Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build pairs the AMD Ryzen 5 5600, a 6-core/12-thread Zen 3 desktop processor, with the Intel Arc B370, an integrated-class GPU built on Intel’s Xe3-LPG architecture. This combination produces a playable experience at lower resolutions and settings, but it struggles to maintain fluid frame rates at higher presets and 4K. The data shows a system where CPU headroom is significant, but the graphics solution is the definitive bottleneck in almost every scenario.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This CPU features a 32 MB shared L3 cache and a 65 W TDP, making it a capable and efficient desktop part. In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 5600 demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance, scoring 18,309 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,584 in single-core. Its average benchmark score of 20,468 places it in the 74th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating solid mainstream performance.

In the context of Steamworld Build, the CPU’s role is to handle the simulation and game logic, which often involves numerous entities and pathfinding calculations. The Ryzen 5 5600’s 12 threads provide ample parallelism for these tasks. The measured frame rates in this game show that the CPU is not the primary limiter. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 95 FPS average. This high frame rate at a CPU-intensive setting suggests the processor is keeping up with the game’s demands without creating a significant bottleneck. The processor’s single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3,256 Passmark single-thread score, ensures that the main game loop is processed efficiently.

However, the CPU's performance becomes less relevant as the resolution increases. The data indicates that the frame rate drops drastically from 1080p to 4K, which points to the GPU being the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the CPU has more work to do, the average FPS is 37, a significant drop from the Low setting’s 95 FPS. This suggests that while the Ryzen 5 5600 is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU at lower settings, the GPU’s inability to render at higher settings caps the overall performance. The CPU’s high multi-threaded score, such as its 21,541 Passmark multithread score, is sufficient for the game’s simulation, but it is not the component that determines the playability ceiling in this specific pairing.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is a stark contrast to the Ryzen 5 5600. This GPU is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and is part of the Arc Graphics-M generation, specifically designed for integrated graphics on Panther Lake chips. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The most critical specification is its memory: it uses System Shared memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and instead relies on the system’s main memory. This architectural choice significantly impacts performance, especially at higher resolutions and settings where memory bandwidth and capacity are crucial.

The Arc B370 has 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical performance is listed at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32. In synthetic testing, the GPU scored 1,184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This score is remarkably low, putting it in direct competition with legacy graphics cards from over a decade ago. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, with performance deltas of -0.2% and -0.7%, respectively. This places the Arc B370’s raw performance far below what is typically needed for modern gaming at high settings.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU’s limitations are immediately apparent. The shared memory architecture and low pixel throughput (48.00 GPixel/s) mean that increasing the graphical load has a severe impact on frame rates. The data shows a clear progression: at 1080p Low, the system manages 95 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 37 FPS. This trend is even more pronounced at 4K, where the Ultra preset yields an average of only 12 FPS. The GPU’s memory bandwidth being "System Dependent" is a major factor here, as it cannot efficiently handle the large textures and higher-resolution framebuffers demanded by the higher settings in a city builder game which can have complex scenes.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combined performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370 in Steamworld Build is ranked 2,683rd out of 2,924 tested combinations. This places the combo in the bottom 8% of all systems tested, indicating that it is a severely underperforming pairing for this specific title. The near-bottom ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's extremely low benchmark scores, which drag down the overall system capability despite the relatively capable CPU.

This ranking underscores the imbalance in this setup. The CPU is a solid mid-range processor, but the GPU is an integrated solution that was never designed for high-end gaming. When compared to other systems in the database, this combo offers a level of performance that is only suitable for the most modest graphical settings. The fact that the combo ranks so low suggests that almost any dedicated graphics card from the last decade would provide a more balanced and higher-performing experience. The data implies that the Arc B370 is a significant liability, and the system’s frame rates are a direct reflection of that bottleneck, rather than any deficiency in the Ryzen 5 5600.

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

The measured FPS data for Steamworld Build reveals a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution and settings increase. The system’s performance is heavily dependent on the graphical load, with the CPU rarely being the limiting factor.

1080p (1920x1080): At this resolution, the game is playable at lower settings. With Low settings, the system averages 95 FPS, providing a very smooth experience. Moving to Medium settings, the average FPS drops to 73, with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84 FPS. High settings yield an average of 55 FPS, which is still acceptable for a city builder. However, pushing to Ultra settings causes a significant drop to an average of 37 FPS, which begins to feel less fluid and indicates the GPU is struggling.

1440p (2560x1440): At 1440p, the GPU’s limitations become more pronounced. Low settings produce an average of 61 FPS, which is still playable. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a range of 39 to 53 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 35 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for this genre. Ultra settings are not recommended, as the average FPS falls to 23, making the game feel sluggish and unresponsive.

4K (3840x2160): The 4K resolution proves to be too demanding for the Intel Arc B370. Low settings produce an average of 32 FPS, which is borderline playable but not ideal. Medium settings average 25 FPS, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 28 FPS. High settings drop to 18 FPS, which is choppy. Ultra settings are effectively unplayable, with an average of only 12 FPS. The data shows a clear ceiling at this resolution, where even the lowest settings cannot guarantee a consistently smooth experience.

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

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions provides definitive evidence that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component. When moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops significantly at every settings level. For instance, at Low settings, the average FPS falls from 95 to 61, a 36% reduction. At High settings, it drops from 55 to 35, a similar percentage decrease. This scaling is typical of a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth.

The drop from 1440p to 4K is even more severe, highlighting the GPU’s inability to handle the quadrupled pixel count. At Medium settings, the FPS goes from 46 at 1440p to 25 at 4K, a 46% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 23 FPS to 12 FPS, a 48% reduction. This non-linear scaling is a classic sign of a GPU hitting a hard architectural limit, such as its ROP throughput or memory subsystem. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload does not change with resolution. Instead, the FPS drops proportionally with the pixel count, confirming that the GPU is saturated.

This analysis indicates that upgrading the CPU would do nothing to improve frame rates in this game, as the GPU is already unable to process the frames fast enough. The system is firmly GPU-bound at all tested settings and resolutions, with the CPU waiting on the GPU to finish its rendering tasks. The only way to improve performance in Steamworld Build would be to replace the Intel Arc B370 with a more powerful dedicated graphics card.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo at 1080p?

A: The data shows that Low settings provide the highest average FPS at 95, but Medium settings also offer a smooth experience at 73 FPS. High settings at 55 FPS are acceptable, while Ultra settings at 37 FPS are the minimum for playability.

Q: Can this system run Steamworld Build at 4K?

A: Yes, but with severe compromises. The highest playable preset at 4K is Low, which averages 32 FPS. Medium settings average 25 FPS, and High and Ultra presets are not recommended due to average frame rates of 18 and 12 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark, the Arc B370 scores 1,184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1,186, which is a performance delta of -0.2%. This places the Arc B370 at a similar performance level to graphics cards that are well over a decade old.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The benchmark results indicate the system is heavily GPU-bound. The CPU’s performance, such as its 18,309 Cinebench R23 multi-core score, is more than sufficient for Steamworld Build, and the FPS drops are directly correlated with increases in resolution and graphical settings, which are GPU tasks.

Q: What is the combo's overall performance ranking in this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2,683rd out of 2,924 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Low setting yields an average FPS of 61, while the Ultra setting yields an average FPS of 23. This represents a 62% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical preset.