Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder released in late 2023, presents a unique challenge for the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B370 combination. The benchmark data indicates a pairing that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor, especially at higher resolutions and quality settings. The measured results show a configuration capable of smooth 1080p gameplay on lower presets, but one that struggles to maintain playable frame rates as demands increase, landing it near the bottom of the tested combo pool.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: According to the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates. At this resolution, the Low preset averages 95 FPS, Medium averages 73 FPS, and High averages 55 FPS, while 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 results drop significantly.

Q: Can this system handle the Ultra preset?

A: Benchmark results indicate that the Ultra preset is not viable for this combination. The average frame rates are 37 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K, all of which are below the threshold for a smooth experience in a city builder.

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

A: The Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292, placing it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, has a nearly identical score of 25284, showing a 0% performance delta. The Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D are 0.3% ahead, while the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H is 0.4% behind.

Q: What is the GPU's performance class relative to other hardware?

A: The Intel Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, indicating very low overall performance. Its average benchmark score of 1184 is comparable to legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which is 0.2% faster, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which is 0.5% faster.

Q: What is the limiting factor for performance in this game?

A: The data strongly suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rates drop dramatically when resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's high benchmark scores (e.g., 22604 in Cinebench R23 multicore) are not translating to high frame rates at 1440p or 4K, where the GPU's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is insufficient.

Q: What is the target frame rate for the Medium preset at 1080p?

A: The measured data shows an average of 73 FPS for the Medium preset at 1920x1080, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS. This indicates that the system can hold a stable 60+ FPS experience in this configuration.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. With a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, it provides substantial compute resources for simulation and logic-heavy genres like city builders. Its performance profile is robust, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22604 and a PassMark multithread score of 25032. The processor is in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, placing it in the upper-middle tier of desktop processors.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is to handle the simulation of the world, including population, resource management, and pathfinding. The benchmark results suggest that the 13400F is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p with the Low preset, the combo achieves 95 FPS, a figure that is likely limited by the graphics card rather than the processor. Even at the High preset, the 55 FPS average indicates the CPU can keep up with the demands of the game at that resolution.

The CPU's headroom becomes apparent when comparing its scores to its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS has a nearly identical average score of 25284, with a 0% delta, meaning the 13400F and this laptop-class chip are statistically tied in synthetic benchmarks. The Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D are only 0.3% faster, a negligible difference in real-world gaming. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H is 0.4% slower. This grouping shows that the 13400F is in a competitive performance band, but none of these CPUs would be the limiting factor at the frame rates observed in the 4K data. The CPU's power is effectively wasted at 4K, where the 18 FPS average on High settings is a clear indication of GPU starvation.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. The GPU's memory is system-shared, which means its bandwidth is system-dependent and a potential performance factor. With a FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS, the Arc B370 is a low-power part designed for basic graphics tasks, but its 5th percentile ranking against all GPUs indicates it is far from a gaming powerhouse.

The GPU's performance in Steamworld Build is the defining characteristic of this combo. At 1080p, it manages a playable 73 FPS on Medium settings, but this is the ceiling for a smooth experience. The 4K results are particularly telling: 32 FPS on Low, 25 FPS on Medium, 18 FPS on High, and a slideshow-like 12 FPS on Ultra. These numbers illustrate a steep performance cliff that is typical of a GPU that lacks sufficient fill rate and memory bandwidth for high-resolution rendering. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with a 0.5% higher score, are over a decade old, underscoring the Arc B370's position as an entry-level solution.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 provides a synthetic baseline for the GPU's capabilities. This score aligns with the in-game results, confirming that the Arc B370 is the primary performance limiter. While the CPU has a 65 W TDP and is a modern, capable desktop part, the GPU is a 25 W integrated component. The contrast in their performance classes is stark, and the measured FPS data shows that the GPU cannot handle the graphical load of Steamworld Build at higher settings, making it the definitive bottleneck in this system.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience for this combo is found at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration yields an average of 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS. This is the only settings/resolution combination that provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay during busy city-building scenes. The Low preset at 1080p offers a higher average of 95 FPS, but the visual compromise may not be necessary given the headroom at Medium.

The High preset at 1080p is also playable, with an average of 55 FPS, but it is closer to the edge of acceptability. For users prioritizing visual fidelity over a rock-solid frame rate, this is a viable option, but the Medium preset is the recommended choice for a balanced experience. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset drops to an average of 46 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a simulation game. The Low preset at 1440p is the only playable option at that resolution, offering 61 FPS, but it requires a significant reduction in visual quality.

All 4K presets are not recommended. The best 4K result is 32 FPS on Low, which is too low for a smooth experience, and the Ultra preset's 12 FPS average is unplayable. The data suggests that 1080p is the intended resolution for this hardware, and users should stick to the Medium preset for the best combination of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset, with its 37 FPS average at 1080p, should be avoided entirely due to the significant performance penalty it incurs.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for Steamworld Build, the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2683 out of 2924 tested combos. This places the pairing in the bottom 9 percent of all tested systems, a position that aligns with the GPU's low 5th percentile ranking. The rank is a reflection of the severe performance limitations imposed by the graphics solution, which prevents the system from competing with even mid-range gaming PCs.

The CPU's strong performance, with a 77th percentile ranking, does little to boost the combo's standing in this game. The rank is determined by the measured FPS, and the data shows that the GPU's weakness dominates the results. When compared to other combos in the database, this system is not competitive at higher resolutions. The 4K frame rates are among the lowest recorded, and the 1440p results are also below the average for most modern systems. This rank serves as a clear indicator that the Arc B370 is the primary factor holding back the otherwise capable Core i5-13400F. The combination is functional for 1080p gaming on lower presets, but its overall standing in the database reflects its status as a low-performance entry-level configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance across different settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average 95 FPS.
• Medium: Average 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS.
• High: Average 55 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 37 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly:

• Low: Average 61 FPS.
• Medium: Average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS.
• High: Average 35 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 23 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates:

• Low: Average 32 FPS.
• Medium: Average 25 FPS, with a minimum of 21 FPS and a maximum of 28 FPS.
• High: Average 18 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 12 FPS.

The data shows a clear pattern. At 1080p, the system can handle all presets, though Ultra is marginal. At 1440p, only the Low preset provides a consistently playable frame rate. At 4K, all presets result in sub-30 FPS averages, rendering the game effectively unplayable. The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data for all resolutions, showing a consistent frame time variance that scales with resolution. The jump from 1080p Medium (73 FPS) to 1440p Medium (46 FPS) is a 27 FPS drop, while the jump from 1440p Medium to 4K Medium (25 FPS) is a 21 FPS drop, illustrating the GPU's diminishing ability to handle pixel count.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck. At the Medium preset, the average frame rate drops from 73 FPS at 1080p to 46 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 37%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average drops further to 25 FPS, another 45.7% decrease. This near-linear scaling with pixel count is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The number of pixels increases by 2.25x from 1080p to 1440p, and by another 2.25x from 1440p to 4K. The frame rate drops are proportional, confirming that the Arc B370 is rendering every frame and the CPU is not a limiting factor.

The High preset shows a similar trend: 55 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36.4%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48.6%. The consistent percentage drops across different presets indicate that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be more consistent across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not scale with pixel count. The CPU's Cinebench R23 score of 22604 suggests it has ample processing power, but the GPU cannot translate that power into high-resolution frames. The 4K Low preset's 32 FPS, compared to the 1080p Low's 95 FPS, represents a 66.3% drop, further cementing the conclusion that the Intel Arc B370's limited capabilities are the system's defining weakness.