Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder, and the data for the Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 shows a combination that is decisively limited by the graphics card at higher resolutions, but which still delivers exceptionally high frame rates. The measured results across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system with substantial headroom, though the specific bottlenecks shift depending on where you point it. This analysis breaks down how the CPU and GPU contribute to the performance, how the frame rates scale, and what settings provide the best experience based on the measured data.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It operates at a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which is a significant frequency range that allows for both efficient multi-threaded workloads and high single-thread performance when needed. The processor is built on Intel's 10 nm process node and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, indicating a versatile platform for various system configurations.

In the context of Steamworld Build, a genre that typically involves managing many entities and simulating city systems, the CPU's multi-threading capabilities are relevant. The benchmark data shows the i7-14700F scoring 35,122 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,958 in single-core, placing it in the 91st percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 53,620 is nearly identical to that of the Intel Xeon 6505P, which scores 53,701 (a delta of -0.2%), and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which scores 53,288 (a delta of 0.6%). This indicates that the CPU has ample processing power to handle the game's logic, and it is unlikely to be the limiting factor when frame rates are low.

This is supported by the measured frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 332 FPS, and at 1440p with Low settings, it hits 211 FPS. These are extremely high numbers, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU far more frames than the graphics card can render at these settings. The game's simulation load, which often scales with population and building count, is likely handled comfortably by the 28 threads. The data suggests that even at High settings, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck; the difference between resolutions is more telling of GPU load than CPU load. The processor's high single-core boost clock of 5.40 GHz also helps with game logic that is not perfectly parallelized, ensuring that no single core becomes a constraint. The lack of a notable drop in performance from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (from 332 to 211 FPS) indicates a GPU limitation, as a CPU-bound scenario would show similar FPS regardless of resolution.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the clear driver of visual performance in this configuration. It features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz. With 6,144 shading units and 48 ray tracing cores, it is a modern Blackwell 2.0 architecture part designed for high-fidelity rendering.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU's role becomes evident when examining the frame rate deltas between settings. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is massive, moving from 112 FPS down to 43 FPS. This is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where the rendering workload at higher settings and resolutions overwhelms the graphics card. The RTX 5070's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 29,137 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5,077, place it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 40,377 is very close to that of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40,318, delta of 0.1%), but it is 2% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (39,568). This suggests the RTX 5070 is a capable mid-to-high-end card that can handle most games, but it has its limits.

The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, especially with higher presets. The 12 GB of VRAM is a relevant factor here. While the measured data does not explicitly include VRAM usage, the steep drop from Medium (85 FPS) to Ultra (43 FPS) at 4K suggests that the higher preset may be demanding more memory or compute resources than the card can efficiently manage. At 1080p, the GPU still has work to do, but the frame rates are so high (190 FPS at High) that the game is likely well within the card's comfort zone. The RTX 5070's performance is sufficient to push past 60 FPS at 4K on High settings, but falls short of that on Ultra, which is a critical distinction for users looking to maximize visual fidelity. The card's 250 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is a power-hungry part, but the benchmark results show it delivers consistent performance across the board.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured frame rates provide a clear picture of how the system scales with resolution. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 190 at 1080p to 121 at 1440p, and then to 64 at 4K. This is a stark reduction: moving from 1080p to 1440p results in a 36% decrease in FPS, and moving to 4K results in a 66% decrease from the 1080p baseline. Similarly, at Low settings, the drop is from 332 FPS at 1080p to 211 FPS at 1440p, and then to 112 FPS at 4K. This pattern strongly indicates that the system is heavily GPU-bound. A CPU-bound system would show much smaller differences when the resolution changes, because the CPU's workload (game logic) remains constant regardless of pixel count.

The scaling is not perfectly linear, which is typical. The drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings (121 to 64 FPS) is a 47% reduction, which is roughly proportional to the increase in pixel count (from 3.7 million to 8.3 million pixels). This confirms that the RTX 5070 is being pushed to its limits at 4K. The data suggests that the CPU has enough headroom to handle the game's simulation even at lower resolutions, where the GPU can render frames much faster. At 1080p Low, the system hits 332 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's practical framerate limit for the game's logic, but it is still not a bottleneck because the GPU is producing so many frames.

The fact that the frame rates at 1080p Low (332 FPS) and 1440p Low (211 FPS) are both very high indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at these settings. The GPU is doing the heavy lifting, and as the resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, causing the FPS to drop. This is a textbook example of a graphics-card-limited system in a city builder, where the visual complexity often scales with the amount of on-screen detail. The data implies that for users with high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p monitors, this combo can easily saturate the display, but at 4K, the user must be more mindful of the graphics settings to maintain a high frame rate.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a standard 60 Hz 4K display, the High preset at 3840x2160 is the best choice, delivering an average of 64 FPS. This is the only 4K setting that achieves above 60 FPS, as Medium drops to 85 FPS (which is also good, but High offers better visual quality for a minimal FPS loss), and Ultra falls to 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that High at 4K is the sweet spot for a smooth experience with good visuals.

For 1440p users, the High preset is also recommended, as it provides 121 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset offers 162 FPS, but the jump to High is worth it for the visual improvement, given that the frame rate remains well above 60 FPS. Low at 1440p is unnecessary, as it only pushes the frame rate to 211 FPS, which is beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p (82 FPS) is also viable, but High offers a better balance of performance and quality.

At 1080p, the High preset (190 FPS) is the clear winner for most users. It provides a very high frame rate that can take advantage of 144Hz or 165Hz monitors. Medium (254 FPS) and Low (332 FPS) offer even higher frame rates, but the visual fidelity at High is much better, and the performance is already so high that there is no practical need to lower the settings. The Ultra preset at 1080p (128 FPS) is also playable, but the difference between High and Ultra is likely less noticeable at this resolution than the performance cost (a 33% FPS drop). In summary, the data suggests that High is the best all-around preset for this combo, with the caveat that 4K Ultra is not a viable option for a consistent 60 FPS experience. For users with a 120Hz+ 4K display, the 4K Medium setting (85 FPS) might be a better choice than High, but for standard displays, High is the recommended balance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations, the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combo ranks 685th out of 3,706 total combos for Steamworld Build. This places it in the top 18.5% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. The percentile data for the individual components supports this: the CPU is in the 91st percentile and the GPU is in the 82nd percentile, but the combined rank is lower than either individual percentile, suggesting that the pairing is well-matched but not the absolute top-tier configuration.

The rank of 685 indicates that while this is a high-performing combo, there are many other systems that achieve better results in this game. This is likely because Steamworld Build is not an extremely demanding game, and even lower-end GPUs can achieve high frame rates at lower settings. The combo's high rank is primarily due to its ability to maintain high frame rates at 4K High settings, which is a feat that many other combos cannot achieve. However, the fact that it falls to 43 FPS at 4K Ultra pulls down its overall ranking, as other systems with more powerful GPUs (like the RTX 5090 or RX 7900 XTX, which are not in this data) would not have this issue.

Compared to the nearest rivals for the individual components, this combo is well-balanced. The CPU is competitive with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, and the GPU is comparable to the AMD Radeon Pro 580, but the combination of the two is what matters. The measured data shows that this system is capable of playing the game at high settings across all resolutions, but its rank suggests that it is not in the top echelon for 4K Ultra enthusiasts. The data indicates that this is a solid, high-end mainstream combo that will satisfy most users, but it is not a halo product. The 685th rank out of 3,706 reflects its overall capability, but also a hint that for the absolute best 4K performance, a more powerful GPU would be necessary.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 332 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At High settings, the average is 190 FPS.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with the highest settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 43, which is below the 60 FPS target. To achieve over 60 FPS at 4K, you must use the High preset, which delivers 64 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the CPU compared to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 53,620, which is 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (53,288) and 0.3% higher than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53,469). It is slightly slower than the Intel Xeon 6505P by 0.2%.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile compared to all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40,377. This places it above the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40,063) but below the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40,870).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset produces an average of 162 FPS, while the High preset produces 121 FPS. This is a 41 FPS difference, which is a notable drop, but both are well above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound based on the data?

A: The data indicates the system is heavily GPU-bound. The frame rates drop significantly with resolution increases (e.g., from 190 FPS at 1080p High to 64 FPS at 4K High), which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's high benchmark scores and the very high frame rates at lower resolutions suggest it is not the primary constraint.