Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here is Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), a guide for PC Building Simulator. It covers: Problems, Career, Parts, Cooling, and more. Enjoy!

Game Links

Basic FAQ:

The Irregular Corporation PC Building Simulator FAQ: https://steamcommunity.com/app/621060/discussions/0/2153224488982457116/

Handy links:

Website: https://www.pcbuildingsim.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/ZmvAdA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PCBuildingSim
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PCBuildingSim
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcbs_official/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcbuildingsimulator/

Game links:

Steam Store Page: PC Building Simulator on Steam
Steam Forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/621060/discussions/
Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/pc-building-simulator-switch/
Xbox One: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/pc-building-simulator/9pgtzh51b3s8?activetab=pivot:overviewtab
PlayStation 4: https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP5277-CUSA14566_00-0000000000000000

Common Game Problems

Problem: Cannot launch game, or need to reset game resolution

• Restart the PC, then see if it's fixed.
  
• Uninstall the game and reinstall the game, then see if it's fixed.
  
• Uninstall the game and carefully use regedit.exe to remove the "PC Building Simulator" registry key
  Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\The Irregular Corp\PC Building Simulator
  and restart the PC, then see if it's fixed.
  
• Make sure you have the latest Video Card drivers installed. If you don't, then install them and restart the PC, then see if it's fixed.
  
• If the problem persists, contact Irregular Corporation support.

Problem: The 3DMark benchmark is black or crashes the game

• If you have an "N" edition of Windows, you'll need a "Media Feature Pack"
  
• Install the "Media Feature Pack" from the correct Microsoft website link, here:
  
• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/search/result.aspx?q=Media+Feature+Pack
  
• Restart the PC, then see if it's fixed.
  
• If the game is still not working, ADDITIONALLY install it here
  
• Settings > Apps > Apps and features > Optional features > Add a feature > Media Feature Pack
  
• Restart the PC, then see if it's fixed.

Other Game Problems:

• The Irregular Corporation support has their own list of problems and support links.
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/621060/discussions/0/2673382428439851985/

Basic Game Functionality

What modes are in the game?

• Career Mode (Normal mode) - The standard story mode.
  
• Career Mode (Hard mode) - Like Normal mode, but no highlights for cables or connectors, tighter budgets, and less rewards. More details are in the Career section of this guide.
  
• Free Build - Immediate access to all parts on the platform, where you can build whatever you want whenever you want.

Why did I get a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) on my PC in the game?

• There is an excellent "BSOD & Simple Overclocking" guide linked at the bottom of this guide.
  
• Use that to troubleshoot any BSOD, and learn how to overclock.

How can I calculate what the 3DMark score will be?

• There is an excellent "HTML Calculator" guide linked at the bottom of this guide.
  
• Use that to calculate 3DMark scores, and help with career upgrades/builds.

How do I unlock a certain achievement?

• There is an excellent "Achievement" guide linked at the bottom of this guide.
  
• Use that to learn about any achievement.

How can I turn on/off the Tool Upgrade Options?

• Career: Purchase Tool Upgrades in the Shop. Then press Escape and click "Tool Upgrade Options".
  
• Free Build: Press Escape, then click "Free Build Options".

How can I turn on/off the special lighting modes (Christmas, Halloween, etc.)?

• Christmas lighting: Click the Christmas tree near your Office PC.
  
• Halloween lighting: Click the pumpkin near your Office PC.

Game Saves

Where can I find my Game Save files on Steam?

• Right-click the game in Steam > Manage > Browse local files...
  
• The game installation folder will open.
  
• You'll see a Saves folder. Double-click it to open it.
  
• You'll see a folder that has your Steam User Number. Double-click it to open it.
  
• You should now see all of the .binary files that are the Game Save files.

What are the different Game Save files?

• freebuild.binary: A save that stores all your Free Build PCs and settings.
  
• auto.binary: A single rolling save, for your normal-mode Career.
  
• autohard.binary: A single rolling save, for your hard-mode Career.
  
• save##.binary: A save that was saved by clicking "New Save", sequentially numbered.
  
• AchievementProgress.binary: A file that stores all of your achievement progress.

How can I share a Game Save file?

• Usually you share a save to try to solve a Career problem.
  
• You will likely want to share the most-recently saved Game Save file.
  
• Open the Game Saves folder in File Explorer
  
• Click View > Details
  
• Sort the saves by "Date modified" by clicking that column header.
  
• Find the most-recent Game Save that isn't the Free Build one.
  
• Share it by sending the .binary file in Discord, or in email, or wherever you want to share it.
  
• Note: To share your Free Build PCs, share the freebuild.binary Game Save.

How can I use someone else's Game Save file?

• Steam's Cloud Sync syncs while the game is running.
  
• So it is important to have the game running, while making changes to the Game Save folder.
  
• Run the game
  
• Place the .binary file into your folder, or rename files, or delete files
  
• When you quit, Cloud Sync will sync the latest set of .binary files in the folder.

Parts

CPUs:

• Which CPUs work with which motherboards?
  
  • Match the Motherboard socket to the CPU socket, to make sure they fit.
    
  • "LGA 1151 (Skylake)" and "LGA 1151 (Kaby Lake)" sockets are interchangeable, meaning you can match CPUs and Motherboards between those 2 sockets, and they will work.
• Which CPUs can overclock?
  
  • AMD: All AMD CPUs can overclock.
    
  • Intel: Only CPU Models with “K” or “X” in the name, can overclock.
    
  • There is an excellent "BSOD & Simple Overclocking" guide linked at the bottom of this guide.

CPU Coolers:

• Which CPU Coolers are better at cooling?
  
  • CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) measures how much air is moved. Higher values mean better cooling.
    
  • Note: Custom Water Cooling (CWC) radiator CFM values are NOT comparable to regular CPU Cooler CFM values. CWC radiators cool better.
• What are the types of CPU Coolers?
  
  • Passive Coolers: Use a heatsink on the CPU, without any fan. Has an "effective CFM" value indicating effectiveness.
    
  • Air Coolers: Use a heatsink and a fan. Generally better than Passive Coolers, but not always.
    
  • Liquid (AIO) Coolers: These AIO (All-In-One) coolers use liquid to transfer heat to a radiator, all in a single part. Generally better than Air Coolers, but not always.

- Motherboards: AMD overclock all but A320 chipset. Intel will only overclock on Z.
- Motherboards: Skylake and Kaby lake are interchangeable
- Memory: What is XMP?
- Memory: Why am I getting a Memory BSOD at Stock Settings? Motherboard pushing memory to 2400.
- GPUs: Multi-GPU: SLI is multiple GPUs for NVIDIA. CrossFire is multiple GPUs for AMD.
- GPUs: Why am I getting a GPU BSOD at Stock Settings? Multiple GPUs that are not the exact same model. --- Note: If you have 2 GPUs that aren't the exact same model, you might have to use GPU Tuner to set Core Voltage to maximum to be stable, since one GPU is being clocked higher than its factory clock.
- Power Supply calculation: CPU watts + GPU watts + 30 .. unless you're overclocking.
- Storage: Transfer Speed: Affects OS Install, App Install, Boot Time
- Storage: M.2: Requires special motherboard slots.
- Power Supplies: ATX vs SFX
- Case Fans: 120 is pretty universal, 140 is common, other sizes are rarer.

Career

- Story Jobs vs. Random Jobs (Text indicating difference. Story Jobs have no budget, usually repeat customers)
-- Never Reject a Story Job, because those are the funny ones.
- Normal Mode vs Hard Mode. Pinned Message #1. Unlock Level 10. Less Budgets, Less Rewards. (Rows 83 & 84 in constants)
- What do the BSODs mean?
- I'm stuck on a job. What should I do? Try to solve, share if needed. Virus scans, etc.
- What's the best way to make money? Pinned Message #2. And Guide. Mention 10% overbudget tolerance.
- What level does a part unlock?
- What part counts as an upgrade? GPU VRAM? GPU Speed? Part Ranking.
- Inferiority factors. Pinned Message #3.
- What parts can I replace, for each job? Steam forum post.
- Should I pay Uncle Tim? Don't go into debt. Rename business, 25% supposedly. Achievements. 100% is game completion. My recommendation though, is to NOT Pay Tim, unless you'd have at least $15,000 remaining after payment.
- Utility Bill - Does leaving lights on affect it? Does leaving PC on affect it?
- What does "K" mean on the Load screen. Link to Kudos-to-Level guide.
- Debt: First thousand interest free, $10 per day for $1000 or more. $4000 is hard limit. What's special about $3000 - Can't purchase?
- Max jobs: 25
- Job Expiry: 5 days
- Jobs per day: 3 or 4.
- If a part is Used, how much is it worth? 1/3 new part price. Increases 25% when put into Customer PC.
- Does having 5 stars really matter? 25-5-star-streak-achievement. But jobs requirements only go up to 4 stars.
- Market: 80% to 120%
- Delivery Costs and Timings: Indicate that you can select
- Why did I get 1 star? Answers: Unstable. Thermal Paste. Thermal Throttled. Failed Budget.
- Are there any jobs that cannot be completed. GPU jobs requesting more than 2400 MHz.
- Save Game before collect
- How can I know if a CPU/GPU is better than one I haven't unlocked yet? Free Build Part Ranking shows all.

Free Build

- How to reset Free Build: Free Build Options > Reset Workshop and PCs
- Corrupt Free Build - Delete freebuild.binary
... MAKE SURE TO DO IT WHILE GAME IS RUNNING, BECAUSE CLOUD SYNC.

Game Versions & Updates

- Steam Updates: How often? Features? Parts?
- Console Updates: Status?
- Is there a Roadmap?
- Is the Microsoft store version the same version as Steam? Nope it's the same as the console version. Steam has latest version with most parts.

Requests & Suggestions

- Where to Request Parts?
- Where to make Suggestions?
- When will we have multiplayer?
- When will this game support VR?

Cooling - General

- More CFM means more cooling
- How to cool CPU more: CPU Fan with CFM, and Case Fans
- How to cool GPU more: GPU water cooling, and Case Fans
- Mortoni cooler is usually sufficient, unless you're overclocking.

Cooling - Water Cooling

- Which is better, more radiators or more overall CFM?
- Do dual loops help with cooling?
- How do I put 10 radiators into a case. Enyo plus instructions.
- Is thermal paste required?
- Water cooling CFM is better than air cooling CFM, by a factor of 1.5 multiplier in constants

Recommended Guides

- My Guides
- Including Money Making Guide
- Including FAQ
- HTML Calculator
- Achievement Guide
- Kudos Guide
- Constants Guide
- Hidden Objectives Guide
- Parts and Unlock Levels guide - Shade the Level and Level % columns to be the same shading, to make it more obvious.

[PUC_Snakeman]

@gehilton: Ask in the Discord channel, when you need help on jobs.

[gehilton]

Job for stu@theirregularcorporation
Install parts with 6 coloured lights (255.0.255)
Error 5374
There are no 6 coloured lights in the shop. What the!

[PUC_Snakeman]

Google and Wikipedia can tell you what those cables look like.

[seashell]

also where in the game tells you the type of cable
i thought there are usb, hdmi and something else
but when i select them they are all called cable

[PUC_Snakeman]

Most CPUs will be fine with the weak Mortoni cooler. Some of the high-speed high-core ones might need a bigger cooler. And the 3rd-gen-Threadrippers need tons of cooling (though v1.9.5 supposedly changed it to require less).

To answer your question:
Speed and core count, are the primary factors, that go into knowing how hot a non-overclocked CPU will be.

[seashell]

how do i know the minimum cfm i need for a cpu

[PUC_Snakeman]

Motherboards and CPUs have sockets. They must match exactly ... except Skylake and Kaby Lake are compatible with each other.

[JSG4361]

how do u know if a motherboard fits a ryzen or intel

[PUC_Snakeman]

That isn't a FAQ. Also, the teams actually do tell you their colors, either in an email or a phone message. :)

[Aldodrem]

What are the team RGB color values? The new DLC has missions where players will ask to get their lighting set to the team colors but they don't tell you the color values?