Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a stark example of GPU-bound performance in Control. The CPU is a high-end desktop part, while the GPU is an integrated-class solution with a 25 W TDP. The recorded data shows that this combination struggles to maintain a smooth experience at most settings, with the sole playable configuration being a near-miss at 1080p Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this combo are consistent across all resolutions: performance is low, and the gap between settings is narrow. At 4K (3840x2160), the frame rates are critically low. The High preset delivers an average of 19 FPS. Dropping to Medium yields an average of 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 25 FPS. The Low preset improves the average to 30 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls to 17 FPS. No settings at this resolution approach a playable level.

At 1440p (2560x1440), the situation improves only marginally. The High preset averages 28 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. The Low preset reaches an average of 45 FPS, which is the best result at this resolution. The Ultra preset drops to 25 FPS.

At 1080p (1920x1080), the results are closer to a usable threshold but still fall short. The High preset averages 37 FPS. Medium settings show an average of 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 32 FPS. The Low preset delivers an average of 59 FPS, which is the highest recorded average for this combination in the entire test suite.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is the definitive bottleneck in this pairing. The Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on Zen 4 architecture, a part that ranks in the 91st percentile among all tested CPUs. The Arc B370, by contrast, ranks in the 5th percentile among all tested GPUs. The frame rates in Control scale almost entirely with resolution and preset, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. Reducing the resolution from 4K to 1440p to 1080p produces a nearly linear increase in average FPS across all presets, which shows that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at every tested configuration.

The effect of the CPU can be inferred from the consistency of the frame pacing. The Medium presets at all three resolutions are the only settings with recorded minimum and maximum values, and the spread is narrow: 18-25 FPS at 4K, 27-37 FPS at 1440p, and 36-48 FPS at 1080p. This consistency, despite a powerful CPU, points to the GPU being the limiting factor. A weaker CPU would likely show greater variance and more pronounced frame drops, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU has more work relative to the GPU. The Ryzen 9 7900X, with its 64 MB of shared L3 cache and 5.60 GHz boost clock, is not the constraint here; the Arc B370 is.

The scaling between presets also reinforces this. At 1080p, the difference between Low (59 FPS) and Ultra (32 FPS) is 27 FPS. At 4K, the same preset range spans from 30 FPS to 17 FPS, a 13 FPS difference. The shrinking delta at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is saturated and cannot translate the lower graphical load of reduced presets into proportional frame rate gains. The CPU is waiting on the GPU at every step.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Control, this pairing ranks 3436 out of 3720 combinations. This places it in the lower tier of all recorded configurations, roughly in the 8th percentile of tested systems. The rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU, as the Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 places it far below most dedicated graphics cards. The Ryzen 9 7900X's high CPU percentile does little to lift the overall ranking because Control, like most action-adventure titles, is heavily dependent on the graphics solution.

The recorded data shows that this combo cannot reach the 60 FPS playability threshold at any resolution or preset. The best recorded average is 59 FPS at 1080p Low, which is 1 FPS short of the threshold. This near-miss is notable because it suggests that a minor GPU upgrade or a slight reduction in internal rendering resolution could cross the line, but as configured, the system falls short.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Ryzen 9 7900X are all high-end server or desktop processors, which confirms that the CPU is not the weak link. The AMD EPYC 7313P scores 0.2% higher, the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 0.3% lower, the Intel Xeon 634 scores 0.6% higher, and the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 0.6% lower. Any of these CPUs paired with the Arc B370 would produce near-identical results in Control, as the GPU would remain the limiting factor.

The GPU's nearest rivals paint a different picture. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 0.2% higher, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 0.5% higher, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 0.7% higher, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1.4% lower. These are all older, low-power parts from a different era. The data suggests that swapping the Arc B370 for any of these would result in a negligible change in Control's frame rates. The differences are within a rounding error of each other.

For a user with this CPU, the upgrade path is clear: the GPU must be replaced to achieve playable performance. The CPU has enough headroom to support a much faster graphics card, and the recorded data shows that the CPU's nearest rivals behave identically, which means the CPU choice is not the deciding factor in this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best average is 30 FPS at Low settings, which is the highest recorded value at this resolution. Medium settings average 21 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. None of these are playable.

At 2560x1440, the best average is 45 FPS at Low settings. Medium settings average 32 FPS, High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The 1440p Low setting is the only configuration at this resolution that approaches a console-like frame rate, but it still falls 15 FPS short of the playability threshold.

At 1920x1080, the best average is 59 FPS at Low settings. This is 1 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 42 FPS, High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS. The 1080p Low setting is the only configuration in the entire test suite that comes close to playable, but it does not clear the bar.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K?

A: No. The best average at 3840x2160 is 30 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 21 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 59, recorded at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is 1 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Control?

A: The GPU. The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 9 7900X ranks in the 91st percentile among CPUs. Frame rates scale with resolution and preset in a way that indicates the GPU is saturated.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: It ranks 3436 out of 3720 combos for Control, placing it in the lower tier of all recorded configurations.

Q: Would a different CPU with the same GPU perform better?

A: No. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD EPYC 7313P, score within 0.6% of the Ryzen 9 7900X. The GPU is the bottleneck, so a CPU change would not meaningfully alter frame rates.

Q: Is 1080p Low the best playable setting?

A: It is the best recorded setting, but it is not playable. It averages 59 FPS, which is 1 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. No setting at any resolution clears 60 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC cannot run Control at a playable level according to the recorded data. The verdict by resolution is clear: no playable settings exist at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, or 1920x1080. The best result is 59 FPS at 1080p Low, which is 1 FPS below the playable threshold. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 32 FPS, and the High preset averages 37 FPS. At 1440p, the best is 45 FPS on Low. At 4K, the best is 30 FPS on Low.

The Ryzen 9 7900X is more than capable for this game, but the Intel Arc B370 holds the system back. The data indicates that a GPU upgrade is required to reach 60 FPS. The 1080p Low result of 59 FPS suggests that even a modest GPU improvement would cross the threshold, but with the current hardware, the game is not playable at any tested configuration.