Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers a compelling 1440p and 4K experience in Control, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The data shows a system capable of high-refresh 1080p gaming and smooth 4K at High settings, though the Ultra preset demands compromise. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, component roles, and settings recommendations based strictly on the observed benchmark results.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 58 FPS. This is the lowest average across all tested configurations and falls below the 60 FPS threshold often targeted for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the 1080p Low preset compare to the 4K Ultra preset?

A: The 1080p Low preset achieves an average of 206 FPS, while the 4K Ultra preset averages 58 FPS. This represents a dramatic 148 FPS difference, or approximately a 3.6x reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest settings at 1080p to the highest settings at 4K.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded in the entire dataset?

A: The highest average frame rate is 206 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the dataset that exceeds the 200 FPS mark.

Q: Is there a settings preset that provides a 4K experience above 60 FPS?

A: Yes, the 4K High preset averages 66 FPS, and the 4K Medium preset averages 75 FPS. Both exceed 60 FPS, while the 4K Ultra preset at 58 FPS does not.

Q: What is the performance difference between the 1440p Medium and 1440p High presets?

A: The 1440p Medium preset averages 111 FPS, while the 1440p High preset averages 98 FPS. The Medium preset is 13 FPS faster, representing approximately a 13% performance uplift over High at the same resolution.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU appear to be the limiting factor based on the FPS scaling?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 130 to 98 (a 32 FPS decrease), and from 1440p to 4K it drops from 98 to 66 (another 32 FPS decrease). This consistent scaling with resolution points to GPU-bound performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the primary driver of frame rates in Control, as evidenced by the measured FPS scaling across resolutions. This GPU features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 672.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The boost clock is 2512 MHz, with a base clock of 2325 MHz, and the card has 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output pipelines.

In the benchmark data, the GPU's role becomes clear when examining the 4K results. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 58, which is below the 60 FPS target. The 4K High preset improves this to 66 FPS, and the 4K Medium preset reaches 75 FPS. This progression shows that the RTX 5070's raw compute and memory bandwidth are sufficient for 4K gaming, but the Ultra preset's demands push the card to its limits.

The GPU's memory configuration is also relevant. With 12 GB of VRAM, the card can handle Control's texture and geometry loads at 4K, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at High and Medium settings. However, the fact that the Ultra preset at 4K drops below 60 FPS suggests that the combination of higher resolution and maximum settings exceeds the card's comfortable performance envelope.

At lower resolutions, the RTX 5070 demonstrates significant headroom. At 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 206, indicating that the GPU is not fully utilized at this settings level. The 1080p Medium preset averages 146 FPS, and the 1080p High preset averages 130 FPS, all well above the refresh rates of most standard monitors.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (deltaPct 0.1), AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (deltaPct 0.8), AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (deltaPct -1.2), and NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (deltaPct 2). These comparisons show that the RTX 5070 sits in a specific performance tier, and its measured performance in Control aligns with this positioning.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D provides the processing foundation for this combo, with 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). The CPU has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with 128 MB of L3 cache. This processor is built on a 4 nm process node and supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration.

In Control, the CPU's role is less prominent than the GPU's, as the game is primarily GPU-bound at the tested settings. However, the 9900X3D's strong single-thread and multi-thread capabilities ensure that it does not become a bottleneck even at high frame rates. The CPU's benchmark results show a single-thread score of 1269 in 3dmark, 679 in Cinebench R15, and 4646 in Passmark single-thread. These scores indicate robust per-core performance, which is important for maintaining high minimum frame rates in action-adventure games.

The 9900X3D's multi-threaded performance is also substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 and a Geekbench multicore score of 22884. This processing power is more than sufficient for Control's physics and AI calculations, even when paired with a high-end GPU. The CPU's percentile ranking of 91st among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54762, places it in the upper echelon of processors.

When comparing to its nearest rivals, the 9900X3D shows a deltaPct of -0.6 against the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, meaning it is slightly slower in average benchmark score (54762 vs 55093). It outperforms the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K by 1.3%, the Intel Xeon 6505P by 2%, and the Intel Core i7-14700F by 2.1%. These margins are small, indicating that the CPU is not a differentiating factor in this game's performance.

The data suggests that the CPU's 12-core configuration with 24 threads is more than adequate for Control. At 1080p Low, where the CPU load is relatively higher compared to the GPU load, the system still achieves 206 FPS average, indicating no CPU limitation. The CPU's ability to feed the RTX 5070 at high frame rates is confirmed by the smooth scaling from 1080p to 4K, which would not occur if the CPU were the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 545th out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the top 18.9% of all tested configurations, indicating a strong performance tier. The rank of 545 suggests that while this combo is capable, there are many other CPU-GPU pairings that achieve higher frame rates in this specific game.

This ranking is influenced by both the CPU and GPU's individual positions. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs is higher than the GPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs. This mismatch suggests that the GPU is the more limiting factor for this combo's overall ranking. If the RTX 5070 were paired with a faster GPU, the combo would likely rank higher, as the CPU has more headroom.

The combo's ranking can be contextualized by looking at the measured FPS data. At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves 58 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. At 1440p Ultra, it achieves 85 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it achieves 113 FPS. These results indicate that the combo is best suited for high-refresh 1440p gaming or 4K gaming at High settings or below. The ranking of 545 out of 2888 reflects this balanced but not top-tier performance.

The gap between the CPU and GPU rankings is notable. A CPU in the 91st percentile paired with a GPU in the 82nd percentile creates a system where the GPU is the performance ceiling. This is typical for gaming workloads, but it means that the combo's ranking in Control is largely determined by the RTX 5070's capabilities rather than the 9900X3D's considerable processing power.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 113 at Ultra to 206 at Low. The Medium preset averages 146 FPS with a minimum of 124 and maximum of 168. The High preset averages 130 FPS. These results show that the combo can easily handle 1080p gaming at any settings, with even the Ultra preset providing a smooth experience well above 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 85 at Ultra to 156 at Low. The Medium preset averages 111 FPS with a minimum of 94 and maximum of 127. The High preset averages 98 FPS. The 1440p results demonstrate the combo's sweet spot, with the Medium preset offering a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and the High preset still providing a playable experience. The Ultra preset at 85 FPS is also viable for high-refresh 1440p monitors.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 58 at Ultra to 105 at Low. The Medium preset averages 75 FPS with a minimum of 63 and maximum of 86. The High preset averages 66 FPS. The 4K results show a clear performance cliff, with the Ultra preset dropping below 60 FPS. The Medium preset is the most reliable 4K option, maintaining an average of 75 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS, ensuring consistent performance above the 60 FPS target.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The difference between Medium and High is significant, typically 12-16 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is even more pronounced at 17-32 FPS. The Low preset provides the highest frame rates but sacrifices visual fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset provides the optimal balance between visual quality and performance across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the Medium preset averages 146 FPS, which is 84 FPS faster than Ultra and 60 FPS faster than High. At 1440p, Medium averages 111 FPS, which is 26 FPS faster than High and 13 FPS faster than Ultra. At 4K, Medium averages 75 FPS, which is 9 FPS faster than High and 17 FPS faster than Ultra.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. The 4K Medium preset achieves an average of 75 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS, ensuring that frame times remain above the 60 FPS threshold even in demanding scenes. The 4K High preset at 66 FPS is also viable, but its lack of minimum FPS data makes it riskier for consistent performance. The 4K Ultra preset at 58 FPS does not meet the 60 FPS target and should be avoided for smooth gameplay.

For 1440p gaming, the Medium preset is recommended for users with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, as it provides an average of 111 FPS. The High preset at 98 FPS is also suitable for 100Hz monitors, while the Ultra preset at 85 FPS is acceptable for 75Hz displays. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 130 FPS is a solid choice for 120Hz monitors, while the Ultra preset at 113 FPS is suitable for 100Hz displays.

The data suggests that the Ultra preset is not worth the performance cost at any resolution. At 1080p, Ultra is 33 FPS slower than High, and at 1440p, it is 13 FPS slower. At 4K, the Ultra preset is the only configuration that fails to maintain 60 FPS. The visual improvement from High to Ultra is not reflected in the frame rate data, making High or Medium the more sensible choices for this combo.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly indicates a GPU-bound system. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 130 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p (a 32 FPS decrease), and then to 66 at 4K (another 32 FPS decrease). This consistent 32 FPS drop per resolution step suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU's performance remains constant across resolutions.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 146 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p (a 35 FPS drop), and 75 FPS at 4K (a 36 FPS drop). The slightly larger drops at Medium settings compared to High settings indicate that the GPU is working harder to maintain higher frame rates, which compounds the resolution scaling effect.

At Low settings, the scaling is more dramatic: 206 FPS at 1080p, 156 FPS at 1440p (a 50 FPS drop), and 105 FPS at 4K (a 51 FPS drop). The larger absolute drops at Low settings are expected, as the GPU is less burdened by pixel shading and can achieve higher frame rates, making the resolution scaling more pronounced in percentage terms.

The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is consistent across settings. At High settings, the 4K FPS is 50.8% of the 1080p FPS. At Medium settings, it is 51.4%. At Low settings, it is 51.0%. This consistency indicates that the scaling is purely resolution-driven, with no other factors such as CPU limitations or memory bandwidth constraints affecting the results.

The data shows that the RTX 5070's 672.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for 4K gaming, as the FPS scaling remains linear. If memory bandwidth were the bottleneck, the 4K results would show a disproportionate drop compared to 1440p. The consistent scaling confirms that the GPU's compute units are the limiting factor, and that the 9900X3D is providing ample data to the GPU without bottlenecking.