Control

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the recorded data shows no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The strongest measured result at this resolution is Low settings with an average of 33 FPS, followed by Medium at 24 FPS, High at 21 FPS, and Ultra at 18 FPS. Since none of these clear the playable threshold, the database does not assign a best setting for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains below the target. Low settings produce an average of 50 FPS, Medium delivers 35 FPS, High reaches 31 FPS, and Ultra drops to 27 FPS. Again, no preset at this resolution maintains 60 FPS, so the verdict list contains no playable settings.

At 1920x1080, the database records one playable configuration. Low settings achieve an average of 65 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. This is the only preset at any resolution that stays at or above 60 FPS. Medium averages 46 FPS, High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS. The best settings for 1080p are therefore Low, with the measured average of 65 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern: the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component across all tested resolutions. The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs sits at 9, meaning it performs below the vast majority of graphics cards in the database. Its single recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it near the bottom of the GPU hierarchy.

Looking at the scaling between resolutions, the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior. Moving from 1920x1080 Low (65 FPS) to 2560x1440 Low (50 FPS) represents a 23% reduction in average FPS. The step from 2560x1440 Low to 3840x2160 Low (33 FPS) is a further 34% reduction. This steep decline as pixel count increases indicates the GPU is saturated early, and the CPU has little influence on the outcome.

The Intel Core i5-13400F, by contrast, ranks in the 77th percentile among all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and single-core score of 3191 are strong results for a desktop processor. The nearest CPU rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (average score 25284, delta 0%) and Intel Core 5 120 (average score 25362, delta -0.3%), show that this processor is competitive in synthetic workloads. However, these CPU strengths do not translate into higher frame rates in Control because the GPU cannot keep up.

The preset scaling reinforces this conclusion. At every resolution, the difference between Low and Ultra is substantial: at 1920x1080, the spread is 29 FPS (65 Low versus 36 Ultra); at 2560x1440, the spread is 23 FPS (50 Low versus 27 Ultra); at 3840x2160, the spread is 15 FPS (33 Low versus 18 Ultra). These gaps are typical of a GPU-bound scenario where reducing graphical quality directly increases throughput. If the CPU were the bottleneck, lowering settings would yield much smaller gains.

The CPU's role is therefore secondary. It provides enough headroom to feed the GPU at all tested settings, but the Arc B390's modest compute resources (1536 shading units, 7.680 TFLOPS FP32, 12 ray tracing cores) cap the achievable frame rates. The database records no configuration where the CPU becomes the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full set of measurements is as follows. Low settings average 65 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum values. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. High settings average 41 FPS, again without min/max data. Ultra settings average 36 FPS, also without min/max values. Only the Medium preset at 1080p includes the full range of recorded frames, showing a tight band from 40 to 53 FPS.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 50 FPS with no min/max recorded. Medium settings average 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. High settings average 31 FPS, and Ultra settings average 27 FPS, neither with min/max data. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a similar narrow band, from 30 to 40 FPS.

At 3840x2160, Low settings average 33 FPS with no min/max recorded. Medium settings average 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. High settings average 21 FPS, and Ultra settings average 18 FPS, neither with min/max data. The Medium preset at 4K shows the widest recorded range, from 20 to 27 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset is the only one that includes complete min/max data in the database. This allows for a direct comparison of frame time consistency: at 1080p Medium, the average of 46 FPS sits between 40 and 53 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the average of 35 FPS sits between 30 and 40 FPS; at 4K Medium, the average of 24 FPS sits between 20 and 27 FPS. The relative spread is consistent, suggesting no unusual frame pacing issues at any resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 60 FPS on a 1920x1080 monitor?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings. The database records an average of 65 FPS at 1080p Low, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. Medium (46 FPS), High (41 FPS), and Ultra (36 FPS) all fall below the target.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: There is no playable setting at 1440p. The highest recorded average is 50 FPS on Low, which is 10 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463, a delta of 1.3%. The GeForce 800M scores 1460 (delta 1.5%), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (delta 2.5%), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (delta 2.7%). The Arc B390 leads all of these, but the margins are small.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-13400F a strong performer relative to other CPUs?

A: The processor ranks in the 77th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS with an average score of 25284, a delta of 0%. The Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362 (delta -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 25365 (delta -0.3%). The Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201 (delta 0.4%). The i5-13400F is effectively tied with these alternatives.

Q: What are the frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: On Low settings, the average drops from 65 FPS at 1080p to 50 FPS at 1440p, then to 33 FPS at 4K. On Medium settings, the progression is 46 FPS, 35 FPS, and 24 FPS. On High settings, it is 41 FPS, 31 FPS, and 21 FPS. On Ultra, it is 36 FPS, 27 FPS, and 18 FPS.

Q: Does the database include minimum and maximum frame rates for all settings?

A: No. Only the Medium preset at each resolution includes full min/max data. At 1080p Medium, the range is 40 to 53 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 30 to 40 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 20 to 27 FPS. All other settings list only the average.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-13400F sits in a tight cluster of comparable CPUs. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS matches it almost exactly, with an average score of 25284 versus 25292, a delta of 0%. The Intel Core 5 120 is marginally ahead at 25362, a delta of -0.3%. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D also scores 25365, another -0.3% delta. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H trails slightly at 25201, a delta of 0.4%. For this game, any of these processors would deliver essentially identical CPU-side performance, meaning the GPU would remain the deciding factor.

The Intel Arc B390 has no close high-end comparisons. Its nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts with similar benchmark scores: the GeForce GT 520MX (1463, delta 1.3%), the GeForce 800M (1460, delta 1.5%), the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, delta 2.5%), and the GeForce GT 710 (1443, delta 2.7%). These GPUs would produce frame rates in Control that are statistically indistinguishable from the Arc B390, given the small deltas. In practical terms, a system with any of these GPUs paired with the i5-13400F would exhibit the same 1080p Low playability and the same shortfalls at higher resolutions.

The database places this combo at rank 3311 out of 3720 tested combinations. This position reflects the GPU's low percentile rank (9th) dragging down an otherwise capable CPU. A builder seeking better Control performance would need to look for a GPU with a higher benchmark score, as the CPU side is already adequate.

The Verdict

The database verdict is unambiguous: this PC can run Control at 1920x1080 on Low settings, where it records an average of 65 FPS. This is the only playable configuration across all tested resolutions and settings. At 2560x1440, no preset reaches 60 FPS; the best case is Low at 50 FPS. At 3840x2160, the best case is Low at 33 FPS, far below the threshold.

For a player targeting 1080p and willing to accept Low graphical quality, this system delivers a playable experience with a 5 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold. However, the margin is thin, and the recorded data shows that Medium settings drop the average to 46 FPS, which would introduce noticeable stutter during demanding scenes. At 1440p or 4K, the system is not viable for 60 FPS gameplay at any setting.

The GPU is the decisive component. With a percentile rank of 9 and a single 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, the Arc B390 is positioned far below the mainstream GPUs that would typically handle Control at higher settings. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking cannot compensate for this limitation. The verdict by resolution states: 1080p Low is playable, 1440p has no playable settings, and 4K has no playable settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 3311 out of 3720 tested combos in the database for Control. That places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, a position driven almost entirely by the GPU's low standing. The CPU is not the issue: the i5-13400F's nearest rivals all score within 0.4% of it, and the processor itself ranks above 77% of all CPUs. But the Arc B390's nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts with scores in the 1443 to 1463 range, and the GPU ranks below 91% of all GPUs.

The practical implication is that this combo is best suited for older or less demanding titles at 1080p with reduced settings. For Control specifically, the 1080p Low result of 65 FPS is the sole bright spot. The combo's rank reflects a significant mismatch: a modern 10-core, 16-thread CPU paired with a GPU that competes with hardware from a decade ago. Upgrading the GPU would move this system up the rankings substantially, while upgrading the CPU would yield no measurable benefit in this game.