Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 5 9600X + Intel Arc B570

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a mid-range 1440p experience in Control, with the combo ranking 2307th out of 2888 tested configurations. The data shows this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it achieves playable frame rates across all settings, while 4K remains largely out of reach except at Low settings. The GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures consistent frame delivery at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU-GPU combo in Control?

A: This combo ranks 2307th out of 2888 tested combos in Control, placing it in the lower-mid tier of all configurations. The ranking reflects a balance where the GPU limits high-resolution performance but the CPU provides solid headroom at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 puts it within 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, +0.1% delta), the Intel Arc A750 (20582, -0.1% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, +0.4% delta), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662, -0.5% delta). The GPU sits at the 65th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What is the best resolution for playing Control with this combo?

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, with the Low preset achieving 101 FPS average and the Ultra preset still maintaining 55 FPS average. At 2560x1440, performance drops to 76 FPS average on Low and 42 FPS average on Ultra, which remains playable but less comfortable.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware in Control?

A: Barely. At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 51 FPS average, but Medium drops to 36 FPS average, High to 32 FPS, and Ultra to 28 FPS. Only the Low preset approaches acceptable smoothness, and even that is marginal for fast-paced action.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 9600X compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 29713, placing it within 0.8% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (29656, +0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (29868, -0.5% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (29879, -0.6% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (29955, -0.8% delta). It sits at the 81st percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The benchmark results suggest the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the game scales predictably from 101 FPS average on Low to 55 FPS average on Ultra, indicating the GPU handles the rendering load. The CPU's strong single-thread score of 1253 in 3DMark single-thread and 2183.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core supports this interpretation.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the dominant performance factor in this Control configuration, as evidenced by the FPS scaling across resolutions. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base and boost clocks sit at 2500 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs provide the raw throughput that determines frame rates in this title.

At 4K resolution, the GPU's 10 GB memory buffer and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-detail rendering. The data shows a steep drop from 51 FPS average on Low to 28 FPS average on Ultra at 3840x2160, a 45% performance penalty. The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are simply outpaced by the pixel and texture workload at 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier. Its average benchmark score of 20556 is statistically tied with the RTX 3070 Mobile and Arc A750, but those comparisons do not translate directly to Control performance. The 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 18 ray tracing cores provide the architectural foundation for this game's rendering, though Control's implementation does not appear to heavily leverage ray tracing based on the measured frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the GPU shows more headroom: the Low preset achieves 76 FPS average, while Ultra still manages 42 FPS. The 34 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is proportionally smaller than at 4K, suggesting the GPU is less bandwidth-constrained at this resolution. The 1080p results confirm this trend, with a 46 FPS spread between Low (101 FPS) and Ultra (55 FPS), indicating the GPU has sufficient resources for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2307 out of 2888 tested configurations places it in the bottom 20% of all CPU-GPU pairings for Control. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning rather than the CPU's capabilities, as the 9600X's 81st percentile CPU score outpaces the GPU's 65th percentile score by a significant margin.

The data indicates this is a GPU-limited configuration in Control. The CPU's average benchmark score of 29713 is 44.6% higher than the GPU's average benchmark score of 20556, creating an imbalance where the GPU cannot fully utilize the CPU's potential. This is particularly evident at 4K, where the CPU's strong single-thread performance cannot compensate for the GPU's rendering limitations.

Relative to other combos, the 2307th rank suggests that most tested configurations deliver higher frame rates in Control. The GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 3070 Mobile, Arc A750, Quadro M4000M, and R9 M390X, all have similar average scores, so the ranking is not an outlier among comparable hardware. However, the 2888 total combos include many with higher-tier GPUs, pushing this pairing down the list.

The combination of a high-percentile CPU with a mid-percentile GPU creates a specific performance profile: excellent frame consistency at lower resolutions where the GPU can keep up, but poor scaling at higher resolutions where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. This is a common pattern for configurations where the CPU is significantly stronger than the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 3840x2160, the results are as follows: Low averages 51 FPS, Medium averages 36 FPS (with a minimum of 31 and maximum of 42), High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. The 23 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K represents a 45% performance drop, making only Low settings viable for consistent gameplay.

At 2560x1440, performance improves substantially: Low averages 76 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS (minimum 46, maximum 62), High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The 34 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1440p is proportionally larger than at 4K, indicating the GPU has more headroom at this resolution. Medium settings provide a balanced experience with a 54 FPS average, while Ultra remains playable but below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1920x1080, the configuration reaches its performance sweet spot: Low averages 101 FPS, Medium averages 71 FPS (minimum 61, maximum 82), High averages 63 FPS, and Ultra averages 55 FPS. The 46 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p shows the GPU can handle all settings, with even Ultra maintaining a playable 55 FPS average. Medium and High settings both exceed 60 FPS averages, making them ideal for smooth gameplay.

The frame time data from Medium settings shows consistent performance: at 4K, the 31-42 FPS range indicates moderate frame pacing, while at 1440p, the 46-62 FPS range is tighter. At 1080p, the 61-82 FPS range shows excellent consistency, with the average of 71 FPS sitting comfortably above the minimum. This data suggests the combo delivers stable frame delivery at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles with frame consistency at 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X provides the computational foundation for this configuration, featuring 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture codenamed Granite Ridge. The CPU operates at a base clock of 3.90 GHz with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, supported by a 65W TDP. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB L2 cache per core contribute to the strong single-thread performance that benefits game logic and physics calculations in Control.

The CPU's benchmark results demonstrate its capability: a 3DMark single-thread score of 1253 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2183.5 indicate strong per-core performance. The multi-threaded scores are equally impressive, with Cinebench R23 multicore at 17528.5 and Geekbench multicore at 14438. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7585 and 8-thread score of 6726 show good scaling across cores, though Control's workload does not appear to heavily utilize multi-threading given the GPU-limited nature of the results.

The CPU sits at the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29713. Its nearest rivals include the Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (29656, +0.2% delta) and the Ryzen 7 7840H (29868, -0.5% delta), indicating the 9600X performs competitively with higher-core-count processors in synthetic benchmarks. The 4 nm process node from TSMC, with 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die, contributes to the CPU's efficiency and performance characteristics.

In Control specifically, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data and handle game logic. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the configuration achieves 101 FPS average, which suggests the CPU can support high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The consistent frame delivery across settings at 1080p indicates the CPU maintains stable frame pacing, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor only at higher resolutions and settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, Medium settings provide the best balance: 71 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS ensures consistent smoothness. High settings at 1080p deliver 63 FPS average, which is also acceptable, but Medium offers more headroom for demanding scenes.

At 1440p, the data supports Medium settings as the primary recommendation, with 54 FPS average and a 46 FPS minimum. This provides a playable experience without the frame drops that occur at High (48 FPS average) or Ultra (42 FPS average). For players prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, High settings at 1440p remain viable, but Medium is the safer choice for maintaining 50+ FPS.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests Low settings are the only reasonable option, delivering 51 FPS average. Medium settings at 4K drop to 36 FPS average, which falls below the smoothness threshold for action games. The 31 FPS minimum at 4K Medium further discourages this setting, as frame pacing becomes inconsistent. Players seeking 4K should accept Low settings or consider reducing resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution with this combo. At 1080p, it achieves 55 FPS average, but the 28 FPS average at 4K and 42 FPS at 1440p demonstrate that the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates at maximum settings. The performance gap between Ultra and High is consistent across resolutions, roughly 8-10 FPS, indicating diminishing returns for the additional visual quality.

For the best overall experience, the data points to 1080p Medium as the sweet spot: 71 FPS average with a tight 61-82 FPS range provides the smoothest gameplay. Players with 1440p monitors can use Medium settings and accept slightly lower frame rates, while 4K users should stick to Low to avoid the sub-30 FPS territory. The configuration's CPU strength ensures that these recommendations are GPU-bound, meaning settings adjustments will produce predictable frame rate changes.