Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a compelling mid-range configuration for Control, a game known for its physics-heavy combat and atmospheric environments. The measured data reveals a system that is highly capable at 1080p, serviceable with compromises at 1440p, and largely outmatched at 4K. The benchmark results paint a clear picture of a GPU-bound experience at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strength ensures consistent frame pacing at lower settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides detailed average FPS figures, with minimum and maximum values for the Medium preset across all resolutions. These numbers offer a granular view of performance scaling.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest showing. The Low preset achieves an average of 101 FPS, indicating significant headroom for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 71 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS, showing a stable experience that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset is still playable, averaging 63 FPS. However, the Ultra preset falls short of the playable threshold, averaging only 55 FPS, which suggests that the transition from High to Ultra carries a substantial performance penalty.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve steepens. The Low preset remains fluid, averaging 76 FPS. The Medium preset dips to an average of 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, making it a borderline experience for those sensitive to frame drops. High settings average 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but potentially acceptable for slower-paced exploration. The Ultra preset averages just 42 FPS, indicating a significant visual quality cost at this resolution.

The 3840x2160 results show the Arc B570 struggling with the pixel count. The Low preset averages 51 FPS, which is tantalizingly close to 60 but not quite there. Medium settings drop the average to 36 FPS, with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 42 FPS, creating a noticeable stutter. High settings average 32 FPS, while Ultra falls to 28 FPS, making 4K gaming largely unplayable with this configuration. The data shows a consistent ~10-14 FPS drop for each step up in quality at 4K, with the gap between Low and Medium being particularly punishing.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark data positions both components in specific performance tiers. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals offer nearly identical performance: the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875 (a 0.2% delta), the Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70163 (a -0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515 (a 0.7% delta), and the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 69355 (a 0.9% delta). This indicates that any of these processors would deliver nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Control when paired with the same GPU, as the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios tested.

For the Intel Arc B570, the average benchmark score is 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest performance peers are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (score 20534, a 0.1% delta), the Intel Arc A750 (score 20582, a -0.1% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (score 20480, a 0.4% delta), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (score 20662, a -0.5% delta). The delta percentages are remarkably tight, all within 0.5% of each other. This suggests that swapping the Arc B570 for any of these alternatives would yield nearly identical FPS numbers in Control, meaning the gaming experience would be effectively the same across these GPUs. The data implies that the performance ceiling here is defined by the GPU tier, not the specific model.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data identifies the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset is the optimal choice, delivering an average of 63 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that clears the playable threshold. The Medium preset also qualifies with 71 FPS, but High offers better visuals while still maintaining smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the only playable preset is Low, which achieves an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset falls short at 54 FPS, so users must sacrifice significant visual fidelity to maintain a 60 FPS experience at this resolution. The jump from Low to Medium costs 22 FPS, which is a steep price for the graphical improvements.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The best option, Low, averages 51 FPS, which is below the playable mark. The verdict data confirms this, listing no playable settings for 4K. Users at this resolution would need to accept frame rates in the 30-50 FPS range, which may be tolerable for a narrative-driven game but is not ideal for action sequences.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Control at 1080p with high settings?*

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 63 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 55 FPS and is not recommended for consistent smoothness.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Low preset is the only option that maintains 60 FPS, averaging 76 FPS at 2560x1440. Medium settings drop to 54 FPS average with a 46 FPS minimum, so users must choose between visual quality and frame rate stability.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this configuration?

A: No preset achieves 60 FPS at 3840x2160. The Low setting averages 51 FPS, while Ultra drops to 28 FPS. The system is not suitable for 4K gaming in Control based on the measured data.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to the Intel Arc A750?

A: The two GPUs are nearly identical in performance. The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, while the Arc A750 scores 20582, a delta of only -0.1%. In Control, this would translate to a negligible difference in frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS on Medium settings at 1080p?

A: The minimum recorded FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 61 FPS, with an average of 71 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. This indicates a stable experience with no drops below the playable threshold.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with rivals like the Ryzen 9 7950X scoring within 0.7%. The FPS drops correlate with resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the Ryzen 7 9700F and the Arc B570 across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary constraint. The FPS difference between Low (101 FPS) and Ultra (55 FPS) is 46 FPS, demonstrating that the Arc B570's rendering capabilities limit the frame rate as visual quality increases. The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture, are more than sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution, as evidenced by the high frame rates at low settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU's workload increases significantly. The Low preset still achieves 76 FPS, but the scaling suggests the GPU is working harder to fill the extra pixels. The CPU's role diminishes further, as the frame rate differences between presets (34 FPS between Low and Ultra) are entirely attributable to GPU workload. The Ryzen 7 9700F's performance, which rivals the Core i7-14700K within 0.9%, ensures that no CPU-related stutters appear even when the GPU is stressed.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The average FPS across all presets (28-51) is well below what the CPU can deliver. The data shows that even the Low preset at 4K (51 FPS) performs worse than the Ultra preset at 1440p (42 FPS), indicating that pixel count is the dominant factor. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, reflected in its PassMark single-thread score of 4691, is irrelevant when the GPU is overwhelmed by the 4K resolution. The scaling between resolutions and presets confirms that the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus are taxed by higher resolutions, making the GPU the sole determinant of playability at 1440p and above.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9700F and Arc B570 ranks 2995 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This places the system in the lower half of the ranking, around the 19th percentile of all configurations tested. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the CPU is a top-tier part. The 3720 combos include systems with much more powerful GPUs, which explains the relatively low rank despite the CPU's strength.

The rank suggests that users with this combo will get a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p (with settings compromises), but the system is not competitive with high-end configurations. The data implies that the Arc B570 is the limiting factor in the combo's overall standing. A user looking to improve the rank would need to upgrade the GPU, as the Ryzen 7 9700F's 94th percentile CPU ranking shows it has headroom to support a more powerful graphics card.

The Verdict

Based on the measured data, this PC can run Control, but the experience varies dramatically by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with High settings achieving 63 FPS and Medium reaching 71 FPS. The verdict data confirms playable settings include High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best quality option that stays above 60 FPS. This is the sweet spot for this configuration.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable only on Low settings, which average 76 FPS. The verdict lists Low as the only playable preset. Users must accept significant visual compromises to maintain smooth gameplay, as Medium drops to 54 FPS. This resolution is a borderline case where the GPU's limitations become apparent.

At 3840x2160, the system fails to reach the 60 FPS threshold on any preset. The best average is 51 FPS on Low, which is below the playable mark. The verdict confirms no playable settings at 4K. Users attempting 4K will experience frame rates in the 28-51 FPS range, which is not recommended for an action game like Control.

In summary, the Ryzen 7 9700F + Arc B570 combo is a solid 1080p gaming machine for Control, a passable 1440p system with low settings, and not viable for 4K. The CPU provides ample performance, but the GPU's mid-range positioning defines the overall experience.