Pc Building Simulator

Pc Building Simulator places the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B390 in a challenging position. The data shows this combo ranks 2650th out of 3002 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of all systems. This is a simulation title where the CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads, boosting to 4.90 GHz, handle the logic, but the Arc B390's integrated graphics architecture becomes the decisive bottleneck. Benchmark results indicate a system that is playable at 1080p with adjusted settings, but one that struggles to maintain fluid frame rates at higher resolutions.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-S architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and can boost up to 4.90 GHz, which provides substantial single-threaded capability for a simulation game that relies on physics and logic calculations. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and a multi-core score of 25891, indicating strong computational headroom for the game's underlying systems. The processor's PassMark single-thread score of 4412 and multithread score of 30459 further confirm that the CPU is not the primary constraint in this pairing.

However, the Arc B390 is not a discrete graphics card; it is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 80 W TDP, sharing system memory. This means the CPU's performance is largely irrelevant once the graphics workload begins. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is just 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, deltaPct 1.3) and the GeForce 800M (score 1460, deltaPct 1.5), which are legacy mobile parts. This positions the Arc B390 at the very bottom of the graphics performance spectrum, far below any modern discrete solution.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth are irrelevant when the GPU is bottlenecked by its own architecture. In Pc Building Simulator, the game's simulation logic runs on the CPU, but the rendering of the workshop, components, and interface falls entirely on the GPU. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 125 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 20 FPS. This dramatic scaling is entirely attributable to the GPU's inability to handle pixel fill rates and shader complexity at higher resolutions. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking versus all CPUs means it is a capable processor, but it is paired with a GPU that ranks in the 9th percentile, creating a severe imbalance where the graphics processor dictates all performance outcomes.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a high-performing CPU for its class?

A: Yes. The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with a deltaPct of 0, meaning they are statistically identical in average score. The CPU also outperforms the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D by 0.2% and the Intel Core i9-12900T by 0.5% in average benchmark scores.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are all extremely low-end parts, confirming the B390's performance tier.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system?

A: The data shows that 1080p Low yields the highest average FPS at 125. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1080p Medium achieves 88 FPS with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS. At 1440p, the system drops to 79 FPS on Low, which is still playable, but Medium falls to 56 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: No. At 4K resolution, the highest average FPS is 41 on Low settings, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings at 4K produce 29 FPS (min 25, max 34), and High settings produce only 21 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K are effectively unplayable at 20 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and PassMark multithread score of 30459 show substantial processing power. However, the GPU's 3DMark score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The FPS scaling from 125 at 1080p Low to 41 at 4K Low is a GPU-bound pattern, as the CPU load remains constant while resolution increases.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in Pc Building Simulator?

A: This combo ranks 2650th out of 3002 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of all systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's severe performance limitations, which override the CPU's strong showing in synthetic benchmarks.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo's rank of 2650 out of 3002 tested combinations indicates that this system is in the 88th percentile of the worst-performing setups. This is a low ranking that places it in the company of systems with integrated graphics or very old discrete GPUs. The data shows that 352 other tested combos perform worse, but the vast majority of systems in the database outperform this pairing by a significant margin.

This ranking is surprising given the CPU's capabilities. The Core Ultra 5 225 has a PassMark single-thread score of 4412 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, which are strong numbers for a desktop processor. However, the Arc B390's integrated nature means it shares system memory and has a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. These figures, while numerically presentable, are far below what any discrete GPU offers. The GPU's FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS and 1536 shading units are also modest by modern standards.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals show that the Arc B390 is only 1.3% faster than the GeForce GT 520MX, a GPU released over a decade ago. This contextualizes the combo's rank: the system is essentially a modern CPU paired with a graphics solution that competes with entry-level hardware from previous generations. In Pc Building Simulator, where the game's visuals are not demanding, this combo still manages to achieve playable frame rates at 1080p Low. But the rank of 2650 reflects the reality that this is a bottom-tier gaming configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system shows its best performance. Low settings deliver an average of 125 FPS, which is excellent for this title. Medium settings reduce the average to 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS, providing a smooth experience. High settings drop the average to 62 FPS, and Ultra settings further reduce it to 59 FPS. This progression shows a clear degradation as graphical fidelity increases, but even at Ultra, the system remains technically playable at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings produce an average of 79 FPS, which is still acceptable for gameplay. Medium settings yield 56 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. High settings drop to 39 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 38 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1440p is only viable on Low or Medium settings, and even then, the frame rates are marginal for a simulation game that benefits from smooth camera movement.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playability. Low settings achieve an average of 41 FPS, which is the only 4K setting above 30 FPS. Medium settings drop to 29 FPS, with a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 34 FPS, which is inconsistent. High settings produce 21 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 20 FPS. These results make 4K gaming impractical for this combo, as even the lowest settings fail to provide a consistently smooth experience.

The data for Medium settings is the only row with min and max FPS values, showing a spread of 9 FPS at 1080p, 17 FPS at 1440p, and 9 FPS at 4K. This variance suggests that the integrated GPU's performance is subject to fluctuations based on scene complexity, which can lead to noticeable stuttering in a game that involves detailed component rendering.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound pattern. At Low settings, the system delivers 125 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 79 FPS at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 41 FPS at 4K (a 67% reduction from 1080p). This scaling is steeper than what would be expected from a CPU bottleneck, as the CPU's workload remains constant regardless of resolution. The fact that the frame rate nearly halves from 1080p to 1440p, and then halves again from 1440p to 4K, indicates that the GPU is being overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count.

At Medium settings, the 1080p average of 88 FPS drops to 56 FPS at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 29 FPS at 4K (a 67% reduction). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings confirms that the GPU's fill rate is the limiting factor. The Arc B390's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply insufficient for higher resolutions, even in a game with modest graphics requirements like Pc Building Simulator.

The CPU's role in this scaling is negligible. The Core Ultra 5 225's 10 cores and 4.90 GHz boost clock are more than capable of feeding the GPU at all tested resolutions. The data shows that if the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the observed FPS drops are proportional to the increase in pixel count. This is definitive evidence that the Intel Arc B390's integrated graphics architecture is the sole performance limiter. The system's ranking in the 9th percentile for GPUs and the 85th percentile for CPUs further underscores this imbalance.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a consistent and smooth experience, the 1080p Medium preset is the optimal choice. The measured data shows an average of 88 FPS with a minimum of 75 FPS, ensuring no drops below the 60 FPS threshold. This setting provides a balance between visual quality and performance, as the High preset at 1080p drops to 62 FPS and Ultra to 59 FPS, both of which are closer to the edge of playability. The Medium preset's minimum of 75 FPS offers a significant safety margin against stuttering.

For users who prioritize frame rate above all else, the 1080p Low preset delivers 125 FPS, which is double the Medium preset's average. This is the only setting in the entire dataset that approaches the refresh rate of a 120 Hz monitor, making it the choice for competitive or fast-paced gameplay. However, the visual compromise is substantial, as Low settings disable many graphical features that enhance the simulation experience.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 79 FPS. The Medium preset's average of 56 FPS and minimum of 47 FPS are below the 60 FPS target, which may result in noticeable judder. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p (39 FPS and 38 FPS, respectively) are not recommended, as they fall below the 40 FPS threshold for acceptable playability.

The 4K resolution is not recommended for this combo. Even the Low preset's 41 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target, and the Medium preset's 29 FPS average with a 25 FPS minimum is likely to cause motion sickness in a simulation game. Users with a 4K display should either run the game at 1080p on Medium settings or accept the significant visual downgrade of 4K Low. The data clearly favors 1080p Medium as the best overall experience, offering 88 FPS average, a 75 FPS minimum, and a 102 FPS maximum, which provides both smoothness and a reasonable level of graphical detail for a game about building PCs.