Control

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a striking contrast in Control. The CPU is a high-end desktop part, while the GPU is an integrated solution with modest capabilities. The benchmark data shows that this combination struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at higher resolutions and settings, with only the lowest settings at 1080p crossing the 60 FPS threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded measurements for Control cover three resolutions and four quality presets. At 3840x2160, the frame rates are consistently low. The High preset averages 21 FPS. Dropping to Medium settings yields an average of 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. The Low preset improves the average to 33 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls to 18 FPS. None of these 4K results approach a playable level.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains below the playable threshold. The High preset records an average of 31 FPS. Medium settings average 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. The Low preset reaches 50 FPS on average, a significant jump from the 33 FPS seen at 4K Low. The Ultra preset averages 27 FPS. Even the best 1440p result, 50 FPS on Low, falls short of the 60 FPS target.

At 1920x1080, the results are the strongest of the three resolutions. The Low preset achieves an average of 65 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset to clear the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset averages 46 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. The High preset averages 41 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 36 FPS. The scaling from 1440p Low to 1080p Low, from 50 FPS to 65 FPS, shows a 15 FPS gain, a 30% improvement. The gap between 1080p High and 1080p Low is 24 FPS, indicating that settings have a substantial impact on performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data clearly indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor in this configuration for Control. The CPU, an Intel Core i7-14700K with 20 cores and 28 threads, is far more capable than what this workload demands. The GPU, with its integrated design and system-shared memory, is the bottleneck at every resolution and preset combination.

The evidence for this lies in the scaling between settings and resolutions. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium drops the average FPS from 65 to 46, a reduction of 19 FPS. Moving from Medium to High drops it further to 41 FPS, and High to Ultra drops it to 36 FPS. This severe sensitivity to graphical settings is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the constraint, the frame rates would remain more stable across different quality presets, as the CPU workload would not change as dramatically.

The resolution scaling reinforces this conclusion. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 65 at 1080p, to 50 at 1440p, to 33 at 4K. This is a clear pattern of performance declining as the pixel count increases, which is the direct result of the GPU having to render more pixels. The Arc B390's compute capabilities, rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32, are simply insufficient for the demands of Control at higher resolutions.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database are all older, low-end parts. It scores 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. These are all entry-level GPUs from previous generations. This positioning confirms that the Arc B390 is not designed for demanding games like Control at high settings.

The CPU, on the other hand, sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 9115, which is 0.1% faster on average, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which is 0.2% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which is 0.7% faster. The Ryzen 7 9700F is 0.9% faster. These are all high-end server or desktop processors. The i7-14700K's performance is more than adequate for Control; the limitation is entirely on the graphics side.

The data shows that the CPU is never the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is working the least, the system still only manages 65 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we might expect to see a ceiling around that level regardless of resolution. Instead, the FPS drops consistently with resolution, which means the GPU is running out of headroom at each step. The system-shared memory and low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s further constrain the GPU.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Control at 4K?

A: No. The recorded data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The best average FPS at 4K is 33 FPS on the Low preset, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset averages only 18 FPS.

Q: What is the best performance this combination can achieve?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 65 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only configuration that meets the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How much of a difference does the Low preset make at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 65 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 46 FPS. This is a 19 FPS difference, or roughly a 41% improvement in average frame rate when using Low settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the Intel Core i7-14700K ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, indicating the GPU is unable to keep up with the rendering demands.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 30 and the maximum FPS is 40, with an average of 35 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. These are all low-end GPUs, and the differences are minimal.

The Verdict

This PC can run Control, but only under very specific conditions. The verdict by resolution is clear. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings; the best average is 33 FPS on Low, which is far from smooth. At 2560x1440, there are also no playable settings; the best average is 50 FPS on Low, still 10 FPS short of the 60 FPS target. At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only playable option, with an average of 65 FPS. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets at 1080p all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 46, 41, and 36 FPS respectively.

The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS in the database. With this setup, a user must accept 1080p resolution and the Low preset to achieve that target. The margin is slim, with the average of 65 FPS being only 5 FPS above the threshold. Any demanding scene in Control could easily push the frame rate below 60 FPS, as the minimum FPS data for other presets shows significant dips. For example, at 1080p Medium, the minimum recorded FPS is 40, which is a 13 FPS drop from the average of 46.

The Ultra preset is not viable at any resolution. At 1080p it averages 36 FPS, at 1440p it averages 27 FPS, and at 4K it averages 18 FPS. The High preset is also not viable, failing to reach 60 FPS at any resolution. The GPU's low performance percentile, 9th out of all GPUs, makes it clear that this is not a gaming-oriented part.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Arc B390 provide a reference point for what to expect from similar hardware. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX is 1.3% slower, the GeForce 800M is 1.5% slower, the GT 625 OEM is 2.5% slower, and the GT 710 is 2.7% slower. These GPUs would all deliver near-identical performance in Control, meaning they would also struggle to reach 60 FPS except at 1080p Low. A user with any of these GPUs should expect the same limitations.

On the CPU side, the Intel Core i7-14700K has rivals that are extremely close in performance. The AMD EPYC 9115 is 0.1% faster, the Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.2% faster, the Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.7% faster, and the Ryzen 7 9700F is 0.9% faster. These differences are negligible for gaming. Any of these CPUs paired with the Arc B390 would produce nearly identical frame rates in Control, as the CPU is not the limiting factor. The bottleneck remains the GPU in all cases.

The data suggests that swapping the CPU for any of these near-identical alternatives would not change the outcome. The frame rates would still be constrained by the Arc B390. The performance of this combination is defined almost entirely by the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3311th out of 3720 tested combinations in the database for Control. This places it in the lower portion of all tested systems, below the median. The rank reflects the overall gaming performance of the pair, and the low GPU percentile dominates the result.

The ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's limited capabilities. While the CPU is a top-tier part, the GPU brings the overall performance down. The 3311th rank out of 3720 means that roughly 89% of tested combinations perform better in this game. This is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile ranking, which indicates it is slower than the vast majority of GPUs in the database.

The benchmark results show a system that is severely unbalanced for gaming. The CPU has headroom to spare, while the GPU is working at its maximum capacity. For Control, this means a user is limited to 1080p Low settings to achieve 60 FPS. The combination ranks low because the GPU cannot deliver the performance needed for higher settings or resolutions. The data indicates that this is not a suitable configuration for a smooth experience in this game beyond the most basic settings.