Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder, and the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 shows a combination that scales predictably with resolution and settings. The dataset reveals a system that can deliver smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p with the right settings, but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with higher quality presets. The benchmark results indicate a clear performance hierarchy across the four tested settings levels, with the gap between Low and Ultra being substantial at every resolution. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, explains the role of the GPU's memory and clocks, and provides practical settings recommendations based strictly on the numbers provided.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the optimal experience for this combination is found at Medium settings for most users. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 124 FPS, which is a significant jump from the 63 FPS seen at Ultra. While High settings at 1080p offer 93 FPS, the Medium preset provides a better balance of visual quality and performance headroom, especially considering the minimum FPS of 106 recorded at Medium. The data shows that Ultra settings cut performance nearly in half compared to High at every resolution, making it a poor choice for this hardware configuration.

For 2560x1440, Medium is again the recommended sweet spot. The average of 79 FPS is well within the range for smooth city-building gameplay, and the minimum of 67 FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above 60. High at 1440p drops to 59 FPS average, which is borderline for players with high-refresh-rate monitors. Low settings at 1440p push the average to 103 FPS, but this comes at a visual cost that is likely too steep for a game where readability of the city layout matters. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the highest quality preset that maintains a comfortable frame rate.

At 4K (3840x2160), the picture changes dramatically. Medium settings produce an average of 42 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a genre where camera panning and zooming are frequent. Low settings at 4K achieve 55 FPS, which is the only preset that comes close to a standard 60 FPS target. The jump from Low to Medium at 4K costs 13 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 11 FPS. Given that Ultra at 4K produces an unplayable 21 FPS, the recommendation for 4K is to use Low settings or accept the Medium preset for slower, more deliberate play. The data clearly shows that this combo is not designed for 4K with high visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: Based on the measured data, Medium settings at 1920x1080 provide the best balance, with an average of 124 FPS and a minimum of 106 FPS. This offers a significant performance margin over the 63 FPS average seen at Ultra, while still delivering better visuals than the 162 FPS Low preset.

Q: Can this combo handle 1440p at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only with Medium settings. The measured average at 2560x1440 with Medium is 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS. High settings at 1440p fall slightly below 60 FPS with an average of 59 FPS, so Medium is the reliable choice for a consistent 60 FPS experience.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570's memory configuration affect Steamworld Build performance?

A: The GPU has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The data shows that performance scales heavily with resolution, suggesting that memory bandwidth is a limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 4K, the average FPS drops to 42 at Medium, compared to 79 at 1440p, indicating that the memory subsystem is under significant strain at higher pixel counts.

Q: Is this a CPU-limited or GPU-limited combination in Steamworld Build?

A: The benchmark data indicates that the combination is primarily GPU-limited. The CPU has a strong multi-threaded score of 22366 in Cinebench R23 and a 77th percentile rank among all CPUs. The FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the CPU can push 162 FPS, but the GPU cannot maintain that at higher resolutions.

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

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p, Low averages 162 FPS while Ultra averages 63 FPS, a difference of 99 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 63 FPS (103 to 40), and at 4K, the gap is 34 FPS (55 to 21). Ultra settings are consistently less than half the performance of Low settings across all resolutions.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5700X3D a bottleneck for the Arc B570 in this game?

A: The data does not suggest a CPU bottleneck. The CPU's multi-threaded performance (22366 in Cinebench R23) and its 16 threads provide ample headroom for a city builder. The FPS scaling pattern, where performance drops by roughly half from 1080p to 4K, points to the GPU as the primary constraint.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570's memory subsystem plays a critical role in Steamworld Build's performance. With 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, the GPU offers 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a modest configuration for a modern GPU, and the measured data reflects its limitations at higher resolutions. The GPU's base and boost clocks are both listed at 2500 MHz, which is a fixed clock speed for this model. The pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 360.0 GTexel/s, which are the raw throughput figures that determine how quickly the GPU can fill pixels and apply textures.

In Steamworld Build, a city builder that renders many individual buildings and units, the GPU's texture and pixel throughput are directly taxed. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU can handle the load well, with averages ranging from 63 FPS at Ultra to 162 FPS at Low. However, as resolution increases, the number of pixels to fill grows exponentially. At 1440p, the average FPS at Medium drops to 79, and at 4K, it falls to 42. This pattern is consistent with a GPU that is running out of fill-rate or bandwidth headroom, rather than a CPU that is struggling to feed it data.

The GPU's FP32 performance is listed at 11.52 TFLOPS, and its Passmark G3D score is 14195. These metrics place it in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Arc A750 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile. The data indicates that the Arc B570 is a mid-range performer that is well-suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming, but not intended for 4K. The 10 GB memory size is sufficient for the textures used in Steamworld Build at 1080p and 1440p, but the bandwidth limitation becomes evident at 4K where the minimum FPS at Medium drops to 35.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2320 out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build. This places it in the lower half of all configurations tested, which is somewhat surprising given the individual components' benchmarks. The CPU ranks in the 77th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU ranks in the 65th percentile. However, the game's performance metrics show that this specific pairing does not translate into top-tier results for this title.

The combo rank indicates that while the CPU is capable, the GPU is holding back the overall experience. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, which has a nearly identical average benchmark score (24728 vs 24709 for the 5700X3D), and the Intel Core i5-12450HX, which scores 24576. The GPU's nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750, has an average score of 20582, which is very close to the B570's 20556. This suggests that the GPU is performing as expected for its class, but the game's demands are such that this combination does not excel.

In practical terms, a rank of 2320 out of 2924 means that there are many other combinations that deliver higher frame rates in Steamworld Build. The data shows that this combo is capable of smooth 1080p and 1440p gameplay at Medium settings, but it is not a high-end performer. The 4K results are particularly weak, with the best average FPS being 55 at Low settings. This rank serves as a warning to users that if they plan to play Steamworld Build at high resolutions with maxed-out settings, this is not the optimal pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 124 at 1080p to 79 at 1440p, and then to 42 at 4K. This represents a 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the GPU is increasingly stressed by the higher pixel counts.

At High settings, the same trend is visible: 93 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47%. This consistent pattern across different settings presets suggests that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller drop in performance as resolution increases, because the CPU's workload would remain relatively constant while the GPU's workload increases.

The data also reveals that the minimum FPS at Medium settings scales similarly: 106 at 1080p, 67 at 1440p, and 35 at 4K. This shows that the frame time consistency degrades with resolution as well. The 4K minimum of 35 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and even the 1440p minimum of 67 FPS is close to the edge for players who prefer strict 60 FPS minimums. The resolution scaling indicates that this combo is best used at 1080p or 1440p, with 4K reserved for Low settings or undemanding scenes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured FPS data is as follows. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 21 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, Medium averages 42 FPS with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 48, and Low averages 55 FPS. None of these 4K results are ideal for a city builder, where smooth panning and zooming are essential. The 4K Medium minimum of 35 FPS is particularly concerning, as it indicates that the game can stutter in busy scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 40 FPS, High averages 59 FPS, Medium averages 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 and maximum of 91, and Low averages 103 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one that offers a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, with the minimum staying above 65. High at 1440p is borderline, with an average of 59 FPS that will dip below 60 in demanding moments. Low at 1440p is smooth but visually poor.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 63 FPS, High averages 93 FPS, Medium averages 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 and maximum of 143, and Low averages 162 FPS. This is where the combo performs best. The Ultra preset is just barely playable at 63 FPS average, but the Medium preset offers a huge performance boost with a minimum of 106 FPS. The Low preset at 162 FPS is likely limited by the CPU or game engine, as it approaches the refresh rate limits of most displays. The data shows that 1080p is the native resolution for this combination, where it can handle Medium and High settings with ease.