Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX pairing delivers exceptional performance in Control, placing this combination in the top tier of tested systems. The data shows a configuration that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the 12-core processor ensures that frame rates remain consistently high even at 1080p. The measured results indicate that the RX 7900 XTX's substantial memory bandwidth and the 9900X3D's strong single-thread performance combine to provide a smooth experience across all presets, with the most significant trade-offs appearing between visual fidelity and frame rate at 4K.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Control?*

A: The highest average frame rate is 225 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the combination is capable of far exceeding the refresh rates of most high-end displays when visual load is minimized.

Q: How does the combo rank among other tested configurations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 362nd out of 2,888 tested combinations. This places it in the top 12.5% of all recorded configurations, demonstrating that it outperforms the vast majority of systems tested with Control.

Q: What is the performance difference between the CPU and its closest rival?

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 score of 55093. Conversely, it is 1.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K's score of 54053.

Q: What is the performance difference between the GPU and its closest rival?

A: The Radeon RX 7900 XTX has an average benchmark score of 19410, which is 0.4% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB's score of 19334. It trails the AMD FirePro D300 by 1.2%, which has a score of 19637.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 103, with an average of 121 FPS and a maximum of 139 FPS. This indicates that even the lowest frame rates in this configuration remain comfortably above 100 FPS.

*Q: Does the CPU's integrated graphics affect the gaming performance in Control?*

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D includes Radeon Graphics as an integrated GPU; however, the system uses the discrete Radeon RX 7900 XTX for rendering. The benchmark data reflects the performance of the discrete GPU, and the integrated graphics are not a factor in the measured FPS results.

Settings Recommendations

The data from the measured FPS rows provides a clear hierarchy for settings selection based on the target resolution. For users prioritizing smoothness at 4K, the High preset is the optimal choice. The data shows a 72 FPS average at 3840x2160 with High settings, which is a comfortable margin above the 63 FPS average seen at Ultra. This 9 FPS difference represents a 14.3% increase in performance for a likely modest visual downgrade, making High the sweet spot for 4K gaming.

At 2560x1440, the High preset continues to be the recommended starting point, delivering a 107 FPS average. This resolution provides enough headroom to consider the Ultra preset, which still achieves a 93 FPS average. The jump from High to Ultra at this resolution costs 14 FPS, a 13.1% reduction, but both remain playable. For users with 144Hz displays, the Medium preset at 1440p offers a 121 FPS average which aligns well with that refresh rate.

At 1920x1080, the processor and GPU combination has ample power to run the Ultra preset at a 123 FPS average. This is the highest quality setting that still yields a triple-digit frame rate. The data suggests that at 1080p, the Ultra preset provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, as the average FPS remains well above 60. The High preset at 1080p yields 142 FPS, but the Ultra preset's 123 FPS average is still sufficiently high for competitive play, making it the best overall experience for most users at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, indicating that the Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the primary performance limiter. At 1080p with High settings, the average FPS is 142. Moving to 1440p, the average drops to 107 FPS, a 24.6% reduction. At 4K, the average falls to 72 FPS, a 49.3% reduction from the 1080p result. This steep decline in frame rate as resolution increases is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 225 at 1080p to 170 at 1440p and 115 at 4K. This represents a 24.4% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 48.9% drop from 1080p to 4K. The similarity in these percentages across different presets reinforces that the resolution scaling is dominated by the GPU's rendering capabilities rather than CPU limitations.

This behavior indicates that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution. If the CPU were limiting performance, we would expect to see a smaller FPS drop when moving from lower to higher resolutions, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant while the GPU workload increases. Instead, the consistent proportional drops suggest the RX 7900 XTX is fully utilized at all resolutions, with its performance scaling inversely to the number of pixels rendered.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX ranks 362nd out of 2,888 tested combos in Control. This ranking places the configuration in the top 12.5% of all systems tested, indicating that it delivers better performance than 87.5% of the combinations in the database. The high percentile ranking is expected given the powerful components involved, but it also reflects the game's ability to utilize the hardware effectively.

The rank of 362 out of 2,888 is particularly notable because it places this combo ahead of many other high-end pairings. The data suggests that the combination of a 12-core CPU with 128 MB of L3 cache and a GPU with 24 GB of VRAM provides a balanced platform that avoids common bottlenecks. The CPU's percentile ranking of 91 among all CPUs indicates it is in the top 9% of processors, while the GPU's percentile ranking of 64 among all GPUs places it in the top 36% of graphics cards.

The combo's ranking is not solely attributable to the individual component performance. The synergy between the 9900X3D's Zen 5 architecture and the RX 7900 XTX's RDNA 3.0 architecture appears to be well-suited for Control's engine. The high rank suggests that the system is delivering performance that is greater than what might be expected from the sum of its parts, as the CPU and GPU work together efficiently to maintain high frame rates across all tested settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX plays a critical role in determining the frame rates in Control, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The GPU features 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This substantial bandwidth is likely a key factor in maintaining high FPS at 4K resolution, where large textures and high memory usage can otherwise cause stuttering. The data shows a 72 FPS average at 4K High, which suggests the memory subsystem is adequately feeding the GPU's 6144 shading units.

The GPU's clock speeds also contribute to its performance. The boost clock is listed at 2498 MHz, with a game clock of 2365 MHz. These high frequencies allow the 61.39 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power to be effectively utilized. In Control, a game known for its physics-based destruction and particle effects, this raw compute capability is essential for maintaining frame rates during intense action sequences. The RX 7900 XTX's 96 RT cores also support hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which the game can leverage for its reflective surfaces.

The GPU's VRAM capacity of 24 GB is more than sufficient for Control at any resolution tested. Even at 4K Ultra, the game does not appear to exceed this memory capacity, as the minimum frame rates remain stable. The closest rival in the benchmark data, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB, has a significantly lower average score, highlighting the RX 7900 XTX's superior memory bandwidth and compute resources. The performance difference between these two GPUs is vast, despite the small 0.4% delta in average benchmark scores, which is an artifact of the specific benchmark suite.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 225 FPS at Low settings to 123 FPS at Ultra settings. The Medium preset achieves a 160 FPS average with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS, while the High preset delivers 142 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at the most demanding settings, the combination maintains an average frame rate well above 120 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain impressively high. The Low preset achieves a 170 FPS average, while the High preset drops to 107 FPS. The Medium preset records a 121 FPS average, with a minimum of 103 FPS and a maximum of 139 FPS, showing consistent performance without major frame time spikes. The Ultra preset delivers a 93 FPS average, which is still suitable for 60Hz displays and provides a high level of visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset achieves a 115 FPS average, which is remarkably high for 4K resolution. The Medium preset records an 82 FPS average with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 94 FPS, indicating that the frame rate remains stable above 60 FPS. The High preset delivers a 72 FPS average, and the Ultra preset drops to a 63 FPS average. These 4K results show that the combination is capable of providing a playable experience at the highest resolution, with the High preset offering the best balance of performance and visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D serves as a robust foundation for this gaming configuration, and its specifications suggest it is well-suited to avoid becoming a bottleneck in Control. With 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, the CPU offers substantial multi-threaded capability. The benchmark data supports this, showing a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 22884. The processor's 128 MB of L3 cache is a notable feature, which likely aids in keeping frequently accessed game data close to the cores.

The CPU's clock speeds are equally important for gaming performance. The base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz represent high frequencies that are beneficial for single-threaded workloads. The single-thread benchmark scores corroborate this, with a Geekbench single-core score of 3041 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6739. In Control, which utilizes a limited number of threads for its main game logic, this strong single-thread performance ensures that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p Low settings, the average frame rate of 225 FPS is likely near the maximum achievable by the GPU, suggesting the CPU is capable of feeding it with enough data. The 12-core design with 24 threads also provides overhead for background tasks and ensures that the game's physics and AI systems, which can be multi-threaded, do not cause frame rate drops. The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals, such as being 2.1% faster than the Intel Core i7-14700F, indicates that it is a top-tier processor for gaming workloads.