Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 is a combo that lands in the lower-middle tier for running Control, ranking 2995 out of 3720 tested combinations. This places it in the 80th percentile of worst-performing combos, meaning a significant majority of other tested systems deliver higher frame rates. The data indicates that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can comfortably handle high settings, but it falls short of the 60 FPS threshold at higher resolutions with more demanding presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2995 out of 3720 tested combos in the benchmark database for Control. This ranking places it in a decidedly lower tier of performance, indicating that while the hardware is capable, it is not optimized for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution play in this specific title. The data shows that this combo's performance is bottlenecked by the graphics card, not the processor. The CPU is a top-tier part, ranking in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This mismatch means the system's overall gaming performance is anchored by the GPU's capabilities, pulling the combo's ranking down.

With a playable threshold set at 60 FPS, the combo's performance is limited to lower resolutions. The system only achieves playable frame rates at 1440p with Low settings and at 1080p with Low, Medium, and High settings. It fails to reach 60 FPS at 4K on any preset, and it also misses the mark at 1440p on Medium, High, and Ultra presets. This rank indicates that users should temper their expectations. It is not a combo designed for maxing out game settings, but rather one that can provide a solid, playable experience when settings are adjusted appropriately. The performance data suggests a system that is more suited for competitive or high-frame-rate gaming on lower graphical fidelity settings, rather than a high-fidelity, high-resolution experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data clearly shows that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary component dictating performance in Control. The CPU and GPU roles are highly skewed, with the GPU being the limiting factor at all resolutions. This conclusion is drawn from the FPS data and the relative performance percentiles of the two components. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a high-end processor, but the Arc B570 is a mid-range GPU, and the benchmark results indicate the GPU reaches its limits before the CPU does.

This is most evident in the scaling between resolutions. As the resolution increases from 1080p to 1440p and to 4K, the average FPS drops significantly across all settings. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 63 at 1080p to 48 at 1440p, and then to 32 at 4K. This pattern is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU workload would be the same. The consistent scaling downward with increasing resolution directly points to the GPU being the performance ceiling.

The same pattern holds when comparing presets. Moving from Low to Medium, then High, and Ultra at a fixed resolution also shows a significant performance drop. At 1080p, the average FPS goes from 101 on Low to 71 on Medium, 63 on High, and 55 on Ultra. This further indicates that the GPU's processing capacity is being saturated as the graphical load increases. The CPU, with its high single-thread and multi-thread scores, is likely never a limiting factor in this title. It can feed frames to the GPU faster than the GPU can render them, meaning the user is always GPU-bound. The performance metrics show that the system's capability is directly tied to the GPU's limits, and any upgrade in the system should focus on the graphics card.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the measured FPS data, this combo's performance is best defined by its ability to hit 60 FPS or above. The highest preset that remains at or above the 60 FPS threshold at each resolution is as follows:

• 3840x2160 (4K): No preset is playable at this resolution. The highest average FPS achieved is 51 on Low settings, which still falls below the 60 FPS mark. All other presets (Medium, High, Ultra) are also below 60 FPS, with 32 FPS on High and 28 FPS on Ultra.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average FPS of 76. The next preset, Medium, drops to an average of 54 FPS, which is not playable. High and Ultra presets are lower, at 48 and 42 FPS respectively.
• 1920x1080 (1080p): The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average FPS of 63. The Medium preset averages 71 FPS, and the Low preset averages 101 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, which just misses the playable threshold.

The data indicates that a 4K resolution is not viable with this hardware, and 1440p is only viable with the lowest settings. For a smooth, 60+ FPS experience, 1080p is the sweet spot, where players can enjoy a high level of graphical detail. The difference between 1080p High and 1080p Ultra is 8 FPS, making the Ultra preset not worth the performance cost for the marginal visual improvement in this benchmark.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The hardware in this combo has very closely matched performance alternatives in the database, implying that users could expect nearly identical frame rates if swapping for these parts. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D's nearest rivals are all within a 2.1% performance delta. This means that the CPU is not a significant differentiator in this pairing, and any of these alternatives would perform similarly.

For the CPU, the following processors are the closest in performance:

• Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF: This is 0.6% slower than the Ryzen 9 9900X3D.
• Intel Core Ultra 5 245K: This is 1.3% faster than the Ryzen 9 9900X3D.
• Intel Xeon 6505P: This is 2% faster than the Ryzen 9 9900X3D.
• Intel Core i7-14700F: This is 2.1% faster than the Ryzen 9 9900X3D.

The GPU also has a very tight race for performance, with its closest rivals being within a 0.5% delta. This suggests that the GPU's performance is not unique, and these cards can be considered interchangeable for the purposes of this game.

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile: This is 0.1% faster than the Intel Arc B570.
• Intel Arc A750: This is 0.1% slower than the Intel Arc B570.
• NVIDIA Quadro M4000M: This is 0.4% faster than the Intel Arc B570.
• AMD Radeon R9 M390X: This is 0.5% slower than the Intel Arc B570.

Given these small deltas, a user with any of these alternative CPUs or GPUs could expect the exact same performance and the same limitations in Control. The bottleneck remains the GPU across the board, and these alternatives are all in the same performance class.

FAQ

Q: Can I run Control at 4K resolution with this hardware?

A: No. The benchmark data shows that at 4K resolution, the highest average FPS achieved is 51 on Low settings. The other presets are lower (36 on Medium, 32 on High, 28 on Ultra), all below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict for 4K is that no settings are playable.

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

A: The only preset that is playable at 1440p is Low, which achieves an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset drops to an average of 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The performance scaling between resolutions and presets shows that frame rates drop significantly as the resolution and graphical workload increase. The CPU is in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck.

Q: What is the highest FPS I can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS is achieved on the Low preset, with an average of 101 FPS. The High preset, which is the most demanding playable preset, averages 63 FPS.

Q: Are there other GPUs that would perform similarly to the Intel Arc B570 in this game?

A: Yes. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, Intel Arc A750, NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, and AMD Radeon R9 M390X are all very close in performance, with deltas of less than 0.5%. You would see essentially the same FPS with any of these.

Q: What is the performance ranking of this combo compared to all others?

A: This combination ranks 2995 out of 3720 tested combos for Control. This puts it in a lower tier, indicating that most other tested hardware configurations will deliver higher frame rates.

The Verdict

The data shows that this PC can run Control, but it is not a high-performance system for the game. The verdict is clear: 1080p is the only resolution where players can enjoy a High preset with a playable frame rate. At 1080p, the system achieves an average of 63 FPS on High settings, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset also performs well, at 71 FPS, and Low is for maximum performance at 101 FPS. The Ultra preset falls just below the threshold at 55 FPS.

At 1440p, the system can only play the game at Low settings, averaging 76 FPS. This is playable, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fail to reach 60 FPS, with averages of 54, 48, and 42 FPS respectively. For a better experience, users should stick to 1080p or accept the visual compromises at 1440p.

4K is not a viable option for this game with this hardware. No settings presets are playable, with the highest average FPS being 59 FPS on Low. The system is clearly not powerful enough for smooth 4K gaming. The verdict by resolution is that the system is only capable of a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p Low. It is a solid 1080p machine for this game, but it is not suited for higher resolutions.