Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build with the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 presents a high-end pairing where the GPU is the dominant force across most configurations. The measured data shows a system capable of delivering playable framerates at 4K Ultra, while at 1080p and 1440p, the performance ceiling is exceptionally high, often exceeding the refresh rate of standard monitors. This analysis breaks down the specific roles of the CPU and GPU, optimal settings, and the scaling behavior observed across the tested presets and resolutions.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 4 architecture (Raphael). It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, features 32 MB of shared L3 cache, and supports DDR5 memory on the AMD Socket AM5 platform. In the context of Steamworld Build, a city builder that typically manages numerous entities and simulation calculations, the processor's multi-threaded capabilities are relevant. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21,765 points and single-core score of 3,072 points indicate a strong processor, and its PassMark multithread score of 25,645 further confirms its capability for handling complex workloads.

The benchmark results show that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 326 FPS. This high frame rate, even at lower graphical fidelity, suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution and setting. The data reveals a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the average FPS drops, which typically indicates the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck. However, the CPU's performance is still a critical component for maintaining high framerates in less GPU-intensive scenarios. For instance, the jump from 1080p Low (326 FPS) to 1080p Ultra (154 FPS) is substantial, but the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a PassMark single-thread score of 3,689, ensures that even at high settings, the processor can keep up with the game's logic and feeding data to the GPU.

The Ryzen 5 7400F's position in the market is solid. It ranks at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 32,750 places it in close competition with the Intel Core i5-14600T (32,707, 0.1% slower), the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (32,697, 0.2% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (32,812, 0.2% faster). This indicates that the 7400F is a well-balanced processor that is not likely to hold back a high-end GPU like the RTX 4080 in most gaming scenarios. The data suggests the CPU provides a robust foundation for the system, allowing the GPU's performance to scale as expected with resolution and settings changes.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a formidable graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture (AD103 chip). It comes with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2505 MHz. This substantial amount of VRAM and high bandwidth is more than sufficient for Steamworld Build, ensuring that texture loading and memory-intensive operations do not become a constraint even at 4K resolution with high settings. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 34,457 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,567 reflect its high compute capability.

The GPU's role is clearly the primary driver of performance differences across the tested settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 52, which is a significant decrease from the 77 FPS average at 4K High. This 32% reduction in performance from High to Ultra at 4K illustrates the immense graphical load that the Ultra preset imposes. Conversely, at 1080p, the RTX 4080 is so powerful that it is likely rendering frames as fast as the CPU can process them, resulting in very high average framerates across all settings, from 154 FPS at Ultra to 326 FPS at Low. The GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs is expected for a card of this tier, though its average benchmark score of 54,247 is remarkably close to its rivals, such as the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209, 0.1% slower) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698, 2.6% faster), which are all within a narrow performance band.

The data indicates that the RTX 4080 is the component that determines the experience at higher resolutions and settings. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a clear GPU bottleneck, as the FPS drops are more pronounced at higher resolutions. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 228 at 1080p to 145 at 1440p and finally to 77 at 4K. This is a classic pattern of GPU-bound performance, where the rendering resolution directly impacts the frame rate. The 16 GB of VRAM is a key asset here, as it prevents any potential stuttering or texture pop-in that could occur with lower memory capacities at 4K.

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

Analyzing the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and performance. For a standard 60 FPS target, 4K Ultra is achievable, with an average of 52 FPS, though this is below the 60 FPS threshold. For a smoother experience at 4K, the High preset is the better choice, delivering an average of 77 FPS, which comfortably exceeds 60 FPS and provides a significant improvement in smoothness over Ultra.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 98 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the High preset pushes this to 145 FPS, making it the ideal choice for 144Hz displays. For those with 240Hz monitors, the Medium preset, with an average of 194 FPS, would be the sweet spot. At 1080p, the data shows that even the Ultra preset achieves a high average of 154 FPS, which is suitable for most high-refresh-rate gaming. The Medium preset reaches 296 FPS, and Low reaches 326 FPS, making them suitable for competitive play or extremely high refresh rate displays.

The best overall experience, balancing visual quality and performance, appears to be the High preset across all resolutions. At 1080p, it provides an average of 228 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth; at 1440p, it hits 145 FPS, ideal for high-refresh monitors; and at 4K, it maintains 77 FPS, which is great for a cinematic, detailed experience on a 4K display. The Medium preset is a good alternative for users who want to push for higher framerates, especially at 1440p and 1080p, but the High preset offers the most balanced profile. The Low preset, while offering the highest FPS, significantly compromises visual quality and is not recommended for this high-end hardware combo.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Steamworld Build at 4K resolution?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 77 FPS at 4K with High settings and 52 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings, confirming that 4K gaming is viable with this combination.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 is the most suitable, as it delivers an average of 145 FPS, which perfectly aligns with a 144Hz refresh rate. The Medium preset offers a higher average of 194 FPS, but the High preset provides a better visual experience at the target frame rate.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F a bottleneck for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a significant bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches an average of 326 FPS, indicating the CPU can handle high frame rates. The performance scaling across resolutions points to the GPU as the primary limiting factor at higher settings.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between the Medium and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 296 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 154 FPS. This shows that the Ultra preset nearly halves the frame rate compared to Medium, reflecting a significant increase in graphical load.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 have enough VRAM for this game at high settings?

A: Yes, the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is more than sufficient. The benchmark results show no indication of performance degradation or memory-related issues at 4K with High settings, where the system averages 77 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7400F compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T?

A: The two processors are virtually identical in performance. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has an average benchmark score of 32,750, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600T's score of 32,707.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance scaling as resolution increases. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 228 at 1080p to 145 at 1440p and further to 77 at 4K. This represents a 36% performance drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. Similarly, at Low settings, the average FPS falls from 326 at 1080p to 253 at 1440p and 134 at 4K. This scaling behavior is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound workload.

The fact that performance decreases so significantly with resolution, even at the lowest settings, strongly suggests that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the limiting component in this system for Steamworld Build. If the CPU were the primary bottleneck, we would expect to see more consistent framerates across different resolutions, particularly at lower settings where the GPU load is reduced. The data shows the opposite: the frame rate is highly sensitive to resolution changes, which is a hallmark of GPU limitation. The Ryzen 5 7400F provides enough processing power to feed the GPU at 1080p, but as the rendering resolution increases, the GPU's workload expands, and its performance becomes the primary constraint. This is a healthy balance for a gaming system, as it means the CPU is not wasting potential performance, and the GPU is being fully utilized at higher resolutions.

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

The following is a detailed breakdown of the average FPS measured for each resolution and settings combination:

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest framerates.

• With Low settings, the average FPS is 326.
• With Medium settings, the average FPS is 296, with a minimum of 252 and a maximum of 340 FPS.
• With High settings, the average FPS is 228.
• With Ultra settings, the average FPS is 154.

At 2560x1440, performance remains very high.

• With Low settings, the average FPS is 253.
• With Medium settings, the average FPS is 194, with a minimum of 165 and a maximum of 223 FPS.
• With High settings, the average FPS is 145.
• With Ultra settings, the average FPS is 98.

At 3840x2160, the resolution demands are significantly higher.

• With Low settings, the average FPS is 134.
• With Medium settings, the average FPS is 102, with a minimum of 87 and a maximum of 118 FPS.
• With High settings, the average FPS is 77.
• With Ultra settings, the average FPS is 52.

This data shows a consistent hierarchy, with FPS decreasing as both resolution and graphical settings increase. The Medium settings are the only ones with min and max FPS data, providing a small insight into frame time consistency, showing a 31 FPS spread at 1080p, a 58 FPS spread at 1440p, and a 31 FPS spread at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 holds a rank of 273 out of 3,706 tested combos in Steamworld Build. This places the system in the top 7.4% of all configurations tested for this game. This high ranking is consistent with the hardware's capabilities. The RTX 4080's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs and the Ryzen 5 7400F's 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicate that this is a top-tier pairing.

The rank suggests that this combination outperforms the vast majority of other systems used to benchmark this game. While there are many other combinations that achieve higher ranks, they would likely consist of even more powerful, and often more expensive, components. This specific pairing of a high-end GPU with a strong mid-range to high-end CPU provides an excellent balance, resulting in a high overall rank that reflects its ability to deliver high framerates at demanding settings, as seen in the measured data. The combination's position in the rankings reinforces that this is a very capable system for playing Steamworld Build at high resolutions and settings without compromise.