Control

Control with an Intel Core i5-11400F and an Intel Arc B390 produces a narrow band of playable performance, with the data indicating that the experience is heavily constrained by the graphics subsystem at every resolution. The measured frame rates show a clear ceiling that shifts downward as resolution increases, while the CPU’s six cores and high boost clock provide sufficient headroom to avoid becoming the primary bottleneck. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows, contextualizes the hardware’s role, and offers settings guidance based strictly on the provided facts.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a consistent and predictable drop as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo averages 65 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded across all twelve tested configurations. Moving to 1440p Low drops that average to 50 FPS, a reduction of 15 frames, and at 4K Low the average falls further to 33 FPS. This pattern—roughly a 23% loss from 1080p to 1440p, and another 34% loss from 1440p to 4K—indicates that the limiting component is the GPU, not the CPU. The Intel Arc B390’s system-shared memory and 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput are simply not enough to maintain high fill rates at larger pixel counts.

The scaling behavior is even more telling when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 41; at 1440p High, it drops to 31; and at 4K High, it bottoms out at 21 FPS. The delta from 1080p to 1440p is 10 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is another 10 FPS. This linear degradation suggests that the GPU is operating at its memory bandwidth limit, which is described as "System Dependent" in the fact pack. Since the Arc B390 relies on shared system memory, the bandwidth available at higher resolutions is a critical constraint, and the measured results reflect that. The 4K Ultra preset delivers just 18 FPS average, which is below the minimum threshold for smooth gameplay, confirming that the GPU is the sole limiting factor at that resolution.

It is also notably the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (65 FPS) and Ultra (36 FPS) is 29 FPS. At 1440p, that gap shrinks to 23 FPS (50 vs 27), and at 4K, it falls to 15 FPS (33 vs 18). This compression of performance across settings at higher resolutions is a classic sign of a GPU that is saturated: the pixel shader workload dominates, and reducing quality settings cannot compensate for the raw pixel count. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck because the scaling is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, not CPU-bound behavior. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see smaller differences between resolutions at the same settings, but the 1080p to 4K drop at Low (65 to 33 FPS) is a 49% reduction, which is far too large to be caused by a six-core processor with a 4.40 GHz boost clock.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F provides six cores and twelve threads, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 14340 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2024 in single-core, placing it at the 71st percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (deltaPct of 0.3), Intel Core i5-12450H (deltaPct of -0.4), AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (deltaPct of -0.6), and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (deltaPct of 0.6). These close margins—all within 0.6%—indicate that the 11400F’s processing power is entirely adequate for this game’s demands.

In Control, which is an action-adventure title from 2019, the CPU’s role is to handle physics, AI, and game logic. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU limitation: at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 65 FPS, which is a respectable figure for a GPU that sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see the FPS plateau at a lower value regardless of resolution, but the data shows FPS declining steadily with resolution. The 12-thread count and 4.40 GHz boost clock are sufficient to feed the Arc B390, which is a low-end integrated GPU with only 1536 shading units and a 300 MHz base clock. The CPU’s 3DMark scores—5619 in 16-thread and 868 in single-thread—further confirm that it has ample headroom for this workload.

The fact that the combo ranks 2551 out of 2888 tested combinations (comboRankInGame) also supports the conclusion that the CPU is not the weak link. A ranking in the bottom 12% of all combos is driven almost entirely by the GPU’s low performance percentile, not by the CPU’s 71st percentile standing. The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth is more than enough for a game that does not appear to be memory-bandwidth sensitive, as evidenced by the consistent scaling pattern. In summary, the i5-11400F is a capable mid-range processor that does not constrain the Arc B390 in this title, and the measured results align with that assessment.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 65, recorded at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration that breaks the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B390 in Control?

A: No. The data shows that FPS scales consistently with resolution, which is a GPU-bound pattern. The CPU has a 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 9th percentile, indicating the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: How does the combo’s overall ranking compare to other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2551 out of 2888 tested combos for this game, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. This poor ranking is attributable to the GPU’s low performance, not the CPU.

Q: What is the best resolution for achieving a playable frame rate?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings produces 65 FPS, which is the most playable option. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 50 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 33 FPS, so lower resolutions are clearly preferable.

Q: Does the Ultra preset ever deliver a smooth experience?

A: No. The Ultra preset averages 36 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. All three of these figures are below the 60 FPS target, and even the 1080p result is marginal for fast-paced action.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are all very low-end parts, confirming the GPU’s limited capability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of an Intel Core i5-11400F and an Intel Arc B390 ranks 2551 out of 2888 tested combos in Control. This position in the 12th percentile of all configurations is a direct reflection of the GPU’s performance ceiling. The CPU, which ranks at the 71st percentile among all CPUs, is clearly not the source of the low ranking. The GPU’s percentile of 9 among all GPUs places it in the bottom decile, and its benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is only 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which is among its closest rivals.

The ranking data suggests that this combo is best suited for older or less demanding titles, but for Control, it struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. The nearest CPU rivals—AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% faster), Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% slower), AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (0.6% slower), and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (0.6% faster)—all have nearly identical average scores, which reinforces that the CPU is not a differentiator. If the combo’s ranking were improved, it would require a more powerful GPU, as the data shows the CPU has headroom to support a faster graphics card. The 2551st position out of 2888 is a strong signal that this configuration is not competitive for Control at higher resolutions or settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only settings that deliver a consistently smooth experience are 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 65 FPS. This is the sole configuration that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for playable performance. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 46 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced action game, and the High preset at 1080p drops to 41 FPS. At 1440p, the Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is borderline acceptable, but the Medium preset falls to 35 FPS, and the High preset to 31 FPS. For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the 1080p High preset at 41 FPS offers a reasonable compromise, but it will require adaptive sync or a tolerance for lower frame pacing.

The 4K resolution is not recommended for any preset, as even the Low setting only averages 33 FPS, which is below the minimum threshold for comfortable gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K averages just 18 FPS, making it unplayable. The data shows a clear trade-off between resolution and settings: dropping from High to Low at 1080p yields a 24 FPS increase (from 41 to 65), while dropping from High to Low at 4K yields only a 12 FPS increase (from 21 to 33). This suggests that lowering settings is more effective at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the GPU is too constrained to benefit significantly. For the best experience, the recommendation is to use 1080p Low for maximum frame rate, or 1080p Medium for a balance of quality and performance, as the latter still provides 46 FPS average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, producing twelve unique configurations. At 3840x2160 (4K), the averages are as follows: Low settings produce 33 FPS, Medium produces 24 FPS (with a minimum of 20 and maximum of 27), High produces 21 FPS, and Ultra produces 18 FPS. The 4K results are all below 34 FPS, indicating that this resolution is not viable for smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440 (1440p), the averages improve: Low delivers 50 FPS, Medium delivers 35 FPS (minimum 30, maximum 40), High delivers 31 FPS, and Ultra delivers 27 FPS. The 1440p Low result is the only one at this resolution that approaches playability, though it still falls short of 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the averages are more varied: Low produces 65 FPS, Medium produces 46 FPS (minimum 40, maximum 53), High produces 41 FPS, and Ultra produces 36 FPS. The 1080p Low result is the only configuration that reaches 60 FPS, while the Medium and High presets are usable but not optimal. The data shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, with the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrowing at higher resolutions. For example, at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 29 FPS (65 vs 36), but at 4K, that difference shrinks to 15 FPS (33 vs 18). This indicates that the GPU’s pixel processing capability is the dominant factor, and that the CPU’s performance is not a limiting variable. The minimum FPS values are only recorded for the Medium presets, with 4K at 20, 1440p at 30, and 1080p at 40, which provides some insight into frame time consistency, but the lack of min/max data for other presets limits further analysis.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. It has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its clock speeds range from a 300 MHz base to a 2500 MHz boost, and it relies on system-shared memory, which means its bandwidth is system dependent. The GPU’s FP32 throughput is 7.680 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, with a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. These specifications place it firmly in the entry-level segment, as confirmed by its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12.

In Control, the GPU’s role is to handle rendering, and the data shows that it is the primary bottleneck. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU that is limited by its memory bandwidth and fill rate. The system-shared memory is a particular weakness, as it means the GPU competes with the CPU for memory access, and the "System Dependent" bandwidth cannot match dedicated VRAM. The GPU’s nearest rivals—NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1.5% slower), GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% slower), and GeForce GT 710 (2.7% slower)—are all legacy low-end parts, which underscores the B390’s limited capability. The 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are insufficient for high-resolution rendering, and the 12 RT cores are likely unused in this game, which does not heavily feature ray tracing. The TDP of 80 W is modest, but the performance ceiling is clear: the B390 cannot maintain playable frame rates at 1440p or 4K in Control, and even at 1080p, it only exceeds 60 FPS on the lowest settings.