Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder where the pace of simulation and the size of your metropolis dictate performance. This analysis examines the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the Intel Arc B580 across a range of resolutions and presets, based on measured data. The combination ranks 2,963rd out of 3,706 tested combos for this title, placing it in the lower half of all system configurations. This is a noteworthy result for a modern 8-core CPU and a current-generation GPU, signaling that the game's engine is heavily demanding or that the pairing is not optimized for this specific workload.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2,963 out of 3,706 tested configurations places it in the 21st percentile overall. This means roughly 80% of all tested combos deliver higher average frame rates in Steamworld Build. While the individual components have respectable standing in their own respective benchmark pools, their combined performance in this specific game is underwhelming.

The CPU alone holds the 85th percentile against all tested CPUs, which is a strong showing. The GPU sits at the 68th percentile against all GPUs, which is solidly mid-pack. The disconnect between strong component-level percentiles and a weak in-game combo rank suggests the bottleneck is not the raw power of the parts but how they interact with the game engine, or that other system factors (like memory or storage) are limiting performance in this simulation-heavy title.

When looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 7700X is nearly identical in average benchmark score to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, edging it out by a mere 0.3%. It also leads the Intel Core 7 250H and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 by 0.5% each. The margin against the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is 0.7%. These are incredibly tight margins, indicating that for general processing tasks, the 7700X is performance-equivalent to several other high-end chips. However, this equivalence does not translate to a high rank in Steamworld Build, where the simulation logic and draw calls may not scale with the CPU's multi-threaded strengths.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B580’s average score is within 1% of several very different cards. It is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, and 0.7% behind the RTX 3080. This clustering shows that in synthetic benchmarks, the B580 performs in a similar window to these cards, which span multiple generations. Yet, the in-game rank suggests that for Steamworld Build specifically, the GPU is not able to leverage its architectural advantages to outpace these rivals.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X a strong performer for gaming?

A: Yes, the CPU holds the 85th percentile against all tested CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 19,088 and single-core is 1,987, indicating excellent processing power for both heavily threaded and lightly threaded tasks.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The B580 holds the 68th percentile against all tested GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 23,021, placing it in a tight performance cluster with the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23,061), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22,895), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (23,172).

Q: What is the best performance we can expect from this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 154 FPS at 1920x1080 on Low settings. On Ultra settings at the same resolution, the average drops to 75 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Steamworld Build?

A: At 3840x2160, the combo achieves an average of 35 FPS on High settings and only 28 FPS on Ultra. The playable threshold is at 4K Low, which produces an average of 56 FPS.

Q: What is the limiting factor at higher resolutions?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system produces 154 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 56 FPS, a 64% reduction that is characteristic of GPU-bound workloads.

Q: Does the CPU's performance vary significantly from its rivals?

A: No. The Ryzen 7 7700X is within 0.7% of its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, in average score. It is essentially tied with the top comparable processors, showing that its processing power is not a differentiating factor in this context.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a classic scaling pattern. As the resolution increases, the average FPS drops significantly across all settings. This indicates that the rendering load is scaling with pixel count, and the GPU is the primary component responding to this change.

At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 154 FPS at 1080p to 101 FPS at 1440p, a 34% decrease. Moving to 4K, the frame rate plummets to 56 FPS, a further 45% drop from 1440p. This steep decline is a clear indicator of GPU limitation. The Intel Arc B580 is being saturated by the increasing pixel throughput.

The scaling pattern is similar for High settings. The system produces 97 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p (a 34% drop), and 35 FPS at 4K (a further 45% drop). The consistent percentage drops suggest a predictable GPU-bound scaling curve. This means that for users targeting higher resolutions, the GPU will be the component that dictates the final frame rate.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this scaling. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller performance delta between 1080p and 4K, as the resolution increase would not add significant CPU overhead. The significant FPS drops indicate that the GPU is working progressively harder with each resolution step, while the CPU has headroom to continue feeding it data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. Here is the complete breakdown.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average 154 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo, indicating a very playable experience for fast-paced simulation.
• Medium: Average 121 FPS, with minimum and maximum readings of 103 and 140 FPS respectively. The frame time variance is moderate, suggesting consistent performance.
• High: Average 97 FPS. This remains well above the 60 FPS target, providing a smooth experience.
• Ultra: Average 75 FPS. This is still a playable frame rate, but the drop from High is noticeable, showing the cost of the highest visual fidelity.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average 101 FPS. Performance remains high, making this an excellent resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors with lower settings.
• Medium: Average 80 FPS, with minimum and maximum readings of 68 and 92 FPS. The frame times are slightly wider than at 1080p, but still solid.
• High: Average 64 FPS. This is right at the edge of the 60 FPS target, providing a good balance for most users.
• Ultra: Average 50 FPS. The experience becomes less smooth here, with noticeable dips below the standard refresh rate.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average 56 FPS. This is the only 4K setting that achieves a playable average frame rate.
• Medium: Average 44 FPS, with minimum and maximum readings of 38 and 51 FPS. The frame time variance is significant, leading to potential stutter.
• High: Average 35 FPS. This is below the standard for smooth gameplay, indicating a heavy load on the GPU.
• Ultra: Average 28 FPS. This is the lowest recorded average, presenting a slideshow-like experience in a city builder.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture. It has a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high boost clock is crucial for single-threaded performance, which is often the dominant factor in simulation and strategy games like Steamworld Build.

Its benchmark results are strong. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19,088 and single-core score of 1,987 demonstrate a balanced processor. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 8,859 and 2-thread score of 2,112 further confirm that the CPU can handle both heavily parallelized tasks and quick single-threaded responses.

In the context of Steamworld Build, the CPU's high single-thread performance should help with the game's logic and agent simulation. However, the low combo rank suggests that this strength is not being fully utilized, or that the game engine has other bottlenecks. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking indicates it is a top-tier processor, but the in-game results show that it is not the sole determinant of performance.

The CPU’s L3 cache is 32 MB shared, which is often beneficial for game data that is accessed frequently. The memory support for DDR5 with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s also ensures that data can be fed to the CPU quickly. Despite these strengths, the data shows that the Ryzen 7 7700X is not able to boost this combo to a higher rank, implying the GPU or the engine is the limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset provides an average of 75 FPS, which is a smooth experience for a city builder. For those who prefer higher refresh rates or have a more demanding simulation, the High preset at 97 FPS is recommended. The Medium preset at 121 FPS is also a strong choice for high-refresh-rate panels. Low settings are not necessary at this resolution, as even Ultra is playable.

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 64 FPS is the recommended balance, providing a smooth experience with good visuals. The Medium preset at 80 FPS is better for users who want more headroom for large cities with many entities. The Ultra preset at 50 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth in dense areas. Low settings at 101 FPS are recommended for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, though the visual compromise is significant.

For 4K displays, the options are limited. The Low preset at 56 FPS is the only playable option, and even this may experience dips in complex scenes. The Medium preset at 44 FPS is on the edge of playability, and the High and Ultra presets at 35 FPS and 28 FPS respectively are not recommended for a good experience. Users with 4K displays will need to accept Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to achieve a better frame rate.