Steamworld Build

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread Rocket Lake desktop processor with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It sits in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17181, placing it in a tight cluster with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (deltaPct 0) and the Intel Core i7-1260P (deltaPct -0.2). For a city builder like Steamworld Build, the thread count and boost behavior matter more than peak single-core speed, as the simulation logic and agent pathfinding scale across cores. The data shows this CPU is a competent mid-range part, but it is not the star of this pairing. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are standard for its generation, and its 65 W TDP is modest, but none of these specs explain the frame rates achieved here; the GPU is doing the heavy lifting.

At 1080p with Low settings, the combo hits 264.8 FPS, which is far beyond what any current display can show, indicating the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution. However, the gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p (264.8 vs 174.9 FPS) narrows compared to 4K, suggesting that while the i5-11400F can feed the RTX 5090 enough frames at lower resolutions, it does impose a ceiling. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14372 and single-core score of 2029 show a processor that is roughly average for its class, but not strong enough to push past 300 FPS in this title. For 1440p and 4K gaming, the CPU's role diminishes, and the data confirms that the RTX 5090 becomes the primary performance driver.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The i5-11400F provides 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In Steamworld Build, the simulation of thousands of workers, resources, and production chains benefits from multiple threads, but the game is not heavily multithreaded to the point of saturating 12 threads. The 3DMark max-threads score of 5652 and the PassMark multithread score of 16908 indicate solid parallel performance, but the single-thread score of 868 in 3DMark and 2981 in PassMark are more relevant for the game's frame pacing.

At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 264.8 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's practical limit in this scenario. The delta between 1080p Low and 1440p Low is 224.8 FPS, a drop of 40 FPS, which is relatively small compared to the drop from 1440p to 4K at the same settings. This pattern suggests that below 1440p, the CPU is the limiting factor, preventing the GPU from stretching its legs. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz is decent, but it cannot overcome the architectural limitations of Rocket Lake, which is a 14 nm design. The benchmark results show this CPU performs within 0.2% of the Intel Core i7-1260P, meaning that for this game, the i5-11400F is a predictable, mid-tier choice, but it will not deliver the extreme frame rates that the GPU alone could achieve at 1080p.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component here, with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2407 MHz and 21760 shading units make it a top-tier GPU, sitting in the 94th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 84306. In Steamworld Build, the GPU's raw fill rate and memory bandwidth are critical for handling high resolutions and dense on-screen geometry, especially when zoomed out on a large city.

The measured FPS data shows a clear GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 58.3 FPS, while at 4K High it recovers to 84.6 FPS, a 26.3 FPS difference. This indicates that the RTX 5090 is being pushed hard at 4K, and the game's Ultra settings likely include heavy shadows, ambient occlusion, and post-processing effects that tax even this GPU. The 32 GB VRAM is more than enough for this game, as Steamworld Build is not a VRAM-heavy title, but the memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s helps maintain consistent frame delivery. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 39650 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 14411 confirm its flagship status, and the data shows it is the reason this combo can hit 174.9 FPS at 1080p Ultra, a result that would be impossible with a weaker card.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific pairing of the i5-11400F and RTX 5090 ranks 130th out of 1730 tested combos in Steamworld Build. That places it in the top 7.5% of all configurations, which is impressive given the CPU's mid-range status. The ranking reflects the GPU's massive performance contribution, as the RTX 5090 is a top-6% GPU, while the CPU is only in the 75th percentile. The data suggests that most other combos above this rank are likely paired with stronger CPUs, but the difference in frame rates is not enormous because the game is not extremely CPU-intensive.

Comparatively, the GPU's nearest rivals include the RTX 5090 D (deltaPct 0.1) and the RTX 5050 Mobile (deltaPct 0.2), which are close in average score, but the RTX 5090's 32 GB VRAM and higher clock speeds give it a distinct advantage in this game. The CPU's nearest rivals, like the Ryzen 7 5700U, have nearly identical average scores, so the rank is determined more by the GPU than the CPU. In practical terms, a builder with this combo should not feel underpowered; the rank of 130 means that only 129 other combinations deliver more FPS, and many of those likely use more modern CPUs that cost significantly more.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 264.8 FPS on Low, 239.2 FPS on Medium, 216.8 FPS on High, and 174.9 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low to Medium is a 25.6 FPS drop, while Medium to High is a 22.4 FPS drop, and High to Ultra is a 41.9 FPS drop. The Ultra setting is particularly demanding, reducing frame rates by nearly 34% compared to High, which suggests that the Ultra preset includes effects that the GPU must work much harder for, like volumetric lighting or high-quality reflections.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers are 224.8 FPS on Low, 203.4 FPS on Medium, 169.2 FPS on High, and 112.4 FPS on Ultra. The same pattern holds, but the drops are more pronounced. From Low to Medium, there is a 21.4 FPS drop; Medium to High drops 34.2 FPS; and High to Ultra drops 56.8 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset is starting to push the GPU, but it still remains above 100 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are 151.9 FPS on Low, 115.8 FPS on Medium, 84.6 FPS on High, and 58.3 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 36.1 FPS, Medium to High is 31.2 FPS, and High to Ultra is 26.3 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the frame rates scale almost linearly with the settings, and the CPU's influence fades. The 4K Ultra result of 58.3 FPS is just above the 60 FPS target, but it is playable, while 4K High at 84.6 FPS is the sweet spot for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

From 1080p to 1440p, the FPS drops are relatively modest across all settings. At Low, the drop is from 264.8 to 224.8 FPS, a 15.1% decrease; at Medium, from 239.2 to 203.4 FPS, a 15% decrease; at High, from 216.8 to 169.2 FPS, a 22% decrease; and at Ultra, from 174.9 to 112.4 FPS, a 35.7% decrease. The larger percentage drop at Ultra settings indicates that the GPU is becoming more loaded, but the CPU still has headroom.

From 1440p to 4K, the drops are much more severe. At Low, the drop is from 224.8 to 151.9 FPS, a 32.4% decrease; at Medium, from 203.4 to 115.8 FPS, a 43.1% decrease; at High, from 169.2 to 84.6 FPS, a 50% decrease; and at Ultra, from 112.4 to 58.3 FPS, a 48.1% decrease. The halving of FPS at High and Ultra settings when moving to 4K is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but the FPS does not drop by 75%, which means the CPU is still helping at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the RTX 5090 is fully saturated. The data confirms that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K, with the crossover happening around 1440p where both are balanced.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a 60 FPS target, the Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, delivering 174.9 FPS, and at 1440p, delivering 112.4 FPS. At 4K, Ultra drops to 58.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, so it is not recommended unless the user has a variable refresh rate display and can tolerate slight dips. The High preset is the best overall choice for visual quality and performance, as it provides 216.8 FPS at 1080p, 169.2 FPS at 1440p, and 84.6 FPS at 4K. At 4K High, the frame rate is smooth and leaves headroom for a 120 Hz display, while still offering substantial visual improvements over Medium.

At 4K, the Medium preset delivers 115.8 FPS, which is excellent for a 120 Hz monitor, but the visual difference between Medium and High is noticeable in a city builder where you are often zoomed in on details. For users with a 1440p monitor, the High preset at 169.2 FPS is the sweet spot, as it allows for high refresh rates without sacrificing much in terms of settings. If a user prioritizes maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p hits 264.8 FPS, but this is only useful for competitive play, which is not the primary use case for Steamworld Build. The data suggests that High settings at 1440p or 4K offer the best balance, with the caveat that 4K Ultra should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept sub-60 FPS.