Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder from late 2023, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination. The measured data reveals a component pairing that scales predictably with resolution, but the performance ceilings at lower resolutions expose where the bottleneck truly lies. The benchmark results indicate a system capable of delivering high frame rates across the board, yet the relationship between settings and FPS is not always linear, suggesting that the game's engine has specific demands that this hardware meets with varying degrees of efficiency.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a classic performance curve as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop-off is revealing. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 334.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 214.4 FPS, a significant reduction of roughly 36%. The jump to 4K further reduces the average to 112.3 FPS, which is about 48% lower than the 1440p result. This pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly.

However, the scaling behavior changes when we look at higher settings. With Ultra settings, the 1080p average is 129.5 FPS, while 1440p yields 85 FPS, and 4K dips to 41.7 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p here is about 34%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is a steeper 51%. This suggests that as graphical fidelity increases, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, especially at 4K. The data implies that the RTX 5070 is well-suited for high refresh rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra is a demanding scenario where the frame rate falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating a need for settings adjustments.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing holds a combo rank of 308 out of 1730 in Steamworld Build. This places it in the top 18% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing for a city builder that may not be as graphically intensive as other genres. The rank suggests that while the hardware is powerful, there are other combos that achieve higher performance in this particular game, likely those with more powerful GPUs or CPUs that scale better with the game's engine.

The rank is not a measure of failure but rather a position within a broad spectrum. For context, the CPU itself ranks in the 96th percentile against all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 83rd percentile against all GPUs. The combo rank of 308 out of 1730 indicates that the pairing of these two high-percentile components results in a system that is better than the vast majority of others, but it also highlights that the game may respond more favorably to certain hardware configurations. The data suggests that the i7-14700K is not holding back the RTX 5070 at higher resolutions, but at 1080p, the CPU might be the ceiling, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 comes with 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. In Steamworld Build, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution and settings increase. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 41.7, which is a stark contrast to the 334.2 FPS at 1080p Low. This 8x difference in performance is primarily driven by the GPU's workload in rendering more pixels and applying more complex effects.

The memory capacity of 12 GB is a relevant factor for a city builder, where large maps with numerous entities can consume significant VRAM. The data does not show any VRAM-related stutters, but the performance drop from High to Ultra at 4K (66.1 to 41.7 FPS) suggests that the Ultra preset may be pushing the GPU's limits in terms of both compute and memory bandwidth. The GPU's FP32 performance of 30.87 TFLOPS is substantial, yet the game's engine appears to have a heavy demand for pixel throughput, as evidenced by the significant FPS penalties at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 194.1 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate commonly found in gaming monitors.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 41.7, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. This suggests that Ultra settings at 4K are too demanding for this combination.

Q: Is there a big difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows a difference of 40.2 FPS on average. At 2560x1440, Medium settings yield 160.6 FPS, while High settings yield 120.4 FPS. This is a noticeable drop, but both are playable.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain over 100 FPS?

A: At 1080p, all settings except Ultra (129.5 FPS) remain above 194 FPS. At 1440p, Low and Medium settings are above 160 FPS, and High is at 120.4 FPS. At 4K, only Low (112.3 FPS) and Medium (88.8 FPS) are above 60 FPS, with High at 66.1 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5070's VRAM affect performance in this game?

A: The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory. The data does not indicate any performance degradation due to VRAM limits, but the significant FPS drop at 4K Ultra suggests that the game's memory usage at that preset is high, potentially straining the available bandwidth.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is ranked 308th out of 1730 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the top 18% of all configurations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It features 33 MB of shared L3 cache. In Steamworld Build, a city builder that relies heavily on simulation logic, the CPU's role is critical at lower resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p, the FPS is exceptionally high (334.2 at Low), which indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates.

However, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant drop in FPS, even at Low settings (334.2 to 214.4). This suggests that the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor at 1080p, but as the resolution increases, the GPU takes on more work. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6287, likely helps in maintaining stable frame times in simulation-heavy scenes. The data implies that the i7-14700K provides ample processing power for this game, ensuring that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at resolutions above 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the High preset at 194.1 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, easily supporting high refresh rate displays. The Ultra preset at 129.5 FPS is still very playable and might be preferred for those who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate.

At 1440p, the Medium preset provides 160.6 FPS, which is a sweet spot for smooth gameplay. High settings at 120.4 FPS are also a strong choice for a more visually rich experience. The Ultra preset at 85 FPS is still above 60 FPS, making it viable for most users, but the 44% drop from Medium to Ultra suggests diminishing returns in performance for the visual upgrade.

For 4K, the data recommends the Low preset at 112.3 FPS for the highest frame rate, but the Medium preset at 88.8 FPS offers a better visual experience while remaining well above 60 FPS. The High preset at 66.1 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 41.7 FPS should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept a sub-60 FPS experience. The data suggests that Medium at 4K is the most balanced choice for this combination.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 334.2 (Low) to 129.5 (Ultra). The Low setting is the fastest, followed by Medium at 257.1, High at 194.1, and Ultra at 129.5. The differences are substantial, with a 204.7 FPS gap between Low and Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 214.4 (Low), 160.6 (Medium), 120.4 (High), and 85 (Ultra). The pattern is consistent, with each higher preset reducing the frame rate by roughly 25-30%. The gap between Low and Ultra is 129.4 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 112.3 (Low), 88.8 (Medium), 66.1 (High), and 41.7 (Ultra). The drop from High to Ultra is 24.4 FPS, the largest single-step decrease in the 4K data. This suggests that the Ultra preset imposes a particularly heavy load on the GPU, likely due to advanced effects and higher texture quality. Overall, the data shows a clear hierarchy: lower resolutions and settings yield higher frame rates, and the RTX 5070's performance scales in a predictable manner, with the CPU providing a solid foundation for high FPS at 1080p and 1440p.