Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers playable performance in Control only at 1080p on Low settings, according to the recorded measurements. At every other resolution and preset combination, the system falls short of the 60 FPS threshold, making this combo a strictly entry-level option for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the system struggles across all presets. On Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 18 FPS. High settings produce a 21 FPS average, while Medium improves slightly to 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. Low settings yield the best result at this resolution, with an average of 33 FPS, but that still falls far below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data shows a clear pattern: even the lowest preset cannot bring 4K performance into a comfortable range.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains inadequate for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings average 27 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Medium averages 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. Low settings reach an average of 50 FPS, which is the closest this combo gets to playability at 1440p, yet it still misses the 60 FPS mark by a significant margin. The recorded numbers indicate that no preset at this resolution can sustain a consistent 60 FPS experience.

At 1920x1080, the results finally show one viable configuration. Low settings produce an average of 65 FPS, which clears the playable threshold. Medium settings drop to 46 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS, High settings average 41 FPS, and Ultra settings average 36 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is substantial, with a 19 FPS difference in averages, indicating that the system has very little headroom once the preset level increases.

The measured data also shows the scaling pattern across resolutions for each preset. For Low settings, the average FPS drops from 65 at 1080p to 50 at 1440p, then to 33 at 4K. For High settings, the progression is 41, 31, and 21 FPS across the same resolutions. Medium settings follow a similar curve at 46, 35, and 24 FPS, while Ultra settings go from 36, to 27, to 18 FPS. Each resolution step roughly halves the performance headroom, and the only preset that ever exceeds 60 FPS is Low at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this CPU and GPU combination at 3311 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. That places it in the lower portion of the rankings, specifically in the 11th percentile of all tested configurations. The percentile ranking reflects the hardware's overall capability in this title, and the measured FPS data confirms that the combo sits well below the median experience.

This low rank aligns with the GPU's position in the broader benchmark database. The Intel Arc B390 holds the 9th percentile among all GPUs, meaning it outperforms only a small fraction of the hardware pool. The CPU, by contrast, ranks in the 81st percentile among all processors, showing that the processor is far more capable than the graphics component in this pairing. The combo rank in Control, at roughly the 11th percentile, tracks closely with the GPU's weak standing rather than the CPU's strong one.

In practical terms, this means the system will be outclassed by most other configurations in the database when running Control. The 3311th position out of 3720 combos indicates that the vast majority of tested hardware setups deliver better frame rates in this game. For a player expecting smooth performance at higher resolutions or preset levels, this ranking serves as a clear warning.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor in this pairing for Control. The GPU's benchmark score in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This extremely low graphical performance explains why the system struggles so heavily at higher resolutions and preset levels.

The CPU, on the other hand, is a strong performer. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X scores 15476 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1574.5 in single-core, with a multithread score of 27732 in PassMark. These figures place it in the 81st percentile among all CPUs. The processor's capabilities are far above what the GPU can feed, meaning the bottleneck sits entirely on the graphics side.

The scaling between resolutions provides evidence for this conclusion. When moving from 1080p to 1440p on Low settings, the average FPS drops from 65 to 50, a 23% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K on the same preset drops the average from 50 to 33, a 34% reduction. These large drops as resolution increases are characteristic of a GPU-bound system, where the graphics card cannot keep pace with the increasing pixel count.

The preset scaling tells the same story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces the average from 65 to 46 FPS, a 29% decrease. From Medium to High, the average drops from 46 to 41 FPS, an 11% decrease. From High to Ultra, it drops from 41 to 36 FPS, a 12% decrease. The GPU's limited shading units, 1536 total, and its modest 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput constrain performance across all settings.

The CPU contributes little to the frame rate variation in this game. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, the Ryzen 7 5800X has ample processing power for Control's demands. The game's action-adventure gameplay does not appear to stress the processor to any meaningful degree, as evidenced by the consistent GPU-bound behavior across all tested configurations.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but only at 1080p on Low settings. The recorded data shows an average of 65 FPS at that configuration, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the sole playable setting combination across all three tested resolutions.

At 2560x1440, no preset achieves playable performance. The best result is 50 FPS on Low settings, which falls short of the threshold. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse, with the best result being 33 FPS on Low settings. The verdict by resolution lists no playable settings for either 1440p or 4K.

For players who prioritize frame rate over visual quality, the 1080p Low configuration is the only viable option. The system delivers a playable experience there, though the margin above 60 FPS is modest. For anyone hoping to play at higher resolutions or with better visual fidelity, this hardware combination will not meet the 60 FPS standard.

The GPU's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs makes this outcome predictable. The system performs as expected given the graphics hardware, and the CPU's strength does not compensate for the GPU's limitations in this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Arc B390 in the database are all NVIDIA GPUs with very similar average benchmark scores. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390's 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, a 1.5% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a 2.5% difference, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a 2.7% difference.

These four GPUs would behave similarly to the Arc B390 in Control, based on their close benchmark scores. The performance deltas are all within 3% of the Arc B390's score, indicating that the gameplay experience would be nearly identical. Players with any of these GPUs should expect the same limitation: playable performance only at 1080p Low settings.

On the CPU side, the Ryzen 7 5800X has nearest rivals with equally close scores. The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H scores 29093, a 0.1% difference from the Ryzen 7 5800X's 29123 average benchmark score. The Intel Xeon Phi 7210 scores 29245, a 0.4% difference, while the Intel Core i5-13500HX scores 29270, a 0.5% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT scores 28940, a 0.6% difference.

These CPU alternatives would deliver essentially the same frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU. Since the system is GPU-bound in this game, the CPU differences would have negligible impact on the measured performance. The data suggests that the choice among these processors would not change the playability verdict for this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 65 FPS. This is the only preset at any resolution that meets the playable threshold. Medium settings at 1080p average 46 FPS, which is below 60, so they cannot be recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, no preset achieves 60 FPS, so there is no recommended configuration. The closest option is Low settings at 50 FPS average, but that still falls short of playable performance. Players at this resolution would need to accept reduced performance or consider different hardware.

At 3840x2160, the same conclusion applies: no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings produce the best average at 33 FPS, but this is far from playable. The hardware simply does not have the graphical throughput to handle 4K in Control.

For the single playable configuration, 1080p Low, the measured average of 65 FPS provides a modest cushion above the 60 FPS line. The absence of minimum FPS data for this specific configuration means the frame pacing consistency cannot be fully assessed, but the average suggests a generally playable experience. Players using this combo should set the resolution to 1920x1080 and the preset to Low to achieve the best possible performance in Control.