Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build’s simulation logic and rendering scale well with both the CPU and GPU, but the data shows a clear bottleneck hierarchy for this pairing. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a playable experience across most settings, yet the 8 GB VRAM and the CPU’s six-core architecture define the performance ceiling at higher resolutions and Ultra presets. This analysis relies exclusively on the measured FPS rows and benchmark scores provided.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the primary driver of frame rate in Steamworld Build, but its 8 GB GDDR7 memory capacity becomes a limiting factor at 4K Ultra. The GPU’s boost clock of 2497 MHz and 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are substantial, yet the measured FPS drops from 46 at 4K High to 31 at 4K Ultra, indicating that the Ultra preset’s added visual complexity—likely textures and draw distances—exceeds what the 8 GB frame buffer can efficiently handle. At 2560x1440, the same pattern emerges: High averages 88 FPS, while Ultra falls to 59 FPS. This is a 33% performance penalty for moving from High to Ultra at 1440p, a steep cost that suggests the GPU is not compute-bound but rather memory-capacity-bound in these scenarios.

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060 shows its strengths. The Low preset hits 240 FPS, and Medium averages 184 FPS with a minimum of 156 FPS, proving that the GPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions. The High preset at 1080p (138 FPS) is still far above the 60 FPS threshold, and even Ultra manages 93 FPS. This resolution scaling—from 240 FPS at 1080p Low to 81 FPS at 4K Low—reveals that the GPU’s raw throughput (19.18 TFLOPS FP32) is sufficient for the game’s city-building visuals, but the memory subsystem’s 128-bit bus and 8 GB capacity create a wall at higher pixel counts. The data shows a near-linear drop from 1080p to 1440p (240 to 153 FPS at Low), but the 4K Low result of 81 FPS is disproportionately lower than the 1440p Low result, reinforcing that VRAM pressure, not just pixel count, is at play.

Benchmark scores position the RTX 5060 in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 26331. Compared to its nearest rivals, it sits just 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (score 26553) and 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (score 26011). These deltas are tiny, but in Steamworld Build, the RTX 5060’s 8 GB VRAM is a more decisive factor than its raw compute scores suggest. The GPU’s 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores are present, but the game’s measured results do not indicate ray tracing workloads; instead, the rasterization performance (PassMark G3D score of 20891) dictates the FPS numbers seen here.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 provides the foundation for this combo, and its six cores and 12 threads are adequate for Steamworld Build’s simulation-heavy gameplay. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.10 GHz and base clock of 3.80 GHz are high for a desktop part, and the single-thread performance is strong: the 3DMark single-thread score of 999 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1852 indicate that the CPU can handle the game’s logic ticks without creating a bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is not stressed, the combo still reaches 240 FPS, suggesting the CPU is keeping pace with the GPU’s output.

However, the CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are more modest. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12735 and PassMark multi-thread score of 27058 place it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs. In Steamworld Build, which likely uses multiple threads for AI, pathfinding, and resource management, the six-core design means that complex late-game cities could cause frame dips. The measured FPS data does not include a stress-test scenario, but the pattern across resolutions—where 4K Ultra drops to 31 FPS while 1080p Ultra holds 93 FPS—suggests that the CPU is not the primary limiter at higher resolutions; the GPU is. Still, the CPU’s 65 W TDP and Zen 4 architecture (5 nm process) are efficient, and the 32 MB shared L3 cache helps with data-heavy simulation tasks.

Comparing to rivals, the Ryzen 5 7600’s average benchmark score of 26324 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (26274, +0.2% for the 7600) and the Intel Core i9-11900KF (26212, +0.4%). This means the 7600 trades blows with higher-tier mobile and older desktop chips, but its six physical cores are fewer than those rivals. The data shows the 7600 is 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS (26402) and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 8540U (26187). In a city builder, the core count might matter more than these synthetic deltas suggest, but the measured FPS in this database does not show a CPU-induced ceiling until the GPU is fully utilized.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1636 out of 3706 tested combos in Steamworld Build. That places it in the 55.9th percentile of all combinations, meaning roughly 44% of tested systems perform better. This is not a top-tier ranking, but it is a solid mid-pack result. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU’s 78th percentile standing and the GPU’s 72nd percentile, with the combo landing slightly below what either component’s individual percentile might suggest. The data indicates that the 8 GB VRAM is the likely drag, as other combos with similar CPU scores but higher VRAM GPUs would rank higher at 4K Ultra.

In the context of the measured FPS, the combo’s rank of 1636 is consistent with its performance at 1440p High (88 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (93 FPS). These are playable numbers, but not exceptional. The rank also tells us that the combo is not hitting the top 10% of systems, which would require either a stronger GPU or a CPU with more cores for the simulation aspects. The data shows that at 4K High (46 FPS), the combo is borderline playable, and at 4K Ultra (31 FPS), it is not a smooth experience. The rank of 1636 is a statistical average of all settings and resolutions tested, so it masks the fact that this combo excels at 1080p Medium (184 FPS) but struggles at 4K Ultra. The takeaway is that this is a 1080p-to-1440p combination, not a 4K powerhouse.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS shows a clear hierarchy. Low settings average 240 FPS, which is the maximum of any tested configuration. Medium settings drop to 184 FPS average, with a minimum of 156 FPS and a maximum of 212 FPS—a tight range that indicates stability. High settings average 138 FPS, and Ultra settings average 93 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 147 FPS, or 61%, which is significant but expected for a city builder where Ultra adds heavy shadow and post-processing effects. The minimum FPS data is only provided for Medium (156 FPS), but that floor is still well above the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally but remains playable. Low settings average 153 FPS, Medium averages 117 FPS (with a minimum of 99 FPS and maximum of 135 FPS), High averages 88 FPS, and Ultra drops to 59 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is just below the 60 FPS threshold, which is a critical finding: gamers seeking a locked 60 FPS at 1440p should avoid Ultra. The Medium preset at 1440p (117 FPS) offers the best balance of smoothness and visual quality, as the minimum of 99 FPS ensures no noticeable stutter.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles. Low settings average 81 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 62 FPS (with a minimum of 53 FPS and maximum of 71 FPS). High settings average 46 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. The 4K Medium result is the only 4K setting that approaches a stable 60 FPS, and even then, the minimum of 53 FPS means frame drops will be visible during heavy simulation moments. The 4K High and Ultra results are not recommended for a smooth experience. The data shows a steep cliff between 4K Low (81 FPS) and 4K Medium (62 FPS), and another cliff between 4K Medium and 4K High (46 FPS), indicating that each settings tier adds a disproportionate load at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Steamworld Build at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. The measured data shows 81 FPS at 4K Low and 62 FPS at 4K Medium, with a minimum of 53 FPS on Medium. High (46 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) are not smooth enough for consistent play.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing to achieve 144 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, Low (240 FPS) and Medium (184 FPS) both exceed 144 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low (153 FPS) is the only setting that clears 144 FPS, while Medium (117 FPS) falls short. For a 144 Hz monitor, 1080p Medium is the highest quality option that stays above 144 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rival in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. It is 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26553) and 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (26011). It is also 0.3% behind both the AMD Radeon 860M (26401) and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26421).

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7600 a bottleneck for the RTX 5060 in this game?

A: The data does not show a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions, as 1080p Low reaches 240 FPS. However, the CPU’s six cores and 12 threads are modest for simulation-heavy city builders. Its benchmark score (26324) is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (26274) and Intel Core i9-11900KF (26212), but those rivals may have different core counts.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1636 out of 3706 tested combinations in Steamworld Build, placing it in the 55.9th percentile. This is a mid-pack result, reflecting strong 1080p performance but weak 4K Ultra performance due to the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most stable frame rate at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 averages 117 FPS with a minimum of 99 FPS and maximum of 135 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset with a minimum above 60 FPS, making it the most stable choice. High (88 FPS) and Ultra (59 FPS) have lower averages and no minimum data provided.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data points to a clear sweet spot: 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium. At 1080p, Medium delivers 184 FPS average with a minimum of 156 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors and leaves headroom for simulation slowdowns. The Ultra preset at 1080p (93 FPS) is acceptable, but the 91 FPS drop from Medium to Ultra is a steep price for marginal visual gains. At 1440p, Medium (117 FPS) is the best experience, as the minimum of 99 FPS ensures no dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset (88 FPS) is still smooth, but Ultra (59 FPS) should be avoided unless the player accepts occasional sub-60 FPS moments.

For 4K users, the recommendation is to use Low (81 FPS) or Medium (62 FPS). The Medium preset’s minimum of 53 FPS is borderline, but it is the highest quality setting that remains playable. High (46 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) are not recommended for a city builder where camera panning and zooming require consistent frame pacing. In summary, the data shows that this combo is best utilized at 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium, with 4K reserved for Low or Medium presets only. The 8 GB VRAM is the limiting factor, so players should prioritize texture quality over other settings if they wish to push higher resolutions.