Control

Control is an action-adventure title that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily, and the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B570 combination reveals a system that is consistently bound by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor’s strong multi-threaded capabilities keep frame rates playable at lower settings. The benchmark results show a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, with the gap between settings narrowing at 4K, indicating that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary limiter in this pairing. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across three resolutions and four quality presets, using only the provided data to interpret how this specific hardware combination behaves in this game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable, yet steep, decline as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 101 FPS at 1080p to 76 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 25 FPS, and then further down to 51 FPS at 4K. This scaling indicates that even at the lowest graphical load, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, with the 4K figure representing roughly half the performance of the 1080p result. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 25 FPS, which is identical to the drop from 1080p to 1440p, suggesting a linear relationship between pixel count and performance at this preset.

For the High preset, the scaling is steeper in percentage terms. The system delivers 63 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 48 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 32 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K results in a 16 FPS loss, while the jump from 1080p to 1440p costs 15 FPS. This pattern shows that the GPU is being saturated more quickly at higher settings, as the additional pixel workload at 4K combined with the High preset’s visual effects creates a bottleneck that limits the average frame rate to just above the 30 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset follows a similar trajectory, with 55 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K, where it falls below playable standards.

The data implies that the limiting component shifts based on resolution. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to push the GPU harder, as evidenced by the 101 FPS Low result. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s rendering workload dominates, and the frame rate becomes entirely dependent on the Intel Arc B570’s capabilities. The fact that the 4K Low preset (51 FPS) is only slightly higher than the 1440p High preset (48 FPS) suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint at these higher pixel densities, regardless of the quality settings. This is typical behavior for a mid-range graphics card paired with a high-end processor, where the GPU becomes the definitive performance ceiling.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is built on the Zen 5 architecture with 8 cores and 16 threads, a configuration that provides substantial processing power for modern games. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz are high figures, and the benchmark results from the fact pack show a Passmark single-thread score of 4691 and a multithread score of 36470. These numbers place the CPU in the 94th percentile of all tested processors, indicating that it is far from being a bottleneck in this game. The processor’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX with an average score of 69875 (0.2% higher) and the Intel Core i7-14700KF with an average score of 70163 (0.2% lower), showing that this CPU is competitively positioned at the top end of performance.

In Control, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p with the Low preset, where the system achieves 101 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the processor can feed the GPU with enough data to keep the rendering pipeline busy, even at lower graphical settings that reduce the GPU’s workload. The data shows that at this resolution, the frame rate is not limited by the CPU, as the GPU can still produce over 100 FPS. However, the CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads are likely beneficial for the game’s physics and AI calculations, which are common in action-adventure titles. The L3 cache of 32 MB shared helps with data locality, and the DDR5 memory support with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s ensures that the processor can access game assets quickly.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combination. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (28 FPS) is likely due to the GPU’s inability to render the scene in time, not the CPU’s inability to process game logic. The processor’s high single-thread score of 4691 is particularly relevant for games like Control, which often rely on a few fast cores for main-thread operations. The data suggests that if the GPU were more powerful, this CPU could support significantly higher frame rates, as its percentile ranking of 94% of all CPUs indicates it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market. The fact that the CPU’s nearest rivals show only a 0.2% difference in average benchmark scores further confirms that this processor is a strong match for gaming, but its potential is unrealized at higher resolutions due to the GPU’s limits.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a mid-range graphics card based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, featuring 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. Its base and boost clocks are both set at 2500 MHz, and it has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score is 14195, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, which is considerably lower than the CPU’s 94th percentile. This disparity is the root cause of the performance bottleneck observed in the measured FPS data. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with an average score of 20534 (0.1% higher) and the Intel Arc A750 with an average score of 20582 (0.1% lower), indicating that the B570 is positioned in a tight performance band with these other cards.

In Control, the GPU’s role is dominant across all measured resolutions, as the frame rates scale directly with the graphical workload. The data shows that the GPU’s 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game at all tested settings, as there are no indications of memory-related stutters or crashes in the measured FPS (e.g., the 4K Medium preset shows a min FPS of 31, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario). The GPU’s FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are moderate figures, and they translate into the observed frame rates. At 1080p Low, the GPU can deliver 101 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, this drops to 55 FPS, showing that the game’s Ultra settings are particularly demanding on the GPU’s shading and rasterization capabilities.

The 4K results are the most telling. At 4K Low, the GPU produces 51 FPS, but at 4K High, it drops to 32 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 28 FPS. This decline is not linear, suggesting that certain Ultra settings (likely reflections or volumetric effects) have a disproportionate impact on the GPU. The fact that the 4K Medium preset has a min FPS of 31 and a max FPS of 42 indicates that the GPU is working near its limits, as the frame time variance is high. The GPU’s 18 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate are features that Control can utilize, but the measured data does not specify whether ray tracing is enabled, so the scores likely reflect rasterized rendering. Overall, the GPU is the definitive performance limiter, and its 65th percentile ranking suggests that users should expect mid-range performance, which aligns with the observed frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 101, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this combination run Control at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K with Medium settings, the average FPS is 36, with a minimum of 31 FPS. At Low settings, it averages 51 FPS. Higher presets drop below 32 FPS, which may be less playable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875) and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163).

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile relative to all GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B570 is in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556.

Q: Does the measured FPS data show any signs of VRAM limitations?

A: No, the data does not indicate VRAM limitations. The GPU has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory, and the measured FPS at 4K with Ultra settings (28 FPS) is consistent with GPU compute limits, not memory capacity issues.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average FPS is 63, while at 2560x1440 High, it is 48, a difference of 15 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2307 out of 2888 tested combinations in Control. This places it in the bottom 20% of all combos, which is a surprisingly low ranking given the CPU’s high performance. The ranking suggests that the GPU is severely limiting the overall experience, as the CPU alone would rank much higher. The fact that there are 2888 total combos indicates a wide range of hardware configurations, and this specific pairing falls below the median. The low rank likely stems from the GPU’s 65th percentile score, which drags down the system’s overall capability in a GPU-intensive game like Control.

The rank of 2307 implies that there are 581 other combos that perform worse, but the majority of tested systems (over 2000) outperform this one. This is not a reflection of the CPU, which is in the 94th percentile, but rather the GPU’s inability to keep up with the game’s demands. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates at Low and Medium settings, but it struggles at higher resolutions. In the context of the benchmark database, this combo is positioned as a lower-tier option for Control, meaning users should temper their expectations for high-resolution or high-settings gameplay. The ranking also suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield a significantly better experience, but for now, the measured data indicates that the GPU is the weak link.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s resolution and performance target. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 101 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, while the Medium preset offers 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, providing a smoother visual experience without sacrificing too much performance. The High preset at 63 FPS is also viable, but the Ultra preset drops to 55 FPS, which may be acceptable for some but is a significant step down from the other options. For a balanced experience at 1080p, the Medium preset is recommended, as it maintains an average above 60 FPS while offering better visuals than Low.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 76 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset drops to 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, which is still within an acceptable range for most players. The High preset at 48 FPS is playable but may show occasional dips, and the Ultra preset at 42 FPS is borderline. For 1440p, the Low preset is the safest choice for maintaining high frame rates, but users who prioritize visuals over smoothness can opt for Medium. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 51 FPS, which is the only setting that provides a consistently playable experience. The Medium preset averages 36 FPS, which is playable but with frame drops to 31 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets are not recommended due to average frame rates of 32 and 28 FPS, respectively.

The data suggests that the best experience is at 1080p with Medium settings, as it provides a high average FPS with a minimum above 60. For 1440p, Medium is the best compromise between visual quality and performance, while at 4K, Low is the only recommended preset. Users with a 1080p monitor can enjoy the game at High settings with 63 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High is not worth the 8 FPS loss for most. Ultimately, the measured data indicates that this combo is best utilized at 1080p, where it can take advantage of the CPU’s power without being overly constrained by the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low preset yields 101 FPS, Medium yields 71 FPS (with a minimum of 61 and maximum of 82), High yields 63 FPS, and Ultra yields 55 FPS. The data shows a consistent decrease as settings increase, with the largest drop occurring between Low and Medium (30 FPS). The spread from Low to Ultra is 46 FPS, indicating that the GPU has a significant performance range at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low at 76 FPS, Medium at 54 FPS (minimum 46, maximum 62), High at 48 FPS, and Ultra at 42 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 22 FPS, which is less severe than at 1080p, but the gap between Medium and High is only 6 FPS. The Ultra preset at 42 FPS is the lowest playable option, and the total spread from Low to Ultra is 34 FPS, showing that the GPU’s performance ceiling is lower at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low at 51 FPS, Medium at 36 FPS (minimum 31, maximum 42), High at 32 FPS, and Ultra at 28 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 15 FPS, and from Medium to High is 4 FPS, while the high to Ultra drop is also 4 FPS. The minimum FPS of 31 at Medium indicates that the system can experience stutters, but the overall averages show that 4K is only viable at Low settings. The data across all resolutions demonstrates that the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting factor, as the frame rates scale closely with the GPU’s workload, and the CPU’s high performance does not compensate for the GPU’s mid-range capabilities.