Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build places the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B390 combination in a challenging position. The measured data shows a component pairing where the integrated graphics solution is the decisive factor in playability. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results for this specific configuration, focusing on settings, component roles, and scaling behavior.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frames per second (FPS) data, the optimal experience for this combo is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which delivers an average of 106 FPS. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that approaches or exceeds the 60 FPS threshold that is generally considered smooth for a city builder. The 1080p Low preset provides a playable experience without the visual compromises of lower resolutions.

For users prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, the 1920x1080 Medium preset offers a balanced alternative. It produces an average of 81 FPS, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS target. The minimum FPS recorded for this settings combination is 69, indicating that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not drop below playable levels. The jump from Medium to High at this resolution is substantial, with the average falling to 60 FPS, which is borderline playable but leaves no headroom for complex city builds that will tax the CPU and GPU later in the game.

At 2560x1440, the data indicates that Low settings are the only viable option for a smooth experience, producing an average of 67 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution drops to 51 FPS average, with a minimum of 44 FPS, which will likely be noticeable during panning or when the simulation load increases. The High preset at 1440p falls to 38 FPS average, and Ultra is not recommended at this resolution, as it yields only 26 FPS.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets provide a playable experience. The best result is 35 FPS average on Low settings, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum FPS of 23, confirming that this resolution is not suitable for this hardware combination, regardless of settings. The Ultra preset at 4K is effectively unplayable at 14 FPS average.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.60 GHz and it boosts up to 4.40 GHz. This CPU is not the primary bottleneck in Steamworld Build for this combination, but its performance ceiling defines the upper limits of the simulation. The CPU's benchmark scores indicate it is a solid mid-range performer. In Cinebench R23, it achieves a multicore score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024, showing strong multi-threaded capability that is relevant for city builder simulation logic.

The CPU's percentile rank of 71 among all tested CPUs places it above the majority of processors, and its average benchmark score of 17177 is closely matched by its nearest rivals. The data shows the Intel Core i5-12450H is only 0.4% faster, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G is 0.6% faster. The AMD EPYC 7H12 is a mere 0.3% faster in these aggregated benchmarks. This indicates the i5-11400F is a well-balanced processor for its class.

For Steamworld Build specifically, the CPU's role is to manage the simulation of the city's population, resource flows, and worker logic. In the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The difference between 106 FPS at 1080p Low and 60 FPS at 1080p High suggests that the CPU can feed frames faster than the integrated GPU can render at higher settings. However, the CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s are sufficient to support the GPU's performance, as the GPU's memory is system-shared.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear limiting factor in this configuration. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its boost clock is 2500 MHz, and it has 1536 shading units. The GPU's performance, as measured by the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, yields a score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low ranking, indicating that its rasterization performance is below the vast majority of discrete graphics cards.

The nearest rivals to the Arc B390 in the benchmark database are all legacy, low-end NVIDIA parts. The GeForce GT 520MX is 1.3% faster, the GeForce 800M is 1.5% faster, and the GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5% faster. The GeForce GT 710 is 2.7% faster. This places the Arc B390 in the same performance tier as decade-old entry-level GPUs, which explains the low FPS figures in the game's more demanding presets.

The GPU's memory is "System Shared", meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a critical detail for Steamworld Build, as the game's texture loading and rendering will compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth. The GPU's pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, which are theoretical maximums. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's actual performance in this game is heavily strained at higher resolutions. The gap between 1080p and 4K performance is dramatic, confirming that the Arc B390's fill rate and shading power are insufficient for high-resolution rendering.

FAQ

Q: Why does the FPS drop so significantly between 1080p and 4K?

A: The FPS data shows a drop from 106 FPS average at 1080p Low to 35 FPS average at 4K Low, a reduction of approximately 67%. This is due to the Intel Arc B390's limited pixel throughput and fill rate, which must render many more pixels at 4K (3840x2160) than at 1080p (1920x1080). The GPU's 24 ROPs are insufficient for high-resolution output.

Q: What is the best way to get a smooth 60 FPS experience with this combo?

A: The measured data shows that only the 1920x1080 Low preset achieves an average FPS above 100, at 106 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset also provides a smooth experience at 81 FPS average. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 1080p Low or Medium are the only reliable options, as the 1440p Low preset averages 67 FPS and may dip below 60 in demanding scenes.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in Steamworld Build?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The Intel Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all low-end GPUs from over a decade ago. The CPU has a much higher percentile rank of 71, and its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 shows it has sufficient processing power to handle the game's simulation. The FPS scaling with resolution changes (e.g., 81 FPS at 1080p Medium to 51 FPS at 1440p Medium) is a classic sign of GPU limitation.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings in Steamworld Build?

A: No, the data shows that Ultra settings are not playable at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 41, which is below the 60 FPS target. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 26 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 14 FPS. The Arc B390 does not have the raw shading power to cope with the Ultra preset's increased effects and geometry load.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals in the database?

A: The GPU's performance is nearly identical to several legacy NVIDIA parts. The data shows it is 1.3% slower than the GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% slower than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% slower than the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% slower than the GeForce GT 710. This puts it firmly in the entry-level/low-end bracket for gaming performance.

Q: What is the playable resolution for this combo?

A: According to the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo can maintain an average FPS above 60 on any setting. Even at 2560x1440, only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS (67 FPS), which leaves little margin for error. Therefore, 1080p is the recommended resolution for this configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo is pronounced and clearly indicates a GPU-bound scenario. The average FPS data shows a steep decline as resolution increases, which is expected for a component with low fill rate. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 106 at 1080p, to 67 at 1440p, and finally to 35 at 4K. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 48% drop from 1440p to 4K.

The scaling is even more aggressive at higher settings. At Medium settings, the average FPS is 81 at 1080p, 51 at 1440p, and 27 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47%. At High settings, the average FPS is 60 at 1080p, 38 at 1440p, and 20 at 4K. This shows a consistent pattern where the GPU's performance capacity is exhausted quickly as the pixel count increases.

The data suggests that the limiting component is the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would not drop as dramatically with resolution. The fact that the FPS nearly halves from 1440p to 4K at all settings confirms that the Intel Arc B390's pixel processing capabilities are the primary constraint. The CPU has enough headroom to push more frames at lower resolutions, but the GPU cannot keep up with the rendering demands of higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 106 FPS. This is the best result in the dataset and provides a highly playable experience.
• Medium: Average 81 FPS, with a range of 69 to 93 FPS. This is a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target.
• High: Average 60 FPS. This is exactly at the target threshold, but leaves no room for slowdowns in complex scenes.
• Ultra: Average 41 FPS. This is below the playable threshold and not recommended.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 67 FPS. This is playable but with less headroom than the 1080p Low setting.
• Medium: Average 51 FPS, with a range of 44 to 59 FPS. This is below 60 FPS and will be noticeable during heavy simulation.
• High: Average 38 FPS. This is a significant drop and not ideal for gameplay.
• Ultra: Average 26 FPS. This is not a playable experience.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 35 FPS. This is below the playable threshold.
• Medium: Average 27 FPS, with a range of 23 to 31 FPS. This is not smooth.
• High: Average 20 FPS. This is a slideshow.
• Ultra: Average 14 FPS. This is unplayable.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2573 out of 2924 tested combos for Steamworld Build. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations tested. This low ranking is directly attributable to the GPU's performance ceiling. The CPU, with its 71st percentile rank, is not the primary cause of the poor ranking; rather, it is the Arc B390's 9th percentile GPU performance that drags the combo down.

The ranking indicates that the vast majority of other tested systems deliver better performance in this game. The combo is positioned in the lower quartile of all results, meaning that users with this hardware will have to compromise significantly on resolution and settings to achieve a playable frame rate. The data suggests that this pairing is not well-suited for Steamworld Build at higher visual quality, and the best experience is limited to the lowest settings at 1080p. The ranking reflects the GPU's inability to handle the game's rendering requirements, making it the definitive limiting factor in this benchmark.