Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build places this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B390 in a challenging position. The processor is a high-end desktop part, while the graphics solution is an integrated unit with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score that places it in the bottom percentiles of the database. Benchmark results show a system that can handle the game at lower resolutions and settings, but one that is severely constrained by graphics throughput as resolution and quality demands increase.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and can boost up to 5.30 GHz. The processor has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5. These specifications place the CPU in the 90th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 48618.

In synthetic workloads, the chip demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability. For example, it scores 24491 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 13709 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Single-thread performance is also solid, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2491 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064. PassMark results show a multithread score of 38682 and a single-thread score of 4270. The nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (0.2% slower), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (0.7% slower), the AMD EPYC 4345P (0.3% faster), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (0.8% faster). These deltas are minimal, indicating the i5-14600K sits at a performance plateau shared by several other modern CPUs.

For a city builder like Steamworld Build, the CPU is often responsible for simulation logic, pathfinding, and entity management. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 106 FPS average. This is the highest result across all tested configurations. The fact that this score is achieved with a modest integrated GPU suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower settings. The processor has enough headroom in both single-thread and multi-thread workloads to feed the GPU adequately. The 14 cores and 20 threads provide substantial parallel processing capability, which can be beneficial when a city grows large and the simulation becomes more complex. However, the benchmark data does not isolate CPU load, so the exact degree of CPU involvement in the measured frames is not directly quantified.

The processor's TDP is 125 watts, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700. It has an integrated UHD Graphics 770, though the system under analysis uses the separate Intel Arc B390. The launch MSRP for the CPU is $319. The CPU's benchmark percentile versus all CPUs (90th) indicates it is a high-performing part, and its nearest rivals confirm this positioning. When the resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the FPS drops significantly, which is a typical sign that the graphics processor becomes the limiting factor. The CPU alone does not explain the low FPS at 4K Ultra (14 FPS average), as this processor would not typically struggle with the logical workload of a city builder at that resolution.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process. It is part of the Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) generation. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Memory is system shared, with the bus width and bandwidth also system dependent. The GPU features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units. It includes 12 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. Floating point performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1).

The GPU's only listed benchmark is a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This places the Arc B390 in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, meaning it outperforms only a small fraction of the database. The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1.5% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (2.7% slower). These are all legacy or low-end parts, which indicates the Arc B390 is positioned at the very bottom of the graphics performance spectrum. The average benchmark score is exactly the same as the single Steel Nomad result, 1482.

Given this low baseline, the measured FPS in Steamworld Build is predictable. At 1080p Low, the GPU can push 106 FPS, but this drops to 60 FPS at High settings and 41 FPS at Ultra. At 1440p, the Low setting yields 67 FPS, but High drops to 38 FPS, and Ultra falls to 26 FPS. At 4K, the situation is dire: Low gives 35 FPS, Medium gives 27 FPS, High gives 20 FPS, and Ultra gives 14 FPS. The GPU's memory being system shared means that performance is dependent on the host system's RAM bandwidth and capacity, which is a variable that this data does not directly measure. The TDP of the GPU is 80 watts, and it is classified as an IGP with no power connectors.

The gap between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the GPU's low percentile ranking is stark. This is a classic imbalance where the processor is several tiers above the graphics solution in capability. The measured FPS data reflects this, as the system cannot maintain playable frame rates at higher settings despite having a strong CPU. The GPU's low fill rate and compute throughput become the limiting factor as the rendering resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Steamworld Build?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 106, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next best is 81 FPS at 1080p Medium.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618. It is 0.2% faster than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, 0.7% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX, 0.3% slower than the AMD EPYC 4345P, and 0.8% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245.

Q: What is the 3DMark Steel Nomad score for the Intel Arc B390, and how does it rank?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX being the closest rival at 1.3% slower.

Q: Does the system achieve 60 FPS at 1440p in any settings?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 2560x1440 is 67 FPS at Low settings. At Medium settings, it drops to 51 FPS, and at High settings it is 38 FPS. No 1440p configuration reaches 60 FPS except the Low preset.

Q: What are the measured FPS values at 4K Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the system records an average FPS of 27, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31.

Q: How does the GPU's percentile rank compare to the CPU's percentile rank?

A: The GPU is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates a significant performance disparity between the two components.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo performs across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system starts at 106 FPS average on Low settings. Medium settings produce an average of 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93. High settings yield 60 FPS average. Ultra settings drop the average to 41 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 61% reduction in average FPS, moving from 106 to 41.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 67 FPS. Medium settings average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59. High settings average 38 FPS. Ultra settings average 26 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is from 106 to 67 FPS, a 37% decrease. The drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is from 41 to 26 FPS, a 37% decrease as well. The consistency of this percentage suggests a uniform scaling factor for the resolution change.

At 3840x2160, Low settings average 35 FPS. Medium settings average 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31. High settings average 20 FPS. Ultra settings average 14 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 60% reduction, similar to the 1080p scaling. The 4K Low result of 35 FPS is below the 1080p Low result of 106 FPS by 67%. The 4K Ultra result of 14 FPS is the lowest recorded value across all configurations. There are no minimum or maximum FPS values recorded for the Low, High, or Ultra presets at any resolution except for the Medium preset, which has complete data at all three resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2573 out of 2924 tested combinations for Steamworld Build. This places the pairing in the bottom 12% of all tested systems. The rank reflects the GPU's low performance ceiling, as the CPU is a high-end part. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor for this ranking, given that the CPU alone sits in the 90th percentile. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 for the GPU is in the 9th percentile, which aligns with the combo's overall low rank.

When considering the nearest rivals for the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710 all have similar benchmark scores. If those GPUs were paired with a similar CPU, the resulting combos would likely rank in the same region. The rank of 2573 suggests that a significant majority of tested systems, including those with more balanced mid-range components, outperform this pairing in Steamworld Build. The game's genre, city builder, typically benefits from a faster GPU for rendering, and the Arc B390's low pixel and texture rates (60.00 GPixel/s and 120.0 GTexel/s) hinder performance at higher resolutions.

The fact that the combo rank is in the bottom 12% despite the CPU being in the top 10% highlights the importance of GPU selection for this game. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064) cannot compensate for the GPU's low throughput. The measured FPS at 1080p High (60 FPS) is adequate for playable performance, but the ranking shows that this is not a competitive configuration compared to other tested systems.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data suggests that the only settings that provide a consistently smooth experience are at 1080p with Low or Medium presets. The 1080p Low preset achieves 106 FPS average, which is well above the threshold for a playable city builder. The 1080p Medium preset achieves 81 FPS average, with a minimum of 69 FPS. This minimum is still within a playable range, making Medium the highest quality preset that maintains a solid frame rate at 1080p. The 1080p High preset drops to 60 FPS average, which is exactly at the commonly accepted standard for smooth gameplay, but the lack of a recorded minimum value makes it harder to assess stability. The 1080p Ultra preset at 41 FPS average may feel less responsive, especially during busy city scenes.

At 1440p, the Low preset at 67 FPS average is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 51 FPS average may be acceptable for some players, but the minimum of 44 FPS indicates potential dips below 45 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 38 FPS and 26 FPS respectively are likely too low for a smooth experience. At 4K, none of the presets provide a playable frame rate. The Low preset at 35 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target, and the Ultra preset at 14 FPS is effectively unplayable.

Based on the data, the best experience is the 1080p Medium preset, as it offers a balance between visual quality and performance, with an average FPS of 81 and a minimum of 69. For players prioritizing frame rate, the 1080p Low preset at 106 FPS is the safest choice. Pushing to 1440p requires dropping to Low settings to maintain a playable frame rate, and 4K is not viable under any tested preset. The data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at 1080p Medium, and any increase in resolution or settings beyond that results in a significant FPS drop.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 106 at 1080p to 67 at 1440p to 35 at 4K. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the averages are 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 averages are 60 at 1080p, 38 at 1440p, and 20 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47%. At Ultra settings, the averages are 41 at 1080p, 26 at 1440p, and 14 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%, and from 1440p to 4K is 46%.

The consistent 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p across all settings indicates that the scaling is uniform, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would not scale so consistently with resolution, as the CPU workload would remain similar. The data strongly suggests that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component. The GPU's low shading unit count (1536) and texture mapping unit count (48) limit its ability to handle the increased pixel count at higher resolutions. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are insufficient for 1440p and 4K rendering in this game.

The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal. The Intel Core i5-14600K has ample headroom, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores and percentile rank. The 1080p Low result of 106 FPS shows that the CPU can drive a high frame rate when the GPU is not overloaded. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the sole bottleneck, and the FPS drops accordingly. The fact that the 4K Low preset (35 FPS) is lower than the 1080p Ultra preset (41 FPS) reinforces this, as even the lowest quality preset at a high resolution taxes the GPU more than the highest quality preset at a low resolution. The conclusion from the data is clear: the GPU's performance ceiling is the primary factor limiting this combo in Steamworld Build, and the CPU has the capability to support a much faster graphics card if one were installed.