Don't Starve Together

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a robust experience in Don't Starve Together, with the data showing that the combination is capable of high frame rates across all tested resolutions. The measured FPS indicates that the game is highly playable even at 4K, though the relationship between the CPU's six cores and the GPU's substantial memory bandwidth creates distinct performance characteristics depending on the settings preset selected.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested processor and graphics card pairings in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 618th out of 1667 tested combos, placing it in the upper portion of the database for Don't Starve Together.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rival in average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 35787, which is 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon 880M (35646) and 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (35435). It trails the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (36101) by 0.9%.

Q: What are the CPU's clock speeds and core configuration?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It belongs to the Comet Lake architecture on a 14 nm process node.

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 207.4, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The lowest average FPS is 59.4, observed at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 3080 have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3080 comes with 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. The memory clock operates at 1188 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking compared to all other processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F ranks in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14168. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7552, scores 14115, a 0.4% difference.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides 6 cores and 12 threads, a configuration that the benchmark data shows is sufficient for Don't Starve Together's demands. The CPU's base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz allow it to handle the game's logic and simulation threads without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions. In single-threaded performance, the processor scores 688 in 3dmark_single_thread and 1453 in cinebench_r23_singlecore, indicating solid per-core capability for a game that relies on main-thread processing.

The processor's L3 cache is 12 MB shared, with L1 and L2 caches at 64 KB and 256 KB per core respectively. This cache hierarchy, combined with a 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth on DDR4 dual-channel support, provides adequate data feeding for the game engine. The CPU's multithreaded scores, such as 10297 in cinebench_r23_multicore and 12115 in passmark_multithread, show that while the six-core design is not top-tier, it delivers consistent performance. The 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14168, places it slightly ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115) by 0.4% and slightly behind the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277) by 0.8%.

At 1920x1080 resolution, the CPU's role becomes more pronounced. The frame rates at Low settings (207.4 FPS) versus Ultra settings (141.5 FPS) suggest that the processor can push high frame rates when the GPU is not heavily taxed. The boost clock of 4.30 GHz helps maintain responsiveness in scenes with many entities, which is common in Don't Starve Together's sandbox gameplay. The CPU's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1200 compatibility indicate it is a mainstream part, and its performance profile aligns with the game's modest threading requirements.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the dominant component in this pairing, bringing 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 760.3 GB/s bandwidth to the table. The GPU's architecture, Ampere, uses an 8 nm process from Samsung with 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die. The base clock is 1440 MHz with a boost clock of 1710 MHz, and the memory operates at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). These specifications allow the card to maintain high fill rates, as evidenced by its 164.2 GPixel/s pixel rate and 465.1 GTexel/s texture rate.

The GPU's 8704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 96 ROPs provide substantial compute resources. In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3080 scores 25086 in passmark_g3d and 167014 in geekbench_opencl, placing it in the 80th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 35787. Compared to its nearest rivals, it is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (35860) and 0.9% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (36101), while running 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon 880M (35646).

The GPU's role in Don't Starve Together becomes evident when examining the FPS scaling across settings. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 59.4 at Ultra to 123.9 at Low, showing that the 10 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game's art style. The RTX 3080's 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are not directly relevant to this game's rendering, but the raw rasterization performance from the 29.77 TFLOPS FP32 throughput ensures smooth gameplay. The card's 320 W TDP and PCIe 4.0 x16 interface are consistent with its high-end positioning.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 618 out of 1667 tested combinations places this pairing in the 37th percentile of all tested systems for Don't Starve Together. This ranking reflects the balance between the i5-10400F's mid-range CPU performance and the RTX 3080's high-end GPU capabilities. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios, as the 73rd percentile CPU ranking is higher than the combo's overall rank, suggesting that the game's performance is influenced by other factors.

When comparing to the GPU's 80th percentile ranking, the combo's 618th position out of 1667 indicates that the pairing performs below what the GPU alone would suggest. This gap can be attributed to the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration, which may struggle to feed the GPU at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.8% higher score) and Intel Core i5-8500 (1.1% higher score), show that the i5-10400F is competitive within its class, but the overall combo ranking shows there are many faster pairings in the database.

The rank also reflects the game's scalability. At 2560x1440, the Ultra setting produces 99.2 FPS, while at 1920x1080, the same setting yields 141.5 FPS. These numbers indicate that the combo is better suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K Ultra (59.4 FPS) approaches the threshold where the GPU's capabilities are fully taxed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates: 207.4 FPS at Low, 185.1 FPS at Medium, 172.4 FPS at High, and 141.5 FPS at Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 31.8% decrease in performance, which is consistent with the game's increasing rendering demands.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected drop from 1080p. The average FPS values are 183.3 at Low, 145.7 at Medium, 124.3 at High, and 99.2 at Ultra. The transition from 1080p Low to 1440p Low results in an 11.6% reduction, while the Ultra setting sees a 29.9% reduction, indicating that the GPU is becoming more engaged at higher resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall significantly. The Low setting still achieves 123.9 FPS, but Medium drops to 84.9 FPS, High to 74.6 FPS, and Ultra to 59.4 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 52.1%, showing that the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are adequate, but the 320-bit bus and 8704 shading units are pushed harder. The data shows that the combo maintains playable frame rates at all tested configurations, with the 4K Ultra setting being the only one below the 60 FPS threshold.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset (172.4 FPS) provides an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, while Ultra (141.5 FPS) is still well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers the best visual fidelity. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset (185.1 FPS) is the best choice, as it exceeds 180 FPS while maintaining reasonable graphics quality.

At 2560x1440, the High preset (124.3 FPS) is the recommended choice for most users, as it delivers smooth gameplay above 120 FPS. The Ultra preset (99.2 FPS) remains viable for those prioritizing visuals, but the drop below 100 FPS may be noticeable on 144 Hz displays. The Low preset (183.3 FPS) is suitable for competitive play, though it sacrifices significant visual detail.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset (84.9 FPS) is the best balance, providing a comfortable frame rate above 60 FPS with moderate visual quality. The High preset (74.6 FPS) is also acceptable, but the Ultra preset (59.4 FPS) falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less ideal for consistent gameplay. The Low preset (123.9 FPS) offers the highest frame rate at 4K but at the cost of visual fidelity. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, Medium settings provide the best experience, as they maintain a stable frame rate without pushing the GPU to its limits.