Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build places the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 combo in the 2977th position out of 3706 tested combinations, a ranking that places it in the lower third of the database. The data shows a system that is consistently playable at 1080p but struggles significantly as resolution increases, with the Arc B570's 10 GB memory and 160-bit bus becoming the primary constraint at higher pixel counts.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a dramatic performance drop when scaling from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 93 FPS at 1920x1080 to 59 FPS at 2560x1440, then plummets to 31 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 67% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering pipeline becomes progressively more GPU-bound as pixel count increases.

The Low settings preset shows an even steeper relative decline, starting at 162 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 103 FPS at 1440p, and finally reaching 55 FPS at 4K. The scaling factor from 1080p to 4K here is 34%, which suggests that while the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, the CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads still provide enough headroom to keep feeding the graphics card at lower resolutions.

Medium settings exhibit the most consistent scaling pattern, with 124 FPS at 1080p, 79 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K. The min FPS values at Medium settings (106 at 1080p, 67 at 1440p, 35 at 4K) show that frame pacing remains relatively stable even as average performance drops, which is important for a city builder where camera movement can cause stutter.

Ultra settings are the most demanding, with the combo managing only 63 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 30 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for acceptable gameplay, meaning this configuration is not viable for maximum quality at native 4K.

The resolution scaling pattern points to the Arc B570 as the bottleneck. With a 160-bit memory bus and 380 GB/s bandwidth, the GPU's memory subsystem becomes saturated at higher resolutions, particularly when texture quality increases. The 10 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the bandwidth limitation becomes apparent at 4K where the 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate cannot keep pace with the increased fill rate demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Steamworld Build?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the only resolution where all four settings presets remain playable. At 1080p, even Ultra settings maintain 63 FPS average, while Low reaches 162 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 40 FPS, and at 4K, High settings only manage 31 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in this game?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places it within 0.5% of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and AMD Radeon R9 M390X. It sits 0.1% behind the Intel Arc A750 and 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, indicating these GPUs should produce nearly identical frame rates in Steamworld Build.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 powerful enough for this game?

A: Yes, the CPU's benchmarks suggest it is not the limiting factor. The Core Ultra 5 225 scores 25891 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3655 in single-core, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. The 10-core, 10-thread configuration with a 4.90 GHz boost clock provides ample headroom for the simulation aspects of Steamworld Build.

Q: What settings preset provides the most balanced experience?

A: Medium settings at 1440p delivers 79 FPS average with 67 FPS minimums, offering a good balance between visual quality and performance. At 1080p, High settings at 93 FPS provides a strong experience, while Medium at 124 FPS offers more headroom for complex city layouts.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Only at Low settings, where it achieves 55 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 42 FPS, High falls to 31 FPS, and Ultra is unplayable at 21 FPS. The GPU's 10 GB VRAM and 160-bit bus cannot sustain high-quality textures at 4K resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank overall?

A: The combo ranks 2977th out of 3706 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 20% of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range position (65th percentile of all GPUs) combined with the CPU's strong performance (85th percentile), but the overall result is limited by the graphics card.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 plays the decisive role in Steamworld Build's performance, with its specifications directly explaining the measured frame rates. The GPU features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, clocked at a fixed 2500 MHz. This configuration produces 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance, which is modest by modern standards but sufficient for a city builder's rendering demands.

Memory bandwidth is the critical constraint. The 10 GB GDDR6 memory operates at 2375 MHz with a 160-bit bus, yielding 380 GB/s of bandwidth. This figure is low compared to the GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s. At 1080p, the bandwidth is adequate, but at 4K, the increased resolution requires substantially more data throughput, causing the frame rate to collapse from 93 to 31 FPS at High settings.

The GPU's 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, based on an average benchmark score of 20556, indicates it sits in the mid-range segment. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A750 (0.1% faster), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% slower), and the older NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (0.4% slower). This clustering suggests the Arc B570 delivers performance comparable to these established cards, but none are designed for 4K gaming at high quality.

The Xe2-HPG architecture with 18 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) provides modern feature support, but Steamworld Build's art style does not heavily utilize these capabilities. The 150 W TDP and PCIe 4.0 x8 interface are sufficient for this workload, with the dual-slot cooler and single 8-pin power connector indicating a mid-range thermal design.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's position at 2977 out of 3706 tested combinations places it in the 20th percentile, meaning roughly 80% of tested systems deliver better performance in Steamworld Build. This ranking is significantly lower than what the individual component benchmarks would suggest, indicating a mismatch between the CPU's capabilities and the GPU's limitations.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 demonstrates strong processing power with its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and single-core score of 3655, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2%), and Intel Core i9-12900T (-0.5%), showing it performs on par with these established processors.

The Arc B570's 65th percentile ranking is the limiting factor. With an average benchmark score of 20556, it trails the GPU performance needed for high-refresh-rate gaming at higher resolutions. The combination of a top-quartile CPU with a mid-range GPU creates a system that is CPU-bound at 1080p but GPU-bound at 1440p and 4K.

The 2977th ranking reflects this imbalance. For a city builder like Steamworld Build, which relies on CPU for simulation and GPU for rendering, the system performs adequately at 1080p but cannot maintain playable frame rates at 4K beyond Low settings. Users seeking better 4K performance would need to pair this CPU with a more powerful GPU, while those satisfied with 1080p gaming will find this combo serviceable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results across all settings. Low settings achieve 162 FPS average, providing excellent headroom for large cities with many entities. Medium settings reach 124 FPS with minimums of 106 FPS and maximums of 143 FPS, offering smooth gameplay with moderate visual enhancements. High settings maintain 93 FPS average, which is comfortable for the genre's typically slower pace. Ultra settings drop to 63 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold but with less margin for complex scenes.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down noticeably. Low settings produce 103 FPS average, which remains highly playable. Medium settings achieve 79 FPS with minimums of 67 FPS and maximums of 91 FPS, providing a smooth experience with good visual quality. High settings fall to 59 FPS, just below the 60 FPS target, meaning some users may notice slight stutter during heavy camera movement. Ultra settings drop to 40 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced interactions.

At 3840x2160, the results are significantly weaker. Low settings average 55 FPS, which is acceptable for casual play but lacks the smoothness of lower resolutions. Medium settings produce 42 FPS with minimums of 35 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold and approaching the edge of playability. High settings manage only 31 FPS, which is borderline for a city builder where precise camera control is important. Ultra settings are effectively unplayable at 21 FPS, with severe visual stutter and delayed responsiveness.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step from 1080p to 1440p to 4K reduces frame rates by roughly 35-40% at each settings level. This linear scaling indicates the GPU is the primary constraint, as the CPU's performance does not degrade with resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p users, the data suggests High settings (93 FPS) as the best balance between visual quality and performance. Medium settings (124 FPS) provide additional headroom for those who plan to build dense cities with many animated elements, while Ultra (63 FPS) is viable for users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate stability. Low settings (162 FPS) are unnecessary at this resolution given the high performance headroom.

At 1440p, Medium settings (79 FPS with 67 FPS minimums) offer the most consistent experience. The min FPS of 67 ensures smooth camera panning even in complex scenes, while the 79 FPS average provides comfortable gameplay. High settings (59 FPS) are borderline, falling just below 60 FPS, but may be acceptable for users who prefer better textures and shadows. Ultra (40 FPS) and Low (103 FPS) represent the extremes, with Ultra sacrificing too much frame rate for visual gains and Low not utilizing the available GPU headroom.

For 4K users, only Low settings (55 FPS) provide a playable experience. Medium (42 FPS) is borderline, with minimums dropping to 35 FPS, which can cause noticeable stutter during heavy simulation activity. High (31 FPS) and Ultra (21 FPS) are not recommended as they fall below the thresholds needed for responsive camera control and smooth building placement.

The overall recommendation from the measured data is to target 1080p with High or Medium settings for the best experience. This configuration maximizes the combo's strengths, leveraging the CPU's strong simulation performance while keeping the GPU within its comfortable operating range. Users with 1440p monitors should accept Medium settings as the practical ceiling, while 4K users should either lower expectations to Low settings or consider upgrading the GPU.