Steamworld Build

Steamworld Build, a city builder from 2023, presents an interesting workload where the combination of an Intel Core i5-9400 and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces a clear performance hierarchy. The data indicates this pairing achieves a combo rank of 1201 out of 3706 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems. This position suggests a capable setup that is likely constrained more by the processor than the graphics card, a dynamic that becomes increasingly apparent at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1201 out of 3706 combos places this system in the 67th percentile of all tested pairings. This is a solid, above-average standing, but it does not reflect the full potential of the RTX 4080, which individually sits in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. The discrepancy between the GPU's high percentile and the combo's lower rank is a strong indicator of a bottleneck. The Intel Core i5-9400, with a percentile of 47 among all CPUs, is the limiting factor in this system. Benchmark results show that while the GPU is capable of exceptional performance, the CPU’s mid-range standing prevents the full realization of that capability, particularly in scenarios that are more dependent on processor throughput. This pairing is not a balanced one; it is a case of a high-end graphics card being held back by a mid-range processor, which drags the overall combo ranking down from what the GPU alone might achieve.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a formidable component on its own, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process node. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 2205 MHz with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, and its memory operates at an effective speed of 22.4 Gbps. These specifications allow for massive data throughput, which is evident in its high benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 and a Passmark G3D score of 34457. In Steamworld Build, the GPU's role is to render the game's detailed environments and numerous structures. The data shows that at 4K resolution, the GPU is still the primary driver of performance. For instance, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the system achieves 77 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, but the GPU is clearly working hard. The GPU's strength is more evident when comparing the 4K Low setting result of 128 FPS, which shows a significant jump, suggesting that when the graphical load is reduced, the GPU can push far more frames, but the CPU quickly becomes the next limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combo is ranked 1201 out of 3706 tested combinations in Steamworld Build.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. It is nearly identical in performance to the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which is only 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i3-10305, which is 0.4% faster. It is also slightly faster than the Intel Core i7-10710U and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, which are 0.3% and 0.4% slower, respectively.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the graphics card in this system?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has a launch MSRP of 1,199 USD.

Q: Is the GPU or the CPU more likely to be the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the primary bottleneck. The GPU ranks in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 47th percentile. The combo's overall rank of 1201 out of 3706 is lower than the GPU's individual standing would suggest, indicating the CPU is holding back performance.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum frame rates recorded at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system recorded a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, with an average of 144 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-core and multi-core performance compare?

A: In Cinebench R23, the i5-9400 scores 935 in single-core and 6629 in multi-core tests. In Geekbench, it scores 1389 in single-core and 5141 in multi-core tests.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how the system performs across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. With Low settings, it averages 184 FPS. Moving to Medium settings results in an average of 167 FPS, with a minimum of 142 FPS and a maximum of 192 FPS. High settings yield 150 FPS, and even Ultra settings maintain a high average of 129 FPS. At this resolution, the frame rates are consistently high, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the differences between setting levels are relatively small compared to what the GPU could potentially deliver.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show more scaling with settings. The Low setting average is 158 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 144 FPS, with a range of 122 to 165 FPS. High settings drop to 129 FPS, and Ultra settings average 98 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a clear performance cost, but even at the highest settings, the system maintains nearly 100 FPS, which is excellent for a city builder.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the more dominant factor. Low settings average 128 FPS. Medium settings average 102 FPS, with a minimum of 87 and a maximum of 118 FPS. High settings average 77 FPS. Ultra settings bring the system down to an average of 52 FPS. This is the only resolution where Ultra settings dip below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that at 4K, the graphical demands are high enough to finally stress the GPU significantly.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the system's bottleneck characteristics. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 150. Moving to 2560x1440 High, the FPS drops to 129, a decrease of 14%. Moving further to 3840x2160 High, the FPS falls to 77, a 49% drop from 1440p and a 49% drop from 1080p as well. This pattern indicates that while the GPU is being tasked more heavily at higher resolutions, the CPU is still a significant constraint at 1080p. The relatively small 14% drop from 1080p to 1440p suggests that the CPU is limiting performance at 1080p, preventing the GPU from pushing more frames. The massive 49% drop from 1440p to 4K shows the GPU's workload increasing substantially. At 4K, the GPU is finally the primary limiting factor, as the resolution demands on the graphics card are much higher. This analysis shows a classic CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions, transitioning to a GPU-bound scenario at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It has 9 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory. Its synthetic benchmark scores are modest, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935. In Geekbench, it scores 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core. These scores place the CPU in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, highlighting its mid-range status. In Steamworld Build, a city builder that relies heavily on CPU simulation and pathfinding, the processor's performance is critical. The data indicates that the CPU is the primary bottleneck in this system. At 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, the frame rates are capped at levels that do not fully utilize the RTX 4080's potential. The CPU's 6 threads are likely a limiting factor in handling the game's many simultaneous calculations. The benchmark results suggest that while the CPU provides acceptable performance, it prevents the system from reaching the high frame rates that the GPU alone could achieve, especially at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the best experience depends on the user's priority: maximum smoothness or maximum visual fidelity. For players with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, the High preset offers an excellent balance. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 150 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, High still provides a very high 129 FPS. This preset offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium without a substantial performance hit. For those seeking the absolute highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p yields 184 FPS, but the visual compromise is likely too great for a game that relies on visual feedback for city management.

For 4K gaming, the situation changes. The High preset at 3840x2160 averages 77 FPS, which is a comfortable frame rate for a city builder. The Medium preset averages 102 FPS and provides a smoother experience, though with some visual compromises. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to an average of 52 FPS, which may result in noticeable stutter during complex scenes. Therefore, for 4K, the Medium preset is recommended to ensure a consistently smooth experience, while High is viable for those who prioritize image quality and can tolerate slightly lower frame rates. The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K due to the sub-60 FPS average. In summary, High settings at 1080p or 1440p and Medium settings at 4K provide the best measured balance between visual quality and performance.