Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build places the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination in a specific performance bracket. The measured data shows a system that is fully capable of delivering smooth gameplay at standard resolutions, but which encounters predictable limitations as pixel count and visual fidelity increase. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on how the CPU and GPU interact across different settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 207.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 133.6 FPS, a reduction of roughly 36%. The jump to 4K Low yields 71.4 FPS, which is another 47% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the rendering load on the GPU scales directly with pixel count.

The scaling behavior is even more pronounced on the High preset. At 1080p High, the system achieves 119.3 FPS. This falls to 78.7 FPS at 1440p High, a 34% decrease. At 4K High, the average FPS drops to 37.6, which is a 52% reduction from the 1440p result. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources become increasingly strained as resolution rises, particularly when higher-quality textures and effects are enabled.

The Ultra preset demonstrates the most dramatic scaling curve. The system manages 79.4 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is still playable, but this falls to 50.8 FPS at 1440p Ultra and then to 28.4 FPS at 4K Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that this combination is not suited for maximum fidelity at the highest resolution. The data clearly shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the bottleneck in this pairing; the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates when the pixel workload becomes heavy.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Steamworld Build?

A: The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo delivers 78.7 FPS, which is smooth, while 4K High drops to 37.6 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold. 1080p High is excellent at 119.3 FPS, but 1440p offers a better balance of visual detail and performance.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: The measured results show a significant performance cost for Ultra settings. At 1440p, High produces 78.7 FPS, while Ultra produces 50.8 FPS. This is a 35% reduction in frame rate for the higher preset, which may not be justified by the visual gains in a city builder.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Steamworld Build?

A: Yes, but only with reduced settings. At 4K Low, the combo achieves 71.4 FPS, which is playable. However, 4K Medium drops to 52.8 FPS, and 4K High falls to 37.6 FPS. For 4K, the data suggests that Low or Medium settings are the practical limit for this hardware.

Q: How does the CPU's performance influence the game's frame rates?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has 20 cores and 28 threads, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443, indicate it is a high-end processor. In this game, the CPU appears to be sufficient, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance.

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

A: The data shows a massive difference. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 207.5 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra, it gets 79.4 FPS. This represents a 62% reduction in performance, indicating that the Ultra preset places a heavy load on the GPU.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 1055 out of 1730 tested combos for Steamworld Build. This places it in the lower half of all tested configurations, suggesting that while it is capable, many other systems deliver higher frame rates in this specific title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core processor with 28 threads, built on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz, and it boosts up to 5.40 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 35443 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5003 in single-core, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, which scores 54450 (a 0.6% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, which scores 54681 (a 1.1% delta). This indicates the i7-14700F is a very strong processor, only slightly behind the top AMD offerings.

In the context of Steamworld Build, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. City builders can be CPU-intensive due to simulation logic, but the measured FPS data shows a clear GPU bottleneck. The frame rates drop dramatically with resolution increases, which would not happen if the CPU were the limiting factor. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system produces 207.5 FPS, suggesting the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than the GPU can render at higher resolutions.

The single-core performance is particularly relevant for game logic. The i7-14700F scores 5003 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is a strong result. This helps ensure that the game's simulation thread does not become a bottleneck. However, the data indicates that at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 28.4 FPS, which is far below what the CPU could theoretically support. This confirms that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting component in this pairing, and the CPU has ample headroom for this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the High preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p High, the system achieves 119.3 FPS, which is well above the smooth threshold. At 1440p High, it produces 78.7 FPS, which is still very playable and offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p. The High preset appears to be the optimal choice for players who want a good-looking game without sacrificing frame rate.

The Medium preset is a viable alternative for those targeting 4K. At 4K Medium, the combo achieves 52.8 FPS, which is playable, though not as smooth as the 1440p High result. For players who prioritize resolution over detail, Medium at 4K is a reasonable option. The Low preset is the only way to achieve high frame rates at 4K, with 71.4 FPS, but the visual quality will be noticeably reduced.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this hardware. At 1080p Ultra, the system gets 79.4 FPS, which is acceptable, but at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 50.8 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 28.4 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra is too high for the visual benefits it provides. The data strongly suggests that High is the best setting for this combination, offering a high frame rate at 1080p and 1440p, while maintaining a playable experience at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1055 out of 1730 tested combos for Steamworld Build. This places it in the 61st percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 39% of tested configurations perform better in this game. Given that the CPU is a high-end part (94th percentile overall), the ranking is primarily dragged down by the GPU.

The RTX 2070 SUPER has a PassMark G3D score of 18169, which places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400 (scoring 22307, a 0.5% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (scoring 21670, a 2.5% delta). The GPU's average benchmark score is 22206. This data shows that the GPU is a mid-range part from a previous generation, and it is the limiting factor in this pairing.

The rank of 1055 out of 1730 is a clear indicator that this is not a high-end gaming setup by current standards. However, it is far from the bottom of the list. The system is capable of delivering a good experience at 1080p and 1440p, but it will not compete with systems using newer, more powerful GPUs. For a city builder like Steamworld Build, which may not be as graphically demanding as AAA shooters, this rank is acceptable, but users should be aware of its limitations at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination. All figures are from the benchmark database.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 207.5 FPS
• Medium: 163.1 FPS
• High: 119.3 FPS
• Ultra: 79.4 FPS

At 2560x1440, the results are as follows:

• Low: 133.6 FPS
• Medium: 102.0 FPS
• High: 78.7 FPS
• Ultra: 50.8 FPS

At 3840x2160, the results are as follows:

• Low: 71.4 FPS
• Medium: 52.8 FPS
• High: 37.6 FPS
• Ultra: 28.4 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern across all settings: performance drops significantly as resolution increases. The most substantial drop occurs between 1440p and 4K, where the pixel count more than doubles. For example, at High settings, the frame rate falls from 78.7 FPS at 1440p to 37.6 FPS at 4K, a 52% reduction. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for playable performance. The combination of this CPU and GPU is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates on most presets.