Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build presents an interesting case study in hardware scaling, as the measured results for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B370 combination reveal a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution. The data shows a clear narrative of a CPU that is more than capable of handling the game's simulation logic, paired with a GPU that struggles to keep up at higher resolutions and settings. This analysis will break down the measured FPS across the board, interpret what the scaling patterns indicate, and place this specific combo within the broader context of tested hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is the primary indicator of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 95 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 61 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 32 FPS. This represents a 36% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a further 48% decrease from 1440p to 4K. This steep decline is classic behavior for a system where the GPU is the limiting factor, as the number of pixels being rendered increases geometrically.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 55 at 1080p, to 35 at 1440p, and then to 18 at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the same trend, with averages of 37, 23, and 12 FPS respectively. The fact that the FPS roughly halves with each major resolution jump suggests that the Intel Arc B370's rendering throughput is being saturated, and the CPU is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a much smaller performance difference between 1080p and 4K, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant even as the resolution increases.

This behavior is further underscored by the fact that the game is a city builder, a genre often associated with CPU-intensive simulation. However, the data here indicates that for this specific combination, the graphics card is the dominant constraint. The Ryzen 5 8400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, appears to be feeding frames to the GPU faster than it can render them, even at 1080p. The implication is that lowering the resolution is a reliable way to gain significant performance, but the gains are entirely dependent on the GPU's ability to process the reduced pixel count. The data suggests that to achieve a stable 60 FPS experience, players would need to consider resolutions below 1440p or significantly lower the graphical fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of how each preset impacts performance, allowing for a data-driven recommendation. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers an average of 95 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience. Medium brings that down to 73 FPS, still very playable, while High drops to 55 FPS. Ultra, however, takes a significant hit, averaging only 37 FPS. For 1080p users, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, offering a substantial visual upgrade over Low while maintaining an average FPS well above the 60 FPS threshold. High is also viable, but the average of 55 FPS is close enough to the edge that it might lead to noticeable dips in busy scenes.

At 1440p, the options become more constrained. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is just above the playable threshold. Medium averages 46 FPS, which is a more comfortable experience for many, but it requires accepting a lower frame rate. High averages 35 FPS and Ultra drops to 23 FPS, both of which are likely too low for a fluid experience in a game that requires constant camera movement and menu interaction. The recommendation for 1440p would be to start with Medium, as it provides a balance between visual quality and playability; users who prioritize frame rate above all else would need to use Low.

At 4K, the data paints a grim picture for this combo. Even the Low preset only manages an average of 32 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. Medium averages 25 FPS, High 18 FPS, and Ultra 12 FPS. None of these are ideal for a playable experience. The data strongly suggests that 4K is not a viable resolution for this pairing in Steamworld Build, regardless of the settings used. The best experience per the measured rows is clearly at 1080p with the Medium preset, which offers a good balance of visual fidelity and performance, or the Low preset for those seeking maximum smoothness.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the only resolution where this combo consistently achieves high frame rates. The Low preset averages 95 FPS and Medium averages 73 FPS, making either a suitable choice for a smooth experience.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates it cannot handle 4K effectively. The highest average FPS at 4K is 32 on the Low preset, which is below the typical threshold for smooth gameplay. Other settings are significantly lower, with Ultra averaging only 12 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Ultra preset averages 23 FPS, which is significantly lower than the High preset's 35 FPS. This represents a 12 FPS drop for what is likely a minimal visual gain, making Ultra a poor choice at this resolution.

Q: Is the performance difference between Medium and High at 1080p large?

A: Yes, the difference is notable. The measured average FPS drops from 73 on Medium to 55 on High at 1080p. This is an 18 FPS decrease, which can be the difference between a very smooth and a slightly less responsive experience.

Q: What is the impact of lowering settings from High to Low at 1440p?

A: Lowering from High to Low at 1440p increases the average FPS from 35 to 61. This is a substantial 26 FPS improvement, showing that settings have a major impact on performance at this resolution.

Q: What does the min FPS data tell us about the Medium preset?

A: The min FPS data is only available for the Medium preset. At 1080p, the minimum is 62 FPS, at 1440p it is 39 FPS, and at 4K it is 21 FPS. This suggests that even at the lowest points, the 1080p experience remains smooth, while 4K can have significant stutters.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks at 2683 out of 2924 tested combos for Steamworld Build. This places it in the bottom 8.2% of all systems tested, indicating that it is a low-performing configuration for this specific game. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, as the CPU's performance, while not top-tier, is far more capable than the final FPS numbers suggest.

This ranking is consistent with the GPU's overall standing. The Intel Arc B370 has a percentile rank of 5 among all GPUs, meaning it performs better than only 5% of the tested graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad is incredibly low, putting it in the same performance tier as legacy cards like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which are within 0.7% of its score. This context is crucial; the combo's low rank in this game is not an anomaly but a reflection of the GPU's fundamental performance level.

In contrast, the CPU's rank is much stronger. The Ryzen 5 8400F has a percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 25005. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and Intel Core i7-13620H, are all within 0.4% of its score, indicating that it is a solid mid-range processor. The data strongly suggests that if this CPU were paired with a more powerful GPU, the combo's rank in Steamworld Build would be significantly higher. The bottleneck is unequivocally the graphics card, which drags the entire system's ranking down to the bottom percentile.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It features a total of 16 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it performs well, scoring 20851 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2943 in single-core. These numbers indicate a capable processor that should be more than sufficient for the simulation and logic demands of a city builder like Steamworld Build.

However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. The fact that performance scales so heavily with resolution points to a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were struggling, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers at 1080p and 4K, as the CPU's workload is largely independent of resolution. Instead, we see a drastic drop, which means the CPU is feeding the GPU faster than it can process frames.

The 8400F's 12 threads and high boost clock are well-suited for a game that needs to track numerous entities, resources, and AI routines. The data implies that the processor is doing its job efficiently, as it is able to generate high frame rates (95 FPS at 1080p Low) when the graphical load is light. The CPU's strong benchmark scores, relative to its GPU counterpart, further support this conclusion. The performance ceiling of this system is being held back by the graphics card, not the processor, and the 8400F is likely capable of supporting a much more powerful GPU in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: the Low preset averages 95 FPS, Medium averages 73 FPS (with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84), High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS. This shows a clear linear progression of performance loss as settings increase, with a 58 FPS difference between Low and Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, Medium averages 46 FPS (with a minimum of 39 and a maximum of 53), High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 38 FPS. This resolution is playable with Low settings, but anything higher requires a compromise on smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the performance is severely limited. The Low preset averages 32 FPS, Medium averages 25 FPS (with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 28), High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. The maximum average FPS at this resolution is only 32, which is below the standard for a smooth experience. The data shows a consistent pattern: the system is only capable of high frame rates at 1080p with lower settings. The Min FPS data for the Medium preset shows that the frame pacing is also affected by resolution, with the minimum dropping from 62 at 1080p to 21 at 4K, indicating potential for stutter at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 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 2400 MHz. It features 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. Its memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory rather than dedicated video memory, and its bandwidth is "System Dependent." This design is the primary reason for its low performance.

The GPU's benchmark data is stark. It has a percentile rank of 5 among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. Its nearest rivals are all legacy cards from the ATI Radeon HD series, such as the HD 5770 and HD 7650M, with performance deltas of less than 1%. This places the Arc B370 firmly in the entry-level or even obsolete performance tier, and it is simply not designed for demanding 3D tasks like modern gaming at high resolutions.

In Steamworld Build, this GPU limitation is the defining factor of the system's performance. The shared memory architecture and low raw compute power (6.144 TFLOPS FP32) are insufficient for the game's rendering requirements at 1440p and 4K. The data shows that even at 1080p, the Ultra preset (37 FPS) cannot maintain a solid 60 FPS, highlighting the GPU's inability to handle high graphical loads. The GPU's 25 W TDP and IGP form factor are indicative of a low-power solution meant for basic tasks, not gaming. All evidence points to this GPU being the unequivocal bottleneck, preventing the capable CPU from delivering a smooth experience.