Steamworld Build

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Arc B390 pairing in Steamworld Build presents a clear case of a powerful processor being held back by an integrated graphics solution. The data shows a system that can handle the game's logic and simulation demands easily, but the visual rendering becomes the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions and settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to show exactly where the limits lie.

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

The Ryzen 5 7600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 5 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, which provides substantial single-thread headroom for city-building games that often rely on a single main simulation thread. The processor's cache configuration includes 64 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core, with a shared 32 MB L3 cache. This layout is well-suited for the kind of data-heavy, entity-tracking workloads that Steamworld Build's colony management requires.

In this specific combination, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The benchmark results for the processor place it in the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,636. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Core i5-12600K, both with an average score of 27,578, showing a mere 0.2% delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores slightly higher at 27,712 (a -0.3% delta from the 7600X), while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 trails at 27,535 (a 0.4% delta). This indicates the 7600X is sitting right in the middle of a tightly packed performance cluster, meaning its processing power is more than adequate for the task.

The game's measured FPS data supports this conclusion. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 106 FPS, but as resolution and settings increase, the frame rate drops sharply. This pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's 3DMark scores, such as 6,879 for 16 threads and 6,845 for max threads, alongside a strong single-thread score of 1,060, show it can handle both the parallel tasks of rendering draw calls and the sequential logic of the game's simulation. The PassMark multithread score of 28,390 further confirms its capability to manage the numerous AI agents and resource calculations. The data strongly suggests that even at the lowest frame rates recorded (14 FPS at 4K Ultra), the CPU is not the cause; it is waiting on the GPU to finish its work.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Critically, its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM of its own and instead relies on the system's main memory. The memory bus width and bandwidth are also listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively. This is a fundamental architectural limitation for a game that needs to rapidly stream textures and geometry. The GPU has 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s.

The performance of this GPU is the primary constraint. Its benchmark results are stark: it scores 1,482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. This is a very low score, and its nearest rivals are legacy NVIDIA parts like the GeForce GT 520MX (score 1,463, delta 1.3%), the GeForce 800M (score 1,460, delta 1.5%), the GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1,446, delta 2.5%), and the GeForce GT 710 (score 1,443, delta 2.7%). The B390 is slightly ahead of these, but the performance tier it occupies is clearly intended for basic desktop tasks, not intensive gaming.

The impact of this is visible in the measured FPS data. The GPU's lack of dedicated memory and its low raw compute power mean it struggles to maintain smooth frame rates even at 1080p. The 3DMark score of 1,482 is a clear indicator of its limited fill rate and shader throughput. When you compare the system's performance in Steamworld Build to the GPU's percentile rank, the correlation is direct: a GPU in the 9th percentile is going to be the bottleneck in any modern 3D game. The data shows that the frame rate scales inversely with the graphics workload, which is the signature behavior of a GPU that is maxed out.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions provides a clear picture of the system's scaling behavior and confirms the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 106 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops this to 67 FPS, a reduction of 39 FPS. At 4K (3840x2160) Low, the frame rate falls to 35 FPS, another 32 FPS drop. This steep decline with each resolution increase is a classic sign of a GPU that is running out of pixel-pushing capability.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. For High settings, the system goes from 60 FPS at 1080p, to 38 FPS at 1440p, and down to 20 FPS at 4K. At Medium settings, the frame rates are 81 FPS (1080p), 51 FPS (1440p), and 27 FPS (4K). The Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling, with 41 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 14 FPS at 4K. The fact that the frame rate halves or nearly halves with each step up in resolution indicates that the GPU is working at its absolute limit for every frame.

This scaling behavior is the definitive evidence that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU workload would not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the FPS scales almost linearly with the number of pixels being rendered, which is the definition of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU has the headroom to compute the game state, but the GPU cannot render it fast enough to keep up, regardless of the resolution chosen.

FAQ

Q: What is the best frame rate this system can achieve in Steamworld Build?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 106 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest performance rivals?

A: The Arc B390 is just ahead of its nearest rivals. It scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463) and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1,443).

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7600X a strong performer relative to other CPUs?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 5 7600X is in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,636. It outperforms the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 by 0.4% (27,535 vs 27,636).

Q: At which resolution does this system become unplayable?

A: At 4K (3840x2160) with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 14 FPS, which is not a playable experience for a city builder that requires constant management and camera movement.

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

A: The difference is significant. Low settings yield 106 FPS, while Ultra settings yield only 41 FPS. This represents a 65 FPS drop, showing that the graphics presets have a massive impact on the integrated GPU.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The CPU shows strong single-thread performance with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,965, but its multi-core score is much higher at 15,236, indicating it can handle both single-threaded logic and multi-threaded workloads effectively.

Settings Recommendations

Given the performance data, the choice of settings is a trade-off between visual fidelity and playable frame rates. The Intel Arc B390's performance is severely limited, so the "best" experience is defined by maintaining a smooth, responsive frame rate for managing the colony.

For a 1080p display, the Low preset is the only option that provides a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 106 FPS. While the Medium preset offers a more detailed look at 81 FPS, this is still well within playable territory and is a better choice for those who want some visual improvements without sacrificing too much performance. The High preset at 60 FPS is a borderline case, but for a game where you are constantly rotating the camera and placing buildings, the smoother frame rate of Medium or Low is preferable. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS is not recommended, as the stutter and reduced responsiveness will likely detract from the experience.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings provide an average of 67 FPS, which is acceptable. Medium settings drop to 51 FPS, which is still playable but less smooth. High settings (38 FPS) and Ultra settings (26 FPS) are not recommended for a good experience, as the frame rate dips into territory where the game feels sluggish.

At 4K, the system is not capable of delivering a good gaming experience on any preset. The best result is 35 FPS on Low, which is below the threshold for a smooth city-building experience. The game is effectively unplayable at this resolution, with Ultra settings producing a 14 FPS slideshow. The data clearly indicates that 1080p is the target resolution for this hardware, with a recommendation of Medium or Low settings for the best balance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section provides the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings combination. The data shows a consistent pattern of decreasing performance as the workload increases.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: The average frame rate is 106 FPS. This is the highest performance point for this system.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS.
• High: The average frame rate is 60 FPS.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 41 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: The average frame rate is 67 FPS.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS.
• High: The average frame rate is 38 FPS.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 26 FPS.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: The average frame rate is 35 FPS.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS.
• High: The average frame rate is 20 FPS.
• Ultra: The average frame rate is 14 FPS.

The measured data confirms that the Intel Arc B390 is the definitive bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 7600X has ample processing power, but the integrated GPU cannot translate that into high frame rates. The system's overall rank in the game is 2,573 out of 2,924 combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of tested systems, which aligns with the GPU's low percentile ranking. For a playable experience, users must stick to 1080p and lower graphical presets.