Pc Building Simulator

# Pc Building Simulator: Intel Core Ultra X9 388H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a distinctly playable experience in Pc Building Simulator, a simulation title that leans more on CPU logic than GPU spectacle. The measured data shows this combo ranks 1800th out of 3002 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The CPU, a 16-core, 16-thread Panther Lake part with a 2.10 GHz base and 5.10 GHz boost clock, sits at the 88th percentile among all processors, while the GPU, an Ada Lovelace part with 8 GB GDDR6 and a 272.0 GB/s bandwidth, lands at the 61st percentile among all graphics cards. This pairing produces a wide range of frame rates depending on resolution and settings, from a low of 37 FPS at 4K Ultra to a high of 237 FPS at 1080p Low.

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

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H brings 16 cores and 16 threads, a configuration that suggests strong parallel processing capability for a simulation game like Pc Building Simulator, where system state tracking and component interaction logic can scale with available cores. The base clock of 2.10 GHz is modest, but the boost clock of 5.10 GHz provides substantial single-thread headroom when the workload demands it. The CPU's L3 cache is 18 MB shared, and each core has 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2, which helps keep frequently accessed data close to the execution units.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 18,911 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,200.5 in single-core, placing it at the 88th percentile overall. Its average benchmark score of 44,466 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, which scores 44,573 (a delta of -0.2%), and slightly ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX at 44,342 (a delta of +0.3%). The PassMark multi-thread score of 36,811 and single-thread score of 4,280 reinforce the balanced nature of this chip. For a game like Pc Building Simulator, which is not heavily threaded but does require consistent CPU responsiveness for UI updates and physics calculations, this processor's combination of 16 cores and a 5.10 GHz boost is more than adequate.

The measured FPS data suggests the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 237 FPS, which is far beyond what a 60 Hz or even 144 Hz display can utilize. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is clearly under strain (37 FPS), the CPU's role is to feed the graphics card with draw calls and game logic updates; the 16 cores handle this without evident bottlenecking. The CPU's memory support for LPDDR5X over a dual-channel bus with 153.6 GB/s bandwidth also ensures that data transfers between CPU and memory do not starve the GPU in this simulation context. While the CPU is a mobile-class part (market segment is "Mobile") with a 25 W TDP, its performance in this game does not show signs of thermal throttling affecting frame rates, as evidenced by the consistent scaling across resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1800th out of 3002 tested combos in Pc Building Simulator. This percentile position — roughly the 60th percentile of all combos — indicates that while this pairing is far from the top tier, it is also not at the bottom. The rank reflects the GPU's moderate standing (61st percentile) more than the CPU's strong showing (88th percentile), suggesting that the graphics card is the constraining element in this pairing.

To contextualize this rank, consider the GPU's nearest rivals by average benchmark score. The RTX 4060 scores 17,639 on average, which is within 0.5% of the AMD Radeon 780M (17,588) and 0.7% of the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17,509). The RTX 4060 is slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17,666, delta -0.2%), but the differences are marginal. This means the combo's rank is largely dictated by the GPU's mid-pack performance. The CPU, in contrast, outperforms its nearest rival the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D by a hair (delta -0.2%), and is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13600 (44,240). The CPU's high percentile does not boost the combo's rank significantly because the game's frame rates are more sensitive to GPU throughput at higher resolutions.

The 1800th rank out of 3002 combos places this system in the lower half of the database, but the actual gameplay experience is better than that rank might imply. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 168 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. The rank is pulled down by weaker 4K performance, where the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus become limiting factors. For a simulation game that is not graphically intense at lower resolutions, this combo punches above its rank at 1080p, but falls in line with expectations at 4K.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU maintains frame rates at lower settings. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 237 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 150 FPS, a reduction of 87 FPS (about 37%). At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 78 FPS, which is a further drop of 72 FPS (about 48%) from 1440p. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings shows a total reduction of 159 FPS (about 67%).

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute values. 1080p Medium yields 168 FPS, 1440p Medium drops to 106 FPS (a 37% reduction), and 4K Medium falls to 55 FPS (a 48% reduction from 1440p). The drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium is 113 FPS (about 67%). This consistent scaling factor — roughly a third reduction from 1080p to 1440p and another half from 1440p to 4K — indicates that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors as pixel count increases.

At High settings, the trend continues: 1080p High produces 119 FPS, 1440p High drops to 75 FPS (37% reduction), and 4K High falls to 39 FPS (48% reduction from 1440p). The Ultra settings show the same pattern: 1080p Ultra at 113 FPS, 1440p Ultra at 71 FPS, and 4K Ultra at 37 FPS. The consistency of the percentage drops across all settings — about 37% from 1080p to 1440p and about 48% from 1440p to 4K — strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting component, not the CPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller differences between 1440p and 4K, as the CPU workload does not scale with resolution.

The 4K results, which hover between 37 and 78 FPS depending on settings, confirm that the RTX 4060 is not designed for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. Even at Low settings, 4K yields only 78 FPS, and at Ultra it drops to 37 FPS. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely insufficient for the texture and shading demands of 4K in this game, even though Pc Building Simulator is not a graphically intensive title. The data indicates that for 4K play, users must accept Low settings to maintain a playable frame rate, while 1080p and 1440p offer more flexibility.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete matrix of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 237 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suitable for any refresh rate display. Medium settings yield 168 FPS with a minimum of 143 FPS and a maximum of 193 FPS, showing a tight frame time distribution. High settings drop to 119 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 113 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1080p is only 6 FPS (119 vs 113), suggesting that Ultra settings do not impose a significant additional load at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 150 FPS, which is still very smooth for competitive or casual play. Medium settings produce 106 FPS with a minimum of 90 FPS and a maximum of 122 FPS, indicating that the frame rate rarely dips below the 90 FPS threshold. High settings yield 75 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 71 FPS. Again, the difference between High and Ultra is small (4 FPS), suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects are not particularly demanding at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the GPU begins to struggle. Low settings average 78 FPS, which is playable but not high-refresh-rate territory. Medium settings produce 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS, meaning the frame rate can dip below 50 FPS during intense scenes. High settings yield 39 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 37 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is just 2 FPS, indicating that both presets are heavily GPU-bound. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (47 FPS) is particularly notable, as it shows that even the Medium preset can cause frame drops below the 60 FPS threshold.

The data shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p, all settings are playable with frame rates above 100 FPS except for Ultra (113 FPS, still very high). At 1440p, Low and Medium are smooth (150 and 106 FPS), while High and Ultra are playable (75 and 71 FPS) but not ideal for 144 Hz displays. At 4K, only Low settings approach smoothness (78 FPS), while Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with Ultra at 37 FPS being borderline unplayable for many users.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the key component driving the frame rates in this combo, and its specifications explain the performance ceiling observed in the measured data. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1830 MHz, boosting to 2460 MHz, with memory running at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). The GPU's 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 15.11 TFLOPS, which is modest by modern standards but adequate for a simulation game.

The 8 GB VRAM is likely the most significant constraint at 4K resolution. Pc Building Simulator, despite being a simulation game, requires texture memory for component models and UI elements. At 4K, the higher pixel count demands more memory for framebuffers and textures, and 8 GB can become a limiting factor. This is reflected in the 4K performance: even at Low settings, the GPU delivers only 78 FPS, which is 159 FPS lower than at 1080p Low. The bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s also becomes a bottleneck at 4K, as the GPU must fetch more data per frame.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 17,639. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17,666 (a delta of -0.2%), while the AMD Radeon 780M scores 17,588 (a delta of +0.3%). These are very close scores, but the RTX 4060's real-world performance in this game shows it is better suited to 1080p and 1440p than 4K. The PassMark G3D score of 19,545 and DirectX 12 score of 76 (out of a possible higher scale) indicate that the GPU handles modern APIs well, but the hardware limits remain.

The GPU's 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present but not heavily utilized in Pc Building Simulator, which is not a ray-traced or DLSS-heavy title. The GPU's TDP of 115 W and suggested PSU of 300 W are modest, indicating that this is a power-efficient part. The launch MSRP is 299 USD, and the GPU is marked as end-of-life, with the GeForce 50 series as its successor. For this game, the GPU's role is to provide adequate rasterization performance; the data shows it does this well at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results highlight its limitations.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the best resolution, as all settings produce frame rates above 113 FPS, with Low reaching 237 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium exceed 100 FPS (150 and 106 FPS), while 4K drops below 60 FPS on all settings except Low (78 FPS).

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H compare to its nearest rival?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 44,466 is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (44,573) and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i9-13950HX (44,342). This places the Ultra X9 388H in a very tight competitive band.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 sufficient for 4K gaming in this title?

A: The measured data indicates marginal 4K performance. At Low settings, the average FPS is 78, which is playable, but Medium drops to 55 FPS, High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 37 FPS. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 4K, only Low settings are viable.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, High produces 119 FPS and Ultra produces 113 FPS, a difference of just 6 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset does not add significant performance cost at this resolution, making it a reasonable choice if visual quality is preferred.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17,639 is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17,666) and 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon 780M (17,588). The differences are negligible, indicating similar raw compute performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The minimum FPS recorded is 47 at 4K Medium settings. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 90 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, the minimum is 143 FPS. These minimums indicate that frame pacing is stable at lower resolutions but can dip at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080 displays, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it produces 113 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and only 6 FPS lower than High settings (119 FPS). The visual quality improvement from High to Ultra is worth the minor frame rate cost, and even the most demanding scenes will stay above 100 FPS.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset offers the best balance, delivering 106 FPS with a minimum of 90 FPS. High settings drop to 75 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for frame drops. Medium provides a smooth experience with a 90 FPS minimum, making it the safest choice for 1440p gaming. Ultra at 71 FPS is also viable if visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate consistency.

For 3840x2160, only the Low preset is recommended, as it achieves 78 FPS. Medium drops to 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS, which can cause noticeable stuttering during complex scenes. High and Ultra (39 and 37 FPS) are not recommended for 4K, as they fall well below the 60 FPS threshold. Users with 4K displays should either accept Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

Overall, the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium. The 1080p Ultra provides the best visual quality with abundant frame rate headroom, while 1440p Medium offers a sharp image with a 90 FPS minimum. The 4K resolution is only viable at Low settings, and users seeking higher quality at 4K would need a more powerful GPU than the RTX 4060.