Steamworld Build

# Steamworld Build: Intel Core i5-11400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080

This combination of an Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 174th out of 1,730 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the top 10% of all configurations evaluated. The pairing leverages a 6-core, 12-thread Rocket Lake processor with a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU, and the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is consistently capable, though the CPU occasionally becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 174 out of 1,730 tested configurations indicates a strong overall standing, though not at the very top of the database. This placement reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU: the RTX 5080 is a high-end card, but the i5-11400F sits in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, meaning roughly a quarter of tested processors outperform it. The GPU, by contrast, ranks in the 89th percentile of all GPUs.

Examining the CPU's nearest rivals provides context for its contribution. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U has an average benchmark score of 17,189, which is essentially identical to the i5-11400F's 17,181 (0% delta). The Intel Core i7-1260P and Core Ultra 7 164U both score 17,212 and 17,215 respectively, each trailing the i5-11400F by just 0.2%. The Intel Core i5-1240U scores 17,141, which is 0.2% behind. These near-identical scores suggest that the i5-11400F is competitive with a range of mobile and lower-power desktop chips in general benchmarks, even if its architecture is older.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals paint a different picture. The Intel Arc A570M scores 58,239, which is 1.6% ahead of the RTX 5080's 59,188 average. The Intel Arc Pro A60 scores 60,326, placing it 1.9% behind the RTX 5080. The Intel Arc A580 scores 57,756 (2.5% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X scores 57,661 (2.6% behind). These deltas are small, indicating that the RTX 5080's raw benchmark performance is tightly clustered with these rivals, despite the significant architectural differences.

GPU Role

The RTX 5080 brings 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is substantial for a city builder like Steamworld Build, where large maps and numerous entities can pressure memory capacity. The GPU's base clock runs at 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2617 MHz, while memory operates at 1875 MHz, translating to 30 Gbps effective.

The measured frame rates show that the GPU is rarely the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 4K (3840x2160), the Ultra preset yields 52.9 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Dropping to High raises the average to 80.5 FPS, a 52% improvement. At 1440p, the Ultra preset hits 103.6 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra reaches 165.9 FPS. These numbers indicate that the GPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, where the CPU may start to constrain performance.

The GPU's pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s are high enough to handle the game's visual demands at most settings. The 10752 shading units and 112 ROPs contribute to the card's ability to maintain high frame rates even when particle effects or population density increase. The 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores are present, though Steamworld Build's workload does not appear to stress ray tracing or AI-accelerated features significantly based on the measured data.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved with this combo?

A: The highest measured average is 262.7 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F scores 17,181, which is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U at 17,189 (0% delta) and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1260P.

Q: Is the RTX 5080's benchmark score significantly different from the Intel Arc A580?

A: The RTX 5080 scores 59,188, which is 2.5% higher than the Intel Arc A580's 57,756.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in Steamworld Build?

A: It ranks 174th out of 1,730 tested combos.

Q: Does the GPU perform better in DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 benchmarks?

A: The PassMark DirectX 11 score is 324, while the DirectX 12 score is 151, indicating significantly higher performance in the older API.

Q: What memory bandwidth does the RTX 5080 provide?

A: The GPU offers 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth through its 256-bit GDDR7 memory interface.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows a clear hierarchy across presets, and the optimal choice depends on resolution and desired frame rate. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 52.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many users prefer. High settings at 4K produce 80.5 FPS, making this the best balance for 4K displays. Medium settings at 4K yield 109.5 FPS, which is smoother but sacrifices visual quality.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset achieves 103.6 FPS, which is already above 60 FPS and provides a solid experience. High settings at 1440p reach 152.6 FPS, and Medium hits 207.1 FPS. For users with 144Hz monitors, High is the recommended preset at 1440p, as it comfortably exceeds the refresh rate while maintaining visual fidelity. Low settings at 1440p reach 226.9 FPS, but this preset likely reduces visual detail too much for a city builder where readability matters.

At 1080p, even Ultra settings deliver 165.9 FPS, which is above most monitor refresh rates. High settings reach 217.8 FPS, Medium hits 239.5 FPS, and Low peaks at 262.7 FPS. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset is the best recommendation because it provides a high frame rate while maximizing visual quality. The data indicates that this combo can handle Ultra at 1080p without compromising smoothness.

Across all resolutions, the jump from High to Ultra incurs a significant frame rate penalty: 52% at 4K, 47% at 1440p, and 31% at 1080p. This suggests that Ultra settings introduce effects that are disproportionately expensive, making High the more efficient choice at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the frame rates scale predictably with settings. Low produces 139.8 FPS, Medium drops to 109.5 FPS, High falls to 80.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 52.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 86.9 FPS, representing a 164% difference. This wide spread indicates that the game's settings have a substantial impact on GPU load at 4K.

The 2560x1440 results show a different pattern. Low runs at 226.9 FPS, Medium at 207.1 FPS, High at 152.6 FPS, and Ultra at 103.6 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 123.3 FPS, but the step from Low to Medium is only 19.8 FPS, suggesting that Medium provides most of the performance headroom before the higher presets become more demanding.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high. Low achieves 262.7 FPS, Medium 239.5 FPS, High 217.8 FPS, and Ultra 165.9 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 96.8 FPS, but even the lowest measured value (Ultra at 165.9 FPS) is well above 144 FPS. This resolution is where the combo's performance is most comfortable, with no preset falling below a high-refresh-rate threshold.

Comparing resolutions at the same settings, the scaling is notable. At High settings, 1080p (217.8 FPS) is 43% faster than 1440p (152.6 FPS) and 171% faster than 4K (80.5 FPS). At Ultra, 1080p (165.9 FPS) is 60% faster than 1440p (103.6 FPS) and 214% faster than 4K (52.9 FPS). This scaling suggests that 4K Ultra is the only configuration that dips below 60 FPS, while all other combinations remain playable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a Rocket Lake processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for a city builder, which typically relies on single-thread performance for simulation logic and moderate multi-threading for rendering tasks.

The CPU's benchmark results show a mixed profile. In Cinebench R23, it scores 14,372 in multicore and 2,029 in singlecore. The 3DMark scores range from 868 in single-thread to 5,652 in max-threads, with a 16-thread score of 5,619. The PassMark multithread score of 16,908 and single-thread score of 2,981 indicate solid general performance. The CPU's percentile rank of 75 means it outperforms three-quarters of all CPUs in the database.

In Steamworld Build, the CPU's impact is most visible at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates across settings (165.9 FPS to 262.7 FPS) suggest that the GPU is not fully utilized, and the CPU's 6-core, 12-thread configuration may limit maximum frame rates. However, the measured data shows that even at 1080p Ultra, the system maintains 165.9 FPS, which is above the refresh rate of most displays. The CPU's single-thread performance, as indicated by the 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and Cinebench R23 singlecore score of 2,029, is sufficient for the game's simulation demands.

The near-identical average benchmark scores with rivals like the Ryzen 7 5700U and Core i7-1260P suggest that the i5-11400F is not a weak link in this pairing. The combo rank of 174 out of 1,730 reflects a well-balanced system, where the GPU provides the bulk of the performance headroom and the CPU keeps pace without becoming a significant bottleneck in most scenarios.