Pc Building Simulator

Pc Building Simulator, a simulation title focused on assembling and troubleshooting hardware, presents an unusual stress profile where the Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B390 combination produces a wide spread of results across resolutions and presets. The measured data shows that this pairing is heavily constrained by the graphics solution, particularly at higher settings, while the processor’s substantial multi-core capabilities remain largely underutilized. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results, offering specific guidance on how to extract the best playable experience from this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimizing the gameplay experience with this specific CPU-GPU combination. At 1920x1080, the data shows a progression from 59 FPS on Ultra to 62 FPS on High, then a jump to 88 FPS on Medium, and finally 125 FPS on Low. The difference between Ultra and High is minimal at just 3 FPS, suggesting that High is the optimal ceiling for visual fidelity without a meaningful performance penalty. However, the most significant gains come from dropping to Medium, which yields a 26 FPS improvement over High, representing a 42% increase in frame rate while presumably retaining moderate visual quality.

For 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Ultra delivers 38 FPS, High delivers 39 FPS, Medium delivers 56 FPS, and Low delivers 79 FPS. Here, High and Ultra are effectively identical, with the data showing only a 1 FPS difference. Medium becomes the clear sweet spot, offering a 17 FPS advantage over High and crossing the threshold into more fluid motion. At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more challenging: Ultra averages 20 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, Medium averages 29 FPS, and Low averages 41 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is again negligible, but even Medium struggles to maintain playable rates.

The recommendation depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p, High settings provide the best balance, as the 62 FPS average is comfortably smooth and the visual upgrade from Medium is substantial enough to justify the 26 FPS cost. For 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, as 56 FPS is acceptable for a simulation title and represents a 44% improvement over High. For 4K, Low is the only viable option at 41 FPS, though users should be aware that this is still below the 60 FPS threshold; Medium at 29 FPS is too sluggish for a game that requires precise interactions with system components.

The data indicates that the Ultra preset is never worth selecting on this hardware, as it consistently delivers the lowest or near-lowest frame rates with no measurable benefit over High. Across all resolutions, the delta between High and Ultra is 3 FPS or less, meaning users sacrifice performance without gaining discernible visual improvements. Conversely, Medium offers the largest single-step improvement in the majority of cases, making it the most efficient choice for users prioritizing frame rate over maximum detail.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is a mobile-class integrated graphics solution built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process node, and its benchmark results place it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which sits just ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, +1.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, +1.5%), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, +2.5%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443, +2.7%). These nearest rivals are all legacy entry-level parts, underscoring the B390’s position at the very bottom of the performance spectrum.

The GPU’s clock behavior is notable: a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, which represents an 8.3x multiplier between idle and maximum load. This wide range suggests the integrated graphics can aggressively scale its frequency when needed, but the underlying hardware is limited to 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning the B390 borrows from the main system RAM rather than having dedicated VRAM, and the bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent." This architecture directly impacts Pc Building Simulator’s results, as the shared memory pool is a bottleneck for texture-heavy scenes at higher resolutions.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU’s limitations become apparent at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 20 FPS. Even at 1080p Low, the B390 manages 125 FPS, which is respectable for the class, but the scaling to 4K Low (41 FPS) reveals a 67% reduction in performance. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are indicative of a part designed for light workloads, not modern gaming at high detail. The FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS is adequate for compute tasks, but the 80 W TDP and "IGP" slot width confirm this is not a discrete solution.

The benchmark data indicates that the B390’s performance in Pc Building Simulator is sufficient for the game’s simulation mechanics at lower presets, but it lacks the headroom for high-fidelity rendering. The 3DMark score’s proximity to the GT 710 (which is roughly 2.7% slower) contextualizes the FPS results: users should expect frame rates typical of a decade-old entry-level GPU, which aligns with the observed 1080p High average of 62 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Pc Building Simulator on with this hardware?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where High settings achieve a 62 FPS average. At 2560x1440, High drops to 39 FPS, and at 3840x2160, High falls to 21 FPS, so 1080p is the only resolution that provides a consistently smooth experience across presets.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of frame rate?

A: Across all three measured resolutions, the difference is minimal. At 1080p, Ultra is 59 FPS versus High’s 62 FPS (a 3 FPS gap); at 1440p, Ultra is 38 FPS versus 39 FPS (a 1 FPS gap); at 4K, Ultra is 20 FPS versus 21 FPS (a 1 FPS gap). The data suggests Ultra offers no tangible benefit over High.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 strong enough for 1440p gaming in this title?

A: The measured results show 1440p Medium averages 56 FPS and Low averages 79 FPS, which are playable. However, High at 39 FPS and Ultra at 38 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold, so the B390 can handle 1440p only at reduced settings.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with the lowest settings?

A: The data shows 3840x2160 Low averages 41 FPS, with no min or max values recorded. This is the only 4K preset that exceeds 30 FPS, indicating that 4K is only marginally viable on this configuration.

Q: How does the B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The B390’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GT 710 (1443). These are all sub-1500 scores, placing the B390 firmly in the entry-level class.

Q: Does the CPU’s integrated graphics impact the measured FPS?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has no integrated graphics (the field is null), so all rendering is handled by the Arc B390. The system’s performance is therefore entirely dependent on the B390’s capabilities, which the data shows are limited at higher presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2650 out of 3002 tested combos in Pc Building Simulator, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. This low rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, as the CPU alone sits in the 90th percentile of all processors. The data indicates a severe imbalance: the i5-14600KF is a high-end desktop part with an average benchmark score of 49394, while the B390 is an integrated mobile solution with an average score of 1482.

To contextualize the CPU’s performance, its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (avgScore 49228, +0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (avgScore 49196, +0.4%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (avgScore 48995, +0.8%), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 (avgScore 49796, -0.8%). The i5-14600KF is effectively within 1% of these parts, making it a top-tier processor by synthetic benchmarks. Yet in the game, this strength is wasted because the B390 cannot translate CPU compute power into frame rate.

The rank of 2650 out of 3002 means the vast majority of tested combos outperform this pairing. For a simulation game like Pc Building Simulator, where the player interacts with 3D-rendered components, the GPU bottleneck is severe. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 125 FPS, which is competitive, but the rank reflects the average across all settings and resolutions, pulling it down due to the 4K and Ultra results. Users should interpret this rank as a warning that the B390 is the limiting factor and that upgrading the GPU would yield disproportionate gains.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with base and boost clocks of 3.50 GHz and 5.30 GHz respectively. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, which provides ample bandwidth for multi-threaded workloads. The CPU’s synthetic benchmarks are strong: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 32544 and single-core scores 4594, while Geekbench multicore reaches 17085 and single-core reaches 2445. These numbers place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394.

In Pc Building Simulator, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics calculations, and the simulation of PC components. The passmark physics score of 2449 and floating point math score of 93048 suggest the CPU can process these tasks efficiently. However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 125 FPS, which is a strong result, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 59 FPS despite the CPU being capable of far more. This indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the same CPU with a different GPU would likely produce higher frame rates.

The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel configuration is relevant, but the B390’s "System Shared" memory means the GPU borrows from the same pool, potentially increasing memory latency. The CPU’s 125 W TDP and PCIe Gen 5 support (16 lanes) are standard for a desktop part, but the B390’s "IGP" bus interface means it operates on the integrated graphics path, not the PCIe lanes. This architecture further limits the GPU’s access to system resources, reinforcing the CPU’s underutilization.

The nearest rival data shows the i5-14600KF is essentially tied with the Ryzen 9 7900 (+0.3%) and Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (+0.4%), meaning any performance differences in the game are negligible. The processor is more than sufficient for Pc Building Simulator’s demands; the data suggests that users would see no improvement from a stronger CPU unless paired with a more capable GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are 125 on Low, 88 on Medium, 62 on High, and 59 on Ultra. The Medium preset also recorded min and max values of 75 and 102 FPS, respectively, indicating a stable frame delivery with a 27 FPS range. The step from Low to Medium is a 37 FPS drop (30%), from Medium to High is a 26 FPS drop (30%), and from High to Ultra is only a 3 FPS drop (5%). This pattern shows diminishing returns at the top end, where Ultra provides no meaningful improvement over High.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 79 on Low, 56 on Medium, 39 on High, and 38 on Ultra. The Medium preset’s min and max are 47 and 64 FPS, a 17 FPS range, which is tighter than at 1080p. The drop from Low to Medium is 23 FPS (29%), from Medium to High is 17 FPS (30%), and from High to Ultra is 1 FPS (3%). The relative scaling is consistent with 1080p, showing that the GPU’s performance degrades proportionally with resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 41 on Low, 29 on Medium, 21 on High, and 20 on Ultra. The Medium preset’s min and max are 25 and 34 FPS, a 9 FPS range, indicating less variance at lower frame rates. The drop from Low to Medium is 12 FPS (29%), from Medium to High is 8 FPS (28%), and from High to Ultra is 1 FPS (5%). The 4K results show that even Low settings struggle to maintain 60 FPS, and the gap between High and Ultra remains negligible.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the performance hit from Low to Medium is roughly 30% at every resolution, while the hit from High to Ultra is less than 5%. This suggests the game’s Ultra preset introduces effects that are not visually significant on this hardware, while Medium offers a balanced trade-off. The min and max values for Medium across all resolutions show a narrow range, confirming that the GPU maintains stable frame pacing despite its low absolute performance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K reveal the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 125 at 1080p to 79 at 1440p to 41 at 4K. This represents a 37% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 48% drop from 1440p to 4K, or a total 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the averages are 88, 56, and 29 FPS, with drops of 36% and 48% respectively, totaling 67%. At High settings, the averages are 62, 39, and 21 FPS, with drops of 37% and 46%, totaling 66%. At Ultra, the averages are 59, 38, and 20 FPS, with drops of 36% and 47%, totaling 66%.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all presets is striking. Whether on Low or Ultra, the performance loss from 1080p to 4K is consistently around 66-67%. This uniformity indicates that the scaling is dominated by the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth, which are fixed regardless of the graphical preset. The B390’s pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are the limiting factors, as increasing resolution directly increases the number of pixels and textures that must be processed.

The data shows that the CPU is not contributing to the resolution scaling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the observed drops are significant and consistent with a pure GPU limitation. The i5-14600KF’s single-core score of 4594 in Cinebench R23 is more than adequate to feed the B390 at any resolution, so the frame rate is dictated solely by the GPU’s rendering capacity.

The implications are clear: users with this combo should treat 1080p as the primary resolution, with 1440p only viable at Low or Medium settings. The 4K results are largely unusable for interactive play, as even Low settings at 41 FPS will feel sluggish in a game that requires precise mouse movements for component installation. The resolution scaling analysis confirms that upgrading the GPU would be the most effective way to improve performance, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a more powerful graphics card.