Steamworld Build

# Steamworld Build with Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

This combination of an Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 395th out of 1,730 tested combinations in Steamworld Build, placing it in the upper quartile of all tested systems. The CPU sits at the 72nd percentile among all processors while the GPU reaches the 81st percentile among all graphics cards, suggesting a pairing where both components are competitive for this city builder. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings presets confirm that this system delivers playable performance from 1080p through 4K, though the balance between CPU and GPU shifts noticeably as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The 395th position out of 1,730 total combinations puts this system comfortably ahead of the median tested configuration. With 1,335 combinations ranking below it, this rig outperforms roughly 77% of all tested pairings in Steamworld Build specifically. The CPU's 72nd percentile standing among all processors indicates solid mid-range positioning, while the GPU's 81st percentile shows it sits higher in the hierarchy. This creates an interesting dynamic where the graphics card is the stronger component relative to its peers.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Core i3-12100F posts an average benchmark score of 13,516. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX scores 13,534, just 0.1% higher, making these two effectively equivalent in synthetic testing despite their vastly different market positions. The Intel Core i7-1250U trails by 0.4% with a score of 13,462, while the Intel Core i3-10105 sits 0.6% behind at 13,430. The Intel Core i7-7700K comes in 1.8% lower with 13,280. These narrow margins show the i3-12100F is competitive with much older high-end parts and newer low-power mobile chips.

For the GPU, the RTX 4070's average benchmark score of 37,283 places it near the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, which scores 37,507 and leads by 0.6%. The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A scores 38,008, a 1.9% advantage, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile achieves 38,135, 2.2% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5300M trails by 2.5% with 36,371. These small deltas suggest the RTX 4070 performs in a tightly contested band of GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows Steamworld Build scales dramatically with graphics settings. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 307.6 FPS, Medium reaches 240.7 FPS, High achieves 180 FPS, and Ultra drops to 121.1 FPS. All four presets exceed 120 FPS at this resolution, meaning even Ultra is viable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The step from High to Ultra costs 58.9 FPS, a 32.7% reduction, while the jump from Medium to High saves 60.7 FPS. For competitive play or maximum fluidity, Low settings provide the headroom, but Ultra remains smooth.

At 2560x1440, the picture changes. Low delivers 196.7 FPS, Medium hits 153.7 FPS, High runs at 110.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 78.9 FPS. The Ultra preset still clears 60 FPS by a wide margin, making it fully playable on standard 60 Hz displays. High settings offer a comfortable 110.8 FPS, which suits 100 Hz monitors. For 144 Hz panels, Medium at 153.7 FPS is the better choice.

At 3840x2160, Ultra falls to 40.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. High settings at 62.2 FPS just clear that bar, while Medium at 79.3 FPS provides more headroom. Low settings at 102.2 FPS are the smoothest option at 4K. The recommended preset depends on the display: High for 60 Hz 4K monitors, Medium for those wanting extra margin, and Low for high-refresh 4K panels.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals where the bottleneck lies. At High settings, performance drops from 180 FPS at 1080p to 110.8 FPS at 1440p, a 38.4% reduction, then to 62.2 FPS at 4K, another 43.9% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern indicates the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. The 4K High result of 62.2 FPS is nearly exactly one-third of the 1080p High result, consistent with 4K having roughly four times the pixel count of 1080p.

Low settings show similar behavior: 307.6 FPS at 1080p falls to 196.7 FPS at 1440p (36.1% reduction) and then 102.2 FPS at 4K (48.0% reduction). Medium settings follow the same trend: 240.7 to 153.7 (36.1% drop) to 79.3 (48.4% drop). Ultra settings drop from 121.1 at 1080p to 78.9 at 1440p (34.8% reduction) and then 40.2 at 4K (49.0% reduction).

The consistent pattern across all settings — roughly one-third drops from 1080p to 1440p and another half from 1440p to 4K — strongly suggests the RTX 4070 is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, but pixel throughput becomes the constraint as resolution climbs. The i3-12100F's four cores and eight threads handle the simulation and AI workloads of this city builder without becoming the primary bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce 307.6 FPS average, making this combination capable of driving very high refresh rate displays. Medium settings at 240.7 FPS remain far above any practical display refresh rate. High settings achieve 180 FPS, still exceeding 144 Hz monitors. Ultra settings hit 121.1 FPS, which is smooth on 120 Hz panels and only slightly below 144 Hz thresholds.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong. Low settings reach 196.7 FPS, Medium hits 153.7 FPS, High achieves 110.8 FPS, and Ultra runs at 78.9 FPS. Every preset at 1440p stays above 60 FPS, with even the most demanding Ultra preset providing a comfortable margin for standard refresh displays. The step between High and Ultra at this resolution is 31.9 FPS, showing the cost of the highest quality settings.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset drops to 40.2 FPS, which is noticeable on 60 Hz displays. High settings at 62.2 FPS just cross the 60 FPS threshold, making it the entry point for smooth 4K gameplay. Medium at 79.3 FPS offers more comfortable headroom, and Low at 102.2 FPS provides the smoothest 4K experience. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 62 FPS, demonstrating how much performance the highest settings cost at this resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock runs at 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed. The GPU includes 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. With 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores, the card is well equipped for modern rendering workloads.

The memory configuration plays a direct role in this game's performance. The 12 GB capacity is sufficient for Steamworld Build's city-building visuals at 4K, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at High settings. The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth supports the texture streaming and draw calls common in city builders, where large numbers of buildings and units populate the screen. The GPU's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute provides ample raw throughput for the simulation's rendering demands.

The RTX 4070's boost clock of 2475 MHz and base clock of 1920 MHz reflect the Ada Lovelace architecture's efficiency. The card's 200 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a practical choice for this CPU pairing. The suggested 550 W power supply provides adequate headroom. The GPU's 81st percentile ranking among all graphics cards, combined with its measured performance in this game, confirms it is the primary driver of frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions where the 1080p to 4K scaling shows the expected pixel-throughput limitations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: High settings at 3840x2160 deliver 62.2 FPS, which is the minimum preset that exceeds 60 FPS at 4K. Medium at 79.3 FPS offers more headroom, while Low reaches 102.2 FPS for smoother motion on high-refresh 4K displays.

Q: How does this system perform at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Ultra settings at 1920x1080 achieve 121.1 FPS average, which comfortably exceeds 60 FPS and is suitable for 120 Hz monitors. High settings at 180 FPS are better suited for 144 Hz displays.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Steamworld Build?

A: The RTX 4070 becomes the limiting component at higher resolutions. Frame rates drop by roughly one-third from 1080p to 1440p and another half from 1440p to 4K across all settings presets, indicating GPU-bound scaling.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 1440p?

A: High settings run at 110.8 FPS while Ultra runs at 78.9 FPS at 2560x1440, a difference of 31.9 FPS. Both presets exceed 60 FPS, so the choice depends on whether visual quality or additional frame rate headroom is preferred.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4070 scores 37,283 on average, which is 0.6% below the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37,507) and 1.9% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A (38,008). It outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 5300M by 2.5%.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings at 4K?

A: Ultra settings at 3840x2160 produce 40.2 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. High settings at 62.2 FPS are the recommended maximum for 4K with this combination.