Steamworld Build

The Intel Core i5-12400F pairs six Performance cores with twelve threads, a 2.50 GHz base clock, and a 4.40 GHz boost clock. For a city builder like Steamworld Build, the data indicates the CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 3DMark single-thread score of 909 are the primary drivers of simulation logic performance. The benchmark results show the CPU sits in the 77th percentile of all processors, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and a single-core score of 2332. Compared to its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks, the i5-12400F is virtually tied with the Intel Core i7-8700K, which has an average score of 19210 against the i5's 19221 average — a negligible 0.1% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS trails by 0.7%, while the AMD EPYC 7773X is 1.3% ahead, but these deltaPct values are all within noise for gaming workloads. In Steamworld Build specifically, the CPU's 12 threads are sufficient to handle the agent simulation and pathfinding that typically bottleneck city builders, as evidenced by the measured FPS scaling at 1080p where the GPU is not the limiting factor.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 brings 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its Blackwell 2.0 architecture runs at a 2280 MHz base clock and 2497 MHz boost, with 3840 shading units and 120 tensor cores. The GPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all graphics cards is backed by a Passmark G3D score of 20891. The nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks show the RTX 5060 is essentially even with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, which scores 30097 against the 5060's 30109 average — a 0% deltaPct. The NVIDIA Tesla M60 is 0.5% behind, and the RTX 5070 Mobile is 0.6% ahead, but these differences are trivial. In Steamworld Build, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's art style, which favors simple geometric textures over high-resolution assets. The pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s are more than adequate for rendering the game's isometric views, where the primary load is draw calls rather than fill-rate-heavy effects.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 238.7 FPS, which drops to 151.2 FPS at 1440p and 79.7 FPS at 4K. This represents a 36.7% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a 47.3% further decrease from 1440p to 4K. The Ultra preset shows a similar trend: 94.6 FPS at 1080p, 59.8 FPS at 1440p, and 29.8 FPS at 4K. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting component — the 238.7 FPS Low result is so high that the i5-12400F's single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 909) caps the frame rate. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, evidenced by the 46.3 FPS High result at 3840x2160, which is only 33.6% of the 137.8 FPS achieved at 1080p High. The gap between Low and Ultra settings grows from 144.1 FPS at 1080p (238.7 vs 94.6) to 49.9 FPS at 4K (79.7 vs 29.8), confirming that higher resolutions shift the workload toward the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, where the RTX 5060's capabilities are more constrained.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 816th out of 1730 tested combos in Steamworld Build, placing it in the upper half of all configurations. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is dramatically over- or under-powered relative to the other. The CPU's 77th percentile standing (average benchmark score 19221) complements the GPU's 73rd percentile (average benchmark score 30109), creating a system that delivers consistent performance across the game's settings. The data shows that the combo's 1080p High result of 137.8 FPS is sufficient for high-refresh-rate displays, while the 4K High result of 46.3 FPS is playable but not ideal for competitive scenarios. The 1440p Medium result of 117.3 FPS represents a sweet spot where the CPU and GPU workloads are balanced, as the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more gradual (137.8 to 88.8 FPS at High) than the drop to 4K (88.8 to 46.3 FPS), indicating the system is well-matched for 1440p gaming.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows suggest that Medium settings at 1440p provide the best overall experience, with 117.3 FPS average. This is because the CPU's 12 threads and the GPU's 8 GB VRAM are both fully utilized without either becoming a hard bottleneck. At 1080p, Medium delivers 181.5 FPS, which is nearly 100 FPS below the Low result of 238.7 FPS but still far above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended preset for users prioritizing smoothness over visual fidelity. For 4K displays, High settings at 46.3 FPS are borderline playable, but the data shows that Medium at 62.4 FPS is the better choice — it maintains a 60+ FPS average while still providing improved visual quality over Low's 79.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution: it only achieves 94.6 FPS at 1080p, which is 43.1 FPS lower than High, and drops to 29.8 FPS at 4K, which is below playable thresholds. The 59.8 FPS result at 1440p Ultra is the only resolution where Ultra approaches 60 FPS, but the visual gains over High (88.8 FPS) are unlikely to justify the 32.6% performance hit.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU/GPU pairing?

A: The data shows 1440p Medium (117.3 FPS) as the sweet spot, followed closely by 1080p High (137.8 FPS). For 4K, Medium at 62.4 FPS is the only preset that maintains a 60+ FPS average.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured 29.8 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is the worst result in the dataset, falling below the 30 FPS minimum for playable frame rates. This suggests the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is insufficient for maximum settings at 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Steamworld Build?

A: At 1080p Low, the 238.7 FPS result indicates CPU limitation, as the frame rate is capped by the i5-12400F's single-thread performance. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, with High settings producing 46.3 FPS compared to 137.8 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: How does this combo compare to similar hardware in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU is 0.1% faster than the Intel Core i7-8700K in average benchmark score, while the GPU is exactly tied with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (0% deltaPct). The RTX 5070 Mobile is 0.6% faster than the RTX 5060.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured 88.8 FPS average at 2560x1440 High is well above the 60 FPS threshold, making this a viable alternative to Medium settings for users who prioritize visual quality.

Q: Does the combo scale well from 1080p to 4K?

A: The scaling is consistent but with diminishing returns: Low settings drop from 238.7 to 79.7 FPS (66.6% reduction), while Ultra drops from 94.6 to 29.8 FPS (68.5% reduction). This indicates the system scales predictably, with the GPU becoming progressively more limiting at higher resolutions.