Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder that scales heavily with both CPU and GPU, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D with the Intel Arc B570 produces a unique performance curve across resolutions. The data measured for this combo reveals a system that is exceptionally strong at 1080p, but which becomes increasingly GPU-limited as the resolution climbs, making it a prime candidate for resolution-specific optimization.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating a classic shift from a CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound one at higher settings. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 162 at 1920x1080 to 103 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 36.4%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields just 55 FPS, which is a 66% drop from the 1080p figure. This sharp decline shows that even at the lowest graphical load, the Intel Arc B570 struggles to feed frames fast enough to keep up with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D's processing power at higher pixel counts.

The scaling pattern under High settings tells a similar story but with a more linear progression. The combo delivers 93 FPS at 1080p, drops to 59 FPS at 1440p (a 36.6% reduction), and then falls to 31 FPS at 4K (a 66.7% reduction from 1080p). This consistent ~36% and ~66% drop across both Low and High presets strongly suggests that the resolution is the primary limiting factor, rather than the game's specific visual features.

The Ultra preset demonstrates the most dramatic resolution penalty. At 1080p, the system manages 63 FPS, which drops to 40 FPS at 1440p and a barely playable 21 FPS at 4K. The gap between Medium and Ultra is also revealing: at 4K, the average FPS falls from 42 on Medium to 21 on Ultra, a 50% performance hit for what appears to be a substantial increase in visual fidelity. The data indicates that the Arc B570's 10 GB of VRAM and 160-bit memory bus are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K Ultra settings demand more than the card can deliver, pushing the system into single-digit territory relative to the CPU's potential.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 2,924 tested combinations, this specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 2,320th in Steamworld Build. This places it in the bottom 20.7% of all tested combos, which is a surprisingly low position given the components' individual strengths. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D sits in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, and the Arc B570 is in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, yet their combination yields results that are worse than the sum of their parts.

The rank reflects the game's demanding nature at higher resolutions. The CPU's high benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22,807 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 41,318, suggest it is more than capable of handling the simulation aspects of a city builder. However, the Arc B570's performance, with a Passmark G3D score of 14,195 and an average benchmark score of 20,556, is relatively modest, causing the combo to drop in rank when the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The nearest GPU rivals to the Arc B570 include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster) and the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower), indicating that the B570 is positioned in a competitive but not high-end tier.

The rank of 2,320 suggests that for a game like Steamworld Build, which likely involves complex scenes with many entities, the GPU's rendering throughput is the deciding factor. A combination with a higher-tier GPU would likely rank much better, even with a slower CPU. The data implies that the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is being held back by the Arc B570, especially at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU's limited pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s become apparent.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, codenamed Battlemage, and features 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. Its base and boost clocks are both set at 2500 MHz, which is a modest clock speed for a modern GPU. The card has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K, particularly with higher texture quality settings that require more VRAM.

The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS, which is a moderate figure that aligns with its mid-range positioning. In Steamworld Build, the GPU's role is to render the game's isometric environments and numerous on-screen objects. The benchmark results show that the card's performance degrades significantly when moving from Medium to Ultra settings. At 1440p, the average FPS drops from 79 on Medium to 40 on Ultra, a 49.4% reduction. This suggests that Ultra settings introduce effects that heavily tax the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth.

The Arc B570's 18 ray tracing cores are present, but their impact on this particular title is unclear from the data, as Steamworld Build is not a ray tracing-heavy game. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support ensures compatibility with modern APIs, but the raw compute power is the main driver of performance here. The measured results show that the card is capable of high frame rates at low resolutions, hitting 162 FPS at 1080p Low, but it cannot sustain those rates at higher resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this combo for 1440p and 4K gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers strong performance across all presets. The Low preset produces an average of 162 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the CPU is not being stressed at this resolution, allowing the GPU to run at its maximum potential. Moving to Medium, the average FPS drops to 124, with a minimum of 106 and a maximum of 143, showing a stable frame delivery. The High preset brings the average down to 93 FPS, which is still very smooth for a city builder. The Ultra preset yields 63 FPS, which is playable but shows a significant drop from High, suggesting that Ultra settings are particularly demanding on the GPU.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. The Low preset delivers 103 FPS, which is still excellent for 1440p gaming. The Medium preset averages 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 91, indicating a consistent experience. The High preset drops to 59 FPS, which is on the edge of what many consider to be a smooth frame rate for a simulation game. The Ultra preset falls to 40 FPS, which is playable but shows signs of strain. The data indicates that the GPU is now the limiting factor, as the CPU's performance advantage is masked by the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the performance is largely inadequate for a smooth experience. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 48, showing noticeable frame dips. The High preset drops to 31 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. The Ultra preset yields just 21 FPS, which is nearly unplayable. The steep decline from 1080p to 4K across all settings confirms that the Arc B570 is not designed for 4K gaming, especially in a game with complex scenes like Steamworld Build.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 93 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is also viable, but the 32% performance drop from High might not justify the visual improvements, especially since High is already well above the 60 FPS threshold. For players who prioritize frame rate, the Medium preset at 124 FPS provides a very smooth experience with minimal visual compromise.

For 1440p, the High preset at 59 FPS is the recommended choice, as it stays just under the 60 FPS mark, providing a mostly smooth experience. The Medium preset at 79 FPS is a safer bet for those who want to avoid any frame dips, as it offers a higher average with a minimum of 67 FPS. The Ultra preset at 40 FPS is not recommended, as the performance hit is substantial, and the visual gains are likely not worth the reduction in smoothness.

For 4K, the data suggests that the Low preset at 55 FPS is the only playable option, but even that is borderline. The Medium preset at 42 FPS is playable for a slow-paced city builder, but the minimum FPS of 35 indicates potential stuttering during complex scenes. The High and Ultra presets at 31 and 21 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a playable experience. The data strongly suggests that 4K gaming is not a realistic goal for this combo, and players should either lower the resolution or accept significant visual compromises.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, with the High preset delivering 93 FPS and the Low preset hitting 162 FPS. At 2560x1440, the High preset drops to 59 FPS, and at 3840x2160, the High preset is only 31 FPS, making 1080p the most viable resolution for a smooth experience.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 162 at 1080p to 55 at 4K, a 66% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 93 to 31 FPS, also a 66.7% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using?

A: At 1080p, Ultra delivers 63 FPS, which is playable, but it is 32% slower than High at 93 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 40 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 21 FPS. The data suggests that High is the better choice, as it offers a significant performance advantage with likely minimal visual differences.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20,534 (0.1% faster), and the Intel Arc A750 scores 20,582 (0.1% slower). This places the B570 in a similar performance tier to those cards.

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

A: At 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU is able to produce high frame rates. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops. The CPU's 92nd percentile ranking suggests it is more than adequate for this game.

Q: What are the 4K performance expectations?

A: The data shows that 4K is not a viable option for this combo. Even at Low settings, the average FPS is only 55, and at Medium, it drops to 42 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS. For a smooth experience, players should stick to 1080p or 1440p with lower presets.