Control

Measured FPS Breakdown

Starting at 3840x2160, the data shows this combination is under severe load. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 18 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. High settings improve the average to 21 FPS, still firmly in unplayable territory. Medium settings yield an average of 24 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. Dropping to Low settings raises the average to 33 FPS, which is the best result at this resolution, but it remains far from the 60 FPS target.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains challenging. Ultra settings produce an average of 27 FPS. High settings increase the average to 31 FPS. Medium settings deliver an average of 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS, showing a relatively tight frame delivery window. Low settings are significantly better, reaching an average of 50 FPS. This is the closest this hardware gets to the playable threshold at 1440p, but the 50 FPS average still falls short.

At 1920x1080, the picture changes more favorably. Ultra settings average 36 FPS, which is playable in a technical sense but not smooth. High settings average 41 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 46 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. Low settings finally cross the 60 FPS line, delivering an average of 65 FPS. This is the only configuration in the recorded data that meets the playable threshold.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: each step down in settings provides a meaningful jump in average frame rate. From Ultra to Low at 1080p, the average goes from 36 FPS to 65 FPS, a gain that makes the difference between a stuttery experience and a smooth one. At 1440p, the same settings drop improves the average from 27 FPS to 50 FPS. At 4K, the improvement is from 18 FPS to 33 FPS, but even the best case remains marginal.

The minimum and maximum frame rate data is only available for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 4K Medium, the spread from 20 FPS to 27 FPS indicates a narrow operating range, which suggests the GPU is consistently saturated. At 1440p Medium, the 30 FPS minimum and 40 FPS maximum show a wider variance, hinting at occasional dips that could be noticeable. At 1080p Medium, the 40 FPS minimum and 53 FPS maximum demonstrate that even when the average is 46 FPS, the frame pacing can fluctuate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data makes it clear that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 9th percentile of all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, all of which are entry-level or legacy parts. This positioning explains why the frame rates collapse at higher resolutions.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700, by contrast, sits in the 78th percentile of all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25517. Its 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture, provide ample computational headroom for a game like Control. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Xeon D-2752TER and AMD Ryzen 5 6600H, have nearly identical average scores, confirming that the processor is not the limiting factor here.

The resolution scaling in the measured FPS data supports this interpretation. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings drops the average from 65 FPS to 50 FPS, a reduction of 15 FPS. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings drops the average from 50 FPS to 33 FPS, a reduction of 17 FPS. This consistent degradation as resolution increases is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload scales directly with pixel count.

The settings scaling tells the same story. At 1080p, Ultra settings yield 36 FPS while Low settings yield 65 FPS, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the higher graphical presets. The CPU has the headroom to handle the game logic and physics at any setting, but the GPU cannot keep up with the increased shading, texture, and post-processing demands.

At 4K, even the Low preset averages only 33 FPS, which is barely more than half of the playable threshold. This is a decisive indicator that no amount of CPU tuning or driver optimization could salvage playable performance at this resolution, because the GPU is fundamentally underpowered for the task. The CPU's role at 4K is effectively irrelevant to the frame rate outcome.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset. The data shows an average of 65 FPS at 1080p Low, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 46, 41, and 36 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: There is no playable setting at this resolution. The best average FPS at 1440p is 50 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M. It is 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. These deltas are small, meaning performance is comparable to those legacy parts.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: No, the data does not indicate CPU limitations. The Ryzen 7 5700 ranks in the 78th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals differ by less than 0.3% in average benchmark score. The frame rates scale strongly with resolution and settings, which points to the GPU as the limiting component.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The average is 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. This is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold and would result in a stuttery, unresponsive experience.

Q: What is the best preset at 1920x1080 that stays above 60 FPS?

A: The Low preset is the only one that achieves this, with an average of 65 FPS. The next step up, Medium, drops to 46 FPS, so there is no middle ground between playable and unplayable at 1080p.

The Verdict

The verdict is straightforward: this PC can run Control, but only under strict conditions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers a 65 FPS average, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the only resolution and preset combination in the recorded data that achieves playable performance.

At 2560x1440, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best result is 50 FPS on Low, which is 10 FPS short of the target. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall further behind, with averages of 35, 31, and 27 FPS respectively. This resolution is not viable for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the situation is worse. The best result is 33 FPS on Low, which is roughly half of the playable threshold. Ultra settings average only 18 FPS, which is effectively a slideshow. This resolution should be avoided entirely with this hardware.

The data shows that the Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor. Its 9th percentile GPU ranking and benchmark scores comparable to the GeForce GT 710 make it unsuitable for demanding games at high resolutions. The Ryzen 7 5700 is not the issue, as its 78th percentile CPU ranking indicates ample processing power for this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, there is no preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. The best available average is 33 FPS on Low, which is far below the threshold. Users at this resolution would need to accept a sub-60 FPS experience, but even the most forgiving preset does not approach playable performance.

At 2560x1440, the same conclusion applies. No preset reaches 60 FPS. The Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is the highest recorded value at this resolution, but it remains below the playable threshold. The Medium preset averages 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS, and the High preset averages 31 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only option that clears 60 FPS, with an average of 65 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the threshold, with averages of 46, 41, and 36 FPS respectively. The gap between Low and Medium is substantial, so users should not expect to push settings higher without sacrificing playability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3311 out of 3720 tested combos in Control. This places it in the lower 11% of all combinations in the database. The rank reflects the GPU's severe performance limitation, as the CPU is capable but paired with a graphics solution that cannot keep up with the game's demands.

The ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data. A combo that cannot reach 60 FPS at 1440p on any preset, and can only reach 60 FPS at 1080p on Low, is naturally going to sit near the bottom of the distribution. The 409-combo gap between this system and the top of the list represents a wide chasm in practical gaming performance.

For context, the CPU alone ranks in the 78th percentile, which is respectable for a mid-range processor. The GPU, however, ranks in the 9th percentile, which drags the overall combo ranking down significantly. This imbalance is a classic case of a strong processor being held back by a weak graphics card.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 7640U has an average benchmark score of 25485, which is 0.1% lower than the Ryzen 7 5700. The AMD Ryzen 5 6600H scores 25550, which is 0.1% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 5825U scores 25446, which is 0.3% lower. The Intel Xeon D-2752TER scores 25530, which is 0.1% lower. These deltas are within measurement noise, so any of these CPUs would behave nearly identically in this game when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, which is 1.5% lower. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, which is 2.5% lower. The GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, which is 2.7% lower. These differences are small enough that swapping the Arc B390 for any of these GPUs would result in nearly the same frame rates in Control, meaning the overall experience would remain below the playable threshold at 1440p and 4K.

The practical takeaway is that this system's performance profile is defined by the GPU's limitations. Users with any of the listed rival GPUs would see similar results, and users with any of the listed rival CPUs would also see similar results, assuming the GPU remains the Arc B390. The bottleneck is consistent across the board.