Control

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a compelling mid-range configuration for Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title. The measured data reveals a system that is clearly capable of delivering smooth gameplay at mainstream resolutions, but which exhibits distinct performance ceilings that shift depending on the graphical settings and resolution chosen. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across the board, interpreting what the numbers indicate about the balance between the CPU and GPU in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, clearly identifying the GPU as the primary scaling bottleneck as pixel count increases. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 73.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 55.6 FPS at 2560x1440, a substantial reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields only 36.6 FPS, meaning the transition from 1440p to 4K costs roughly 19 FPS, while the jump from 1080p to 1440p costs about 17.5 FPS. This linear degradation strongly suggests that the Intel Arc B580’s rendering throughput is being saturated by the increasing number of pixels.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at lower settings, where the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU. At Low settings, the system achieves 115.7 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 82.6 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 57 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is particularly telling: it is nearly identical to the 1440p High result (57 vs. 55.6 FPS). This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the absolute limiter regardless of the visual complexity, as even the lowest settings cannot push the frame rate meaningfully higher than higher settings at a lower resolution. The data implies that for a locked 60 FPS experience, 4K is out of reach for this combo, even on Low, while 1440p is only viable if settings are kept moderate.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark performance is strong, placing it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. In terms of synthetic scores, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25525 and a single-core score of 3603. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-13490F, is only 0.3% behind in average benchmark score, while the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS is 0.4% ahead. This level of single-thread performance is crucial for Control, which relies heavily on a few primary threads for game logic and physics.

Given the measured FPS data, the CPU appears to offer more than enough headroom to drive the Arc B580 at 1080p. The jump from 82.4 FPS at Medium settings to 115.7 FPS at Low settings (a 40% increase) shows that the processor is not the limiting factor at this resolution; otherwise, the frame rate would plateau regardless of settings. The GPU is clearly the constraint. However, the CPU's role becomes more nuanced at higher resolutions where the GPU load is immense. While the CPU is not the bottleneck, its performance ensures that it does not exacerbate the GPU's struggle. The data suggests that the 9600X is a well-matched partner for the B580 in this title, providing the necessary compute headroom to allow the GPU to be the sole performance arbiter across all tested settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for the best experience, balancing visual fidelity and frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS target, the data indicates that 1080p is the optimal resolution for this combo. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 73.1 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium, which only reaches 82.4 FPS. The Ultra preset, at 63.3 FPS, is also playable at 1080p and represents the best visual quality that still maintains a playable frame rate.

The situation changes at 1440p. The High preset drops to 55.6 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS mark. To achieve a locked 60 FPS experience at this resolution, users would need to step down to the Medium preset, which yields 62.2 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p provides 82.6 FPS and offers a high frame rate but sacrifices visual fidelity. For 4K gaming, the data is unequivocal: none of the presets reach 60 FPS. The Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 33.9 FPS, and even Low only manages 57 FPS. The recommendation is therefore clear: for the best balance of image quality and performance, the High preset at 1080p is the sweet spot. If higher resolution is a priority, Medium at 1440p is the only sensible choice for a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Control, this configuration of the Ryzen 5 9600X and Intel Arc B580 holds a rank of 1268 out of a total of 1636 combos. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, which is a sobering statistic given the individual component performance. The CPU itself is a high performer, ranking in the 85th percentile, and the GPU's average benchmark score of 23021 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, which is only 0.7% ahead in the benchmark database. This suggests the components are not weak, but the specific combination and its performance in Control are not exceptional.

The rank implies that while this system provides a perfectly competent 1080p experience, it is outclassed by the majority of other tested combos, many of which likely feature more powerful GPUs. The 1268th rank out of 1636 indicates that a significant number of other systems deliver higher frame rates in this specific title. This is not a criticism of the pairing's balance, but rather a reflection of the overall performance ceiling. The data suggests that this combo is a solid mainstream option, but not a high-end performer in Control, and users should temper their expectations for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution gaming.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p in Control?

A: Yes, but only on the Medium preset, which yields an average of 62.2 FPS. The High preset falls short at 55.6 FPS, so a settings reduction is necessary for a locked 60 FPS experience at that resolution.

Q: What is the best setting for a 1080p gaming experience?

A: The High preset is recommended, as it provides a strong average of 73.1 FPS while being a significant visual upgrade over Medium. Ultra is also playable at 63.3 FPS, but High offers a better performance buffer.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck at 4K. This is evident from the Low preset at 4K achieving 57 FPS, which is nearly identical to the High preset at 1440p (55.6 FPS), indicating that the GPU's rendering limits are reached regardless of settings.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested systems in this game?

A: The combo ranks 1268th out of 1636 total tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for Control.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 9600X holding back the Intel Arc B580 in this game?

A: No, the data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the frame rate scales significantly with settings (from 63.3 FPS on Ultra to 115.7 FPS on Low), which shows the GPU is the limiting factor, not the processor.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate available at 1080p?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 115.7 FPS, achieved with the Low settings preset at 1920x1080.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured data for Control is presented below, detailing the average FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Low: 115.7 FPS
• Medium: 82.4 FPS
• High: 73.1 FPS
• Ultra: 63.3 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• Low: 82.6 FPS
• Medium: 62.2 FPS
• High: 55.6 FPS
• Ultra: 48.4 FPS

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• Low: 57 FPS
• Medium: 43.3 FPS
• High: 36.6 FPS
• Ultra: 33.9 FPS

The progression of numbers across resolutions confirms the GPU-bound nature of the system. The 1080p results show a healthy spread, with a 52.4 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. This spread narrows to 34.2 FPS at 1440p and further to 23.1 FPS at 4K. The shrinking gap between settings at higher resolutions is a classic indicator of a GPU that is becoming fully saturated, unable to benefit from the reduced load of lower settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. Its memory clocks run at 2375 MHz, with an effective data rate of 19 Gbps. The GPU's boost clock is 2670 MHz, and it contains 2560 shading units. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 15748 in Passmark's G3D test and achieves a 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, holds a 0.7% higher average benchmark score, indicating they are in a similar performance class.

The measured FPS data illustrates the B580's role as the definitive performance limiter in this game. The frame rate performance scales inversely with resolution and settings, directly reflecting the GPU's workload. At 1080p, it provides a very playable experience, but its capabilities are stretched thin at higher resolutions. The 4K results, where even Low settings yield only 57 FPS, highlight the GPU's inability to cope with the pixel throughput required at that resolution. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is not directly tested in the FPS data, but it is a substantial allocation for a game from 2019, likely preventing any memory-related bottlenecks at the tested settings. The GPU’s architecture and memory subsystem are sufficient for the game's demands, but its raw compute power is the ceiling for this combo, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate drops as resolution increases.