Steamworld Build

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination lands at rank 1364 out of 1730 tested combos in Steamworld Build. That places this pairing in the lower-middle tier of the database, meaning it will handle the game but won't set any records. The percentile positioning reflects a CPU that is far stronger than the GPU it's paired with, creating a bottleneck that becomes more apparent as resolution drops.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo sits at the 1364th position out of 1730 total combinations tested. This is a below-average standing, driven almost entirely by the GPU's age and performance tier. The RTX 2060's average benchmark score of 16074 puts it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 5 7500F's average score of 24993 places it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs. The disparity is clear: the processor is a top-tier performer while the graphics card is decidedly mid-pack.

In practical terms, this ranking means the combo is better suited to 1080p and light 1440p gaming than to high-refresh or high-resolution play. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo produces just 20.4 FPS, which is unplayable. Even at 1440p High, the 61.1 FPS average is barely acceptable for a city builder, where frame pacing matters more than raw speed. The ranking reflects a system that can deliver smooth 1080p gameplay but struggles as graphical demands increase.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 7500F brings six cores and twelve threads to the table, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This is a Zen 4 Raphael chip built on TSMC's 5 nm process, and its benchmark results confirm it's a strong modern processor. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22799 and single-core score of 3218 show a CPU that can handle both heavily threaded workloads and latency-sensitive single-thread tasks.

In Steamworld Build, a city builder that relies on simulation logic and entity updates, the CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The 3DMark single-thread score of 974 and the PassMark single-thread score of 3841 indicate strong per-core capability. The CPU is rarely the limiting factor here; even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the combo still delivers 176.1 FPS, suggesting the processor can feed frames faster than the graphics card can render them.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i7-11850H (0.1% faster), the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (0.3% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F (0.3% slower). These near-identical scores confirm the 7500F is positioned exactly where its specs suggest: a capable mid-range CPU that won't hold back any modern game at reasonable settings.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo better at 1080p or 1440p?

A: The data clearly favors 1080p. At 1080p High, the combo averages 99.8 FPS, while at 1440p High it drops to 61.1 FPS. The 1080p Medium setting delivers 133.9 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and smoothness in the measured results.

Q: Why does the CPU rank so much higher than the GPU?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500F sits in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 24993, while the RTX 2060 sits in the 58th percentile with a score of 16074. This gap means the GPU is the bottleneck in most gaming scenarios, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

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

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages exactly 60 FPS. At Medium it drops to 44.2 FPS, High produces 36.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 20.4 FPS. For a playable 4K experience, you'd need to stick with Low settings or lower the resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600S is 0.5% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700 are both 1.7% slower. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is 1.8% slower. These are all very close scores, confirming the 2060 is a solid mid-range card for its generation.

Q: What's the best settings preset for a stable 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1080p, Medium produces 133.9 FPS and High produces 99.8 FPS, both well above 60. At 1440p, High hits 61.1 FPS, which is just barely above the target. For a locked 60 FPS at 1440p, High is the maximum you should consider.

Q: Is the CPU's cache configuration relevant for this game?

A: The 32 MB shared L3 cache and 1 MB L2 per core provide ample room for game data. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 6376 and 8-thread score of 5372 indicate strong multithreaded performance that suits city builder simulation logic.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo shows a wide range of performance across settings. Low settings produce 176.1 FPS, which is excellent for any display. Medium drops to 133.9 FPS, still very smooth. High comes in at 99.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 68.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 107.6 FPS, showing how much headroom the GPU has at this resolution.

Moving to 1440p, the numbers compress significantly. Low delivers 112.9 FPS, Medium hits 83.9 FPS, High averages 61.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 42.2 FPS. The step from High to Ultra costs 18.9 FPS, which is a substantial penalty for the visual gains. At 1440p, the GPU starts to show its limits, particularly at higher quality presets.

At 4K, the results are stark. Low settings manage exactly 60 FPS, which is the minimum acceptable for smooth gameplay. Medium drops to 44.2 FPS, High falls to 36.1 FPS, and Ultra produces just 20.4 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is effectively unplayable, and even 4K Medium struggles to maintain a consistent frame rate.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the RTX 2060 has enough power for 1080p gaming at any preset, but its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus become limiting factors as resolution increases. The 336.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is adequate for 1080p but strained at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU bottleneck clearly. At High settings, 1080p produces 99.8 FPS, 1440p produces 61.1 FPS, and 4K produces 36.1 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 38.8% reduction, while the step from 1440p to 4K is a 40.9% reduction. These are close to the expected pixel-count scaling, indicating the GPU is the limiting component at every resolution.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. 1080p Low hits 176.1 FPS, 1440p Low drops to 112.9 FPS, and 4K Low falls to 60 FPS. The 1080p to 4K drop of 116.1 FPS shows that even at the lowest quality preset, the GPU can't maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions.

The CPU's performance headroom is evident in these numbers. The 7500F can push well over 176 FPS in this game, as demonstrated by the 1080p Low result. This means the CPU is never the limiting factor, even at 4K Ultra where the frame rate collapses to 20.4 FPS. The bottleneck is entirely the RTX 2060's rendering capabilities.

The implication for builders is clear: if you're targeting 1440p or 4K, this GPU will hold back the system significantly. The CPU has plenty of headroom for a future GPU upgrade, but as configured, the combo is best suited to 1080p displays.

Settings Recommendations

For a 1080p display, the data supports using High settings as the best balance. The 99.8 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS target, and the visual quality improvement over Medium's 133.9 FPS is worth the frame rate cost. Ultra at 68.5 FPS is still playable but offers diminishing returns for the 31.3 FPS penalty compared to High.

At 1440p, High settings at 61.1 FPS is the maximum playable preset. Medium at 83.9 FPS offers more headroom if you prefer smoother motion, but the visual difference between Medium and High in a city builder is often subtle. Ultra at 42.2 FPS is too slow for comfortable play, and Low at 112.9 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality.

For 4K, the only playable option is Low at exactly 60 FPS. Medium at 44.2 FPS and High at 36.1 FPS are both below the 60 FPS threshold and will feel stuttery. Ultra at 20.4 FPS is not recommended under any circumstances.

The overall recommendation is to stick with 1080p for this combo. The RTX 2060 delivers its best experience at that resolution, and the Ryzen 5 7500F ensures the CPU never becomes a problem. If you have a 1440p monitor, High settings are the ceiling for a smooth experience. For 4K, the system is only viable at Low settings, which defeats the purpose of a 4K display.