Steamworld Build

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a highly constrained gaming experience in Steamworld Build, where the graphics processor consistently acts as the primary bottleneck. While the CPU provides substantial headroom, the Arc B370’s integrated-class performance limits frame rates to sub-60 territory in most configurations, with only the lowest settings at 1080p offering a playable experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Steamworld Build?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 95, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 60 FPS.

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

A: At 3840x2160, performance is severely limited. The average frame rates range from 12 FPS at Ultra settings to 32 FPS at Low settings, with Medium settings producing 25 FPS (min 21, max 28).

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X a strong CPU relative to other processors in the database?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 9 9900X sits in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 57,498. It performs within 1.4% of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M and within 0.1% of the AMD EPYC 9015.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking for Steamworld Build?

A: The combo ranks 2683rd out of 2924 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8.2% of all tested pairings for this game. This reflects the GPU’s weak standing rather than the CPU’s capability.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which places it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs. It is within 1.4% of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168) and within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192).

Q: What is the best playable configuration for this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 with Low settings provides the best experience, yielding 95 average FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 73 average FPS (min 62, max 84) and remains playable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a TDP of 120W on the AMD Socket AM5 platform. The processor features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth.

In synthetic CPU benchmarks, the 9900X demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance. It scores 32,172 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 22,174 in Geekbench multi-core. Single-thread performance is also robust, with 2,253 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3,010 in Geekbench single-core. The 3DMark results show scaling from 2,519 with 2 threads to 13,929 with max threads, indicating the processor can leverage its full 24-thread count effectively.

For Steamworld Build, a city builder genre game, the CPU’s 12 cores and 24 threads should theoretically provide ample processing power for simulation logic, pathfinding, and entity management. The data supports this notion: the CPU ranks in the 92nd percentile, and its nearest rivals include server-class processors like the AMD EPYC 9015 (0.1% slower) and AMD EPYC 7313 (0.2% faster). The processor also outpaces the Intel Core i9-14900 by 1.1% in average benchmark score.

However, the measured FPS data reveals that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p Low, where GPU load is minimal, the combo achieves 95 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to plateau regardless of resolution or settings. Instead, performance scales significantly with GPU load, suggesting the 9900X is waiting on the GPU in nearly all scenarios.

The single-thread performance is particularly relevant for city builders, which often rely on a single main simulation thread. The 9900X scores 1,286 in 3DMark single-thread and 4,672 in Passmark single-thread, indicating strong per-core capability. Yet even this advantage cannot compensate for the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions and settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 3 nm process. It features 1,280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation units, with 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts to 2400 MHz, delivering 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 48.00 GPixel/s pixel fill rate.

Memory is entirely system-shared, meaning the GPU draws from the main system DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This creates a dependency on the CPU’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, though actual performance is system-dependent. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which covers the API requirements for Steamworld Build.

The Arc B370’s benchmark presence is minimal, with only one recorded score: 1,184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This places it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, indicating extremely low performance relative to the broader GPU landscape. Its nearest rivals are legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% faster), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% faster), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (0.7% faster). The only tested GPU it beats is the AMD FirePro M2000, which is 1.4% slower.

The TDP of 25W and IGP slot width confirm this is an integrated solution, likely embedded within a mobile processor. This explains the performance ceiling observed in Steamworld Build. At 1080p Ultra, the GPU manages only 37 FPS, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 12 FPS. The scaling across settings at each resolution is steep: at 1080p, moving from Low (95 FPS) to Ultra (37 FPS) represents a 61% reduction in frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce 95 average FPS, which is the only configuration exceeding 60 FPS. Medium settings yield 73 average FPS with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84, providing a comfortable margin above playability thresholds. High settings drop to 55 average FPS, while Ultra falls to 37 average FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline: 95 → 73 → 55 → 37.

Moving to 2560x1440, the impact of the GPU’s limited throughput becomes more pronounced. Low settings achieve 61 average FPS, barely maintaining playability. Medium settings produce 46 average FPS (min 39, max 53), High settings drop to 35 average FPS, and Ultra falls to 23 average FPS. The step from Low to Medium at 1440p is a 25% reduction, while the step from High to Ultra is a 34% reduction.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes marginal. Low settings manage 32 average FPS, Medium produces 25 average FPS (min 21, max 28), High yields 18 average FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 12 average FPS. None of these configurations approach playable frame rates for a city builder, where smooth camera panning and zooming are essential for management tasks.

The minimum FPS data points, where available, show stability issues. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 62 FPS indicates occasional dips, though still above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 39 FPS suggests noticeable stuttering during intensive simulation moments. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 21 FPS confirms a slideshow-like experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2683rd out of 2924 tested combinations in Steamworld Build, placing it in the bottom 8.2% of the field. This ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU’s weak performance profile, as the CPU sits in the 92nd percentile. The discrepancy between CPU capability and GPU limitation creates a severely imbalanced pairing.

Within the context of the database, this rank means the combo is outperformed by 2682 other pairings, which include combinations with more capable discrete GPUs. The Arc B370’s 5th percentile GPU ranking (with an average benchmark score of 1,184) contrasts sharply with the 9900X’s 92nd percentile CPU ranking (57,498 average). This 87-percentage-point gap illustrates the extent of the bottleneck.

The nearest CPU rivals—the AMD EPYC 9015 (0.1% slower), AMD EPYC 7313 (0.2% faster), Intel Core i9-14900 (1.1% faster), and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (1.4% faster)—would likely produce nearly identical results when paired with the same GPU, since the GPU is the limiting factor. Similarly, the GPU’s nearest rivals (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M) would produce similar FPS numbers when paired with a high-end CPU.

The rank of 2683 suggests that for Steamworld Build, this combo is positioned at the lower end of playable hardware, suitable only for 1080p Low or Medium settings. The data implies that upgrading the GPU would yield significant improvements, while upgrading the CPU would provide negligible gains for this specific game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal setting depends on the user’s priority: maximum smoothness or visual quality within playable limits.

For the best overall experience, 1920x1080 with Medium settings is the recommended configuration. This preset delivers 73 average FPS with a minimum of 62, ensuring consistent frame delivery above the 60 FPS threshold. The visual improvement over Low settings is substantial, as Medium typically includes better textures and lighting effects in city builders.

If the user prioritizes maximum visual fidelity while maintaining playability, 1920x1080 with High settings offers 55 average FPS. This is below 60 FPS but remains playable for a strategy game where precise timing is less critical than in action genres. The 37 FPS at Ultra is not recommended, as the frame rate dips into ranges where camera movement becomes visibly choppy.

At 2560x1440, only Low settings (61 average FPS) provide a playable experience. Medium at 1440p drops to 46 average FPS with a minimum of 39, which may cause noticeable stuttering during population growth or resource management. Higher settings at 1440p are not advisable.

At 3840x2160, no settings provide a playable experience. Even Low settings at 32 average FPS fail to reach the 40 FPS threshold generally considered minimum for strategy games. Users with 4K displays should consider lowering the resolution to 1080p for this title.

The data suggests that the Medium preset at 1080p strikes the best balance between visual quality and performance, as it maintains a minimum FPS above 60 while offering improved visuals over Low. The High preset at 1080p could serve as an alternative for users willing to accept occasional dips below 60 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU’s dominance as the limiting component. At Low settings, performance drops from 95 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 32 FPS at 4K (a 66% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern is consistent with GPU-bound performance, where pixel throughput becomes the primary constraint.

At Medium settings, the progression is 73 FPS (1080p) → 46 FPS (1440p) → 25 FPS (4K). The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1080p to 4K it is 66%. High settings show 55 FPS (1080p) → 35 FPS (1440p) → 18 FPS (4K), with a 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 67% drop to 4K.

Ultra settings follow a similar pattern: 37 FPS (1080p) → 23 FPS (1440p) → 12 FPS (4K), representing a 38% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 68% reduction to 4K.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings—roughly 36-38% from 1080p to 1440p and 66-68% from 1080p to 4K—indicates that resolution scaling is uniform regardless of quality preset. This uniformity is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios, where the frame rate is determined by the number of pixels rendered rather than CPU simulation load.

If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see diminishing FPS differences between resolutions as the GPU load increases, or minimal scaling at higher settings. Instead, the consistent scaling suggests the Arc B370’s 6.144 TFLOPS of compute and system-shared memory are overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count. The integrated nature of the GPU, with no dedicated VRAM, likely exacerbates this issue as memory bandwidth contention increases at higher resolutions.

The data implies that for this combo, resolution is the primary determinant of playability, with 1080p being the only viable option for smooth gameplay. The GPU’s weak performance profile, evidenced by its 5th percentile ranking and 1,184 Steel Nomad score, limits the combo to entry-level gaming scenarios in Steamworld Build.