Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder that tends to favor high refresh rates, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 demonstrates a clear performance hierarchy across different resolutions and settings. The measured frame rates show that this combination is heavily influenced by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the CPU becomes more relevant at lower resolutions and higher frame rates. The data indicates a system capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 4K with High settings, but one that can also push into the hundreds of FPS at 1080p and 1440p, making it a versatile choice for various display configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, with the most significant drop occurring between 1440p and 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 228 FPS at 1920x1080 to 145 FPS at 2560x1440, a decrease of 83 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 77 FPS, representing a 68 FPS reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4080's rendering workload is becoming the primary constraint at 4K, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p.

The pattern is even more pronounced at Ultra settings, where the frame rate drops from 154 FPS at 1080p to 98 FPS at 1440p, and then down to 52 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result, at less than half the 1080p figure, suggests that the GPU is fully saturated at this configuration. Conversely, at Low settings, the system achieves 391 FPS at 1080p, 253 FPS at 1440p, and 134 FPS at 4K, demonstrating that as the graphics load is reduced, the scaling becomes less severe, hinting at a CPU limitation at the lower resolutions.

The medium settings row provides the only min/max data in the pack, showing a 31 FPS spread at 4K (87 to 118) and a 58 FPS spread at 1440p (165 to 223). This variance is consistent with a city builder's fluctuating scene complexity, where the view of a growing city can cause frame time spikes. The scaling analysis suggests that for this game and combo, 1440p is the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and frame rate, as the gap between High and Ultra is less punishing than at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, is the dominant component in this pairing for Steamworld Build. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is likely sufficient for the textures and data typical of a city builder. The GPU's boost clock of 2505 MHz and base clock of 2205 MHz, combined with 9728 shading units, deliver the raw compute power needed to push the high frame rates seen in the data. The 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a key factor in the GPU's ability to handle the draw calls and object rendering in a dense city environment.

The GPU's role becomes most evident when comparing the 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS to the 1080p Low result of 391 FPS. This massive 339 FPS difference is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's workload scaling with resolution and settings. The RTX 4080's performance percentile of 86 versus all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 54247, place it as a high-end part, but the 4K Ultra result shows its limits in this specific game. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K for all settings, as the CPU is unlikely to bottleneck at a 77 FPS average with High settings.

At lower resolutions, the GPU still has headroom, but the frame rate ceiling appears to be capped by the CPU. For instance, the jump from 253 FPS at 1440p Low to 391 FPS at 1080p Low shows the GPU can scale, but the CPU's ability to feed it becomes the constraint. The RTX 4080's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, is only 0.1% ahead on average benchmark score, indicating that this is a top-tier performer for this game, but its 16 GB VRAM is not a bottleneck at any of the measured settings, as the frame rates do not show any signs of texture thrashing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for this combo. At 4K, High yields an average of 77 FPS, which is playable, and at 1440p it jumps to 145 FPS, providing a smooth experience for a city builder. The Ultra preset shows a significant performance cost, dropping to 52 FPS at 4K and 98 FPS at 1440p, which may not be worth the visual improvement for most players. The Low preset, while achieving 391 FPS at 1080p, sacrifices too much visual quality for a game where aesthetics are a core part of the experience.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the High preset is clearly the recommended choice, as it provides a 47 FPS advantage over Ultra while likely offering a similar visual experience in a game that is not graphically intensive. At 4K, the High preset's 77 FPS average is the most sensible option, as the Medium preset's 102 FPS is a better target for those seeking higher smoothness, but the difference between High and Ultra suggests diminishing returns. The Medium preset, with its min/max data of 87 to 118 FPS at 4K, could be a safer bet for maintaining a stable frame rate during busy scenes.

The 1080p results show that Ultra is the only preset that dips below 200 FPS, but at 154 FPS, it is still more than adequate for most displays. The data suggests that users should avoid the Ultra preset at 4K unless they have a variable refresh rate monitor, as the 52 FPS average is below the typical 60 Hz threshold. The High preset is the most consistent performer across all resolutions, making it the default recommendation for this CPU and GPU combination.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 77 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings.

Q: How does the frame rate at 1080p Low compare to 4K Ultra?

A: The 1080p Low preset achieves an average of 391 FPS, while 4K Ultra drops to 52 FPS, a difference of 339 FPS that highlights the GPU's workload scaling.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p Medium?

A: The 1440p Medium preset shows a min FPS of 165 and a max of 223, indicating a 58 FPS variance, which suggests the GPU is still the primary driver at this resolution, though the CPU is not entirely idle.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 391, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER's score of 54209, indicating near-identical performance.

Q: What is the frame rate range for 4K Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 118 FPS, with an average of 102 FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Steamworld Build, this setup with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 199th out of 3706 tested combos. This places it in the top 5.4% of all configurations, indicating that it is a high-performing combination for this game. The rank of 199 is notable given the CPU's own percentile of 85 versus all CPUs and the GPU's percentile of 86 versus all GPUs, demonstrating that the pairing is well-matched and does not have a significant bottleneck.

The combo rank suggests that while there are 198 other configurations that perform better, this system is in the upper echelon for Steamworld Build. The data implies that the combination's strength lies in its ability to deliver high frame rates at 1440p and playable rates at 4K, which is a common target for modern gaming. The rank also reflects the game's genre, as city builders often benefit more from strong single-core CPU performance, which the Core Ultra 5 225 provides, rather than raw multi-core throughput.

Compared to other combos, this system's 4K High performance of 77 FPS is likely a key factor in its ranking, as many systems may struggle to maintain 60 FPS at this resolution. The 1080p Low result of 391 FPS is also impressive and could push the rank higher, but the 4K Ultra figure of 52 FPS shows a limitation. Overall, the ranking of 199 out of 3706 places this combo in a strong position, suggesting it is a capable machine for this title without being the absolute top-tier option.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225, with its 10 cores and 10 threads, plays a secondary but crucial role in this pairing for Steamworld Build. Its base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, which is essential for the game's simulation logic and UI updates. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and multi-core score of 25891 indicate a balanced processor, but the single-core result is more relevant for a city builder. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 4412 further confirms its strength in tasks that rely on a single core.

The CPU's role becomes evident when analyzing the 1080p Low results, where the average FPS of 391 is far beyond what the GPU can achieve in isolation, suggesting the CPU is enabling the frame rate to reach such heights. The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rate scales significantly with settings, from 154 FPS at Ultra to 391 FPS at Low, which implies that the CPU is not the bottleneck at these settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the 52 FPS result is likely GPU-bound, as the CPU has more than enough headroom to feed the GPU at this lower frame rate.

The CPU's nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, with a deltaPct of 0, meaning they have nearly identical average benchmark scores. This indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 is a mid-range performer, but its 10 threads are sufficient for Steamworld Build's demands. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s and support for DDR5 memory ensure that it can keep pace with the RTX 4080's data requirements, particularly at lower resolutions where frame rates are high. The data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any of the measured settings, as the GPU's scaling dominates the performance profile.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are 391 for Low, 304 for Medium, 228 for High, and 154 for Ultra. The Medium preset provides a min FPS of 259 and a max of 350, showing a 91 FPS variance. This resolution shows the highest frame rates, with Low settings achieving nearly 400 FPS, indicating that the combo is well-suited for competitive or high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 253 for Low, 194 for Medium, 145 for High, and 98 for Ultra. The Medium preset shows a min of 165 FPS and a max of 223 FPS, a 58 FPS spread. At this resolution, the frame rates are still very high, with High settings comfortably above 144 FPS, making it an excellent choice for 144Hz monitors.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 134 for Low, 102 for Medium, 77 for High, and 52 for Ultra. The Medium preset's min FPS is 87 and max is 118, a 31 FPS spread. This resolution is the most demanding, and the data shows that only Low and Medium settings maintain an average above 100 FPS, while High is playable and Ultra dips below 60 FPS. The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent halving of frame rates at each settings tier, with the exception of the Low preset, which scales less aggressively due to the CPU's influence.

The exact numbers from the data show a clear trend: the RTX 4080 is capable of delivering high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K requires settings adjustments to maintain smoothness. The 4K High result of 77 FPS is the most balanced figure, while 4K Ultra at 52 FPS is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The min and max data for Medium settings across all resolutions provide insight into frame time consistency, with the variance increasing as resolution decreases, likely due to CPU involvement at higher frame rates.