Control

Control, the 2019 action-adventure title, is a demanding showcase of visual effects and physics-based destruction. When paired with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, the benchmark data reveals a configuration that is overwhelmingly constrained by its graphics processor. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all resolutions and presets tell a consistent story: this is a system where the CPU's immense potential is entirely sidelined by a GPU that ranks in the 25th percentile of all tested graphics cards. This analysis walks through the specific performance metrics, scaling behavior, and component roles to provide a clear picture of what this hardware combination delivers in Control.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a predictable but severe decline in frame rates as resolution increases, a pattern that directly implicates the GPU as the limiting factor. Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at the High preset, the average FPS drops from 29 to 15, a reduction of 48.3%. This steep scaling curve is characteristic of a system where the graphics card's fill rate and memory bandwidth are saturated, as the pixel count quadruples from Full HD to 4K.

At the Low preset, the scaling is even more pronounced in absolute terms. The 1920x1080 Low setting yields 46 FPS, which falls to 34 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 23 FPS at 3840x2160. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is 23 FPS, meaning performance is halved. This indicates that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the GTX 1050 Ti's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 112.1 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to feed the rendering pipeline at higher resolutions.

The Medium preset provides the only complete dataset with minimum and maximum FPS values, offering insight into frame time consistency. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 32 FPS with a range of 27 to 37 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 24 FPS with a range of 21 to 28 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 17 FPS with a range of 14 to 19 FPS. The relative spread of frames remains consistent across resolutions, suggesting that the bottleneck is stable and does not introduce additional stutter beyond what the low absolute frame rates already imply.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and the results are telling. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average is 25 FPS, which is only 4 FPS lower than the High preset at the same resolution. However, at 3840x2160 Ultra, the average collapses to 13 FPS, which is the lowest recorded figure in the entire dataset. This 52% drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings reinforces that the GPU is working at its absolute limit, with no headroom to spare for higher pixel counts. The data across all presets shows that the CPU, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is never the constraining factor; the frame rate is entirely dictated by the graphics card's ability to process the scene.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking for this specific combination in Control is 3670 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 1.3% of all configurations. This rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's low standing relative to its peers. The GTX 1050 Ti holds a percentile rank of 25 against all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 4193 is notably low. Its nearest rivals in synthetic tests include the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (0.6% slower), NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (1% slower), NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (1.1% faster), and AMD Radeon Vega 3 (1.8% faster). These are all entry-level or mobile-oriented parts, confirming that the GPU sits at the very bottom of the performance spectrum.

In stark contrast, the CPU is a top-tier part. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 75779. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (0.4% faster), are all flagship or near-flagship processors. The massive disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's low percentile means the combo rank is dragged down entirely by the graphics card. Even the most powerful processor available cannot compensate for a GPU that delivers an average of 46 FPS at best in this game (at 1080p Low). The ranking reflects a system that is fundamentally unbalanced for gaming, where the CPU's power is rendered irrelevant by the GPU's limitations.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Control?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 46, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 13 on the Ultra preset to 23 on the Low preset. The Medium preset averages 17 FPS, while High averages 15 FPS.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9950X3D a bottleneck for the GTX 1050 Ti in this game?

A: No. The data indicates the opposite. The GTX 1050 Ti is the limiting component, as frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's high benchmark scores (e.g., 42018 in Cinebench R23 multicore) are not reflected in the game's FPS.

Q: What is the difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 34 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 19 FPS. This is a 15 FPS difference, or approximately 44% lower performance on Ultra.

Q: Are there any frame rate stability metrics available?

A: Yes, the Medium preset includes minimum and maximum FPS data. At 1920x1080, the range is 27-37 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 21-28 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 14-19 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations?

A: It ranks 3670 out of 3720 combos, placing it in the bottom percentile for overall performance in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The comprehensive FPS data for this configuration is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 46 FPS.
• Medium: Average 32 FPS, with a range of 27 to 37 FPS.
• High: Average 29 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 25 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 34 FPS.
• Medium: Average 24 FPS, with a range of 21 to 28 FPS.
• High: Average 22 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 19 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 23 FPS.
• Medium: Average 17 FPS, with a range of 14 to 19 FPS.
• High: Average 15 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 13 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: for every resolution, the Low preset offers a significant advantage over the next step up. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 14 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs only 3 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset is a more demanding step than High, likely due to specific rendering features. At 1440p, the differences are compressed, with only a 3 FPS difference between Medium and High, and a 3 FPS difference between High and Ultra. At 4K, the differences narrow further to 2 FPS between each preset level, indicating that the GPU is so saturated that changing settings has diminishing returns. The absolute numbers are all below the 60 FPS threshold, and most are below 30 FPS, which makes the experience feel sluggish regardless of settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the primary determinant of performance in this benchmark. With 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, the memory bandwidth is 112.1 GB/s. The card's clocks are relatively modest, with a base of 1291 MHz and a boost of 1392 MHz. The GPU is based on the Pascal architecture, built on a 14 nm process, and contains 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. The theoretical peak performance is 2.138 TFLOPS for FP32 operations.

These specifications explain the measured results. The 4 GB VRAM is likely insufficient for Control's high-resolution textures at 4K, causing the card to rely on slower memory access. The 128-bit memory interface further limits the data throughput, which is critical for a game that streams in a lot of environmental geometry and effects. The pixel rate of 44.54 GPixel/s and texture rate of 66.82 GTexel/s are also low by modern standards, meaning the GPU struggles to fill the screen with detailed pixels.

The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate this. Its Passmark G3D score is 6340, and its DirectX 12 score is 26, which is exceptionally low. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 305. These scores place the card in the 25th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all older or lower-tier mobile parts. In Control, this translates to an inability to maintain playable frame rates above 30 FPS at most settings. The only scenario where it approaches a semi-fluid experience is at 1080p Low, where it achieves 46 FPS. The GPU's role is to be the strict ceiling on performance, and the data shows it is a very low ceiling.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It has a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. The CPU features a substantial 128 MB of L3 cache, which is a hallmark of the X3D series designed to improve gaming performance. It supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a theoretical bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The CPU's own benchmarks are exceptional, scoring 42018 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2259 in single-core. It holds a 95th percentile rank against all CPUs.

In this configuration, the CPU's role is entirely passive. Control is a game that can be CPU-intensive in certain scenes, but with a GTX 1050 Ti, the CPU never has to work hard. The measured FPS are so low that the CPU is almost certainly idling, waiting for the GPU to finish rendering each frame. The CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads are far beyond what the GTX 1050 Ti can feed. Even a dual-core processor from the same era as the GTX 1050 Ti would likely yield similar frame rates, as the bottleneck is firmly on the graphics side.

The CPU's high memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is also irrelevant here because the GPU's 112.1 GB/s bandwidth is the limiting factor for texture and geometry data. The CPU's PCIe Gen 5 interface is also unused, as the GTX 1050 Ti runs on PCIe 3.0 x16. The data shows that the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a non-factor in this benchmark. Its performance headroom is vast, but it is completely untapped. The CPU is not a contributor to the low frame rates; it is simply a silent observer while the GPU struggles.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo are clear: the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that approaches a playable frame rate. The 46 FPS average at this setting is the highest in the entire dataset, and while it is not a locked 60, it is the most fluid experience available. Any other setting results in sub-30 FPS averages, which will feel choppy and unresponsive in a game that relies on precise aiming and quick reactions.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset drops to 34 FPS. This is still below the 30 FPS threshold, but it is a noticeable step down from 1080p. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 24 FPS, which is starting to become a slideshow. For 4K resolution, the data shows that all presets are below 24 FPS, with the Low preset reaching 23 FPS. None of these are recommended for a smooth experience.

The performance delta between the Low and Medium presets at 1080p is 14 FPS, which is the largest single-preset jump in the data. This suggests that the Medium preset enables more demanding effects that disproportionately impact the GTX 1050 Ti. If a player is determined to use higher settings, the High preset at 1080p offers 29 FPS, which is 3 FPS less than Medium but 4 FPS more than Ultra. However, the data strongly indicates that the best experience, in terms of playability and frame consistency, is achieved by setting the resolution to 1920x1080 and the graphics quality to Low. This configuration maximizes the average FPS and minimizes the risk of severe frame drops, providing the only viable path to a playable session with this hardware.