Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder that scales unusually hard with both resolution and graphical presets, and the combination of Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 produces a wide spread of frame rates depending on where you point it. The measured data shows a system that can chase high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, but one that also gets decisively pulled back to earth at 4K Ultra. The benchmark results reveal a pairing where the GPU is the clear star at lower resolutions, while the CPU’s 20 cores and 28 threads keep the simulation from becoming a bottleneck in the most demanding moments.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about which component is doing the heavy lifting. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 238.6 at 1920x1080 to 154.8 at 2560x1440, then down to 79.5 at 3840x2160. That is a 66.6% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, which indicates that the RTX 5080’s rendering workload is scaling directly with pixel count. The GPU is the limiting factor here, as the CPU has plenty of headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions but cannot compensate for the massive increase in pixel shading at 4K.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution reinforces this conclusion. At 4K, Low settings produce 143.4 FPS average, Medium drops to 105.8 FPS, High falls to 79.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 54.2 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 89.2 FPS, which is a 62.2% performance penalty for maxing out the visual quality. At 1080p, the same Low-to-Ultra spread goes from 393.9 FPS down to 163.3 FPS, a 230.6 FPS difference. The absolute drop is larger at 1080p, but the relative penalty is similar, showing that the game’s settings scale consistently regardless of resolution.

What is more telling is the ratio between resolutions. At Low settings, the RTX 5080 delivers 393.9 FPS at 1080p, 268.8 FPS at 1440p, and 143.4 FPS at 4K. That is roughly a 1.46x drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 1.87x drop from 1440p to 4K. These ratios are close to the theoretical pixel count differences, which means the game is not introducing any CPU-side bottlenecks at low graphical complexity. The GPU is purely pixel-bound, and the i7-14700KF is keeping up with the demand.

However, at Ultra settings, the scaling flattens out slightly. The 1080p Ultra score is 163.3 FPS, 1440p Ultra is 101.5 FPS, and 4K Ultra is 54.2 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 61.8 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 47.3 FPS. This suggests that at Ultra, the game’s added effects (likely shadows, draw distance, and particle systems) are starting to tax the GPU more heavily per pixel, but the CPU is still not the primary limiter. The data shows that the RTX 5080 is the component that determines frame rates across the board, with the CPU only becoming relevant in the sense that it never holds the GPU back.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF brings 20 cores and 28 threads to the table, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. In a city builder like Steamworld Build, where simulation logic and AI pathfinding can scale with population, those cores are the backbone of the experience. The benchmark results show that the CPU’s multithreaded performance is strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44557 and a Geekbench multicore score of 19287. These numbers place the chip in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it is well above average for handling the background simulation work that city builders demand.

The single-thread performance is also respectable, with a Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2641 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4480. Steamworld Build may not be heavily multithreaded in every frame, but the high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that the main simulation thread has enough speed to avoid stalling the render pipeline. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 393.9 FPS, which is far beyond what any display can show, but it proves that the CPU is not the limiting factor even when the GPU has little work to do.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i7-14700KF sits within a narrow band. The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 70074, which is essentially identical to the i7-14700KF’s 70104 (0% deltaPct). The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420, putting it 0.4% ahead, while the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 scores 71056, coming in 1.3% ahead. These are all close enough that in real-world gaming, the differences are negligible. In Steamworld Build specifically, the measured FPS data suggests that any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical results, as the game is far more GPU-bound at the resolutions tested.

The CPU’s role becomes more apparent when looking at the 4K Ultra result of 54.2 FPS. That is a playable frame rate for a city builder, but it is not high refresh rate territory. The fact that the system only achieves 54.2 FPS at 4K Ultra, while the GPU is rated in the 89th percentile of all GPUs, indicates that the RTX 5080 is the one struggling with the load, not the CPU. The i7-14700KF’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are sufficient to feed the GPU without causing dips, as evidenced by the smooth scaling between settings.

FAQ

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

A: The measured average FPS is 238.6 at 1920x1080 with High settings, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors and indicates that the GPU is not stressed at this resolution.

Q: How does the i7-14700KF compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X in overall CPU benchmarks?

A: The i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104, while the Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420, which is a 0.4% difference in favor of the AMD chip. This is within the margin of error for real-world performance.

Q: Is the RTX 5080 the bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 54.2, while at 1080p Ultra it is 163.3. The steep drop with resolution indicates the GPU is the limiting component, not the CPU.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming with this combo?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system achieves 154.8 FPS average, which is suitable for 144Hz displays. At 1080p, even Ultra settings reach 163.3 FPS, so 1080p is the safest bet for maximum frame rates.

Q: How many cores does the i7-14700KF have?

A: The CPU has 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, making it well-suited for the simulation-heavy aspects of a city builder.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 268.8 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 101.5 FPS. This is a 167.3 FPS difference, showing that the visual preset has a massive impact on performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combo ranks 41st out of 1730 tested combinations in Steamworld Build. That puts it in the top 2.4% of all configurations measured, which is an excellent position for a system that is not the absolute top-of-the-line. The rank reflects a balance between the CPU’s strong multithreaded performance and the GPU’s high pixel throughput. The CPU’s 96th percentile standing among all processors means that it is not holding back the system, and the GPU’s 89th percentile standing means that the graphics card is also a high performer, but not the absolute fastest available.

The rank of 41 out of 1730 suggests that there are only 40 combos that perform better in this specific game. Those combos likely feature more powerful GPUs, such as higher-tier RTX 50-series cards, because the data shows that the game is heavily GPU-bound at 4K. At 1080p and 1440p, the i7-14700KF + RTX 5080 is more than capable of delivering high frame rates, but at 4K Ultra, the 54.2 FPS result is a clear indicator that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to keep the frame rate stable, but it cannot compensate for the GPU’s workload at the highest resolution and settings.

The data suggests that this combo is ideal for gamers who prioritize high refresh rates at 1440p or 1080p, rather than those who demand 4K Ultra at 60 FPS. The measured results show that 4K High is the sweet spot for 60+ FPS, with 79.5 FPS average, while 4K Ultra falls just short of 60 FPS. The rank of 41 also implies that there is headroom for improvement by upgrading the GPU, but the CPU will not need to be replaced for several generations, given its strong multi-threaded scores.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience per the measured rows, the data points to 2560x1440 with High settings as the optimal balance of visual quality and performance. At this resolution and preset, the system delivers 154.8 FPS average, which is smooth on any high refresh rate monitor and still looks detailed enough for a city builder. Moving up to 4K High yields 79.5 FPS, which is playable but not as fluid, and the visual difference between 1440p and 4K in a game like Steamworld Build may not justify the 75.3 FPS drop.

If the goal is maximum fidelity, 4K Medium is a strong choice, delivering 105.8 FPS average. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and only 26.3 FPS lower than 4K High, while providing a noticeable improvement over Low settings. 4K Ultra, at 54.2 FPS, is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS, and the jump from High to Ultra costs 25.3 FPS. For a game that involves managing a growing city and zooming in and out, the frame rate drop to 54.2 FPS may introduce stutter, so it is not recommended unless the user is willing to accept the trade-off.

At 1080p, the system is overkill for most displays. Even Ultra settings produce 163.3 FPS, which is more than enough for 144Hz monitors. However, the data shows that the GPU is not being fully utilized at this resolution, as the Low preset reaches 393.9 FPS. For users with 1080p 240Hz displays, High settings at 238.6 FPS is the best measured option, as it provides a high frame rate without the visual penalty of Low. The 1440p Medium setting at 201.5 FPS is also a good choice for users who want to push higher refresh rates without sacrificing too much quality.

Ultimately, the recommendation is to use 1440p High for a balanced experience, or 4K Medium if the user has a 4K display and wants to stay above 100 FPS. Avoid 4K Ultra unless the user is willing to play at 54.2 FPS, as the performance hit is significant for the extra visual polish. The data shows that this combo is best utilized at resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated, allowing the i7-14700KF’s 20 cores to keep the simulation running smoothly without bottlenecking the render pipeline.