Pc Building Simulator

Pc Building Simulator presents an interesting challenge for the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination. The benchmark data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but shows signs of CPU saturation at 1080p, making it a versatile but not top-tier pairing for this simulation title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a classic resolution scaling curve, but with a few notable inflection points. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 244 FPS, which drops to 178 FPS at 1440p and then dramatically to 93 FPS at 4K. This represents a 62% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K on Low settings, which is a substantial drop that points to the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The High settings preset tells a similar story, with 141 FPS at 1080p falling to 89 FPS at 1440p and further to 47 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K here shows a 47% performance loss, which is consistent with the 4K resolution requiring roughly twice the pixel throughput of 1440p. However, the more revealing data point is the comparison between Medium and Ultra settings across resolutions.

At 1080p, the gap between Medium (200 FPS) and Ultra (134 FPS) is 66 FPS, or about 33%. At 1440p, that same gap narrows to 41 FPS (126 vs 85), and at 4K it shrinks further to 22 FPS (66 vs 44). This tightening of the settings-based performance gap at higher resolutions is a clear indicator that the RX 7700's rendering throughput is the limiting factor at 4K, while the CPU has more headroom to influence frame rates at 1080p.

The min/max FPS data available for Medium settings reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers a 170-230 FPS range, a 60 FPS spread that indicates some frame pacing variance. At 1440p Medium, the range tightens to 107-145 FPS, and at 4K Medium it becomes 56-76 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that as the GPU becomes more saturated, frame delivery becomes more consistent, which is typical of GPU-bound scenarios.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the dominant component in this pairing for Pc Building Simulator, and its specifications align well with the observed performance. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for a simulation game that typically doesn't require massive texture footprints, and the generous capacity ensures no VRAM-related stuttering at any settings preset.

The RX 7700's clock behavior shows a base clock of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The substantial gap between base and boost clocks indicates the card can aggressively scale its frequency under load, which helps explain why the 4K Medium preset (66 FPS) performs so much better than 4K High (47 FPS). The 19 FPS difference between these two presets at 4K suggests that the GPU's 2560 shading units and 96 ROPs are being pushed to their limits, with the lower settings reducing the per-pixel workload enough to allow higher sustained clocks.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 20974 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865. Its average benchmark score of 15852 puts it in close competition with the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862, -0.1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16014, -1% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15679, +1.1% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129, -1.7% delta). This positioning shows the RX 7700 is a mid-range performer that trades blows with older and newer cards in synthetic tests, but its actual gaming performance in Pc Building Simulator shows it capable of handling 1080p and 1440p with ease.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 presents a more constrained picture. With 6 cores and 6 threads operating at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost up to 4.10 GHz, this is a modest processor by modern standards. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 show a CPU that is adequate for gaming but not exceptional, and its 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs reflects this mid-pack positioning.

The CPU's influence on Pc Building Simulator's performance is most evident at 1080p with Low settings, where the system reaches 244 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU can feed the GPU effectively at lower resolutions, but the scaling pattern indicates this is near the ceiling. When moving from Low to Medium at 1080p, the FPS drops from 244 to 200, a 44 FPS reduction that is likely driven by increased draw calls and physics calculations rather than pure pixel throughput.

The i5-9400's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259 avg score, -0.2% delta), Intel Core i7-10710U (2248 avg score, +0.3% delta), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246 avg score, +0.4% delta), and Intel Core i3-10305 (2264 avg score, -0.4% delta). This clustering within 0.4% of each other shows the i5-9400 is right at the boundary of a performance tier, which means its gaming performance will be highly dependent on the specific workload. In Pc Building Simulator, the CPU's 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 42.7 GB/s bandwidth provide adequate data throughput for the simulation's logic, but the lack of hyperthreading could cause occasional hitches if the game spawns many concurrent simulation threads.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1468 out of 3002 tested combos in Pc Building Simulator, placing it in the 51st percentile of all tested configurations. This ranking is remarkably consistent with the individual component percentiles (CPU at 47th, GPU at 58th), suggesting a balanced pairing where neither component dramatically bottlenecks the other.

This mid-pack ranking means the combo sits in the upper half of tested systems, but it is far from the top performers. The data indicates that this pairing is competitive with many other mid-range configurations, but it would be outperformed by systems with newer CPUs that can sustain higher frame rates at 1080p or GPUs with more raw compute power for 4K rendering. The 4K Ultra preset result of 44 FPS is particularly telling, as it shows this combo falls just short of the 60 FPS threshold that many users consider the minimum for smooth gameplay at that resolution.

The ranking also highlights that Pc Building Simulator is not a particularly demanding title for high-end hardware. A combo ranked in the top half of all tested configurations can still achieve playable frame rates at most settings presets, which means users with this pairing should focus on optimizing settings rather than upgrading components.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo?

A: The data shows 1440p High provides 89 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS, while 1080p Ultra provides 134 FPS. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p High is the recommended resolution, as 4K High drops to 47 FPS, which is below ideal smoothness.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K Medium, the combo achieves 66 FPS with a 56-76 FPS range, which is playable. However, 4K High (47 FPS) and 4K Ultra (44 FPS) fall below 60 FPS, so users will need to use Medium settings or lower for a consistent 4K experience.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its direct rivals?

A: The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254 puts it within 0.4% of the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259), Intel Core i7-10710U (2248), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246), and Intel Core i3-10305 (2264). This means performance differences between these CPUs are negligible in most workloads.

Q: Is the 16 GB of VRAM on the RX 7700 necessary for this game?

A: The measured FPS data shows no VRAM-related performance cliffs at any settings preset or resolution, indicating that 16 GB is more than sufficient for Pc Building Simulator. The game's simulation-focused nature likely does not require large texture caches.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows 134 FPS average at 1080p Ultra. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience, though it is notably lower than the 244 FPS seen at 1080p Low.

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

A: It ranks 1468 out of 3002 total combos, placing it just above the median. This indicates it is a capable but not exceptional pairing for Pc Building Simulator.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's resolution and performance priorities. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset at 134 FPS provides the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, and the jump from High (141 FPS) to Ultra (134 FPS) costs only 7 FPS, making Ultra the clear choice for 1080p displays.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 89 FPS, which is the sweet spot for this resolution. The Medium preset provides 126 FPS, which is excessive for most displays, while Ultra drops to 85 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is only 4 FPS, so users with high-refresh-rate monitors might prefer High for the slightly higher frame rate, while those wanting maximum visual fidelity can choose Ultra without significant penalty.

For 4K users, the Medium preset at 66 FPS is the recommended choice, as it is the only 4K setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS. The drop from Medium to High at 4K is substantial (66 to 47 FPS), representing a 29% performance loss for incremental visual gains. The 4K Low preset at 93 FPS is also viable for users who prioritize frame rate over visual quality, but Medium provides a better balance.

The data reveals an interesting pattern in the performance deltas between presets. The largest relative performance gaps occur at 4K, where the difference between Low (93 FPS) and Ultra (44 FPS) is 53%. At 1440p, the spread from Low (178 FPS) to Ultra (85 FPS) is 52%, and at 1080p it is 45% (244 to 134 FPS). This consistent scaling suggests that the game's settings have a similar relative impact across resolutions, but the absolute frame rates make higher presets more viable at lower resolutions.

For users with adaptive sync displays, the 1440p High preset (89 FPS) and 4K Medium preset (66 FPS) both provide frame rates that fall within typical 48-144 Hz and 48-75 Hz VRR ranges respectively, ensuring tear-free gameplay. The 1080p Medium preset's 170-230 FPS range also works well for 240 Hz displays, though the 60 FPS spread indicates less consistent frame pacing than at higher resolutions.

Ultimately, the measured data shows that this combo is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p, where it can maintain high frame rates across all settings presets. The 4K experience is limited to Medium settings for smooth gameplay, and the system's 51st percentile ranking among all combos suggests that users seeking higher 4K performance would need to look at more powerful GPU configurations.