Steamworld Build

# Steamworld Build — Intel Core i5-10400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

The benchmark data for this combination shows a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet surprisingly capable at 1080p. With a combo rank of 1255 out of 1730 tested configurations, this pairing sits in the lower-middle tier of the database, but the measured frame rates tell a more nuanced story. The Intel Core i5-10400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, pairs with the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory to deliver playable performance across most settings, though the Ultra preset demands more than this GPU can comfortably provide at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a steep performance drop as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 111.5 FPS, but this falls to 68.7 FPS at 1440p (-38.4%) and then to 34.8 FPS at 4K (-68.8% from the 1080p baseline). This pattern indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary limiting component once pixel count rises, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. At Medium settings, the drop is from 95.1 FPS to 50.0 FPS, a 47.4% reduction. At Low settings, the transition goes from 118.0 FPS to 61.8 FPS, a similar 47.6% loss. These near-identical percentage drops across different presets confirm that resolution scaling is consistent and independent of the quality level — the GPU's pixel throughput is the bottleneck.

At 1080p, the system shows remarkable headroom. Low settings deliver 191.5 FPS, which suggests that the CPU can push far beyond what the GPU can render at higher resolutions. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 118.2 FPS (from 191.5 down to 73.3), which is a massive spread that indicates the game's settings have a profound impact on GPU load. The 4K Ultra result of 21.8 FPS is the only unplayable measurement in the entire set, highlighting that this combination should avoid Ultra at 4K entirely.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz provide the foundation for its performance, and the benchmark scores reflect a solid mid-range part. In Cinebench R23, it scores 10297 in multicore and 1453 in single-core, while Geekbench shows 5783 multicore and 1454 single-core. These numbers place the CPU in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, indicating it is above average for general processing tasks.

The nearest rivals in the database provide context for this CPU's standing. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115 with a delta of +0.4%, meaning the i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14168 is essentially tied with a server-class EPYC part. The AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.8% ahead at 14277, while the Intel Core i5-8500 is 1.1% behind at 14332. This tight clustering shows that the i5-10400F performs within a narrow band of its peers, and the differences are negligible for gaming purposes.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is evident from the 1080p Low result of 191.5 FPS. This frame rate is far above what the GPU can sustain at higher resolutions, proving that the i5-10400F has sufficient single-thread performance for this city builder. The PassMark single-thread score of 2541 and the 3DMark single-thread score of 688 both indicate strong per-core capability. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the game's simulation and rendering workloads.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience. At 1080p, High settings deliver 111.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and only 31.8 FPS below the Low preset's 191.5 FPS. The Medium preset at 143.3 FPS offers more headroom, but the visual improvement from Medium to High is typically worth the 31.8 FPS sacrifice. Ultra at 1080p drops to 73.3 FPS, which remains playable but reduces the margin for demanding scenes.

At 1440p, the High preset at 68.7 FPS is the optimal choice, as it stays above 60 FPS while providing the best visual quality among playable options. Medium at 95.1 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing frame rate, but Ultra at 48.7 FPS falls below the 60 FPS target and is not recommended. Low at 118.0 FPS is unnecessary unless the user has a high-refresh-rate monitor and prioritizes maximum smoothness over visual fidelity.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. High at 34.8 FPS and Ultra at 21.8 FPS are both below playable thresholds for most users. Medium at 50.0 FPS is borderline, while Low at 61.8 FPS is the only preset that achieves 60 FPS at this resolution. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the sole viable option, and users should consider whether the visual compromise is acceptable or if a lower resolution is preferable.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combination?

A: The 1080p High preset at 111.5 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1440p, High at 68.7 FPS is also viable, but 4K requires the Low preset at 61.8 FPS to maintain 60 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER the bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes, the resolution scaling data shows consistent frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K across all presets, with percentage losses of approximately 38% from 1080p to 1440p and another 47% from 1440p to 4K. This is characteristic of GPU limitation.

Q: How does the i5-10400F compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14168 is within 1.2% of its nearest rivals. It is 0.4% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552, 0.8% behind the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, and 1.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-8500.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings?

A: Only at 1080p, where Ultra delivers 73.3 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 48.7 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 21.8 FPS, making it unplayable at those resolutions.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed.

Q: What is the CPU's core and thread configuration?

A: The i5-10400F has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It features 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture using TSMC's 12 nm process, with a chip size of 445 mm² and 10,800 million transistors. Its base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz drive 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. The GPU also includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, making it capable of hardware-accelerated ray tracing and DLSS, though these features are not directly measured in the provided frame rates.

The memory subsystem is a key strength for this GPU in a city builder context. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for the texture-heavy environments typical of the genre. The pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s provide the raw throughput needed for the game's rendering workload.

The GPU's benchmark scores position it in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 19774. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN at 19706 (+0.3%), the RTX 2070 at 19680 (+0.5%), the Quadro K5200 at 19623 (+0.8%), and the Tesla K40m at 19519 (+1.3%). This tight clustering shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER performs nearly identically to its closest competitors, with deltas all under 1.5%.

The measured FPS data confirms the GPU's role as the primary limiter at higher resolutions. The transition from 1080p High (111.5 FPS) to 1440p High (68.7 FPS) represents a 38.4% drop, which is consistent with the GPU's pixel fill rate limits. The 4K High result of 34.8 FPS is less than one-third of the 1080p result, demonstrating that the GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is insufficient for 4K gaming at high quality settings. The data clearly shows that this GPU is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring the lowest preset to achieve playable frame rates.