Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder that scales heavily with both CPU and GPU, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a set of measured results that are highly dependent on your resolution and quality targets. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is thoroughly playable at nearly every preset, 1440p holds up well at Medium and High, and 4K is only viable at lower settings. This combination ranks 1530 out of 2924 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database, which aligns with its strong 1080p performance but limited high-resolution headroom.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear guide for the best experience at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset produces an average of 87 FPS, which is smooth, but the Medium preset delivers a far more comfortable 172 FPS average with a minimum of 147 FPS. The data suggests that Medium at 1080p is the sweet spot for high refresh-rate monitors, as it provides more than double the frame rate of Ultra while still maintaining a solid minimum. High at 1080p sits between the two at 129 FPS, which is also excellent, but Medium offers a larger margin of safety against dips during heavy city-building scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It achieves an average of 110 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS, which is well within the range for a smooth experience on a 144Hz display. The High preset at 1440p drops to 82 FPS average, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for complex late-game cities. Ultra at 1440p falls to 55 FPS, which is borderline for a city builder that can have significant frame-time spikes as the simulation grows. Low at 1440p hits 143 FPS, but the visual quality loss is likely too steep for most users when Medium offers such a strong balance.

For 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset is the only option that provides a fully smooth experience, with an average of 76 FPS. Medium at 4K averages 58 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS, which is playable but may feel sluggish during intense simulation moments. High at 4K drops to 43 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for a comfortable experience in a genre that relies on reading small details and managing many units. The recommendation is straightforward: use Medium at 1080p and 1440p for the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, and only use Low at 4K if you need high frame rates. If you have a 4K display and can tolerate lower frame rates, Medium is the highest preset worth considering, but the data shows it is not ideal.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with a 4 nm process. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz and it boosts to 5.50 GHz. This CPU has a 65 W TDP and supports DDR5 memory on the AM5 socket. In the context of Steamworld Build, a city builder that relies heavily on simulation logic, the CPU's multi-threaded performance is critical. The PassMark multithread score is 36470, and the single-thread score is 4691. These numbers indicate a strong processor for handling the game's background calculations, such as resource management and pathfinding.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which scores 0.2% higher on average, and the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 0.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i7-14700K is 0.9% higher. These negligible deltas suggest that the 9700F is in the same performance class as these top-tier desktop and mobile processors. For Steamworld Build, this means the CPU is unlikely to be the primary bottleneck at 1080p and 1440p, where the measured FPS scales appropriately with GPU settings. The high single-thread score is particularly relevant for a genre where the main game loop often runs on a single or few threads, and the 5.50 GHz boost clock ensures responsive simulation ticks.

However, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at 4K, where the frame rates drop significantly. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset yields only 29 FPS, which is lower than what the GPU might deliver in less CPU-intensive titles. This suggests that the simulation load, combined with the GPU's limitations, creates a scenario where the CPU's strong multi-threading cannot fully compensate for the increased rendering pressure. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s help feed the cores, but the data does not indicate that the CPU is the sole limiting factor. In practical terms, the 9700F provides ample processing headroom for Steamworld Build at all but the most extreme settings, and its performance is well-matched to the RTX 4060 for this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is an Ada Lovelace architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2460 MHz, and it has a TDP of 115 W. The GPU's 3072 shading units and 48 ROPs are responsible for the rasterization performance that Steamworld Build requires. In the benchmark database, the RTX 4060 has a PassMark G3D score of 19545, which places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are notably older or integrated parts: the AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 0.2% higher, the AMD Radeon 780M scores 0.3% lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 0.5% lower. These comparisons highlight that the RTX 4060's raw compute is comparable to a much older discrete GPU, but its modern features and driver support are what make it viable for current games.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU's role is primarily about resolution scaling and texture memory. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's art style at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the measured FPS. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 87 FPS, which shows the GPU can handle the highest settings at that resolution. The Medium preset jumps to 172 FPS, indicating that the GPU is not heavily taxed by the game's geometry or effects at lower settings. At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to show its limits: High averages 82 FPS, and Ultra drops to 55 FPS. The 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth may become a limiting factor at higher resolutions, where the game's textures and draw calls require more data throughput.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are not designed for 3840x2160 gaming at high settings. The measured FPS at 4K High is 43, and Ultra is 29, which are poor for a city builder. The Low preset at 4K achieves 76 FPS, but this requires dropping many visual features. The data indicates that the GPU's performance is best utilized at 1080p and 1440p, where it can maintain high frame rates without hitting memory or bandwidth ceilings. For users with a 4K display, the RTX 4060 will require significant settings compromises, but for 1440p and below, it provides a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1530 out of 2924 tested combos for Steamworld Build. This places it in the 52nd percentile of all tested pairings, which is a solid mid-pack result. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's strong simulation capabilities and the GPU's moderate rasterization power. In the context of the database, this combo is outranked by systems with higher-end GPUs, such as RTX 4070 or above, which would have more VRAM and bandwidth for 4K play. It is also outranked by combos with top-tier CPUs like the Ryzen 9 7950X, which scores 0.7% higher than the 9700F, but that difference is unlikely to be significant in a city builder.

The combo's rank is primarily dragged down by the GPU's 4K performance. At 1080p and 1440p, the measured FPS is competitive with many higher-ranked combos, but the 4K results are below average for the database. The CPU's rank, at the 94th percentile of all CPUs, is strong, but the GPU's 61st percentile ranking pulls the overall combo down. This is a classic case of a CPU being more capable than its GPU partner, which is fine for games that are CPU-bound, but Steamworld Build shows a mix of both. For a builder who primarily plays at 1080p or 1440p, this combo offers a better experience than its overall rank suggests, as it hits high frame rates in the most common resolutions. At 4K, however, it falls short of the top 50% of combos, making it a less suitable choice for 4K monitors.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming with this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 provides the best experience, with an average of 172 FPS and a minimum of 147 FPS. This offers a high frame rate with a comfortable margin over the Ultra preset's 87 FPS average.

Q: Can this combo handle 1440p gaming?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 110 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS, which is smooth. The High preset is also playable at 82 FPS, but Ultra drops to 55 FPS, which may be too low for some users.

Q: Is this combo suitable for 4K gaming?

A: Only at Low settings, which average 76 FPS at 3840x2160. The Medium preset averages 58 FPS, High averages 43 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29 FPS, all of which are below the ideal threshold for a city builder.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700KF, 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.9% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700K in average benchmarks.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 scores 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7790, 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon 780M, 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 560, and 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 460 in average benchmarks.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU bottleneck the combo in this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is the primary factor, as frame rates scale with settings. At 4K, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are the limiting factor, as even the CPU's strong multithread score of 36470 cannot prevent frame rates from dropping to 29 FPS at Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo is organized by resolution and settings, with averages and, where available, minimum and maximum values. The data is measured, not estimated.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 29 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. The High preset averages 43 FPS. The Medium preset averages 58 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 67 FPS. The Low preset averages 76 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 55 FPS. The High preset averages 82 FPS. The Medium preset averages 110 FPS, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS. The Low preset averages 143 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 87 FPS. The High preset averages 129 FPS. The Medium preset averages 172 FPS, with a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 198 FPS. The Low preset averages 225 FPS.

These numbers show a clear trend: the Medium preset consistently offers the best balance of frame rate and consistency, with the lowest recorded minimums at each resolution. The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, and the Low preset is the only option for smooth 4K play. The data also shows that the gap between Medium and Ultra widens as resolution increases, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth is a limiting factor at higher pixel counts. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p Medium, but the 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra. The CPU's performance is consistent across all resolutions, as the 9700F's strong single-thread score of 4691 ensures that the simulation does not cause frame rate dips at lower settings.