Control

Control pairs a 12-core, 24-thread AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D with NVIDIA’s 12 GB GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, and the measured frame rates in this Action Adventure title show a combo that is competent at 1080p, strong at 1440p, and still playable at 4K. The CPU sits in the 91st percentile among all tested processors, while the GPU lands in the 84th percentile, and together they rank 339th out of 2,888 tested combos in this specific game. That placement places the pairing in the top 12% of all recorded configurations, which is notable for a game released in 2019 that has since been superseded by more demanding titles. The data indicates a balanced system where neither component is an obvious bottleneck across the tested resolution range, though the scaling patterns reveal that the GPU takes on increasing responsibility as resolution climbs.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 339 out of 2,888 tested combinations in Control places it comfortably above the median, but it does not crack the top tier of configurations. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s average benchmark score of 54,762 puts it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF at 55,093 (a 0.6% delta) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K at 54,053 (1.3% ahead). The GPU’s average score of 44,795 places it in the 84th percentile, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile at 45,152 (0.8% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT at 45,384 (1.3% higher) as the closest comparators. These percentile positions suggest that while the CPU is a stronger relative performer than the GPU, both are above-average parts in their respective pools.

In actual gameplay, the measured FPS values tell a story of diminishing returns at higher settings. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 226 FPS average, which is more than enough for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p Low, that figure drops to 171 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 115 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution is substantial: at 1080p, the difference between 226 FPS (Low) and 124 FPS (Ultra) is 102 FPS, while at 1440p it is 77 FPS (171 vs 94), and at 4K it is 52 FPS (115 vs 63). The rank of 339 suggests that many faster combos exist, but the measured data shows this one is never below 63 FPS average in any tested configuration, which is a floor that remains smooth for most displays.

The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its position. In Cinebench R23 multicore, it scores 47,737, which is 8.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F’s average of 53,620 would suggest if compared directly (though the deltaPct field shows the i7-14700F is actually 2.1% ahead in average score). The single-core Cinebench R23 score of 6,739 and Geekbench single-core of 3,041 are strong figures that support high frame rates in a game like Control, which relies on a mix of single-threaded physics and multi-threaded rendering tasks. The passmark multithread score of 56,154 and single-thread score of 4,646 further indicate a processor that can feed a fast GPU without stalling.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, featuring the AD104 chip with 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. It operates with a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) across a 192-bit bus. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a critical resource for Control’s texture-heavy environments and particle effects. The GPU has 7,680 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, along with 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores for ray tracing and DLSS workloads. Its FP32 performance is 40.09 TFLOPS, with a pixel rate of 208.8 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s.

In Control, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the measured FPS at High settings is 143, but at 1440p High it drops to 108, and at 4K High it falls to 73. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s headroom is not fully exercised at 4K. The memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K the 12 GB VRAM capacity is adequate—the game does not appear to exceed it in the measured rows, as all average FPS values remain above 60. The GPU’s percentile of 84 versus the CPU’s 91 suggests that in this combo, the GPU is the weaker link, which is typical for a pairing where the processor is a top-tier enthusiast part.

The passmark G3D score of 31,624 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,024 are synthetic indicators that align with the measured gameplay. The GPU’s nearest rivals—the RTX 5090 Mobile at 45,152 (0.8% higher) and the Radeon Pro 5500 XT at 45,384 (1.3% higher)—are within a narrow band, meaning the RTX 4070 Ti is not dramatically outpaced or outpacing its immediate competition. In Control specifically, the 4K Ultra result of 63 FPS average shows that the GPU can handle the game’s maximum settings at 4K, albeit with no headroom for frame rate dips, while 4K Medium at 82 FPS (with a min of 70 and max of 94) offers a safer margin.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that highlights the GPU-bound nature of this combo at higher settings. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 143 to 108, a 24.5% reduction. From 1440p to 4K at High, it drops from 108 to 73, a 32.4% reduction. The total drop from 1080p High to 4K High is from 143 to 73, a 49% decrease. At Low settings, the scaling is steeper in percentage terms: 226 FPS at 1080p drops to 171 at 1440p (24.3% lower) and then to 115 at 4K (32.7% lower from 1440p), for a total of 49.1% lower from 1080p to 4K. This near-identical percentage drop between Low and High settings suggests that resolution scaling is consistent regardless of graphical load, which is a hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario.

At Medium settings, the 1080p result is 161 FPS (min 136, max 185), 1440p is 121 FPS (min 103, max 140), and 4K is 82 FPS (min 70, max 94). The min-to-max ranges are tighter at 4K (70–94, a 24 FPS spread) than at 1080p (136–185, a 49 FPS spread), indicating that higher resolutions compress the frame time variance. The Ultra settings show the most significant drop: 124 FPS at 1080p, 94 at 1440p, and 63 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 63 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold, meaning that any demanding scene could push it below.

The limiting component at 1080p is likely the CPU, given that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core of 6,739) is high but not infinite. However, the GPU’s frame throughput at 1080p Low (226 FPS) shows that the CPU can drive very high frame rates. As resolution increases, the GPU’s pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become the constraining factors. The 208.8 GPixel/s pixel rate and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1440p High (108 FPS) but are stretched at 4K Ultra (63 FPS). The data suggests that a faster GPU would improve 4K performance more than a faster CPU would, while at 1080p, the CPU’s 12 cores and 24 threads are more than adequate.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At High settings, the combo achieves 108 FPS at 2560x1440, which is well above the 60 FPS target, while 4K High drops to 73 FPS and 1080p High reaches 143 FPS. The 1440p result provides a 74% higher frame rate than 4K High while still delivering significantly more detail than 1080p.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings in Control?

A: Yes, but just barely. The measured 4K Ultra average FPS is 63, which is above the 60 FPS minimum for smooth gameplay, but there is no min FPS recorded for that setting, so dips below 60 are possible in heavy scenes. The 4K Medium setting at 82 FPS (min 70) offers a safer margin, with only a moderate visual reduction from Ultra.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54,762, which is 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55,093) and 1.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54,053). It also sits 2.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620) and 2% higher than the Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701). This places it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What is the GPU’s relative performance against its closest competitors?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti’s average score of 44,795 is 0.8% lower than the RTX 5090 Mobile (45,152) and 1.3% lower than the Radeon Pro 5500 XT (45,384). It is 1.6% higher than the RTX A6000 (44,075) and 1.7% lower than the Intel Arc A730M (45,592). Its 84th percentile ranking indicates it is above average but not a top-tier GPU.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates at all settings in 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the lowest average FPS recorded is 124 at Ultra settings, with Low hitting 226, Medium at 161, and High at 143. The Medium setting has a recorded min FPS of 136, which is still well above 60, so all settings are playable at 1080p.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 143 at 1080p High to 108 at 1440p High, a 24.5% decrease, and then to 73 at 4K High, a further 32.4% decrease. The total loss from 1080p to 4K is 49% (from 143 to 73 FPS), which reflects the GPU’s workload scaling with pixel count.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy for settings optimization. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 124 FPS average, which is still above the 120 Hz refresh rate that many monitors support, so there is no need to compromise. However, the Medium preset at 161 FPS (min 136) offers a 30% higher frame rate with a recorded minimum that never drops below 136, making it the choice for competitive play or high-refresh displays. The High preset at 143 FPS sits between the two, offering a good middle ground. At 1080p, the data supports using Ultra if visual fidelity is the priority, since the 124 FPS average is already smooth.

For 1440p, the recommendations shift. Ultra at 94 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for dips, and no min FPS is recorded for that setting. High at 108 FPS is the better balanced choice, providing a 15% higher average than Ultra while still looking nearly as good. Medium at 121 FPS (min 103) is the safest option for 1440p gaming, as the 103 FPS minimum guarantees no stutter on standard 60 Hz or 120 Hz displays. Low at 171 FPS is overkill for visual quality and should only be used by players who prioritize maximum frame rates above all else. The sweet spot for 1440p is High, as it maintains a triple-digit average without sacrificing the visual features that Control is known for.

At 4K, the options narrow. Ultra at 63 FPS is technically playable but risky, as the lack of a recorded min FPS means the actual lows are unknown. High at 73 FPS is the best overall choice for 4K, as it stays above 60 FPS at all times (based on the average) and still looks excellent. Medium at 82 FPS (min 70) provides the most consistent experience, with a minimum that never dips below 70, making it ideal for players who cannot tolerate any frame rate drops. Low at 115 FPS is not recommended at 4K, as the visual downgrade is significant for only a 58% increase over High. The data indicates that for most users, 4K High is the optimal preset, as it balances visual quality with a 73 FPS average that exceeds the 60 FPS standard.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most consistent minimum frame rates: 136 at 1080p, 103 at 1440p, and 70 at 4K. This consistency suggests that Medium is the most stable setting for this combo, especially for users who notice frame time spikes. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, shows the largest performance cost at 4K (63 FPS), which may not justify the visual gain over High. The recommendation is to use High at 1080p and 1440p, and High or Medium at 4K depending on whether average or minimum frame rates matter more.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. 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 large 128 MB L3 cache, which is beneficial for gaming workloads that rely on repeated data access. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and it uses the AMD Socket AM5 platform with PCIe Gen 5 (24 lanes from the CPU). The 4 nm TSMC process node packs 16,630 million transistors across two 70.6 mm² dies.

In Control, the CPU’s benchmark scores indicate that it is more than capable of feeding the RTX 4070 Ti. The 3DMark max threads score of 13,795 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47,737 show strong multi-threaded performance, which helps with the game’s physics and AI systems. The single-thread score of 6,739 in Cinebench R23 and 3,041 in Geekbench single-core are critical for maintaining high frame rates in scenarios where the game’s main thread is the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 226 FPS, which is a direct reflection of the CPU’s ability to process frames quickly without being limited by the GPU. The passmark single-thread score of 4,646 further confirms that the CPU’s per-core performance is high.

The CPU’s 128 MB L3 cache is a standout feature for gaming, as Control’s environments often require streaming large textures and geometry data. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor at 1080p or 1440p, as the measured FPS at those resolutions is high. The CPU’s 91st percentile ranking among all processors, with an average score of 54,762, places it above the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55,093, -0.6% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54,053, +1.3%), the Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701, +2%), and the Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620, +2.1%). This competitive position means that in Control, the CPU is unlikely to be the bottleneck except in extremely low-resolution, low-settings scenarios where frame rates exceed 200 FPS.

The 12-core, 24-thread configuration is overkill for a game like Control, which was released in 2019 and does not scale perfectly across many cores. However, the high single-thread performance (boost clock of 5.50 GHz) ensures that the game’s primary rendering thread is not starved. The CPU’s TDP of 120 W is modest for a 12-core part, and its production status is active, with a release date of January 2025 and a launch MSRP of $599. The multiplier is unlocked, allowing overclocking, though the measured FPS data already shows sufficient performance. In summary, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D provides ample headroom for Control, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the 63 FPS result is more attributable to the RTX 4070 Ti’s pixel throughput than to any CPU deficiency.