Control

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics within Control. The data shows a system where the CPU’s immense processing power is consistently held back by the GPU’s output, a relationship that becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. This analysis delves into the measured FPS across various settings and resolutions, interpreting what the numbers reveal about the hardware's interaction and overall capability.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution scales upward, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 101 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that average to 76 FPS, a 24.8% reduction. The jump to 3840x2160 Low yields 51 FPS, which is a further 32.9% decrease from the 1440p figure and a 49.5% drop from 1080p. This consistent and dramatic loss of frame rate with each pixel-count increase indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting component; the CPU is not the constraint here.

The trend holds across all settings presets. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 63 at 1080p, to 48 at 1440p, and finally to 32 at 4K. The scaling between resolutions is nearly linear, which points to raw pixel throughput as the primary hurdle. The data does not suggest that the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is struggling to feed the GPU; instead, the Arc B570 appears to be saturated. The implication is that Control's rendering load at higher resolutions overwhelms the GPU's 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and its 380.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Interestingly, the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (101 FPS) and Ultra (55 FPS) is 46 FPS. At 4K, that difference shrinks to 23 FPS (51 FPS vs. 28 FPS). This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily taxed by pixel shading that the additional workload from higher graphical settings has a relatively smaller absolute impact on the frame rate, as the bottleneck is entirely on the render output.

The 4K Medium preset shows an average of 36 FPS with a minimum of 31 FPS, indicating that even moderate settings can cause noticeable frame pacing issues at this resolution. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable target for this combination in Control, as even the lowest settings fail to reach the 60 FPS threshold. The system is most comfortable at 1080p, where it can achieve playable frame rates even on the Ultra preset.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the clear performance ceiling in this pairing. Its specifications—10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth—are modest by modern standards, and the benchmark results reflect this. The GPU's percentile ranking of 65 places it above the median, but its average benchmark score of 20556 puts it in a tight cluster with rivals like the Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct of -0.1%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct of 0.1%). This indicates that the Arc B570 is a mid-range performer, and the Control results are consistent with that positioning.

The GPU's boost clock is listed at 2500 MHz, a fixed figure that suggests little headroom for dynamic overclocking. The 10 GB VRAM capacity is a point of interest. In Control, a game known for its physics and particle effects, the 10 GB buffer appears sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution. However, the significant drop at 4K suggests that the memory subsystem is being overwhelmed, either by capacity or bandwidth limitations. The 160-bit bus width is narrow, and 380.0 GB/s is a relatively low figure, which would struggle with the high-resolution textures and post-processing effects that Control employs.

The data implies that the GPU's 80 ROPs and 144 TMUs are not the primary bottleneck, but rather its overall shader throughput and memory bandwidth. For instance, at 1440p Medium, the average is 54 FPS, which is a 28.9% drop from the 1080p Medium score of 71 FPS. This is a substantial hit that aligns with the GPU's compute limitations. The comparison to the Arc A750, which is only 0.1% apart in average benchmark score, suggests that these two Intel cards would perform nearly identically in this game, reinforcing that the Arc B570's architecture, not a specific defect, is the limiting factor.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS is the raw compute horsepower available for the game's DirectX 12 rendering. Given that Control supports DX12, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649 provides a synthetic reference for its capabilities. The measured FPS in Control shows that this compute power is sufficient for 1080p gaming but falls short of providing a smooth experience at 4K, where the average FPS on High settings is just 32.

CPU Role

In stark contrast to the GPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is an absolute powerhouse, and its role in this pairing is to be a silent, overqualified partner. With 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, it possesses far more processing capability than Control requires. The CPU's benchmark scores are exemplary, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and a Geekbench multicore score of 26736. Its percentile ranking of 95 places it in the top 5% of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals—such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (deltaPct of 0.1%)—are nearly identical in performance.

The data from the FPS measurements shows no indication of CPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau across different resolutions at the same settings, as the CPU's workload would remain constant. Instead, we see a clear and consistent drop in FPS as resolution increases, which is a definitive sign of GPU limitation. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations far faster than the Arc B570 can render them.

The CPU's 128 MB of L3 cache is a massive pool, but it is unlikely to be a significant factor in Control, which is a GPU-intensive title. The high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 3064, ensures that the game's main thread is never starved. The boost clock of 5.70 GHz provides ample speed for the game's logic, but again, the measured FPS suggests this speed is never fully utilized.

The Ryzen 9's 32 threads are overkill for a game like Control, which is not known for heavy multi-threading. The data implies that the CPU is essentially idling while the GPU works at 100% capacity. This is a classic example of a high-end CPU paired with a mid-range GPU, where the CPU's potential is left untapped. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 16374 and the Passmark multithread score of 70255 highlight the CPU's raw throughput, but in this specific game, the GPU's output is the sole determinant of the frame rate.

The CPU's 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth and DDR5 support are more than adequate for the game's data streaming needs. There is no evidence in the data to suggest that the CPU is causing any stutters or frame drops. The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p was 46 FPS, which indicates that even in demanding scenes, the CPU is not failing to deliver frames to the GPU.

FAQ

Q: Why is the average FPS so much higher at 1080p than at 4K?

A: The data shows a massive drop in performance as resolution increases. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 63 at 1920x1080 to 48 at 2560x1440, and then to 32 at 3840x2160. This is because the Intel Arc B570's rendering capabilities are saturated by the increased pixel count, making it the limiting component.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9950X3D being fully utilized in this game?

A: No. The FPS scaling pattern indicates a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limit, frame rates would be similar across resolutions. Since they decline consistently with higher resolutions, the CPU is not the constraint.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20556. Its closest rival is the Intel Arc A750 with a score of 20582, a deltaPct of -0.1%. It is also very close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which has a score of 20534 and a deltaPct of 0.1%. This indicates they have similar overall performance.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a stable 60 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 101 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 71 FPS. The High preset averages 63 FPS. These are the only settings where the average FPS is at or above 60. At 1440p and 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS.

Q: Is the 10 GB of VRAM on the Arc B570 enough for this game?

A: Based on the FPS data, the 10 GB capacity seems sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, where performance scales predictably. The severe drop at 4K suggests that the memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s, rather than capacity, is a limiting factor for higher resolutions.

Q: What does the combo's rank of 2307 out of 2888 signify?

A: This rank indicates that the combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B570 is in the lower half of all tested combos for Control. This is primarily due to the GPU's mid-range performance, which holds back the high-end CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a clear matrix of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are playable across the board. The Low preset leads with an average of 101 FPS, followed by Medium at 71 FPS (with a minimum of 61 and maximum of 82), High at 63 FPS, and Ultra at 55 FPS. This shows a smooth scaling curve where the highest preset sacrifices about 46% of the performance of the lowest.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop significantly. Low settings produce an average of 76 FPS, which is still fluid. Medium averages 54 FPS (min 46, max 62), High averages 48 FPS, and Ultra drops to 42 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is now 34 FPS, showing that the GPU's workload is becoming more demanding. None of the 1440p presets reach the 60 FPS average threshold, indicating that users would need to accept lower frame rates or reduce settings to Low for a competitive experience.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The Low preset yields an average of 51 FPS. Medium drops to 36 FPS (min 31, max 42). High settings produce just 32 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28 FPS. The data shows that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this hardware combination in Control, as even the lowest settings cannot consistently stay above 30 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 23 FPS, which is the smallest absolute gap across all resolutions.

The minimum FPS values, where available, provide insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 61 FPS, which is close to the average, suggesting a stable experience. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 46 FPS, showing more variance. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 31 FPS, which is near the average, indicating that the GPU is consistently at its limit. The lack of min/max data for the other presets means we can only infer stability from the averages.

Settings Recommendations

For this specific hardware combination, the data strongly suggests that 1920x1080 is the most appropriate resolution for a balanced experience. The High preset at 1080p delivers an average of 63 FPS, which is a solid target for a smooth, visually detailed playthrough. This is the best combination of visual fidelity and performance, as the Medium preset (71 FPS) offers only a marginal 8 FPS improvement while likely reducing visual quality.

If the user prioritizes a higher frame rate over visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 1080p is an excellent choice, offering an average of 71 FPS with stable minimums (61 FPS). The Low preset at 1080p provides the highest average (101 FPS), but it may compromise the game's atmospheric lighting and effects, which are core to Control's presentation. The Ultra preset at 1080p, while averaging 55 FPS, is just below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in perceptible stuttering.

At 2560x1440, the only preset that yields an average above 60 FPS is Low, with 76 FPS. However, using Low settings at 1440p negates the benefits of the higher resolution. The Medium preset (54 FPS) is a compromise, but it may feel less responsive. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 1080p is the clear winner. The 4K resolution is not viable, as all presets average below 60 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets fall into the low 30s and high 20s, making the game nearly unplayable.

The best experience per the measured rows is to play at 1920x1080 on the High preset. This provides an average FPS of 63, which is above the critical 60 FPS line, and it avoids the performance pitfalls of higher resolutions. It leverages the GPU's capabilities without pushing it to the breaking point, and it ensures that the CPU's power is not wasted on a stuttering frame rate. Users seeking a competitive edge might prefer the Medium preset for the higher average and minimum FPS, but for a single-player action-adventure title like Control, the High preset at 1080p is the optimal balance of quality and smoothness.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2307 out of 2888 tested combos for Control. This places it in the 80th percentile of worst-performing combos, meaning that roughly 80% of the tested configurations deliver better performance in this specific game. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's performance, as the CPU is a top-tier component.

The data suggests that this ranking is a direct result of the GPU's mid-range status. The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are the Intel Arc A750 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile. In a GPU-intensive title like Control, the GPU's capabilities dictate the frame rate, and the Arc B570 is simply outclassed by many other cards in the database. The high-end CPU does nothing to improve the GPU's rendering output.

This rank highlights a significant performance mismatch. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D, with its 95th percentile ranking among CPUs, is capable of supporting far more powerful graphics cards. The combo's low rank is not a reflection of the CPU's weakness but rather evidence of the GPU's limitations. The system is effectively a high-performance sports car engine (the CPU) placed in a mid-range economy car chassis (the GPU).

The implication of this ranking is that the system is not well-balanced for Control. Users with a 9950X3D would see substantial FPS improvements by upgrading the GPU to a higher-tier model, as the CPU would have no trouble keeping up. The combo's position in the rankings is a cautionary tale about pairing components with disparate performance levels, as the final experience is always limited by the weakest link in the chain.