Control

Control on the Intel Core i5-9400 with the Intel Arc B390 is a severely GPU-limited experience across all tested settings and resolutions. The benchmark data shows a combination that ranks in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations, and while the CPU provides adequate processing power, the integrated graphics solution is the definitive bottleneck, struggling to maintain playable frame rates at any resolution above 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a sharp and consistent performance cliff as resolution increases, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 65 FPS, which drops to 50 FPS at 1440p and further down to 33 FPS at 4K. This represents a 23% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 49% loss from 1080p to 4K at the same Low preset.

The scaling pattern becomes more punishing at higher quality settings. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 41 FPS at 1080p to 31 FPS at 1440p, then to 21 FPS at 4K. This shows a 24% drop between 1080p and 1440p, followed by a 32% drop between 1440p and 4K. At Ultra settings, the numbers are even more compressed: 36 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and only 18 FPS at 4K, representing a 50% total reduction from the lowest to highest tested resolution.

The fact that the gap between Low and Ultra narrows at higher resolutions is telling. At 1080p, the difference between Low (65 FPS) and Ultra (36 FPS) is 29 FPS. At 4K, that difference shrinks to 15 FPS, with Low at 33 FPS and Ultra at 18 FPS. This convergence indicates that the GPU is so saturated at 4K that even reducing settings cannot recover meaningful performance, a classic symptom of a pixel-bound scenario where the render output units and shading capacity are exhausted regardless of the quality preset.

Looking at the Medium preset, which includes minimum and maximum frame data, the resolution scaling shows a similar trajectory: 46 FPS average at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 20 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data strongly suggests that 1080p is the only viable resolution for this combination, and even there, only Low and Medium presets approach acceptable performance levels.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 operates as an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM, and bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent." This architecture directly explains the measured performance, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, a severe handicap in a game like Control, which relies on streaming textures and complex visual effects.

The GPU's compute specifications are modest: 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units. These figures align with the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which places the Arc B390 in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (scoring 1463, 1.3% slower), the GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and the GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower). This positioning makes it clear that the Arc B390 is an entry-level graphics solution by any modern standard.

The boost clock of 2500 MHz is the only saving grace, as it allows the GPU to reach a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. However, these theoretical peaks cannot compensate for the lack of dedicated memory bandwidth. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 18 FPS, which is consistent with a GPU that has ample texture fill capability but insufficient memory throughput to feed the render pipeline at high resolutions. The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is also respectable on paper, but the system-shared memory becomes the choke point in real-world gaming workloads.

The ray tracing cores (12 RT cores) are present in the hardware, yet the measured frame rates at any preset suggest that enabling such features would be impractical, as the baseline performance is already below playable thresholds. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) indicates feature compatibility, but the execution speed is the limiting factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides a stable foundation that is not the primary bottleneck in this configuration. It features 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 9 MB L3 cache. This 14 nm Coffee Lake processor supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration, offering a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, which is shared with the integrated GPU.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-9400 achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935. The Geekbench results show 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core. These numbers place the CPU in the 47th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals are surprisingly close: the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (0.2% faster), the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% slower), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% slower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% faster).

The 6-core/6-thread configuration with a 4.10 GHz boost is sufficient for Control's CPU demands, as evidenced by the fact that the FPS does not collapse at lower resolutions where CPU load would be more prominent. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 65 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. However, the lack of hyper-threading means the CPU has limited headroom for background tasks, and the 65W TDP is modest, but these factors do not appear to be the limiting constraint in the measured data.

The CPU's performance ceiling is better than the GPU's, meaning any attempt to improve frame rates by lowering resolution further would not yield significant gains because the GPU is already overwhelmed at 1080p. The data shows that the i5-9400 is a mid-pack performer, but paired with the Arc B390, its capabilities are largely wasted, as the GPU cannot translate the CPU's processing power into higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The full combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2551 out of 2888 tested combinations in Control, placing it in the bottom 11.7% of all configurations. This is a poor showing, and the ranking reflects the GPU's severe limitations rather than any deficiency in the CPU. The percentile data for the GPU (9th percentile) versus the CPU (47th percentile) makes it clear that the GPU is dragging the overall performance down.

The measured frame rates support this ranking. At no tested resolution and settings combination does the combo achieve a 60 FPS average. The best result is 65 FPS at 1080p Low, but this drops to 46 FPS at Medium and 41 FPS at High. At 1440p, the best is 50 FPS at Low, and at 4K, the best is 33 FPS at Low. These figures are consistent with a combo that is at the bottom of the performance hierarchy.

Compared to other combinations in the database, this setup is closer in performance to systems using the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 or GT 625 OEM, which are ancient parts by comparison. The GPU's 3DMark score of 1482 is within 2.7% of the GT 710, meaning the Arc B390 offers no meaningful generational advantage in raw compute. The CPU's proximity to the Core i3-10305 (0.4% faster) and Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% faster) shows that the processor is not the differentiator here.

The ranking suggests that users with this combination would need to make significant compromises to achieve a playable experience, and even then, the performance would be suboptimal. The combo is essentially at the boundary of what can be considered adequate for modern gaming, and Control is a demanding title that exposes these weaknesses.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 65 FPS, achieved at 1080p with Low settings. This is the only tested configuration that exceeds 60 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run Control at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves an average of 33 FPS. At Medium, it drops to 24 FPS, and at High, it falls to 21 FPS. Ultra settings yield only 18 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710.

Q: Is the CPU a limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The i5-9400 scores 6629 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, placing it in the 47th percentile, while the GPU is in the 9th percentile.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 41 at 1080p to 21 at 4K, a 49% reduction. This demonstrates the GPU's inability to handle higher resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at Medium settings?

A: At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 20. At 1440p Medium, it is 30, and at 1080p Medium, it is 40.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy for optimizing the experience with this combo. For any attempt at playable frame rates, 1080p is the only sensible resolution, and the choice of preset depends on the user's tolerance for visual fidelity versus smoothness.

At 1080p, the Low preset delivers the best average FPS at 65, which is the only configuration that clears the 60 FPS mark. This is the recommended choice for users who prioritize frame rate stability over visual quality. The Medium preset offers a 46 FPS average with a minimum of 40 FPS, which is a significant downgrade in smoothness but provides better texture quality and effects. For users who want a balance, Medium is a reasonable compromise, but it will not provide a consistently smooth experience.

The High preset at 1080p drops to 41 FPS average, which is borderline playable but with noticeable stutter in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 1080p is not recommended, as it averages only 36 FPS. At 1440p, the Low preset averages 50 FPS, but this comes with a significant reduction in visual quality, and the Medium preset at 35 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K, even Low settings only reach 33 FPS, which is suboptimal.

The data strongly suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1080p Low, as this is the only configuration that provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. Users who cannot tolerate the visual sacrifices of Low should consider Medium at 1080p, accepting that frame rates will drop below 50 FPS. Higher resolutions and presets are not viable for a positive experience, and the combination's ranking in the bottom 12% of all tested systems reinforces the need to minimize GPU load.