Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 971st out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places the configuration in the 66th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it is not a top-tier enthusiast setup for this title, it sits comfortably above the median performer. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is severely bottlenecking the other, though the data suggests the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 971 out of 2888 tested combinations places it in the upper-middle tier of systems tested for Control. This is a strong showing for a configuration featuring a previous-generation GPU, especially given that the RTX 3070 Ti’s overall GPU percentile is 75, meaning it outperforms three-quarters of all GPUs in the database. The CPU, with a percentile of 91, is even stronger relative to its peers, but the GPU’s lower standing relative to the CPU suggests that the graphics card is the limiting factor in this pairing.

When examining the GPU’s nearest rivals, the RTX 3070 Ti’s average benchmark score of 29945 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (29928, a 0.1% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (30095, a -0.5% difference). It also edges out the RTX 2080 Ti by 0.5%. This means the RTX 3070 Ti is performance-equivalent to a modern mobile flagship and a previous-generation desktop flagship, which explains why the combo ranks where it does. The CPU’s nearest rivals, including the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (-0.6%) and the Intel Core i7-14700F (2.1% ahead of the 9900X3D), show that the processor is competitive with current mid-range and previous-generation high-end parts.

The rank is also contextualized by the fact that Control is a 2019 title with a release date of 2019-08-26. This means the game is well-optimized for a wide range of hardware, and the RTX 3070 Ti, released in 2021, is more than capable of handling it. The data shows that the combo’s rank is not due to any fundamental incompatibility, but rather the natural ceiling imposed by the GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM and its 75th percentile standing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture using the GA104 chip, fabricated on Samsung’s 8 nm process. It features 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units, along with 48 ray tracing cores and 192 tensor cores. The GPU has a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6X memory is connected via a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s.

In Control, the GPU’s memory capacity and bandwidth play a significant role. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo achieves 47 FPS, which is the lowest measured result. This is likely due to the 8 GB VRAM being fully utilized at that resolution and settings, causing the GPU to hit its memory ceiling. The 608.3 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for most scenarios, but the capacity limitation becomes apparent at 4K with high-quality textures. The data shows that dropping from Ultra to High at 4K increases the average FPS from 47 to 54, a 15% improvement, which suggests that the GPU is not entirely bandwidth-bound but rather limited by the combination of VRAM capacity and compute load.

The GPU’s FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS is notable, but Control is a game that relies heavily on both rasterization and ray tracing effects. The 48 RT cores are utilized for the game’s reflective and lighting effects, and the 192 tensor cores can assist with DLSS if enabled, though the measured data does not include DLSS-specific results. The GPU’s pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s are adequate for 1440p and 1080p gaming, but at 4K, the fill rate becomes a limiting factor, as evidenced by the 47 FPS at Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all settings presets deliver playable frame rates. The Low preset achieves 166 FPS, Medium hits 118 FPS, High reaches 105 FPS, and Ultra drops to 91 FPS. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play at 1080p, the Low preset provides the highest headroom, but the Medium preset at 118 FPS offers a better balance of visual quality and performance, with a minimum FPS of 101 ensuring smooth gameplay.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the best choice for a smooth experience, delivering 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS. The High preset at 79 FPS is also viable, but the Ultra preset at 69 FPS may feel less consistent. The Low preset at 126 FPS is available for those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, but the Medium preset provides a more visually rich experience without sacrificing playability.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 60 FPS and a minimum of 51 FPS. The High preset at 54 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 47 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 85 FPS is an option for those who want 4K with reduced visual fidelity, but the Medium preset is the sweet spot for balancing quality and performance at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the combo delivers excellent performance across the board. The Low preset achieves 166 FPS, which is nearly double the Ultra preset’s 91 FPS. The Medium preset at 118 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS and maximum of 136 FPS shows good frame pacing. The High preset at 105 FPS is also solid, though the gap between Medium and High is only 13 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at higher settings.

At 1440p, the performance drops are more pronounced. The Low preset at 126 FPS is still very high, but the Medium preset at 89 FPS (minimum 76, maximum 103) is a significant step down. The High preset at 79 FPS and Ultra at 69 FPS show that the GPU is beginning to struggle with the increased pixel count. The difference between 1080p and 1440p at the same settings is notable: for example, High settings drop from 105 FPS to 79 FPS, a 25% reduction.

At 4K, the performance takes another significant hit. The Low preset at 85 FPS is the only setting that remains above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 60 FPS (minimum 51, maximum 69) is right at the edge of playability. The High preset at 54 FPS and Ultra at 47 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold, making them less ideal for a smooth experience. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steep: for instance, Medium settings drop from 89 FPS to 60 FPS, a 33% reduction.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?*

A: The data shows that 1440p with Medium settings provides a strong balance, delivering 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS. At 1080p, the Medium preset achieves 118 FPS, while at 4K, the Medium preset drops to 60 FPS, making 1440p the best choice for a high-quality, high-frame-rate experience.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 5070 Mobile, 0.5% lower than the RX 6800, and 0.5% higher than the RTX 2080 Ti. This indicates it is performance-equivalent to these cards in general benchmarks.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D a bottleneck for the RTX 3070 Ti in this game?

A: The CPU has a 91st percentile ranking and an average benchmark score of 54762, which is higher than its nearest rivals like the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55093, -0.6%) and Intel Core i7-14700F (53620, 2.1%). The data suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the GPU’s 75th percentile is lower.

Q: What settings should be used for 4K gaming?

A: The Medium preset is the only setting that averages 60 FPS at 4K, with a minimum of 51 FPS. The High preset at 54 FPS and Ultra at 47 FPS are below 60 FPS, so Medium is recommended for a playable 4K experience.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 105 at 1080p to 79 at 1440p and then to 54 at 4K. This represents a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

*Q: Does the combo support ray tracing in Control?*

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has 48 RT cores, which are capable of handling ray tracing effects. However, the measured FPS data does not specify whether ray tracing was enabled, so the impact on performance cannot be quantified from this dataset.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) and 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 TDP of 120 W. The CPU features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a massive 128 MB of L3 cache. This large cache is beneficial for gaming, as it reduces memory latency and improves performance in cache-sensitive workloads like Control.

The CPU’s benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739. Its Geekbench multicore score is 22884, and single-core is 3041. These scores place it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-end processor. In Control, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for this game, which was released in 2019 and does not require extreme core counts.

The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 166 FPS, which is a frame rate that would require a strong CPU to avoid limiting the GPU. The CPU’s 128 MB L3 cache is particularly effective in gaming, as it can store more of the game’s working set, reducing the need to access system memory. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is also adequate for this game, as it does not require excessive memory throughput.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals how the system scales across resolutions, providing insight into which component is the limiting factor. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 105 to 79, a 25% reduction. From 1440p to 4K at High settings, the FPS drops from 79 to 54, a 32% reduction. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is 51 FPS, or 49%.

This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. As resolution increases, the GPU must render more pixels, and the compute load scales accordingly. The CPU’s workload does not increase significantly with resolution, so if the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions. The fact that FPS drops substantially at each higher resolution indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti is the limiting component.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. From 1080p (166 FPS) to 1440p (126 FPS), there is a 24% drop. From 1440p to 4K (85 FPS), there is a 33% drop. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 81 FPS, or 49%. This is consistent with the GPU being the primary constraint, as even at the lowest settings, the GPU’s raw pixel throughput is insufficient to maintain higher frame rates at 4K.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend, with FPS dropping from 118 at 1080p to 89 at 1440p (25% drop) and then to 60 at 4K (33% drop). The minimum FPS at Medium settings also degrades, from 101 at 1080p to 76 at 1440p and 51 at 4K. This indicates that the GPU’s frame time consistency also suffers at higher resolutions, likely due to the increased memory pressure from the 8 GB VRAM. Overall, the resolution scaling data confirms that the RTX 3070 Ti is the bottleneck, and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D provides ample headroom for the GPU to operate without CPU-induced frame rate limits.