Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder from late 2023, presents a specific performance challenge for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B570 combination. The measured data provides a clear picture of how this pairing handles the game's demands across resolutions and presets. This analysis walks through the benchmark results, focusing on the settings that deliver the best experience, the role of the GPU and CPU, and the scaling behavior from 1080p to 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for this combination reveals a clear hierarchy across the four available presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. At 1080p, the average frame rates are 162 FPS for Low, 124 FPS for Medium, 93 FPS for High, and 63 FPS for Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium is a substantial 38 FPS, while the climb from Medium to High is another 31 FPS. The transition from High to Ultra, however, yields a significant 30 FPS drop, landing at 63 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy load that this hardware cannot fully sustain at high refresh rates.

The 1440p results follow a similar pattern but with lower absolute numbers: 103 FPS at Low, 79 FPS at Medium, 59 FPS at High, and 40 FPS at Ultra. At this resolution, High remains playable, but the gap between Medium and High narrows to 20 FPS. The 4K data shows the most strain, with averages of 55 FPS at Low, 42 FPS at Medium, 31 FPS at High, and 21 FPS at Ultra. These numbers demonstrate that the Ultra preset is not a viable option for a smooth experience at any resolution tested, as even the best case scenario at 1080p yields only 63 FPS.

Given the data, the High preset at 1440p provides the most balanced experience, delivering an average of 59 FPS. This is just below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the baseline for smooth gameplay. For a more comfortable margin, the Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 79 FPS, offers a significant performance buffer while still providing a visually upgraded experience over Low. At 1080p, the High preset's 93 FPS average is the recommended sweet spot, as it provides excellent fluidity without the steep performance cost associated with the Ultra preset. The Medium preset at 1080p, at 124 FPS, is also a strong choice for those prioritizing frame rate above all else. The Ultra preset should be avoided, as its performance penalty is substantial across all resolutions, making it unsuitable for consistent play.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the primary driver of graphical performance in this configuration. Its memory configuration includes 10 GB of GDDR6 type memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory bandwidth is a crucial factor for a city builder like Steamworld Build, which often involves rendering large, detailed scenes with many on-screen elements. The GPU's base and boost clocks are both listed at 2500 MHz, which is a relatively high operating frequency. The chip, designated BMG-G21, is built on a 5 nm process and features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units.

The performance data shows a direct correlation between the GPU's workload and frame rates. As the resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the average FPS at the High preset drops from 93 to 31, a reduction of roughly two-thirds. This substantial decline indicates that the Arc B570 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The GPU's compute capabilities, rated at 11.52 TFLOPS for FP32, are being taxed heavily by the increased pixel count. At 4K, even the Low preset only manages an average of 55 FPS, which suggests that the GPU is struggling to keep up with the demands of the game at this resolution.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context for its overall capabilities. Its Passmark G3D score is 14195, and its average benchmark score is 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, with a deltaPct of 0.1, indicating near-identical performance. This suggests that the Arc B570 is a mid-range performer, and its behavior in Steamworld Build aligns with that classification. The GPU's memory size of 10 GB is not a limiting factor at the tested settings, as the frame rates are more constrained by raw processing power than by memory capacity. The data indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck, particularly at 1440p and 4K where the demand on its shading units and memory bandwidth increases significantly.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Steamworld Build, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B570 holds a rank of 2320 out of 2924 total combos. This places it in the lower third of all tested systems, indicating that while it is capable of running the game, it is not a top-tier performer. The percentile position is not explicitly given for the game, but the rank itself provides a clear picture: there are 2320 other hardware combinations that achieve higher average frame rates in this title.

This ranking is a direct consequence of the measured FPS data. The combo's inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K, with a peak average of 55 FPS at Low settings, and its struggles with the Ultra preset at all resolutions, contribute to its lower standing. The rank is a holistic measure of its performance across all tested settings and resolutions. For comparison, the CPU's percentile versus all CPUs is 94, and the GPU's percentile versus all GPUs is 65. This discrepancy highlights that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing, dragging the overall combo rank down from what the CPU alone might suggest. The combo rank of 2320 reflects the system's overall gaming capability, which is limited by the Arc B570's performance envelope in this particular title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

A detailed look at the measured frame rates reveals the system's behavior across every tested configuration. At 1920x1080, the resolution with the highest performance, the average FPS ranges from 162 at Low to 63 at Ultra. The Medium preset offers an average of 124 FPS, with a minimum of 106 and a maximum of 143 FPS. The High preset averages 93 FPS. The data shows a consistent step-down in performance as settings increase, with the most significant drop occurring between High and Ultra. The 1080p results are the only ones where the system consistently exceeds 60 FPS on the High preset, making it the most viable resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS values decrease across all presets. The Low preset averages 103 FPS, which is still a very playable number. The Medium preset averages 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 91 FPS, providing a smooth experience. The High preset drops to an average of 59 FPS, which is on the edge of smoothness for many users. The Ultra preset falls to 40 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. The 1440p results show a tighter grouping than 1080p, with a 63 FPS difference between the Low and Ultra presets, compared to a 99 FPS difference at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly under significant stress. The average FPS for the Low preset is 55, which is the only configuration at this resolution that comes close to being playable. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 48 FPS. The High preset averages 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 21 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is not a practical option for this combo unless the user is willing to accept low frame rates and the Low preset. The data for 4K lacks min/max values for the Low, High, and Ultra presets, but the Medium preset shows a frame time variance that suggests occasional dips below the average.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, providing insight into the system's bottleneck. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 93 at 1920x1080 to 59 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 34 FPS. From 1440p to 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 59 to 31, another reduction of 28 FPS. This pattern shows that the performance cost of each resolution increase is substantial. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 62 FPS, representing a 67% decrease in performance.

This scaling behavior is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with 8 cores and 16 threads, has sufficient processing power to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but as the pixel count increases, the GPU's workload grows exponentially. The data shows that the frame rate is being limited by the Intel Arc B570's ability to render pixels, not by the CPU's ability to calculate game logic. This is further evidenced by the fact that the performance drop from 1080p to 1440p (34 FPS) is comparable to the drop from 1440p to 4K (28 FPS), despite the larger pixel count difference between the latter pair. This indicates that the GPU is hitting a performance ceiling that is independent of the exact resolution, but rather tied to the total number of pixels it must process. The resolution scaling confirms that users seeking higher resolutions will need to make significant compromises on graphical settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F plays a supporting role in this game's performance, as is typical for a city builder. The CPU is a Zen 5 architecture part, codenamed Granite Ridge, with 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.50 GHz. This high boost clock is beneficial for single-threaded tasks, which are common in simulation games. The CPU's large 32 MB of shared L3 cache is also a plus for keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4691, and its multithread score is 36470, placing it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is to manage the game's simulation, including the AI, resource management, and the various systems that run in the background. The benchmark data suggests that the 9700F is more than capable of handling these tasks, as the frame rates are consistently higher at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 162 FPS, which is a strong indication that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this setting. The CPU's performance is sufficient to allow the GPU to reach its maximum output. The nearest rivals for the 9700F, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and the Intel Core i7-14700KF, have average benchmark scores within 0.2% to 0.9% of the 9700F, indicating that its CPU-level performance is competitive with other high-end parts.

The data indicates that the 9700F provides a solid foundation for this game. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, especially at higher resolutions. However, the CPU's strong single-thread performance is crucial for maintaining consistent frame pacing in a genre that is often sensitive to CPU hiccups. The fact that the system can push 162 FPS at 1080p Low shows that the CPU has ample headroom, and the performance drops observed at higher resolutions are almost entirely attributable to the GPU's limitations. This CPU is a robust partner for the Arc B570, ensuring that the system's performance is not hampered by processor limitations in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for the smoothest experience?

A: Based on the measured data, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides a smooth experience with an average of 79 FPS and a minimum of 67 FPS. Alternatively, the High preset at 1920x1080 offers a higher visual quality with an average of 93 FPS.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: The performance at 3840x2160 is limited. The highest average frame rate achieved is 55 FPS at the Low preset. The High preset averages 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages only 21 FPS, making these settings impractical for 4K play.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates that the Intel Arc B570 GPU is the primary bottleneck. This is evident from the significant frame rate drops as resolution increases, while the CPU's performance, as indicated by its high benchmark scores, appears sufficient to support higher frame rates at lower resolutions.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, has a deltaPct of 0.1, indicating nearly identical performance. The Intel Arc A750 is also very close with a deltaPct of -0.1.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested systems for Steamworld Build?

A: This combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2320 out of 2924 tested combos for this game. This places it in the lower third of all tested systems, reflecting its limited performance at higher settings and resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 93 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 63 FPS. This represents a significant 30 FPS drop, or roughly a 32% decrease in performance, for the visual improvements offered by the Ultra preset.