Control

Control with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B370 is a study in extreme bottlenecking. The benchmark data for this Action Adventure title reveals a configuration where the GPU, an integrated-class part, is so thoroughly overwhelmed that the CPU's substantial processing power is largely left untapped. The measured frames per second across all resolutions and settings tell a consistent story: this is a system where graphical fidelity must be minimized to achieve even remotely playable performance, and even then, the experience is constrained by the graphics solution's fundamental limits.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and clearly identifies the Intel Arc B370 as the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 59 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that average to 45 FPS, a 24% decrease. The leap to 4K Low further crushes performance to 30 FPS, which is a 49% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is a classic indication of a GPU-bound scenario; the Arc B370's rendering throughput is the ceiling, and increasing pixel count directly and proportionally taxes its limited resources.

The data becomes even more telling when examining higher presets. At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 42 at 1080p to 32 at 1440p (a 24% drop) and then to 21 at 4K (a 50% drop from 1080p). This near-linear scaling with resolution, regardless of the preset, confirms that the GPU's pixel fill rate and shading capacity are the primary bottlenecks. The CPU, an 8-core Zen 5 part, is not the constraining factor here; its performance headroom is simply not being challenged because the GPU cannot feed frames fast enough to utilize it.

The most telling data point is the 4K Ultra result, which averages a mere 17 FPS. This represents a 71% performance loss compared to the 1080p Low result. The fact that the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is a relatively small 13 FPS (30 vs. 17) further illustrates that the GPU is working at its absolute maximum even at Low settings. The additional load from Ultra settings at 4K pushes the Arc B370 to its breaking point, yielding a slideshow. The data strongly implies that any attempt to play at 4K is futile, and the only path to a smoother experience is to aggressively lower both resolution and graphical fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B370 combo can achieve in Control?

A: The highest average FPS recorded in the measured data is 59, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that approaches the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this is the target for a playable experience.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo produces an average of 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37. This suggests a playable but not smooth experience, with noticeable frame pacing issues likely.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B370 GPU or the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F CPU the primary bottleneck in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The steep performance drops when increasing resolution from 1080p to 4K—for example, a 49% decrease in average FPS at Low settings—are characteristic of a GPU-limited workload. The CPU's capabilities are not the limiting factor in this configuration.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 59 on Low to 32 on Ultra. This 27 FPS difference represents a 46% reduction in performance, showing that the highest preset significantly taxes the Arc B370, even at the lowest resolution.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations for Control?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2657 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, underscoring its very low performance tier for this game.

Q: Is the 4K resolution playable with this hardware?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 30, achieved only on Low settings. At Medium, it drops to 21 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 19 and 17 FPS, respectively. These frame rates are well below the threshold for a playable experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the only configuration that provides a consistently playable experience is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 59 FPS. This is the clear recommendation for any user seeking smooth gameplay. The data shows that upgrading to Medium at 1080p results in a 17 FPS penalty (42 FPS), which is a significant drop that could make the game feel less fluid, though it may be acceptable for some players.

At 1440p, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset delivers an average of 45 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 32 FPS, which is on the borderline of playability. The measured minimum of 27 FPS for this setting indicates that frame times will be inconsistent, potentially leading to stutter. For a more stable experience at 1440p, the Low preset is the safer choice.

The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely. Even the Low preset only manages a 30 FPS average, which is below the standard for smooth action gameplay. The higher presets at 4K produce results ranging from 17 to 21 FPS, which are effectively unplayable. The data strongly suggests that users should prioritize 1080p with Low settings to get the best balance of performance and playability. If a higher resolution is desired, 1440p Low is the only viable alternative, accepting a significant compromise in smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across all tested configurations.

At 1920x1080, the combo's performance is as follows:

• Low: 59 FPS average.
• Medium: 42 FPS average, with a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 48.
• High: 37 FPS average.
• Ultra: 32 FPS average.

This resolution shows the most viable results. The jump from Low to Medium is a 17 FPS drop, and from Medium to High is a 5 FPS drop. The step from High to Ultra is another 5 FPS loss, bringing the total penalty from Low to Ultra to 27 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades considerably:

• Low: 45 FPS average.
• Medium: 32 FPS average, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37.
• High: 28 FPS average.
• Ultra: 25 FPS average.

The pattern is consistent, with a 13 FPS difference between Low and Medium, a 4 FPS difference between Medium and High, and a 3 FPS difference between High and Ultra. The total loss from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 20 FPS.

At 3840x2160, performance collapses:

• Low: 30 FPS average.
• Medium: 21 FPS average, with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 25.
• High: 19 FPS average.
• Ultra: 17 FPS average.

The differences between presets compress, with only a 13 FPS total spread from Low to Ultra. The 4K Medium result shows a minimum of 18 FPS, indicating severe frame drops that would make the game feel very choppy. These numbers solidify the conclusion that this resolution is not a viable option for this hardware combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The performance data positions this combo poorly within the broader benchmark database. With a rank of 2657 out of 2888 tested combinations, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B370 sit in the bottom 8% of all tested systems for Control. This rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's limitations, as its benchmark scores place it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs.

This low ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data. A rank of 2657 implies that nearly all other tested configurations, even those with older or more modest discrete GPUs, outperform this combo in this game. The data suggests that while the CPU is a high-end part, its pairing with an integrated graphics solution creates a fundamental imbalance that severely hampers gaming performance. The combo's ranking is a clear indicator that it is not designed for this type of workload, and the measured frames per second confirm that it struggles to maintain playable frame rates at even moderate settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a powerful processor based on the Zen 5 architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This specification, combined with its 32 MB of shared L3 cache, gives it a Passmark multithread score of 36470 and a single-thread score of 4691. Its average benchmark score of 69996 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and Intel Core i7-14700K, which are within 0.9% of its score.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role is largely passive due to the GPU bottleneck. The data shows that the game's frame rate is dictated by the graphics card, not the processor. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores, but this power is wasted because the GPU cannot keep up. The high single-thread performance is theoretically beneficial for game logic, but the measured FPS is not reflective of this strength. The CPU is not the limiting factor; its performance is effectively masked by the Arc B370's inability to render frames at a comparable rate.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the definitive performance limiter in this configuration. It has a boost clock of 2400 MHz and a base clock of 300 MHz, with 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. Its FP32 performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS. Critically, its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's DDR5 memory, with bandwidth that is "System Dependent." This is a significant disadvantage for gaming, as shared memory can lead to bandwidth contention and lower performance compared to dedicated VRAM.

The GPU's benchmark results are stark. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and AMD Radeon HD 5770, both of which are ancient parts, with performance deltas of -0.2% and -0.5%, respectively. This confirms that the Arc B370 is an entry-level or integrated-class solution. In Control, this translates to the low FPS numbers seen across all settings. The GPU is simply not equipped to handle the game's rendering demands at high resolutions or presets, and its shared memory architecture further compounds the problem, making it the clear and overwhelming bottleneck in this system.