Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build with the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B570 presents a classic mid-range pairing where the balance between CPU and GPU shifts dramatically depending on your target resolution. The data shows a system that can deliver smooth 60+ FPS experiences at mainstream resolutions, but which struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with maximum settings. This analysis breaks down exactly how this combo behaves, where its strengths lie, and which settings you should actually use.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 93 FPS at 1920x1080 to 59 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 31 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 36.6% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47.5% loss when stepping up to 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary bottleneck once you exceed 1080p, as the GPU simply cannot keep up with the pixel throughput demanded by higher resolutions.

The picture changes somewhat when you drop to Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system hits 162 FPS, which is a 74.2% improvement over High settings at the same resolution. At 1440p Low, it reaches 103 FPS, and at 4K Low, it still manages 55 FPS. The jump from 1080p Low to 1440p Low shows a 36.4% drop, while the drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low is 46.6%. This pattern is remarkably consistent, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are the limiting factors across all settings.

The most telling data point is the Ultra preset performance. At 4K Ultra, the system only averages 21 FPS, which is unplayable for a city builder that requires constant camera panning and zooming. At 1440p Ultra, it recovers to 40 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it reaches 63 FPS. The gap between 1080p Ultra and 1440p Ultra is 36.5%, while the gap between 1440p Ultra and 4K Ultra is 47.5%. This consistent scaling pattern across all settings confirms that the Arc B570's rendering pipeline is the dominant constraint, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark results show a solid multi-threaded performer, scoring 10,283 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 12,115 in PassMark multi-thread. Its single-thread performance is more modest, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,451 and a PassMark single-thread score of 2,541.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU in most scenarios. The fact that the frame rate scales almost linearly with resolution and settings indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 162 FPS, which is well within the CPU's capability to feed frames. The 3DMark scores for the CPU show a single-thread score of 688 and a max-threads score of 4,735, suggesting that while the CPU can handle the game's logic and simulation threads, it is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

The CPU's 65W TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for this game. The data shows that the CPU's performance percentile is 68% compared to all CPUs, placing it in the mid-range tier. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6756E, scores nearly identically with a 0.2% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.6% faster. This means the i5-10400F is firmly in the mid-pack for CPU performance, which is more than sufficient for a city builder that does not demand extreme single-thread performance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2,320 out of 2,924 total combos for Steamworld Build. This places it in the bottom 20.7% of all tested configurations. This low ranking is notable because it suggests that while the individual components are mid-range, their combination is not particularly well-suited for this specific game.

The GPU's benchmark scores help explain this ranking. The Arc B570 has a PassMark G3D score of 14,195 and a percentile ranking of 65% against all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20,534 with a 0.1% delta, and the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20,582 with a -0.1% delta. The fact that the Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20,556 includes compute tests, but its gaming performance in Steamworld Build is less impressive, suggests that the game may not be fully optimized for this GPU architecture.

The CPU's ranking is more favorable, with a percentile of 68% against all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 14,185. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6756E, is only 0.2% faster, while the AMD EPYC 7552 is 0.5% slower. However, the overall combo ranking of 2,320 out of 2,924 indicates that the GPU is dragging down the system's performance in this title, as the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows a wide range of performance depending on the preset. With Low settings, it averages 162 FPS, which is excellent for a city builder and provides a very smooth experience. Medium settings reduce this to 124 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS, indicating good frame consistency. High settings drop to 93 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 63 FPS. All of these are playable, but the jump from 93 FPS at High to 63 FPS at Ultra represents a 32.3% performance penalty for what is likely a modest visual improvement.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates become more constrained. Low settings average 103 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS, providing a playable experience with some headroom. High settings drop to 59 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, and Ultra settings fall to 40 FPS, which may be acceptable for a slower-paced game but is not ideal. The drop from 103 FPS at Low to 59 FPS at High represents a 42.7% performance loss.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 55 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Medium settings average 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS, which will be noticeable during busy scenes. High settings drop to 31 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 21 FPS, both of which are too low for a comfortable experience. The data clearly shows that 4K is only viable with Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is below the 60 FPS target most players prefer.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Steamworld Build at 60 FPS in 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 1920x1080, the system achieves 93 FPS at High settings, 124 FPS at Medium, and 162 FPS at Low. Even Ultra settings reach 63 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The benchmark data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rates scale almost linearly with resolution and settings, which suggests that the Intel Arc B570's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor, not the Intel Core i5-10400F's processing power.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: According to the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. It provides the highest frame rates across all settings, with even Ultra settings achieving 63 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium settings are comfortably playable, and at 3840x2160, only Low settings are viable.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750. It is 0.4% faster than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and 0.5% slower than the AMD Radeon R9 M390X.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system averages 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS. This provides a fluid experience for a city builder, with only occasional dips below 70 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming feasible with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 4K is only playable at Low settings, where the system averages 55 FPS. Medium settings drop to 42 FPS, and High and Ultra settings are not recommended as they fall to 31 FPS and 21 FPS respectively.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the clear recommendation. The system averages 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS, providing a very smooth experience with good visual fidelity. The jump from Medium to High costs 31 FPS (a 25% reduction) for what is likely a marginal visual improvement in a city builder. Ultra settings are not worth the performance penalty at this resolution, as the drop from 124 FPS to 63 FPS is severe.

If you prefer higher resolutions, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. The system averages 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, which is playable and reasonably smooth. High settings at 1440p drop to 59 FPS, which is borderline, and Ultra settings at 40 FPS are not recommended. For 4K, only Low settings are viable, with an average of 55 FPS. Medium settings at 4K drop to 42 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players, but the minimum of 35 FPS will be noticeable during heavy simulation moments.

The data suggests that for a city builder like Steamworld Build, where you are constantly zooming and panning, frame rate consistency is more important than absolute visual quality. The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best combination of smoothness and visual detail, while the Medium preset at 1440p provides a good balance for those with higher-resolution monitors. Avoid Ultra settings entirely, as the performance penalty is not justified by the visual gains in this title.