Steamworld Build

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three tested resolutions paint a clear picture: this combo is severely constrained by the graphics subsystem at every setting tier. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings drops the average from 55 FPS to 35 FPS, a 36% reduction. The jump to 3840x2160 at High settings further collapses performance to 18 FPS, representing a 67% loss from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a system where the GPU is the definitive bottleneck—the CPU has ample headroom, but the integrated graphics solution cannot sustain the pixel throughput demanded by higher resolutions.

The Low preset demonstrates the same trajectory, though from a higher starting point. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo produces 95 FPS, which is actually a playable figure. Dropping to 2560x1440 Low yields 61 FPS, a 36% decline that mirrors the High preset's scaling almost exactly. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 32 FPS, which is a 66% drop from the 1080p result. The consistency of these percentage losses across different quality settings strongly indicates that resolution, not graphical complexity, is the primary driver of performance degradation.

Medium settings provide the only complete dataset with minimum and maximum frame times included, offering additional insight. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS and maximum of 84 FPS. Stepping up to 2560x1440 Medium reduces the average to 46 FPS, with the frame window compressing to 39-53 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average falls to 25 FPS, with a minimum of 21 FPS and maximum of 28 FPS. The tight variance at 4K suggests the GPU is running at its absolute limit, with little fluctuation because every frame requires nearly the same maximum effort from the hardware.

Ultra settings are essentially unusable at any resolution for this configuration. The 1920x1080 Ultra result of 37 FPS is borderline, but 2560x1440 Ultra drops to 23 FPS and 3840x2160 Ultra falls to 12 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra shows a 38% reduction, while 1440p to 4K shows a 48% reduction. This suggests that at the highest quality settings, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even the pixel-count increase between 1440p and 4K causes a proportionally larger performance hit than at lower settings, where other factors might partially mask the GPU's limitations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for playable performance with this combo?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all four settings presets produce average frame rates above 30 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium settings exceed 30 FPS, while at 3840x2160, every preset falls below 35 FPS, with only Low achieving a 32 FPS average.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for Steamworld Build?

A: This combo ranks 2683 out of 2924 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems measured for this game. The ranking reflects the significant GPU limitation, as the CPU itself performs well above average in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The resolution scaling pattern strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The Intel Core i5-14400F scores 21645 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and sits at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Arc B370 only reaches the 5th percentile among GPUs with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 95 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 37 FPS. This represents a 61% performance reduction from the lowest to highest quality preset, showing that graphical settings have a substantial impact even at the least demanding resolution.

Q: Does the combo maintain consistent frame delivery at Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows Medium settings have the tightest frame pacing. At 1080p, the 73 FPS average comes with a 62-84 FPS range. At 1440p, the 46 FPS average spans 39-53 FPS. At 4K, the 25 FPS average spans 21-28 FPS, indicating relatively stable frame delivery despite low overall performance.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming at any setting?

A: No setting at 3840x2160 produces a consistently playable experience. Low settings average 32 FPS, Medium averages 25 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. Even the best 4K result falls below the 35 FPS threshold that would be considered minimally acceptable for a city builder.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2683 out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it near the bottom of the database. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the CPU's strong standalone performance—the i5-14400F sits at the 83rd percentile among all processors with an average benchmark score of 32279. The disparity between the CPU's percentile and the combo's poor in-game rank highlights the extent to which the GPU drags down the overall experience.

The GPU's standalone metrics explain this disconnect. The Intel Arc B370 ranks at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184 from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark database include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (scoring 1186, a 0.2% difference), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (scoring 1190, a 0.5% difference), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (scoring 1192, a 0.7% difference). These are all legacy or entry-level mobile parts from more than a decade ago, which contextualizes the Arc B370's position in the graphics hierarchy.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks further emphasize the mismatch. The i5-14400F scores within 0.5% of the Intel Core i9-11900, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS, all of which are capable mid-range to high-end processors. The gap between the CPU's competitive performance tier and the GPU's bottom-tier placement creates an extreme bottleneck that manifests directly in the measured frame rates.

In the context of Steamworld Build specifically, this combo's rank of 2683 out of 2924 means that approximately 8% of tested configurations perform worse, while 92% perform better. For a city builder genre that typically benefits from strong single-thread performance, the CPU delivers that requirement—its PassMark single-thread score is 3701—but the GPU simply cannot render the game's visuals fast enough to take advantage of the processing headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results across all settings. Low settings produce a 95 FPS average, which is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. Medium settings follow at 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84, showing solid frame delivery. High settings drop to 55 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 37 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a consistent degradation pattern, with each quality tier costing approximately 18-20 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance ceiling lowers considerably. Low settings achieve 61 FPS, which remains playable for a city builder. Medium settings average 46 FPS with a range of 39 to 53 FPS, maintaining playability with acceptable variance. High settings drop to 35 FPS, which is borderline for the genre but still functional. Ultra settings fall to 23 FPS, which would make managing a detailed city frustrating due to the sluggish responsiveness.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles across the board. Low settings produce a 32 FPS average, which is technically playable but noticeably below the smoothness threshold. Medium settings average 25 FPS with a minimum of 21 and maximum of 28, indicating that even the most favorable frames are below 30 FPS. High settings average 18 FPS, and Ultra settings average 12 FPS, both of which are effectively unplayable for a genre that requires frequent camera movement and building placement.

The Medium settings rows provide the only min/max data across all three resolutions, allowing for a more detailed analysis of frame consistency. At 1080p Medium, the 73 FPS average with a 62 FPS minimum shows that the combo rarely dips into uncomfortable territory. At 1440p Medium, the 46 FPS average with a 39 FPS minimum means the worst-case frame rate stays above 30 FPS. At 4K Medium, the 25 FPS average with a 21 FPS minimum means the system is consistently below playable thresholds, with no frames reaching 30 FPS.

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 operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with system-shared memory that has system-dependent bandwidth. The GPU features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 calculations and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16 with a 2:1 ratio.

The GPU's pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. These specifications place it firmly in the entry-level integrated graphics category, which is reflected in its 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 puts it in direct competition with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, both of which are legacy discrete GPUs from an earlier era of gaming.

The system-shared memory configuration means the GPU draws from the same memory pool as the CPU, with bandwidth described as system dependent. This creates a potential contention point in a game like Steamworld Build, where the CPU is actively managing city simulation data while the GPU needs to access the same memory for texture and geometry data. The 25 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm this is not a high-performance part, and the power connectors listed as none further reinforce its integrated nature.

The GPU's clock behavior across the measured results shows a pattern consistent with thermal or power limitations. As resolution increases, the frame rate drops disproportionately, suggesting the GPU cannot maintain its boost clock under sustained load. The 2400 MHz boost clock is rarely achievable in practice at 4K, where the 12 FPS Ultra result indicates the GPU is likely running at reduced clocks while struggling to fill the pixel pipeline.

Settings Recommendations

For users who prioritize a smooth experience over visual fidelity, 1920x1080 Low settings is the only configuration that provides a clearly comfortable frame rate, with a 95 FPS average that leaves substantial headroom for city growth and population increases. This preset is recommended for players who expect to build large, complex settlements that will add simulation overhead over time.

At 1920x1080 Medium, the 73 FPS average with a 62 FPS minimum provides an excellent balance between visual quality and performance. The 62 FPS minimum ensures that even during heavy simulation moments, the game remains fluid. This is the recommended preset for most users who can accept the moderate visual compromise of Medium settings in exchange for reliable frame delivery.

The High preset at 1920x1080 produces a 55 FPS average, which is acceptable for a city builder but leaves less margin for simulation-induced frame drops. Given that city builders typically experience performance degradation as the population grows and the map fills with structures, the 55 FPS baseline could easily dip below 40 FPS in late-game scenarios. This makes High settings a risky choice for long-term playthroughs.

At 2560x1440, only the Low preset with its 61 FPS average is recommended for consistent playability. Medium at this resolution averages 46 FPS, which is workable, but the 39 FPS minimum indicates that demanding scenes will approach uncomfortable territory. High and Ultra at 1440p are not recommended, as their 35 FPS and 23 FPS averages respectively fall below the threshold for smooth city management.

The 3840x2160 resolution is not recommended for this combo under any settings. Even the best 4K result—Low at 32 FPS—is below the 35 FPS threshold that would be considered minimally acceptable, and the 12 FPS Ultra result is effectively a slideshow. Users with 4K displays should either run the game in windowed mode at a lower resolution or accept that this configuration cannot deliver a playable 4K experience.

The data supports a clear hierarchy: 1080p Medium offers the best overall experience, balancing the 73 FPS average against the visual improvements over Low settings. For users who prioritize maximum smoothness, 1080p Low is the safe choice. Users who insist on 1440p should stick to Low settings, and 4K should be avoided entirely with this hardware combination.