Control

Control is a demanding action-adventure title, and the combination of an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X with an Intel Arc B390 produces a specific, heavily GPU-bound experience. The benchmark data shows a system that is consistently limited by the graphics processor, with the CPU providing ample headroom across all tested settings and resolutions. This analysis walks through the measured frame rates, the role of each component, and what the data indicates about the optimal configuration for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Arc B390 ranks at position 2551 out of 2888 tested combinations in Control. This places the system in the lower percentile of all tested hardware pairings, indicating that while the CPU is a strong performer, the overall gaming experience is heavily constrained by the GPU's capabilities. The ranking reflects the significant bottleneck created by the graphics card, which is a critical factor to consider when examining the raw frame rates.

The GPU's individual performance percentile is notably low at 9, which suggests it struggles to keep up with even the most basic gaming workloads. Its average benchmark score of 1482 places it in direct competition with legacy mobile and entry-level desktop parts, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce GT 710, according to the nearest rival data. The delta percentages are very small, with the Arc B390 scoring 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the GT 710, indicating that its performance class is fundamentally limited.

In contrast, the CPU is a much more capable component. The Ryzen 7 5700X sits in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27578. It is essentially tied with the Intel Core i5-12600K (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (0.2% faster), and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (0.2% slower). This data reveals a stark imbalance within the combo: a mid-to-high-tier processor paired with a very low-tier graphics solution. Consequently, the combo's rank is almost entirely determined by the GPU's limitations, and the CPU's potential is left largely untapped in this specific gaming scenario.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X brings substantial processing power to this pairing, but in Control, it is rarely the limiting factor. This CPU is built on the Zen 3 architecture and features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. These specifications provide more than enough compute capability for the game's logic, physics, and draw call processing, especially when compared to the workload being handled by the GPU.

The 3DMark benchmarks for the CPU show a healthy scaling from 2 threads (score of 1821) to 8 threads (score of 5768) and up to the maximum thread count (score of 6850). This scaling suggests that even if Control is well-optimized for multi-threading, the CPU has ample headroom. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13184 and single-core score of 1499 further confirm its robust performance. Given that the GPU is only capable of delivering an average of 65 FPS at the lowest tested settings (1080p Low), the CPU is likely operating well below its maximum potential, waiting on the graphics card to provide frames.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the source of the performance bottleneck. The 65W TDP and AM4 socket compatibility are relevant for system planning, but from a pure performance standpoint, the Ryzen 7 5700X is more than adequate to feed the Arc B390. The benchmark results consistently show a GPU-limited scenario, meaning that any frame rate improvements would need to come from reducing the GPU's workload or upgrading the graphics processor itself, not the CPU.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X bottlenecking the Intel Arc B390 in Control?

A: No. The benchmark data indicates the system is heavily GPU-bound. The CPU's strong multi-threaded and single-threaded scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core 13184, single-core 1499) are far in excess of what the GPU can process, evidenced by the low overall frame rates.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 65 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. Any attempt to increase settings or resolution results in a significant drop in performance.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its direct competitors?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482, placing it in the same performance tier as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), GeForce 800M (1460), GT 625 OEM (1446), and GT 710 (1443). The performance deltas are minimal, ranging from 1.3% to 2.7%.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Low and 1080p Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 65 FPS on Low to 36 FPS on Ultra. This is a significant 44.6% reduction in performance, highlighting the substantial impact of the Ultra preset on the GPU.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 suitable for 4K gaming in Control?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate is 33 FPS on Low settings and drops to 18 FPS on Ultra. These results are below playable thresholds, indicating that this GPU is not suitable for 4K gaming in this title.

Q: What does the comboRankInGame of 2551 out of 2888 signify?

A: It signifies that this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks in the lower 12th percentile of all tested combos for this game. This is a direct consequence of the GPU's low performance, which holds the overall system back.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates reveal a consistent pattern across all resolutions and settings. The data shows that the Intel Arc B390 struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions and quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 65 FPS on Low settings, which is the only playable configuration measured. Moving up to Medium settings yields 46 FPS, High settings drops to 41 FPS, and Ultra settings results in 36 FPS. The minimum frame rates recorded for Medium settings (40 FPS) suggest occasional dips that could affect smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a further hit. The average frame rates are 50 FPS on Low, 35 FPS on Medium, 31 FPS on High, and 27 FPS on Ultra. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS, indicating a relatively tight but low performance window. None of these average scores are ideal for a smooth experience, and the Low preset is the only one approaching acceptable playability.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. The system only manages an average of 33 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 24 FPS on Medium, 21 FPS on High, and 18 FPS on Ultra. These figures are consistently below the 30 FPS threshold, making 4K gaming with this combo impractical for this title. The data across all resolutions confirms that the GPU is the definitive limiting component, with frame rates scaling down proportionally as the rendering load increases.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows that Control is heavily resolution-dependent with this hardware combo. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on Low settings reduces the average frame rate from 65 FPS to 50 FPS, a drop of 23%. Moving further to 3840x2160 on Low settings results in an average of 33 FPS, a 49% reduction from the 1440p score and a 34% reduction from the 1080p score. This scaling pattern is indicative of a GPU that is running out of pixel processing power.

The trend is consistent across all settings. For High settings, the frame rates descend from 41 FPS at 1080p to 31 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 21 FPS at 4K. This consistent drop-off with increasing pixel count confirms that the GPU's fill rate and shading capabilities are the primary constraint. The CPU, with its high benchmark scores, is not creating a similar bottleneck, as the resolution scaling would be much flatter if the CPU were the limiting factor.

The data suggests that the Arc B390's performance is closely tied to the number of pixels it must render. The system's shared memory architecture and low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s contribute to this limitation. For users of this combo, the only way to achieve higher frame rates is to reduce the internal rendering resolution, as the GPU lacks the raw throughput to handle higher resolutions effectively.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo are clear: 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only configuration that achieves an average frame rate above 60 FPS (65 FPS), which is the target for a smooth gaming experience. While the Low preset will reduce visual fidelity, it is the only way to fully utilize the monitor's refresh rate and avoid the sub-60 FPS dips seen in other presets.

If a user prioritizes visual quality over frame rate, the 1080p Medium preset, with an average of 46 FPS, is the next best option. It provides a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is playable, albeit not as smooth. The High (41 FPS) and Ultra (36 FPS) presets at 1080p are increasingly demanding and push the frame rate into a range where stuttering and input lag may become noticeable.

At higher resolutions, the Low preset is the only viable option. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset (35 FPS) and above are too slow for a comfortable experience. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset (33 FPS) falls below the ideal threshold, making it generally unsuitable for this game with this GPU. The data strongly suggests that users should stick to 1080p and the Low or Medium presets for the best balance of performance and visual quality.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear bottleneck in this system for Control. Its benchmark performance is exceptionally low, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of just 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This score is directly comparable to ancient, low-end parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and GT 710 (1443), which are not designed for modern gaming. The GPU's architecture, Xe3-LPG, is based on a 3 nm process and features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, but the low fill rate (60.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (120.0 GTexel/s) are insufficient for a game like Control.

The GPU's memory configuration is also a limiting factor. It uses "System Shared" memory, meaning its bandwidth is "System Dependent" and it relies on the main system RAM. This is a stark contrast to dedicated graphics cards with high-speed VRAM and can severely impact performance in memory-intensive scenes. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is respectable, but the lack of dedicated memory and the low raw compute power (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) cap its real-world gaming performance.

The measured FPS data directly reflects these hardware limitations. The GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates even at 1080p with the lowest settings, and its performance degrades sharply as resolution and settings increase. The nearest rival data confirms its performance class is at the very bottom of the spectrum. In Control, this GPU simply does not have the horsepower to provide a high-refresh-rate experience, and users should expect a low-fidelity, low-resolution experience to achieve smooth gameplay.