Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Control, but the data shows that 4K Ultra remains out of reach for smooth gameplay. This combination places the system in the 55th percentile of all tested combos for this title, with the CPU sitting in the 91st percentile overall and the GPU in the 58th percentile, indicating a processor-heavy pairing that still manages to produce playable frame rates across most settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern: Control becomes progressively more demanding as resolution increases, with the gap between 1080p and 4K widening significantly at higher settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 148 FPS at 1920x1080 to 112 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 76 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low, showing that even at the least demanding preset, the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Moving to Medium settings, the scaling becomes steeper. The average FPS falls from 105 at 1080p to 80 at 1440p, then to 54 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is 49%, nearly identical to Low, but the absolute numbers tell a different story — the 4K Medium result of 54 FPS is barely above the threshold for acceptable playability, whereas the 1080p Medium result of 105 FPS offers a comfortable margin. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 46, which means frame pacing could suffer during intense scenes, while the 1080p Medium minimum of 89 FPS stays well within smooth territory.

High settings produce the most interesting scaling pattern. At 1080p, the average is 93 FPS, dropping to 71 FPS at 1440p, and then to 48 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K drop of 32% is smaller than the 1080p to 1440p drop of 24%, suggesting that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are being taxed more evenly as resolution climbs. The 4K High result of 48 FPS is below the 60 FPS target that most players prefer, but it remains technically playable for those who prioritize visual fidelity over smoothness.

Ultra settings show the most severe scaling. The average FPS goes from 81 at 1080p to 61 at 1440p, then plummets to 41 at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop of 25% is moderate, but the 1440p to 4K drop of 33% is the largest relative decline across any setting tier. At 4K Ultra, the system produces just 41 FPS, which is below the 48 FPS seen at 4K High, confirming that the RX 7700’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth are not sufficient to maintain fluid frame rates at the highest preset and resolution combination.

The scaling data indicates that the RX 7700 is the limiting component at 4K across all settings, while the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s 12 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the FPS differences between settings are relatively modest — 148 Low versus 81 Ultra — suggesting that the CPU is not bottlenecking the GPU even at the highest frame rates. This is consistent with the processor’s 3DMark single-thread score of 1269 and multi-thread score of 13795, which place it well ahead of typical gaming workloads.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p displays, the data shows that High settings at 93 FPS provide an excellent balance between visual quality and performance. The jump from Medium to High costs only 12 FPS (105 to 93), while the jump from High to Ultra costs another 12 FPS (93 to 81). Players with 144Hz monitors might prefer Medium at 105 FPS for a smoother experience, but High remains the sweet spot for most users.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. High settings produce 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold but leaves little room for frame drops during combat sequences. Medium settings at 80 FPS offer a safer margin, with a minimum of 68 FPS that keeps the experience consistently smooth. The 12 FPS difference between Medium and High is noticeable, but the extra visual fidelity may be worth it for players who prioritize image quality. Ultra at 61 FPS is technically playable, but the lack of headroom makes it a risky choice for action-heavy sections of the game.

For 4K, the data strongly suggests sticking with Low or Medium settings. Low at 76 FPS is the only preset that delivers a comfortable frame rate at this resolution, while Medium at 54 FPS is borderline acceptable for casual play but may feel sluggish during intense moments. High at 48 FPS and Ultra at 41 FPS are both below the 60 FPS target, and the minimum FPS data for Medium (46) hints at potential stuttering. Players with 4K displays should prioritize Low or Medium settings to maintain playability.

The measured data also reveals that the RX 7700’s 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in Control, as even the highest settings at 4K would fit within this capacity. The bottleneck is purely computational, as evidenced by the consistent FPS drops when moving from Medium to High to Ultra at each resolution. For the best experience per the measured rows, 1080p High and 1440p Medium offer the strongest combinations of visual quality and frame rate stability.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 93 FPS. This is a solid result for a 60Hz or even 144Hz monitor, providing smooth gameplay with no minimum FPS recorded below the average.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: At 4K, the system averages 76 FPS on Low, 54 FPS on Medium, 48 FPS on High, and 41 FPS on Ultra. Only Low settings provide a consistently smooth experience, while Medium is borderline acceptable. Higher settings will result in frame rates below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X3D compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762, which is 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF’s 55093, 1.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K’s 54053, and 2% higher than the Intel Xeon 6505P’s 53701.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile compared to all tested GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 sits in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 15852 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 9060, which scores 16014, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129.

*Q: What is the combo’s rank in Control compared to other tested combinations?*

A: This specific combo ranks 1294 out of 2888 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the 55th percentile. This indicates a mid-range performance tier for this particular game.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data shows no CPU bottleneck at 1080p, where the average FPS reaches 148 at Low settings. The GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K, where even Low settings produce only 76 FPS, indicating the RX 7700’s compute capabilities are the primary constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7700 achieves a rank of 1294 out of 2888 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the 55th percentile. This is a mid-pack result, which makes sense given the GPU’s 58th percentile standing among all GPUs and the CPU’s 91st percentile among all CPUs. The pairing is CPU-heavy, meaning the processor has far more headroom than the graphics card can utilize, but this does not translate into poor gaming performance.

Looking at the nearest GPU rivals, the RX 7700’s average benchmark score of 15852 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon R9 370X’s 15862, just 1% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 9060’s 16014, and 1.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti’s 16129. These small deltas suggest that the RX 7700 performs in the same tier as these cards, yet the measured FPS in Control shows it holding its own at lower resolutions while struggling at 4K.

The rank of 1294 indicates that a significant number of combos outperform this setup, particularly those with higher-end GPUs. However, the combo’s strength lies in its consistency across settings. At 1080p, the system never drops below 81 FPS even at Ultra, and at 1440p, it stays above 61 FPS. This makes it a reliable choice for gamers who prioritize high refresh rates over maximum resolution.

The CPU’s high percentile and strong benchmark scores — such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3041 — do not directly translate to better gaming performance in Control, which is more GPU-bound at higher resolutions. This is reflected in the combo’s mid-pack rank, as the GPU’s limitations cap the overall experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, built on TSMC’s 4 nm process. It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 120 W TDP. The processor features 128 MB of L3 cache, which is substantial for gaming workloads, and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth.

In Control, the CPU’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The game is an Action Adventure title that does not heavily tax multi-threaded performance, so the 9900X3D’s 24 threads are more than sufficient. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 12490 and max-thread score of 13795 indicate strong multi-threading, but the game’s requirements are likely met by far fewer cores.

The single-thread performance is more relevant for gaming. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1269, Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6739, and Geekbench single-core score of 3041 all point to a processor that excels in lightly-threaded workloads. This is reflected in the measured FPS at 1080p, where the system achieves 148 FPS at Low settings without any indication of a CPU bottleneck.

The 128 MB L3 cache is a notable feature, as it can reduce memory latency for games that benefit from large caches. However, the measured data does not show any unusual performance spikes in Control that would indicate a cache-related advantage. The game’s performance scales more directly with GPU settings, as seen in the consistent FPS drops when moving from Low to Ultra at each resolution.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55093, -0.6% delta), Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54053, +1.3% delta), Intel Xeon 6505P (53701, +2% delta), and Intel Core i7-14700F (53620, +2.1% delta). These small deltas suggest that the 9900X3D performs similarly to these CPUs in general benchmarks, but its gaming-specific advantages, such as the large L3 cache, may not be fully captured in those scores.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings, providing a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 148 FPS on Low, 105 FPS on Medium, 93 FPS on High, and 81 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting has a recorded minimum of 89 FPS and maximum of 121 FPS, showing a tight frame pacing with only a 32 FPS spread. The other settings lack min/max data, but the averages indicate a smooth experience across the board.

At 2560x1440, the FPS drops to 112 on Low, 80 on Medium, 71 on High, and 61 on Ultra. The Medium setting again provides min/max data: 68 FPS minimum and 92 FPS maximum, a 24 FPS spread that is slightly tighter than at 1080p. This suggests that the GPU is becoming more strained, but the frame pacing remains acceptable. The Ultra result of 61 FPS is right at the edge of the 60 FPS target, making it a viable option for players who want maximum quality at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The system averages 76 FPS on Low, 54 FPS on Medium, 48 FPS on High, and 41 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum of 46 FPS and maximum of 62 FPS, a 16 FPS spread that indicates more pronounced frame variability. The Low setting’s 76 FPS is the only result above 60 FPS at 4K, while the Ultra setting’s 41 FPS is well below the playable threshold for most users.

The data shows a clear pattern: the RX 7700’s performance degrades significantly at 4K, with the average FPS dropping by nearly half from 1080p Low to 4K Low (148 to 76). The GPU’s 16 GB memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth are not the limiting factors, as even Low settings at 4K require less than half of the available VRAM. Instead, the 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 96 ROPs are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at this resolution.

The High and Ultra settings at 4K produce 48 and 41 FPS respectively, which are below the 60 FPS target. This makes 4K gaming impractical for anything beyond Low or Medium settings. For players with 1440p monitors, the combo offers a much better experience, with High settings at 71 FPS providing a good balance. At 1080p, all settings are playable, with Ultra at 81 FPS still offering a smooth experience.

The measured FPS breakdown confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate or are willing to drop to Low settings. The CPU’s performance is never a bottleneck, as even the highest FPS at 1080p (148) does not strain the 9900X3D’s capabilities. The GPU is the definitive limiting factor, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.