Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build with an Intel Core i5-12400 and an Intel Arc B370 presents a very particular performance profile. The data shows this combination struggles significantly, especially at higher resolutions, making it critical to understand where the bottleneck lies before adjusting any settings. This analysis covers resolution scaling, optimal settings, the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU, and how this specific combo ranks among all tested hardware pairings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep and consistent performance cliff as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 55 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at High drops that average to 35 FPS, a substantial 36% reduction. At 3840x2160 on High, the average falls further to just 18 FPS, which is only about a third of the 1080p performance. This pattern is not unique to High settings; it repeats across all presets.

Looking at the Low preset, the scaling is even more dramatic in absolute terms. The combo achieves 95 FPS at 1080p Low, drops to 61 FPS at 1440p, and then plummets to 32 FPS at 4K. The jump from 1440p to 4K represents a 47% performance loss, which is a heavier hit than the 36% loss seen from 1080p to 1440p. This suggests that the rendering load at 4K is not just linearly scaling with pixel count; the game's demands at that resolution are outpacing what this hardware can deliver.

The Medium preset provides the only complete data set with minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 46 FPS, with the minimum falling to 39 and the maximum to 53. At 4K Medium, the average is 25 FPS, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 28. The minimum FPS values are particularly telling. At 4K, the minimum of 21 FPS is close to the average of 25, indicating that the frame time is consistently poor and there is little headroom; the experience is uniformly slow rather than stuttery.

The Ultra preset is essentially unplayable at higher resolutions. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 37 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 23 FPS. At 4K Ultra, it collapses to 12 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K on Ultra shows an 68% reduction in average FPS, which is the largest relative drop across all presets. This indicates that the most demanding settings place an overwhelming burden on the system, and the combination of resolution and graphical complexity is too much for the Intel Arc B370 to handle.

The data strongly suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU, an Intel Core i5-12400, is a 6-core, 12-thread part with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which is generally capable for a city builder. However, the GPU's performance characteristics, including its system-shared memory and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of just 1184, place it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. When the resolution increases, the pixel fill rate and shading demands on the GPU increase quadratically, and the Arc B370 simply does not have the throughput. The FPS drops are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario; if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less variation between 1080p and 4K, as the CPU load would be similar while the GPU load scales.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the choice of settings is a trade-off between visual fidelity and acceptable frame rates. The benchmark results provide a clear hierarchy of performance. For a playable experience, the Low preset is the only option that provides consistently high frame rates across common resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 95 FPS average is excellent and leaves ample headroom for dips as the city grows in complexity. At 1440p Low, the 61 FPS average is still respectable and playable for a city builder, though it is getting closer to the threshold where frame pacing becomes noticeable.

The Medium preset is a viable middle ground for 1080p. The 73 FPS average is solid, and the minimum of 62 FPS is still within a comfortable range. However, at 1440p, the Medium preset's 46 FPS average and 39 FPS minimum start to feel sluggish, particularly during camera pans or when many buildings are on screen. The data shows that 4K is not a realistic target for this hardware. Even on Low, the 32 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target most players prefer, and on Medium it drops to 25 FPS.

The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for any resolution above 1080p. At 1080p High, the 55 FPS average is acceptable, but it is only a 25% improvement over the Medium preset's 46 FPS at 1440p, while the resolution is significantly lower. The Ultra preset is strictly for static screenshots or slide shows. The 37 FPS at 1080p Ultra is on the edge of playability, but the 23 FPS at 1440p and 12 FPS at 4K are definitively not.

The practical recommendation is to use the Low preset for 1440p or 4K, or the Medium preset if you are targeting 1080p and want some visual improvements. The step from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 22 FPS (from 95 to 73), which is a 23% performance penalty. The step from Medium to High at 1080p costs another 18 FPS (from 73 to 55), a 25% penalty. The step from High to Ultra costs 18 FPS again (from 55 to 37), a 33% penalty. The increasing percentage cost per tier suggests that the visual returns diminish as you go higher, while the performance cost accelerates. For a smooth experience, the data points to Low as the safest choice, with Medium being acceptable only at 1080p.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear performance ceiling for this combo. Its specifications paint a picture of a low-power integrated graphics solution, not a discrete gaming card. It is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture on a 3 nm process, but it has a TDP of just 25 W and is classified as an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor). The memory is "System Shared," which means it uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a critical detail, as it means the GPU performance is dependent on system memory bandwidth and latency, which is rarely optimal for gaming.

The GPU's clock speeds are a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz. While the boost clock is relatively high, the core configuration is modest. It has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS. These numbers are extremely low for modern gaming. For context, the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals according to the data are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, delta -0.5%). These are legacy parts from over a decade ago, highlighting how far behind the curve the Arc B370 is.

The combination of system-shared memory and low raw compute power explains the measured FPS. At 4K, the GPU is likely overwhelmed by the sheer number of pixels it must render, leading to the 18 FPS average on High. The 12 FPS at 4K Ultra further confirms this, as the increased shading and texture work exceeds the GPU's capabilities. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component in this pairing. The CPU's benchmark scores are decent; for instance, its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 15989, which is in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. However, the GPU's 5th percentile ranking is the anchor that drags the entire system down. Even a powerful CPU cannot compensate for a GPU that is fundamentally unable to render the game at high resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for Steamworld Build with this hardware is 2683 out of 2924 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This is a very poor ranking, and it is consistent with the measured FPS data. The rank is a holistic metric that considers all tested hardware pairings, and a rank of 2683 indicates that there are 2682 other combinations that perform better in this game.

The data shows that this is not a case of a weak link in an otherwise good system; rather, the entire system is underpowered for the game's demands at higher resolutions. The CPU alone, as a component, has a 72nd percentile average score, which is above average. However, the GPU's 5th percentile ranking dominates the overall performance. The combo rank suggests that the system is only suitable for the lowest settings at low resolutions. The fact that it ranks below 91% of other combos is a strong indicator that users should temper their expectations significantly.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals provides some context on the processor's performance, but it does not change the overall picture. The Intel Core i5-12400's average benchmark score is 18683. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, has an average score of 18697, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the i5-12400 is essentially tied with it. The Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18730 (delta -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811 (delta -0.7%). These deltas are minuscule, indicating that the CPU's performance is solidly average. The problem is that the GPU is so far behind that no amount of CPU headroom can make up for it.

The ranking also implies that for a smooth experience, users would need to drastically lower their expectations. The measured FPS at 1080p High is 55, which is on the edge of what many consider acceptable. The combo rank of 2683 suggests that most other systems tested can achieve higher frame rates at similar settings. This is a system that is best suited for 1080p Low or Medium, and even then, it will not provide a high-refresh-rate experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a desktop processor from the Alder Lake-S architecture, released in January 2022 with a launch MSRP of $199. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It has 18 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In the context of Steamworld Build, a city builder genre that often involves significant simulation logic and AI pathfinding, the CPU's role is to manage the game's underlying simulation.

The CPU's benchmark scores suggest it is more than capable for this task. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 15989, and its single-core score is 2257. Its Geekbench multicore score is 8564. These are respectable numbers for a mid-range desktop part. The CPU's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 72, meaning it is better than 72% of all processors in the database. This indicates that the processor is not the bottleneck in most scenarios.

However, the data from the measured FPS suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor. For instance, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 95. This is a high frame rate that could potentially be limited by the CPU if the game's simulation logic is heavy. However, as the resolution increases to 1440p, the FPS drops to 61, and at 4K it drops to 32. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would not drop so dramatically with resolution, because the CPU's workload (simulation, game logic) would remain relatively constant regardless of resolution. The fact that FPS scales inversely with resolution is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck.

The CPU's boost clock of 4.40 GHz is capable of handling the game's single-threaded tasks, such as UI rendering and main game loop. Its 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for the multi-threaded aspects of a city builder, like pathfinding and resource management. The CPU's average benchmark score of 18683 places it near the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697) and Intel Core i7-1355U (18730), showing it is a competent performer. The data indicates that the CPU is doing its job; it is the GPU that is preventing the system from achieving higher frame rates. The CPU's headroom is wasted because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to utilize it.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware combination?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system provides consistently playable frame rates. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 95, and at 1080p Medium, it is 73. Higher resolutions result in significant performance drops, with 1440p High averaging 35 FPS and 4K High averaging just 18 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset usable at any resolution?

A: No. The data shows that the Ultra preset yields an average of 37 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. These frame rates are too low for a smooth gaming experience, especially in a city builder where you often need to pan around a large map.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the low frame rates?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor. The Intel Arc B370 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. In contrast, the Intel Core i5-12400 has a 72nd percentile ranking. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2683 out of 2924 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested for Steamworld Build. This is a very low ranking, indicating that the vast majority of other hardware combinations will perform better.

Q: What is the recommended settings preset for a balance of visuals and performance?

A: For 1080p, the Medium preset is a reasonable choice, offering a 73 FPS average with a minimum of 62 FPS. For 1440p, the Low preset is recommended, providing a 61 FPS average. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for any resolution above 1080p, as they result in average frame rates below 55 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU's system-shared memory affect performance?

A: Yes. The Intel Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system's main memory instead of dedicated VRAM. This can lead to higher latency and lower bandwidth compared to a discrete GPU, which is a contributing factor to its low performance. The GPU's memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," further indicating its performance is tied to the capabilities of the system's RAM.