Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, is a demanding title that exposes the limits of hardware configurations quickly. The data for the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 shows a system that is decisively GPU-bound at every setting and resolution tested. The benchmark results indicate that this combination is only suitable for low-resolution, low-detail play, as the integrated graphics solution struggles to maintain playable frame rates beyond 1080p Low. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on how resolution scaling, GPU limitations, and CPU capabilities shape the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, confirming that the Intel Arc B370 is the primary limiting component in this pairing. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 59 FPS at 1920x1080 to 45 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 14 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields just 30 FPS, which is exactly half of the 1080p performance. This pattern of nearly linear decline with pixel count indicates that the GPU’s rendering throughput, not the CPU, is the bottleneck.

Moving from 1080p Medium to 1440p Medium shows a similar proportional drop, from 42 FPS down to 32 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 21 FPS represents a 50% loss compared to 1440p Medium, reinforcing that the Arc B370’s fixed execution resources are overwhelmed by the pixel fill rate required at higher resolutions. The gap between 1440p and 4K is not just a linear scaling issue; it shows the GPU hitting a performance cliff where it can no longer maintain a playable experience.

The High preset tells the same story. At 1080p High, the system averages 37 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 28 FPS, and at 4K High, it collapses to 19 FPS. The Ultra preset is even more punishing, with 32 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, and only 17 FPS at 4K. These numbers demonstrate that resolution scaling is the dominant factor in performance degradation, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the GPU’s inability to process the increased pixel load. The data strongly suggests that players should treat 1080p as the only viable resolution for this configuration, with 1440p being a stretch and 4K essentially unplayable.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 25 W TDP, a fact that entirely explains its performance profile. Its benchmark percentile of 5 places it in the bottom tier of all GPUs, and its average 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is roughly on par with legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, which are just 0.2% and 0.5% faster, respectively. This context is crucial: the Arc B370 is not competing with modern discrete graphics cards; it is operating in a performance class defined by decade-old hardware.

The GPU’s memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the CPU’s DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. Its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which is a significant constraint in a game like Control that benefits from fast memory access. The boost clock of 2400 MHz is high, but with only 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs, the raw processing power is limited. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are theoretical maximums that the shared memory bandwidth likely prevents from being fully realized.

In practice, the GPU’s limitations are evident in the measured FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average of 17 FPS is a slideshow. Even at 1080p Low, the 59 FPS average is barely acceptable, and it comes with a minimum frame rate that is not reported, suggesting potential stutter. The RTX 10 ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are present, but the sheer lack of compute power means these features are likely unusable at playable frame rates. This is a GPU that is designed for basic desktop tasks and light gaming, not for a demanding action-adventure title at high resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience is 1080p Low, which averages 59 FPS. This should be considered the baseline target for this hardware. Moving to 1080p Medium yields 42 FPS, which is playable but may feel less fluid during intense combat sequences. The data shows a 17 FPS penalty for upgrading from Low to Medium, which is a substantial cost for modest visual gains.

For players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, 1080p High at 37 FPS is the highest preset that remains semi-playable. However, the Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 32 FPS, which is a poor trade-off given the marginal visual difference between High and Ultra in most games. The recommendation is clear: use 1080p Low for the best balance of performance and responsiveness. If the visual downgrade is too severe, 1080p Medium is the ceiling for a reasonable experience.

At 1440p, the situation deteriorates. The Low preset at 45 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but it is still 14 FPS slower than the same settings at 1080p. The Medium preset at 32 FPS and High at 28 FPS are marginal, and Ultra at 25 FPS is not recommended. At 4K, all presets are below 30 FPS, with Low at 30 FPS being the only one that is technically playable but still not smooth. The measured data indicates that 4K is not a viable resolution for this configuration in Control.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings was tested. Low is the standout performer with an average of 59 FPS. Medium follows at 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS, showing a tight frame time distribution. High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra drops to 32 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is the largest performance hit (17 FPS), while the step from High to Ultra is smaller (5 FPS), indicating diminishing returns on visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the same settings were measured. Low averages 45 FPS, which is the only result that breaks the 40 FPS threshold. Medium averages 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The performance gap between 1080p and 1440p is consistent across all presets, ranging from a 14 FPS drop at Low to a 7 FPS drop at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. Low averages 30 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 25 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. The 4K Low result is the only one that reaches 30 FPS, which is often considered the minimum for console-like playability, but it is not a stable experience. The data shows that this configuration is not suited for 4K gaming in Control.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Control?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p Low, the average is 59 FPS, while 1440p Low drops to 45 FPS and 4K Low falls to 30 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using?

A: No. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 32 FPS, which is only 5 FPS lower than High but still below the 60 FPS target. The visual difference between High and Ultra is not worth the performance penalty, especially since High already averages only 37 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370’s average benchmark score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% slower) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% slower). It is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

Q: Will lowering the resolution to 1080p Low guarantee a smooth experience?

A: The average frame rate is 59 FPS, which is close to a 60 FPS target. However, the minimum frame rate for Low settings is not reported, so there is no data on potential stutters or drops during heavy scenes.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the clear bottleneck. The FPS drops proportionally with resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The Ryzen 5 7400F’s high single-core and multi-core scores suggest it has ample headroom to feed a more powerful GPU.

Q: What is the playable setting for 1440p?

A: The only 1440p setting that averages above 40 FPS is Low at 45 FPS. All other presets (Medium 32, High 28, Ultra 25) are below the 30 FPS threshold for comfortable play.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, running on the AM5 socket. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.70 GHz are strong for gaming, and its 32 MB of shared L3 cache provides solid memory latency characteristics. The CPU’s benchmark scores are respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21765 and a single-core score of 3072. Its Passmark multithread score of 25645 and single-thread score of 3689 further confirm that it is a capable mid-range processor.

In the context of Control, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales almost entirely with resolution and settings, which is the signature of a GPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the CPU can easily feed the GPU, but the Arc B370 simply cannot render frames fast enough to utilize the CPU’s full potential. The CPU’s percentile of 83 versus all CPUs and its average benchmark score of 32750 place it in the upper tier, well ahead of rivals like the Intel Core i5-14600T (32707, 0.1% slower) and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (32812, 0.2% faster).

This disparity between CPU and GPU capability is the defining characteristic of this combo. The Ryzen 5 7400F is a modern processor that would pair well with a discrete GPU two or three tiers above the Arc B370. In this pairing, the CPU sits idle while the GPU struggles. If a user were to upgrade the GPU in the future, the 7400F would not be a bottleneck for most titles, as its 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for current games. However, with the Arc B370, the CPU’s potential is entirely wasted in Control, as the 25 W IGP cannot deliver the frame rates that the processor is capable of supporting.