Steamworld Build

# Steamworld Build with Intel Core i5-10400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

This combo places 282nd out of 1,730 tested configurations in Steamworld Build, putting it in the top 16% of all recorded pairings. That rank is notable because it pairs a 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake processor from 2020 with NVIDIA's flagship Blackwell 2.0 GPU — a generational mismatch that still lands in the upper quartile of results. The data suggests the RTX 5090 is doing the heavy lifting, but the i5-10400F is not dragging the system into mediocrity either. In a city builder where simulation logic and rendering coexist, this pairing demonstrates that a mature mid-range CPU can hold its own when paired with an extremely fast GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 282 out of 1,730 tested combinations places it ahead of roughly 84% of all recorded pairings. This is a strong showing, but not a top-tier result — the top 10% of combos likely feature more recent high-core-count processors. The i5-10400F's percentile of 73 against all CPUs indicates it outperforms nearly three-quarters of processors in general benchmarks, which aligns with its 6-core, 12-thread configuration. The RTX 5090, meanwhile, sits at the 94th percentile among all GPUs, meaning this combo pairs a near-top GPU with a solidly upper-mid CPU.

What's revealing is how the CPU's benchmark scores contextualize the rank. The i5-10400F scores 10,297 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,453 in single-core. Those are respectable numbers, but the near-rivals tell the story: the AMD EPYC 7552 is just 0.4% ahead, the Ryzen 3 7320C trails by 0.8%, and the Intel Core i5-8500 is 1.1% behind. These are all very close scores, suggesting the i5-10400F sits in a dense cluster of mid-range processors where small deltas determine rank. In Steamworld Build, that CPU cluster combined with the 5090's immense rasterization power produces a result that's good but not exceptional — the game likely scales with GPU at higher resolutions, but the CPU becomes a factor in simulation-heavy scenes.

GPU Role

The RTX 5090 brings 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 2,017 MHz with a boost of 2,407 MHz, and the memory runs at 28 Gbps effective. These are flagship-class specifications, and the benchmark data reflects that: the GPU scores 39,650 in PassMark G3D and 14,411 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The nearest rival, the RTX 5090 D, is a mere 0.1% ahead, while the RTX 5050 Mobile trails by 0.2% — the 5090 is effectively at the top of the GPU hierarchy.

In Steamworld Build, the GPU's role is primarily rendering the isometric city view with its many structures, resources, and animated elements. The 32 GB frame buffer is massive overkill for this game — even at 4K Ultra, the measured 59.5 FPS suggests the GPU is not memory-limited but rather compute or driver limited in certain scenes. The high pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s mean the 5090 can push enormous amounts of geometry and texture data, which matters when a fully built city covers the screen with hundreds of unique buildings and terrain features. The data shows the GPU is never the bottleneck at 1080p or 1440p, but at 4K Ultra the frame rate drops to 59.5, indicating a transition to GPU-bound territory — though still playable.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound curve at higher settings, but with an interesting twist. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is just 35.3 FPS (from 226.7 to 191.4), and then a further 39 FPS to 4K (152.4). That's a total drop of 74.3 FPS from 1080p to 4K, or about 33%. At Medium settings, the drop is steeper: from 204.9 at 1080p to 178.7 at 1440p, then to 113.5 at 4K — a total decline of 91.4 FPS, or 45%. High settings show a similar pattern: 186 at 1080p, 159.5 at 1440p, and 89 at 4K, a 52% total drop.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling: 158.2 at 1080p, 113.1 at 1440p, and 59.5 at 4K — a 62% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This pattern indicates that at lower settings, the CPU becomes a limiting factor at 1080p (the 226.7 FPS at Low is likely near the CPU's maximum frame output), while at Ultra settings the GPU is clearly the constraint at 4K. The fact that 4K Ultra drops below 60 FPS while 4K High maintains 89 FPS suggests the Ultra preset includes effects that are exceptionally demanding on the GPU's compute units, not just memory bandwidth.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo overkill for Steamworld Build?

A: The RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are far beyond what a city builder requires — even at 4K Ultra, the game uses only a fraction of that capacity. The 59.5 FPS at 4K Ultra shows the GPU is still the bottleneck, but the headroom is enormous.

Q: Why does the combo rank only 282nd if the GPU is so powerful?

A: The rank reflects the entire system, and the i5-10400F's 6-core, 12-thread configuration with a 2.90 GHz base clock limits simulation-heavy scenes. The CPU's 73rd percentile among all processors means many combos in the top 282 use faster or higher-core CPUs.

Q: Can this system hit 60 FPS at 4K with maximum settings?

A: The measured 59.5 FPS at 4K Ultra is just under 60, so it's borderline. Lowering to High settings gives 89 FPS at 4K, which is a smoother experience. The data shows Ultra is the only preset that fails to reach 60 FPS at 4K.

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

A: The AMD EPYC 7552 is 0.4% ahead in average benchmark score, while the Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.8% behind, and the Intel Core i5-8500 is 1.1% behind. These are all within a 2% band, meaning the i5-10400F offers performance statistically similar to these competitors.

Q: What's the best resolution for a 144 Hz monitor?

A: At 1440p, High settings deliver 159.5 FPS and Medium gives 178.7 FPS, both above 144 Hz. At 4K, no preset reaches 144 FPS — the highest is Low at 152.4 FPS, which is close but likely not stable in heavy scenes.

Q: Is the RTX 5090's memory speed important for this game?

A: The 28 Gbps effective memory speed and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are not critical for Steamworld Build's moderate texture sizes. The GPU's raw compute (104.8 TFLOPS FP32) and pixel rate (423.6 GPixel/s) matter more for the game's rendering demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 226.7 FPS on Low, 204.9 on Medium, 186 on High, and 158.2 on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 68.5 FPS, or 30% — the smallest relative spread across all resolutions, suggesting the CPU is partly capping maximum frame rates at this resolution. The 12-thread CPU's 3DMark scores (4,748 with 16 threads, 2,560 with 4 threads) indicate it can feed the GPU reasonably well, but the 2.90 GHz base clock limits peak frame output in lightly threaded scenes.

At 2560x1440, Low yields 191.4 FPS, Medium 178.7, High 159.5, and Ultra 113.1. The spread between Low and Ultra is 78.3 FPS, or 41% — a wider gap than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is becoming more influential. The 113.1 FPS at Ultra is still smooth, but the drop from High to Ultra (46.4 FPS) is the largest single-preset jump at this resolution, pointing to Ultra-specific effects that heavily tax the GPU.

At 3840x2160, Low runs at 152.4 FPS, Medium at 113.5, High at 89, and Ultra at 59.5. The Low-to-Ultra spread is 92.9 FPS, or 61% — the largest relative gap in the data. This confirms that at 4K, the RTX 5090's compute resources are the primary determinant of performance. The 59.5 FPS at Ultra is the only sub-60 result across all measurements, and it aligns with the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 39,650, which is high but not unlimited.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost up to 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth are modest by modern standards, but its Cinebench R23 scores — 10,297 multi-core and 1,453 single-core — place it in a competitive position. The PassMark multithread score of 12,115 and single-thread score of 2,541 further confirm its mid-range status.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU handles the city simulation: resource flows, worker pathfinding, production chains, and building placement logic. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (226.7) suggests the CPU can push frames well past 200 FPS in simple scenes, but the 3D Mark 16-thread score of 4,748 (lower than the max-thread 4,735, interestingly) indicates the processor doesn't scale perfectly with all threads. The 73rd percentile among all CPUs means it outperforms most processors, but in a game that may use 4-8 threads for simulation, the 4-thread score of 2,560 and 8-thread score of 3,929 are more relevant — and they're solidly mid-range.

Settings Recommendations

The data supports High settings as the optimal balance for this combo. At 1080p, High delivers 186 FPS — a 28 FPS improvement over Ultra while looking nearly indistinguishable in a top-down city builder. At 1440p, High hits 159.5 FPS, comfortably above 144 Hz for high-refresh monitors, while Ultra drops to 113.1. At 4K, High gives 89 FPS versus Ultra's 59.5 — a 29.5 FPS gain for what is typically a marginal visual upgrade in this genre.

For players prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Medium is the sweet spot: 204.9 FPS at 1080p, 178.7 at 1440p, and 113.5 at 4K. The jump from Low to Medium costs only 21.8 FPS at 1080p but adds significant visual fidelity. Ultra is only recommended for 1080p users who want maximum eye candy and can tolerate 158.2 FPS, or for screenshot purposes at 1440p where 113.1 FPS remains playable. At 4K, Ultra's 59.5 FPS is technically playable but the 49% performance drop from High makes it hard to justify. The data implies that High settings leverage the RTX 5090's strengths without triggering the most demanding effects, which appear to be the cause of the steep Ultra penalties.