Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder released in late 2023, presents a specific performance profile for the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by resolution and preset selection, with the CPU providing a robust foundation while the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher settings. The benchmark results indicate a configuration that is versatile across 1080p and 1440p, but one that requires careful settings management to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally capable, with the Low preset delivering an average of 174.1 FPS and the Medium preset achieving 135.5 FPS. The High preset at 1080p still produces a highly playable 98.9 FPS, while Ultra drops to 65.3 FPS. This suggests that for most users at 1080p, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, as it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold without the significant performance cost of Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the data shows that the High preset achieves an average of 60.4 FPS, making it the ideal choice for this resolution. The Medium preset provides a comfortable margin at 82.7 FPS, which is beneficial for those who prefer headroom to prevent dips, but High still maintains a playable experience. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 108.5 FPS, which is excessive for a city builder and sacrifices too much visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls to 43.9 FPS, which is below the smoothness threshold for many players.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The Low preset is the only option that achieves a playable 60 FPS average. The Medium preset drops to 44.2 FPS, and High falls to 35.6 FPS, with Ultra reaching only 25.2 FPS. For 4K play, the Low preset is the recommended setting, as it is the only one that maintains a consistent 60 FPS experience. The data indicates that attempting higher presets at this resolution will result in a significant performance penalty that detracts from the gameplay experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, based on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip, provides the graphical processing for this combo. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz or 14 Gbps effective. These specifications position the card in the mid-range segment, and the benchmark results confirm this in Steamworld Build.

The GPU's performance in this game is primarily dictated by its memory capacity and raw compute power. With 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, the card delivers a pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 6.451 TFLOPS is a key indicator of its capability in a city builder, which relies heavily on draw calls and object rendering. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, where even the Medium preset only achieves 44.2 FPS, indicating that the 6 GB VRAM and compute resources are strained by the higher resolution demands.

The RTX 2060's position relative to its peers is notable. Its average benchmark score of 16074 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, showing it remains a relevant performer. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600S with a deltaPct of 0.5, indicating the RTX 2060 is effectively on par with that mobile GPU. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700 show a deltaPct of -1.7, meaning the RTX 2060 is slightly ahead of them, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails with a deltaPct of 1.8. This competitive positioning suggests the GPU is a solid choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its limitations become apparent at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F serves as the central processor, featuring 10 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This Raptor Lake Refresh chip, built on a 10 nm process, has a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. The CPU's performance metrics are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914 and a single-core score of 3093. This compute capability is well-suited for a city builder like Steamworld Build, which requires significant CPU resources for simulation and AI calculations.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 88 against all CPUs indicates it is a high-performing processor. Its average benchmark score of 32508 places it in close competition with several rivals. The Intel Core i7-12800H has an identical average score of 32513 with a deltaPct of 0, showing they are essentially equal in performance. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 is only 0.2% behind, while the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H are both 0.2% ahead. This tight grouping suggests the i5-14400F is a capable and well-balanced processor.

In the context of Steamworld Build, the CPU's role is to manage the complex game state, including resource management, citizen pathfinding, and building logic. The 16 threads provide ample parallelism for these tasks, and the high single-core performance of 3723 in Passmark ensures that the primary game thread runs efficiently. The measured FPS data at 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, shows the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU effectively, as evidenced by the High preset achieving 98.9 FPS and Low reaching 174.1 FPS. This indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions, allowing the GPU to be the primary determinant of performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 in Steamworld Build is ranked 1380 out of 1730 tested combinations. This places the combo in the lower-to-middle tier of all possible pairings, reflecting the GPU's mid-range status while the CPU provides solid support. The rank of 1380 indicates that while this system is capable of running the game, there are a significant number of more powerful combinations that can achieve higher frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

The combo's ranking is largely determined by the GPU's performance ceiling. The CPU's strong benchmarks, such as its 88th percentile ranking and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914, suggest it is not the limiting factor. Instead, the RTX 2060's 58th percentile GPU ranking and its measured performance in the game dictate the overall position. The data shows that the combo is most competitive at 1080p, where it achieves frame rates that rival higher-tier systems, but falls behind at 1440p and especially at 4K, where the Ultra preset only manages 25.2 FPS.

The rank of 1380 out of 1730 means that approximately 20% of tested combinations perform worse than this setup, while 80% perform better. This is a realistic expectation for a mid-range GPU paired with a strong CPU. The combo is well-suited for gamers who prioritize simulation depth and play at 1080p or 1440p with reasonable settings, but it is not designed for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. The data suggests that users with this combo should focus on the Medium or High presets at 1440p for the best experience, as the Ultra preset at this resolution drops below 45 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and preset for this combo in Steamworld Build?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 with the High preset provides an excellent balance at 98.9 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 60.4 FPS, which is the ideal choice for that resolution. For 3840x2160, only the Low preset maintains a playable 60 FPS average.

Q: How does the RTX 2060's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074, placing it in the 58th percentile. It is effectively on par with the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, which has a deltaPct of 0.5. It outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700, both with a deltaPct of -1.7, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 with a deltaPct of 1.8.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p, where the High preset achieves 98.9 FPS. The CPU's strong performance, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914, ensures it can feed the GPU effectively. The GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, particularly at 4K.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested systems?

A: The combo is ranked 1380 out of 1730 tested combinations in Steamworld Build. This places it in the lower-to-middle tier, indicating that while it is capable, there are many more powerful systems. The ranking is primarily constrained by the GPU's mid-range performance.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508, placing it in the 88th percentile. It is exactly matched with the Intel Core i7-12800H (deltaPct 0), slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (deltaPct 0.2), and marginally behind the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H (both deltaPct -0.2).

Q: What are the GPU's key memory specifications?

A: The RTX 2060 features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The memory operates at 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but limits performance at 4K.