Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder where simulation logic often matters as much as raw rendering, but the benchmark data for the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 tells a clear story about GPU scaling across resolutions. The measured frame rates show a steep, predictable curve from 1080p to 4K, indicating that this combo becomes increasingly GPU-bound as pixel count rises, while at lower resolutions the high-frequency CPU keeps the pipeline fed.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the shape of that drop varies heavily by graphics preset. At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 131.1 at 1920x1080 to 83.9 at 2560x1440, and then to 41.6 at 3840x2160. That is a 68.3% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits at the highest resolution. The RTX 5070’s 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the texture loads, but the sheer pixel throughput at 4K Ultra overwhelms the 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

At Medium settings, the scaling is less aggressive but still pronounced. The average FPS goes from 254.8 at 1080p to 164.6 at 1440p, and finally to 86.4 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is 66.1%, which is only slightly better than Ultra, suggesting that the game’s Medium preset still relies heavily on pixel shading. The Low preset tells a different story: 338.6 FPS at 1080p, 211.1 at 1440p, and 115.0 at 4K. The 4K Low result is still very playable, but the 66.1% drop from 1080p to 4K persists, indicating that even with reduced effects, the RTX 5070’s 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs are the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The High preset sits squarely in the middle of the pack. At 1080p, the average FPS is 194.4, which drops to 123.1 at 1440p and 65.7 at 4K. This represents a 66.2% decline from 1080p to 4K, nearly identical to the other presets. The consistency of this ~66% drop across all settings strongly implies that the resolution scaling is purely GPU-bound, with the CPU not becoming a bottleneck until frame rates exceed 300 FPS at 1080p Low. The data shows that the i7-13700K’s 5.40 GHz boost clock and 30 MB of shared L3 cache are more than adequate to feed the RTX 5070 at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070’s role in this title is defined by its memory subsystem and clock speeds. The GPU runs at a base clock of 2325 MHz and boosts to 2512 MHz, with memory operating at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The 192-bit memory bus delivers 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for a city builder that often has to stream in textures for numerous buildings and units simultaneously. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for 4K Ultra in this game, as evidenced by the 41.6 FPS average, but it is not over-provisioned.

The GPU’s benchmark scores indicate it is a mid-to-high-tier part. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 179413 show strong raw compute, but its PassMark G3D score of 29137 is the more relevant metric for this game’s DirectX 12 rendering path. The RTX 5070 sits at the 83rd percentile against all GPUs, which means it outperforms the majority of installed hardware but is not in the top tier. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which has a deltaPct of 0.6, meaning the RTX 5070 is roughly on par with that previous-generation flagship in average benchmark score.

The 250 W TDP and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface are consistent with a modern mid-range card. The GPU’s 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are present, but Steamworld Build is not a ray-tracing-heavy title, so these units likely have minimal impact on the measured FPS. Instead, the 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs are the workhorses, and their performance at 4K Ultra (41.6 FPS) versus 4K Low (115.0 FPS) shows a 63.8% performance swing based purely on rasterization workload.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested combinations for Steamworld Build, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 296th out of 1730 combos. That places it in the top 17.1% of all tested systems, which is a strong result for a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU. The i7-13700K itself is a formidable CPU, ranking at the 93rd percentile against all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 47282. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF, scores 47334, a deltaPct of -0.1, meaning the K-series part is essentially identical in synthetic performance.

The GPU’s ranking is lower, at the 83rd percentile, but its average benchmark score of 41687 is closely matched by the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (41610, deltaPct 0.2) and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 (41897, deltaPct -0.5). This suggests that in purely synthetic workloads, the RTX 5070 trades blows with older professional cards, but in actual gaming at 1080p and 1440p, the measured FPS shows it is more than capable. The combo rank of 296 indicates that while the CPU is near the top of its class, the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing, which is typical for a balanced but not overkill build.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset averages 338.6 FPS, which is far beyond any monitor’s refresh rate and indicates the CPU is doing the heavy lifting. Medium averages 254.8 FPS, High averages 194.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 131.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 207.5 FPS, showing that the RTX 5070 has ample headroom at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains high but the GPU starts to show its limits. Low averages 211.1 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. Medium averages 164.6 FPS, High averages 123.1 FPS, and Ultra averages 83.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 127.2 FPS, indicating that the higher settings are now consuming more of the GPU’s resources.

At 3840x2160, the system becomes firmly GPU-bound. Low averages 115.0 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 86.4 FPS and High to 65.7 FPS. Ultra is the most demanding, averaging just 41.6 FPS. The performance delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 73.4 FPS, and the Ultra result is the only one that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only setting where a reduction in quality or resolution would be recommended for a smooth experience.

The High preset at 4K, at 65.7 FPS, is the sweet spot for this combo if you want to maintain high fidelity without dropping below 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K, at 86.4 FPS, offers a better margin for dips, while Low at 115.0 FPS is the clear choice for maximum fluidity on a 4K display.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 4K gameplay with this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 86.4 FPS, which is the highest quality setting that remains comfortably above 60 FPS. The High preset averages 65.7 FPS, which is playable but leaves less headroom for complex scenes. Ultra averages 41.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system averages 338.6 FPS, which is exceptionally high. This indicates the GPU is keeping up with the CPU’s output. The i7-13700K’s boost clock of 5.40 GHz and 16 cores ensure it can handle the simulation logic without limiting frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic tests?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 41687. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, scores 41441, giving the RTX 5070 a deltaPct of 0.6, meaning it is slightly faster on average in synthetic benchmarks.

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

A: At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 83.9 FPS while Low averages 211.1 FPS. This represents a 127.2 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset adds significant GPU load compared to Low.

Q: How many cores does the i7-13700K have, and what is its boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has 16 cores and 24 threads. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.40 GHz.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top 20% of all tested systems?

A: Yes, this combo ranks 296th out of 1730 tested combinations, placing it in the top 17.1% of all systems tested for Steamworld Build. This is driven primarily by the CPU’s high percentile ranking of 93, while the GPU ranks at the 83rd percentile.