Control

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a compelling mid-range combination for playing Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. Data measured for this specific combo shows that at 1920x1080, the system delivers smooth performance across all tested presets, with the Ultra preset averaging 62 FPS. At 2560x1440, the system remains playable up to Medium settings, while 4K (3840x2160) proves too demanding for a consistent 60 FPS experience at any preset. The CPU is a high-end 16-core, 24-thread Raptor Lake part that ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is a mid-range Battlemage architecture card ranking in the 68th percentile among GPUs.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 all four tested presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages 62 FPS, while Low reaches 114 FPS, Medium hits 81 FPS, and High achieves 72 FPS.

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

A: The best settings that stay at or above 60 FPS are Medium, which averages 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. Low is also playable at 86 FPS, but High (54 FPS) and Ultra (47 FPS) fall below the threshold.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580 a bottleneck at 3840x2160?

A: The data shows no preset at 4K reaches 60 FPS. Low averages 58 FPS, Medium 41 FPS, High 37 FPS, and Ultra 32 FPS. This indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, as even the lowest settings fail to hit the target.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3% delta). It is slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654, +0.5% delta) and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653, +0.5% delta).

Q: What GPU alternatives perform similarly to the Arc B580?

A: The Arc B580’s average benchmark score of 23021 is closely matched by the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23061, -0.2% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (23172, -0.7% delta), and the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, -1% delta). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895) is slightly slower with a +0.6% delta for the Arc.

Q: Does the combo’s rank in the database indicate good overall performance?

A: The combo ranks 2816 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of all tested systems. This rank reflects the GPU’s mid-range standing rather than the CPU, which is in the top 11% of all CPUs.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, averaging 62 FPS. This makes Ultra the clear choice for full visual fidelity at 1080p, as there is no performance penalty significant enough to require dropping to High, which averages 72 FPS. Medium averages 81 FPS and Low averages 114 FPS, but these are unnecessary compromises given the Ultra result.

For 2560x1440, the best playable settings are Medium, which averages 61 FPS. This preset provides a balance between visual quality and frame rate, with a minimum of 52 FPS indicating some dips below 60 during intense scenes. Low is also viable at 86 FPS, but High (54 FPS) and Ultra (47 FPS) are not playable under the 60 FPS rule.

At 3840x2160, no preset meets the 60 FPS requirement. The closest is Low at 58 FPS, which is technically below the threshold. Medium (41 FPS), High (37 FPS), and Ultra (32 FPS) all fall significantly short. Therefore, 4K gaming is not recommended with this combo for a smooth experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component importance as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the GPU handles the load well across all presets, with the CPU’s strength allowing the Arc B580 to push frame rates from 62 FPS at Ultra up to 114 FPS at Low. The scaling from Low to Ultra (114 to 62 FPS) shows a 45% performance drop, indicating the GPU is doing most of the work but the CPU is not holding it back at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to dominate the performance equation. The Low preset drops from 114 FPS at 1080p to 86 FPS, a 25% reduction, while Medium falls from 81 to 61 FPS (25% reduction), and High falls from 72 to 54 FPS (25% reduction). This consistent ratio suggests the GPU is the primary limiter, as the CPU’s workload does not change significantly with resolution. The fact that Ultra drops from 62 to 47 FPS (24% reduction) further confirms this pattern.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The Low preset averages 58 FPS, which is only 33% lower than the 1080p Low result of 114 FPS, but the absolute numbers are all below 60 FPS. The Ultra preset collapses to 32 FPS, a 48% drop from 1080p Ultra. The CPU’s role is minimal here; even with a top-tier processor like the i7-13700K, the Arc B580 cannot render Control at 4K smoothly. The measured FPS data shows no preset at 4K clears the playable threshold, highlighting that the GPU’s 12 GB memory and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for this resolution in this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-13700K’s nearest rivals based on average benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, both within 0.3% of the Intel part’s 46881 score. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 are also extremely close, with scores of 46654 and 46653 respectively, representing a 0.5% delta. In practical terms, all four alternatives would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Control at any resolution, meaning users with these CPUs would see the same GPU-bound performance patterns described above.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B580’s nearest rivals are a diverse group. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP has a score of 23061, just 0.2% higher than the Arc, making it a direct performance equivalent. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, which is 0.7% higher, while the NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, 1% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is slightly slower at 22895, with the Arc B580 being 0.6% faster. For Control specifically, these alternatives would produce FPS numbers within a few frames of the Arc B580 at each preset and resolution, meaning the same 1080p Ultra (62 FPS) and 1440p Medium (61 FPS) recommendations would apply, and 4K would remain unplayable.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i7-13700K and Arc B580 ranks 2816 out of 3720 tested combos in the database, placing it in the 24th percentile of all systems. This rank is heavily influenced by the GPU, as the CPU alone ranks in the 89th percentile. The modest ranking reflects the Arc B580’s mid-range position (68th percentile among GPUs) and its inability to drive high frame rates at higher resolutions. In comparison to other combos with similar CPUs, this pairing would likely rank lower than systems equipped with faster GPUs, as the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor in Control at any resolution. The rank suggests that while this system is perfectly capable at 1080p and acceptable at 1440p, it is not a top-tier performer for demanding titles at high resolutions.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control at 60 FPS at both 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, but not at 3840x2160. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS on all four presets, with Ultra averaging 62 FPS, providing the best visual experience. At 2560x1440, the system is playable on Low (86 FPS) and Medium (61 FPS), with Medium being the recommended setting for a balance of quality and performance. The data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160, as even Low falls to 58 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold. For gamers targeting 1080p, this combo is fully capable of running Control at maximum settings. For 1440p, Medium is the ceiling for a smooth experience, and 4K is not viable. The verdict is straightforward: the Intel Core i7-13700K provides ample processing power, but the Intel Arc B580 defines the system’s limits, making it a solid 1080p and entry-level 1440p solution for this title.