Pc Building Simulator

Pc Building Simulator presents an unusual scaling pattern for the Intel Core i5-11400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. The data shows this is a simulation title with modest GPU demands, where the CPU frequently becomes the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The measured frame rates reveal that this combination is massively overqualified for the task, delivering playable performance even at 4K Ultra, but the scaling curve indicates the RTX 4080 SUPER's potential is only fully realized at 4K, where the workload shifts back toward the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is the clearest indicator of where the bottleneck lies. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 302.8 at 1920x1080 to 156.7 at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly half. This nearly linear halving of performance across a 4x pixel-count increase suggests the GPU is still not the primary constraint even at 4K, as a purely GPU-bound title would show a steeper decline.

At High settings, the scaling is more dramatic. The 1920x1080 result of 229.7 FPS drops to 150.0 at 2560x1440, then falls to 75.2 at 4K. The 1440p to 4K transition shows a 50% performance loss, which aligns with the pixel-count difference and indicates the GPU is becoming more relevant. However, the 1080p to 1440p step only costs about 35% performance, revealing that the Core i5-11400F's six cores and 12 threads are holding back the RTX 4080 SUPER at the lower resolution.

Ultra settings tell a similar story. Performance goes from 220.7 FPS at 1080p to 142.0 at 1440p, then down to 70.4 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 70.4 FPS is the only point where the GPU appears genuinely loaded, as the gap between High and Ultra at 4K is just 4.8 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns from the extra settings overhead. The data indicates that for this simulation title, the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p and 1440p to the GPU only at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 SUPER in this game?

A: Yes, at 1080p and 1440p. The Low settings data shows 302.8 FPS at 1080p versus 256.6 FPS at 1440p, a modest 18% drop despite a 78% increase in pixel count. This indicates the CPU's six cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are limiting frame rates before the GPU can be fully utilized.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: 2560x1440 at High settings provides the most balanced experience. The measured 150.0 FPS average is well above the 4K High result of 75.2 FPS, while still offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p. The 1440p High result also shows the GPU is doing meaningful work, as it sits between the 1080p High of 229.7 FPS and the 4K High of 75.2 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of VRAM factor into these results?

A: The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with 736.3 GB/s bandwidth is more than sufficient for this title. The high frame rates across all settings, including 4K Ultra at 70.4 FPS, suggest VRAM capacity is not a constraint. The GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 80 RT cores are likely underutilized in a simulation game with relatively simple graphics workloads.

Q: Should I use Ultra settings at 4K with this combo?

A: The 4K Ultra result of 70.4 FPS is playable, but the 4K High setting at 75.2 FPS offers a 6.4% higher average frame rate. Given the small performance difference, Ultra at 4K is viable if visual fidelity is the priority. The data shows the gap between High and Ultra narrows at higher resolutions, suggesting the settings overhead is not the primary cost.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 233rd out of 1769 tested combos, placing it in the top 13% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong CPU performance, as the Core i5-11400F's 75th percentile score versus all CPUs shows it is a capable mid-range processor, while the GPU's 88th percentile score indicates high-end graphics performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game's performance?

A: The CPU is more important at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the scaling data. The Core i5-11400F's multi-threaded performance, shown by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14372, helps maintain high frame rates. The GPU becomes the limiting factor only at 4K Ultra, where the RTX 4080 SUPER's architecture and memory bandwidth are fully engaged.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of VRAM and 736.3 GB/s memory bandwidth are far beyond what Pc Building Simulator requires. The measured data shows the GPU is never VRAM-limited, as even the 4K Ultra result of 70.4 FPS indicates the memory subsystem has ample headroom. The GPU's base clock of 2295 MHz and boost clock of 2550 MHz, combined with its 10240 shading units, provide enormous compute capacity that this simulation title cannot fully exploit.

The GPU's role becomes more apparent at 4K, where the pixel workload increases. The 4K Low result of 156.7 FPS versus the 1080p Low result of 302.8 FPS shows a 48% reduction, which is closer to the expected scaling for a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 816.0 GTexel/s texture rate are the specifications that matter here, as they determine how quickly the GPU can process the increased pixel count.

At 1440p, the GPU still has spare capacity. The 1440p Ultra result of 142.0 FPS is 35% lower than the 1080p Ultra result of 220.7 FPS, but this is a smaller drop than the 4K transition. The data suggests the GPU is operating at roughly 60-70% utilization at 1440p, with the CPU preventing higher frame rates. The RTX 4080 SUPER's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, has a comparable average benchmark score with a 0.2% delta, yet the measured results here show the NVIDIA card's strengths in high-resolution scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows that Low settings provide excessive frame rates that exceed display refresh rates for most monitors. The 1080p Low result of 302.8 FPS and 1440p Low result of 256.6 FPS are far beyond what any standard display can show, making these settings wasteful. The 4K Low result of 156.7 FPS is also above typical 144 Hz refresh rates, indicating Low settings are unnecessary for this hardware.

Medium settings offer a better balance of visual quality and performance. The 1440p Medium result of 207.4 FPS and 1080p Medium result of 263.0 FPS both provide frame rates well above 144 Hz, while the 4K Medium result of 111.3 FPS remains highly playable. High settings are the recommended choice for most users, as the 1440p High result of 150.0 FPS hits the sweet spot for high-refresh monitors, and the 1080p High result of 229.7 FPS provides ample headroom.

Ultra settings are only recommended for 1080p and 1440p users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate. The 1080p Ultra result of 220.7 FPS and 1440p Ultra result of 142.0 FPS are both playable, but the 4K Ultra result of 70.4 FPS is the only setting where the RTX 4080 SUPER is fully utilized. For 4K users, High settings at 75.2 FPS offer a better experience than Ultra, as the 4.8 FPS difference is negligible.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 233rd out of 1769 tested combos in Pc Building Simulator. This places the configuration in the top 13% of all combinations, which is a strong result given the CPU's mid-range positioning. The Core i5-11400F's 75th percentile score versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17181, shows it outperforms the majority of processors, while the RTX 4080 SUPER's 88th percentile score and 53610 average benchmark score demonstrate high-end graphics performance.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for this ranking. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U has a nearly identical average score of 17189 with a 0% delta, while the Intel Core i7-1260P and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U both score 17212 and 17215 respectively, with -0.2% deltas. This indicates the i5-11400F is competitive with these processors, though none are particularly strong gaming CPUs. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53489 with a 0.2% delta, showing the RTX 4080 SUPER holds a slight edge.

The 233rd rank reflects the CPU's limitation in this simulation title. While the GPU is capable of much higher frame rates, the CPU's six cores and 12 threads with a 4.40 GHz boost clock cannot feed the GPU fast enough at lower resolutions. The ranking would likely be higher if the CPU were stronger, as the GPU's performance headroom is evident from the scaling data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear hierarchy across settings. Low settings produce 302.8 FPS, Medium drops to 263.0 FPS, High reaches 229.7 FPS, and Ultra delivers 220.7 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is only 9.0 FPS, suggesting that Ultra settings add minimal visual benefit relative to their performance cost at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results are 256.6 FPS at Low, 207.4 FPS at Medium, 150.0 FPS at High, and 142.0 FPS at Ultra. The transition from High to Ultra costs just 8.0 FPS, continuing the pattern seen at 1080p. The 1440p results show a larger drop from Medium to High compared to 1080p, indicating the GPU is beginning to feel the increased pixel load.

At 3840x2160, the results are 156.7 FPS at Low, 111.3 FPS at Medium, 75.2 FPS at High, and 70.4 FPS at Ultra. The 4K data shows the largest relative drops between settings, particularly from Medium to High, which costs 36.1 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 70.4 FPS is the lowest measured frame rate, but it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F's six cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are the primary factor limiting performance at 1080p and 1440p. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for this simulation title, but the core count and clock speed determine the ceiling.

The CPU's benchmark results show strong single-threaded performance, with a 3dmark single-thread score of 868 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2029. These scores indicate the i5-11400F can handle the game's physics and simulation logic efficiently. The multi-threaded performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14372 and a 3dmark max-threads score of 5652, which supports the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

However, the CPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution decreases. The 1080p Low result of 302.8 FPS versus the 4K Low result of 156.7 FPS shows that the CPU can maintain extremely high frame rates when the GPU load is low. The 75th percentile ranking versus all CPUs confirms that this processor is above average, but it is not powerful enough to fully unlock the RTX 4080 SUPER's potential in Pc Building Simulator. The data suggests that a stronger CPU would improve the 1080p and 1440p results, while the 4K results are already GPU-limited.