Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title, and the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Arc B370 produces a very specific performance profile. The data indicates a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor, especially as resolution increases. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS across settings and resolutions, how this pairing compares to other tested configurations, and what the individual components contribute to the final results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a steep and predictable decline as resolution scales from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 59 FPS, which is nearly playable. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops the average to 45 FPS, a reduction of approximately 24%. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 30 FPS, representing another 33% drop from the 1440p figure. This pattern strongly suggests that the Intel Arc B370 is the primary limiting factor; the CPU is not the bottleneck here, as the frame rate is highly sensitive to pixel count.

The scaling from High to Ultra settings at each resolution reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p, the average FPS goes from 37 on High, to 42 on Medium, and up to 59 on Low. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 27 FPS, which is a significant spread. At 1440p, the spread between Low (45 FPS) and Ultra (25 FPS) is 20 FPS. At 4K, the spread narrows to 13 FPS, from 30 on Low to 17 on Ultra. This compression of the performance delta at higher resolutions is a classic sign of a GPU that is completely saturated; there are simply no spare resources to exploit when lowering settings, as the pixel fill rate is the hard ceiling.

Looking at the Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, we can see the frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the average is 42 FPS, with a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 48. This is a relatively tight range, indicating stable performance. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37. At 4K Medium, the average is 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 25. The consistency of the frame pacing does not degrade significantly, but the overall headroom is very low. The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo approaches a smooth 60 FPS experience, and only on the Low preset.

The performance cliff between 1080p and 1440p is particularly steep. The 1080p Low average of 59 FPS drops to 45 FPS at 1440p Low, a loss of 14 FPS. This is a larger absolute drop than the one from 1440p to 4K (15 FPS), but the relative impact is similar. The conclusion is clear: this system is designed for 1080p gaming. The Arc B370's memory being "System Shared" means its performance is also dependent on the system's memory bandwidth, which is a factor in its poor scaling. The data suggests that users should not expect playable frame rates at 1440p or 4K, as even the lowest settings fail to reach 30 FPS at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Control, this pairing sits very low. The comboRankInGame places it at rank 2657 out of 2888 combos, meaning it performs better than only about 8% of all tested configurations. This is a bottom-tier result, driven almost entirely by the GPU's low standing. The Intel Arc B370 has a percentileVsAllGpus of 5, indicating it is in the bottom 5% of all GPUs tested on this site. In contrast, the CPU is far more capable, with a percentileVsAllCpus of 79.

This disparity between component capabilities is the defining characteristic of this combo. The Ryzen 5 7600X is a strong processor, but it is being held back by a GPU that is, according to its nearestRivals, comparable to legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 or the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which have average scores of 1190 and 1186, respectively. The Arc B370's own average benchmark score is 1184, placing it within a 1.4% delta of these older cards. This is not a match made for high-end gaming; it is a pairing where the GPU is the definitive weak link.

The CPU's ranking further illustrates the mismatch. The Ryzen 5 7600X's nearestRivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Core i5-12600K, both with an average score of 27578 and a deltaPct of 0.2%. The 7600X itself scores 27636. This places it in a completely different performance tier than the GPU. The data shows that if this CPU were paired with a more capable graphics card, the combo's rank would be dramatically higher. But as it stands, the GPU's 5th percentile performance drags the entire system down, resulting in the 2657th rank. This is a textbook case of a CPU bottleneck in reverse; the system is GPU-limited in every measurable way.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive component in this build, and its specifications explain why the frame rates are so low. It is built on Intel's Xe3-LPG architecture, which is designed for integrated graphics (IGP) and mobile parts, as indicated by its slot width of "IGP" and power connectors of "None". Its TDP is only 25 W, which is incredibly low for a discrete-level graphics solution. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. While the boost clock is respectable, the underlying silicon is small.

The most significant limiting factor is the memory configuration. The Arc B370 has "System Shared" memory, meaning it uses a portion of the system's DDR5 RAM. Its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent", which means it is not a fixed figure. This is a major disadvantage compared to dedicated VRAM, as the shared memory bus is slower and has higher latency. The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS, which sounds capable on paper, but the memory bottleneck severely hampers its real-world gaming performance.

The GPU's benchmark data confirms its low standing. It scores 1184 on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, which is its only recorded benchmark. This score places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearestRivals are all legacy ATI cards from over a decade ago. The deltaPct values are small, ranging from -0.7% to 1.4% compared to these older parts. This means the Arc B370 is statistically no faster than an ATI Radeon HD 5770 in this synthetic test. In Control, this translates to an inability to maintain playable frame rates at any resolution above 1080p with medium-to-high settings.

FAQ

Q: What average frame rate can I expect at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 37 FPS at 1080p High. This is not ideal for fast-paced action, but it is more consistent than the Ultra preset.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Control?

A: No. The best result at 3840x2160 is 30 FPS on the Low preset. The Medium preset averages 21 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages only 17 FPS. These are not playable frame rates.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7600X compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The 7600X has an average benchmark score of 27636. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, scores 27578, which is a 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i5-12600K also scores 27578, with the same 0.2% delta. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800 scores 27535, a 0.4% difference.

Q: What is the best preset to use for a smoother experience?

A: The Low preset at 1080p provides the highest average FPS at 59. If you must use a higher preset, Medium at 1080p offers an average of 42 FPS, which is the next best option.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking?

A: The Intel Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs tested. This indicates it performs worse than 95% of other graphics cards in the database.

Q: Does the CPU's performance compensate for the GPU's weaknesses?

A: No. While the CPU is in the 79th percentile, the GPU is in the 5th. The data shows the system is entirely GPU-limited, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops when resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based strictly on the measured frame rates, the only way to get a near-60 FPS experience is to use the Low preset at 1920x1080. This yields an average of 59 FPS, which is the only configuration in the data that approaches a standard 60 Hz monitor's refresh rate. The Low preset at 1440p drops to 45 FPS, and at 4K it is 30 FPS. Therefore, for any playable experience, 1080p Low is the target.

If the user prefers higher visual fidelity over frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p is the best compromise. It delivers an average of 42 FPS, which is a 13% drop from the Low preset's 59 FPS, but it offers a more detailed image. The Medium preset also has the most stable frame times, with a min/max range of 36 to 48 FPS at 1080p, which is a narrower band than the other presets. The High preset at 1080p averages 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS. Both are playable but will feel less smooth.

The data is unequivocal that 1440p and 4K resolutions should be avoided with this combo. Even the Low preset at 1440p (45 FPS) is borderline, and the Medium and Ultra presets at 1440p (32 and 25 FPS) will feel laggy. At 4K, all presets are below 30 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable. The recommendation is to stay at 1080p, and only use the Low or Medium presets. The Ultra preset offers no performance benefit and is not worth the 27 FPS loss compared to Low at 1080p.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is a high-end desktop processor that is completely wasted in this configuration, at least for Control. It features 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory are hallmarks of a modern, capable gaming CPU. The benchmark data shows it is a top-tier part: it scores 15236 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1965 in single-core, and 28390 in Passmark multithread. Its 79th percentile ranking confirms it is faster than the vast majority of CPUs on the market.

However, in this specific game and with this specific GPU, the CPU's power is irrelevant. The measured FPS data shows that the frame rate is entirely dependent on the GPU's capabilities. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely not breaking a sweat, but the GPU is maxed out at 59 FPS. As resolution increases, the CPU load decreases relative to the GPU, but the FPS drops anyway. This indicates that the Ryzen 5 7600X is not the bottleneck; the Intel Arc B370 is.

The CPU's nearestRivals, such as the Ryzen 7 5700X and Core i5-12600K, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with deltas of only 0.2%. This shows that the 7600X is performing exactly as expected for its class. The problem is that this class of CPU is meant to be paired with a dedicated graphics card that has its own VRAM and high memory bandwidth. The Arc B370's "System Shared" memory architecture means it has to compete with the CPU for memory access, which can further hamper performance. In this pairing, the CPU is a sports car engine bolted to a bicycle. It can rev all it wants, but the vehicle is not going to go fast. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor, and upgrading it would yield no measurable FPS improvement in Control.