Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder that stresses a system differently than typical shooters, and the measured results for the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination reflect that. The data shows a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, with the CPU taking on a more prominent role as the resolution increases and the rendering load shifts. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the component roles, and provides actionable settings guidance based on the benchmark rows.

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

The FPS deltas across resolutions reveal a classic bottleneck transition. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 378 FPS, but at 2560x1440 Low, that figure drops to 305 FPS, a reduction of 73 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160 Low yields 161 FPS, a further drop of 144 FPS from the 1440p result. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is notably steeper than from 1080p to 1440p, suggesting that the GPU's rendering throughput becomes the primary constraint as pixel count rises sharply.

For High settings, the trend is similar but with lower absolute numbers: 275 FPS at 1080p, 175 FPS at 1440p, and 92 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 36%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 47%. This accelerating decline indicates that the RTX 5090 D, despite its massive compute resources, is being saturated by the game's engine at higher resolutions, particularly when visual fidelity increases.

At Ultra settings, the pattern becomes even more pronounced. The 1080p Ultra score is 186 FPS, which falls to 118 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 62 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half of the 1080p Ultra figure, demonstrating that the combination of high resolution and maximum settings creates a rendering load that severely limits performance. The data suggests that at 1080p and even 1440p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, but at 4K, especially with Ultra presets, the GPU's pixel and texture processing becomes the definitive limiting factor.

The Medium settings row, which is the only one with min and max FPS data, shows a similar scaling curve: 343 FPS at 1080p, 234 FPS at 1440p, and 124 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these drops across all four settings presets confirms that resolution scaling is the dominant variable, and the limiting component shifts from the CPU at low resolutions to the GPU at high resolutions. For a city builder with potentially many on-screen entities, this indicates that the engine's draw calls are well-handled by the 20-core processor, but the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are what ultimately cap performance at 4K.

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 based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its 33 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support provide substantial bandwidth for feeding a high-end GPU. In the context of Steamworld Build, which is a city builder that often involves managing numerous agents and structures, the CPU's multi-threading capability is critical for maintaining simulation logic and game state updates, even if the FPS numbers are primarily driven by the GPU.

The benchmark data for the CPU shows strong performance: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 19620. The PassMark multithread score of 41317 and data compression score of 505885 further underscore its ability to handle parallel workloads. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53620, places it in the top tier. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which has an average score of 53288 (0.6% lower), and the AMD EPYC 7313P at 53206 (0.8% lower), showing that the i7-14700F is competitive with high-end desktop and server parts.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU's role is evident at 1080p Low, where the 378 FPS result is far above what a GPU-bound scenario would typically produce, indicating that the processor can feed frames at a very high rate. The fact that scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings only reduces FPS by about 19% suggests the CPU is still not a limiting factor at 1440p. However, at 4K Low, the 161 FPS result is a 47% drop from 1440p, which is more consistent with GPU limitations. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz likely helps with single-threaded game logic, while the 28 threads ensure that background simulation tasks do not cause frame hitches. The data shows that the i7-14700F provides ample headroom for this game, as the FPS drops are almost entirely attributable to resolution and settings changes rather than CPU stalls.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship GPU with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and it features 21760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. The 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are substantial, but the game's engine appears to be less sensitive to raw compute than to memory bandwidth and texture throughput. The 92nd percentile ranking versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712, places it near the top, though its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940, -1.6%) and NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79605, -2.4%), which are not direct desktop competitors.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU's role is primarily to render the 3D environment, including building models, terrain, and dynamic elements like moving vehicles. The 32 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for any resolution in this game, as the Ultra preset at 4K does not appear to be memory-limited based on the FPS figures. The GPU's performance at 4K Ultra, 62 FPS, is the lowest measured result, indicating that the rendering load at maximum settings is intense. The boost clock of 2407 MHz is relatively high, but the data suggests that the GPU's thermal and power management (575 W TDP) allows it to sustain high clocks under load, as evidenced by the consistent FPS across different settings.

The scaling from Medium to High to Ultra at any resolution shows a clear pattern: Ultra settings often halve the FPS compared to Medium. For example, at 1440p, Medium yields 234 FPS while Ultra yields 118 FPS. This suggests that Ultra presets likely enable effects that heavily tax the GPU's pixel shaders and ROPs, such as advanced lighting or shadows. The RTX 5090 D's 176 ROPs are capable, but the game's Ultra settings appear to introduce a significant fill rate challenge. The GPU's performance at 1080p Low (378 FPS) shows that it is not the bottleneck at lower settings, but at 4K Ultra, it becomes the clear limiting factor, with the CPU likely waiting on GPU frame rendering.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS is high across all presets. Low settings produce 378 FPS, Medium produces 343 FPS (with a min of 291 and max of 394), High produces 275 FPS, and Ultra produces 186 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 192 FPS, a 51% reduction. This indicates that at 1080p, the GPU has significant headroom, and the CPU's ability to process frames at over 300 FPS is the primary enabler. The Medium min FPS of 291 is still far above refresh rate targets for most displays.

At 2560x1440, the FPS values are lower but still very playable. Low yields 305 FPS, Medium yields 234 FPS (min 199, max 269), High yields 175 FPS, and Ultra yields 118 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces FPS by roughly 19-36% depending on the preset, with Ultra showing the smallest absolute drop (68 FPS) due to its already low starting point. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a min FPS of 199, which is still smooth for a city builder.

At 3840x2160, the FPS figures drop significantly. Low produces 161 FPS, Medium produces 124 FPS (min 105, max 142), High produces 92 FPS, and Ultra produces 62 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steep, especially for Low (from 305 to 161 FPS, a 47% reduction). The Medium preset's min FPS of 105 is close to the High preset's average of 92, suggesting that the GPU is nearing its limits at this resolution. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is the only result that falls below 60 FPS, indicating that 4K Ultra is the most demanding configuration in the data set. The measured rows show that the combination is capable of high refresh rates at lower resolutions, but 4K gaming with max settings will require compromises.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D holds a rank of 21 out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build. This places it in the top 1% of all configurations tested, based on the measured FPS data. The rank is impressive given that the game is a city builder, which often does not scale perfectly with the highest-end hardware due to engine limitations. The data indicates that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems, with only 20 other combinations achieving higher average FPS across the tested settings and resolutions.

The high rank is likely driven by the CPU's strong multi-threading and the GPU's massive bandwidth, which together minimize bottlenecks. However, the rank also shows that there is room for improvement, as some combos with even faster CPUs or more optimized GPUs may achieve higher scores. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, have similar average benchmark scores (53288 vs 53620), but the actual in-game rank depends on how the game utilizes the specific hardware. The GPU's nearest rivals, like the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, have comparable average scores but are mobile parts, so the desktop RTX 5090 D's rank is more meaningful in a desktop context. The data suggests that this combo is near the top of the performance hierarchy, and users can expect excellent frame rates in most scenarios, with the only exception being 4K Ultra where the rank's top position is still above 60 FPS average.

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

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, even Ultra settings provide 186 FPS, which is ideal for high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or 240Hz). The Medium preset at 343 FPS is overkill for most displays, so Ultra is recommended for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. At 2560x1440, Ultra yields 118 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS and suitable for 120Hz displays. For those with 144Hz monitors, High at 175 FPS is a better choice, as it offers a higher frame rate with only a modest visual reduction.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations change. High settings produce 92 FPS, which is playable on 60Hz displays but not ideal for high refresh rate monitors. Medium settings at 124 FPS are a better balance for 4K, providing a smoother experience while maintaining decent visual fidelity. Ultra at 62 FPS is borderline, but for a city builder where precise timing is less critical, it may be acceptable if visual quality is the priority. The Low preset at 161 FPS is not recommended for 4K because the visual downgrade is noticeable and the frame rate is unnecessary for most displays.

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently offers a good balance across all resolutions, with FPS ranging from 124 to 343. For the best experience, users should prioritize High at 1080p and 1440p for visual quality, and Medium at 4K to ensure smoothness. The Ultra preset is only advisable at 1080p and 1440p, as the 4K Ultra frame rate dips below 60 FPS, which may cause perceived stutter in a game with many moving elements.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Steamworld Build?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 378, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU rank compared to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 53620, which is 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X's score of 53288.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 2560x1440?

A: The minimum FPS for the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is 199 FPS, with a maximum of 269 FPS.

Q: How many total combos were tested for the rank, and what is this combo's position?

A: The combo ranks 21st out of 2924 tested combos in Steamworld Build.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and how does it relate to performance?

A: The GPU has 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth, which is likely a key factor in maintaining high FPS at 4K, as the game's textures and geometry require substantial data throughput.