Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder that rarely stresses a system the way a first-person shooter does, yet the data for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and Intel Arc B580 pairing reveals a configuration that is surprisingly well-balanced, even if its absolute position in the broader database is modest. This combination ranks 2781st out of 3706 tested combos for this specific title, placing it in the lower half of all systems, but the measured frame rates tell a story of consistent playability across most settings, with clear bottlenecks emerging only at the most demanding extremes.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Zen 2 architecture, built on a 7 nm process. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.20 GHz provide a solid foundation for a simulation-heavy genre like city building, where the game logic, agent pathfinding, and resource management calculations often scale with thread count. The processor’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache is particularly relevant for a title like Steamworld Build, where the game’s simulation state is frequently accessed and modified; a larger cache can reduce the latency of these operations.

Benchmark results indicate the Ryzen 5 3600 is a capable mid-range part. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15045 and single-core score of 2124 suggest that it can handle both the multi-threaded simulation workloads and the single-threaded rendering tasks that a city builder generates. The PassMark multithread score of 17700 and single-thread score of 2562 reinforce this picture. The processor’s percentile ranking versus all CPUs is 71, meaning it outperforms roughly 71% of all processors in the database. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Core i7-1260P (0.2% higher score), the Intel Core i5-11400 (0.2% lower), and the AMD EPYC 7742 (0.2% higher), showing that the Ryzen 5 3600 sits in a tightly contested performance band where small clock differences and architectural quirks define the order.

In the context of Steamworld Build’s measured results, the CPU’s role becomes clearer when looking at the lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 184 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at this setting; it is feeding the GPU enough data to render frames quickly. However, as settings increase to Ultra at 1080p, the average FPS drops to 71, a significant reduction that is more likely attributable to the GPU’s rendering load than the CPU’s simulation overhead. The CPU’s 12 threads ensure that the game’s background simulation does not become a stutter source, keeping the minimum frames at Medium settings (119 FPS at 1080p) high enough to avoid noticeable hitches.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B580 is a more recent addition to the market, using the Xe2-HPG architecture on a 5 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base and boost clocks are both 2670 MHz, and it houses 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. For a city builder with potentially large, detailed scenes, the 12 GB VRAM is ample for storing high-resolution textures and geometry, which is crucial when zooming in on detailed structures.

The Arc B580’s raw compute metrics include a FP32 performance of 13.67 TFLOPS and a texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 15748 in PassMark G3D and 92821 in Geekbench OpenCL. Its percentile ranking versus all GPUs is 68, indicating it outperforms about 68% of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (0.2% higher score), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (0.6% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (0.7% lower). This is an interesting neighborhood; the B580 competes with older high-end cards, suggesting it has strong raw performance but may lack some modern optimizations.

The GPU’s impact in Steamworld Build is most evident when comparing the 1080p and 4K results. At 1080p Low, the GPU achieves 184 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 62 FPS, a 66% reduction. This steep scaling curve indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s workload (simulation) remains relatively constant while the GPU’s pixel and shader workload increases exponentially. The 12 GB VRAM does not appear to be a limiting factor at 4K High (35 FPS), as the performance drop is more consistent with compute limitations rather than memory capacity issues.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Ryzen 5 3600 and Arc B580 ranks 2781st out of 3706 tested combos for Steamworld Build. This rank places it in the 75th percentile from the bottom, meaning it is slower than about 75% of all tested systems in this specific game. This might seem low, but it is important to contextualize this rank. The database includes many high-end configurations with newer CPUs and top-tier GPUs, so a mid-range processor paired with a mid-range-to-high-end GPU will naturally fall lower in the overall ranking.

Despite the rank, the actual performance in this game is quite playable at most settings. The combo’s performance is not limited by a single weak component; rather, it is a balanced pairing where both the CPU and GPU contribute to the overall result. For example, at 1440p High, the combo achieves 67 FPS, which is a smooth experience for a city builder. The rank of 2781 is more a reflection of the competitive field than a condemnation of this specific pairing. If the benchmark list were limited to similar mid-range hardware, this combo would likely rank much higher. The data shows that while this system is not a top performer globally, it is entirely adequate for the demands of Steamworld Build at mainstream resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Steamworld Build at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The data shows that at 4K with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 62 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K High, the average drops to 35 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 24 FPS. For a smooth 4K experience, Low or Medium settings (47 FPS) are recommended, as High and Ultra will likely feel sluggish.

Q: How does the Arc B580 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Arc B580’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, which has a score 0.2% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is 0.6% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is 0.7% lower. This indicates the B580 performs in the same league as these older high-end cards.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 3600 a bottleneck for the Arc B580 in this game?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 184 FPS, suggesting the CPU is not limiting the GPU. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 24 FPS, which is more likely a GPU limitation. The CPU’s 12 threads and high single-thread score (Cinebench R23 single-core 2124) are sufficient for this game’s simulation, so the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions and settings.

Q: What is the best resolution to use for a balance of visual quality and performance?

A: At 1440p with High settings, the combo achieves 67 FPS, which is a good balance. At 1080p Ultra, it hits 71 FPS, offering higher visual fidelity at a lower resolution. For most players, 1440p High or 1080p Ultra would provide the best experience, as they maintain frame rates above 60 FPS.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM of the Arc B580 cause any issues at high resolutions?

A: The data does not show any VRAM-related performance cliffs. At 4K High, the frame rate is 35 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 47 FPS, which is a moderate drop. If VRAM were insufficient, we would expect a more abrupt and severe drop, so 12 GB appears adequate for Steamworld Build’s needs.

Q: How does the combo’s overall rank of 2781 translate to real-world performance?

A: The rank of 2781 out of 3706 combos is lower than many high-end systems, but the measured FPS shows the combo is perfectly capable of running the game smoothly at 1080p and 1440p. The rank is skewed by the presence of far more powerful hardware, so it does not fully represent the playable experience this pairing offers.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling across resolutions provides clear evidence of where the bottleneck lies. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 184 at 1080p to 117 at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 62 at 4K (a 47% reduction from 1440p). This consistent and significant drop as resolution increases points to the GPU being the primary limiting factor. The CPU’s workload, which is largely resolution-independent for simulation tasks, does not change much, so the frame rate is directly tied to the GPU’s ability to render more pixels.

At High settings, the same trend is visible: 105 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%. This shows that the GPU’s rendering load doubles with each resolution step, and the Arc B580’s 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 compute becomes the ceiling. The fact that the CPU does not cause a plateau at lower resolutions (the combo still reaches 184 FPS at 1080p Low) confirms that the Ryzen 5 3600 is not holding back the system until the GPU is fully saturated.

The data implies that for this game, the Arc B580 is the component to upgrade if higher resolutions are desired. The CPU has enough headroom to support a more powerful GPU, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p where the CPU is not the limiter. Conversely, upgrading the CPU alone would yield little benefit at 4K, as the GPU would remain the bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS, the Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it achieves 71 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 45 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and at 4K Ultra, it plummets to 24 FPS, making it unplayable. Therefore, Ultra should be reserved for 1080p displays.

The High preset offers the most versatile experience. At 1080p, it delivers 105 FPS, which is excellent. At 1440p, it averages 67 FPS, which is still smooth and provides a good visual upgrade over 1080p. At 4K, High drops to 35 FPS, which is borderline but playable for a slower-paced city builder where frame rate fluctuations are less noticeable. For users with 1440p monitors, High is the recommended preset.

The Medium preset is the fallback for 4K users, providing 47 FPS at 4K with a minimum of 40 FPS. This ensures a relatively stable experience at 4K, though it requires sacrificing some visual effects. The Low preset, while achieving 62 FPS at 4K and 184 FPS at 1080p, strips away too many visual details to be a primary choice for most players. The best experience per the data is either 1080p Ultra (71 FPS) for maximum visual fidelity or 1440p High (67 FPS) for a balance of sharpness and performance. Given that 1440p offers a significant resolution increase over 1080p with nearly identical frame rates to Ultra at 1080p, 1440p High is the optimal recommendation for most users.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo performs admirably across all settings. The Low preset yields an average of 184 FPS with no minimum or maximum recorded. The Medium preset averages 141 FPS, with a minimum of 119 FPS and a maximum of 162 FPS, indicating a very stable experience. High settings reduce the average to 105 FPS, while Ultra brings it down to 71 FPS. All 1080p presets are highly playable, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings average 117 FPS, which is still excellent for a 1440p display. Medium settings average 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, providing a smooth and consistent experience. High settings average 67 FPS, which remains playable, though the frame rate is approaching the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings drop to 45 FPS, which starts to feel less fluid, especially in busy scenes with many buildings and citizens.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limits become apparent. Low settings average 62 FPS, making it the only 4K preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. Medium settings average 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS, which is a playable but not perfectly smooth experience. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings average 24 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay. For 4K users, Medium is the highest preset that can be recommended, as it maintains an average above 45 FPS, while Low is the only preset that offers a fully fluid experience.