Steamworld Build

# Steamworld Build with Intel Core i5-10400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

This combination of a 6-core, 12-thread Intel Core i5-10400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 lands at rank 795 out of 1,730 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the upper-middle portion of the database. The pairing represents a balanced mid-range setup where the CPU's 73rd percentile standing among all processors and the GPU's 72nd percentile among all graphics cards suggest neither component dramatically outclasses the other, though the measured frame rates reveal where each part takes the lead.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 795 out of 1,730 puts it just ahead of the median tested configuration, which is notable given that this is a city builder rather than a fast-twitch shooter. The RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 28,238 places it within a tight cluster of rivals, sitting 0.9% above the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and 1% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, while trailing the AMD FirePro S7150 by 0.6% and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X by 1.1%. This indicates the GPU is performing essentially at parity with its closest competitors, with no single rival holding a decisive edge in raw compute. The CPU side tells a similar story: the i5-10400F's average score of 14,168 is a mere 0.4% behind the AMD EPYC 7552, 0.8% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, and within 1.2% of both the Intel Core i5-8500 and AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546. What this ranking implies is that in Steamworld Build, this combo delivers a consistent experience that should satisfy most players, but it is not an outlier performer — the data suggests a predictable, dependable pairing that hits expected performance targets without exceeding them.

GPU Role

The RTX 3070 brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, with a base clock of 1500 MHz and boost clock of 1725 MHz. For Steamworld Build, a genre that relies heavily on rendering sprawling urban environments with many discrete objects, the memory capacity and bandwidth are the critical factors. The 4K Ultra result of 34.6 FPS shows the GPU hitting its ceiling when texture detail and draw distances are maxed out, while the 1080p Low result of 224.1 FPS demonstrates there is ample headroom when the workload is lighter. The GPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all graphics cards, alongside its PassMark G3D score of 22,214, confirms it is a solid mainstream performer. The fact that the GPU sits at parity with the RX 6600 XT (0.9% ahead) and GTX 980 Ti (1% ahead) in synthetic benchmarks, yet delivers playable 4K frame rates in this game, suggests Steamworld Build's engine is well-optimized for the Ampere architecture's strengths. The 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 184 texture mapping units provide substantial geometry throughput, which matters when the camera zooms out to reveal an entire bustling metropolis.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Steamworld Build?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The measured data shows 47.5 FPS at 4K High and 66.1 FPS at 4K Medium, which are playable, while 4K Ultra drops to 34.6 FPS and 4K Low reaches 84.8 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-10400F scores 14,168 on average, which is 0.4% lower than the AMD EPYC 7552's 14,115, 0.8% higher than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C's 14,277, and within 1.2% of both the Intel Core i5-8500 and AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximizing frame rate?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 224.1 FPS on Low settings and 100.8 FPS on Ultra, making 1080p the clear choice for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How much performance drops when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS falls from 146 at 1920x1080 to 96.1 at 2560x1440 and further to 47.5 at 3840x2160, representing a 67.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its closest rival in the database?

A: The RTX 3070's average score of 28,238 is 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT's 27,985 and 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti's 27,956, but it trails the AMD FirePro S7150 by 0.6%.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and why does it matter here?

A: The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, which supports the high object counts and large textures typical of city builders without bottlenecking at 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results: Low settings produce 224.1 FPS, Medium reaches 198.3 FPS, High manages 146 FPS, and Ultra still holds at 100.8 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the RTX 3070 never becomes the limiting factor — even Ultra settings retain triple-digit frame rates. Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern shifts noticeably: Low yields 162.9 FPS, Medium drops to 122.4 FPS, High settles at 96.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 63.4 FPS. The 1440p results show a more pronounced separation between settings tiers, suggesting the GPU is beginning to feel the resolution pressure. At 3840x2160, the scaling becomes steep: Low produces 84.8 FPS, Medium drops to 66.1 FPS, High manages 47.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34.6 FPS. The 4K Ultra result sits below the 60 FPS threshold, while 4K High is borderline playable, and only Low and Medium maintain comfortable frame rates. Across all resolutions, the gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases — from a 123.3 FPS difference at 1080p to a 50.2 FPS difference at 4K — indicating that the GPU's workload becomes more uniformly demanding at higher pixel counts.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz, built on Intel's 14 nm Comet Lake architecture. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10,297 and single-core score of 1,453, alongside a PassMark multithread score of 12,115, paint a picture of a competent mid-range processor. In Steamworld Build, where simulation logic and AI pathfinding for thousands of citizens run alongside rendering, the CPU's 12 threads are actively engaged. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 224.1 FPS — a figure that exceeds what the GPU alone would typically sustain, indicating the CPU is keeping pace without bottlenecking. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking versus all processors, coupled with its 4,324 Cinebench R20 multicore score, suggests it has enough headroom for the game's simulation layers. However, the 1080p Ultra result of 100.8 FPS versus the 1080p Low result of 224.1 FPS reveals that as graphical load increases, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, while at lower settings the CPU's single-thread performance (1,453 in Cinebench R23 single-core) still delivers solid frame pacing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data strongly favors Medium settings as the optimal balance for this combo. At 1920x1080, Medium achieves 198.3 FPS — a 35.8% improvement over High's 146 FPS while retaining most visual fidelity, and only 25.8 FPS shy of Low's maximum. At 2560x1440, Medium delivers 122.4 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and it is 26.3 FPS ahead of High's 96.1 FPS. Even at 3840x2160, Medium maintains 66.1 FPS, which is playable, whereas High drops to 47.5 FPS. The pattern is consistent: Medium settings provide the largest step-up in frame rate from High across all three resolutions, while the visual difference between Medium and High in a city builder is often less perceptible than in action games. For players with 1080p displays, Ultra at 100.8 FPS is also viable, but the 49.1% frame rate penalty from Medium to Ultra is substantial for marginal graphical gains. The recommendation is clear: Medium settings offer the best measured experience, with High as an acceptable alternative for those prioritizing visuals over frame rate stability.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a steep scaling curve that points to the GPU as the dominant limiting factor at higher resolutions. At High settings, the combo moves from 146 FPS at 1080p to 96.1 FPS at 1440p (a 34.2% drop) and then to 47.5 FPS at 4K (a 67.5% drop from 1080p). This trend is consistent across all settings: Low falls from 224.1 to 162.9 to 84.8 FPS, Medium from 198.3 to 122.4 to 66.1 FPS, and Ultra from 100.8 to 63.4 to 34.6 FPS. The percentage drops between 1080p and 1440p range from 27.3% (Low) to 37.1% (Ultra), while the drops from 1440p to 4K range from 45.4% (Medium) to 50.6% (Ultra). This pattern — where the 1440p-to-4K drop is consistently larger than the 1080p-to-1440p drop — indicates that the RTX 3070's 8 GB memory buffer and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated as pixel count increases. The CPU's role diminishes at higher resolutions; at 1080p Low, where the GPU has headroom, the CPU's 12 threads are likely sustaining the 224.1 FPS ceiling, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU's 34.6 FPS result shows it is fully occupied. The data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, where the CPU and GPU reach a balanced workload, while 4K requires dropping to Medium settings to maintain acceptable frame rates.