Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder from late 2023, presents a unique challenge for hardware due to its simulation-heavy gameplay and less demanding visual fidelity. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the Intel Arc B370, based strictly on the provided benchmark data. The results reveal a system that is profoundly constrained by its graphics component, leading to a playability profile that is heavily dependent on resolution and settings.

The combination of an 8-core, 16-thread desktop processor with an integrated-class GPU creates a significant bottleneck. While the CPU is capable of handling the complex simulation logic of a city builder, the GPU struggles to keep up, particularly at higher resolutions and graphical presets. The data indicates that users must make substantial compromises to achieve acceptable frame rates, with the most viable experience found at 1080p with lower settings. This report breaks down the measured FPS to provide a clear picture of what this specific hardware combo can deliver.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a high-end desktop processor built on the Zen 4 architecture, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. It operates with a base clock of 4.50 GHz and can boost up to 5.40 GHz, which provides substantial single-threaded performance. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates its strength, scoring 1987 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 19088 in multi-core. It also achieves a strong score of 2289 in Geekbench single-core. These scores place it in the 85th percentile when compared to all CPUs, indicating it is a powerful processor for general and gaming tasks.

In the context of Steamworld Build, a city builder, the CPU is responsible for simulating the game's economy, population, and traffic logic. This type of workload often benefits from a high number of cores and threads, which the 7700X provides with its 16 threads. The processor's robust multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its 8859 score in the 3DMark 16-thread test, ensures that the simulation logic is unlikely to be the primary bottleneck. The data shows the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to render frames, but the GPU's limitations become apparent in the final output.

The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is close. It sits just 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and 0.5% ahead of both the Intel Core 7 250H and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350. This indicates that the 7700X is a well-balanced performer, but it does not significantly outpace its direct competitors in aggregate benchmark scores. However, for this specific game, the CPU's high clock speeds and core count are more than sufficient. The measured frame rates, which drop to as low as 12 FPS at 4K Ultra, are not indicative of a CPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be more consistent across different resolutions and settings, as the simulation load would remain constant. Instead, the frame rates scale significantly with resolution and settings, pointing directly at the GPU as the limiting factor.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Critically, it uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system's main RAM rather than having its own dedicated VRAM. This architecture, designed for low power consumption at 25 W, is fundamentally not intended for high-end gaming. Its performance percentile of 5 compared to all GPUs confirms this, placing it in the bottom tier of graphics hardware.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B370 scores 1184 points. This places it in close competition with much older, dedicated graphics cards like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, from which it is separated by only -0.2% and -0.5%, respectively. This comparison highlights the Arc B370's limited compute power. For a game like Steamworld Build, which has moderate graphical requirements, this GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. The shared memory architecture also means that the GPU's performance is dependent on system memory speed and bandwidth, which can further impact frame rates in complex scenes with many objects.

The GPU's role as the primary bottleneck is clear from the measured FPS data. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 95 FPS, showing that the CPU and game engine can reach high frame rates. However, as the graphical load increases—by raising the resolution or settings—the frame rate plummets. This is the classic signature of a GPU bottleneck. The GPU is simply unable to render frames fast enough to keep up with the CPU's output. The data shows a clear progression: at 1080p High, the average FPS drops to 55, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to a mere 12 FPS. This direct correlation between graphical workload and frame rate definitively identifies the Arc B370 as the limiting component in this pairing.

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

The measured frame rates across different resolutions provide a clear diagnostic of system bottlenecks. Looking at the "High" settings preset, the average FPS drops from 55 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p, and finally to 18 at 4K. This represents a significant performance degradation as the pixel count increases. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a 36% drop in performance, while moving from 1440p to 4K results in a further 49% drop. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, with a potential drop only at 4K when the GPU becomes fully saturated. However, the data shows a steady decline in FPS at every resolution step, which is a hallmark of a GPU that is overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count. The same pattern holds for the "Medium" preset, where the FPS drops from 73 at 1080p to 46 at 1440p, and then to 25 at 4K. The "Low" preset shows a similar trend, with FPS figures of 95, 61, and 32 for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively.

This scaling behavior confirms that the Intel Arc B370 is the primary constraint. The game's rendering load is directly proportional to the number of pixels, and the GPU's compute units are unable to keep up as that load increases. The CPU, with its high core count and clock speeds, is not the limiting factor here. The data suggests that users seeking a better experience would need to either reduce the resolution or drastically lower the graphical settings to reduce the pixel fill rate and shading demands on the GPU. The extreme drop at 4K Ultra, resulting in only 12 FPS, illustrates that this resolution is entirely unplayable for this combo.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can maintain consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, it achieves 95 FPS, and with Medium settings, it reaches 73 FPS. This is in stark contrast to 1440p and 4K, where average frame rates drop below 61 FPS even on Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in this game compared to the GPU?

A: The benchmark results indicate the CPU is not the bottleneck. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X has 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which is more than sufficient for the simulation tasks in a city builder. The frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, which is a clear indicator of a GPU limitation. The Intel Arc B370's low performance percentile of 5 is the primary cause of the low FPS at higher graphical loads.

Q: Can this system run the game at 4K?

A: Technically, yes, but the performance is not acceptable for a playable experience. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 32, which is borderline. However, at 4K Medium, it drops to 25 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 18 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting is unplayable, with an average of only 12 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between the "Low" and "Ultra" settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p, the "Low" preset yields an average of 95 FPS, while the "Ultra" preset yields only 37 FPS. This represents a 61% drop in performance, highlighting the significant strain that higher graphical presets place on the Intel Arc B370.

Q: How does the Arc B370's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B370 scores 1184 points. Its closest competitor is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186 points, making the Arc B370 0.2% slower. It is also 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770. These are all very low-performing GPUs, confirming the Arc B370's position in the bottom percentile of graphics hardware.

Q: Is the "Medium" preset a good choice for this system?

A: At 1080p, the "Medium" preset provides a good balance, with an average FPS of 73 and a minimum of 62. This ensures a stable and smooth experience. At higher resolutions, however, the "Medium" preset becomes less viable, with average frame rates dropping to 46 at 1440p and 25 at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this hardware combination is found at 1920x1080 resolution. The data shows that the system is severely constrained by the Intel Arc B370, so the primary goal is to reduce the graphical load on the GPU. At 1080p, the "Medium" preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average frame rate of 73 FPS and a minimum of 62 FPS. This provides a smooth, consistent experience that is well within the playable range for a city builder.

The "Low" preset at 1080p provides the highest performance, with an average of 95 FPS, but it comes at the cost of visual fidelity. While the "High" preset at 1080p is playable with an average of 55 FPS, it is a less stable option than "Medium" and might result in noticeable dips in more demanding scenes. The "Ultra" preset at 1080p, with an average of 37 FPS, is not recommended, as it approaches the lower bounds of playability and does not provide a consistent experience.

For 1440p, the data suggests that the "Low" preset is the only viable option, yielding an average of 61 FPS. The "Medium" preset at 1440p, with an average of 46 FPS, is playable but may have stutters, and the "High" and "Ultra" presets are too demanding. At 4K, no settings preset provides a truly playable experience, with the "Low" preset only achieving 32 FPS. Users should avoid 4K with this combo. Therefore, the recommended configuration is 1080p with the "Medium" preset to ensure a stable and visually acceptable experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and Intel Arc B370 combination in Steamworld Build.

1920x1080:

• Low: 95 FPS average.
• Medium: 73 FPS average, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS.
• High: 55 FPS average.
• Ultra: 37 FPS average.

2560x1440:

• Low: 61 FPS average.
• Medium: 46 FPS average, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS.
• High: 35 FPS average.
• Ultra: 23 FPS average.

3840x2160:

• Low: 32 FPS average.
• Medium: 25 FPS average, with a minimum of 21 FPS and a maximum of 28 FPS.
• High: 18 FPS average.
• Ultra: 12 FPS average.

This breakdown clearly illustrates the performance hierarchy. The system is most comfortable at 1080p, where it can achieve high frame rates on lower presets. The transition to 1440p cuts performance roughly in half for most presets, and 4K performance is largely unplayable, with even the "Low" preset struggling to maintain 30 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested hardware combinations for Steamworld Build, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and the Intel Arc B370 ranks at 2683 out of 2924 total combinations. This places it in the bottom 10% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the performance data showing a severely GPU-limited setup.

The low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the Intel Arc B370's performance. The GPU's percentile rank of 5 places it in the lowest tier of all graphics cards, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is comparable to graphics hardware from over a decade ago. While the CPU is a high-performing component, ranking in the 85th percentile, it cannot compensate for the GPU's fundamental lack of rendering power. The combo's rank of 2683 reflects the overall system performance, which is dragged down by the GPU.

This ranking serves as a clear indicator that this hardware combination is not suited for a game like Steamworld Build at higher settings. The data shows that while the CPU is capable, the GPU is a significant bottleneck that prevents the system from achieving a good performance ranking. Users with this combo should expect a subpar experience compared to the majority of other tested systems, and they will need to make significant compromises in graphical settings to achieve a playable frame rate.