Steamworld Build

# Steamworld Build with AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D + Intel Arc B390

This combination of AMD's flagship 8-core Zen 5 processor and Intel's integrated-class Arc B390 graphics produces a heavily CPU-bound experience in Steamworld Build, with the GPU percentile ranking at 9th overall while the CPU sits at the 87th percentile. The measured frame rates show a system that can handle 1080p gaming at playable levels but struggles as resolution increases, revealing a stark imbalance between the high-end processor and the entry-level integrated graphics solution.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest GPU rivals in raw 3DMark performance?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710 (1443).

Q: What is the best average frame rate achievable at 1080p with this combo?

A: The highest measured average at 1920x1080 is 106 FPS with Low settings. Medium settings deliver 81 FPS, High settings produce 60 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 41 FPS.

Q: Does this combo's CPU outperform its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 39768, which is 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39603), 0.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (39485), but 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048) and 0.8% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (40081).

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations in Steamworld Build?

A: This specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 2573 out of 2924 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: How much frame rate is lost when moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 51 FPS at 2560x1440 to 27 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 47% reduction in performance.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it affect this game?

A: The Intel Arc B390 uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth, meaning it relies on the system's DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This shared memory architecture contributes to the GPU's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2573 out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations evaluated. This ranking reflects the severe bottleneck created by pairing a top-tier desktop processor with an integrated graphics solution designed primarily for portable devices.

The CPU alone sits at the 87th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 39768. This places it in the upper tier of desktop processors, though its nearest rivals — the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39603, +0.4%), AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048, -0.7%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (39485, +0.7%), and AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (40081, -0.8%) — show that the 9800X3D is not dramatically ahead of the field in aggregate scores.

The GPU tells a different story. The Arc B390's percentile rank of 9 places it among the lowest-performing graphics solutions in the database. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is only marginally better than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, +1.3%), GeForce 800M (1460, +1.5%), GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, +2.5%), and GeForce GT 710 (1443, +2.7%). This extreme performance gap between CPU and GPU explains the combo's low overall ranking — the processor is capable of far more than the graphics solution can deliver.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is built on the Xe3-LPG architecture using Intel's 3 nm process node, with a chip codenamed Panther Lake. Its clock speeds range from a 300 MHz base to a 2500 MHz boost, and it contains 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units. The GPU also includes 12 ray tracing cores and delivers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, with 15.36 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio).

Critically, the Arc B390 uses System Shared memory — both in size and type — with System Dependent bandwidth. This means the GPU has no dedicated VRAM and instead borrows from the system's DDR5 memory pool. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. With a TDP of 80 W and an IGP form factor, this is clearly an integrated solution rather than a discrete graphics card.

In Steamworld Build, a city builder that relies on rendering numerous structures and agents, the GPU's limited memory bandwidth and shared memory architecture become significant constraints. The measured frame rates show this limitation clearly: at 1080p, the GPU manages 106 FPS at Low settings but only 41 FPS at Ultra. At 4K, performance collapses to 35 FPS at Low and just 14 FPS at Ultra, demonstrating that the GPU's shared memory setup cannot sustain high resolution rendering.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, this combo delivers its most playable results. Low settings produce an average of 106 FPS, which is smooth for a city builder. Medium settings reduce the average to 81 FPS, with minimum and maximum readings of 69 and 93 FPS respectively. High settings bring the average down to 60 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 41 FPS. The 1080p results show a clear progression where each settings tier costs approximately 20-25% performance.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates become more marginal. Low settings still deliver a respectable 67 FPS average. Medium settings produce 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 59 FPS. High settings fall to 38 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 26 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that players seeking smooth gameplay should stick to Low or Medium presets.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes largely unplayable. Low settings yield only a 35 FPS average. Medium settings produce 27 FPS with a minimum of 23 and maximum of 31 FPS. High settings drop to 20 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to just 14 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that this combo is not suitable for high-resolution gaming in Steamworld Build.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the gap between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, typically reducing frame rates by 60-65%. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU has ample headroom to handle the game's simulation logic.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The processor has a 120 W TDP, uses the AMD Socket AM5, and is manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process node with 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die.

Cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 96 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support includes DDR5 with dual-channel architecture and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, plus ECC memory support. The CPU provides PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes and includes integrated Radeon Graphics. It was released on 2024-11-06 with a launch MSRP of $479.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 9800X3D scores 23230 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2080 in single-core. Geekbench results show 18696 multicore and 2964 single-core. The 3DMark tests show scaling from 1212 single-thread to 10081 at 16 threads, with 4-thread and 8-thread scores of 4669 and 8252 respectively. PassMark results include 40009 multithread and 4430 single-thread scores.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is to manage the simulation of the city, including resource production, agent behavior, and building construction. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration with high boost clocks and substantial L3 cache is well-suited for this task. However, since the GPU is the bottleneck, the CPU's capabilities are largely underutilized in this pairing. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10081 and max-thread score of 10067 suggest the processor can handle heavy multi-threaded workloads, but the Arc B390 cannot translate this compute power into frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, Medium settings provide the best balance, delivering 81 FPS average with a minimum of 69 FPS — this keeps the game smooth while maintaining decent visual quality. High settings at 60 FPS average are also acceptable for players who prefer better visuals, but the 41 FPS at Ultra may cause noticeable stutter in a city builder where camera panning is frequent.

At 1440p, Low settings at 67 FPS average is the only preset that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. Medium settings at 51 FPS are playable but may feel less fluid during large city views. High and Ultra settings at 38 and 26 FPS respectively are not recommended for a responsive experience.

At 4K, none of the presets deliver acceptable performance. Even Low settings at 35 FPS will feel sluggish for a game that requires frequent zooming and scrolling. The 27 FPS at Medium and 20 FPS at High are below playable thresholds, and Ultra at 14 FPS is effectively a slideshow.

For players using this combo, the recommendation is clear: stick to 1080p with Medium or High settings for the best experience. The 81 FPS at Medium provides headroom for busy city scenes, while 60 FPS at High offers a good visual upgrade without sacrificing playability. Avoid 4K entirely, as the GPU lacks the memory bandwidth and compute power to handle the resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU-bound system. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 106 FPS at 1080p to 67 FPS at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and further to 35 FPS at 4K (a 67% reduction from 1080p). At Medium settings, the progression is 81 FPS to 51 FPS to 27 FPS — a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 67% drop from 1080p to 4K.

This consistent scaling pattern across settings presets indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller frame rate differences between resolutions, as the processor's workload would remain relatively constant regardless of pixel count. Instead, the substantial performance loss at higher resolutions points to the Arc B390's limited shading units, texture units, and shared memory bandwidth being overwhelmed by increased pixel throughput demands.

The 1080p to 1440p transition costs roughly 37% performance, while the 1440p to 4K transition costs an additional 47% (from 51 to 27 FPS at Medium). This non-linear scaling is typical of a GPU that runs out of fill rate and memory bandwidth at higher resolutions. The 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are simply insufficient for 4K rendering in a game with complex UI elements and dense building textures.

The 106 FPS at 1080p Low versus 14 FPS at 4K Ultra represents a 92% reduction in frame rate — a massive penalty that underscores the GPU's fundamental limitations. Players should treat 1080p as the practical ceiling for this combo, with 1440p only viable at Low settings. The CPU's 96 MB of L3 cache and high single-thread performance cannot compensate for the GPU's 9th percentile ranking in this workload.