Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build on the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT with the Intel Arc B370 is a pairing defined by a stark imbalance. The CPU is a high-end desktop part with 8 cores and 16 threads, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution from a mobile-focused lineup, landing in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The measured frame rates reflect this: at 1080p, the combo can deliver playable numbers, but it struggles severely at higher resolutions and with demanding settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data to give a clear picture of what this combo can and cannot do, offering practical settings guidance based solely on the provided benchmark results.

Settings Recommendations

The data shows a clear pattern: this combo is heavily GPU-limited, so settings and resolution choices dominate the performance outcome. For a playable experience, the Low preset is the only reliable choice at most resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 95 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The Medium preset at the same resolution yields 73 FPS on average, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS. This is still playable, but the 22 FPS drop from Low to Medium indicates a significant cost for visual upgrades. High at 1080p drops further to 55 FPS average, which is workable for a city builder but starts to feel less fluid. Ultra at 1080p is a non-starter, falling to 37 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation tightens. The Low preset produces 61 FPS on average, which is acceptable. Medium drops to 46 FPS, and High falls to 35 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1440p is only viable with the Low preset, and even then, it is not a high-refresh-rate experience. Ultra at 1440p is unplayable at 23 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low is even remotely usable, with an average of 32 FPS. Medium at 4K is 25 FPS, High is 18 FPS, and Ultra is a slideshow at 12 FPS.

The recommendation is straightforward: for the best balance of visual quality and playability, the Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot. It offers a 73 FPS average with a 62 FPS minimum, which is a stable experience. If the priority is maximum smoothness or if the user is sensitive to frame drops, the Low preset at 1080p at 95 FPS is the best option. For users with a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only sensible choice, providing 61 FPS. The High and Ultra presets should be avoided at all resolutions, as the performance cost is too steep for the GPU to handle. The data clearly shows that Ultra is not a viable option for this combo, regardless of resolution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a Zen 3 (Vermeer) part on the AMD Socket AM4 platform, with 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU is strong: it scores 23,794 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 3,359 in single-core. It has a 32 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The CPU’s percentile versus all CPUs is 81, indicating it is a capable processor. Its nearest rivals are mobile and desktop parts with similar average scores: the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (deltaPct 0), AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (deltaPct -0.3), AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS (deltaPct -0.3), and AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (deltaPct 0.6). These scores confirm the 5800XT is a solid performer.

However, in Steamworld Build, the CPU’s performance is largely irrelevant to the measured frame rates. The bottleneck is unequivocally the Intel Arc B370. The GPU has only 1,280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS. It is an integrated GPU (IGP) with system-shared memory, which means its performance is dependent on system RAM and is not comparable to discrete graphics cards. The GPU’s percentile versus all GPUs is 5, and its average benchmark score from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is 1,184. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end parts: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (deltaPct -0.2), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (deltaPct -0.5), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (deltaPct -0.7), and AMD FirePro M2000 (deltaPct 1.4). This places the Arc B370 in a performance class that is decades old, not a modern gaming GPU.

The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 95 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates capped at a certain level regardless of resolution or settings. Instead, the frame rates plummet as resolution increases: from 95 FPS at 1080p Low to 61 FPS at 1440p Low (a 35.8% drop) and then to 32 FPS at 4K Low (another 47.5% drop). This is a classic sign of GPU limitation, where the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient. The CPU’s 16 threads are more than adequate for a city builder, which typically has moderate single-thread and multi-thread demands. The data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor; the Arc B370 is.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows a clear progression: 1080p is the only resolution where the combo can deliver consistently playable frame rates across multiple settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 95 FPS, Medium averages 73 FPS, and High averages 55 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low is above 60 FPS, with an average of 61 FPS. At 3840x2160, even Low drops to 32 FPS. Therefore, 1080p is the recommended resolution for this pairing.

Q: Is the Ultra preset ever viable with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and Intel Arc B370?

A: No. The measured data shows Ultra is unplayable at every resolution. The average FPS for Ultra is 37 at 1080p, 23 at 1440p, and 12 at 4K. These numbers are far below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset should be completely avoided with this GPU.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its rivals, and does it matter for this game?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800XT is a strong CPU. Its average benchmark score of 29,879 puts it in the 81st percentile. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, has an average score of 29,868, a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is 0.6% ahead. However, for Steamworld Build, this CPU performance is irrelevant. The frame rates are dictated by the GPU, as evidenced by the severe drop in FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K. The CPU is not the bottleneck.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and Medium settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 95 FPS, while the Medium preset yields an average of 73 FPS. This is a difference of 22 FPS, which is a significant 23.2% drop. The Medium preset also has a measured minimum of 62 FPS, so while the average is lower, it remains playable.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming at any setting?

A: The data indicates that 4K is not a realistic option. The best 4K result is with the Low preset, which averages 32 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS target for smooth play and would likely feel stuttery. The Medium preset at 4K averages 25 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. None of these are acceptable for a playable experience.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 rank among GPUs, and what does that mean for gaming?

A: The Intel Arc B370 is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1,184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Radeon HD 5770, is only 0.5% ahead. This places the GPU in a performance class that is not designed for modern gaming. The measured FPS data in Steamworld Build confirms this, showing that it can only handle low and medium settings at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Steamworld Build, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2,683 out of 2,924 total combos. This places it in the bottom 8.2% of all tested configurations. This is a low ranking, and it is entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU is a high-end part, but the integrated Intel Arc B370 holds the entire system back. The ranking suggests that the vast majority of other tested combos, presumably with discrete graphics cards, achieve significantly higher frame rates.

The delta between the CPU’s strong synthetic performance and the combo’s poor in-game ranking is stark. The Ryzen 7 5800XT scores in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, yet this combo performs worse than 91.8% of all tested Steamworld Build combos. This reinforces the conclusion that the GPU is the sole limiting factor. A user with this CPU could pair it with a much more capable discrete GPU to get a completely different result. The data shows that the CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads, along with its 32 MB of L3 cache, are not the issue. The issue is the GPU’s limited shading units, TMUs, and ROPs, which cannot push enough pixels to make the game playable at higher settings or resolutions.

The rank of 2,683 out of 2,924 is a cautionary data point. It tells a builder that this combo is not suitable for Steamworld Build beyond the lowest settings. It is a clear case where the CPU is overqualified for the GPU, and the GPU is underqualified for the game’s demands. The performance is not a reflection of the CPU’s capabilities but rather a demonstration of the GPU's severe limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo scales with resolution. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 95 at 1920x1080 to 61 at 2560x1440, a decrease of 34 FPS or 35.8%. From 1440p to 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 61 to 32, a further decrease of 29 FPS or 47.5%. This steep, non-linear decline is a classic indication of a GPU-bound scenario. The GPU is being overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count, and its fill rate (48.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (96.00 GTexel/s) are insufficient to maintain performance.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend. At 1080p, the average is 73 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 46 FPS (a 37% drop), and at 4K, it is 25 FPS (a 45.7% drop from 1440p). The High preset follows the same pattern: 55 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p (a 36.4% drop), and 18 FPS at 4K (a 48.6% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau where the frame rate stays the same regardless of resolution, because the CPU’s workload does not change with resolution. Instead, every increase in resolution results in a significant frame rate penalty.

This behavior has practical implications. The data suggests that the Intel Arc B370, with its system-shared memory and low pixel rate, is simply not capable of handling the demands of 1440p or 4K in Steamworld Build. The 1080p results are the only ones where the GPU can keep up with the CPU’s instructions. The resolution scaling analysis points squarely at the GPU as the limiting component, and it also highlights that the CPU has plenty of headroom left. A better GPU would yield much higher frame rates at all resolutions, while the CPU would not need to be upgraded.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and Intel Arc B370 in Steamworld Build, broken down by resolution and settings preset.

At 1920x1080:

• Low preset: Average FPS is 95. This is the highest measured FPS for the entire combo. It is a smooth, playable experience.
• Medium preset: Average FPS is 73, with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84. This is a solid result, offering a good balance.
• High preset: Average FPS is 55. This is playable but not as fluid as the lower presets.
• Ultra preset: Average FPS is 37. This is a poor result and not recommended for actual gameplay.

At 2560x1440:

• Low preset: Average FPS is 61. This is just above the 60 FPS mark, making it the only 1440p preset that is viable.
• Medium preset: Average FPS is 46, with a minimum of 39 and a maximum of 53. This is below the desired 60 FPS and will show noticeable stutter.
• High preset: Average FPS is 35. This is a poor result, indicating a struggling GPU.
• Ultra preset: Average FPS is 23. This is unplayable.

At 3840x2160:

• Low preset: Average FPS is 32. This is a low frame rate that will look choppy.
• Medium preset: Average FPS is 25, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 28. This is not a playable experience.
• High preset: Average FPS is 18. This is a very poor result.
• Ultra preset: Average FPS is 12. This is effectively a slideshow.

The data across all resolutions and settings tells a consistent story. The combo’s performance is defined by the GPU’s limitations. The only configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience is the Low preset at 1080p, with the Medium preset at 1080p being a close second for users who prioritize visual fidelity over a high frame rate ceiling. Every other configuration falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and most are well below it. The 4K results are uniformly poor, and even the 1440p results are only borderline. This breakdown serves as a definitive guide for what to expect from this hardware pairing.