Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder that can push hardware in unexpected ways, and the combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 produces some revealing performance data. This pairing sits at rank 20 out of 1730 tested combos for this title, placing it in the top 1.2% of all configurations recorded in our database. The rank reflects a system that is clearly elite, yet the measured frame rates show that even this hardware encounters significant strain at the highest settings, making the analysis of its component roles particularly interesting.

How This Combo Ranks

The rank of 20 out of 1730 combos is a strong indicator of top-tier performance, but it is not the absolute pinnacle. This position suggests that while the Core i7-12700KF and RTX 5090 form a formidable partnership, there are a handful of other pairings in the database that deliver higher average frame rates in Steamworld Build. The data implies that the game's engine is demanding enough that the 19 configurations ahead of this one likely benefit from either a newer CPU generation with higher single-thread performance or a GPU with specific optimizations for this workload. The RTX 5090 is a dominant force, ranking in the 94th percentile against all GPUs, and the Core i7-12700KF is no slouch either, sitting in the 89th percentile against all CPUs. However, their combined rank of 20 suggests a bottleneck exists somewhere that prevents them from achieving a top-10 finish.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals provides context for its processing power. The Core i7-12700KF’s average benchmark score is 35355, which puts it in a dead heat with the Intel Core i5-14400, which scores 35336 and is just 0.1% behind. It also trades blows with the Intel Core i7-13800H, which is 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i9-12900HX, which is 0.2% slower. This clustering of scores indicates that the 12700KF is performing exactly as expected for its generation, and any performance gap in Steamworld Build is likely not due to a CPU deficiency. For the GPU, the RTX 5090’s average score of 84306 is nearly identical to the RTX 5090 D, which is 0.1% faster, and the RTX 5050 Mobile, which is 0.2% faster. The data suggests that the GPU is operating at its expected performance envelope, making the game's specific engine characteristics the primary variable in its ranking.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. For a city builder like Steamworld Build, which often simulates thousands of individual agents and complex economic systems, the multi-threaded performance is critical. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979 and its 3DMark max threads score of 9983 indicate a high ceiling for parallel workloads, which should help maintain a stable simulation rate as a city grows. The 25 MB of shared L3 cache is also a significant asset, as it allows all cores to quickly access shared game state data.

However, the benchmark results reveal a more nuanced story. The CPU's single-thread performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4091, is robust but not class-leading. In Steamworld Build, the main game thread often handles the core simulation loop, and if that thread becomes a bottleneck, the overall frame rate will suffer even with a powerful GPU. The data suggests that at lower resolutions and with higher frame rates, this is likely what is happening. The fact that the CPU is ranked 89th percentile against all CPUs confirms its strength, but the 11% of CPUs ahead of it likely possess superior single-core speeds, which could explain why this combo isn't ranked even higher. The processor’s support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory introduces a variable for users, but the measured FPS data does not differentiate between memory types.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a behemoth of a graphics card, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It boasts 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is a card designed for 4K and high-refresh-rate gaming, with 21760 shading units and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. In Steamworld Build, the GPU is primarily responsible for rendering the detailed environments, dynamic lighting, and the various visual effects as the city becomes more complex. The high pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are more than sufficient for the game's demands at 1080p and 1440p.

The GPU's role becomes more critical as the resolution increases. The RTX 5090's 1.79 TB/s bandwidth is vital for feeding the renderer with textures and geometry data at 4K. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 351.8 FPS, but this drops to 152.5 FPS at 4K with Low settings. This significant drop of 199.3 FPS highlights the increased workload on the GPU at higher resolutions. The RTX 5090 is ranked in the 94th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals in the database are other high-end cards like the RTX 5090 D and the professional-grade AMD Radeon PRO W6600. However, the game's performance at 4K Ultra, which dips to 57.5 FPS, indicates that even this flagship GPU is not entirely immune to the most demanding settings in a simulation-heavy title.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in Steamworld Build?

A: The data suggests it can be, particularly at lower resolutions. The CPU has strong multi-threaded performance with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979, but its single-thread score of 4091, while good, is not at the very top of the CPU hierarchy. This likely becomes a limiting factor when frame rates are very high, such as the 351.8 FPS seen at 1080p Low, where the CPU cannot keep up with the GPU's rendering speed.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between the RTX 5090 and its closest rivals?

A: According to the average benchmark scores, the RTX 5090 is virtually tied with its nearest rivals. It scores 84306, which is only 0.1% slower than the RTX 5090 D and 0.2% slower than the RTX 5050 Mobile. It is 1.3% faster than the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 and 1.6% slower than the NVIDIA CMP 40HX. This indicates that the 5090 is performing exactly as expected for its class.

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1440p offers a sweet spot for high refresh rates. At this resolution, High settings run at 167.3 FPS and Ultra settings run at 113.4 FPS. This provides a smooth and detailed experience. While 1080p offers higher frame rates, the visual fidelity is lower, and 4K, while playable, drops below 90 FPS at High settings.

Q: Is the RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM necessary for Steamworld Build?

A: The benchmark data does not indicate VRAM usage, but the card's 32 GB capacity and 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth are far beyond what a typical city builder would require. The performance drops seen at 4K Ultra are more likely due to the computational load of the simulation and rendering effects, not a lack of memory. The sheer bandwidth ensures that textures can be loaded at the highest resolutions without stutter.

Q: Does the Core i7-12700KF's performance match its rivals in this game?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 35355 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. It is only 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i5-14400 and 0.2% slower than the Intel Core i7-13800H, while being 0.2% faster than the Intel Core i9-12900HX and 0.3% faster than the Intel Core i5-13600T. The data shows that its general processing power is on par with these alternative CPUs.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 259.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 167.3 FPS, a significant reduction of 92 FPS. Finally, at 4K High, the frame rate falls to 85.2 FPS, another drop of 82.1 FPS. This pattern indicates that the GPU is being tasked with more work at each higher resolution, and the RTX 5090 is powerful enough to handle it, albeit with lower returns at 4K.

This scaling also reveals information about the limiting component. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35.5%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 49.1%. The larger percentage drop at the higher resolution step suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint at 4K. In contrast, the relatively "small" 92 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p, when frame rates are already very high, suggests that the CPU may be starting to limit performance at 1080p. If the CPU were the sole bottleneck at 1080p, we would expect an even smaller FPS drop when moving to 1440p, as the GPU would have more headroom to work with. The fact that the frame rate drops so substantially indicates a balance shift, but the high absolute values at 1440p prove this system is well-suited for that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the benchmark data points to the High preset at 1440p as the optimal choice. This setting yields 167.3 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of many high-end monitors, while also providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium and Low settings. The jump from Medium to High at 1440p shows a frame rate decrease from 221 FPS to 167.3 FPS, but the visual fidelity improvement is typically worth the trade-off for a city builder where detail is appreciated.

At 4K, the High preset is the most balanced option, delivering 85.2 FPS. This is a highly playable frame rate for a genre that doesn't require lightning-fast reflexes. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 57.5 FPS, which, while still smooth, is a substantial 32.5% performance hit for what is likely a marginal visual gain. For players with 4K displays, the High preset seems to be the sweet spot. At 1080p, the High preset at 259.3 FPS is excessive for most displays, and users could easily opt for the Ultra preset at 173.6 FPS to maximize visual quality without any concerns about smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured average frame rates for this configuration, sorted by resolution and settings.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 351.8 FPS
• Medium: 320.5 FPS
• High: 259.3 FPS
• Ultra: 173.6 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 288.7 FPS
• Medium: 221 FPS
• High: 167.3 FPS
• Ultra: 113.4 FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 152.5 FPS
• Medium: 114.5 FPS
• High: 85.2 FPS
• Ultra: 57.5 FPS

The data shows a consistent performance hierarchy across all resolutions: Low is the fastest, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. The scaling is not linear, however. The difference between Low and Ultra is much more pronounced at 1080p (351.8 FPS to 173.6 FPS, a 178.2 FPS difference) than at 4K (152.5 FPS to 57.5 FPS, a 95 FPS difference). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the game's visual effects have a more significant relative impact on the CPU and GPU, while at 4K, the sheer pixel count dominates the performance cost.