Control

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and Intel Arc B580 combination ranks 2816 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. That places this pairing in the lower-middle portion of the database, roughly in the 24th percentile of all possible CPU and GPU combinations tested for this specific title. It is not a top-tier pairing for this game, but the rank alone does not tell the full story, since Control shows a wide spread of playability depending on resolution and quality settings.

The CPU itself sits in the 75th percentile when compared against all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 21484. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (0.2% higher score), the Intel Core i9-11900H (0.5% higher), the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (0.7% lower), and the AMD EPYC 9454 (1.2% higher). The Ryzen 5 2600 is effectively within a 1% band of these four processors, meaning the CPU's compute performance is competitive with a broad range of modern and older chips. In practice, that means the processor is not the limiting factor for most gaming scenarios in Control.

The GPU ranks in the 68th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (0.2% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (0.6% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (0.7% higher), and the NVIDIA P106-100 (1% higher). The Arc B580 is essentially on par with an RTX 2080 and an RTX 3080 in aggregate benchmark score, which is notable for a modern GPU. However, the measured FPS data for Control reveals that raw benchmark scores do not translate evenly across all resolutions.

The combo rank of 2816 out of 3720 suggests that many other pairings achieve higher frame rates in this game. That is expected, given the CPU's age relative to newer processors and the GPU's mid-range positioning. Still, the recorded data shows that this combo can deliver smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, even if 4K remains out of reach. The rank is a useful summary, but the resolution-specific measurements matter more for practical decisions.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K?

A: No playable settings exist at 3840x2160. The best recorded result is 58 FPS average on Low settings, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings drop to 41 FPS average, High to 37 FPS, and Ultra to 32 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p for this combo?

A: Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. It delivers 61 FPS average with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. Low settings run at 86 FPS average, but Medium offers the best visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580 or the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 more important for Control?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to allow the GPU to push frame rates from 62 FPS on Ultra to 114 FPS on Low. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, as even Low settings only reach 58 FPS, showing that no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the rendering load.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 2600 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 21484, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, 0.5% lower than the Intel Core i9-11900H, 0.7% higher than the Intel Xeon D-1746TER, and 1.2% lower than the AMD EPYC 9454. These are all within a narrow performance band.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p on Ultra settings?

A: Ultra settings at 1920x1080 deliver 62 FPS average, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. High settings run at 72 FPS, Medium at 81 FPS, and Low at 114 FPS, so all four presets are playable at this resolution.

Q: Does the Arc B580 outperform or underperform relative to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B580 scores 23021 on average, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, and 1% lower than the NVIDIA P106-100. It sits in the middle of this group.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear shift in which component limits performance as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the CPU is sufficient to keep the GPU well fed. The frame rate spread from Low to Ultra is 114 FPS down to 62 FPS, a range of 52 FPS. The GPU is doing most of the work, and the CPU does not appear to hold it back at any preset, since even the most demanding preset stays above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to show strain. Low settings produce 86 FPS, but Medium drops to 61 FPS, High to 54 FPS, and Ultra to 47 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 25 FPS drop, which indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases. The CPU still has headroom, as evidenced by the fact that the 1440p Low result of 86 FPS is only 28 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result of 114 FPS, a relatively modest penalty for a 78% increase in pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the clear bottleneck. Low settings produce 58 FPS, Medium 41 FPS, High 37 FPS, and Ultra 32 FPS. The difference between 1080p Low (114 FPS) and 4K Low (58 FPS) is 56 FPS, a 49% reduction. The CPU is not the constraint here; the Arc B580 simply cannot render Control at 4K fast enough to hit 60 FPS on any preset. The pattern across resolutions is consistent: the CPU handles 1080p and 1440p well, but the GPU's rendering capacity caps performance at 4K.

The preset scaling also tells a story. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 52 FPS, at 1440p it is 39 FPS, and at 4K it is 26 FPS. As resolution increases, the absolute difference between presets shrinks, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU contributes more to overall frame rate at lower resolutions, but at no point does the Ryzen 5 2600 appear to drag down the average FPS below what the GPU can deliver.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the answer depends heavily on resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, meaning they clear the 60 FPS threshold. The best visual quality that maintains playability is Ultra at 62 FPS average. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium being the best settings preset at 61 FPS average. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS, so 4K is not a viable option for this combo.

The practical takeaway is that this system is a solid 1080p machine for Control and a capable 1440p machine if you are willing to use Medium settings. The combination of the Ryzen 5 2600 and Arc B580 delivers exactly the kind of performance you would expect from a mid-range pairing: strong at mainstream resolutions, but not enough for 4K gaming. If you own a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this setup will handle Control smoothly. If you have a 4K display, you will need to lower resolution or upgrade the GPU.

The data also shows that the CPU is not a weak link. The Ryzen 5 2600, despite its age, keeps up with the Arc B580 across all tested settings. The bottleneck at 4K is entirely on the GPU side, which is reassuring for anyone considering a CPU upgrade path later. This is a balanced pairing for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows the following averages: Low settings produce 114 FPS, Medium produces 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93, High produces 72 FPS, and Ultra produces 62 FPS. All four presets exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold. The spread between the fastest and slowest preset is 52 FPS, which gives users a wide range of options depending on whether they prioritize frame rate or visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the results are more mixed. Low settings deliver 86 FPS average. Medium settings deliver 61 FPS average with a minimum of 52 and a maximum of 70. High settings drop to 54 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 47 FPS average. Only Low and Medium clear the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset is the most demanding option that remains playable, but its minimum of 52 FPS suggests occasional dips below 60 FPS during demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets reach 60 FPS. Low settings produce 58 FPS average, which is the closest result to the playable threshold. Medium settings produce 41 FPS average with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 48. High settings produce 37 FPS average, and Ultra produces 32 FPS average. The gap between Low and Medium is 17 FPS, and the gap between Medium and Ultra is 9 FPS, showing that even the lowest quality preset cannot reach playable frame rates at 4K.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution costs roughly 20% to 25% of the average FPS at the same preset. For example, Low settings go from 114 FPS at 1080p to 86 FPS at 1440p to 58 FPS at 4K. The GPU's rendering load scales faster than the CPU's ability to feed it, which is why the frame rate drops become more pronounced at higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 62 FPS. This is the best visual quality available while maintaining playability. High settings run at 72 FPS, Medium at 81 FPS, and Low at 114 FPS, but Ultra offers the highest fidelity without crossing below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 61 FPS. Low settings run at 86 FPS, but Medium provides noticeably better visual quality while still clearing the playable threshold. High settings at 54 FPS and Ultra at 47 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay, though they may be acceptable for users who prefer visuals over frame rate consistency.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS, so there is no best playable setting. The closest result is Low at 58 FPS average, which falls just short of the playable threshold. Users with 4K displays would need to consider lowering the resolution or accepting sub-60 FPS performance, as the data shows no viable path to playable frame rates at this resolution with this hardware combination.