Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build presents an interesting case study for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and Intel Arc B570 combination. This pairing of a 6-core, 12-thread CPU with a 10 GB graphics card produces a wide performance envelope that shifts dramatically depending on resolution and quality settings. The measured data shows a system that can deliver high refresh rates at 1080p but scales down to a borderline playable experience at 4K, with the bottleneck clearly moving between components as the workload changes.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing a system that is heavily influenced by resolution. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 162 FPS at 1920x1080 to 103 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 55 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 66% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the drop is from 93 FPS to 59 FPS to 31 FPS across the same resolution steps, a 67% decline. The pattern holds for Medium and Ultra presets, with the 4K figures landing at roughly one-third of their 1080p counterparts. This scaling behavior points to the Intel Arc B570 as the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the GPU’s workload increases with pixel count.

The delta between Low and Ultra settings also grows with resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (162 FPS) and Ultra (63 FPS) is 99 FPS. At 1440p, that gap narrows to 63 FPS (103 FPS vs 40 FPS). At 4K, it shrinks further to 34 FPS (55 FPS vs 21 FPS). This compression suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even lowering settings from Ultra to Low cannot fully compensate for the resolution overhead. The data indicates a system where 1080p allows the CPU to stretch its legs, but 4K pins the GPU at its limits. The 2560x1440 Medium result, with an average of 79 FPS and a minimum of 67 FPS, shows this resolution is the practical ceiling for maintaining a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing lands in the lower quartile. The comboRankInGame places this setup at rank 2320 out of 2924 total combos, meaning roughly 79% of tested systems deliver higher average frame rates in Steamworld Build. This ranking reflects the mid-range positioning of both components. The Ryzen 5 5600G sits at the 74th percentile among all CPUs, while the Arc B570 sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. When combined, they do not boost each other into a higher performance tier for this specific title.

The CPU’s nearest rivals help contextualize its standing. The Intel Core i3-1220P scores within 0.1% of the 5600G, showing near-identical average benchmark performance. The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V is 0.1% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U is 0.2% behind. These are all close calls, suggesting the 5600G is solidly in a competitive mid-range CPU cohort. For the GPU, the Intel Arc A750 is the closest rival at 0.1% behind in average score, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 0.1% ahead. The fact that a desktop Arc B570 trades blows with a mobile RTX 3070 indicates its performance class. Given these component-level standings, the 2320th rank out of 2924 combos is unsurprising. The data shows a pairing that is competent but not exceptional, sitting in the lower half of the tested field.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Steamworld Build with this hardware?

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings produce playable frame rates. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 40 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only reaches 55 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600G has an average benchmark score of 21088. The Intel Core i3-1220P is 0.1% ahead, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V is 0.1% behind. The AMD Ryzen 5 7530U trails by 0.2%. This places the 5600G in a tight cluster of similarly performing chips.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570 a strong performer for this game?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 20556, placing it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. It is nearly identical in performance to the Intel Arc A750, which is 0.1% behind. However, the measured FPS in Steamworld Build shows it struggles at 4K, where even Low settings yield only 55 FPS.

Q: What is the highest FPS recorded in the data?

A: The highest average frame rate is 162 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The maximum FPS recorded across all tests is 143 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any point?

A: At 1080p Low, the system hits 162 FPS, which suggests the CPU is keeping up. The 3DMark single-thread score of 872 and multi-thread score of 5455 indicate adequate processing power. The bottleneck appears at higher resolutions where GPU load increases, as seen by the sharp FPS drops at 1440p and 4K.

Q: What is the lowest recorded FPS in the data?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 21 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The minimum FPS recorded across all tests is 35 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides average FPS for all twelve combinations of four resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the results are consistently strong. Low settings produce an average of 162 FPS, Medium produces 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS, High produces 93 FPS, and Ultra produces 63 FPS. These numbers show a system that can comfortably handle high refresh rate monitors at 1080p, with even the most demanding preset staying above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 103 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings average 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS. High settings fall to 59 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS. The 1440p results show that Medium is the highest setting that maintains a consistent 60+ FPS experience, while High and Ultra require compromises.

At 3840x2160, the system’s limitations become apparent. Low settings average 55 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. Medium settings average 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. High settings drop to 31 FPS, and Ultra falls to 21 FPS. These 4K numbers indicate that the Arc B570 does not have enough headroom for this resolution in Steamworld Build, regardless of the quality preset. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 34 FPS, showing that the GPU is the primary constraint.

The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 106 to 143 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 67 to 91 FPS. At 4K, the range is 35 to 48 FPS. This data suggests that Medium settings provide a stable frame pacing experience, with the minimum FPS staying within a reasonable margin of the average.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, using the Cezanne codename. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The CPU’s 16 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are standard for its class. Its benchmark scores show a balanced performer: the Cinebench R23 multicore score is 10551, while the single-core score is 1409. The Geekbench multicore score is 8428, and the single-core score is 1801.

In Steamworld Build, a city builder genre game, the CPU’s role is likely more pronounced at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. The 1080p Low result of 162 FPS suggests the 5600G can feed the GPU effectively. The CPU’s 3DMark 16-thread score of 5451 and max-thread score of 5455 indicate that its multi-threaded performance scales well across all 12 threads. The Passmark multithread score of 19717 further confirms this. However, the single-thread performance, as measured by Passmark at 3177, is also adequate for handling the game’s simulation logic.

The CPU’s 74th percentile ranking among all CPUs places it above the median, but its nearest rivals show how tight the competition is. The Intel Core i3-1220P is nearly identical in performance, with a delta of just 0.1%. This means that for Steamworld Build, the 5600G provides sufficient processing power to avoid being the primary limiter at most settings. The data shows that the FPS drops at higher resolutions are more attributable to the GPU’s workload than to CPU limitations, as the CPU’s performance metrics remain constant regardless of resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium yields an average of 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience even in demanding scenes. At 2560x1440, Medium produces 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, Medium drops to 42 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset is the only option that maintains near-60 FPS at 4K, averaging 55 FPS. However, at 1080p, Low produces 162 FPS, which is excessive for most monitors and suggests the user could afford to increase settings. The High preset is a middle ground, offering 93 FPS at 1080p and 59 FPS at 1440p, but it dips to 31 FPS at 4K, making it unsuitable for that resolution.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 63 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. The 1080p Ultra result is the only playable one, and even then, the frame rate is just above the 60 FPS target. The data suggests that for the best experience, users should stick with Medium settings. This preset provides the most consistent frame times, as evidenced by the min/max data showing a narrower range compared to what would be expected from other presets. At 1440p Medium, the 67 FPS minimum ensures that the game remains responsive during population growth or complex construction.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a 5 nm GPU based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, with the codename BMG-G21. It has a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its compute capabilities include 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 23.04 TFLOPS of FP16 performance. The memory clock is 2375 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed.

The GPU’s benchmark results place it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 20556. Its closest rival is the Intel Arc A750, which is 0.1% behind. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% ahead, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5% behind. These comparisons show that the Arc B570 is a solid mid-range performer, but its 10 GB VRAM and 160-bit bus may be limiting factors in memory-intensive scenarios.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU’s role is decisive at higher resolutions. The 4K results show a clear GPU bottleneck, as even the Low preset cannot reach 60 FPS. The GPU’s 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate are not sufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in this title. The 1440p results are more favorable, with Medium settings achieving 79 FPS. The GPU’s 380.0 GB/s bandwidth appears adequate for 1440p, but the 160-bit bus may cause performance dips in scenes with heavy texture streaming.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are relevant for a modern title like Steamworld Build. The Passmark DirectX 12 score of 72 is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 118, suggesting that the GPU’s performance in DX12 titles may vary. However, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with appropriate settings. The 65th percentile ranking indicates that while the Arc B570 is not a top-tier GPU, it outperforms a majority of the installed base, making it a viable option for 1080p and 1440p gaming in this city builder.