Control

The Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B580 pairing in Control presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics, where the CPU’s aging architecture interacts with a modern GPU across a wide resolution and settings spectrum. The data reveals a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but quickly succumbs to the demands of higher resolutions, particularly when ray tracing or extreme settings are engaged. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to understand where the limits lie and how to best configure the hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating a clear shift in the limiting component. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 111.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 86.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 22%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields only 59.1 FPS, which is a 47% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern suggests that while the GPU is becoming more stressed at higher resolutions, the CPU is still able to feed it enough data at 1440p, but the gap narrows as the pixel count increases.

The High and Ultra presets show even more dramatic declines, underscoring the GPU’s workload. At High settings, the transition from 1080p to 4K cuts performance nearly in half, from 72.0 FPS to 38.3 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with performance plummeting from 62.5 FPS at 1080p to a barely playable 33.4 FPS at 4K. These results imply that the Arc B580’s compute and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at 4K, while the i5-9400’s six threads are sufficient to maintain a steady flow of frames at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125, place it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. This mid-pack standing is reflected in its nearest rivals, where it trades blows with the Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Xeon E-2134, showing a deltaPct of just 0.2% and 0.4%, respectively.

In Control, the CPU’s role appears to be a stable foundation rather than a performance ceiling. The fact that FPS scales significantly with resolution and settings suggests the game is heavily GPU-bound. However, the six threads without hyper-threading could be a limiting factor in scenes with heavy physics or AI, though the benchmark data does not isolate this scenario. The 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR4 support are adequate, but the lack of a newer instruction set or higher core count means the i5-9400 is not a future-proofing champion. The data shows it holds its own, but it is not the star of this show.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand database of tested combinations, this pairing sits at rank 1271 out of 1636 combos for Control. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all systems tested, which is a sobering statistic given the individual components’ specifications. The rank suggests that while the hardware is functional, it is outclassed by a significant portion of the field, likely due to the CPU’s older architecture bottlenecking the GPU’s potential in a game that can be demanding on both.

The Arc B580, with its 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs, is the stronger half of this duo. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, which it trails by just 0.7%, and the AMD Radeon 760M, which it leads by 0.1%. This indicates that the GPU is capable of competing with modern mid-range offerings. The combo’s poor overall rank, therefore, points more toward the CPU dragging the system down. The i5-9400’s 50th percentile score and its rivalries with older Xeon and i3 parts suggest it is the weak link in this pairing, preventing the system from climbing higher in the rankings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all major resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent playability across the board. Low settings produce an average of 111.4 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings yield 79.7 FPS, High settings drop to 72.0 FPS, and Ultra settings still manage a respectable 62.5 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system is capable of handling any preset with smooth, playable frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the strain on the GPU becomes apparent. Low settings drop to 86.8 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings fall to 62.4 FPS, and High settings produce 56.0 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 48.3 FPS, which is playable but starting to show signs of compromise. At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings are the only preset that remains above 60 FPS, hitting 59.1 FPS. Medium settings plummet to 42.5 FPS, High to 38.3 FPS, and Ultra to a mere 33.4 FPS. These numbers clearly indicate that 4K gaming is only viable with the lowest settings on this hardware.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is a modern GPU built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, featuring 2560 shading units and 80 ROPs. Its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a substantial 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s boost clock is a flat 2670 MHz, and its 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, which it trails by a slim 0.7%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile, which it leads by 1.3%.

In Control, the GPU’s role is paramount, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops at higher resolutions. The 12 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for the game’s textures, but the 456.0 GB/s bandwidth may be a limiting factor at 4K with high-detail assets. The GPU’s performance at 1080p is strong, but the data shows it cannot maintain playable frame rates at 4K with High or Ultra settings. This suggests that while the B580 is a capable mid-range part, it is not designed for maxed-out 4K gaming in a title like Control. The GPU’s memory clocks are listed at 2375 MHz, with 19 Gbps effective, which is fast, but the overall workload at 4K proves too heavy.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, delivering 62.5 FPS, which is smooth and visually rich. This allows the user to experience the game’s full graphical fidelity without sacrificing playability. If higher refresh rates are preferred, the High preset at 72.0 FPS offers a good balance, but the Ultra preset is still comfortably playable.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the best choice, yielding 56.0 FPS. This is a solid frame rate for a cinematic action-adventure game, and it provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings. The Ultra preset at 48.3 FPS is borderline, but the drop below 50 FPS may be noticeable in fast-paced combat. For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option, producing 59.1 FPS. Any higher preset results in frame rates in the 30s or low 40s, which are not ideal for a game that requires precise aiming and reactions. The data suggests that users should prioritize a 1440p High experience for the best combination of visuals and performance.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this hardware in Control?*

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 with High settings is the sweet spot, delivering 56.0 FPS. This provides a strong visual experience while maintaining smooth gameplay.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Control?*

A: At 3840x2160, the system only achieves playable frame rates with Low settings, hitting 59.1 FPS. Medium settings drop to 42.5 FPS, and High and Ultra presets fall below 40 FPS, making them less suitable for action gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its immediate rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305. It is 0.2% faster than the Intel Core i3-10305 and 0.4% faster than the Intel Xeon E-2134, but it is 0.6% slower than the Intel Core i7-8809G.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the primary bottleneck in this system?

A: The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. However, the system’s overall combo rank of 1271 out of 1636 suggests the CPU’s older architecture also limits the system’s potential compared to other tested combos.

Q: What is the GPU’s standing relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. It is 0.1% faster than the AMD Radeon 760M and 0.3% faster than the NVIDIA P106-100, but it is 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060.

Q: What are the frame rate differences between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 111.4 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 62.5 FPS. This represents a performance drop of 48.9 FPS when switching to the highest preset.