Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder where simulation logic and draw calls often matter more than raw polygon pushing, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER proves to be a balanced one. The data places this combination at rank 284 out of 1730 tested combos, putting it in the top tier of systems for this title. The measured frames per second reveal a system that scales predictably with both resolution and graphical preset, offering a wide range of playable experiences from high-refresh 1080p to respectable 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 make it a solid foundation for a gaming rig. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip scores 16,518 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,332 in single-core, which places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in Steamworld Build, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is doing the heavy lifting. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 311.1 FPS, a figure so high that it indicates the processor is feeding the graphics card efficiently without bottlenecking. The multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a 3DMark 16-thread score of 5,895 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 19,433, suggests that the CPU can handle the complex simulation and pathfinding calculations typical of city builders. The processor sits within a tight performance band of its nearest rivals, with a delta of only 0.1% against the Intel Core i7-8700K and 0.3% against the Intel Core i5-1335U. This indicates that while the 12400F is not the absolute fastest, its performance envelope is well understood and more than adequate for the game’s demands. The single-thread score of 2,332 in Cinebench R23 is particularly relevant for a genre where the main game logic thread often dictates minimum frame rates, and the data shows no such thread-bound stutter at any preset tested.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a 5nm Ada Lovelace part with 7,168 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2475 MHz and FP32 throughput of 35.48 TFLOPS place it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. The card’s benchmark scores are robust, with a Passmark G3D score of 29,995 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4,627.

The GPU’s role becomes apparent when examining the scaling across resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the system drops to 46.5 FPS, while at 4K High it jumps to 67.5 FPS. This demonstrates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component at higher settings, and its 12 GB VRAM buffer is sufficient to handle the texture and object density at 4K without any reported issues. The card’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is close, with a delta of -0.2% against the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and -0.3% against the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE. This suggests the 4070 SUPER is well-matched against similar tier hardware, but its raw power is geared towards high-refresh 1440p gaming rather than maxed-out 4K. The data indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor when moving from High to Ultra presets, as the frame rate drop is more severe than any resolution change alone, highlighting the cost of the additional visual effects.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets. For the best experience balancing visual fidelity and frame rate, the High preset is the clear winner. At 1440p High, the system delivers 128.8 FPS, which is smooth for a city builder where camera panning and zooming need to be fluid. At 4K High, it still maintains a very playable 67.5 FPS, making it the optimal choice for those with high-resolution displays.

The Medium preset offers a significant frame rate uplift over High, with 169.6 FPS at 1440p and 90.6 FPS at 4K. This is a viable option for players who prioritize refresh rate over graphical detail, especially on 1440p monitors with high refresh rates. However, the Ultra preset demands a heavy toll, dropping to 83 FPS at 1440p and 46.5 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that the visual improvement from High to Ultra is not worth the performance cost, as the frame rate penalty is substantial. The Low preset, while hitting 220.9 FPS at 1440p and 116.5 FPS at 4K, sacrifices too much visual quality for a city builder where readability of your city is key. The recommendation is to stick with High for the best all-around experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Steamworld Build with this setup?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with the High preset provides an excellent balance, delivering 128.8 FPS. This offers a crisp image with high frame rates, making it the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K with the High preset, the system averages 67.5 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 46.5 FPS, which may not feel smooth for all players.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct rivals in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F performs nearly identically to its closest competitors. It is within 0.1% of the Intel Core i7-8700K and within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-1335U, indicating that there is no meaningful performance gap between them for gaming workloads.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER a strong performer relative to other GPUs?

A: The benchmark data places the GPU in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. It trades blows with the NVIDIA RTX A6000, being only 0.2% slower, and is 1.6% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla M40, showing it is a high-tier graphics card.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is significant. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 311.1 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 135 FPS. This represents a substantial performance gap that can be used to prioritize either visual quality or maximum frame rate.

Q: Where does this specific hardware combination rank overall?

A: The combo of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 284th out of 1730 tested combinations for Steamworld Build, placing it in the top 16% of all tested systems for this game.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At the High preset, the system delivers 195.8 FPS at 1080p, 128.8 FPS at 1440p, and 67.5 FPS at 4K. This shows a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 48% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent with a GPU that has ample bandwidth but is ultimately limited by the sheer number of pixels it must render at higher resolutions.

The drop from 1080p to 4K at the High preset is 65.5%, going from 195.8 FPS down to 67.5 FPS. This is a substantial reduction but still results in a playable frame rate. When looking at the Ultra preset, the scaling is even more aggressive, with the system hitting 135 FPS at 1080p but only 46.5 FPS at 4K, a 65.5% reduction. This indicates that the Ultra preset’s added effects (likely shadows, ambient occlusion, and draw distance) place a heavy load on the GPU, making 4K Ultra a challenging target for this card.

The data reveals that at 1080p and 1440p, the system is not fully GPU-bound, as the frame rates are exceptionally high, suggesting the CPU is keeping up well. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The fact that the 1080p Low setting hits 311.1 FPS versus 4K Low at 116.5 FPS shows that even at the lowest settings, resolution scaling is the primary driver of performance changes. This suggests that for players wanting to maximize frame rates, reducing resolution is more effective than lowering the preset. For example, going from 1440p High (128.8 FPS) to 1080p Ultra (135 FPS) yields a negligible gain, but going from 4K High (67.5 FPS) to 1440p High (128.8 FPS) nearly doubles the performance. The limiting component at higher resolutions is unequivocally the GPU, while the CPU provides a stable platform that does not introduce any apparent bottlenecks even at the highest frame rates.