Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder, and the benchmark results for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination show a configuration that is heavily skewed toward GPU performance at higher resolutions, while the CPU becomes a more significant factor at 1080p. The data indicates a system capable of very high frame rates, but the scaling patterns reveal where the bottlenecks lie. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings to give a clear picture of what this combo delivers.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, and it clearly demonstrates the shift in workload from the CPU to the GPU. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 222 FPS at 1920x1080 to 145 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 77 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 65% reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, with the most significant percentage drop occurring between 1440p and 4K, where the FPS falls by 47%.

This pattern is classic for a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the RTX 4080, but as the resolution increases, the GPU's rendering load grows, and it becomes the limiting factor. The RTX 4080 is a high-end card, and its capabilities are the primary driver of the 4K results. The fact that the FPS at 4K High is still a very playable 77 FPS shows that this GPU has enough power to handle the game's demands at that resolution, but the steep drop from 1440p indicates that the gap between these resolutions is where the GPU really starts to work hard.

The scaling pattern also holds for other settings. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 272 at 1080p to 234 at 1440p and then to 134 at 4K. The relative drop from 1440p to 4K is 43%, which is similar to the High setting. This consistency suggests that the game's engine is well-optimized for resolution scaling, and the performance difference is primarily a matter of pixel count and shader complexity, not a sudden change in bottleneck behavior.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this combo, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, the card has a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This is a critical asset for a city builder, as these games often have large, detailed scenes with many objects on screen. The 16 GB frame buffer is also generous, ensuring that texture detail and draw distances are not limited by VRAM capacity at any of the tested resolutions.

The RTX 4080's clock speeds are also a factor. Its base clock is 2205 MHz, with a boost clock of 2505 MHz. This high boost clock, combined with the 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power, allows the GPU to handle the complex shader work and geometry required by Steamworld Build's visual style. The card's performance is further evidenced by its benchmark scores, where it achieves a Passmark G3D score of 34457 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 6567. These scores place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, confirming its high-end status.

The GPU's role is most apparent in the 4K results. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages an average of 52 FPS, which is a demanding setting. The fact that it can maintain this level of performance suggests that the GPU is not being bottlenecked by the CPU, even at this high resolution. The RTX 4080's architecture, with 9728 shading units and 76 RT cores, is designed for heavy lifting, and the data shows it handles the load well. The performance gap between the RTX 4080 and its nearest rivals is minimal, with it being only 0.1% behind the RTX 4080 SUPER in average benchmark score, showing that this card is at the top of its class.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, clocked at 3.60 GHz base and 4.20 GHz boost. While it is a capable mid-range CPU, its role in this combo is more about maintaining a solid foundation rather than pushing extreme frame rates. In Steamworld Build, a city builder that can become CPU-heavy with many simulated entities, the CPU's performance is crucial for maintaining consistent frame times, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the primary bottleneck.

The CPU's benchmark scores show a mixed picture. Its single-thread performance, as measured by Cinebench R23, is 2319, which is respectable but not exceptional. Its multi-core score of 16429 in the same test is solid for a 6-core part. However, the data suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 272 FPS, but the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is a 14% drop, which is less than the 35% drop seen at High settings. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is unable to feed the GPU fast enough to maintain the same frame rate growth that the GPU could theoretically provide.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is also telling. It is within 0.7% of the Intel Core i5-11600KF and 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-12500 in average benchmark score, showing that it is in the same performance tier. However, its single-thread score of 836 in 3DMark is a weak point, and this can impact games that are sensitive to per-core performance. In a city builder, where the simulation logic often runs on a single thread, this could lead to frame rate dips in complex scenes, even if the average FPS is high. The data shows that the CPU is adequate, but it is not the reason this combo achieves such high numbers.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 469th out of 3706 tested combinations in Steamworld Build. This places it in the top 13% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing. The rank reflects the overall balance of the system, and it reflects the GPU's power that this ranking is as high as it is, given that the CPU is a more modest component.

The ranking suggests that while the combo is not the absolute best, it is well above average and capable of delivering an excellent experience. The high rank is primarily driven by the GPU's performance, as the RTX 4080 is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, is not holding the system back to a significant degree, but it does cap the potential at lower resolutions. If a user were to pair this GPU with a stronger CPU, the combo's rank would likely improve, but the data shows that this pairing is still a very effective one for this game.

The ranking also indicates that this combo is well-suited for high-resolution gaming. Since the rank is based on all tested resolutions, the strong 4K performance likely contributes significantly to the overall position. For a game like Steamworld Build, where the player is often zoomed out and looking at a large portion of the map, the ability to maintain high frame rates at 4K is a major advantage, and this combo delivers on that front.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance. At Low settings, it averages 272 FPS, which drops to 246 FPS at Medium, 222 FPS at High, and 154 FPS at Ultra. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 209 FPS and a maximum of 283 FPS, indicating good frame time consistency. These numbers show that the game is easily playable on any monitor at this resolution, with even the Ultra preset providing a high refresh rate experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains very high. The Low preset averages 234 FPS, Medium averages 194 FPS (with a min of 165 and max of 223), High averages 145 FPS, and Ultra averages 98 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is significant, a 32% reduction, which suggests that the Ultra preset at 1440p is quite demanding. However, all settings are playable, and the Medium preset offers a great balance of visual quality and performance for high refresh rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still strong, but the demands of 4K are evident. The Low preset averages 134 FPS, which is excellent for 4K. The Medium preset averages 102 FPS, with a minimum of 87 and a maximum of 118, showing that it can hold above 60 FPS consistently. The High preset averages 77 FPS, which is a solid target for a smooth experience on a 60Hz or 120Hz display. The Ultra preset averages 52 FPS, which is the only setting that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that it is the most demanding configuration and may require some compromises for a fully smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For 1080p users with high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or higher), the Ultra preset is the best choice. At 154 FPS average, it provides a highly responsive experience, and the visual quality is the best available. For those with 240Hz monitors, the High preset at 222 FPS is a better option, as it still offers excellent visual fidelity while pushing the frame rate to the limits of the display.

For 1440p users, the High preset is the sweet spot. At 145 FPS average, it offers a great balance of visual quality and speed, making it ideal for 144Hz monitors. The Medium preset is also a strong candidate, with 194 FPS average, which is perfect for 165Hz or 240Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 98 FPS is a good choice for those who prioritize image quality over raw speed, but the 32% performance drop from High makes it a less efficient option.

For 4K users, the Medium preset is the best recommendation. At 102 FPS average, it provides a smooth and visually pleasing experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 77 FPS is also a valid option, especially for those with a 60Hz or 120Hz display, as it offers better visuals with only a 24% performance penalty compared to Medium. The Low preset at 134 FPS is a great choice for competitive play or for maximizing frame rate on a 120Hz+ 4K monitor, but it comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 52 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and the visual improvement over High is not worth the performance hit.