Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder released in late 2023, presents a unique challenge for the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and Intel Arc B370 combination. The benchmark data shows a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution, with the CPU's substantial processing power largely left untapped as resolution and settings increase. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on how the components interact under load.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression across resolutions reveals the Intel Arc B370 as the definitive bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 95 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 61 FPS, a significant 35.8% reduction. Pushing further to 4K Low yields only 32 FPS, another 47.5% loss from the 1440p figure. This steep, consistent decline with each resolution increase is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput capacity.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling when examining High settings. The system manages 55 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 35 FPS at 1440p (a 36.4% drop) and then to 18 FPS at 4K (a 48.6% drop from 1440p). The percentage losses are remarkably similar across Low and High presets, indicating that the performance ceiling is being hit by the same fundamental hardware limit—the GPU's rendering capability—rather than by memory bandwidth or driver overhead that might scale differently with settings.

The data suggests that the CPU, a 6-core Zen 4 part with a 5.00 GHz boost clock, is not the limiting factor at any resolution. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see the FPS gap between 1080p and 4K narrow significantly, as the lower resolution would allow the GPU to produce frames faster until it hits the CPU's instruction throughput limit. Instead, the FPS falls by over 60% from 1080p to 4K on both Low and High presets, which indicates the GPU is saturated even at 1080p. The Ryzen 5 7500F is capable of feeding frames far faster than the Arc B370 can render them.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Steamworld Build?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 95, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combination produces an average of 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS.

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

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The Intel Arc B370 holds a 5th percentile rank among all GPUs, while the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor, as evidenced by the significant FPS drop when resolution increases.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the system averages 95 FPS on Low settings and 37 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a 61% reduction in average FPS when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The data shows the system only exceeds 60 FPS at 1440p when using Low settings, where it averages 61 FPS. All other tested settings at this resolution (Medium, High, Ultra) fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Intel Arc B370 scores 1184. This is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), placing it in a performance class with older discrete graphics solutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 5 nm process. Its specifications include a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with 32 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability, scoring 22799 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 9575 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Its single-thread performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3218 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2374.

Given these specifications, the CPU's role in Steamworld Build is to provide a stable foundation that does not hinder the GPU. The data confirms this role is fulfilled. The FPS drop from 1080p Low (95 FPS) to 4K Low (32 FPS) is a 66% reduction, which is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario. In a CPU-limited scenario, the FPS would remain relatively flat regardless of resolution, as the CPU would be the component working at maximum capacity.

The CPU's performance relative to its peers further supports its adequacy for this game. Its average benchmark score of 24964 places it in the 77th percentile among all CPUs. It trades blows with the Intel Core i7-11850H, which scores 24935 (0.1% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, which scores 25005 (0.2% higher). This level of performance is far beyond what is needed to drive a GPU that ranks in the 5th percentile. The Ryzen 5 7500F is effectively idle in this configuration, waiting for the Arc B370 to catch up.

How This Combo Ranks

In the specific context of Steamworld Build, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2683 out of 2924 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8.2% of all system configurations tested for this game. The ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU's limited capabilities, as the CPU is a high-performing part that would likely rank much higher if paired with a more powerful graphics card.

The combo's low rank is consistent with the GPU's individual standing. The Intel Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190 score) and the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168 score), are products from a much older generation. This indicates that the GPU is the primary factor dragging the combo's ranking down, as the CPU's 77th percentile standing is not enough to compensate for the graphics bottleneck.

This rank of 2683 out of 2924 means the system is not well-suited for a smooth experience in this title at higher settings. The data shows that to achieve a playable frame rate, the user must significantly compromise on visual quality and resolution. The combination is fundamentally unbalanced for this game, with a powerful processor paired with a graphics solution that cannot utilize it effectively.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. Its theoretical performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16. Memory is designated as "System Shared," meaning its performance is dependent on the system's DDR5 memory bandwidth, which is 83.2 GB/s for the paired CPU.

The GPU's role as the primary performance limiter is clearly defined by the benchmark data. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 1184, which is only 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770. These are legacy parts from over a decade ago, underscoring the Arc B370's position in the low-end performance tier. Its 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms this is not a part designed for demanding gaming loads.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU's limitations manifest as a hard ceiling on frame rates. The highest average FPS recorded is 95 at 1080p Low, and this drops to 37 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a 61% performance penalty, which is substantial. The GPU's 20 ROPs and 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power are insufficient to handle the increased pixel and shading workload of higher quality presets, leading to the low frame rates observed at 4K, where even Low settings only produce 32 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system averages 95 FPS on Low settings, 73 FPS on Medium, 55 FPS on High, and 37 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS, indicating some frame time variance but generally smooth performance. The Low and High presets do not have recorded min/max values, but the averages suggest a playable experience at Low only.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The system averages 61 FPS on Low, 46 FPS on Medium, 35 FPS on High, and 23 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution has a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. Only the Low preset manages to stay above the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium and above will result in a sub-60 FPS experience that may be noticeable in a city builder where camera panning and zooming are frequent.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The averages are 32 FPS on Low, 25 FPS on Medium, 18 FPS on High, and 12 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 21 FPS and a maximum of 28 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo in Steamworld Build, as even the lowest settings fail to reach 60 FPS, and the frame rates would likely cause a stuttering and unresponsive experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this configuration is to prioritize frame rate stability over visual fidelity. The only settings combination that consistently delivers a frame rate above 60 FPS is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 95 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for a smooth, responsive experience in Steamworld Build.

For users who prefer higher visual quality, the 1920x1080 Medium preset is the next best option, averaging 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS. This provides a good balance, ensuring the frame rate rarely dips below the 60 FPS target while offering improved textures and effects over Low. The 1440p Low preset, averaging 61 FPS, is also a viable option for those who prioritize resolution over detail, though it is on the edge of the 60 FPS threshold.

The High and Ultra presets at any resolution are not recommended. At 1080p, High averages 55 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold, and Ultra drops to 37 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, these presets produce averages well below 40 FPS, which will result in a noticeable lack of fluidity. The data clearly shows that the Intel Arc B370 does not have the rendering power to handle the increased workload of these higher presets, even at the lowest resolution. Sticking to 1080p with Low or Medium settings is the only way to achieve a satisfactory experience with this hardware.