Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder where the flow of traffic, resource chains, and population density matters more than raw physics, and the benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 shows a pairing that shifts its bottleneck character significantly depending on how you configure the graphics. At 1080p, this combo is clearly CPU-limited at lower settings, but as you push resolution and detail, the GPU takes over. The data shows a system that can handle high refresh rate 1080p and smooth 1440p, but 4K requires careful settings management to stay playable.

Resolution Scaling

The most telling metric in this dataset is the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at the same settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 255 FPS at 1920x1080 to 162 FPS at 2560x1440, and then plummets to 86 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 66% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being pushed hard by the sheer pixel count. The fact that 1080p Low yields 255 FPS suggests the CPU is not the primary limiter at that point; the RTX 3070 is still capable of feeding frames well past typical monitor refresh rates.

Moving to High settings, the scaling is steeper. The average drops from 146 FPS at 1080p to 93 FPS at 1440p, and then down to 49 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K here is a 47% reduction, which is substantial but not as severe as the Low setting drop. This indicates that at High settings, the GPU is becoming the dominant constraint at 4K, but at 1080p, the CPU is likely holding the frame rate back from what the GPU could theoretically deliver. The 1080p High result of 146 FPS is far below the 255 FPS Low result, showing that the game's geometry and texture work at High settings is starting to engage the GPU more heavily.

The Ultra settings tell a clearer story about the GPU's limits. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 99 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 63 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 33 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 36% drop, and from 1440p to 4K is a 48% drop. This pattern suggests that at Ultra settings, the RTX 3070 is the primary limiting component across all resolutions, as the workload is heavily skewed toward pixel fill and shader complexity. The 33 FPS at 4K Ultra is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a city builder, where camera panning and zooming need to be fluid.

What this data says about the limiting component is that the Ryzen 5 7500F is more than sufficient for this game at all tested settings. The 1080p Low result of 255 FPS shows that the CPU can drive the GPU to maximum output, but the 1080p High result of 146 FPS suggests that even at 1080p, the GPU is starting to become the bottleneck as settings increase. The 4K results make it clear that the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM and compute capabilities are what you are fighting against, not the CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip, and it features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed. These specifications directly relate to the measured results in Steamworld Build. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at 4K, where texture and buffer demands can easily exceed that amount, leading to potential stuttering or asset swapping that is not captured in average FPS but would affect the minimum frame times.

The GPU's clock speeds are 1500 MHz base and 1725 MHz boost. The boost clock behavior is what determines sustained performance, and the data shows that the GPU is able to maintain a high enough clock to deliver 49 FPS at 4K High. With 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, the RTX 3070 has enough raw compute to handle the game's rendering, but the 4K Ultra result of 33 FPS indicates that the shader workload at that setting is simply too heavy for this chip.

The FP32 performance of 20.31 TFLOPS is what drives the pixel and vertex processing. The fact that the 4K Medium result is 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 76 FPS shows that the GPU can hold a playable frame rate if you dial back the detail. The pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s are the theoretical limits, and the game's performance is clearly below those, meaning the bottleneck is not memory bandwidth or fill rate alone, but rather the combination of shader complexity and VRAM capacity at higher settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, based on the Zen 4 architecture (Raphael). It runs at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The data from the benchmark results indicates that this CPU is rarely the limiting factor in Steamworld Build. The single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by the 3dmark_single_thread score of 974 and the cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 3218. City builders often have a single main game thread that handles simulation logic, so this single-core strength is crucial.

The multi-threaded performance is also solid, with a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 22799. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache helps with the game's asset streaming and pathfinding calculations. The 1080p Low result of 255 FPS is a direct indicator that the CPU is not the bottleneck at that setting, as it is feeding the GPU enough frames to reach that high number. However, the delta between 1080p Low (255 FPS) and 1080p High (146 FPS) shows that when the GPU workload increases, the CPU has plenty of headroom.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database, the Ryzen 5 7500F sits very close to the Intel Core i7-11850H, with a delta of 0.1% against an average score of 24935. It is also just -0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F (average score 25005) and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H (average score 24911). This means that the 7500F is in a dead heat with those parts, and any performance differences in Steamworld Build would be negligible. The CPU's 65W TDP and 5 nm process node mean it runs efficiently, but that does not directly translate to game FPS; rather, it ensures consistent boost clocks under sustained load.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide spread of performance. Low settings deliver an average of 255 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suggests that the RTX 3070 is not being fully utilized at this setting. Medium settings average 196 FPS with a minimum of 166 FPS and maximum of 225 FPS, indicating a smooth experience with no dips below 144 Hz. High settings average 146 FPS, which is still very smooth for a city builder, and Ultra settings average 99 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 23% reduction, from Medium to High is a 26% reduction, and from High to Ultra is a 32% reduction. This shows that each settings tier adds a significant GPU load, but even at Ultra, the frame rate is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance is still strong but begins to show the GPU's limits. Low settings average 162 FPS, which is still high, but the drop from 1080p Low (255 FPS) is 36%. Medium settings average 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS and maximum of 143 FPS, which is a very playable range. High settings average 93 FPS, and Ultra settings average 63 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result of 63 FPS is right at the edge of what is comfortable, and the minimum FPS for Medium (106) suggests that there is some frame time variance, but not enough to cause stutter.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals the hard limits of this combo. Low settings average 86 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a title where you might want smooth camera movement. Medium settings average 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 76 FPS, meaning you will see dips below 60 FPS in busy scenes. High settings average 49 FPS, which is on the edge of playability, and Ultra settings average 33 FPS, which is not smooth enough for a city builder where you are constantly panning around your construction. The Low to Medium step at 4K is a 23% reduction, Medium to High is a 26% reduction, and High to Ultra is a 33% reduction, showing that the GPU is heavily taxed at every tier.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Ryzen 5 7500F and RTX 3070 ranks 1566 out of 3706 tested combos in Steamworld Build. This places it in the top 42% of all systems tested, which is a solid result but not exceptional. The percentile ranking of the individual components supports this: the CPU is in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. The combo rank being lower than the CPU percentile suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing for this specific game.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which has an average score of 17083 and a delta of 0.7% against the RTX 3070's 17208 average. This means the RTX 3070 is only 0.7% faster than the RX 7600 XT, making them essentially equivalent. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 is also close, with a delta of 1% and an average score of 17037, which is a surprise given its age, but the data shows the GTX 690 is within 1% of the RTX 3070 in raw benchmark score. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M is another close rival at 1.1% delta, though that is likely a quirk of the benchmark database rather than a real-world comparison.

Given that the combo rank is 1566 out of 3706, this system is not a top-tier performer for Steamworld Build, but it is far from the bottom. The data suggests that this is a mid-range to upper-mid-range system for this game, capable of high refresh rate 1080p and smooth 1440p, but struggling at 4K unless you lower settings to Medium or Low.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this combo?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 at Medium settings gives an average of 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS, which is a good balance. At 1920x1080, you can run Ultra at 99 FPS, but 1440p High at 93 FPS is also a strong option.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Steamworld Build?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Medium, the average is 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS, which is playable. At 4K High, the average drops to 49 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 33 FPS, which is not smooth.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this GPU in this game?

A: No. The 1080p Low result of 255 FPS shows that the CPU can push the GPU to its limits. The CPU's single-thread benchmark score of 974 (3dmark) and 3218 (cinebench r23) is sufficient for the game's simulation logic.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its closest rival, the RX 7600 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 7600 XT's 17083. They are effectively tied in performance.

Q: What settings should I use for a 144 Hz monitor?

A: At 1080p, you can use High settings for 146 FPS or Medium for 196 FPS. At 1440p, you would need to use Low settings for 162 FPS or Medium for 124 FPS to stay above 120 FPS.

Q: Why is the 4K Ultra frame rate so low compared to 1080p Low?

A: The 4K Ultra result of 33 FPS is 87% lower than the 1080p Low result of 255 FPS. This is because the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 20.31 TFLOPS of compute are overwhelmed by the pixel count and shader complexity at 4K Ultra, whereas at 1080p Low, the workload is minimal.