Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build presents an interesting case for the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination. The measured data shows a wide performance envelope, with average frame rates ranging from 296.9 FPS at 1080p Low to 36.1 FPS at 4K Ultra. The benchmark results indicate that this hardware pairing is capable of delivering smooth gameplay across most settings, but the highest visual fidelity at 4K will push the system to its limits. The combo ranks 503rd out of 1730 tested configurations for this game, placing it in the upper third of all systems.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the standout choice. The data shows an average of 110.9 FPS at this setting, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. This represents a 36.1 FPS improvement over the Ultra preset at the same resolution, which drops to 74.8 FPS. The jump from Medium to High at 1440p is modest, from 144.2 FPS to 110.9 FPS, but the visual quality gains typically justify the performance cost in a city builder where detail matters.

At 1920x1080, High settings deliver 171.6 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for any display. The Ultra preset at 1080p still achieves 114.9 FPS, making it a viable option for players who prioritize maximum graphical fidelity. The data suggests that 1080p Ultra is the sweet spot for this resolution, as it maintains a high frame rate while providing the full visual experience.

For 4K gaming, the situation is more constrained. The High preset at 3840x2160 produces 56 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced scenarios. The Medium preset at 4K offers a better balance at 77.7 FPS, representing a significant improvement over High. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 36.1 FPS, which is generally considered too low for comfortable gameplay. The Low preset at 4K achieves 101.1 FPS, but this sacrifices too much visual quality for most players. The recommendation is to use Medium at 4K if visual fidelity is paramount, or High if the player can tolerate slightly lower frame rates. The Low preset at 4K is only advisable for competitive play where frame rate is the sole concern.

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700 has an average benchmark score of 40468, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H, 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365, and 1.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235T. The Intel Core i9-13905H is 0.6% ahead of the 7700.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 3080 and its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 35787, placing it in the 80th percentile of all GPUs. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro Duo and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon 880M. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE is 0.9% ahead, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile trails by 1%.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 110.9 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a substantial improvement over the 74.8 FPS at Ultra settings, representing a 32.5% performance increase while maintaining high visual quality.

Q: Is the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM sufficient for Steamworld Build at 4K?

A: The data shows playable frame rates at 4K with Medium settings (77.7 FPS) and High settings (56 FPS), indicating that the 10 GB GDDR6X memory is adequate for this game. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s is a key factor in maintaining these performance levels.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance affect the game?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700 achieves a single-thread score of 1049 in 3DMark and 4063 in PassMark. These scores place it in the 91st percentile overall, indicating strong single-core performance that benefits city builders with complex simulation logic.

Q: What is the performance scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The data shows a drop from 114.9 FPS at 1080p Ultra to 74.8 FPS at 1440p Ultra, and further to 36.1 FPS at 4K Ultra. This represents a 68.6% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 plays a critical role in Steamworld Build's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1188 MHz, with 19 Gbps effective speed. These specifications are well-suited for the game's rendering requirements, as evidenced by the measured frame rates.

The GPU's base clock of 1440 MHz and boost clock of 1710 MHz are typical for the Ampere architecture. The 8704 shading units and 272 TMUs handle the game's graphical workload efficiently. The 96 ROPs ensure adequate pixel throughput, with a pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s. The texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s provides ample fill rate for the game's detailed environments.

The RTX 3080's 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial for a city builder. The data shows that the GPU is not the bottleneck at 1080p, where the CPU's performance is more influential. However, at 4K resolution, the GPU's capabilities become the limiting factor. The transition from 56 FPS at 4K High to 36.1 FPS at 4K Ultra demonstrates the significant impact of increased graphical demands on the GPU.

The GPU's position in the 80th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35787, indicates solid overall performance. The nearest rivals show less than 1% difference in either direction, suggesting that the RTX 3080 is well-matched against its contemporaries. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407 provides additional context for the GPU's gaming capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across settings. The Low preset achieves 296.9 FPS average, which is exceptionally high. Medium settings produce 230.7 FPS, while High settings deliver 171.6 FPS. The Ultra preset still maintains 114.9 FPS, which is above the 100 FPS threshold considered excellent for most gaming scenarios. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent 20-25% reduction in frame rate at each step, indicating balanced scaling.

The 2560x1440 resolution shows a similar pattern but with lower absolute values. Low settings achieve 186.7 FPS, Medium delivers 144.2 FPS, High produces 110.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 74.8 FPS. The step from High to Ultra is the most significant, representing a 32.5% performance loss. This suggests that the Ultra preset at 1440p introduces effects that are particularly demanding on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more constrained. Low settings achieve 101.1 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium delivers 77.7 FPS, High produces 56 FPS, and Ultra drops to 36.1 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 21.7 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 19.9 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below the 40 FPS threshold, making it unsuitable for most players.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at each settings level shows a consistent reduction. Low settings drop from 296.9 to 186.7 FPS, a 37.1% decrease. Medium drops from 230.7 to 144.2 FPS, a 37.5% decrease. High drops from 171.6 to 110.9 FPS, a 35.4% decrease. Ultra drops from 114.9 to 74.8 FPS, a 34.9% decrease. The uniformity of these reductions indicates that the CPU and GPU are well-balanced at these resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear pattern of frame rate reduction as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the drop from 296.9 FPS at 1080p to 101.1 FPS at 4K represents a 66% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop from 230.7 to 77.7 FPS is a 66.3% reduction. High settings see a drop from 171.6 to 56 FPS, a 67.4% reduction. Ultra settings experience the most severe scaling, dropping from 114.9 to 36.1 FPS, a 68.6% reduction.

The consistent reduction of approximately two-thirds across all settings levels indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K. The RTX 3080's pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s are insufficient to maintain the same performance relative to the CPU at higher resolutions. The 4K resolution requires four times the pixel throughput of 1080p, which explains the dramatic scaling.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 170 FPS at High settings. The Ryzen 7 7700's strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 1049 3DMark single-thread score, allows the system to maintain high frame rates without being constrained by the GPU. The difference between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings (296.9 to 186.7 FPS) suggests that the CPU is still capable at 1440p, but the GPU begins to take on more of the workload.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly revealing. At High settings, the drop from 110.9 to 56 FPS represents a 49.5% reduction. This is a larger percentage drop than the 35.4% reduction seen from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings. This indicates that the transition to 4K places a disproportionate burden on the GPU, confirming that the RTX 3080 is the limiting component at this resolution. The data suggests that players seeking 4K performance should use the Medium preset, which maintains 77.7 FPS, rather than pushing to High or Ultra.