Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder that can be surprisingly demanding on hardware, especially when the simulation grows. The data for the Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B370 shows a combination that is heavily skewed towards CPU performance, leaving the integrated graphics as the clear bottleneck in almost every scenario. This analysis breaks down how this specific pairing behaves, where it stands relative to other tested configurations, and what settings you should realistically use.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second (FPS) data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 95 FPS, which is a very playable number for a city builder. However, this figure drops by roughly 36% to 61 FPS at 2560x1440, and then plummets to 32 FPS at 3840x2160. This indicates that while the CPU can feed frames at lower resolutions, the Intel Arc B370's rendering capabilities are quickly overwhelmed when pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when looking at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 55 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p, and finally to 18 at 4K. This is a reduction of over 67% from 1080p to 4K, demonstrating that the GPU is the limiting component. The data suggests that the Arc B370's integrated design, with its system-shared memory and limited 1280 shading units, simply cannot sustain fluid frame rates at high resolutions, regardless of the CPU's strength.

Looking at the Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS readings, we can see the strain more clearly. At 1080p Medium, the average is 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS. By 4K Medium, the average is just 25 FPS, with a minimum of 21 FPS. These numbers show that even the mid-range preset becomes borderline unplayable at 4K, as frame times become inconsistent and dips below 30 FPS are common. The Ultra preset is even harsher, with the average FPS falling to 37 at 1080p and a staggeringly low 12 FPS at 4K.

The takeaway from the scaling data is clear: this configuration is designed for 1080p gaming. The jump from 1080p to 1440p costs a significant chunk of performance, and 4K is effectively out of the question for smooth gameplay. The limiting factor is unequivocally the integrated GPU, which is not equipped to handle the fill-rate demands of higher resolutions in a simulation-heavy title like Steamworld Build.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for Steamworld Build, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2683 out of 2924 total combos. This places it in the bottom 10% of all tested configurations, which is a surprisingly low position given the high-end nature of the CPU. The ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance, as the combo is effectively held back by its weakest link.

This low rank is not a reflection of the processor itself, which sits in the 94th percentile when compared to all CPUs. Instead, it highlights the massive disparity between the two components. The Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread powerhouse with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, capable of handling massive simulations. However, the Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution that ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The pairing creates a massive imbalance, where the CPU is capable of far more than the GPU can render.

The benchmark data for the GPU shows an average score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, placing it in a performance tier alongside older discrete cards like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190 and is a mere 0.5% faster. This comparison underscores that the Arc B370 is not a modern gaming GPU in the traditional sense; it's an integrated part meant for basic tasks. Therefore, the combo's rank of 2683 is expected, as it's essentially a top-tier CPU paired with a bottom-tier graphics solution. For a game like Steamworld Build, where simulation speed is often aided by a strong CPU, the rank suggests that players will be able to manage complex cities, but only at the cost of visual fidelity and resolution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive factor in this combo's performance, and the data shows it is not suited for high-end gaming. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main RAM instead of dedicated VRAM. This architecture, combined with a 25 W TDP and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, results in a very limited performance envelope. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 20 render output units (ROPs), which are modest numbers for modern gaming. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, which are the metrics that directly impact resolution scaling.

The GPU's performance in standard benchmarks confirms its limitations. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is its only benchmark result, and it's used for comparison against rivals. The nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which is only 0.2% faster. This places the integrated graphics on par with graphics cards from over a decade ago. This is why the FPS numbers in Steamworld Build are so low; the GPU simply lacks the raw throughput to render the game at high resolutions or with complex graphical effects.

The fact that the GPU's boost clock is 2400 MHz is somewhat irrelevant when its memory bandwidth is "System Dependent." This means that the performance is also tied to the speed of the system's RAM and the memory controller, which can be a bottleneck in itself. The data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, the GPU is the limiting factor, as the 95 FPS average is likely the ceiling for this integrated part. In essence, the Arc B370 is a capable integrated solution for office work or video playback, but its architecture and shared memory design make it a poor match for a GPU-intensive title like Steamworld Build.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Steamworld Build with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides playable frame rates across all settings. At 1080p, even the High preset averages 55 FPS, while 1440p drops to 35 FPS and 4K falls to 18 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K resolution in Steamworld Build?

A: No. The measured 4K data shows average FPS of 32 on Low, 25 on Medium, 18 on High, and 12 on Ultra. These numbers are all below the threshold for smooth, playable gameplay, indicating that the GPU cannot handle the pixel workload at 4K.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. This is nearly identical to the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190 and is 0.5% faster. It also trails the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, which scores 1192 and is 0.7% faster.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the Intel Core i7-14700K ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The FPS drops significantly with resolution increases, a classic sign of GPU limitation.

Q: What is the expected FPS on High settings at 2560x1440?

A: The measured data for 1440p High settings shows an average FPS of 35. This is a playable, though not ideal, frame rate for a city builder, but it represents a significant performance hit compared to the 55 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: What is the minimum FPS on Medium settings at 1080p?

A: The data shows the 1080p Medium preset has an average FPS of 73, with a minimum FPS of 62. This indicates that the game will maintain a fairly stable frame rate at this setting, with less severe dips than at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Given the performance data, the optimal way to play Steamworld Build with this combo is to prioritize resolution over visual fidelity. The 1080p Medium preset is the clear sweet spot, offering an average of 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS. This provides a smooth and stable experience without the frame rate volatility seen at higher settings. The jump to High at 1080p drops the average to 55 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for the simulation-heavy moments that can cause stutters.

For players who want the highest visual quality possible, the 1080p High preset is a viable option, but it comes with a 25% performance cut compared to Medium. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as even at 1080p it only averages 37 FPS, which is too low for a game where you need to manage a growing city with many moving parts. Moving up to 1440p is only recommended if you are willing to use Low settings, which averages 61 FPS; however, this sacrifices visual quality for a marginal resolution gain.

At 4K, the data shows no viable settings. Even the Low preset only achieves 32 FPS, which is below the standard for acceptable smoothness. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum FPS of 21, which indicates significant stuttering and frame pacing issues. Therefore, the recommendation is to play at 1920x1080. Within that resolution, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality, while the High preset is acceptable for those who prefer better graphics over a higher frame rate buffer.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a beast of a processor, and while it is not the bottleneck in this pairing, its capabilities define the ceiling for what the system can do in simulation-heavy games. With 20 cores and 28 threads, it provides immense parallel processing power. Its performance in Cinebench R23 is particularly telling: a multi-core score of 33440.5 and a single-core score of 2160. These scores show that the CPU can handle complex AI, pathfinding, and resource management calculations that are the core of a city builder.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 69355 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. For instance, it is just 0.1% faster than the AMD EPYC 9115, which has an average score of 69288, and only 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which scores 69515. This shows that the i7-14700K is at the top of the performance hierarchy for consumer processors, meaning it will not be the reason for low frame rates in Steamworld Build.

The processor’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and its boost clock of 5.60 GHz also contribute to strong single-threaded performance, which is often more important for game logic than multi-core performance. However, the data shows that this CPU power is largely untapped in this specific configuration because the GPU cannot keep up. The FPS numbers do not improve with lower resolution at the same rate you would expect if the CPU were the limit; instead, they are capped by the GPU's render speed. In essence, the i7-14700K is overqualified for this build, and its performance headroom would only be realized if paired with a much more powerful discrete graphics card.