Control

Control, Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure, presents a demanding environment for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B370 pairing. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics subsystem, particularly at higher resolutions and quality presets. This analysis interprets the benchmark results to characterize the experience, focusing on playable settings, system balance, and the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data for this combination shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate, with the Low preset providing the only consistently playable experience across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 59 FPS, which is nearly at the standard 60 FPS target. While the Medium preset at 1080p yields 42 FPS, the Low setting offers a significantly smoother experience. The data suggests that for users prioritizing fluid gameplay, the Low preset is the baseline recommendation.

However, the Medium preset presents a compelling alternative for those with a 1080p display who can tolerate slightly lower frame rates. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p results in a 17% decrease in average FPS (from 59 to 42), but likely provides a substantial improvement in visual quality, such as better textures and lighting. The minimum FPS of 36 recorded at Medium 1080p indicates that while the average is acceptable, there will be noticeable dips in demanding scenes. For a more stable experience, the High preset at 1080p (37 FPS average) falls between Medium and Low in performance but does not offer a proportional visual leap over Medium according to the typical scaling in such tests.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset is the only option that maintains an average above 30 FPS, hitting 45 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 32 FPS, which is playable for slower-paced games but may feel less responsive in action sequences. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are largely impractical, with averages of 28 and 25 FPS respectively. For 4K resolution (3840x2160), the data shows that even the Low preset struggles, achieving only 30 FPS on average. The Medium preset at 4K falls to 21 FPS, and High and Ultra are below 20 FPS, rendering them unsuitable for a smooth gameplay experience.

Ultimately, the optimal path depends on the user's hardware. For a 1080p display, the Low preset offers the best balance of performance and playability, while Medium is a viable choice for those who prefer higher fidelity. At 1440p, Low is the recommended preset to maintain a reasonable frame rate. For 4K, even the lowest settings cannot guarantee a consistently smooth experience, suggesting that this resolution is beyond the practical capabilities of this particular combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B370 at rank 2657 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the bottom 8% of all system configurations tested for this game, indicating a significant overall performance bottleneck. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, as the CPU is a high-end desktop part, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution with a 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

This ranking means that the vast majority of other CPU and GPU pairings tested for Control will deliver higher frame rates. The performance gap is not subtle; it underscores that this is not a configuration intended for high-refresh-rate or high-fidelity gaming. The primary limiter is the Intel Arc B370, which, despite its modern architecture, is fundamentally not designed for the computational load of a game like Control at high settings.

The `comboRankInGame` field is a direct measure of this pairing's standing. The fact that it is near the bottom of the list suggests that the system is only suitable for the lowest graphical presets and resolutions. The benchmark results confirm this, as the system only approaches a 60 FPS average at the lowest settings and resolution. This ranking serves as a caution that while the CPU has ample headroom, the GPU severely limits the overall gaming experience in this title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the defining component in this system's gaming performance. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on Intel's Xe3-LPG architecture, with a 3 nm process node. Its specifications reveal its intended purpose: a low-power solution with a TDP of 25 W, a base clock of 300 MHz, and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Crucially, its memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main DDR5 RAM rather than its own dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width and bandwidth are also "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively, tying its performance directly to the system's memory configuration.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are modest, with 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 20 render output units (ROPs). It also features 10 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, though its raw throughput of 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 is low. This is reflected in its benchmark scores; it only has a single recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. This score places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rivals being much older, low-end discrete cards like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and AMD Radeon HD 7650M.

In the context of Control, this GPU is the clear bottleneck. The game's demanding rendering techniques quickly overwhelm the Arc B370's limited processing power and shared memory bandwidth. This is evident in the measured FPS, which drops dramatically as resolution and settings increase. The shared memory architecture is particularly problematic for a game like Control, which requires fast access to large textures. The data implies that the GPU's performance is the primary reason for the low frame rates across all tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Control at 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the average FPS is 59, which is effectively 60 FPS. At any other resolution or with higher settings, the average frame rate falls well below 60 FPS, indicating that a consistent 60 FPS experience is only achievable at the lowest settings and resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can achieve a playable frame rate (above 40 FPS) on more than just the Low preset. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset manages to stay above 30 FPS, while 3840x2160 is not recommended as even the Low preset struggles to maintain a consistent 30 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X or the Intel Arc B370 the main performance limit?

A: The Intel Arc B370 is the definitive performance bottleneck. The GPU's benchmark percentile is 5, and its performance is comparable to much older, low-end cards. The CPU, in contrast, is a high-end desktop processor with a percentile of 86. The FPS drops when increasing resolution and settings are classic signs of a GPU limitation, not a CPU one.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark, the Intel Arc B370 scored 1184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scored 1186, which is 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scored 1190 (0.5% higher), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scored 1192 (0.7% higher). This shows the Arc B370's performance is essentially on par with these older, low-end discrete GPUs.

Q: Does increasing the graphics settings from Low to Medium have a large impact on performance?

A: Yes. The data shows a significant drop in average FPS when moving from Low to Medium. At 1080p, the average drops from 59 FPS to 42 FPS, a decrease of 17 FPS. At 1440p, it drops from 45 FPS to 32 FPS, and at 4K, it drops from 30 FPS to 21 FPS. This indicates that the Medium preset adds a substantial load that the GPU cannot handle well.

Q: What is the system's overall standing compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 2657 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested for this game, confirming that it is a low-performance configuration for this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a stark and predictable decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. This scaling is a clear indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. When the GPU is the bottleneck, performance is primarily determined by the number of pixels being rendered, and this is precisely what the data shows.

At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 59 at 1080p to 45 at 1440p, a 24% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K, it drops further from 45 to 30 FPS, another 33% decrease. This pattern is consistent across all settings. For instance, at Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 42 at 1080p to 32 at 1440p, and then to 21 at 4K. These are substantial, near-linear drops in performance that align with the increase in pixel count.

If the CPU were the primary bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance difference between 1080p and 4K, as the CPU's workload would remain relatively constant. The fact that the FPS drops so dramatically with resolution confirms that the Intel Arc B370 is being pushed to its absolute limit. The data implies that the system's memory bandwidth and GPU processing power are insufficient for the demands of higher resolutions in Control. The 4K results, in particular, are only marginally playable on the Low preset and are effectively a slideshow on higher settings, illustrating the GPU's hard performance ceiling.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-end desktop processor, and the benchmark data indicates that it is not a limiting factor in this game. It is an 8-core, 16-thread CPU based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its performance is well-documented, with a strong Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20485 and a single-core score of 2211. It ranks in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, placing it well above average.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The measured FPS data, which shows a strong dependence on resolution, indicates that the CPU is providing frames faster than the GPU can render them. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by its high multi-threaded performance. Even at 1080p Low, where the system achieves 59 FPS, the CPU is unlikely to be the constraint.

The 16 threads of the Ryzen 7 9700X are more than sufficient for a game like Control. The data suggests that the CPU's performance is not a factor in the low frame rates. Instead, the system is entirely GPU-bound. The CPU is effectively waiting for the GPU to finish its work, which is a classic sign of a significant imbalance in the system. While a more powerful GPU would allow this CPU to demonstrate its full potential in gaming, this pairing is severely limited by the integrated graphics solution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B370 combination in Control.

1920x1080:

• Low: 59 FPS average
• Medium: 42 FPS average (min 36, max 48)
• High: 37 FPS average
• Ultra: 32 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 45 FPS average
• Medium: 32 FPS average (min 27, max 37)
• High: 28 FPS average
• Ultra: 25 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 30 FPS average
• Medium: 21 FPS average (min 18, max 25)
• High: 19 FPS average
• Ultra: 17 FPS average

The data shows a consistent and substantial performance penalty for each step up in settings and resolution. The most playable configuration is clearly 1080p with the Low preset, which is the only combination that approaches a 60 FPS average. The Medium preset at 1080p, with its 42 FPS average and 36 FPS minimum, is the next best option for visual quality. All configurations at 1440p and 4K are either marginal or unplayable, with the Ultra preset at 4K yielding the lowest average of just 17 FPS. This breakdown reinforces the conclusion that this system is only suitable for 1080p gaming at the lowest graphical settings.