Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder from late 2023, is not typically a title associated with extreme hardware demands, yet the data for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination reveals a system capable of delivering exceptional frame rates across all tested configurations. The benchmark results show a pairing where the GPU is the primary scaling factor at higher resolutions, but the CPU’s 10-core, 16-thread configuration proves more than sufficient to feed the RTX 5090 at 1080p, resulting in a versatile performance profile that prioritizes raw speed over graphical extremes.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates where the performance bottleneck lies within this system. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 322 FPS, while moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 277 FPS, and finally to 151 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a significant 53% reduction in performance when moving from Full HD to 4K on Low settings, indicating that the RTX 5090’s rendering workload is scaling directly with pixel count, a classic sign of GPU limitation at higher resolutions.

However, the picture changes when examining the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 174 FPS, which falls to 111 FPS at 1440p and 58 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%, showing a more linear degradation. The data suggests that at the lowest settings, the CPU has enough headroom to push the GPU to its absolute limits, but the frame rate is still constrained by the graphics card’s ability to process the increased pixel count. The RTX 5090’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are clearly not being saturated at 1080p, as evidenced by the high frame rates, but the compute load from the 21,760 shading units becomes the limiting factor as resolution climbs.

Interestingly, the scaling pattern indicates that Steamworld Build is not a title that stresses the processor heavily, even at lower resolutions. The i5-13400F, with its boost clock of 4.60 GHz and 20 MB of shared L3 cache, manages to keep the GPU well-fed at 1080p, as the difference between 1080p Low (322 FPS) and 1440p Low (277 FPS) is only 14%, which is less than the 16% difference between 1440p and 4K. This suggests that while the GPU is the primary scaling factor, the CPU’s single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 960, is adequate to avoid becoming a major bottleneck in this specific game’s engine.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database of 3,706 tested combinations for Steamworld Build, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a rank of 120. This places the combo in the top 3.2% of all systems tested, which is a strong result but not a top-tier placement. The data indicates that while the RTX 5090 is a high-end card with an average benchmark score of 79,842 and a percentile ranking of 92 against all GPUs, the overall system performance is moderated by the CPU’s capabilities.

The CPU itself, the i5-13400F, has a percentile rank of 77 against all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 25,292. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (score 25,284, delta 0%), the Intel Core 5 120 (score 25,362, delta -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (score 25,365, delta -0.3%). These deltas are incredibly small, indicating that the i5-13400F is essentially performance-equivalent to these other processors in synthetic tests, despite having a different core configuration. This suggests that the CPU is not the primary differentiator in the system’s overall ranking.

The combo’s rank of 120 out of 3,706 is likely influenced by the fact that many other tested combinations feature higher-end CPUs paired with the same or similar GPUs. The data shows that the RTX 5090 alone has a percentile of 92, but the CPU’s percentile of 77 pulls the combined ranking down slightly. In practical terms, this means the system is extremely fast, but it is not the absolute fastest possible configuration for this game, as other users have paired the RTX 5090 with more powerful processors to achieve higher frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where CPU performance matters more.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 plays a dominant role in this system’s performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The card’s specifications are impressive: it features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. These factors contribute to the card’s high average benchmark score of 79,842 and its 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs. The card’s nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark database are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (score 79,605, delta 0.3%) and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (score 79,396, delta 0.6%), which are professional-grade cards, highlighting the 5090’s compute capability.

In the context of Steamworld Build, the GPU’s role becomes more critical as resolution increases. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high (322 FPS on Low) that the game is likely CPU-bound or engine-limited, but at 4K, the GPU’s raw compute power is fully utilized. The data shows a clear pattern: the RTX 5090’s performance scales almost linearly with the number of pixels, which is typical for a card with such high memory bandwidth. The 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, as even at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 58 FPS, and the card’s memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor.

The GPU’s thermal design power (TDP) of 575 W and the suggested 950 W power supply indicate a high-power component, but the benchmark results show that it delivers exceptional performance in this title. The card’s architecture, Blackwell 2.0, and its 21,760 shading units are clearly well-suited to the graphical demands of Steamworld Build, as the card is able to maintain high frame rates even at 4K Ultra, which is a demanding preset for any GPU. The data suggests that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of performance in this combo, with its capabilities far exceeding the requirements of a city builder.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how the system performs across different resolutions and settings. The benchmark results are comprehensive, covering three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra).

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance. On Low settings, the average FPS is 322. Medium settings yield an average of 293 FPS, with a minimum of 249 FPS and a maximum of 337 FPS. High settings produce 258 FPS on average, and Ultra settings drop to 174 FPS. The data shows that even at the highest settings, the system maintains a frame rate well above 60 FPS, making it more than capable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong. Low settings produce an average of 277 FPS. Medium settings yield 219 FPS on average, with a minimum of 186 FPS and a maximum of 252 FPS. High settings produce 164 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 111 FPS. The 1440p results show that the system can handle the increased resolution without significant frame rate drops, with the Ultra preset still exceeding 100 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still respectable but shows the expected drop. Low settings average 151 FPS. Medium settings yield 116 FPS on average, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS. High settings produce 87 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 58 FPS. The 4K results indicate that the system is capable of 4K gaming, but users seeking the highest visual fidelity will need to accept frame rates that are closer to the 60 FPS threshold.

The data also shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the jump from Low to Medium is relatively small (e.g., from 322 to 293 FPS at 1080p), but the jump from High to Ultra is more significant (e.g., from 258 to 174 FPS at 1080p). This suggests that the Ultra preset includes some particularly demanding graphical effects that have a disproportionate impact on performance compared to the High preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the user’s resolution and performance goals. For users with a 1080p display, the High preset is an excellent choice. It delivers an average of 258 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor, and the visual quality is significantly better than Low or Medium. The Ultra preset at 1080p, while still delivering 174 FPS, offers a marginal visual improvement over High but comes with a 33% performance penalty, making it less efficient for competitive or high-refresh-rate gaming.

For 1440p users, the High preset is also the best balance. It produces 164 FPS on average, which is excellent for most gaming scenarios. The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 111 FPS, which is still very playable, but the drop from High to Ultra is significant (32% reduction) for what may be a subtle visual improvement in a city builder. Users with a 1440p 144Hz monitor will find that High settings fully utilize their display’s capabilities.

For 4K users, the recommendation is more nuanced. The High preset delivers 87 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target for most displays. The Medium preset delivers 116 FPS, which is smoother but may have reduced visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 58 FPS, which is below 60 FPS and may result in noticeable stuttering on some displays. For a 4K 60Hz display, the High preset is the best choice, as it provides a comfortable frame rate buffer above 60 FPS while maintaining high visual quality. Users with a 4K 120Hz display may prefer the Medium preset to achieve a higher frame rate, but the visual trade-off should be considered.

The data suggests that the High preset is the “sweet spot” for this combo across all resolutions, as it consistently provides a high frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold while offering a significant visual improvement over Medium and Low. The Ultra preset, while visually impressive, is best reserved for users who prioritize graphics over frame rate and are willing to accept lower performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS for this combo at 1440p on High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 164 FPS at 2560x1440 resolution on High settings.

Q: How does the CPU benchmark compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25,292. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, scores 25,284, showing a delta of 0%, meaning they perform nearly identically.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 322 FPS, which suggests that the CPU is not a major limiting factor. The GPU is likely the primary scaling component, but the high frame rates indicate the engine may be the ultimate constraint.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 on Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 98, with an average of 116 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has a percentile ranking of 92, meaning it outperforms 92% of all GPUs in the benchmark database.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p Ultra compared to 4K Ultra?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the system delivers 174 FPS on average. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 58 FPS, representing a 67% reduction in performance when moving to the higher resolution.