Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a consistent 1080p experience in Control, with performance scaling predictably as resolution increases. The data shows a system that shifts from being heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions to a more balanced state at 4K, where the 8 GB memory buffer of the RTX 3070 becomes the primary constraint. This analysis examines the measured FPS rows to determine the limiting components, the role of the CPU and GPU, and how this combination ranks among the 2,888 tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and steep performance drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 158 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces that to 120 FPS, a 24% decrease. At 4K Low, the average falls to 81 FPS, which represents a 49% drop from the 1080p Low result. This scaling pattern indicates that the rendering load is expanding rapidly with pixel count, and the GPU is struggling to keep pace at higher resolutions.

The High settings preset shows a similar trend. At 1080p High, the average is 100 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 76 FPS, and at 4K High, it reaches 51 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 4K at High settings is 49 FPS, which is a substantial loss. This suggests that the RTX 3070’s compute throughput and memory bandwidth are being saturated as the fragment and pixel workload increases.

Analyzing the Ultra preset provides further insight. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 87 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 66 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 44 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is a 43 FPS reduction. Interestingly, the drop from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is only 22 FPS, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 21 FPS. This suggests a relatively linear scaling pattern at this preset, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor across all tested resolutions.

The data points to the GPU as the dominant bottleneck. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is unlikely to be the constraint at any resolution. The FPS drops are consistent with pixel count increases, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios. At 4K, even the Low preset (81 FPS) shows a significant reduction compared to 1440p (120 FPS), reinforcing that the RTX 3070’s raw rendering power is the primary limiter.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture, utilizing the GA104 chip manufactured on an 8 nm process. It features 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz. Its memory configuration consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s.

The 8 GB memory buffer is a critical factor in Control at higher resolutions. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (44 FPS) and 4K High (51 FPS) suggests that the game is likely exceeding the available VRAM, causing the GPU to rely on slower memory access. The fact that 4K Low (81 FPS) is significantly higher than 4K High (51 FPS) indicates that reducing texture quality and other memory-intensive settings can alleviate some pressure. However, even at Low settings, the performance at 4K is not stellar, indicating that the GPU’s compute capacity is also being taxed.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are substantial, with an FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS and a texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s. The pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s is a strong indicator of the GPU’s ability to handle high-resolution rendering. Yet, the benchmark results show that these capabilities are insufficient to maintain smooth framerates at 4K with high visual fidelity. The RTX 3070’s percentile rank among all GPUs is 61, placing it in the upper half of the performance spectrum, but it is not a top-tier card for 4K gaming.

The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which has an average benchmark score of 17,083 and a deltaPct of 0.7% relative to the RTX 3070’s average score of 17,208. This indicates that the RTX 3070 performs nearly identically to the RX 7600 XT in synthetic benchmarks. In Control, the measured results reflect this mid-range positioning, with the card providing playable framerates at 1080p and 1440p but struggling at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination holds a rank of 1192 out of 2,888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the 58.7th percentile of all combinations tested, meaning it outperforms more than half of the other configurations but lags behind a significant portion as well. This ranking is consistent with the GPU’s mid-range standing (61st percentile) and the CPU’s high-end standing (91st percentile).

The CPU is a clear strength of this combo. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54,762, which is slightly lower than its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, which scores 55,093 with a deltaPct of -0.6%. This indicates that the AMD processor is essentially on par with Intel’s mid-range offering. However, the CPU’s high core count and clock speeds do not translate to a top ranking for this combo in Control, which is a GPU-intensive title.

The combo’s rank of 1192 suggests that while the CPU is more than capable, the RTX 3070 holds the system back. Combos with higher rankings likely pair the same CPU with a more powerful GPU, or they feature a more balanced configuration where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The data indicates that the RTX 3070, with its 8 GB memory and 20.31 TFLOPS compute, is the primary bottleneck in Control, particularly at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 100 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3070’s 8 GB memory affect 4K performance?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS at High settings is 51 FPS, and at Ultra it is 44 FPS. The low framerates suggest the 8 GB memory buffer is insufficient for the high-resolution textures, causing a significant performance drop compared to 1440p.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 158. At 4K Low, it drops to 81 FPS, a 49% reduction.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The FPS drops consistently with increasing resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. The CPU has 12 cores and 24 threads, which is more than sufficient for Control.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1192 out of 2,888 tested combos in Control.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p Ultra?

A: At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 66 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest framerates. The Low preset achieves an average of 158 FPS. The Medium preset averages 112 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS. The High preset averages 100 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 87 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this combo, with all presets delivering playable framerates.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 120 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset averages 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. The High preset averages 76 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 66 FPS. The 1440p results show that the RTX 3070 is still capable of handling the game at high refresh rates, but the gap between Low and Ultra widens.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal for smooth gameplay. The Low preset averages 81 FPS, which is acceptable. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. The High preset averages 51 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 44 FPS. At this resolution, only the Low preset consistently stays above 60 FPS, while the Medium, High, and Ultra presets fall below that threshold, indicating that the 8 GB VRAM and compute power are insufficient for 4K gaming with higher quality settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU features a large L3 cache of 128 MB, which is a key characteristic of the X3D series, designed to improve gaming performance. It supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

In Control, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, physics calculations, and game logic. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 158 FPS, which suggests the CPU can handle the game’s workload at high framerates. The CPU’s benchmark scores support this, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47,737 and a single-core score of 6,739. These are strong numbers that indicate the processor has ample headroom for gaming.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 54,762 places it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, has a score of 55,093 and a deltaPct of -0.6%, meaning the AMD chip is slightly slower on average. However, in a GPU-bound game like Control, this difference is unlikely to manifest in FPS differences. The data suggests that the CPU is more than sufficient for this game, and the performance ceiling is determined by the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution and desired framerate. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable. The Ultra preset, with an average of 87 FPS, provides the best visual quality while maintaining a high framerate. For players targeting 144Hz or higher, the Low preset at 158 FPS is the best choice, but the High preset at 100 FPS offers a good balance of visuals and performance.

At 2560x1440, the High preset, averaging 76 FPS, is the recommended choice for a balanced experience. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS is also acceptable for those prioritizing visual fidelity, but the minimum FPS is not recorded, so consistency is uncertain. The Medium preset at 85 FPS offers a smoother experience with slightly reduced visuals. The Low preset at 120 FPS is ideal for competitive play or high refresh rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. The Low preset, averaging 81 FPS, is the only setting that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 57 FPS is borderline playable, but its minimum FPS of 49 indicates potential stuttering. The High and Ultra presets, at 51 and 44 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, the 8 GB VRAM limitation may cause texture pop-in or reduced visual quality. A reduction in resolution to 1440p is advisable for a better experience with higher quality settings.