Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti produces a striking bottleneck scenario in Control, where the GPU’s 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus become the definitive performance ceiling. At 1080p, the combo delivers playable frame rates, but the data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, culminating in an unplayable 4K experience. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, component roles, and settings recommendations based solely on the provided benchmark data.

FAQ

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

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 57 FPS. This is the middle-ground setting, falling between the 91 FPS average at Low and the 50 FPS average at Ultra.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Low preset compared to the 4K Ultra preset?

A: The 1080p Low preset averages 91 FPS, while the 3840x2160 Ultra preset averages 25 FPS. This represents a 66 FPS difference, meaning the 1080p Low result is 3.6 times higher than the 4K Ultra result.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the entire data set?

A: The only minimum FPS value provided is 28 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings. The corresponding maximum FPS for that same configuration is 38 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762. Its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, scores 55093, which is 0.6% higher. The Ryzen is 1.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti falls into the 41st percentile of all GPUs. This indicates that 59% of tested GPUs outperform it in synthetic benchmarks, positioning it as a lower-midrange part.

Q: Does the data include a 1440p Ultra result?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 38. This is the second-lowest 1440p result, only ahead of the 4K Ultra score of 25 FPS.

GPU Role

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is the primary performance limiter in this configuration. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, is the most critical constraint for Control. The game’s asset streaming and texture demands appear to exceed this capacity at higher resolutions, leading to severe frame rate drops.

The GPU’s clock behavior is modest: a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. The memory operates at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective speed. These figures are not high by modern standards, and the overall compute throughput of 5.437 TFLOPS FP32 is the underlying reason for the low FPS at 4K. The 1536 shading units and 48 ROPs are also limited, especially when filling a 3840x2160 framebuffer.

The benchmark data shows a clear pattern. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 25. Dropping to 4K High only raises it to 29 FPS. Even at 4K Low, the average is just 46 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is not just limited by VRAM but also by raw pixel throughput. The 84.96 GPixel/s pixel rate is insufficient for 4K in a game like Control, which has complex lighting and particle effects.

The GPU’s synthetic benchmarks reinforce its position. Its Passmark G3D score is 12871, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1061. In the nearestRivals list, it is 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon 540, 1.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100, and 2.3% ahead of the Intel Arc A310. These are all low-end cards, confirming that the GTX 1660 Ti is a budget-oriented part. Its percentile rank of 41 versus all GPUs means it is in the lower half of the performance distribution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160 dramatically reduces the average frame rate across all settings.

At Low settings, the FPS drops from 91 at 1080p to 69 at 1440p, a 22 FPS reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average falls to 46 FPS, another 23 FPS drop. The pattern is consistent for Medium settings: 64 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. High settings show 57 FPS at 1080p, 43 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most punishing, with 50 FPS at 1080p, 38 FPS at 1440p, and 25 FPS at 4K.

This scaling indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has 12 cores and 24 threads, with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, which is more than sufficient to feed the GTX 1660 Ti. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score is 47737, and its single-core score is 6739. These are top-tier numbers, far exceeding what Control requires.

The data suggests that the GTX 1660 Ti cannot handle the increased pixel count at 4K. The 6 GB VRAM is likely a hard cap, and the memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s becomes a bottleneck. The 4K results, ranging from 25 to 46 FPS, are all below the 60 FPS target, making the game feel sluggish. Even 1440p results, which range from 38 to 69 FPS, are inconsistent, with only the Low preset achieving a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s capabilities.

At 1920x1080, the results are the most playable. The Low preset delivers an average of 91 FPS, which is excellent. Medium settings average 64 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. High settings average 57 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 50 FPS. All 1080p configurations are above the 30 FPS threshold, and most are near or above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates decline noticeably. Low settings average 69 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS. High settings average 43 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 38 FPS. The 1440p results are playable but not ideal, with the Ultra preset hovering near the edge of comfort.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles significantly. Low settings average 46 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 40 FPS. Medium settings average 33 FPS, with a minimum of 28 FPS and a maximum of 38 FPS. High settings average 29 FPS. Ultra settings average 25 FPS. None of the 4K results achieve 60 FPS, and all are below the 30 FPS threshold except for the Low preset.

The data shows a linear relationship between settings and FPS at each resolution. For example, at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 41 FPS. At 1440p, the difference is 31 FPS. At 4K, the difference is 21 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is becoming more saturated at higher resolutions, reducing the impact of settings changes.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ranks 2471 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the bottom 14% of all configurations, indicating that it is a poor pairing for this game.

The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU’s limitations. The CPU is a top-tier part, ranking in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. However, the GPU is in the 41st percentile of all GPUs. The massive disparity between the two components creates a bottleneck where the CPU is severely underutilized.

The combo’s rank of 2471 means that 417 other combinations performed worse. This is a low bar, but the data shows that the GTX 1660 Ti is simply not suited for Control at high resolutions. The 4K results are consistently below 30 FPS, which is a common threshold for playability. The 1440p results are better, but still not competitive with what a more balanced GPU pairing would achieve.

In the context of the GPU’s nearest rivals, the GTX 1660 Ti is only slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon 540 (0.7%), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (1.9%), and the AMD Radeon R7 250 (2.2%). These are all entry-level cards, and the performance delta is minimal. This suggests that the GTX 1660 Ti is at the bottom of the performance spectrum for modern games.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset is the best balance. It averages 64 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target, and it has a minimum of 55 FPS, which prevents major stutters. The High preset at 57 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset provides a more consistent experience. The Low preset at 91 FPS is overkill for most players, and the Ultra preset at 50 FPS is slightly below the 60 FPS target.

For 1440p gaming, the Low preset is the only recommended option. It averages 69 FPS, which is smooth. The Medium preset at 49 FPS is playable but may feel inconsistent. The High and Ultra presets, at 43 and 38 FPS respectively, are below the 60 FPS target and should be avoided for a responsive experience.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the combo is not suitable. The Low preset at 46 FPS is the only result above 30 FPS, but it still falls short of the 60 FPS target. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets, at 33, 29, and 25 FPS respectively, are all below 30 FPS and will feel choppy. Players should avoid 4K with this GPU.

Overall, the Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot. It provides a stable 64 FPS average with a minimum of 55 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience. If visual fidelity is a priority, the High preset at 57 FPS is a reasonable alternative, but the Medium preset offers a better margin for demanding scenes.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads. Its base clock is 4.40 GHz, and its boost clock is 5.50 GHz. The CPU has a 128 MB L3 cache and is built on a 4 nm process node. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 47737, and its single-core score is 6739.

In this combo, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The benchmark results show that the GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions. The CPU’s performance is far above what Control requires. The game is not heavily multi-threaded, and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s single-core performance is excellent.

The CPU’s benchmark scores provide context for its capability. Its Passmark multithread score is 56154, and its Geekbench single-core score is 3041. In the nearestRivals list, it is 0.6% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, 1.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, and 2.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700F. These are all strong CPUs, and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is positioned at the top of the desktop market.

However, this CPU’s power is wasted when paired with the GTX 1660 Ti. The data shows that the GPU cannot keep up with the CPU’s ability to feed frames. At 1080p Low, the CPU could likely deliver far more than 91 FPS if the GPU were faster. The CPU’s role in this combo is to ensure that the GPU is not starved for data, but the GPU’s limits are reached well before the CPU’s capabilities are tested.

The CPU’s 120 W TDP and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth are also non-factors in this scenario. The game’s performance is entirely dependent on the GPU’s 288.0 GB/s bandwidth and 6 GB VRAM. The CPU’s 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes and DDR5 memory support are modern features, but they do not alleviate the GPU bottleneck. In summary, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a top-tier CPU that is severely held back by the GTX 1660 Ti.