Control

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the Intel Arc B580 is a mid-pack combination for running Control, ranking 2816th out of 3720 tested combos. This places the combo in the lower half of tested systems, but the data shows it can still deliver a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p with the right settings. The ranking reflects a system that is capable but not exceptional for this title; it clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p on all presets and at 1440p on Medium, but struggles at 4K where no preset reaches the playable threshold. Benchmark results indicate that this is a solid pairing for mainstream gaming at standard resolutions, with the primary limitations emerging at ultra-high resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2816 out of 3720 tested systems places it in the 75th percentile of all tested combos for Control. This is a below-average standing, indicating that while the hardware is functional, many other combinations deliver higher frame rates in this specific game. The CPU itself is a strong performer in general benchmarks, sitting in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69996. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% higher score), Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% lower), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.7% higher), and Intel Core i7-14700K (0.9% higher). These close margins show the Ryzen 7 9700F is competitive with top-tier CPUs in raw compute, but this does not translate into a top-tier gaming rank for Control.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B580 holds a 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (0.2% lower score), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (0.6% higher), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (0.7% lower), and NVIDIA P106-100 (1% lower). The GPU’s mid-range standing is the limiting factor in this combo’s overall rank. The data suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck; rather, the Arc B580’s performance ceiling in Control restricts the system to lower resolution presets for smooth gameplay. The gap between the CPU’s elite percentile and the GPU’s mid-tier percentile explains why the combo ranks in the lower half—the GPU cannot fully utilize the CPU’s potential in this game.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the dominant factor as resolution increases, while the CPU’s role diminishes. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 114 FPS on Low, 81 FPS on Medium, 72 FPS on High, and 62 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 45.6%, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by higher settings. At this resolution, the CPU has ample headroom, as even the most demanding preset stays above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 86 on Low, 61 on Medium, 54 on High, and 47 on Ultra. The reduction from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 24.6%, while the 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra drop is 24.2%. This consistent scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint, as the CPU’s performance remains relatively constant across resolutions. The data shows that at 1440p, only Low and Medium presets maintain playable frame rates, with Medium at 61 FPS being the highest playable setting.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become severe. The system averages 58 FPS on Low, 41 FPS on Medium, 37 FPS on High, and 32 FPS on Ultra. No preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low is 32.6%, and from 1440p Medium to 4K Medium is 32.8%. This indicates that the GPU is the sole bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU’s role is negligible at such high pixel counts. The Arc B580’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K gameplay in Control, where the GPU’s shading units and texture units are overwhelmed.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 62 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data lists Ultra as the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Control?

A: The best resolution is 1920x1080, where all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium at 61 FPS being the best. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS.

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

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700KF, 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700K. These are all within a 1% margin.

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

A: The Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, 0.6% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, and 1% higher than the NVIDIA P106-100.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: The GPU is more important. The data shows that at 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 86 on Low to 47 on Ultra, a 45.3% reduction. This large spread indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU’s performance would not vary significantly with preset changes.

Q: What is the lowest playable setting at 4K?

A: None of the settings at 3840x2160 are playable. The highest average FPS at 4K is 58 on Low, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data confirms there are no playable settings at this resolution.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but the experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS on all presets, with Ultra at 62 FPS being the highest playable setting. This is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a fully playable experience even at maximum quality. At 2560x1440, the system is playable on Low (86 FPS) and Medium (61 FPS), but High (54 FPS) and Ultra (47 FPS) fall short of the threshold. The best setting at 1440p is Medium, which achieves 61 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system fails to reach 60 FPS on any preset, with the best being Low at 58 FPS. The verdict is clear: this combo is suitable for 1080p gaming with all settings, 1440p with reduced settings, and not suitable for 4K gaming in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are 114 FPS on Low, 81 FPS on Medium, 72 FPS on High, and 62 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS, indicating some frame time variance but maintaining playability throughout. The Low preset does not have reported min/max values, but the average is well above the threshold. The Ultra preset averages 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS line, suggesting occasional dips below 60 may occur, though the average remains playable.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 86 FPS on Low, 61 FPS on Medium, 54 FPS on High, and 47 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS, showing that while the average is playable, there are dips below 60 FPS. This makes Medium a borderline choice, as the minimum of 52 FPS could cause noticeable stuttering. The High preset at 54 FPS and Ultra at 47 FPS are both below the playable threshold, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 58 FPS on Low, 41 FPS on Medium, 37 FPS on High, and 32 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS, indicating significant frame rate drops even at this setting. None of these averages reach the 60 FPS threshold, and the low minimums confirm that 4K is not viable for this combo in Control. The data shows a clear degradation as resolution increases, with the GPU being the primary constraint.

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 setting for this resolution, as it delivers the highest visual quality while maintaining playability. High (72 FPS), Medium (81 FPS), and Low (114 FPS) are also playable, but Ultra offers the best balance of quality and performance.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is Medium, with an average of 61 FPS. While this clears the 60 FPS threshold, the minimum of 52 FPS indicates that some scenes may drop below playable levels. Low (86 FPS) is also playable and offers a smoother experience. High and Ultra are not recommended, as they average 54 FPS and 47 FPS respectively, both below the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable setting. The best average FPS is 58 on Low, which falls short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium (41 FPS), High (37 FPS), and Ultra (32 FPS) are all significantly below playable levels. The verdict data confirms that no settings at 4K are playable, meaning users should avoid this resolution for Control with this combo.