Steamworld Build

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 occupies the 988th position out of 1730 tested combos in Steamworld Build. This places the configuration in the lower-middle portion of the performance distribution, a ranking that reflects the GPU's 66th percentile standing among all graphics cards rather than the CPU's far stronger 97th percentile score. The combination's overall position indicates that while the processor is capable of feeding frames efficiently, the graphics card becomes the limiting factor in this city builder, particularly at higher resolutions where the gap between the pair's capabilities becomes more apparent.

How This Combo Ranks

The 988th rank out of 1730 combos translates to a position that is slightly below the median of tested configurations. This is a meaningful data point because Steamworld Build is a genre where simulation overhead can scale with population and building complexity, yet the measured results show that the RTX 4060's 8 GB frame buffer and 128-bit memory interface constrain performance more than the i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads can compensate for. The combo sits in a region where users might expect smoother gameplay given the CPU's capabilities, but the GPU's 66th percentile ranking relative to all GPUs pulls the overall standing down.

When examining the deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals, the i9-14900K is essentially tied with the AMD EPYC 7413, showing a -0.3% difference in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i9-14900KF and Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF both sit 0.7% ahead, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K leads by 0.9%. These margins are negligible in real-world gaming scenarios, confirming that the processor choice is not the differentiator here. For the GPU, the RTX 4060 trails the AMD Radeon RX 6600M by 0.6% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti by 0.7%, while leading the Intel Arc B580 by 0.7% and the AMD Radeon 760M by 0.8%. This cluster of competitors indicates the RTX 4060 is performing exactly within its expected bandwidth, with no silicon lottery luck or driver overhead anomalies inflating its results.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The card's boost clock reaches 2460 MHz, with a base clock of 1830 MHz, and it operates with a 115 W TDP. These specifications place the GPU in a position where it can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming with ease, but the data shows it struggling at 4K Ultra settings. The 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for most city builder textures at lower presets, but the 128-bit memory interface creates a bottleneck when texture detail and draw distances increase.

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern: at 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo averages 26.5 FPS, which is borderline unplayable for a genre that requires smooth scrolling and camera movement. Dropping to High at the same resolution yields 43 FPS, while Medium produces 60.7 FPS and Low reaches 76 FPS. The scaling from Ultra to Low at 4K represents a 2.9x improvement, indicating that the GPU's shading units and texture units are being heavily taxed at the highest preset. The RTX 4060's 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output pipelines are the physical resources that determine these outcomes, and the data suggests they are saturated at 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. It features 36 MB of shared L3 cache, with 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 2 MB of L2 cache per core. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory across a dual-channel interface, and its integrated UHD Graphics 770 provides a fallback display output. For Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is to manage the simulation logic, pathfinding, and resource distribution that underpin the city-building mechanics.

Benchmark results show the i9-14900K achieving a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 49872 and a single-core score of 7040, with a Geekbench multicore score of 20370 and a single-core score of 3064. These figures demonstrate that the processor has substantial headroom for any CPU-bound scenarios in Steamworld Build, particularly when the map becomes densely populated. The 97th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that this processor is not the constraint in this pairing. At 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is less stressed, the combo achieves 223.9 FPS, indicating that the CPU can sustain high frame rates without creating a bottleneck. The data suggests that at 1440p and 4K, the GPU's rendering workload dominates, and the CPU's role diminishes relative to the overall frame time.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of how this combo behaves across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 223.9 FPS on Low, 170.5 FPS on Medium, 126.6 FPS on High, and 90 FPS on Ultra. The 1080p Ultra result of 90 FPS is respectable for a city builder, where frame pacing is more important than raw refresh rate. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 2.5x reduction, which aligns with the GPU's compute capabilities.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops to 141.2 FPS on Low, 107.3 FPS on Medium, 80.3 FPS on High, and 56.6 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p Ultra result of 56.6 FPS is still playable, though enthusiasts targeting 144 Hz monitors will need to reduce settings to High or Medium to maintain smoothness. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings shows an average reduction of approximately 44%, which is consistent with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the combo produces 76 FPS on Low, 60.7 FPS on Medium, 43 FPS on High, and 26.5 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that falls below 30 FPS, making it unsuitable for serious play. The 4K High result of 43 FPS is marginal, while 4K Medium at 60.7 FPS provides a baseline for those with 60 Hz 4K displays. The data indicates that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, with High settings delivering 80.3 FPS and Ultra maintaining 56.6 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1080p for this combo?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 90 FPS on average, which is playable. High settings produce 126.6 FPS, Medium yields 170.5 FPS, and Low reaches 223.9 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Steamworld Build?

A: At 3840x2160, Ultra settings average 26.5 FPS, which is below playable thresholds. High settings produce 43 FPS, Medium reaches 60.7 FPS, and Low yields 76 FPS. Users targeting 4K should stick to Medium or Low presets.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 23181 is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti. It is 0.7% higher than the Intel Arc B580 and 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon 760M.

Q: Is the i9-14900K a bottleneck for the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The i9-14900K ranks in the 97th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4060 sits in the 66th percentile. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 223.9 FPS, showing the CPU can feed the GPU adequately.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Steamworld Build?

A: The 2560x1440 resolution offers the best balance, with High settings at 80.3 FPS and Ultra at 56.6 FPS. At 1080p, the combo exceeds 90 FPS on Ultra, while 4K requires Medium or Low settings to remain playable.

Q: How does the combo's overall ranking compare to its component rankings?

A: The combo ranks 988th out of 1730 tested configurations. The CPU holds a 97th percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the GPU holds a 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The combo's position reflects the GPU's lower relative standing.