Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build with the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and Intel Arc B390 produces a playable experience only at lower resolutions, with the data clearly indicating that the integrated GPU is the primary constraint. The combo ranks in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations, and the performance scaling across resolutions confirms that this pairing is not suitable for high-fidelity city building at modern display standards.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a severe drop as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 106 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset drops the average to 67 FPS, a decline of approximately 37%. At 4K, the average falls to 35 FPS, which is a further 48% reduction from the 1440p result. This steep, nearly linear decline with pixel count indicates that the rendering pipeline is saturated, and the GPU is working at its absolute limit.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the average is 60 FPS, which is borderline acceptable for a city builder. Stepping up to 1440p High reduces this to 38 FPS, a 37% drop. At 4K High, the average plummets to 20 FPS, making the game essentially unplayable at that resolution. The difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings is a 67% reduction in frame rate, which is a far larger penalty than what would be expected from a balanced system where the CPU might start to become a factor.

The data points to the Intel Arc B390 as the definitive bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 4600G, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, as evidenced by the 106 FPS Low result. However, as resolution climbs, the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity are overwhelmed. The fact that the 4K Low result (35 FPS) is lower than the 1080p High result (60 FPS) reinforces this conclusion; the GPU is simply unable to maintain throughput when the pixel workload quadruples. The CPU is not the limiting factor here, as the performance degradation is entirely consistent with the GPU's rendering capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware, this combination performs poorly. The combo rank in Steamworld Build is 2573 out of 2924 tested combinations, placing it in the 12th percentile of all systems. This is a very low standing, indicating that most other CPU-GPU pairings will deliver a superior experience in this game. The ranking reflects the fundamental imbalance of pairing a mid-range CPU with an entry-level integrated graphics solution.

The benchmark results for the individual components corroborate this low rank. The Intel Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482, and its percentile vs all GPUs is 9. This means it performs better than only 9% of all GPUs in the database, placing it in the bottom tier. Its nearest rivals in benchmark scores are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower). These are all legacy or entry-level mobile parts, which contextualizes the B390's performance level. The B390 is essentially competing with hardware from over a decade ago.

Conversely, the CPU is a relatively strong component. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G has an average benchmark score of 17507 and a percentile vs all CPUs of 71, meaning it outperforms 71% of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE (17482, 0.1% slower), the Intel Core 7 150U (17395, 0.6% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 3 8300GE (17614, 0.6% faster). This places the CPU in a solid mid-range tier. The massive discrepancy between the CPU's strong 71st percentile and the GPU's weak 9th percentile is the core reason for the low combo rank; the system is severely held back by its graphics component.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this system's performance, and its specifications explain why. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units. It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. The clock speeds are a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. These specifications result in a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, with a FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS.

The memory configuration is a critical weakness. The B390 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and relies on the system's main memory. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in this case is tied to the Ryzen 5 4600G's dual-channel DDR4 configuration, offering a theoretical maximum of 51.2 GB/s. This is a fraction of the bandwidth available to discrete GPUs, and it severely hampers performance in a game like Steamworld Build, which likely requires frequent texture and geometry data transfers.

The GPU's benchmark results are dismal. Its only recorded benchmark, 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12, yields a score of 1482. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs and puts it in direct competition with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463. The B390 is just 1.3% faster than the GT 520MX, a GPU from an entirely different era. This comparison is stark and illustrates the B390's lack of raw compute power. It is not a gaming GPU; it is a basic display adapter that happens to have some 3D acceleration capabilities. The data shows that even at 1080p, it cannot maintain a consistent 60 FPS on the High preset, only achieving an average of 60 FPS with no minimum frame data available.

FAQ

Q: Can this system play Steamworld Build at 4K resolution?

A: No. The measured average frame rates at 3840x2160 are 35 FPS on Low, 27 FPS on Medium, 20 FPS on High, and 14 FPS on Ultra. All of these are below the threshold for a smooth, playable experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the game achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 41 on Ultra to 106 on Low, with Medium and High hitting 81 and 60 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to other GPUs?

A: The B390's average benchmark score is 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. It is only 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M, and 2.5% faster than the GeForce GT 625 OEM.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B390?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores (average 17507, 71st percentile) are far stronger than the GPU's. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a massive drop in FPS, which indicates the GPU is the limiting component, not the CPU.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that provides a playable frame rate?

A: At 1080p, the High preset yields an average of 60 FPS. While the Medium preset offers a higher average of 81 FPS, the High preset is the highest quality setting that still achieves a 60 FPS average.

Q: Does the shared memory configuration impact performance?

A: Yes. The B390 uses "System Shared" memory with "System Dependent" bandwidth. In this system, that bandwidth is limited to 51.2 GB/s (dual-channel DDR4), which is a significant constraint for the GPU and contributes to its low performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based strictly on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo are at 1080p resolution. At this resolution, the Low preset delivers an average of 106 FPS, providing a very smooth and responsive experience. The Medium preset is also excellent, with an average of 81 FPS and a minimum of 69 FPS, ensuring no significant stutters. The High preset is the boundary of playability, hitting an average of 60 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for a good PC gaming experience. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 41 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a game where you need to manage a complex city with many moving parts.

For a balance between visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1080p is the recommended choice. It offers a comfortable frame rate buffer above 60 FPS and provides a significant visual upgrade over Low. The minimum FPS of 69 is also above the 60 FPS target, meaning the experience will be consistently smooth. While High achieves a 60 FPS average, the lack of minimum FPS data leaves uncertainty about potential dips during heavy simulation moments.

The data shows no viable path to 1440p or 4K gaming. At 1440p, the best average is 67 FPS on Low, but this drops to 51 FPS on Medium and 38 FPS on High. At 4K, even the Low preset only manages 35 FPS. Therefore, users should stick to 1080p and choose between Low, Medium, or High based on their preference for visual fidelity over frame rate. The measured results suggest that Medium is the sweet spot, providing a clear improvement over Low while maintaining a high and stable frame rate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G's role in this system is to provide a solid foundation that is unfortunately wasted by the weak GPU. The CPU is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. It has a 7 nm process node and a total L3 cache of 8 MB. Its benchmark scores are respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 13593 and a single-core score of 1919. It achieves a Geekbench multicore score of 6637 and a single-core score of 1460. These numbers place it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a capable mid-range processor.

In the context of Steamworld Build, a city builder, the CPU's multi-threaded performance is important for handling game logic, AI, and the simulation of a growing population. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 4863 and the max_threads score of 4889 suggest that the CPU can handle a moderate amount of parallel work. The CPU is not the bottleneck in this configuration. The fact that the 1080p Low preset achieves 106 FPS demonstrates that the CPU can deliver frames far faster than the GPU can render them.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s is a potential limitation for the entire system, as the GPU relies on this same memory. However, the primary issue remains the GPU's compute power. The CPU's performance is more than adequate for this game, and upgrading the GPU would yield a massive improvement in frame rates. The data suggests that the Ryzen 5 4600G is a competent processor that is simply paired with an underpowered graphics solution, resulting in a system that fails to leverage the CPU's full potential in gaming scenarios.