Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder released in 2023, presents a distinctive performance profile when paired with the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. The measured FPS data across three resolutions and four quality presets reveals how this combination balances CPU and GPU demands, and where the system's limits lie.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values show a clear pattern of degradation as resolution increases. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 131 at 1920x1080 to 79.8 at 2560x1440, then to 43.3 at 3840x2160. That is a loss of 51.2 frames from 1080p to 1440p, and another 36.5 frames from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear; the gap between 1440p and 4K is smaller than the gap between 1080p and 1440p, suggesting that the GPU becomes progressively more dominant as pixel count rises.

At Low settings, the same trend appears: 223.1 FPS at 1080p, 144.1 at 1440p, and 75.2 at 4K. The 4K Low result is still above 75 FPS, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 68.9 frames, a substantial reduction. At Ultra, the numbers are 86.9, 56.9, and 30.8 respectively. The 4K Ultra figure of 30.8 is the lowest in the entire dataset, indicating that the RTX 4060 is heavily taxed at that resolution and quality level.

The data implies that the CPU is not the primary limiter at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system can push 223.1 FPS, which is far beyond typical display refresh rates. As resolution climbs, the GPU's workload increases, and the frame rate falls accordingly. The consistent pattern across all four settings—where 4K always yields less than half of the 1080p frame rate—points to the GPU as the bottleneck in this pairing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1830 MHz, with a boost clock of 2460 MHz, and the memory runs at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). These specifications are modest for a modern GPU, and the benchmark results reflect that. The GPU's average benchmark score is 23181, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6600M with an average score of 23321 and a deltaPct of -0.6, meaning the RTX 4060 is slightly lower. The Intel Arc B580 is 0.7% higher, and the AMD Radeon 760M is 0.8% higher.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth appear to be sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result of 30.8 FPS suggests that the 8 GB frame buffer and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are not enough to maintain smooth performance at the highest settings. The boost clock of 2460 MHz helps at lower resolutions, where the GPU can keep up with the CPU's output. The Passmark G3D score of 19545 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 provide additional context, but the measured FPS data is the most direct evidence of the GPU's role in this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows offer clear guidance for each resolution. At 1920x1080, all four settings produce playable frame rates: Low 223.1, Medium 176.1, High 131, and Ultra 86.9. The step from High to Ultra costs 44.1 FPS, which is a significant drop, but Ultra still remains above 80 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, High at 131 FPS is a strong choice, while Ultra at 86.9 FPS is viable for those who prioritize image fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the options are more constrained. Low yields 144.1 FPS, Medium 111.2, High 79.8, and Ultra 56.9. The difference between Medium and High is 31.4 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 22.9 FPS. Medium at 111.2 FPS offers a good compromise, but High at 79.8 FPS is still above 75 FPS and provides better visuals. Ultra at 56.9 FPS may be acceptable for some, but the data shows a clear drop below 60.

At 3840x2160, only Low reaches a high frame rate: 75.2 FPS. Medium drops to 56.9, High to 43.3, and Ultra to 30.8. The gap between Low and Medium is 18.3 FPS, and between Medium and High is 13.6 FPS. For 4K gaming, Low is the only setting that maintains a frame rate above 70, while Medium and High are borderline. Ultra is not recommended based on the measured 30.8 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 960th out of 1730 tested combos in Steamworld Build. That places it roughly in the middle of the field. The CPU itself is a high performer, with a percentileVsAllCpus of 96 and an average benchmark score of 70074. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-14700KF with a deltaPct of 0, meaning identical performance. The AMD EPYC 9115 is 0.3% higher, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is 0.5% lower, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 is 1.4% lower.

The GPU, however, is more modest. Its percentileVsAllGpus is 66, and its average benchmark score is 23181. The nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (deltaPct -0.6), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (-0.7), Intel Arc B580 (0.7), and AMD Radeon 760M (0.8). The combination's mid-pack rank reflects the GPU's limitations, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, but the GPU's performance ceiling prevents the combo from reaching the top tiers.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra with this combo?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 30.8.

Q: Which setting at 2560x1440 provides the highest frame rate?

A: Low settings yield 144.1 FPS at 2560x1440, the highest of the four presets.

Q: How does the RTX 4060's average benchmark score compare to the Intel Arc B580?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average score of 23181, while the Intel Arc B580 has 23021, with a deltaPct of 0.7.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has a boost clock of 5.60 GHz.

Q: How many cores and threads does the i7-14700K have?

A: It has 20 cores and 28 threads.

Q: What is the combo's rank in Steamworld Build?

A: It ranks 960th out of 1730 tested combos.

Measured FPS Breakdown

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 43.3 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 75.2 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 56.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 30.8 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 79.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 144.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 111.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 56.9 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 131 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 223.1 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 176.1 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 86.9 |

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It has 33 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are strong: Cinebench R23 multicore 44534, singlecore 6287, Geekbench multicore 18896, singlecore 2932, and Passmark multithread 52392. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 96 indicates it outperforms the vast majority of processors.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 223.1 FPS, which is far beyond what the GPU can sustain at higher settings. This suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p, and the high single-core performance (Cinebench R23 singlecore 6287) likely handles the game's simulation logic efficiently. The multicore capability (44534 in Cinebench R23) supports background tasks and any additional processing the city builder requires.

As resolution increases, the CPU's influence diminishes. The frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior, and the CPU's ample headroom means it is not the limiting factor at 1440p or 4K. The data indicates that the i7-14700K provides a solid foundation for this game, but the RTX 4060's performance ceiling ultimately defines the experience.