Control

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Control with the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and Intel Arc B390 combination spans three resolutions and four quality presets. At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly below playable thresholds. The High preset averages 21 FPS, Low averages 33 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. No min or max values were recorded for High, Low, or Ultra at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates improve but remain modest. High averages 31 FPS, Low averages 50 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. As with 4K, the High, Low, and Ultra entries lack min and max readings.

At 1920x1080, the picture becomes more usable. High averages 41 FPS, Low averages 65 FPS, Medium averages 46 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS. The Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration across the entire test matrix that reaches the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 65 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 1080p is 19 FPS, which is the largest single-preset jump in the dataset.

Across all resolutions, the scaling pattern is consistent: Low is always the fastest preset, followed by High, then Medium, then Ultra. The ordering of High above Medium is noteworthy, as many games show Medium faster than High. In this dataset, High outperforms Medium by 3 FPS at 4K, by 4 FPS at 1440p, and by 5 FPS at 1080p. Ultra is the slowest preset at every resolution, trailing Low by 15 FPS at 4K, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 1080p.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited in Control. The Intel Arc B390, with its 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs, posts a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs in the database. The Ryzen 7 7700, by contrast, sits in the 87th percentile among CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18760 and a single-core score of 1930. The CPU is not the constraint here.

The resolution scaling tells the same story. Dropping from 3840x2160 to 2560x1440 at Low settings raises the average from 33 FPS to 50 FPS, a gain of 17 FPS, or roughly 52 percent. Dropping further to 1920x1080 at Low raises the average to 65 FPS, another 15 FPS, or 30 percent. This steep resolution scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario: as pixel count decreases, the graphics processor is freed up and frame rates climb sharply. A CPU-bound system would show far smaller gains from resolution reductions.

Preset scaling reinforces this interpretation. At 1920x1080, the spread from Low to Ultra is 29 FPS, with Low at 65 FPS and Ultra at 36 FPS. At 2560x1440, the spread is 23 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it is 15 FPS. The fact that preset changes have a larger absolute impact at lower resolutions suggests the GPU has headroom to respond to workload changes when pixel count is lower, again pointing to the GPU as the primary performance governor.

The Ryzen 7 7700 has 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 4 architecture, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Control is an action-adventure title from 2019 that does not demand extreme multi-threading. The 7700's single-thread performance, reflected in a Geekbench single-core score of 2525 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4063, is far beyond what this game needs at the frame rates this GPU can deliver. Even the most demanding preset at 1080p, Ultra at 36 FPS, leaves the CPU well below saturation. The data shows no scenario where the CPU's capabilities meaningfully influence the outcome.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 33 FPS, which is only 55 percent of the playable threshold. High sits at 21 FPS, Medium at 24 FPS, and Ultra at 18 FPS. The database records no playable settings for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar. Low averages 50 FPS, which is the best result, but it still falls 10 FPS short of the 60 FPS target. High averages 31 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. No preset at 1440p clears the playable threshold, so the database records no playable settings here either.

At 1920x1080, Low is the only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, with an average of 65 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution, and it is the sole playable configuration in the entire dataset. Medium averages 46 FPS, High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS, all below the 60 FPS line. The database lists Low as the best settings at 1080p, with an average FPS of 65.

For users who insist on 1440p or 4K, the data offers no playable path. The gap between 1440p Low at 50 FPS and the 60 FPS target is 10 FPS, and the gap between 4K Low at 33 FPS and the target is 27 FPS. These are not small margins that could be closed with minor tweaks; they represent fundamental performance shortfalls at those resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database's tested combinations for Control, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3311 out of 3720 tested combos. This places the combo in the bottom portion of the field, roughly in the 11th percentile of all tested systems. The ranking reflects the GPU's position in the overall hardware landscape: the Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU sits in the 87th percentile among all CPUs. The pairing of a high-end processor with a very low-end graphics solution produces a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics component.

The rank of 3311 out of 3720 means that 409 tested combinations performed worse, while 3310 performed better. In relative terms, this combo outperforms about 11 percent of tested systems in Control. That is a low standing, consistent with the measured frame rates: the only playable configuration is 1080p Low, and even that barely clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 5 FPS margin.

The percentile gap between the two components is stark. The CPU's 87th percentile standing and the GPU's 9th percentile standing create a 78-point spread, one of the larger imbalances visible in the database. In practical terms, this means the Ryzen 7 7700 is capable of far more than this GPU can deliver in a GPU-bound title like Control. The combo ranking captures this imbalance: the system performs like its weakest component, and that component is the Arc B390.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are all close in average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40048, a delta of 0.1 percent from the 7700's average of 40081. The Intel Core 5 221E scores 40144, a delta of negative 0.2 percent. The AMD Ryzen 9 270 scores 40246, a delta of negative 0.4 percent. The Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40313, a delta of negative 0.6 percent. All four rivals are within 0.6 percent of the 7700's average score, meaning any of them would produce nearly identical CPU-side behavior in Control. Since the game is GPU-bound with this graphics card, swapping the 7700 for any of these CPUs would not change the measured FPS in any meaningful way.

The GPU's nearest rivals are clustered even more tightly. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, a delta of 1.3 percent from the Arc B390's 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, a delta of 1.5 percent. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a delta of 2.5 percent. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a delta of 2.7 percent. These deltas are small in percentage terms, but the absolute scores are all extremely low. A user moving from the Arc B390 to a GT 710, for example, would see a 2.7 percent drop in GPU compute score, which would translate to slightly lower frame rates in Control at every resolution and preset. Conversely, the GT 520MX is 1.3 percent faster in the synthetic benchmark, which would produce marginally higher FPS in the game.

The practical takeaway is that the Arc B390 sits in a performance tier with several legacy NVIDIA parts, all of which would deliver similar Control frame rates. None of these alternatives would change the fundamental verdict: 1080p Low is the only playable configuration, and even that is borderline.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Control? The answer depends entirely on resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the answer is yes, but only with the Low preset. The recorded data shows 65 FPS average at 1080p Low, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by 5 FPS. Medium drops to 46 FPS, High to 41 FPS, and Ultra to 36 FPS, all below the threshold. The database's verdict for 1080p lists Low as the playable setting with 65 FPS at the best settings.

At 2560x1440, the answer is no. The best result is Low at 50 FPS, which falls 10 FPS short of the playable threshold. No settings are recorded as playable at this resolution. At 3840x2160, the answer is also no. The best result is Low at 33 FPS, which falls 27 FPS short. The database records no playable settings for either 1440p or 4K.

The system can run Control, but only in a narrow configuration: 1080p with Low quality settings. The GPU's 9th percentile standing among all GPUs, combined with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, makes higher presets or resolutions unattainable. The CPU is not the limiting factor; the Ryzen 7 7700 has ample headroom, as evidenced by its 87th percentile CPU ranking and strong single-thread scores. Users with 1080p monitors who are willing to accept Low settings will get a playable experience. Anyone targeting higher resolutions or higher quality presets would need a different GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Control?

A: The highest recorded average is 65 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Can this system run Control at 2560x1440?

A: No. The best result at 1440p is Low at 50 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The database records no playable settings for this resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX is 1.3 percent faster, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M is 1.5 percent faster, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5 percent slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 is 2.7 percent slower.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 the bottleneck in this system for Control?

A: No. The CPU sits in the 87th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 9th percentile. The frame rate scaling between resolutions indicates a GPU-bound scenario in Control.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems in Control?

A: The combination ranks 3311 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the bottom portion of the database.

Q: Which preset should be used at 1920x1080 for a playable experience?

A: Low is the only playable preset at 1080p, averaging 65 FPS. Medium averages 46 FPS, High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS, all below the 60 FPS threshold.