Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder from late 2023, presents an interesting stress case for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B570 pairing. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily influenced by both resolution and the graphics preset, with performance scaling that points to a nuanced balance between the CPU and GPU. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what settings offer the most playable experience.

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

The measured data shows a predictable, yet telling, decline in frame rates as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 93 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 59 FPS, and at 4K, the average falls to 31 FPS. This represents a significant 36.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 47.5% drop from 1440p to 4K. This steep curve is typical of a system becoming more GPU-bound at higher resolutions, as the number of pixels the Intel Arc B570 must fill increases dramatically.

However, the pattern across the settings presets at each resolution is more revealing. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, with a 99 FPS difference (162 FPS vs 63 FPS). This wide spread suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, and the graphics settings are the primary lever on performance. The scaling from Medium to High at 1080p is a 31 FPS drop (124 to 93), and from High to Ultra is another 30 FPS drop, indicating that each preset tier has a meaningful impact on the GPU's workload.

At 4K, the picture changes. The difference between Low (55 FPS) and Ultra (21 FPS) is still large, but the absolute frame rates are much lower across the board. The drop from Medium (42 FPS) to High (31 FPS) is 11 FPS, and from High to Ultra is another 10 FPS. The fact that even Low settings at 4K can only muster 55 FPS suggests that the GPU is now the primary limiting factor. The data implies that while the CPU is capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions, the Arc B570's rendering throughput is the ceiling when pushing 8.3 million pixels.

The implications are clear: for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, 1080p is the target, but for visual fidelity at 4K, the player will have to make significant compromises on settings to achieve playable frame rates. The 1440p results offer a middle ground, but the 59 FPS at High shows that even here, the GPU is starting to struggle.

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

The Intel Arc B570 is the clear performance bottleneck in this configuration at higher resolutions. Its specifications—10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s—are the likely reason for the steep performance cliff at 4K. A city builder like Steamworld Build, with its dense environments and many on-screen elements, can be demanding on memory bandwidth, and the data suggests the B570 is hitting its limits as pixel count increases.

The GPU's core clocks are listed as a base and boost of 2500 MHz, which is a modest speed. The measured performance, with a passmark G3D score of 14195 and a percentile ranking of 65 among all GPUs, indicates a mid-range part. Its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster) and the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower), which contextualizes its position in the market. The data implies that the B570 is a competent 1080p and light-1440p card, but the 4K results in Steamworld Build—where even Medium settings only yield 42 FPS—show that it is not suited for high-resolution, high-detail gaming in this title.

The 10 GB VRAM capacity is not necessarily being exhausted at 1080p, but the 380.0 GB/s bandwidth appears to be a limiting factor for the high-resolution textures and draw calls typical of a city builder. The fact that the GPU's FP32 performance is 11.52 TFLOPS suggests a certain raw compute capability, but the game's performance is more likely tied to the memory subsystem and pixel fill rate (200.0 GPixel/s). The data points to a hardware configuration where the GPU's architecture, particularly its memory interface, is the primary constraint on achieving high frame rates beyond 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Steamworld Build, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and Intel Arc B570 holds a specific position. The data shows a combo rank of 2320 out of 2924 total tested combos, placing it in the 79th percentile. This means that while it is not a bottom-tier setup, it is also outclassed by a significant majority of the configurations tested for this game. This ranking is a holistic measure that accounts for performance across all settings and resolutions, and it reflects the GPU's limitations at higher workloads.

This rank is particularly telling when we consider the CPU's own standing. The Ryzen 5 8400F has a percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs, with a multi-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 20851. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, has a nearly identical average benchmark score (0.2% difference). Yet, the combo's overall ranking is dragged down by the GPU, which has a lower percentile rank of 65 among all GPUs. The data suggests that if paired with a more powerful graphics card, the CPU could likely push this combo's rank much higher, but as it stands, the B570 is the anchor.

The rank of 2320 out of 2924 implies that there are many other tested combos that deliver higher average frame rates in this specific game. This is not a criticism of the individual components, but rather a statement on their synergy. The CPU is a strong performer for its class, but the GPU is a mid-range part, and the measured FPS data confirms that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming rather than being a high-end, multi-resolution powerhouse.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Steamworld Build?

A: The data suggests 1920x1080 is the most effective resolution. At 1080p, the combo achieves an average of 93 FPS on High and 162 FPS on Low, which are playable and fluid frame rates. At 1440p, the average on High drops to 59 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 31 FPS, indicating a steep performance penalty at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score that is 0.1% slower than the Intel Arc A750 and 0.1% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile. This places it in a very tight performance band with these two other GPUs, indicating they are nearly equivalent in raw compute power.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is more likely the limiting factor. The 99 FPS difference between Low (162 FPS) and Ultra (63 FPS) settings shows that the GPU is heavily impacted by the graphics preset, suggesting it is the component doing the heavy lifting. The CPU's high multi-threaded score (Cinebench R23 of 20851) indicates it has the headroom to support the frame rates the GPU is producing.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 79 FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings. This is a playable frame rate, but it comes with a minimum FPS of 67, which could be noticeable in busy scenes. The maximum FPS recorded was 91.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score that is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F. This is a negligible difference, indicating that the two CPUs are virtually tied in performance across the suite of tests used.

Q: What is the performance drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 93 at 1920x1080 to 31 at 3840x2160 on High settings. This is a 66.7% reduction in average frame rate, which highlights the extreme demand that 4K resolution places on the Intel Arc B570.

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

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. With a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943, it is a capable mid-range CPU. Its performance is 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and 0.4% above the Intel Core i7-13620H in average benchmarks, showing it is a solid performer in its class. In Steamworld Build, the CPU's role appears to be supportive at lower resolutions, but it becomes less of a factor as the GPU's workload increases.

The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo hits 162 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU is feeding the GPU well. However, the fact that the frame rate drops so significantly at higher resolutions (to 55 FPS at 4K Low) indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in those scenarios. A city builder like Steamworld Build is often CPU-intensive due to complex simulation and AI, but the measured results suggest that the game's rendering pipeline is more demanding on the GPU for this specific hardware combination, particularly as resolution scales.

The CPU's memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. This is a substantial amount of bandwidth that should not be a limiting factor for the GPU. The processor's 16 MB of shared L3 cache is also a healthy amount for gaming. The data indicates that the Ryzen 5 8400F is not holding back the system in this game; rather, it is providing a stable foundation, and the overall performance is dictated by the Arc B570's ability to render frames at the chosen resolution and settings.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. For a balanced experience that prioritizes smooth gameplay, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot. At 1080p, Medium yields an average of 124 FPS, which is well above the threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p, Medium still provides a very playable 79 FPS average, with a minimum of 67 FPS. This suggests that Medium is a safe choice for a high-quality visual experience without sacrificing too much performance.

For a more visually demanding experience, the High preset is viable at 1080p, with an average of 93 FPS. However, at 1440p, High drops to 59 FPS, which is still playable but might be on the lower end for some users. At 4K, High is not recommended, as it only achieves 31 FPS, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience. The Ultra preset is only practical at 1080p, where it achieves 63 FPS, but the jump from High to Ultra at 1440p (40 FPS) and 4K (21 FPS) makes it an unviable option for those resolutions.

The Low preset is a fallback for maximum frame rates, particularly at 1080p (162 FPS) and 1440p (103 FPS). At 4K, Low is the only preset that approaches playability, with an average of 55 FPS. The data suggests that for a 4K experience, users should stick to Low settings. In summary, the best experience is to use Medium settings for most resolutions, with High being a good option for 1080p, and Low being the only choice for 4K gaming.

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

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured average frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F + Intel Arc B570 combo in Steamworld Build, as reported in the data.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 162 FPS average
• Medium: 124 FPS average (min 106, max 143)
• High: 93 FPS average
• Ultra: 63 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 103 FPS average
• Medium: 79 FPS average (min 67, max 91)
• High: 59 FPS average
• Ultra: 40 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 55 FPS average
• Medium: 42 FPS average (min 35, max 48)
• High: 31 FPS average
• Ultra: 21 FPS average

These numbers illustrate a clear performance hierarchy. At 1080p, the combo is capable of high frame rates across all presets, even managing 63 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, the average frame rates are roughly halved for each preset compared to 1080p, indicating a significant increase in GPU load. At 4K, performance drops to a level where only the Low preset provides a reasonably smooth experience. The data confirms that this hardware combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being a considerable challenge for the Intel Arc B570.