Control

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the Intel Arc B390 sits at rank 3311 out of 3720 tested combinations in Control. This places the combo in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, a positioning that reflects the GPU's limited throughput rather than the CPU's capabilities. The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 lands it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D sits in the 87th percentile among all CPUs. The asymmetry is stark: a top-tier processor paired with a graphics solution that ranks near the bottom of the database.

Benchmark results confirm the GPU is the decisive constraint. The Arc B390 records a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, while its nearest GPU rivals cluster tightly around it: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% slower), the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% slower), the GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% slower), and the GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% slower). These deltas are small, indicating the Arc B390 occupies a narrow performance band with older entry-level discrete GPUs. The CPU, by contrast, has nearest rivals that are all within 0.8% of its average score, meaning the processor is not differentiating this combo from others in its class.

What does this mean for Control specifically? The recorded data shows the combo cannot reach 60 FPS at 1440p on any preset, and at 1080p only the Low preset clears the playable threshold. The ranking of 3311 out of 3720 reflects this reality: the system is positioned for low-resolution, low-detail gaming in this title. The CPU's headroom is effectively wasted in this pairing, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck at every measured setting.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The highest recorded average is 33 FPS at Low settings, with Medium at 24 FPS, High at 21 FPS, and Ultra at 18 FPS. The verdict data confirms no playable settings exist at this resolution. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is none, because the best average, 33 FPS at Low, falls far short of the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves slightly but remains below the 60 FPS target. Low settings produce 50 FPS, Medium 35 FPS, High 31 FPS, and Ultra 27 FPS. No preset reaches 60 FPS, so the verdict lists no playable settings. The closest approach is Low at 50 FPS, a 10 FPS gap from the playable threshold.

At 1920x1080, the system finally finds a playable configuration. Low settings deliver 65 FPS on average, clearing the 60 FPS threshold by 5 frames. Medium drops to 46 FPS, High to 41 FPS, and Ultra to 36 FPS. The best settings per resolution are therefore: 1080p Low at 65 FPS, and no playable preset at 1440p or 4K. The database's verdict assigns 1080p Low as the best settings with an average FPS of 65.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals which component dominates performance in Control. When moving from 1080p Low (65 FPS) to 1440p Low (50 FPS), the average drops by 15 FPS, a 23% reduction. From 1440p Low to 4K Low (33 FPS), the average drops by another 17 FPS, a 34% reduction. This progressive decline as resolution increases points to the GPU as the limiting factor: the Arc B390's fill rate and memory bandwidth, both system-dependent, cannot sustain higher pixel counts.

Preset scaling reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p, going from Low to Medium reduces the average from 65 to 46 FPS, a 19 FPS loss. Low to High drops from 65 to 41 FPS (24 FPS loss), and Low to Ultra drops from 65 to 36 FPS (29 FPS loss). At 1440p, Low to Medium drops from 50 to 35 FPS, Low to High from 50 to 31 FPS, and Low to Ultra from 50 to 27 FPS. At 4K, Low to Medium drops from 33 to 24 FPS, Low to High from 33 to 21 FPS, and Low to Ultra from 33 to 18 FPS. The consistent pattern, where each preset step costs roughly the same percentage regardless of resolution, indicates the GPU's fixed processing capacity is the bottleneck.

The CPU's role is harder to isolate because the measured data does not include CPU-bound scenarios. However, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's benchmark profile suggests it is not the constraint. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23230 and single-core score of 2080 place it far above what Control requires. The PassMark multithread score of 40009 and single-thread score of 4430 further confirm ample headroom. In this pairing, the CPU is effectively waiting on the GPU at every resolution and preset. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10081 and 2-thread score of 2394 show strong scaling, but none of that matters when the GPU cannot push frames fast enough.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest CPU rivals to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D are all within a narrow band. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40048, 0.7% higher than the 9800X3D's average of 39768. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 scores 40081, 0.8% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS scores 39603, 0.4% lower. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 scores 39485, 0.7% lower. For Control, swapping the CPU to any of these would produce virtually identical frame rates, since the GPU remains the bottleneck across all measured settings. The 0.4% to 0.8% deltas are within measurement noise for this game.

The GPU's nearest rivals tell a more consequential story. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX is 1.3% slower, the GeForce 800M is 1.5% slower, the GT 625 OEM is 2.5% slower, and the GT 710 is 2.7% slower. These are all older entry-level parts, and their proximity to the Arc B390 means a system with any of these GPUs and a similar CPU would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control. The 1080p Low average of 65 FPS would likely shift by only 1 to 2 frames with these alternatives. Below 60 FPS at 1440p and 4K would remain the norm.

The practical implication is that users seeking better Control performance should look beyond CPU swaps. The data shows no CPU in the nearest rival group would change the outcome. A GPU upgrade would be required to move the needle, but the database does not list any faster alternatives in this GPU's rival group.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded averages are as follows: Low 33 FPS, Medium 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 and maximum of 27, High 21 FPS, and Ultra 18 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with min and max values recorded, showing a narrow 7 FPS range. The other presets have no min or max data, so only averages are available.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 50 FPS, Medium 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 and maximum of 40, High 31 FPS, and Ultra 27 FPS. The Medium preset again shows a 10 FPS range between min and max, which is wider than at 4K. The gap between Low and Medium is 15 FPS, the largest step at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, Low averages 65 FPS, Medium 46 FPS with a minimum of 40 and maximum of 53, High 41 FPS, and Ultra 36 FPS. The Medium preset shows a 13 FPS range. The 1080p Low result is the only measurement in the entire dataset that exceeds 60 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p spans 29 FPS, from 65 down to 36.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently delivers the highest frame rates, and the gap between Low and Medium is larger than the gap between Medium and High or High and Ultra. At 4K, the Low to Medium drop is 9 FPS, Medium to High is 3 FPS, and High to Ultra is 3 FPS. At 1440p, Low to Medium drops 15 FPS, Medium to High 4 FPS, and High to Ultra 4 FPS. At 1080p, Low to Medium drops 19 FPS, Medium to High 5 FPS, and High to Ultra 5 FPS. The diminishing returns at higher presets are consistent across resolutions.

The Verdict

The data answers clearly: this PC can run Control, but only at 1080p with Low settings. The verdict by resolution lists 1920x1080 as playable with Low settings at 65 FPS average. No other resolution or preset clears the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the best average is 50 FPS at Low, which falls short. At 3840x2160, the best average is 33 FPS at Low, far short of playable.

For users targeting 1080p, the Low preset is the only viable option, and it barely clears the threshold with 5 FPS to spare. Frame drops are not recorded for Low at 1080p, but the Medium preset at the same resolution shows a minimum of 40 FPS, suggesting that frame pacing at Low could dip below 60 even if the average is above it. The lack of min/max data for the 1080p Low preset leaves some uncertainty about the worst-case experience.

At 1440p and 4K, the answer is unambiguous: the system cannot run Control at playable frame rates. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with its nearest rivals being GT 710-class parts, explains this outcome. The CPU's 87th percentile ranking is irrelevant here. The verdict is simple: 1080p Low is the ceiling for this combination.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 60 FPS on a 1080p monitor?

A: Yes, but only with Low settings. The measured average at 1920x1080 Low is 65 FPS, which is 5 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 1440p?

A: There is no playable preset at 2560x1440. The highest average is 50 FPS at Low settings, which falls 10 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the 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% slower, the GeForce 800M is 1.5% slower, the GT 625 OEM is 2.5% slower, and the GT 710 is 2.7% slower.

Q: Would a different CPU improve frame rates in Control?

A: No. The nearest CPU rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 at 0.8% higher average score and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 at 0.7% lower, would produce nearly identical results. The GPU is the bottleneck at all measured settings.

Q: What are the frame rates at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Medium, 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.

Q: Is there any preset at 4K that reaches 60 FPS?

A: No. The highest 4K average is 33 FPS at Low settings. Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. None approaches 60 FPS.