Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build pairs the Intel Core i5-11400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, a combination that spans a six-core Rocket Lake CPU from 2021 and a Blackwell 2.0 GPU built on a 5 nm process. The benchmark data shows a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but reveals the CPU's capability ceiling at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes the CPU's role, and provides actionable settings guidance based solely on the recorded FPS data.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a predictable and steep drop in frame rates across all settings, confirming that the RTX 5070 is the dominant bottleneck as pixel count increases. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 190 at 1920x1080 to 121 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 69 FPS, and then further down to 64 at 3840x2160. This 4K result is less than one-third of the 1080p figure, illustrating the massive workload increase on the GPU.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced on the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system delivers 264 FPS, which drops to 211 at 1440p and then to 112 at 4K. The 4K Low figure is still playable, but the 152 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K Low is the largest absolute gap of any setting tier. This indicates that at 1080p Low, the CPU is likely preventing the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates, whereas at 4K, the GPU's rendering load becomes the sole limiting factor.

For the Medium preset, the measured minimum FPS values provide additional insight. At 1440p Medium, the average is 162 FPS with a minimum of 137, while at 4K Medium, the average drops to 85 with a minimum of 73. The gap between average and minimum FPS is relatively tight, suggesting consistent frame pacing rather than sporadic stutters. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, going from 128 FPS at 1080p to 82 at 1440p and finally to 43 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS is the only sub-60 average recorded, indicating that this combination is not suited for maximum settings at 4K.

The data reveals that the CPU's influence wanes as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 136 FPS (from 264 to 128), showing that the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to differentiate settings. At 4K, that same Low-to-Ultra spread narrows to 69 FPS (from 112 to 43), demonstrating that the GPU's pixel-pushing capabilities dominate the performance equation.

How This Combo Ranks

In Steamworld Build, this specific CPU and GPU pairing achieves a combo rank of 772 out of 3706 tested combinations. This places the system in the top 20.8% of all tested combos, which is a strong showing for a CPU that launched with a $157 MSRP alongside a GPU with a $549 launch MSRP. The percentile position suggests that while the RTX 5070 is a high-end part, the older i5-11400F anchors the overall ranking.

The CPU itself sits at the 71st percentile against all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 17177. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (scoring 17120, which is 0.3% lower) and the Intel Core i5-12450H (scoring 17239, which is 0.4% higher). These deltas are minuscule, indicating that the i5-11400F's compute performance is effectively on par with those parts. The gap to the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G is similarly small at 0.6% difference.

The GPU, on the other hand, ranks at the 82nd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% lower score) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% higher score). The RTX 5070's score is significantly higher than the CPU's, which is expected for a modern discrete graphics card. The combination of a 71st-percentile CPU with an 82nd-percentile GPU yields a combined rank that reflects the CPU's relative weakness in the pairing.

Given that the combo rank is 772 out of 3706, there are 2934 tested combinations that perform worse. However, there are also 771 combinations that outperform this setup, which likely include newer CPUs with higher single-thread performance or more cores. The data suggests that in CPU-light scenes at 4K, this combo could rank higher, but the aggregate rank across all in-game scenarios is what places it at 772.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 in Steamworld Build?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, the CPU becomes a limiting factor primarily at 1080p. At 1920x1080 Low, the system reaches 264 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 112 FPS, indicating the GPU workload scales with resolution. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are sufficient to drive high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the GPU is the clear bottleneck at 1440p and above.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 60+ FPS average?

A: All tested resolutions and settings except for 4K Ultra achieve at least a 64 FPS average. The 4K Ultra preset is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, with an average of 43. For a locked 60 FPS experience, 4K High at 64 FPS or 1440p Ultra at 82 FPS are viable options, with 1440p providing a larger headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's synthetic benchmark performance compare to its in-game results?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 and single-core score of 2024 indicate balanced performance. Its Passmark multithread score of 16908 and single-thread score of 2981 place it at the 71st percentile. In-game, this translates to 264 FPS at 1080p Low, which is a strong result, but the CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 868 suggests that the architecture is not optimized for the highest possible frame pacing in all scenarios.

Q: Does the RTX 5070's memory bandwidth affect performance at 4K?

A: The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 43, which is low, but the memory subsystem is not the sole cause. The GPU's pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s are more relevant to the 4K workload, and the data shows that the GPU is the limiting component at this resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 772nd out of 3706, placing it in the top 20.8% of all tested combinations. This is a solid position, but the CPU's 71st percentile standing, compared to the GPU's 82nd percentile, shows that the CPU is the weaker link. The nearest rival CPUs, such as the Intel Core i5-12450H, score within 0.4% of the i5-11400F, meaning that swapping to a similar-tier CPU would not dramatically change the ranking.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS acceptable for a city builder?

A: For a genre like city building, which is less reliant on twitch reflexes, 43 FPS can be playable, but the data shows it is the only configuration below 60 FPS. The 4K Medium preset at 85 FPS offers a better balance of visual quality and performance, while 4K High at 64 FPS provides a near-60 experience with higher fidelity. The 43 FPS Ultra result is best reserved for screenshots or slow-paced zoomed-out views.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 264 FPS, which is the maximum recorded for this combo. Medium averages 240 FPS with a minimum of 204 and a maximum of 276, showing a tight frame distribution. High averages 190 FPS, and Ultra averages 128 FPS. The 136 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p indicates that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output, as the GPU is not heavily loaded at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages scale down proportionally. Low averages 211 FPS, Medium 162 FPS (min 137, max 186), High 121 FPS, and Ultra 82 FPS. The minimum FPS of 137 for Medium is still well above 60, indicating no stutter issues. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is a strong result for 1440p, providing high detail without sacrificing smoothness. The 129 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is slightly narrower than at 1080p but still shows CPU headroom.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary constraint. Low averages 112 FPS, Medium 85 FPS (min 73, max 98), High 64 FPS, and Ultra 43 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 73 FPS is the lowest minimum recorded across all resolutions, but it remains above 60. The High preset at 64 FPS is the first configuration to approach the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra drops below it. The 69 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest of any resolution, confirming that the GPU's fill rate is the bottleneck.

The data also shows that the RTX 5070's performance scales consistently with settings. At each resolution, the step from Low to Medium yields a moderate drop (e.g., from 264 to 240 at 1080p), while the step from High to Ultra is the largest (e.g., from 190 to 128 at 1080p). This suggests that the Ultra preset includes effects that disproportionately tax the GPU, such as increased draw distances or shadow complexity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.60 GHz and boost clock is 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. The CPU supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, which is a potential limitation for a high-end GPU.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 14340 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2024 in single-core. The Geekbench multicore score is 7737 and single-core is 1777. These numbers indicate that the CPU is not a top-tier performer, but its 71st percentile ranking shows it is above average. The Passmark multithread score of 16908 and single-thread score of 2981 align with this assessment.

For Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is to handle the simulation logic, pathfinding, and AI that are common in city builders. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (264 FPS) suggests that the CPU can handle the game's logic at high frame rates, but the 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and 2-thread score of 1691 indicate that the architecture's per-core performance is not exceptional. The game likely benefits from the 12 threads, as the 3DMark 16-thread score of 5619 and max-thread score of 5652 show good scaling.

The CPU's 12 MB L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game's data streaming needs, but they are not generous. In comparison, the nearest rival CPU, the Intel Core i5-12450H, scores within 0.4% higher in average benchmarks, but the i5-11400F's desktop platform with PCIe Gen 4 (20 lanes) provides a solid foundation for the RTX 5070. The 4.40 GHz boost clock is adequate for maintaining high frame rates, but the data shows that at 1080p Ultra (128 FPS), the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU's workload is still the primary constraint.

Settings Recommendations

For a 60+ FPS experience at 4K, the High preset at 64 FPS is the best choice. It provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (85 FPS) while staying above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 85 FPS offers more headroom for busy scenes, as its minimum FPS is 73, which is higher than High's average of 64. For players who prioritize smoothness over fidelity, 4K Medium is the safer recommendation.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 82 FPS is the clear winner. It delivers the highest visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The High preset at 121 FPS is redundant unless the player has a high-refresh-rate monitor and wants to maximize frame rates. The Medium preset at 162 FPS is overkill for most displays, but it provides excellent headroom for simulation-heavy moments that might cause dips.

At 1080p, all presets exceed 128 FPS, making the Ultra preset at 128 FPS the only sensible choice for maximum quality. The Low preset at 264 FPS is only useful for competitive play or if the player is using a 240 Hz monitor, but the visual quality sacrifice is severe. The Medium preset at 240 FPS and High at 190 FPS offer diminishing returns compared to Ultra.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions, the Medium preset is the most versatile. At 4K Medium (85 FPS), 1440p Medium (162 FPS), and 1080p Medium (240 FPS), the system maintains high frame rates with a minimum FPS of 73 at 4K, which is the lowest minimum recorded. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1440p, where it achieves 82 FPS, while 4K Ultra's 43 FPS should be avoided for active gameplay. The data supports a simple rule: use High at 4K, Ultra at 1440p, and Ultra at 1080p for the best experience, with Medium as a fallback for consistent minimum frame rates.