Steamworld Build

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three tested resolutions reveal a pronounced GPU-bound curve for this Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 pairing in Steamworld Build. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 168.4 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 106.7 FPS, a reduction of approximately 36.6%. The jump from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160) at High settings yields 57.5 FPS, another significant decline of roughly 46.1% from the 1440p figure. This scaling behavior is classic for a high-end GPU being pushed by resolution, with the frame rate nearly halving each time pixel count increases substantially.

The scaling pattern shifts when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 296 FPS, which is nearly double the High preset result at the same resolution. At 1440p Low, the average sits at 186.3 FPS, and at 4K Low it reaches 98.3 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p Low is about 37.1%, while the 1440p to 4K Low transition sees a 47.2% decrease. These percentages are remarkably consistent with the High preset scaling, suggesting that the rendering load scales predictably with resolution regardless of the quality settings applied. The limiting component in both cases is the GPU’s pixel throughput.

Ultra settings tell a different story. The 1080p Ultra result of 117.3 FPS drops to 74 FPS at 1440p, a 36.9% decline, and then to 39 FPS at 4K, a 47.3% drop from 1440p. Notably, the 4K Ultra figure of 39 FPS sits below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth for real-time gameplay, indicating that the RTX 3080 is fully saturated at this combination. The data suggests that for 4K Ultra, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, with the CPU having ample headroom to spare given its 4-core, 8-thread configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip, brings substantial resources to Steamworld Build. Its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus provides 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for a city builder’s asset streaming and texture work. The GPU’s 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs handle the game’s draw calls and rasterization efficiently. Clock speeds are listed at a base of 1440 MHz and boost up to 1710 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz effective 19 Gbps.

The GPU’s benchmark standing places it at the 80th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35787. Its nearest rivals in aggregate score include the AMD Radeon Pro Duo at 35860 (a 0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE at 36101 (a 0.9% delta, meaning the RTX 3080 trails by that margin). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile sits 1% behind the RTX 3080, while the AMD Radeon 880M is 0.4% ahead. These margins are tight, indicating that the RTX 3080 remains competitive in raw compute despite being an end-of-life product.

In Steamworld Build specifically, the measured FPS data shows the GPU’s capability scaling with settings. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is stark: 296 FPS versus 117.3 FPS, a 60.4% reduction. At 4K, Low yields 98.3 FPS while Ultra yields 39 FPS, a 60.3% reduction. This consistency reinforces that the GPU’s workload scales linearly with the quality preset’s shading and post-processing demands. The VRAM allocation is not a limiting factor here, as even at 4K Ultra the card maintains playable frame rates in most presets, though the 10 GB capacity is adequate for this title’s requirements.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 228 FPS, which is well above any display refresh rate in common use and provides headroom for streaming or background tasks. At 1440p Medium, the 147 FPS average remains high, comfortably exceeding 120 FPS for high-refresh displays. Even at 4K Medium, the 74.8 FPS average is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play, making this the highest preset that maintains a fluid experience at all tested resolutions.

The High preset is a viable alternative for users prioritizing visual quality over maximum frame rates. At 1080p High, 168.4 FPS is still excellent, and 1440p High at 106.7 FPS remains smooth. However, 4K High at 57.5 FPS dips below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable on some displays. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p use, where 117.3 FPS is playable, but at 1440p the 74 FPS average and at 4K the 39 FPS average make it less desirable for consistent gameplay.

For users with 4K displays, the Medium preset is the clear choice given the 74.8 FPS result. Those on 1440p monitors can push to High for 106.7 FPS without sacrificing much performance. The Low preset, while delivering 296 FPS at 1080p and 186.3 FPS at 1440p, likely compromises visual fidelity in ways that detract from a city builder’s aesthetic appeal, where seeing the details of your constructed city is part of the experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full settings sweep shows a clear hierarchy. Low leads at 296 FPS average, followed by Medium at 228 FPS, then High at 168.4 FPS, and Ultra at 117.3 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 68 FPS, Medium to High costs 59.6 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 51.1 FPS. Each progressive quality tier exacts a similar absolute toll, suggesting that the rendering features enabled at each step have comparable computational weight.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats with lower absolute numbers. Low achieves 186.3 FPS, Medium reaches 147 FPS, High hits 106.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 74 FPS. The deltas between tiers are 39.3 FPS (Low to Medium), 40.3 FPS (Medium to High), and 32.7 FPS (High to Ultra). The relative consistency of these deltas across resolutions indicates that the preset changes affect GPU work proportionally, not multiplicatively.

At 3840x2160, the results compress further. Low delivers 98.3 FPS, Medium reaches 74.8 FPS, High drops to 57.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 39 FPS. The spacing between tiers narrows in absolute terms: 23.5 FPS from Low to Medium, 17.3 FPS from Medium to High, and 18.5 FPS from High to Ultra. This compression occurs because the GPU is nearing its rendering ceiling at 4K, where pixel count dominates the workload and reduces the relative impact of quality settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 39 FPS average at 3840x2160 Ultra, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. For smooth 4K play, the Medium preset at 74.8 FPS is the recommended choice.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080 scores 35787 on average, sitting 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (35860) and 0.9% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (36101). It leads the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile by 1% and the AMD Radeon 880M by 0.4%.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 106.7 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. The Ultra preset at 74 FPS is also playable, but High offers a better balance of quality and performance.

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

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F ranks at the 72nd percentile among CPUs with an average benchmark score of 13516. Given the GPU-bound scaling patterns observed, the CPU appears adequate for this title, though at 1080p Low the 296 FPS result suggests the CPU may impose some ceiling.

Q: How much performance is lost moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 168.4 at 1920x1080 to 106.7 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 61.7 FPS or approximately 36.6% less performance. This is consistent with the increased pixel workload.

Q: Is the 10 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The measured results show no VRAM-related stutters or anomalies across all resolutions and presets. The 10 GB capacity and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for Steamworld Build’s demands.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11912 and a single-core score of 1681, with a Geekbench multicore result of 7413 and single-core of 2224. These figures place it at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13516.

The nearest competitor in aggregate CPU benchmarks is the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX at 13534, a 0.1% delta, followed by the Intel Core i7-1250U at 13462 (0.4% ahead), the Intel Core i3-10105 at 13430 (0.6% ahead), and the Intel Core i7-7700K at 13280 (1.8% ahead). The tight clustering of these scores indicates that the i3-12100F punches well above its core count in multi-threaded workloads, likely due to its high clocks and modern architecture.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU based on the scaling data. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 296 FPS, which is a high frame rate that could approach CPU limitations in CPU-heavy city-building simulations with many entities. However, the game’s genre typically involves more GPU-bound rendering of the city environment than simulation logic. The 4-core configuration with 8 threads is sufficient for the game’s threading model, as evidenced by the consistent performance scaling across resolutions without anomalous drops that would indicate CPU stalls. The processor’s 58 W TDP and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 provide a stable platform for this GPU pairing.