Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a stark contrast in capability within the context of Control. The processor is a high-end desktop part, while the graphics solution is an integrated component with a relatively low benchmark standing. This combination results in a system that is significantly constrained by its graphics subsystem, a fact clearly illustrated by the measured frame rates across all settings and resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo achieves in Control?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 65 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only tested configuration that surpasses the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that high refresh rate gameplay is not achievable at higher visual presets.

*Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems in Control?*

A: The combination ranks 2551 out of 2888 tested combos for this game. This places it in the lower percentile of systems, reflecting the significant performance limitation imposed by the Intel Arc B390's integrated graphics.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 50 FPS on Low settings to 27 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a 46% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical preset.

Q: Is there a measurable frame time variance at any of the tested settings?

A: Yes, the data includes minimum and maximum FPS values for the Medium preset at all three resolutions. For example, at 1920x1080 Medium, the frame rate fluctuates between 40 FPS and 53 FPS, indicating a noticeable variance around the 46 FPS average.

Q: What is the performance gap between the CPU and GPU in this system?

A: The CPU has a percentile rank of 91 among all CPUs, while the GPU has a percentile rank of 9 among all GPUs. This massive disparity shows that the processor is capable of far more work than the graphics unit can feed it or render, making the GPU the definitive performance bottleneck.

Q: Does the system maintain a playable frame rate at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 18 FPS on Ultra to 33 FPS on Low. None of the 4K settings achieve an average of 30 FPS except for the Low preset, which reaches 33 FPS, suggesting that 4K gameplay is generally not a smooth experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 5 nm process. It features a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, supported by a large 64 MB L3 cache. These specifications position it as a high-end desktop CPU, and its benchmark scores reflect that, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29300 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2617.

In the context of Control, this processor's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10972 and the 8-thread score of 7798 indicate substantial multi-threaded capability that is more than sufficient for the demands of a modern action-adventure game. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its high standing.

Since the processor is so capable, its performance headroom is largely unused in this specific pairing. The benchmark results show that frame rates are consistently low, even at 1080p, which is a resolution where a powerful CPU typically allows for very high frame rates. The fact that the average FPS at 1080p with High settings is only 41 suggests that the system is waiting on the GPU to complete its rendering tasks. The CPU is effectively idling, waiting for the integrated graphics to catch up, which means its high boost clock and core count are not able to translate into higher frame rates in this game.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear performance bottleneck in this system. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with 1536 shading units. Its memory is system shared, meaning its bandwidth is system dependent and not a dedicated pool of VRAM.

The GPU's benchmark performance is very low, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are legacy low-end mobile and entry-level desktop parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and the GeForce GT 625 OEM. This data point alone establishes that the Arc B390 is not designed for demanding gaming workloads.

This performance level directly dictates the frame rates seen in Control. The GPU's limited pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates at modern resolutions. The measured FPS data confirms this, showing a maximum average of 65 FPS only at the lowest settings and resolution. At higher resolutions, the GPU's workload increases, and the frame rates drop sharply, illustrating that the integrated graphics' compute and fill rate capabilities are overwhelmed by the game's rendering requirements.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 7900X and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2551 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This placement in the bottom 12% of all tested systems underscores that, for this game, the overall experience is dominated by the weakest component. The rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capability, but rather proof of the severe limitation of the integrated GPU.

This ranking becomes more meaningful when considering the individual components. The CPU is in the 91st percentile, a top-tier performer. In contrast, the GPU is in the 9th percentile, a bottom-tier performer. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU creates a system that is extremely unbalanced for gaming. The combo rank of 2551 effectively shows that the system's performance is dragged down to the level of its graphics solution, negating the potential of the high-end processor. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing would be suitable for productivity or general use, but it is severely handicapped for gaming, particularly in a title with the graphical demands of Control.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend entirely on the user's target resolution and frame rate expectations. The data shows that playability, defined as an average frame rate above 30 FPS, is only achievable at lower resolutions and settings.

At 3840x2160, the only setting that yields an average FPS above 30 is Low, with a score of 33 FPS. All other presets at this resolution fail to reach 30 FPS, making them unsuitable for comfortable gameplay. At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 50 FPS, which is a playable frame rate, while Medium drops to 35 FPS and High falls to 31 FPS. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 65 FPS, making it the only configuration that provides a fluid experience for fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a playable 46 FPS average, with the High preset at 41 FPS also being a viable option.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the most sensible choice, as it offers a playable frame rate with improved visuals over the Low preset. For users prioritizing smooth motion, the Low preset at 1080p is the only option that provides an average frame rate above 60 FPS. At higher resolutions, users will have to settle for Low settings to maintain a playable experience, and 4K gaming should be considered largely unplayable except at the lowest settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system performs best. The Low preset yields an average of 65 FPS. The Medium preset produces an average of 46 FPS, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 53 FPS. The High preset averages 41 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 36 FPS. This shows a steady decline in performance as settings are increased.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops considerably. The Low preset averages 50 FPS. The Medium preset averages 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 40 FPS. The High preset averages 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 27 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 15 FPS, highlighting the significant cost of the Medium preset at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance is marginal. The Low preset averages 33 FPS. The Medium preset averages 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 27 FPS. The High preset averages 21 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the lowest at 18 FPS. None of the 4K presets provide a consistent 30 FPS experience, with only the Low preset slightly exceeding that average.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly indicates that the graphics processor is the primary limiting factor. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 65 to 50, a 23% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 50 to 33, a 34% reduction. This pattern of increasing performance loss at higher resolutions is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system.

This trend is consistent across all settings. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 41 at 1080p to 31 at 1440p, and then to 21 at 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 49%. At Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 46 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 1440p and 24 FPS at 4K. This consistent and significant drop in performance as resolution increases indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is being saturated by the increasing pixel count. The CPU, with its high performance and low utilization, is not a factor in this scaling, as it is not the component that is struggling to keep up with the increased resolution workload. The data strongly points to the GPU as the sole bottleneck, confirming that its rendering capabilities are the absolute ceiling for this system's gaming performance.