Steamworld Build

# Steamworld Build with Intel Core i7-12700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Steamworld Build, a city builder that scales well across resolutions and settings. This pairing sits at rank 84 out of 3,706 tested combos, placing it in the top 2.3% of all configurations evaluated. The measured frame rates reveal a system that remains fluid even at 4K Ultra, though the data shows interesting scaling patterns that point to where the bottleneck shifts between CPU and GPU workloads.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested configurations in Steamworld Build?

A: This combo ranks 84th out of 3,706 tested combinations, placing it in the 97.7th percentile of all systems evaluated for this game.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score of 79,842 is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, 0.6% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X sits 1.4% higher, making these rivals extremely close in overall compute capability.

Q: What CPU benchmark scores does the i7-12700K achieve?

A: The CPU scores 19,784 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 1,850.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core, 15,790 in Geekbench multi-core, and 2,308 in Geekbench single-core. Its 3DMark max-thread score is 9,979, while the single-thread score is 1,043.

Q: What is the best measured performance at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 355 FPS average. With Medium settings, it achieves 322 FPS (with a minimum of 274 FPS and maximum of 371 FPS), while High settings deliver 258 FPS and Ultra produces 174 FPS.

Q: Does the system maintain playable frame rates at 4K?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the combo delivers 151 FPS on Low, 116 FPS on Medium (with 98 FPS minimum), 87 FPS on High, and 58 FPS on Ultra. All settings remain above the 30 FPS threshold, with Medium and High providing particularly smooth experiences at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU's percentile ranking compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-12700K sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13600T (0.1% lower average score), the Intel Core i7-12700KF (0.2% lower), the Intel Core i7-13700T (0.3% lower), and the Intel Core 5 213PE (0.4% lower). These five processors are essentially tied in average benchmark performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The rank of 84 out of 3,706 tested combos places this system in the top 2.3% of all configurations evaluated for Steamworld Build. This is a strong result, but the data suggests the ranking is not purely a function of raw hardware muscle. The RTX 5090 is a flagship GPU with a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, and the i7-12700K sits at the 84th percentile among CPUs. However, the combo rank of 84 out of 3,706 (roughly the 97.7th percentile) is higher than either component's individual percentile, indicating that the pairing is particularly well-suited to this game's workload.

Steamworld Build is a city builder, a genre that typically relies heavily on CPU performance for simulation logic and AI pathfinding, while also benefiting from GPU acceleration for rendering large urban environments. The measured frame rates show that this combo handles both aspects competently. At 1080p Low, the system pushes 355 FPS, which is far beyond what any display can show, suggesting the CPU is not a limiting factor even in the most favorable GPU conditions. At 4K Ultra, the system drops to 58 FPS, which indicates the GPU is being pushed hard but still delivers playable performance.

The rank data also reveals that many combos in the database likely use higher-end CPUs paired with the RTX 5090, which could explain why this combo does not crack the top 50. The i7-12700K, while capable, is a 12th-generation part, and newer generations may extract slightly more performance in CPU-bound scenarios. However, the measured FPS numbers show this combo is rarely CPU-bound in practice, except perhaps at the lowest settings where frame rates exceed 350 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which preset delivers the best experience at each resolution. At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 355 FPS, Medium produces 322 FPS, High produces 258 FPS, and Ultra produces 174 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium costs 33 FPS (9.3% reduction), while Medium to High costs 64 FPS (19.9% reduction), and High to Ultra costs 84 FPS (32.6% reduction). The diminishing returns are steepest at the Ultra tier, making High the sweet spot for 1080p if visual quality matters, though Medium offers a significant frame rate cushion.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Low delivers 286 FPS, Medium 219 FPS, High 164 FPS, and Ultra 111 FPS. The step from Medium to High costs 55 FPS (25.1% reduction), while High to Ultra costs 53 FPS (32.3% reduction). At this resolution, Medium provides the best balance, with 219 FPS being more than sufficient for any display, and the visual upgrade to High or Ultra may not justify the frame rate loss for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

At 3840x2160, the recommended preset is High, which delivers 87 FPS. Medium offers 116 FPS and Low 151 FPS, but these lower presets likely sacrifice too much visual fidelity in a city builder where zooming out to view your entire settlement is common. Ultra drops to 58 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a genre where smooth camera panning is essential. High at 87 FPS is the best compromise, providing solid frame rates while maintaining visual quality. The data shows that at 4K, this combo is GPU-bound, so users with G-Sync or FreeSync displays may find High the most enjoyable preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates remarkable headroom. Low settings produce 355 FPS average, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 322 FPS average with a minimum of 274 FPS and maximum of 371 FPS, showing excellent frame time consistency. High settings drop to 258 FPS, still far above any refresh rate available on consumer monitors. Ultra settings produce 174 FPS, which remains exceptionally smooth. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 181 FPS, indicating that the GPU has substantial headroom even at the highest quality preset.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably. Low settings deliver 286 FPS, a 19.4% reduction from 1080p Low. Medium settings produce 219 FPS (with 186 FPS minimum and 252 FPS maximum), representing a 32.0% reduction from 1080p Medium. High settings achieve 164 FPS, a 36.4% reduction from 1080p High. Ultra settings reach 111 FPS, a 36.2% reduction from 1080p Ultra. The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium is 186, which is still higher than the 4K High average, demonstrating the resolution's impact on performance.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates remain respectable but show clear GPU limitations. Low settings produce 151 FPS, a 47.2% reduction from 1080p Low. Medium settings deliver 116 FPS with a minimum of 98 FPS and maximum of 133 FPS, a 64.0% reduction from 1080p Medium. High settings achieve 87 FPS, a 66.3% reduction from 1080p High. Ultra settings drop to 58 FPS, a 66.7% reduction from 1080p Ultra. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 98, which is still above 60 FPS, while the 4K High average of 87 FPS provides a comfortable experience for most users.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 brings 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This is a massive amount of memory bandwidth, and in Steamworld Build, it likely helps with texture streaming and large draw distances when zoomed out. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its position as a top-tier part, and its average benchmark score of 79,842 is only slightly above its nearest rivals, indicating that synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture its gaming performance.

The GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are considerable, but the measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the card is still pushed to its limits, producing only 58 FPS. This suggests Steamworld Build's Ultra preset includes heavy effects that stress even the most powerful GPUs. The RTX 5090's 2407 MHz boost clock and 2017 MHz base clock provide the raw throughput needed to maintain high frame rates at lower settings, as evidenced by the 355 FPS result at 1080p Low.

The GPU's memory configuration is particularly relevant for a city builder, where large maps with many buildings, units, and effects can consume significant VRAM. With 32 GB, the RTX 5090 has ample capacity for any resolution and setting combination. The measured data shows no evidence of memory-related stutters, as the minimum FPS values at Medium settings (274 at 1080p, 186 at 1440p, 98 at 4K) indicate consistent frame delivery without dips that would suggest VRAM swapping.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K features 12 cores and 20 threads with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample capacity for game logic. The CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all processors and its average benchmark score of 35,287 place it in solid mid-to-high territory, with nearest rivals all within 0.4% of its score. This tight grouping suggests that CPU performance is not a differentiator at this level.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU handles simulation logic, including resource management, worker AI, and pathfinding. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 355 FPS, which is likely approaching the CPU's limit for this game. The fact that 1440p Low produces 286 FPS (a 19.4% reduction) and 4K Low produces 151 FPS (a 47.2% reduction) indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck at lower settings, but even then, the frame rates are so high that it does not impact playability.

The i7-12700K's 3DMark scores show a clear scaling pattern: 2,065 for 2 threads, 4,011 for 4 threads, 7,202 for 8 threads, 9,276 for 16 threads, and 9,979 for max threads. This indicates that the CPU's performance scales well up to 8 threads, then plateaus, which is typical for gaming workloads that rarely utilize more than 8-16 threads. Steamworld Build likely benefits from the 12-core configuration for background simulation tasks, but the primary game thread probably uses 2-4 cores, where the CPU's single-thread performance (1,043 in 3DMark single-thread, 1,850.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core) is more relevant.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals important information about the system's bottleneck. At Low settings, the drop from 355 FPS at 1080p to 151 FPS at 4K represents a 57.5% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 322 FPS to 116 FPS, a 64.0% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 258 FPS to 87 FPS, a 66.3% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 174 FPS to 58 FPS, a 66.7% reduction. The increasing percentage reduction at higher settings indicates that the GPU becomes more dominant as quality increases, which is expected given the additional pixel and shading work.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe. At Low, the drop is 19.4%; at Medium, 32.0%; at High, 36.4%; and at Ultra, 36.2%. This suggests that at 1440p, the system is still partially CPU-bound at lower settings, but becomes more GPU-bound at higher settings. The jump from 1440p to 4K shows a more significant drop: 47.2% at Low, 47.0% at Medium, 46.9% at High, and 47.7% at Ultra. The consistency across settings for the 1440p-to-4K transition indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K regardless of quality preset.

The data implies that this combo is well-balanced for Steamworld Build at 1440p, where the frame rates range from 111 FPS at Ultra to 286 FPS at Low. At 1080p, the system has excessive performance, with even Ultra producing 174 FPS. At 4K, the system remains playable but requires setting compromises, with High at 87 FPS being the recommended choice. The limiting component shifts from CPU at 1080p Low to GPU at 4K Ultra, with the crossover point occurring around 1440p Medium, where neither component is consistently the bottleneck. This balanced behavior is ideal for a city builder, where users may want to zoom in and out, pan across large maps, and maintain smooth performance while managing complex simulations.