominance as a limiting factor. The benchmark results indicate that any modern processor, even a mid-range one, would likely achieve similar frame rates with this GPU, as the workload is almost entirely GPU-bound. The combo's position in the database underscores the critical importance of balanced component selection for gaming; a high-end CPU cannot compensate for a GPU that is fundamentally underpowered for the task at hand.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a powerhouse, featuring 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture. Its specifications, including a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, place it in the top percentile of all CPUs, with a percentile rank of 94. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 46438 and a single-core score of 6555, indicating exceptional processing power for both multi-threaded and single-threaded tasks.

However, in Control, this processing power is largely untapped. The measured frame rates show that the CPU is not the bottleneck; even at the lowest resolution and settings, the system fails to achieve high frame rates. This suggests that the game's engine is not heavily reliant on CPU performance in this configuration, or that the GPU is so slow that the CPU is constantly waiting for it to finish rendering frames. The CPU's role here is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, but the GTX 1650 cannot keep up, rendering the CPU's immense power irrelevant to the final frame rate output.

FAQ

Q: Is this combination capable of running Control at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 4K, even on Low settings, the average FPS is only 30.1. On higher presets like High and Ultra, it drops to 18 FPS and 17.4 FPS respectively, indicating a generally unplayable experience at this resolution.

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

A: The most viable resolution is 1920x1080. The data shows the highest frame rates are achieved here, with a peak of 58.3 FPS on Low settings. Even at this resolution, higher presets yield lower performance, but it is the only tested resolution where the system approaches a playable frame rate.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rivals in this game's context?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 8713, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has a deltaPct of -0.4 and the AMD Radeon 550X has a deltaPct of -0.4, meaning they are within 0.4% of the GTX 1650's score. The performance in-game is expected to be similarly close.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the main bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The benchmark data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rates scale significantly with resolution, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU, with its high benchmark scores, has far more capability than the GPU can utilize.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 44.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset only manages 20.8 FPS. This is a substantial drop, representing a 53% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Does the game's release date have any bearing on these results?

A: Control was released on 2019-08-26. While the game is from that era, the GTX 1650, released in 2019, is still its contemporary. The low frame rates indicate that the GPU is simply not powerful enough for this title at high settings, regardless of the game's age.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is an entry-level graphics card based on the Turing architecture. It features 896 shading units and a 4 GB GDDR5 memory interface with a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s. Its core clocks are set at 1485 MHz base and 1665 MHz boost, and its overall performance is reflected in a low percentile rank of 43 against all GPUs. The benchmark results for this GPU show a Passmark G3D score of 7880, highlighting its modest performance tier.

In this game, the GPU's limitations are exposed. The 4 GB of VRAM is likely insufficient for high-resolution textures, and the raw compute power is too low to handle Control's visual effects. The data shows that the GPU's performance is the single most important factor in determining the frame rate. The measured FPS at 1080p Ultra (31.9 FPS) versus 1080p Low (58.3 FPS) illustrates the GPU's significant struggle with the game's more demanding rendering features. The GPU's memory bandwidth and fillrate are simply not adequate for the game's requirements at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this configuration is to prioritize a playable frame rate over visual fidelity. The only settings that yield an average FPS above 60 are at 1920x1080 with Low settings, hitting 58.3 FPS. While this is below 60, it is the only combination that approaches smooth gameplay. For a more stable experience, users may need to accept a lower frame rate or reduce the resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers a more balanced experience at 41.9 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players. However, the High and Ultra presets at this resolution, with 35.1 FPS and 31.9 FPS respectively, are likely too inconsistent for a smooth action-adventure game. For resolutions above 1080p, the data shows no settings provide a good experience. The 1440p Low preset is the only option that breaks the 40 FPS threshold, but it still falls short of ideal smoothness. The recommendation is to use the Low preset at 1080p for the highest frame rate, or the Medium preset if visual quality is a higher priority than maximum FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data presents the average FPS for each tested configuration.

Resolution: 3840x2160

• Low: 30.1 FPS
• Medium: 19.7 FPS
• High: 18 FPS
• Ultra: 17.4 FPS

Resolution: 2560x1440

• Low: 44.3 FPS
• Medium: 31.7 FPS
• High: 25.4 FPS
• Ultra: 20.8 FPS

Resolution: 1920x1080

• Low: 58.3 FPS
• Medium: 41.9 FPS
• High: 35.1 FPS
• Ultra: 31.9 FPS

The data confirms a consistent pattern: frame rates decrease as resolution and graphical settings increase. The most significant performance gap is between the Low and Medium presets at every resolution, indicating a large jump in GPU workload. The 1080p Low result stands as the only measured configuration that comes close to a playable standard, while all other settings at higher resolutions result in sub-30 FPS averages, which are generally considered unplayable for a fast-paced action game.