Pc Building Simulator

Pc Building Simulator, a simulation title from January 2019, is not a typical stress test. The data shows that this game scales in an unusual way, shifting its bottleneck between the CPU and GPU depending on resolution and settings. The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT combo delivers high frame rates at every preset, but the exact character of the performance, whether it is a smooth, high-refresh experience or a heavier, more demanding slog, depends heavily on your output and settings.

The transition across resolutions for this Intel and AMD pairing reveals a classic pattern, but with a strong twist. At 1080p, the strain is on the processor. The frame rates are massive, with the system pushing out scores that are anything but common. At 1920x1080, the CPU is the obvious limiting factor, because the GPU is so fast that it is not the one that is being pushed. In contrast, the shift to 4K is a massive hit. The frame rate drops are severe, a clear sign that the Radeon is now stressed. The data for the High preset shows a massive drop, with the average at 1440p being 85 FPS, and the 4K number falling to just 44 FPS (a 48% drop). This is a textbook case of the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the pixel count quadruples, demanding more of the memory bandwidth and compute units. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is also noticeable, with the High preset dropping from 135 FPS to 85 FPS, a drop of 37%. This shows that the card is not just a 1080p card, it can handle 1440p, but the frame rate is cut down to a level that is still very playable, but not as extreme.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear, but that is expected. The 4K resolution has four times the pixels of 1080p. The data shows a drop from 269 FPS (1080p Low) to 89 FPS at 4K Low. That is a 67% reduction in frame rate, which is close to the pixel count difference, but not exactly, because the CPU still has a role. The data indicates that the i5-12400 is strong enough to avoid being the primary limiter at lower resolutions, but the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. This is a good balance, though, it shows that the 6700 XT is not a 4K card for this game, at least not at High/Ultra settings. The medium setting at 4K, which is 63 FPS, is the only 4K setting that is playable with a decent margin, and that is the key.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is the defining characteristic of this combo. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 269 FPS, which is a massive number, but it shows the CPU's limits. The i5-12400, a 6-core, 12-thread processor, is the main limiting factor at 1080p. With a boost clock of 4.40 GHz and a base of 2.50 GHz, it is a solid, but at these frame rates, the CPU is the one that has to work. The data shows that moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the FPS drops from 269 to 170, a 37% drop, which is not proportional to the pixel increase, meaning that the GPU is now becoming the limiting factor. The drop from 1440p to 4K is even more severe, from 170 to 89 FPS, a 48% drop. This is a pure GPU scaling, as the CPU is no longer the bottleneck. The High preset shows a similar pattern: 135 FPS at 1080p, 85 at 1440p, and 44 at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 1440p in High is a 37% drop, and the drop to 4K is also 48%. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions above 1080p, with the CPU only being the limit at the very lightest setting at 1080p.

The Medium preset is the only one that has min/max frame data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 191 FPS, with a min of 162 and a max of 219. At 1440p, the average is 120, with a min of 102 and a max of 138, and at 4K, the average is 63, with min 53 and max 72. The min FPS is always a good indicator of the worst case. The 4K medium min of 53 is still quite high, but it is a drop from the 1440p min of 102. The scaling from Medium 1080 to 1440 is a 37% drop, same as the other presets. The Ultra preset has no min/max data, but the averages are 128 FPS at 1080p, 81 at 1440p, and 42 at 4K. The gap between Ultra and High at the same resolution is small, which is typical, as the game is not that demanding. The Ultra preset is 128 FPS at 1080p, just 5% faster than the High, and at 4K, the Ultra is 42 FPS, a 5% drop from High, which is 44. This is a typical pattern, as the highest settings do not stress the GPU as much as, for example, a game with more advanced effects.

The limiting component is clear. The 6700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, giving a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. This is a lot, but 4K is heavy. The GPU has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. In a simulation, the GPU is not the main task. The game is not a typical, but the data shows that the 6700 XT is a 1440p class card. At 4K, it is playable, but the frame rate is not high. The only reason the CPU is not the bottleneck is that the GPU is the limiting factor at high resolutions. The conclusion is that the improvement in resolution is a drop, but it is not a linear drop, as the CPU is still important at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

The best experience, per the data, is the Medium preset at 1440p. This gives an average of 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 and a maximum of 138. This is a smooth, high-refresh experience. The Medium preset is the only one that is tested with min/max data, and the 1440p Medium is the sweet spot. The High preset at 1440p is 85 FPS, which is also playable, but the difference between Medium and High is 35 FPS, a 29% drop. The Low preset at 1440p is 170 FPS, which is even higher, but the visual changes may be too obvious. The data shows that the Ultra preset at 1440p is 81 FPS, which is 4 FPS slower than High, so the Ultra is not a big improvement for the performance cost. For a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it is the best balance of quality and performance. The 120 FPS average is perfect for a 144Hz monitor. The minimum of 102 means that the frame rate will not dip below a very high level, and this is the most consistent experience.

For 1080p, the High preset at 135 FPS is a very good choice, but the Medium preset at 191 FPS is even better. The High preset is likely to be more visually appealing, but the Medium is a big improvement. The Low preset at 269 FPS is enormous, but it is likely to be too low quality for the game. The Ultra at 128 FPS is a bit slower than High, so it is not a recommended choice. The best experience at 1080p is the Medium preset, which gives 191 FPS, a very high frame rate. The difference between the Medium and High is 56 FPS, a 29% drop, so the Medium is a better choice for a high-refresh monitor. At 4K, the best choice is the Medium preset, which is 63 FPS. This is the only 4K setting that is playable, as the High and Ultra are below 45 FPS. The Low at 4K is 89 FPS, which is also playable, but the quality is low. The Medium is the best option for 4K, as it is the only one that provides a smooth frame rate. In general, the Medium preset is the best experience across all resolutions, as it provides a high frame rate and a consistent minimum.

The data is clear: the Medium preset is the sweet spot. The Low preset is for maximum frame rate, but the visual quality is likely to be low. The High and Ultra are for visual quality, but the frame rate drops. The Medium is the best balance. The minimum data for the Medium preset shows that the frame rate is stable. The 1440p Medium min of 102 is very good, and the 4K Medium min of 53 is also good. The Medium preset is the best choice for the game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost of 4.40 GHz. It has an 18 MB L3 cache and is based on the Alder Lake architecture. The CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, especially at the Low preset, where the frame rate is 269 FPS. This is a very high frame rate that is CPU-bound. The CPU is a strong performer, but the game is not a CPU-intensive game. The 3DMark benchmarks show that the CPU has a single-thread score of 910, which is a measure of single-thread performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 15989, which is a strong result. The CPU is a solid choice for this game, as the game is not very demanding, but the high frame rates at 1080p show that the CPU is capable.

The core count of 6 cores and 12 threads is enough for this game. The game is not a multi-threaded game, so the 12 threads are not fully utilized. The 3DMark 16-thread score is 5873, which is a measure of the multi-threaded performance, but the game is not a multi-threaded game. The single-thread performance is more important. The CPU has a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which is a high clock speed, and this is a key factor for the high frame rates at 1080p. The CPU is a bottleneck at 1080p, but not a bad one, as the frame rates are still very high. The data shows that the moving to 1440p and 4K, the CPU is no longer the bottleneck, as the GPU takes over. The CPU's role is to provide a high frame rate at 1080p, and it does that. The 12 threads are not a problem, the game does not use them fully, but the single-thread performance is adequate. The CPU is a solid choice, but the 1080p is the only resolution where the CPU is the limiting factor.

The CPU's nearest rivals are the AMD EPYC 7643, the Intel Core i7-1355U, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330, and the Intel Core i3-14100F. The i5-12400 is 0.1% slower than the EPYC 7643, 0.3% slower than the i7-1355U, 0.7% slower than the Ryzen AI 5 330, and 0.9% faster than the i3-14100F. These are close scores, with a difference of less than 1%. This means that the CPU is in the same performance class as these other processors. The CPU is a good choice, but the performance is not a standout. The game is not CPU-intensive, so the CPU is not a major factor. The CPU is a good match for the GPU, as the CPU is not a bottleneck at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-12400 and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT ranks 1950 out of 3723 combos in this game. This places it in the 52nd percentile, meaning it is slightly above the average. The combo is not a top-tier combination, but it is a solid one. The game is a simulation, and the performance is not very demanding. The combo is a mid-range combination, and the rank is a reflection of that. The 6700 XT is a mid-range GPU, and the i5-12400 is a mid-range CPU. The rank is a good result for the price, but the price is not a concern. The rank is a measure of how the combo performs against other combos. The combo is in the middle of the pack, which is a good result for a mid-range combo. The rank is not a measure of the quality of the game, but the performance. The combo is a good choice for the game, as the performance is solid. The rank is a good result, but it is not a top-tier rank. The data shows that the combo is a good value, but the value is not a concern. The rank is a good measure of the performance, and the combo is a good choice.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is a lot for a mid-range card. The memory bus is 192-bit, and the bandwidth is 384.0 GB/s. The GPU has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The base clock is 2321 MHz, and the boost clock is 2581 MHz. The game clock is 2424 MHz. The GPU is a strong performer for the game. The 6700 XT is the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K. The high resolution is a big load on the GPU, and the memory bandwidth is important. The 192-bit bus is not as wide as some other cards, but the memory is a lot. The FPS results show that the GPU is not a 4K card, but it is a 1440p card. The 4K High preset is only 44 FPS, which is not a good frame rate. The 1440p High preset is 85 FPS, which is a good frame rate. The GPU is the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, and it is a solid performer. The 6700 XT has a 72nd percentile of all GPUs, which is a good score. The GPU is a mid-range card, and the performance is good for the game.

The GPU's nearest performance in the pack is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile, which is 0% faster, meaning it is a tie. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 is 0.5% slower, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is 1.1% faster, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 is 1.5% slower. The GPU is in the same performance class as these cards. The GPU is a strong performer for the game, and the performance is not a problem. The GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, and the performance is a good indicator. The GPU is a good choice for the game, and the 12 GB of VRAM is a good amount. The GPU is a solid performer.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Here are the exact measured frame rates, resolution by resolution.

1920x1080

• Low: 269 FPS average
• Medium: 191 FPS average (min 162, max 219)
• High: 135 FPS average
• Ultra: 128 FPS average

2560x1440

• Low: 170 FPS average
• Medium: 120 FPS average (min 102, max 138)
• High: 85 FPS average
• Ultra: 81 FPS average

3840x2160

• Low: 89 FPS average
• Medium: 63 FPS average (min 53, max 72)
• High: 44 FPS average
• Ultra: 42 FPS average

The data is clear. The 1080p Low is a massive frame rate, but the CPU is the limit. The 1440p Medium is the sweet spot, with a stable 120 FPS. The 4K Medium is the only playable 4K setting. The High and Ultra presets are not good at 4K. The performance is a drop from each setting. The game is a simulation, and the performance is not a problem. This combo is a good choice for 1080p and 1440p. The 4K is not a good idea, but the Medium preset is playable. The data is a solid representation of the performance. The game is not a demanding game, but the performance is a good result. The i5-12400 and the 6700 XT are a good combo for the game.