Pc Building Simulator

Pc Building Simulator, a simulation title from 2019, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B580 combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is heavily influenced by graphical load, with the data pointing to the GPU as the primary bottleneck in most scenarios, while the CPU's substantial core count ensures headroom at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the performance drop is telling. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 217 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 137 FPS, a reduction of 80 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls further to 72 FPS. This scaling suggests that even at the lowest graphical preset, the rendering workload is significant enough to impact the Intel Arc B580 heavily. The transition from 1080p to 1440p represents a 36.9% decrease in performance, while the jump from 1440p to 4K is a 47.4% decrease. These are substantial losses, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component even when the simulation's visual demands are minimal.

Examining the High preset tells a similar story. The 1080p High result is 109 FPS, which drops to 69 FPS at 1440p (a 36.7% decrease) and then to 36 FPS at 4K (a 47.8% decrease from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and High settings is a strong signal. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see the FPS plateau at lower resolutions, with the gap between 1080p and 1440p being much smaller. That is not the case here. The frame rate is almost entirely tied to the number of pixels being rendered, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

The Ultra preset results further confirm this analysis. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 103 FPS, only 6 FPS less than High. However, at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 65 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 34 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p on Ultra is a 36.9% decrease, and from 1440p to 4K it is a 47.7% decrease. The near-identical scaling percentages across all presets are remarkable. It implies that the relative cost of each resolution step is consistent, regardless of the complexity of the scene. The data suggests that the Intel Arc B580's rendering capabilities are the definitive constraint in this pairing for Pc Building Simulator, with the CPU providing more than enough throughput to feed the GPU at all tested resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is the workhorse of this combination, and the benchmark results place its performance in a specific context. The GPU's average benchmark score is 23021, which places it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average score, are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP with a score of 23061 and a deltaPct of -0.2, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 with a score of 22895 and a deltaPct of 0.6. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is also close, with a score of 23172 and a deltaPct of -0.7. This clustering indicates that the Arc B580's raw compute performance is in a well-established performance tier, despite being a newer architecture.

The GPU's memory configuration is a key factor. It has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, which provides a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. For a simulation game like Pc Building Simulator, which likely involves managing many assets and UI elements, this memory capacity and bandwidth are more than adequate. The 4K Ultra result of 34 FPS is not a memory capacity issue, but rather a compute and fill-rate limitation. The GPU's pixel rate is 213.6 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 427.2 GTexel/s, which are the specifications that determine how quickly it can fill the screen with rendered pixels. At 4K, the demand on these units is immense, and the data shows the Arc B580 reaching its limits.

The clocks and architecture also play a role. The GPU operates at a base and boost clock of 2670 MHz. This high clock speed on the Xe2-HPG architecture helps it achieve the measured results. The 20 RT cores are present, but for this specific simulation title, their impact is likely minimal. The FP32 performance is 13.67 TFLOPS, which is a measure of the GPU's raw shader compute. This figure, combined with the memory bandwidth, explains why the GPU scales so predictably with resolution. The data reveals a GPU that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p in this title, but one that will require significant settings reductions to maintain playable frame rates at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is an exceptionally powerful processor, and its benchmark scores reflect that. Its average benchmark score is 84003, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which has an average score of 83807, representing a deltaPct of 0.2. This indicates that the 290K Plus is marginally faster than its predecessor in synthetic workloads. The AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85072, which is -1.3 deltaPct from the 290K Plus, showing the Intel chip is competitive with high-end server parts.

The CPU's specifications are substantial. It features 24 cores and 24 threads, which is a high count for a desktop processor. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. This combination of high core count and high clock speed is why it scores so well in multi-threaded tests like Cinebench R23, where it achieves a score of 51731. The single-core score of 7303 in Cinebench R23 also indicates strong per-core performance, which is crucial for games that are not fully optimized for many cores.

However, the measured FPS data in Pc Building Simulator shows that this CPU power is largely untapped. The difference in performance between the Low and Ultra presets at the same resolution is far more significant than any potential CPU limitation. For example, at 1080p, the FPS goes from 217 on Low to 103 on Ultra. This 114 FPS swing is caused entirely by the GPU's workload, not the CPU. If the CPU were a limiting factor, we would see the FPS cap out at a certain number, regardless of the settings. That is not observed. The CPU is providing a stable platform, and its 24 threads are more than sufficient to handle the simulation's logic, AI, and background tasks, even at 1080p Low where the GPU is producing over 200 FPS.

The L3 cache is 36 MB shared, and the CPU supports DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. These are all factors that contribute to a responsive system, but the data from this game suggests they are not the primary driver of the final frame rate. The CPU is the enabler, not the executor, of the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. The bottleneck is unequivocally the GPU, and the CPU's role is to ensure that it is never waiting for data, which it does effectively given its performance percentile.

FAQ

Q: Why is the frame rate so much higher at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: The measured data shows a strong correlation between resolution and FPS. The GPU, an Intel Arc B580, is the limiting component. At 4K, it has to render four times as many pixels as at 1080p, which causes the average FPS to drop from 217 (1080p Low) to 72 (4K Low). This significant decrease indicates the GPU's rendering capacity is the primary constraint.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus holding back the Intel Arc B580 in this game?

A: No, the benchmark data suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads are more than capable of handling the game's demands, as evidenced by the high frame rates achieved at lower resolutions.

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1440p offers a strong balance. At 1440p High, the combo achieves 69 FPS, and at Medium, it reaches 97 FPS. These are smooth, playable frame rates. While 1080p offers much higher rates (109 FPS on High), 1440p provides a significant visual upgrade while remaining comfortably within a playable range for this simulation title.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to other GPUs in its performance class?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 23021, placing it in the 68th percentile. Its nearest rivals by average score are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (score 23061, deltaPct -0.2), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (score 22895, deltaPct 0.6), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (score 23172, deltaPct -0.7). This shows the Arc B580 performs in the same tier as these established cards in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates that the Ultra preset at 4K yields an average of 34 FPS. This is on the edge of playability and may result in a less smooth experience. For a more consistent frame rate at 4K, the Low preset (72 FPS) or Medium preset (51 FPS) would be more suitable based on the measured results.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for achieving high frame rates in this game?

A: The data points to the GPU as the more important factor. The frame rates scale dramatically with resolution and settings, which are primarily GPU workloads. The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid being a bottleneck, as shown by the high FPS at 1080p. The GPU's 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are the specifications that define the performance ceiling in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following are the exact measured average frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B580 combination in Pc Building Simulator.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 217 FPS average
• Medium: 154 FPS average, with a minimum of 131 FPS and a maximum of 177 FPS
• High: 109 FPS average
• Ultra: 103 FPS average

At 2560x1440, the results show a clear step down:

• Low: 137 FPS average
• Medium: 97 FPS average, with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 112 FPS
• High: 69 FPS average
• Ultra: 65 FPS average

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed:

• Low: 72 FPS average
• Medium: 51 FPS average, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS
• High: 36 FPS average
• Ultra: 34 FPS average

The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the range is from 131 to 177 FPS. At 1440p, the range is from 83 to 112 FPS. At 4K, the range narrows to 43 to 58 FPS. These ranges indicate some frame time variance, but the overall averages are consistent. The data shows a linear progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution, with the gap between High and Ultra being the smallest. For instance, at 1080p, the difference is only 6 FPS, while at 4K, it is just 2 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset's additional visual effects have diminishing returns on performance cost relative to the High preset, but the absolute cost of moving up in resolution remains high.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate smoothness.

For 1080p gaming, the data shows that all presets are playable. The High preset delivers 109 FPS, which is an excellent experience for a simulation title. The Ultra preset at 103 FPS is also very smooth, and the 6 FPS difference from High is minimal. However, the Medium preset offers a substantial jump to 154 FPS. For users with a 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset is the best choice to fully utilize the display's refresh rate, providing a 45 FPS advantage over High. The Low preset at 217 FPS is for maximum performance, but the visual quality trade-off may not be worth it. The recommendation is to use High for a balanced experience or Medium if a higher refresh rate is the priority.

At 1440p, the choice becomes more critical. The High preset delivers 69 FPS, which is generally considered smooth. The Ultra preset at 65 FPS is nearly identical in performance, so the extra visual effects are essentially free. The Medium preset, however, provides a significant boost to 97 FPS. This is a substantial improvement over High, making the game feel much more fluid. Given that the visual difference between Medium and High in a simulation game is often subtle, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Low preset at 137 FPS is also viable for competitive play, but the reduction in graphical detail is noticeable.

For 4K, the data indicates that high-fidelity presets are not viable. The Ultra preset averages 34 FPS, and High averages 36 FPS, both of which are below the 40 FPS threshold many consider the minimum for a playable experience. The Medium preset at 51 FPS is the first acceptable option, providing a playable frame rate with moderate visual quality. The Low preset at 72 FPS is the best choice for a smooth 4K experience. This is the only way to get close to a 60+ FPS experience at this resolution. For users who prioritize visual fidelity, the Medium preset is a reasonable compromise, but for smooth gameplay, Low is the recommended setting.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B580 is ranked 2243 out of 3002 tested combos for Pc Building Simulator. This ranking places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which may seem surprising given the high performance of the CPU. The explanation lies in the GPU's performance relative to other systems in the database.

The Intel Arc B580's 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs means that many other tested configurations feature more powerful graphics cards. Since Pc Building Simulator is heavily GPU-bound, as shown by the resolution scaling data, the GPU's performance is the primary determinant of the final FPS. A system with a slower CPU but a much faster GPU would likely achieve a higher frame rate in this game and thus rank higher in the database.

The combo's rank of 2243 out of 3002 suggests that there are 759 other tested combinations that perform better in this specific title. This is not a reflection of the CPU's capabilities, which are near the top of the charts, but rather a consequence of pairing it with a mid-range GPU. The data implies that for this game, a balanced system with a more powerful GPU would be a better investment for achieving higher frame rates. The CPU's immense power is left on the table in this scenario. The ranking serves as a reminder that the processor and graphics card must be balanced according to the game's requirements, and for Pc Building Simulator, the GPU is the dominant component. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus ensures there are no CPU-induced stutters or bottlenecks, but it cannot overcome the GPU's rendering limits.