Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build presents an interesting scalability challenge for the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 pairing. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but the CPU becomes a significant factor as resolution drops, creating a clear hierarchy of performance across the three tested resolutions. The combination ranks in the 617th position out of 1730 tested combos, placing it in the upper third of all configurations, though the margin between settings at 1080p reveals where the bottlenecks lie.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and consistent with a GPU-limited scenario at higher pixel counts. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 171.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 107.2 FPS at 2560x1440, then further to 55.1 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 37.4% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 67.8% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily as pixel count increases, with the 4K High result of 55.1 FPS falling just short of the 60 FPS threshold many players target.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The 1080p result of 226.8 FPS drops to 191.5 FPS at 1440p (a 15.6% reduction) and then plummets to 99.7 FPS at 4K (a 56.1% reduction from 1080p). The larger percentage drop at 4K Low compared to 4K High suggests that the GPU’s raw compute limits are the primary constraint at 4K, regardless of settings. However, the relatively modest drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (15.6%) compared to the same resolution change at High settings (37.4%) indicates that the CPU has more headroom when the GPU is less stressed.

The most telling data point comes from the Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the system manages 116.3 FPS, which drops to 75.5 FPS at 1440p and then to 38.2 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is barely playable, and the scaling from 1440p to 4K (a 49.4% reduction) shows that the RTX 3080 simply cannot sustain the highest visual fidelity at 4K in this city builder. The data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combination, where the GPU still delivers high frame rates without the CPU becoming the limiting factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores show a processor that is competent but not exceptional: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297 and a single-core score of 1453. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 4748 versus the 8-thread score of 3929 indicates that the processor scales reasonably well with additional threads, but the single-thread score of 688 in 3DMark suggests that per-core performance is modest.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU’s influence is most visible at 1080p Low settings, where the system hits 226.8 FPS. This is the highest result in the entire dataset, and it demonstrates that the CPU can push very high frame rates when the GPU is not heavily burdened. However, the gap between 1080p Low (226.8 FPS) and 1080p Medium (204.7 FPS) is only 22.1 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High (171.2 FPS) is 33.5 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1080p; rather, the GPU’s workload increases with settings, pulling frame rates down.

The processor’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the game’s simulation logic, but the data shows that the CPU’s 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs does not translate into a dominant advantage in this title. The nearest rival, AMD EPYC 7552, has an average score 0.4% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.8% lower, indicating that the i5-10400F sits in a tightly contested mid-range performance band. For a city builder that likely relies on single-threaded simulation updates, the 4.30 GHz boost clock is the more relevant specification, and the 1453 single-core Cinebench R23 score is sufficient to avoid severe bottlenecks at typical frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience at 1080p comes from High settings, which delivers 171.2 FPS. This is a 35.4 FPS improvement over Medium (204.7 FPS) but a 54.9 FPS drop from Ultra (116.3 FPS). The data indicates that High settings provide the optimal balance between visual quality and performance at 1080p, as the jump from High to Ultra costs 54.9 FPS (a 32.1% reduction) with no guarantee of a proportionate visual improvement.

At 1440p, High settings again emerge as the recommended choice, producing 107.2 FPS. This is above the 100 FPS threshold that many users consider smooth, and it is 31.7 FPS higher than the Ultra result of 75.5 FPS. The Medium setting at 145.9 FPS is tempting, but High offers a meaningful improvement in visual fidelity for a 38.7 FPS cost, which is acceptable given the still-high frame rate. Players prioritizing maximum smoothness could choose Medium, but the data supports High as the default recommendation for 1440p.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The High setting yields 55.1 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced gameplay. The Low setting at 99.7 FPS is the only 4K option that clears 60 FPS comfortably, but it sacrifices significant visual quality. The Medium setting at 74.3 FPS is a middle ground, but the Ultra setting at 38.2 FPS is too demanding for consistent play. For 4K, the data suggests using Low or Medium settings depending on whether frame rate or fidelity is prioritized, with High being a borderline option.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 617th out of 1730 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the 64th percentile of all configurations. This is a respectable position, but it is not a top-tier result. The ranking reflects the fact that the RTX 3080, while powerful, is not the fastest GPU available, and the i5-10400F is a mid-range processor from its generation.

The GPU’s 80th percentile ranking among all GPUs is higher than the CPU’s 73rd percentile, which suggests that the graphics card is the stronger component in this pairing. However, the combo’s overall rank is lower than the GPU’s percentile, indicating that the CPU may be holding the system back in certain scenarios. The nearest GPU rival, AMD Radeon Pro Duo, has an average score 0.2% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE is 0.9% higher, showing that the RTX 3080 is competitive with modern cards but not at the absolute high-end.

In practical terms, the 617th rank means that a significant number of combinations outperform this setup, particularly those using newer CPUs and GPUs. The data does not show whether the bottleneck is more pronounced in CPU-heavy or GPU-heavy scenes, but the measured FPS figures indicate that the combo is well-suited for 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates across most settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the dominant component in this pairing, with 8704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus provides 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for the high-resolution textures and large draw distances typical of city builders. The GPU’s boost clock of 1710 MHz and base clock of 1440 MHz allow it to sustain high throughput, and its 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is substantial.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU’s role is clearly visible in the scaling from 1080p to 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 38.2 FPS is a stark contrast to the 1080p Ultra result of 116.3 FPS, representing a 67.1% reduction. This indicates that the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are exhausted at 4K with Ultra settings, and the 10 GB memory capacity may also be a limiting factor for the largest textures. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 25086 places it in the 80th percentile, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro Duo, is only 0.2% lower, confirming that the RTX 3080 remains a strong performer.

The data also shows that the GPU benefits from lower settings at 4K. The jump from Ultra (38.2 FPS) to High (55.1 FPS) is a 44.2% improvement, and the jump from High to Medium (74.3 FPS) is another 34.8% improvement. This suggests that the GPU’s bottleneck at 4K is more related to shading and texture complexity than to memory bandwidth, as reducing those settings yields substantial gains.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers 226.8 FPS on Low, 204.7 FPS on Medium, 171.2 FPS on High, and 116.3 FPS on Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 110.5 FPS, with the largest single-drop occurring between High and Ultra (54.9 FPS). These figures indicate that 1080p is well within the system’s capabilities, even at the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the results are 191.5 FPS on Low, 145.9 FPS on Medium, 107.2 FPS on High, and 75.5 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 45.6 FPS, from Medium to High is 38.7 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 31.7 FPS. The more even distribution of frame rates across settings at 1440p suggests that both CPU and GPU are sharing the workload, with neither component becoming a hard bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the system achieves 99.7 FPS on Low, 74.3 FPS on Medium, 55.1 FPS on High, and 38.2 FPS on Ultra. The scaling here is steeper, with the Low to Medium drop of 25.4 FPS being the smallest gap, while the High to Ultra drop of 16.9 FPS is the largest relative reduction (30.7%). The 4K results show that the GPU is the clear limiting factor, as the CPU’s performance headroom is not fully utilized when the GPU is struggling to maintain frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Steamworld Build?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 provides the best balance, with High settings delivering 107.2 FPS and Medium at 145.9 FPS. At 1080p, frame rates exceed 116 FPS even on Ultra, but 1440p offers a better visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low settings, the system achieves 99.7 FPS, and at Medium it drops to 74.3 FPS. High settings only reach 55.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 38.2 FPS, making Low or Medium the practical choices for 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 35787, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro Duo and 0.9% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE. It also sits 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F a bottleneck for the RTX 3080?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is not a major bottleneck at 1440p or 4K, where the GPU limits frame rates. However, at 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 226.8 FPS, suggesting the CPU can support high frame rates, but the GPU’s workload still dictates overall performance.

Q: What settings should I use for a 60 FPS target?

A: At 4K, Medium settings deliver 74.3 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS target. At 1440p, Ultra settings provide 75.5 FPS, and at 1080p, Ultra delivers 116.3 FPS, so the system can hit 60 FPS at any resolution with appropriate settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 617th out of 1730 tested combos, placing it in the upper third of all configurations. This is a solid result, though newer CPUs and GPUs may offer better performance in this game.