Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder from late 2023, places distinct demands on hardware that differ from fast-paced shooters. The measured data for the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination reveals a system with substantial headroom, where the choice of graphics preset dramatically alters the experience. The benchmark results, drawn from 12 distinct resolution and settings combinations, show a component pairing that scales predictably, moving from a high-refresh-rate powerhouse at 1080p to a playable 4K experience only when settings are moderated. This analysis walks through the data step by step to determine the optimal configuration for this specific hardware pairing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data across resolutions makes the optimal settings path clear. For a smooth 4K experience, the High preset is the only viable option, delivering an average of 64.5 FPS. Dropping to Medium at 4K raises the average to 85.3 FPS, providing more headroom for complex city scenes that can cause frame drops. The Ultra preset at 4K falls to 47.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider ideal for a responsive experience, making it a poor choice for this resolution.

At 1440p, the data shows more flexibility. The High preset achieves 126.5 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the Ultra preset drops to 82.5 FPS, which is still playable but represents a significant performance cost. The Medium preset at 1440p hits 166.4 FPS, offering a substantial margin over High. For players prioritizing frame rate consistency over maximum visual fidelity, Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot, as it provides a 31.6% improvement over High while still looking substantially better than Low.

The 1080p results are where the RTX 4070 SUPER truly shines, with even the Ultra preset achieving 134.8 FPS. The High preset at 198.2 FPS and Medium at 266.9 FPS are both far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. Given the data, the recommended configuration for this pairing is the High preset at 1440p for the best balance of visual quality and performance. For 4K users, High is the only sensible choice, as it is the only preset above 60 FPS. Players with 1080p displays can confidently use Ultra, as the 134.8 FPS average provides ample headroom for the simulation overhead that city builders accumulate as populations grow.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of the measured frame rates. Its specifications include 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. These specifications translate into a PassMark G3D score of 29995, placing it at the 84th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's memory configuration is particularly relevant for a city builder like Steamworld Build, where large maps and numerous entities can consume significant video memory. The 12 GB capacity is sufficient for the Ultra preset at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result of 47.1 FPS suggests that the GPU is hitting a computational limit rather than a memory limitation. The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is ample for this title, as evidenced by the smooth scaling from Low to High settings.

The RTX 4070 SUPER's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA RTX A6000 with an average score of 42653 (0.2% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE at 42723 (0.3% higher). The performance delta between these cards is negligible, meaning the 4070 SUPER is positioned in a competitive performance tier. The GPU's compute capabilities, shown by a PassMark GPU Compute score of 17108, are more than adequate for the physics and simulation calculations that city builders require. The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, but at lower resolutions, the CPU becomes more involved.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo to maintain at least 120 FPS?

A: The 1440p Medium preset achieves 166.4 FPS, and the 1440p High preset reaches 126.5 FPS. At 1080p, all presets from Medium to Ultra exceed 134 FPS, with Low hitting 346.2 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER capable of 4K gaming in Steamworld Build?

A: Yes, but only with settings changes. The High preset at 4K yields 64.5 FPS, and Medium yields 85.3 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 47.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 54097, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and 1.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D. It is 1.2% higher than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290.

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

A: The Low preset averages 346.2 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 134.8 FPS. This represents a 61.1% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest visual quality settings.

Q: Does the GPU's memory bandwidth become a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: The data does not indicate a memory bandwidth bottleneck. The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth supports consistent frame rates across settings, with the 4K Ultra drop to 47.1 FPS more likely attributable to the GPU's shading and rasterization workload.

Q: How does this combination rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 267 out of 1730 tested combinations, placing it in the top 15.4% of all hardware pairings for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete matrix of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. Starting at 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 346.2 FPS. Moving up the settings ladder, Medium averages 266.9 FPS, High averages 198.2 FPS, and Ultra averages 134.8 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a consistent reduction in frame rate, with each tier costing roughly 60-70 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are more pronounced. Low averages 220.2 FPS, which is a 36.4% decrease from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 166.4 FPS, High averages 126.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 82.5 FPS. The gap between Medium and High at 1440p is 39.9 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 44.0 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset carries a heavier penalty at this resolution.

The 3840x2160 results show the most dramatic scaling. Low averages 118 FPS, which is still a very playable number for 4K. Medium averages 85.3 FPS, High averages 64.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 47.1 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K is steep, with Ultra delivering only 39.9% of the Low preset's frame rate. This data confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER is capable of 4K gaming, but only when the user is willing to compromise on visual settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the workload in Steamworld Build. At the Low preset, the transition from 1080p to 4K reduces the average FPS from 346.2 to 118, a 65.9% decrease. This substantial drop indicates that even at Low settings, the game is heavily GPU-bound, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

At the Ultra preset, the scaling is less severe in percentage terms but still significant. The average drops from 134.8 FPS at 1080p to 47.1 FPS at 4K, a 65.1% decrease. The similarity in the percentage drop between Low and Ultra presets suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting component across all settings. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, does not appear to be a bottleneck at any resolution, as the frame rates remain high even at 1080p Low where the GPU is least stressed.

The 1440p results serve as the middle ground. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 198.2 FPS at 1080p to 126.5 FPS at 1440p, a 36.2% decrease. This is less than the 4K drop, indicating that the rendering workload scales predictably with pixel count. The data supports the conclusion that Steamworld Build is a GPU-intensive title, and the RTX 4070 SUPER is the component that determines the playable settings envelope.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F provides the computational foundation for this system. With 20 cores and 28 threads, it is a high-core-count processor designed for multitasking and heavy workloads. The CPU operates at a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. Its benchmark results are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003.

In Steamworld Build, a city builder that simulates numerous agents and economic systems, the CPU's multi-threading capabilities are relevant. The PassMark multi-thread score of 41765 and the integer math score of 157242 indicate strong parallel processing ability. However, the measured FPS data does not show any indication of CPU bottlenecking. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU workload is lowest, the frame rate reaches 346.2 FPS, which is far beyond what any current display can show.

The CPU's single-thread performance, shown by a PassMark single-thread score of 4261 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2711, is also sufficient. The 5.40 GHz boost clock ensures that the main simulation thread, which is often single-threaded in city builders, runs efficiently. The CPU's rank at the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54097, places it just slightly below the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X in performance, but this difference does not translate into measurable FPS differences in this game. The data confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting factor in most scenarios, with the CPU providing ample headroom for the game's simulation logic.