Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination delivers a playable, though not flawless, 4K experience in Control, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the graphics card as the primary constraint. The data indicates that the CPU’s substantial headroom is largely irrelevant at higher resolutions, while the GPU’s 16 GB VRAM and clock speeds define the frame rate ceiling. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings to determine the optimal configuration for this specific pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 124 FPS. Stepping up to 1440p Low drops the average to 94 FPS, a 24% reduction, and moving to 4K Low further reduces the average to 63 FPS, a 33% drop from the 1440p result. This progressive decline is a clear indicator that the rendering workload is overwhelming the GPU’s capabilities, not the processor's.

The pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the High preset. The system produces 78 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 59 FPS at 1440p (a 24% decrease) and then to 40 FPS at 4K (a 32% decrease from 1440p). The consistent ~30% performance hit when moving from 1440p to 4K across all settings suggests that the RX 7600 XT is hitting a hard computational limit. The pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but the frame rate does not quarter, indicating that other bottlenecks, such as memory bandwidth or fill rate, are mitigating the expected scaling.

The most telling evidence comes from the Ultra preset. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is just 35, while 1440p Ultra yields 51 FPS and 1080p Ultra yields 68 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 1440p Ultra is a 25% reduction, but the jump to 4K Ultra is a 31% reduction from 1440p. This non-linear scaling reinforces that the GPU is the limiting component; a CPU-bound scenario would show minimal FPS differences when resolution changes, as the processor’s workload stays constant. Here, the data shows that every resolution increase sharply penalizes performance, a hallmark of a system where the graphics card is saturated.

The 1080p to 1440p transition is relatively gentler than the 1440p to 4K transition for most presets. For example, Medium settings produce 88 FPS at 1080p and 67 FPS at 1440p, a 24% drop, but then only 45 FPS at 4K, a 33% drop from 1440p. This suggests that the GPU’s memory subsystem and shader throughput are being taxed more severely as the resolution approaches 4K. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D, with its 12 cores and high boost clock, has ample processing power to feed the GPU, but the data shows this headroom is irrelevant at higher resolutions where the RX 7600 XT’s 22.57 TFLOPS of FP32 performance becomes the deciding factor.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the clear performance bottleneck in this pairing. Its benchmark scores position it in the 60th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 17083 places it in direct competition with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which scores 17208, a 0.7% difference. This proximity to a previous-generation enthusiast card explains why the system struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, where the RTX 3070 class of hardware typically requires upscaling to achieve playable performance.

The GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a substantial amount of VRAM for Control, which is a 2019 title, but the narrow bus width limits how efficiently that memory can be fed. The data shows that at 4K Medium, the average FPS is 45 with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52. This tight range suggests that the GPU is not stalling due to memory capacity, but rather hitting a consistent compute limit. If VRAM were insufficient, the frame times would be erratic with severe stutters, which is not reflected in the measured minimum FPS.

Clock speeds are also a factor. The GPU has a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2755 MHz, with a game clock of 2470 MHz. These are high frequencies for the RDNA 3.0 architecture, and they contribute to the 22.57 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. However, the 190 W TDP and the 204 mm² die size with 13,300 million transistors suggest that the card is designed for efficiency rather than raw top-end performance. The benchmark results confirm this, as the GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 17132 is only 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690’s 17037, indicating that while it is competent, it is not positioned for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming.

The practical impact is visible in the settings scaling. At 1080p, the system can push past 120 FPS on Low settings, showing that the GPU has enough headroom for esports-style frame rates when the workload is light. But at 4K, even Low settings only yield 63 FPS, which is playable but far from smooth on high-refresh-rate monitors. The GPU’s 60th percentile ranking among all GPUs and its position relative to the RTX 3070, which is 0.7% faster, indicate that it is a mid-range part that will require settings compromises at 4K in demanding titles like Control.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is massively overqualified for this game, and the benchmark data shows that it is never the limiting factor. With 12 cores and 24 threads, a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, and a 128 MB L3 cache, the processor has far more capability than Control can utilize. Its benchmark scores confirm this, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 and single-core score of 6739 demonstrate exceptional processing power.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores are all high-end parts. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF scores 55093, which is 0.6% lower than the Ryzen’s average benchmark score of 54762. The Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53620, which is 2.1% lower. These are all desktop processors with high core counts and fast single-thread performance, and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D holds its own against them. This level of performance is simply not needed for a game that was released in 2019, and the FPS data reflects this.

The proof of CPU headroom lies in the resolution scaling. If the CPU were a bottleneck, the frame rates at 1080p would be similar to those at 4K, as the processor’s workload does not change with resolution. Instead, the data shows a massive difference: 124 FPS at 1080p Low versus 63 FPS at 4K Low. This 49% reduction is entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU is capable of rendering frames much faster than the GPU can output them, even at the lowest settings where the CPU workload is relatively higher.

The 3DMark benchmark scores further illustrate the CPU’s strength. The single-thread score of 1269 and the 16-thread score of 12490 are indicative of a processor that can handle both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads with ease. In Control, which is not known for being exceptionally CPU-intensive, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s 5.50 GHz boost clock ensures that even the most demanding physics calculations or AI routines are handled with minimal latency. The data unequivocally shows that the CPU is not a factor in this system’s performance; the GPU is the sole determinant of frame rate.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Control at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: The measured data shows an average of 35 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is technically playable but will feel sluggish and stutter-prone, especially in action sequences. The minimum FPS for this setting was not recorded, but the average suggests that dropping to High or Medium settings is necessary for a smoother experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate gaming with this CPU/GPU combo?

A: At 1080p, the system achieves 124 FPS on Low settings and 78 FPS on High settings. This makes 1080p the optimal resolution for players seeking frame rates above 60 FPS. At 1440p, only the Low preset (94 FPS) and High preset (59 FPS) approach or exceed the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RX 7600 XT compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 17083. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which scores 17208. This represents a 0.7% performance deficit for the RX 7600 XT. The data suggests these two GPUs are nearly identical in raw compute performance.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D a bottleneck in this game?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 54762 is higher than its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, which is 0.6% slower. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates drop significantly with resolution increases.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this system?

A: The only settings with recorded minimum FPS values are Medium presets. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 75 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 57 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 38 FPS. Other presets did not have minimum FPS data recorded.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its multicore performance?

A: The CPU scores 1269 in 3DMark single-thread and 13795 in 3DMark max threads. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6739 single-core and 47737 multicore. This indicates strong performance in both areas, but the game is more likely to benefit from the single-thread performance, which is ample for Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the average FPS measured for each resolution and settings preset combination.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 124 FPS average
• Medium: 88 FPS average, with a minimum of 75 and maximum of 101
• High: 78 FPS average
• Ultra: 68 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 94 FPS average
• Medium: 67 FPS average, with a minimum of 57 and maximum of 76
• High: 59 FPS average
• Ultra: 51 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 63 FPS average
• Medium: 45 FPS average, with a minimum of 38 and maximum of 52
• High: 40 FPS average
• Ultra: 35 FPS average

The data reveals a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, all presets are playable, with even Ultra settings staying above 60 FPS. The jump to 1440p pushes Ultra below 60 FPS, and High sits right at the edge. At 4K, only the Low preset manages to stay above 60 FPS, while Medium and High dip into the 40s, and Ultra falls to 35 FPS. The Medium preset data, which includes minimum and maximum FPS, shows that the variance is relatively low at each resolution, indicating stable performance rather than erratic frame pacing. For instance, at 1080p Medium, the range is 75 to 101 FPS, a 26 FPS spread, which is reasonable. At 4K Medium, the range narrows to 38 to 52 FPS, showing that the GPU is consistently hitting its limit.

Settings Recommendations

For players using this specific CPU and GPU combination, the optimal balance of visual quality and performance depends entirely on the target resolution. The data provides a clear guide for each scenario.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, delivering an average of 68 FPS. This provides a high level of detail while maintaining a frame rate that is smooth on a standard 60 Hz monitor and acceptable on a 144 Hz display. The High preset (78 FPS) offers a slight performance boost with minimal visual compromise, but Ultra is viable without any major sacrifices. There is no reason to drop below High at this resolution, as even Ultra remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice, averaging 59 FPS. This is just below the 60 FPS target but provides a significant visual uplift over Medium. The Medium preset averages 67 FPS, which is smoother, but the drop from High to Medium is noticeable in terms of texture quality and shadow detail. For players who prioritize frame rate consistency, Medium is a safe fallback, but High is the sweet spot for visual fidelity. The Ultra preset (51 FPS) should be avoided unless the player is willing to tolerate a less responsive experience.

At 4K, the Low preset is the only option that provides a consistently playable experience, averaging 63 FPS. The Medium preset (45 FPS) is a significant downgrade in smoothness, and the High (40 FPS) and Ultra (35 FPS) presets are not recommended for action-oriented gameplay. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this GPU requires substantial settings reductions. The 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor, as even at 4K Ultra, the system does not appear to be stalling due to memory capacity; rather, it is the raw compute power of the RX 7600 XT that holds it back. For a balanced 4K experience, players might consider using Low settings and potentially leveraging upscaling technologies, though that is outside the scope of the measured data.

Overall, the system delivers its best experience at 1080p with Ultra settings, providing high visual fidelity and smooth performance. At 1440p, High settings offer a good compromise. At 4K, the hardware is stretched to its limits, and only the lowest settings yield acceptable frame rates. The combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s immense processing power and the RX 7600 XT’s mid-range GPU performance creates a system where the CPU is never the problem, and the GPU’s limitations define the gaming experience.