Steamworld Build

Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a pairing that leans heavily on the GPU, and in Steamworld Build the measured results confirm this. The CPU, a 6-core/12-thread Alder Lake part with a 2.50 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost, sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, while the RTX 4070, with 12 GB of GDDR6X and a 2475 MHz boost, sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. The data shows a combo that ranks 387th out of 1730 tested combinations, putting it in the top quarter of systems — strong, but not elite. What follows is a breakdown of how each component contributes to the frame rates, how the combo scales across resolutions, and what the raw numbers mean for a city builder.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The i5-12400F provides 6 physical cores and 12 threads, which is a solid foundation for a simulation-heavy genre like city building. Its 2.50 GHz base clock is modest, but the 4.40 GHz boost clock gives it headroom when a single thread needs to work hard. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 909 in 3DMark single-thread and 5912 in max-thread tests, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16518 and single-core of 2332. These numbers indicate a processor that handles both lightly-threaded UI logic and multi-threaded simulation ticks without obvious bottlenecks.

Looking at nearest rivals, the i5-12400F’s average benchmark score of 19221 is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210 (a 0.1% delta). It is also within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-1335U and 0.7% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS, while beating the AMD EPYC 7773X by 1.3%. For Steamworld Build specifically, the measured FPS at lower resolutions suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 310.1 FPS, which is more than enough to feed the GPU. The CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 80 KB L1 per core help with the kind of repeated data access that city builders generate, but the benchmark data shows that even at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate of 119.1 FPS is more likely constrained by the GPU than the processor.

The CPU’s 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 mounting make it an easy fit for most mid-range boards, and its DDR4/DDR5 memory support offers flexibility. None of the measured results show a scenario where the CPU’s 6 cores are overwhelmed — even in the most demanding 4K Ultra case at 40 FPS, the bottleneck is clearly the graphics card pushing 4K pixels, not the processor crunching simulation logic.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The RTX 4070 is the workhorse here. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, and the boost clock of 2475 MHz helps push geometry and textures. The GPU’s 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs give it plenty of parallel throughput, which is reflected in a PassMark G3D score of 26927 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3854. The GPU sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 37283 places it near the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, -0.6%), the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A (38008, -1.9%), and the RTX 4080 Mobile (38135, -2.2%), while it is 2.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5300M.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU’s role becomes apparent when you look at how FPS scales with settings. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 310.1 FPS, but dropping to 1080p Ultra cuts that to 119.1 FPS — a 61% reduction that shows the GPU is doing the heavy lifting as visual effects ramp up. The 12 GB VRAM is ample for this game’s textures, even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS of 40 suggests the GPU is rendering every pixel with maximum detail. The RTX 4070’s 200 W TDP and 550 W suggested PSU make it a practical choice, and its PCIe 4.0 x16 interface pairs well with the CPU’s Gen 5 lanes.

The GPU’s memory clock of 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) and 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are directly relevant: at 4K, the pixel rate determines how fast the card can fill the screen, and the data shows it manages 58.1 FPS at High settings — playable, but not smooth. The gap between High (58.1 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) at 4K is a 31% drop, indicating that the GPU’s ROPs and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors in the most demanding preset.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 387th out of 1730 tested combinations in Steamworld Build, which places it in the 77.6th percentile of all systems tested — better than roughly three-quarters of the field. This ranking reflects a balanced pairing: the CPU is not dragging the GPU down, and the GPU is strong enough to deliver high frame rates at most settings. The data indicates that this is a solid upper-midrange setup, capable of 4K High play and excellent 1440p performance, but it is outclassed by combos with higher-tier GPUs or CPUs with more cores.

Relative to the CPU’s own rivals, the i5-12400F’s performance is nearly identical to the i7-8700K, so swapping in an older high-end CPU would yield similar results. The GPU’s rivals, like the RX Vega 56, are within 0.6% in average score, meaning the combo’s rank is not heavily influenced by either component being an outlier. The measured FPS at 1440p High (114.2 FPS) is a strong indicator of where this combo sits: it is a high-refresh 1440p machine and a capable 4K machine at reduced settings.

The rank of 387 out of 1730 is a useful reference point. It means that in a database of 1730 combos, this system is ahead of 1343 others, but behind 386. For a city builder, where frame rates above 60 FPS are often unnecessary, this rank is more than adequate — the combo only drops below 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, and even then, it maintains 40 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce 310.1 FPS, Medium 237.4 FPS, High 180.9 FPS, and Ultra 119.1 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the CPU and GPU have significant headroom; even the Ultra preset stays well above 100 FPS, making this resolution largely a non-issue for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but start to show the GPU’s workload. Low settings hit 199 FPS, Medium 154.1 FPS, High 114.2 FPS, and Ultra 79.2 FPS. The drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 33.5%, which is expected as pixel count increases by 78%. The 1440p High result of 114.2 FPS is particularly strong, indicating that this is the sweet spot for the combo if you want high refresh rates with good visuals.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings still manage 103.8 FPS, which is impressive, but Medium drops to 81 FPS, High to 58.1 FPS, and Ultra to 40 FPS. The 4K Low result of 103.8 FPS shows that the RTX 4070 has enough raw power to exceed 60 FPS at 4K, but only with reduced visual fidelity. The jump from Low to Medium at 4K is a 22% drop, and from Medium to High another 28% drop, illustrating how quickly the GPU’s resources are consumed by higher-quality textures and effects.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling across resolutions tells a clear story. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p (310.1 FPS) to 1440p (199 FPS) is a 35.8% drop, and from 1440p to 4K (103.8 FPS) is a 47.8% drop. This is roughly proportional to the increase in pixel count, which indicates the GPU is the primary limiter even at Low settings — the CPU has no trouble keeping up.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is steeper: 1080p to 1440p drops from 119.1 to 79.2 FPS (33.5% drop), and 1440p to 4K drops to 40 FPS (49.5% drop). The consistency of these drops — around 33-35% for the first step and 47-50% for the second — strongly suggests that the RTX 4070’s memory bandwidth and ROP throughput are the limiting factors, not the CPU or any driver overhead.

The data shows that the i5-12400F is not a bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see smaller FPS drops at higher resolutions (because the GPU would be waiting on the CPU), but the opposite is true — the FPS scales predictably with pixel count. This confirms that for Steamworld Build, the RTX 4070 is the component that determines playability, and the CPU is more than sufficient for the game’s simulation logic. The 4K Ultra result of 40 FPS is the only point where the combo falls below 60 FPS, and that is a GPU limitation, not a CPU one.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F strong enough for Steamworld Build?

A: Yes. The CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are more than adequate. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (310.1 FPS) and 4K Low (103.8 FPS) shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution or setting.

Q: Can the RTX 4070 handle 4K in Steamworld Build?

A: It depends on settings. At 4K High, the combo averages 58.1 FPS, which is playable, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 40 FPS. At 4K Low, it hits 103.8 FPS, so 4K is viable if you are willing to lower quality.

Q: How does this combo compare to similar systems?

A: The combo ranks 387th out of 1730 tested, putting it in the top 22% of all systems in the database. The CPU and GPU are both in the upper percentiles of their respective categories (77th and 81st), so it is a well-matched pairing.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1440p is the sweet spot. At High settings, it delivers 114.2 FPS, and at Ultra, 79.2 FPS, offering a good balance of visual quality and smoothness. 1080p is overkill, with Ultra hitting 119.1 FPS.

Q: Does the game scale better with CPU or GPU upgrades?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. Upgrading the CPU would not improve FPS, as the i5-12400F is already fast enough to feed the RTX 4070 at all resolutions.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 37283 is within 0.6% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 and 2.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5300M. It trails the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A by 1.9% and the RTX 4080 Mobile by 2.2% in raw score, but in-game FPS will vary.