Control

# Control with AMD Ryzen 9 9900X + Intel Arc B570

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a mid-pack experience in Control, with the combo ranking 2307 out of 2888 tested configurations. The 12-core Zen 5 processor provides ample headroom, but the Arc B570's 10 GB GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth become the defining constraint as resolution climbs. Benchmark results show this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it maintains playable frame rates across all presets, while 4K pushes the GPU to its limits.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 101 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 76 FPS, a 25 FPS reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 51 FPS. This pattern — roughly a 25% loss from 1080p to 1440p, then another 33% loss from 1440p to 4K at Low settings — indicates the Intel Arc B570's rendering throughput is the primary bottleneck.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced at higher presets. With Ultra settings, the averages are 55 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop of 13 FPS and the 1440p-to-4K drop of 14 FPS show a nearly linear degradation. This linearity suggests the GPU's 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are being saturated uniformly as pixel count increases, with no sudden memory bandwidth cliff until the highest resolution.

The Medium preset tells a similar story, with 71 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p Medium (17 FPS) is larger than the 1440p-to-4K gap (18 FPS), suggesting that at 4K Medium, the system is already so constrained that additional pixel count has diminishing marginal impact on the already-low frame rate. The 4K Medium result includes a minimum of 31 FPS and maximum of 42 FPS, showing notable frame time variance.

What this scaling indicates is that the Ryzen 9 9900X is not the limiting factor in any resolution tested. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads, boosting to 5.60 GHz, provide far more processing capability than this 2019 Action Adventure title requires at these settings. The data shows the Arc B570's 160-bit memory bus and 10 GB GDDR6 configuration are the decisive elements, with the GPU's performance percentile of 65 versus all GPUs confirming its mid-range positioning.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X brings substantial compute resources to this pairing, with 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture codenamed Granite Ridge. Its base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz, combined with 64 MB of L3 cache, make it a formidable processor for any gaming workload. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 32,172 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,253 in single-core, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4,672.

In the context of Control, the CPU's role appears minimal based on the FPS scaling pattern. The game, released in 2019, does not heavily tax modern multi-core processors. The 9900X's 3DMark scores — 12,552 at 16 threads, 9,114 at 8 threads, and 4,886 at 4 threads — demonstrate strong scaling, but the game's engine likely uses fewer threads. The single-thread 3DMark score of 1,286 and Cinebench R15 single-core score of 353 indicate the CPU's per-core performance is more than sufficient.

The processor's 92nd percentile ranking versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 57,498, places it near the AMD EPYC 9015 (57,555, -0.1% delta) and Intel Core i9-14900 (58,115, -1.1% delta). This positioning confirms the 9900X is a high-end desktop part, and its memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5 provides ample data throughput for the Arc B570 to feed on.

The key observation is that at 1080p Low, where CPU overhead is typically highest relative to GPU load, the system still achieves 101 FPS. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see this frame rate cap remain roughly constant regardless of resolution. Instead, the 4K Low result of 51 FPS shows a 50% reduction, proving the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU's 24 threads and 5.60 GHz boost clock are effectively idle headroom in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal configuration for this combo depends heavily on target resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 101 FPS average, which provides a smooth experience for competitive or high-refresh-rate play. However, the Medium preset at 71 FPS offers a better balance of visual quality and performance, with a minimum of 61 FPS ensuring consistent frame delivery. High at 63 FPS is also viable, but Ultra at 55 FPS begins to approach the threshold where frame pacing could become noticeable.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. Low at 76 FPS is the only preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium at 54 FPS is playable but requires some tolerance for occasional dips, as evidenced by the 46 FPS minimum. High at 48 FPS and Ultra at 42 FPS are increasingly compromised, with the latter suggesting a 30 FPS experience might be preferable for visual fidelity over motion smoothness.

For 4K, the data clearly shows this combo is not suited for high or ultra presets. Low at 51 FPS is the only playable option, while Medium at 36 FPS and High at 32 FPS fall below the 40 FPS threshold for acceptable action gameplay. Ultra at 28 FPS is effectively a slideshow for a game like Control, which features fast-paced combat and physics-based environmental interactions. The 4K Medium minimum of 31 FPS further reinforces that this resolution is a stretch for the Arc B570.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, offering 71 FPS with a 61 FPS minimum and 82 FPS maximum. This preset provides enough visual detail for the game's atmospheric environments while maintaining frame rates that keep the action fluid. For users prioritizing smoothness above all, 1080p Low at 101 FPS is the clear choice. At 1440p, Low at 76 FPS is the pragmatic recommendation, accepting reduced visual fidelity for playability.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 51 FPS. Medium drops to 36 FPS, High to 32 FPS, and Ultra to 28 FPS, making those presets impractical for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best 1080p preset for this system?

A: Medium at 71 FPS offers the best balance, with a 61 FPS minimum and 82 FPS maximum. Low at 101 FPS is preferable if maximum frame rate is the priority, while Ultra at 55 FPS is the most demanding option.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X perform relative to its rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 57,498 is 0.1% below the AMD EPYC 9015 and 0.2% above the AMD EPYC 7313. It trails the Intel Core i9-14900 by 1.1% and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M by 1.4%.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570 the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: Yes. The FPS drops from 101 at 1080p Low to 51 at 4K Low, a 50% reduction, while the CPU has substantial headroom. The GPU's 65th percentile ranking versus all GPUs confirms it is the limiting component.

Q: What are the GPU's memory specifications?

A: The Intel Arc B570 features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2307 out of 2888 combos in Control, placing it in the lower third of tested systems.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the decisive component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured performance patterns. Built on the Xe2-HPG architecture at TSMC's 5 nm process, the GPU packs 19,600 million transistors into a 272 mm² die. With 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, it delivers 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s. The 18 RT cores provide ray tracing capability, though Control's implementation may not fully leverage them at higher resolutions.

The GPU's memory subsystem is its most notable constraint. The 10 GB GDDR6 pool on a 160-bit bus yields 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is moderate by modern standards. The 2375 MHz memory clock (19 Gbps effective) is respectable, but the narrow bus width limits aggregate bandwidth. This becomes evident in the 4K results, where the 28 FPS Ultra average suggests the GPU is starved for memory throughput when rendering 8.3 million pixels with high-detail textures.

The Arc B570's benchmark profile shows a PassMark G3D score of 14,195 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,649. Its Vulkan score of 96,844 and OpenCL score of 83,514 indicate solid compute capability. The GPU's 65th percentile ranking versus all GPUs places it alongside the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% higher average score) and Intel Arc A750 (0.1% lower). This mid-range positioning is consistent with the measured Control frame rates, which show the GPU handling 1080p well but struggling at 4K.

The 150 W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 8-pin power connector indicate the Arc B570 is a power-efficient card, which suggests thermal throttling is unlikely to be a factor in the FPS results. The PCIe 4.0 x8 interface provides sufficient bandwidth for the GPU's 380.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, and the 450 W suggested PSU rating is modest for a modern system. The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are the raw throughput numbers that ultimately determine how many pixels can be processed per frame.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 101 FPS, the highest figure in the entire dataset. Medium averages 71 FPS with a minimum of 61 and maximum of 82, showing a 21 FPS range that indicates some scene-dependent variance. High averages 63 FPS, while Ultra drops to 55 FPS. The 46 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution demonstrates the full range of the GPU's capability when pixel count is manageable.

Moving to 2560x1440, all presets see significant reductions. Low averages 76 FPS, a 25 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium averages 54 FPS with a 46 FPS minimum and 62 FPS maximum, maintaining a tighter 16 FPS range than at 1080p. High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra averages 42 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra shrinks to 34 FPS, indicating that at this resolution, the GPU's compute resources are more evenly taxed across settings.

At 3840x2160, the results confirm the GPU's limitations. Low averages 51 FPS, Medium 36 FPS (with 31 minimum and 42 maximum), High 32 FPS, and Ultra 28 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra spread narrows to just 23 FPS, showing that as pixel count dominates, the quality preset has diminishing impact on frame rate. The Medium preset's 11 FPS range between minimum and maximum suggests frame pacing becomes less consistent at this resolution, likely due to memory bandwidth contention.

The full dataset reveals a consistent pattern: each resolution step from 1080p to 1440p to 4K costs roughly 25-30 FPS at Low settings, 17-18 FPS at Medium, 15-16 FPS at High, and 13-14 FPS at Ultra. This decreasing absolute penalty with higher presets indicates that at Ultra, the GPU is already near its limits even at 1080p, leaving less headroom to sacrifice as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2307 out of 2888 tested configurations places it in the lower 20th percentile of all systems tested in Control. This ranking reflects the Intel Arc B570's mid-range GPU positioning rather than any deficiency in the Ryzen 9 9900X. The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 57,498, is among the top 8% of processors. The GPU's 65th percentile ranking, with an average score of 20,556, is more modest.

The discrepancy between CPU and GPU rankings explains the combo's overall position. The 9900X is a high-end processor that would typically pair with a more powerful GPU, but the Arc B570's mid-range performance drags the combined system down. This is evident in the measured FPS data, where the CPU's substantial headroom goes unused because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to utilize it.

In the context of all tested combos, this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming with medium to high settings, or 1440p with low settings. The 4K results are marginal at best, with only the Low preset approaching playability. The ranking reflects this reality: the system is positioned for mainstream 1080p gaming, not high-resolution or high-refresh-rate play. Users seeking higher performance in Control would need to either reduce resolution, lower settings, or consider a more powerful GPU to match the 9900X's capabilities.