Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build presents an interesting case study for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 pairing. The measured FPS data reveals a component dynamic that shifts significantly depending on the resolution and quality preset chosen. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results to understand where the bottleneck lies and what the data implies for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and clearly indicates a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 138 FPS at 1920x1080 to 88 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 50 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 46 FPS, which is a substantial 92 FPS decrease from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern—where the performance penalty accelerates as resolution increases—is a classic signature of the graphics card becoming the primary limiting factor.

The same trend is visible across all settings. At Low settings, the system delivers 240 FPS at 1080p, which plummets to 153 FPS at 1440p and then to 81 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K is 72 FPS, which is larger than the 87 FPS gap between 1080p and 1440p. This suggests that the RTX 5060’s rendering throughput is being saturated by the pixel count at 4K, and the CPU has less influence on the final frame rate at that resolution.

At Medium settings, the measured minimum FPS values provide additional insight. At 1080p, the minimum is 156 FPS, while at 1440p it drops to 99 FPS, and at 4K it reaches 53 FPS. The minimum FPS follows the same downward trajectory as the average, indicating consistent performance without severe stuttering. The data implies that for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, the user would need to rely on lower settings, as even Medium settings only average 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS.

The scaling between Medium and High settings at each resolution is also telling. At 1080p, the difference is 46 FPS (184 vs 138), at 1440p it is 29 FPS (117 vs 88), and at 4K it is 16 FPS (62 vs 46). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is the bottleneck; as pixel count rises, the relative cost of additional graphical features diminishes in impact.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is listed at 2497 MHz, with a base clock of 2280 MHz. These specifications are central to understanding the 4K performance. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a notable factor; in a city builder with a large, detailed map, memory usage can escalate, and the data shows that Ultra settings at 4K produce an average of only 31 FPS. This low result could be attributed to the GPU struggling with both the computational load and the memory requirements.

The GPU’s raw compute capabilities are significant. It offers 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, with a texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s. These numbers suggest a capable mid-range part, but the 4K results indicate that it is not designed for maximum fidelity at that resolution. The RTX 5060’s performance percentile of 72 out of all GPUs places it in the upper tier of tested hardware, yet the measured FPS in Steamworld Build shows that the game’s demands at 4K Ultra exceed its comfortable operating range.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331, which is 1.2% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (score 26011) and 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon 860M (score 26401). These deltaPct values are small, indicating that the RTX 5060 performs in a similar class to these cards. However, the measured game-specific data shows that for Steamworld Build, the RTX 5060 is the limiting factor at 4K, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the most balanced experience is found at Medium settings. At 1920x1080, Medium settings yield an average of 184 FPS with a minimum of 156 FPS, providing a high refresh rate experience with a safety margin against dips. At 2560x1440, Medium settings still deliver a very playable 117 FPS average with a minimum of 99 FPS, which is ideal for smooth gameplay on higher refresh rate monitors. Even at 4K, Medium settings produce a 62 FPS average, which is technically playable, though the 53 FPS minimum suggests occasional stutters.

High settings are also viable for users prioritizing visual quality over maximum frame rate. At 1080p, High settings offer 138 FPS, and at 1440p, they deliver 88 FPS. These numbers are still smooth for most displays. However, at 4K, High settings drop to 46 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the standard for fluid gameplay.

Low settings are only recommended for competitive or high-refresh-rate play at 1080p, where the system hits 240 FPS. Ultra settings, while visually demanding, produce the lowest frame rates across all resolutions: 93 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that Ultra is best reserved for 1440p, where it stays just under 60 FPS, but it is not a smooth experience at 4K. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience across all resolutions, Medium settings are the clear choice from the measured data.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1636 out of 3706 tested combos in Steamworld Build. This places the pairing in the 44th percentile of all combinations, meaning that over half of the tested systems perform better in this specific game. This ranking is informative because it shows that while the individual components are solid mid-range parts, the pairing does not excel in this particular title.

The rank is likely influenced by the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions, which drags down the overall performance metrics. The CPU’s strong benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20851 and a Passmark multithread score of 24389, suggest that it is not the primary bottleneck. Instead, the RTX 5060’s performance, which places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, is more likely the constraint. The data implies that a system with a stronger GPU would rank higher, as the CPU has headroom to support more graphical throughput.

This ranking also suggests that Steamworld Build is not particularly well-optimized for this hardware combination. The significant FPS drops between settings and resolutions indicate that the game’s engine scales heavily with GPU load, and the RTX 5060’s mid-range positioning is exposed at 4K. The combo’s rank is a useful indicator for users that this pairing is better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming in this title, rather than 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (codename Phoenix). It has a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. In the context of Steamworld Build, a city builder, the CPU is responsible for managing game logic, entity updates, and simulation calculations, which can be demanding. The benchmark data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck in most scenarios.

At 1080p with Low settings, where the GPU has less work to do, the system achieves 240 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently. The CPU’s single-thread performance, as evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 951 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2943, is strong enough to handle the game’s logic without holding back the GPU. The 16 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with data locality in simulation-heavy tasks.

The CPU’s performance relative to its rivals is tight. It has an average benchmark score of 25005, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (score 24964) and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-11850H (score 24935). It is 0.4% lower than the AMD EPYC 9474F (score 25103). These negligible differences suggest that the 8400F is well-matched with its peers in synthetic tests, and its role in Steamworld Build is to provide consistent, stable frame delivery rather than being a performance differentiator.

The data implies that the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for this game. The lack of a significant FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p at the same settings (e.g., 138 FPS vs 88 FPS at High) is more attributable to GPU load than CPU limitations. The CPU’s 65W TDP and 4nm process node also indicate an efficient part that won’t throttle, which is beneficial for sustained gaming sessions in a simulation-heavy genre.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60 FPS?

A: At High settings, only 1920x1080 (138 FPS) and 2560x1440 (88 FPS) exceed 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, High settings drop to 46 FPS. For 4K 60 FPS, Medium settings are required, which produce 62 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data shows the GPU is the bottleneck. At 4K, the FPS drops significantly across all settings (81 FPS Low, 62 FPS Medium, 46 FPS High, 31 FPS Ultra), while the CPU’s strong benchmark scores suggest it has headroom to spare.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to the Ryzen 5 7500F?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005, which is 0.2% higher than the Ryzen 5 7500F’s score of 24964. The performance difference is negligible in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 117 FPS, with a minimum of 99 FPS and a maximum of 135 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 5060 have enough VRAM for Steamworld Build?

A: The RTX 5060 has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory. At 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 31, which suggests the GPU is struggling with both compute and memory demands, potentially indicating VRAM limitations at maximum settings.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination ranks 1636 out of 3706 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the lower half of all systems tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is directly from the measured FPS results for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination in Steamworld Build.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 240 FPS
• Medium: Average 184 FPS, Minimum 156 FPS, Maximum 212 FPS
• High: Average 138 FPS
• Ultra: Average 93 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 153 FPS
• Medium: Average 117 FPS, Minimum 99 FPS, Maximum 135 FPS
• High: Average 88 FPS
• Ultra: Average 59 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 81 FPS
• Medium: Average 62 FPS, Minimum 53 FPS, Maximum 71 FPS
• High: Average 46 FPS
• Ultra: Average 31 FPS

This breakdown shows a clear hierarchy: performance scales down as resolution increases, and the gap between settings widens at lower resolutions. The Medium preset consistently offers the best balance of frame rate and visual fidelity across all resolutions, with the 1440p Medium result of 117 FPS standing out as a sweet spot for this hardware. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and the data suggests it is only suitable for 1440p gaming, where it barely maintains a 59 FPS average.