Steamworld Build

# Steamworld Build with AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + Intel Arc B570

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the Intel Arc B570 produces a combination that ranks 2320th out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the lower third of the database. This pairing delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on medium to high settings, but struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K, particularly at higher quality presets. The benchmark data reveals a system where the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance ensures the simulation-heavy aspects of this city builder do not bottleneck the experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, using a 4 nm process from TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, providing 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 9700X demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability, scoring 20,485 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 17,906 in Geekbench multicore. Single-thread performance is equally robust, with a Geekbench single-core score of 3,023 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,211. The processor's 3DMark scores scale well with thread count: 2,525 with 2 threads, 4,869 with 4 threads, 8,184 with 8 threads, and 9,824 with 16 threads, showing near-linear scaling that benefits simulation-heavy games like Steamworld Build, which must track numerous AI-driven characters and building states.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 37,943 places it at the 86th percentile among all tested CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14901E with an average score of 37,911 (0.1% difference), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 at 37,904 (0.1% difference), the Intel Core 5 211E at 37,829 (0.3% difference), and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 at 37,804 (0.4% difference). These margins are negligible, indicating that the 9700X performs essentially on par with these alternatives in general compute tasks.

For Steamworld Build specifically, the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads provide ample parallel processing for the game's city management logic. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, where the GPU has the least work to do, the system achieves 162 FPS average, suggesting the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p (162 FPS versus 63 FPS) is largely attributable to GPU workload, as the CPU must handle the same simulation overhead regardless of graphics quality. The processor's 3DMark 16-thread score of 9,824 and max-thread score of 9,771 indicate that the CPU can handle fully threaded workloads without significant degradation, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times during large city expansions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a Battlemage-generation GPU, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture using a 5 nm TSMC process. It features the BMG-G21 chip with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. The GPU operates at a fixed 2500 MHz base and boost clock, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). It comes equipped with 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The shader configuration includes 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units, along with 18 ray tracing cores.

The Arc B570's compute capabilities include 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 23.04 TFLOPS of FP16 performance (2:1 ratio). Its pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 360.0 GTexel/s. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, with display outputs including one HDMI 2.1a and three DisplayPort 2.1 connections. It connects via PCIe 4.0 x8 and has a TDP of 150 W, requiring a 450 W suggested power supply.

In GPU benchmarks, the Arc B570 scores 14,195 in Passmark G3D and 7,281 in Passmark GPU Compute. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2,649, while Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores are 83,514 and 96,844, respectively. The GPU's average benchmark score of 20,556 places it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with an average score of 20,534 (0.1% difference), the Intel Arc A750 at 20,582 (-0.1% difference), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20,480 (0.4% difference), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X at 20,662 (-0.5% difference). The Arc B570 sits squarely between the Arc A750 and RTX 3070 Mobile in raw performance, though its 10 GB VRAM capacity is notable for a card in this performance class.

For Steamworld Build, the GPU's 10 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures and geometry at all tested settings, as evidenced by the lack of extreme performance drops that would indicate memory swapping. The fixed 2500 MHz clock ensures consistent throughput, and the 380 GB/s bandwidth supports the game's need for frequent texture streaming as the player pans across the city. The measured FPS at 1080p Ultra (63 FPS) versus 1080p Low (162 FPS) shows a 61% reduction in performance, which is primarily driven by the GPU's fill rate and shading capabilities under higher quality settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals distinct scaling patterns across resolutions, which helps identify the bottleneck component at each setting level. At 1080p, the system delivers 162 FPS at Low, 124 FPS at Medium, 93 FPS at High, and 63 FPS at Ultra settings. Moving to 1440p, these numbers drop to 103 FPS at Low, 79 FPS at Medium, 59 FPS at High, and 40 FPS at Ultra. At 4K (3840x2160), the performance falls further to 55 FPS at Low, 42 FPS at Medium, 31 FPS at High, and 21 FPS at Ultra.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a roughly 36% reduction in FPS across all settings, which aligns with the increase in pixel count from approximately 2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels (a 78% increase in raw pixel count, but with less than half that performance impact, indicating some GPU headroom). From 1440p to 4K, the pixel count increases to 8.29 million (a 125% increase), yet the FPS drops by approximately 47% on average across settings. This non-linear scaling suggests that at 4K, the GPU becomes increasingly the limiting factor, while at 1080p, the CPU's simulation overhead plays a more significant role in capping maximum frame rates.

The Medium settings at each resolution include min/max FPS data, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 106 to 143 FPS (a 37 FPS spread). At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 67 to 91 FPS (a 24 FPS spread). At 4K Medium, the range tightens further to 35 to 48 FPS (a 13 FPS spread). This pattern indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes more consistently utilized, reducing the variance in frame delivery. The 4K Ultra setting at 21 FPS average falls below the playable threshold for a city builder, where smooth camera panning and zooming are essential for managing complex layouts.

The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 9700X is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution, as the FPS scaling follows the GPU's expected performance curve. At 1080p Low, the 162 FPS ceiling is likely influenced by the game's engine limits or CPU simulation thread utilization, but the 8-core/16-thread configuration provides sufficient headroom for the city builder's logic. The Arc B570's 10 GB VRAM and 380 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU's raw compute power limits performance to below 60 FPS even at Low settings.

FAQ

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

A: The benchmark data shows that 1440p with Medium settings delivers 79 FPS average, with a range of 67 to 91 FPS. This resolution provides a good balance between visual fidelity and smooth performance, as 1080p Medium reaches 124 FPS but may not fully utilize the GPU's capabilities, while 4K Medium drops to 42 FPS average.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 9700X bottleneck the Intel Arc B570 in this game?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU at any tested resolution. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 162 FPS, and at 4K Low it reaches 55 FPS, with the FPS scaling following the GPU's expected performance curve rather than showing a CPU-imposed ceiling. The 8-core/16-thread configuration provides ample processing power for the game's simulation.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its closest rival, the Intel Arc A750?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556, which is 0.1% lower than the Arc A750's 20,582 score. In Steamworld Build, this places the B570 in the same performance tier, though the B570's 10 GB VRAM versus the A750's configuration may affect performance in texture-heavy scenes at higher resolutions.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this setup for Steamworld Build?

A: At 4K, the highest playable setting is Low, which delivers 55 FPS average. Medium drops to 42 FPS, High falls to 31 FPS, and Ultra is unplayable at 21 FPS. For a city builder requiring smooth camera movement, 4K Low is playable but not ideal, while 1440p is the recommended ceiling for this game.

Q: What causes the FPS variance between Medium and other settings?

A: The Medium preset is the only setting with min/max FPS data available. At 1080p Medium, the range is 106 to 143 FPS, at 1440p Medium it is 67 to 91 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 35 to 48 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests the GPU becomes more consistently saturated, reducing frame time spikes.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combination ranks 2320th out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the lower third of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier performance rather than the CPU's capability, as the 9700X sits at the 86th percentile among CPUs.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 1440p provides the best balance of visual quality and performance for this hardware combination. At this setting, the system delivers 79 FPS average with a range of 67 to 91 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay during city expansion and population growth. The 1440p Medium setting also provides headroom for occasional performance dips without dropping below 60 FPS, which is critical for a game where camera control and rapid building placement require consistent frame delivery.

For players prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, the 1080p Low setting at 162 FPS offers maximum smoothness, though the visual downgrade may not be necessary given the game's art style. The 1080p Medium setting at 124 FPS is a strong alternative for those with 1080p displays, providing a 31 FPS improvement over High settings at the same resolution. At 1440p, stepping from Medium to High reduces performance from 79 FPS to 59 FPS, a 25% decrease that may not justify the visual improvements, especially during late-game city states with many active elements.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution for this combination. At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 63 FPS, which is playable but offers diminishing returns over High settings (93 FPS). At 1440p Ultra, performance drops to 40 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 21 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for comfortable city management. The 4K Medium setting at 42 FPS is marginally acceptable for screenshots or slow-paced building, but the 1440p Medium preset provides a superior experience with a 37 FPS advantage.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows a clear performance hierarchy across settings. Low settings deliver the highest average FPS at 162, followed by Medium at 124 FPS (with a range of 106 to 143 FPS), High at 93 FPS, and Ultra at 63 FPS. The 99 FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at this resolution indicates that the GPU's shading and texture processing load increases substantially with each preset tier, while the CPU's simulation workload remains constant.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 103 FPS, Medium averages 79 FPS (with a range of 67 to 91 FPS), High averages 59 FPS, and Ultra averages 40 FPS. The 63 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is smaller than at 1080p, reflecting the GPU's increasing workload from the higher pixel count. The Medium setting's range of 67 to 91 FPS shows good consistency, with the minimum staying above 60 FPS for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 55 FPS, Medium averages 42 FPS (with a range of 35 to 48 FPS), High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 21 FPS. The 34 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest across resolutions, indicating that the GPU is becoming the dominant bottleneck. The Medium setting's range of 35 to 48 FPS shows a 13 FPS spread, which is the narrowest of any resolution, suggesting consistent GPU utilization at this level.

The progression from 1080p Low (162 FPS) to 4K Low (55 FPS) represents a 66% reduction in performance, while the progression from 1080p Ultra (63 FPS) to 4K Ultra (21 FPS) represents a 67% reduction. This consistent scaling across settings indicates that the GPU's performance degrades proportionally with pixel count, confirming that the Arc B570 is the primary factor limiting performance at higher resolutions in Steamworld Build.

How This Combo Ranks

This AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2320th out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the 21st percentile overall. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier performance class, as the Arc B570 sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU ranks much higher at the 86th percentile among all CPUs. The combination's ranking is therefore dragged down by the GPU's performance relative to other tested configurations.

The CPU's nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i9-14901E, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, Intel Core 5 211E, and AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132, all have average scores within 0.4% of the 9700X. This means that swapping the CPU for any of these alternatives would have a negligible impact on the combo's ranking, as the GPU would still be the limiting factor. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, Intel Arc A750, NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, and AMD Radeon R9 M390X, all have average scores within 0.5% of the Arc B570, indicating that the GPU's performance is tightly clustered with these alternatives.

The ranking at 2320th out of 2924 suggests that this combination is below the median performance level for Steamworld Build. Given the game's release in November 2023 and the hardware's respective release dates (CPU in August 2024, GPU in January 2025), this is a relatively modern combination that still falls short of top-tier performance. The measured FPS data confirms this ranking, as the system cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K even on Low settings, and struggles to reach 60 FPS at 1440p on High settings. For players with 1080p or 1440p displays, the combination provides a satisfactory experience, but for 4K gaming or high-refresh-rate displays, this hardware pairing would be considered underpowered.