Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build places modest demands on hardware, but the combination of an AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and an Intel Arc B390 produces a very specific performance profile. This analysis examines the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings, interpreting what the data reveals about the role of each component in this city builder.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution built on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. Its base clock is 300 MHz, boosting to 2500 MHz, and it relies entirely on system memory, with the memory type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This shared-memory design is a critical factor in the game's performance, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

The GPU's raw specifications are modest. It has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, and it delivers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In the broader GPU landscape, the Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA discrete parts, such as the GeForce GT 520MX, which it edges out by 1.3%, and the GeForce GT 710, which it leads by 2.7%.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU's performance is the primary constraint. The measured frames per second (FPS) drop sharply as resolution increases, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 106 FPS, but at 4K with Ultra settings, it falls to just 14 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the Arc B390's compute and memory bandwidth limits are being reached quickly as the pixel count and visual complexity rise. The GPU's low percentile ranking (9th) compared to the CPU's much higher ranking (87th) confirms that the integrated graphics are the bottleneck in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combined performance of the Ryzen 7 7700 and Arc B390 places this pairing at rank 2573 out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build. This places the combo in the lower 12% of all tested systems, indicating that while the CPU is strong, the integrated GPU drags the overall experience down significantly.

To contextualize this ranking, consider the CPU's standalone performance. The Ryzen 7 7700 has an average benchmark score of 40081, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.1% faster), the Intel Core 5 221E (0.2% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 9 270 (0.4% slower). This suggests the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU, but the GPU cannot translate that processing power into high frame rates.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile (87th) and the combo's poor rank (2573rd of 2924) is stark. It shows that in this specific game, the Arc B390 is the limiting factor. A system with a slower CPU but a discrete GPU would likely rank much higher. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for low-resolution or low-settings gaming, where the GPU's limitations are less exposed.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset hits 41 FPS, while High hits 60 FPS and Low reaches 106 FPS. At 1440p, only the Low preset (67 FPS) clears 60 FPS, and at 4K, all presets fall below 35 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700 has an average benchmark score of 40081, placing it in the 87th percentile. It is 0.1% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365, 0.2% faster than the Intel Core 5 221E, and 0.4% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 270. Its closest competitor by score is the Intel Core i9-13905H, which is 0.6% faster.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 a capable GPU for this game?

A: Relative to other GPUs, the Arc B390 is very weak. It ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, is only 1.3% slower, and the GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5% slower. This indicates the GPU is comparable to entry-level discrete GPUs from over a decade ago.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 106 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 41 FPS. This represents a 61% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest visual quality settings. The High preset sits in between at 60 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU have dedicated VRAM?

A: No, the Intel Arc B390 uses system shared memory. The memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," and the bandwidth is "System Dependent." This means the GPU performance is directly tied to the speed and allocation of the system's main memory.

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

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 51, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59. This is the only 1440p setting that provides a minimum frame rate above 40 FPS, but it still falls short of a smooth 60 FPS experience.

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

The frame rate scaling across resolutions is a clear indicator of a GPU-bound system. Moving from 1080p to 4K increases the pixel count fourfold, and the measured FPS drops accordingly. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 60 at 1080p to 38 at 1440p and then to 20 at 4K. This is a 67% reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the drop is from 106 FPS at 1080p to 67 FPS at 1440p and 35 FPS at 4K, a 67% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 81 FPS at 1080p to 51 FPS at 1440p and 27 FPS at 4K, a 67% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 41 FPS at 1080p to 26 FPS at 1440p and 14 FPS at 4K, a 66% reduction.

This consistent ~67% drop across all settings when moving from 1080p to 4K is classic GPU scaling behavior. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller FPS delta at higher resolutions, as the CPU would be able to maintain its output while the GPU struggles. Instead, the proportional drop indicates that the Arc B390's rendering throughput is the limiting factor. The CPU, which is in the 87th percentile, is likely idle or underutilized, waiting for the GPU to catch up. The data suggests that to improve performance, the user would need a faster GPU, not a faster CPU.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is a desktop processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Raphael) using a 5 nm process from TSMC. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The CPU has a 65 W TDP and fits in the AMD Socket AM5.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark results are strong. In Cinebench R23, it scores 18760 in multicore and 1930 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 15371 in multicore and 2525 in single-core. Its 3DMark scores scale from 1049 in single-thread to 8484 in 16-thread tests. These numbers place it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40081.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, simulation, and draw calls. As a city builder, the game likely benefits from the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads. The high single-thread score (1930 in Cinebench R23) suggests it can handle the primary game thread efficiently. However, the benchmark data from this combo indicates that the CPU is not the constraint. The FPS at 1080p Low (106 FPS) is high enough to suggest the CPU can push more frames, but the GPU's limitations cap the output. The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is tight, with a 0.1% lead over the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 and a 0.6% deficit to the Intel Core i9-13905H, but this variation is negligible in a game where the GPU is the bottleneck.

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 user's target resolution and frame rate preference.

At 1920x1080, the High preset is the best balance. It delivers 60 FPS, which is the standard target for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset offers 81 FPS, which is smoother but at lower visual quality. The Low preset hits 106 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play but sacrifices visual fidelity. The Ultra preset drops to 41 FPS, which is playable but not smooth, and the visual gains over High are likely minimal for the performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that maintains a playable frame rate, hitting 67 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 51 FPS, which is borderline, and the High preset falls to 38 FPS, which is noticeably stuttery. The Ultra preset is unplayable at 26 FPS.

At 3840x2160, no preset is truly playable. The Low preset manages 35 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and the Medium preset drops to 27 FPS. High and Ultra are 20 FPS and 14 FPS, respectively, making them unsuitable for gameplay.

For the best experience, the data suggests using 1080p with the High preset for a solid 60 FPS. If the user prioritizes frame rate over visuals, the Low preset at 1440p is acceptable. For 4K gaming, the hardware is not sufficient, and the user would need to lower the resolution or accept sub-30 FPS performance.

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

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average FPS 106. This is the highest frame rate measured for this combo and provides the smoothest experience at this resolution.
• Medium: Average FPS 81, with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93. This offers a good balance of performance and visual quality.
• High: Average FPS 60. This is the recommended setting for a standard 60 FPS experience, matching the refresh rate of most monitors.
• Ultra: Average FPS 41. This is the most demanding preset and results in a noticeable drop in smoothness, though it remains above 30 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average FPS 67. This is the only 1440p setting that delivers a frame rate above 60 FPS, making it the only viable option for a smooth experience at this resolution.
• Medium: Average FPS 51, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59. This is a playable but not perfectly smooth experience, with frame times dipping below the 60 FPS threshold.
• High: Average FPS 38. This is a significant drop from the Medium preset, indicating the GPU is struggling with the increased resolution and visual fidelity.
• Ultra: Average FPS 26. This is below the playable threshold, resulting in a visibly stuttery experience.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average FPS 35. This is the best case at 4K, but it is still well below the 60 FPS target and may feel sluggish.
• Medium: Average FPS 27, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31. This is largely unplayable, with frequent frame drops.
• High: Average FPS 20. This is too low for any reasonable gameplay experience.
• Ultra: Average FPS 14. This is the worst-case scenario, essentially rendering a slideshow.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the only resolution where the combo can deliver a consistently playable experience, and even then, only up to the High preset. The transition from 1080p to 1440p cuts performance by roughly 37% at the same settings, and the transition to 4K cuts it by another 47%. The Intel Arc B390's integrated nature and low percentile ranking (9th) make it the definitive bottleneck, while the Ryzen 7 7700's high percentile ranking (87th) ensures it is not a limiting factor in this title.