Steamworld Build

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a broad range of frame rates in Steamworld Build, scaling from extremely high 1080p performance down to a playable but less comfortable 4K experience. Data from the measured FPS table shows how the game responds to both resolution and preset changes, with the GPU acting as the primary scaling factor at higher resolutions while the CPU provides ample headroom at lower settings. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, the combo’s rank among tested systems, the roles of the GPU and CPU, and setting recommendations based on the measured rows.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which is typical for a GPU-bound title at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with Low settings, the average frame rate is 272 FPS, which drops to 198 FPS at 1440p and then to 104 FPS at 4K. That represents a 61.8% reduction from 1080p Low to 1440p Low, and a further 47.5% reduction from 1440p Low to 4K Low. The pattern holds across all presets, though the absolute numbers differ.

At High settings, the average FPS falls from 178 at 1080p to 113 at 1440p (a 36.5% drop), and then to 60 at 4K (a 46.9% drop from 1440p). The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 238 FPS at 1080p, 151 FPS at 1440p, and 80 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 120 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is steeper than from 1440p to 4K in relative terms for Low and High, but for Medium and Ultra the 1440p-to-4K drop is nearly identical in percentage terms.

This behavior indicates that the RTX 4070 is the limiting component as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high (even 120 FPS on Ultra) that the CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is unlikely to be the bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 5500’s boost clock of 4.20 GHz and Zen 3 architecture provide enough single-thread performance for the game’s simulation logic, while the GPU’s workload grows with each pixel. At 4K, the GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are being pushed hard, as evidenced by the 40 FPS average on Ultra. The data suggests that users targeting 4K should stick to Medium or Low presets, while 1080p and 1440p offer more flexibility.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 974 out of 3706 tested combinations in Steamworld Build, placing it in the 73.7th percentile of all combos tested for this game. That is a solid position, indicating that this pairing performs better than roughly three-quarters of the tested systems. The rank reflects the combined strength of the Ryzen 5 5500 and RTX 4070, though the GPU’s contribution is more significant at higher resolutions where the CPU has less impact.

The CPU’s overall percentile versus all CPUs is 73, with an average benchmark score of 19593. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (average score 19617, delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-12500 (19668, delta -0.4%), the Intel Core i7-10700F (19499, delta 0.5%), and the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19723, delta -0.7%). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the Ryzen 5 5500 is essentially on par with those CPUs in general benchmarks. The GPU, meanwhile, has a percentile of 81 versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628, delta 0.1%), AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, delta 0.4%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135, delta -1.3%), and AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37157, delta 1.3%). Again, the deltas are small, showing the RTX 4070 sits in a competitive band.

Given the combo’s rank, it is clear that the RTX 4070 boosts the system well above the CPU’s standalone percentile. The CPU alone might struggle in heavily threaded titles, but Steamworld Build appears to benefit more from GPU throughput, especially at 1440p and 4K. The 974th rank out of 3706 means there are many slower combos but also a significant number of faster ones, likely with higher-end GPUs or newer CPUs. For a city builder, this rank suggests the combo can handle the game comfortably at most settings, with only the most demanding 4K Ultra scenario falling below 60 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process node and features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. Its base clock is 1920 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz, and it has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s pixel rate is 158.4 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 455.4 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 29.15 TFLOPS. These specifications position it as a strong mid-to-high-end card, and the measured FPS data in Steamworld Build reflects that.

At 1080p, the GPU is rarely the limiting factor—even at Ultra, the average FPS is 120, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, the GPU begins to show its workload, with High settings at 113 FPS and Ultra at 76 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck: High drops to 60 FPS, Medium to 80 FPS, and Ultra to 40 FPS. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in this game, as even at 4K Ultra the frame rate is constrained by compute rather than memory capacity, though the bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s is likely being utilized heavily.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores are within 1.3% of its average score, which means the RTX 4070’s performance in Steamworld Build is consistent with its general standing. The fact that 4K Ultra yields only 40 FPS suggests that the game’s Ultra preset includes effects that heavily tax the GPU’s shading units and ray tracing capabilities (though the game’s specific use of RT is not detailed in the data). The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are present but likely not fully utilized in a city builder, which tends to be more rasterization-focused. Overall, the GPU is the dominant factor in this combo’s frame rates above 1080p, and users should expect to dial back settings at 4K to maintain smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 113 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform at 4K compared to 1080p?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 40, while at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, it is 120 FPS. This is a 66.7% reduction in average frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the frame rates are very high (e.g., 272 FPS on Low, 178 FPS on High), which suggests the GPU is not fully saturated and the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient. The RTX 4070’s performance at higher resolutions indicates it becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 129 FPS, with a maximum of 174 FPS and an average of 151 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combos in Steamworld Build?

A: The combo ranks 974 out of 3706 tested combinations, meaning it performs better than 73.7% of all tested systems.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GPU and CPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has a launch MSRP of 599 USD, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has a launch MSRP of $159.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers four resolutions and four settings presets, providing a complete picture of performance. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 272 on Low to 120 on Ultra. Specifically, Low averages 272 FPS, Medium averages 238 FPS (with a min of 202 and max of 274), High averages 178 FPS, and Ultra averages 120 FPS. These numbers show that even the most demanding preset at 1080p is playable on high refresh rate monitors, with the Medium preset offering a min of 202 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 198 FPS on Low, 151 FPS on Medium (min 129, max 174), 113 FPS on High, and 76 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p results indicate that this resolution is well within the GPU’s comfort zone, with all presets exceeding 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 76 FPS is still smooth for a city builder, though users with 144 Hz displays might prefer High or Medium.

At 3840x2160, the averages drop significantly: 104 FPS on Low, 80 FPS on Medium (min 68, max 92), 60 FPS on High, and 40 FPS on Ultra. The 4K High setting just hits the 60 FPS target, while Medium provides more headroom with a min of 68 FPS. Ultra at 40 FPS is below the standard 60 FPS threshold, making it less ideal for smooth gameplay unless the user prioritizes visual fidelity over frame rate. The data also shows that the min FPS for Medium at 4K is 68, which is still above 60, suggesting that even in demanding scenes, the combo maintains playable performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. It has 16 MB of L3 cache, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 64 KB of L1 cache per core, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it uses a PCIe Gen 3 interface. Its benchmark scores show a single-thread performance of 836 in 3DMark, 2319 in Cinebench R23, and 3058 in PassMark single-thread, while multi-thread scores include 5411 in 3DMark max threads, 16429 in Cinebench R23 multicore, and 19330 in PassMark multithread.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, simulation, and AI, which are common in city builders. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (272 FPS) and Medium (238 FPS) suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at these settings, as the frame rates are extremely high. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 120 FPS average indicates the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output. However, at higher resolutions, the CPU’s workload does not increase proportionally with pixel count, so its impact diminishes relative to the GPU.

The CPU’s nearest rivals all have average benchmark scores within 1% of the Ryzen 5 5500, meaning its performance is competitive with mid-range Intel and AMD offerings. The 73rd percentile versus all CPUs reflects that it is above average but not top-tier. For a game like Steamworld Build, which is unlikely to use more than 6 cores heavily, the Ryzen 5 5500 provides sufficient performance. The 16 MB L3 cache and Zen 3 architecture help with single-threaded tasks, as evidenced by the 3DMark single-thread score of 836. Overall, the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo; the GPU takes over that role at 1440p and especially 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset at 120 FPS is excellent, providing maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. For those with 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors, the High preset at 178 FPS or Medium at 238 FPS offers even higher frame rates, though the visual difference between High and Ultra may be minor in a city builder. The Low preset at 272 FPS is unnecessary unless chasing extreme frame rates.

At 1440p, the High preset at 113 FPS strikes a good balance between quality and performance, while Ultra at 76 FPS is still playable and offers the best visuals. For users who prioritize frame rate, Medium at 151 FPS is a strong choice, with a minimum of 129 FPS ensuring no noticeable dips. Low at 198 FPS is overkill for most displays but could be used for competitive play or if the user has a 240 Hz monitor.

At 4K, the choices are more constrained. The High preset at 60 FPS is just at the threshold of smoothness, making it a viable option for those with 60 Hz displays. Medium at 80 FPS provides more headroom and a minimum of 68 FPS, which is safer for maintaining smooth gameplay during heavy simulation moments. Low at 104 FPS is also a good option, though it sacrifices visual quality. Ultra at 40 FPS is not recommended for most users, as the frame rate is too low for a comfortable experience, especially in a game where camera movement and UI interaction are frequent. The data suggests that 4K users should stick to Medium or High, with Medium offering the best balance of frame rate and visual fidelity.