Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build is a city builder that can scale from extremely high frame rates to demanding territory depending on how you configure it. On this Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing, the data shows a system that is largely GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but which reveals some CPU ceiling at 1080p. The measured results provide a clear picture of where the bottlenecks lie and how to optimize the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating that the RTX 4080 is the primary scaling factor as resolution increases. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 216 FPS at 1920x1080 to 145 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 71 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 77 FPS, which is a 139 FPS decrease from the 1080p result. This pattern strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as the workload on the graphics card scales directly with pixel count.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The average frame rate at 1080p is 264 FPS, which falls to 227 FPS at 1440p and then to 134 FPS at 4K. The fact that Low settings at 4K still yields 134 FPS, while High settings at 4K yields only 77 FPS, shows that the graphics settings have a massive impact on the GPU load. The data indicates that the RTX 4080 has enough headroom to push very high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the 4K Ultra preset is where the card begins to struggle, with an average of just 52 FPS.

The Medium settings row provides the only min and max FPS data in the pack. At 1080p Medium, the average is 240 FPS with a minimum of 204 FPS and a maximum of 276 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 194 FPS with a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 223 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 118 FPS. This data confirms that even the minimum frame rates stay well above 60 FPS at 1440p and below, but at 4K Medium, the minimum dips to 87 FPS, which is still playable but shows the increasing strain on the GPU.

The scaling behavior suggests that for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, you will need to use Medium settings or lower. The gap between 4K Medium at 102 FPS and 4K High at 77 FPS is a 25 FPS difference, which is significant. The jump from 4K High to 4K Ultra is even more punishing, dropping from 77 FPS to 52 FPS, a 25 FPS loss for what is likely a marginal visual improvement in a city builder context.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The memory clock is listed at 1400 MHz with 22.4 Gbps effective speed. The card has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz. With 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, the card is built for high-throughput rendering. The data shows that this hardware is more than sufficient for Steamworld Build at 1080p and 1440p, where it delivers average frame rates well above 100 FPS on all settings.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The average frame rate at 4K Ultra is 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. This is not a criticism of the RTX 4080, but rather an indication that Steamworld Build's Ultra preset at 4K is exceptionally demanding. The card's performance at 4K High (77 FPS) and 4K Medium (102 FPS) shows that it has ample power to handle the game at high quality settings, just not at the absolute maximum preset.

The RTX 4080's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is only 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080's 54247. This negligible difference means that in real-world gaming, you should expect nearly identical performance from these two cards. The other rivals, such as the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, are actually slightly ahead in average benchmark score (54828 and 55698 respectively), but the differences are within 2.7%, which is unlikely to translate into noticeable frame rate differences in Steamworld Build.

The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM is likely not a limiting factor in this game, as city builders typically do not require massive texture pools. The measured data shows that the frame rate scaling is consistent with a GPU that is being pushed primarily by resolution and settings, rather than by memory capacity. The card's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms that it is a high-end part, and the benchmark results indicate that it is well-suited for this title at resolutions up to 1440p with everything maxed out.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The CPU has 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, offering a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. In the benchmark data, this CPU scores 14340 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2024 in single-core, with a Passmark multi-thread score of 16908.

At 1080p, the CPU's role becomes more apparent. The fact that the frame rate at Low settings (264 FPS) is not dramatically higher than at High settings (216 FPS) suggests that the CPU is beginning to limit performance at this resolution. The difference between Low and High at 1080p is 48 FPS, which is a smaller gap than at 1440p (82 FPS difference between Low and High) or 4K (57 FPS difference). This compression of frame rates at 1080p indicates that the CPU cannot feed the GPU fast enough to realize the full potential of the RTX 4080.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 17177 places it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120, and the Intel Core i5-12450H, which scores 17239. These are all very close in performance, with deltas of less than 1%. This means that the i5-11400F is a mid-range processor that performs consistently with its peers, but it is not a top-tier part that can keep up with the RTX 4080 at low resolutions in a highly demanding scenario.

In Steamworld Build, which is a city builder that likely involves significant simulation and AI calculations, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are adequate but not excessive. The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that any CPU limitation is not a practical concern for most players. However, the fact that the 1080p Low setting only reaches 264 FPS, while the GPU is capable of much higher frame rates in other titles, suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution. For players with 1440p or 4K monitors, the CPU is less of a concern, as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this system to maintain a 60 FPS minimum?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 is the safest choice. At Medium settings, the average FPS is 194 with a minimum of 165 FPS, and even at High settings the average is 145 FPS. At 4K, the Medium preset has a minimum of 87 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS, but the High preset at 4K only averages 77 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 52 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F holding back the RTX 4080 in Steamworld Build?

A: The data suggests there is a CPU limit at 1080p. The frame rate difference between Low and High settings at 1080p is only 48 FPS (264 vs 216), while at 1440p the difference is 82 FPS (227 vs 145). This indicates that the CPU is preventing the GPU from fully scaling its performance at lower resolutions. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER has an average score of 54209. This puts the RTX 4080 just 0.1% ahead of the SUPER, meaning there is no meaningful performance difference between the two cards for gaming purposes.

Q: What is the performance difference between 4K High and 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 77 FPS at High settings to 52 FPS at Ultra settings at 3840x2160. This is a 25 FPS reduction, or a 32% decrease in average frame rate, for the jump from High to Ultra. The Ultra preset appears to be extremely demanding on the GPU.

Q: Can this system handle 1080p gaming with a high refresh rate monitor?

A: Yes, absolutely. At 1080p, all settings produce average frame rates above 150 FPS. The lowest average is 154 FPS at Ultra settings, while Medium produces 240 FPS with a minimum of 204 FPS. This system is more than capable of driving a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor in Steamworld Build.

Q: Is 16 GB of VRAM on the RTX 4080 sufficient for Steamworld Build?

A: The measured data indicates that the GPU's performance is not limited by memory capacity. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, which suggests that the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is more than adequate for this game at all tested configurations. The card's memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s is also ample for a city builder.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 264 FPS, Medium settings produce 240 FPS (with a minimum of 204 and a maximum of 276), High settings produce 216 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 154 FPS. The data shows that even the most demanding preset at 1080p yields an average above 150 FPS, making this resolution the easiest for the system to handle.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low settings at 227 FPS, Medium settings at 194 FPS (with a minimum of 165 and a maximum of 223), High settings at 145 FPS, and Ultra settings at 98 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra at this resolution is a 47 FPS drop, which is the largest single-settings gap in the data. The Medium preset maintains a minimum above 165 FPS, offering a very smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates drop significantly: Low settings produce 134 FPS, Medium settings produce 102 FPS (with a minimum of 87 and a maximum of 118), High settings produce 77 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 52 FPS. This is the only resolution where any preset falls below 60 FPS average, and the Ultra preset at 52 FPS is the only configuration that is not consistently smooth. The Medium preset at 4K is the best balance, with an average of 102 FPS and a minimum of 87 FPS.

The data shows a clear trend: the RTX 4080 is powerful enough to handle 1080p and 1440p with ease, but 4K requires careful settings management. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 82 FPS, which is substantial. Similarly, the difference between Medium and Ultra at 4K is 50 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset is particularly heavy. The Medium settings at 4K provide the best combination of high average frame rate and a minimum that stays above 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

For a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 154 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors, and the visual quality benefits of Ultra are worth the performance cost. If you have a 240Hz or higher refresh rate monitor, the Medium preset at 240 FPS average is a better option, as the difference between Medium and High is only 24 FPS, while the jump to Ultra costs 62 FPS.

For a 1440p display, the High preset is the sweet spot. It averages 145 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 98 FPS is still playable, but the 47 FPS drop from High to Ultra is significant. If you prefer maximum visual fidelity and have a 60Hz or 120Hz monitor, Ultra at 98 FPS is acceptable. For competitive play or very smooth motion, High is the better choice.

For a 4K display, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS, which ensures a consistently smooth experience. The High preset at 77 FPS is playable but may have noticeable frame drops in busy scenes, and the Ultra preset at 52 FPS should be avoided if you want a stable 60 FPS. The Low preset at 134 FPS is only recommended if you prioritize frame rate over all visual quality, but the Medium preset offers a much better balance of image quality and performance.

The data indicates that the Medium preset is the most versatile option across all resolutions. At 1080p it provides 240 FPS, at 1440p it provides 194 FPS, and at 4K it provides 102 FPS. The minimum frame rates are also consistently high, with no preset dropping below 87 FPS at 4K. For most players, the Medium preset will offer the best experience, as it provides high average frame rates and stable minimums at every resolution tested. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p or 1440p users who have a high-end monitor and prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate.