Control

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B390 combination covers three resolutions and four quality presets, with average frame rates ranging from 18 FPS at 4K Ultra to 65 FPS at 1080p Low. The measurements show a consistent pattern: this system is only capable of delivering a smooth experience at the lowest preset on the lowest resolution tested.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are uniformly below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Low preset delivers an average of 33 FPS, which is the best result at this resolution. Medium drops to 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. High produces 21 FPS on average, while Ultra bottoms out at 18 FPS. None of these settings approach a playable level, and the gap between Low and Ultra is 15 FPS, a 45% reduction in performance when moving from the least to the most demanding preset.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves somewhat but remains far from the 60 FPS target. Low averages 50 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution to exceed half the playability threshold. Medium averages 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. High drops to 31 FPS, and Ultra falls to 27 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 23 FPS reduction, meaning the most demanding preset delivers only 54% of the performance of the least demanding one.

At 1920x1080, the system finally crosses the 60 FPS line, but only at the Low preset, which averages 65 FPS. Medium averages 46 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 29 FPS, a 45% performance penalty for enabling the highest quality settings. Notably, even at 1080p, no preset other than Low stays consistently above 60 FPS, and the Medium preset's maximum of 53 FPS falls short of the threshold.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average frame rate across all presets is 33 FPS at Low settings. Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. All results are far below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: There is no playable setting at 2560x1440. The highest average frame rate at this resolution is 50 FPS at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS.

Q: Is 1080p playable on this hardware?

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system averages 65 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 46 FPS, High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS, none of which are playable.

Q: How much performance does the Ultra preset cost compared to Low?

A: At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 36 FPS versus 65 FPS at Low, a 29 FPS reduction. At 1440p, Ultra averages 27 FPS versus 50 FPS at Low, a 23 FPS reduction. At 4K, Ultra averages 18 FPS versus 33 FPS at Low, a 15 FPS reduction.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates at Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 20 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 30 FPS. At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum is 40 FPS. These minima represent the lowest recorded frame rates during the benchmark run.

Q: Does the system ever exceed 60 FPS at any setting above Low?

A: No. The only preset with an average above 60 FPS is 1920x1080 Low at 65 FPS. The highest average for any other preset is 50 FPS at 1440p Low, and the highest maximum recorded is 53 FPS at 1080p Medium.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data indicates that for each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS on average is the Low preset at 1920x1080, which achieves 65 FPS. This is the only configuration in the entire measurement set that meets the playability threshold.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best average is 33 FPS at Low, but this is below the threshold, so there is no recommended setting. Similarly, at 2560x1440, the best average is 50 FPS at Low, which also falls short. For users who must run at these higher resolutions, the Low preset is the least demanding and yields the highest frame rate, but it does not deliver playable performance.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only option that clears 60 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all average below the threshold, with 46, 41, and 36 FPS respectively. The recommendation is therefore straightforward: run at 1080p with Low settings for a smooth experience, or accept lower frame rates at higher quality presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU benchmarks place the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X in a specific performance band, with an average benchmark score of 53288. Its nearest rivals in the database are the AMD EPYC 7313P, which scores 53206 and is 0.2% slower, and the Intel Xeon Phi 7290, which scores 53469 and is 0.3% faster. The Intel Xeon 634 scores 52974 and is 0.6% slower, while the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53620 and is 0.6% faster. These deltas are small, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in this game when paired with the same GPU.

The GPU side tells a different story. The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all NVIDIA parts from older generations: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 and is 1.3% slower, the GeForce 800M scores 1460 and is 1.5% slower, the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 and is 2.5% slower, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 and is 2.7% slower. The performance differences among these GPUs are minimal, so swapping the Arc B390 for any of these would yield similar frame rates in Control, all of which would be well below the playable threshold at most settings.

Given that the GPU is the limiting factor, users with any of these rival GPUs paired with the Ryzen 9 7900X should expect comparable results to the measurements recorded here. The CPU's performance headroom is not the bottleneck; the GPU's low percentile ranking dictates the overall frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals which component dominates performance in this game. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 18 FPS at Ultra to 33 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, the range is 27 FPS at Ultra to 50 FPS at Low. At 1920x1080, the range is 36 FPS at Ultra to 65 FPS at Low. The consistent pattern is that resolution changes have a significant impact on frame rates, while preset changes also matter substantially.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 9 indicates it is a very low-performing part relative to the database. The measured frame rates are consistent with this ranking: even at 1080p Low, the system only achieves 65 FPS, and at higher presets or resolutions, it falls below 60 FPS. The CPU, by contrast, ranks in the 91st percentile, meaning it is far more capable. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 29300 and a Geekbench multicore score of 19267, suggest it has ample headroom for gaming workloads.

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely not fully utilized because the GPU limits the frame rate to 65 FPS. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes even more saturated, and the frame rate drops further. The CPU's role is therefore secondary; it is capable of feeding the GPU with draw calls and game logic, but the GPU cannot render frames quickly enough to take advantage of the CPU's power.

At higher presets, the gap between resolutions narrows in percentage terms. For example, at Low, 4K (33 FPS) is 49% of 1080p (65 FPS). At Ultra, 4K (18 FPS) is 50% of 1080p (36 FPS). This suggests that the GPU is equally strained by resolution increases regardless of preset, reinforcing the conclusion that the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's performance is sufficient for this game, but the GPU's low throughput prevents playable frame rates at most configurations.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B390 combination can run Control at 1920x1080 with Low settings, achieving an average of 65 FPS. This is the only configuration in the measurement set that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. All other presets at 1080p, including Medium (46 FPS), High (41 FPS), and Ultra (36 FPS), fall below 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, no preset is playable. The best average is 50 FPS at Low, which is 10 FPS short of the threshold. Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse: Low averages 33 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS.

The verdict is clear: this system can run the game only at 1080p Low with acceptable performance. Users seeking higher resolutions or quality settings would need a more powerful GPU, as the CPU is not the limiting factor. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking underscores its inability to handle demanding configurations of this game.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3311 out of 3720 combinations for Control. This places it in the lower 11% of all tested systems, reflecting the GPU's weak performance despite the CPU's strength.

The rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU. The Ryzen 9 7900X is a high-end processor, but the Arc B390's 9th percentile standing among GPUs means that the overall system is constrained to low frame rates. The combination's rank of 3311 out of 3720 is consistent with the measured FPS data: only one configuration (1080p Low) reaches 60 FPS, and all others fall short.

For context, this rank means that the vast majority of tested combinations outperform this system in Control. The combination is suitable for 1080p Low gaming at best, and it is not competitive with systems that feature mid-range or high-end GPUs. The CPU's performance is largely wasted in this pairing, as the GPU cannot deliver the frame rates that the processor is capable of supporting.