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Rate My PC: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X + AMD Radeon RX 6800

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GRAPHICS CARD (GPU)

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95 Score

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95 / 100

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Top 5% of systems. Capable of 4K Ultra gaming and advanced rendering.

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System Balance Analysis

CPU vs GPU performance ratio

Well Balanced

CPU

97%

GPU

94%

PROCESSOR

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

74,640 Benchmark Score

Top 3% Market Ranking

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GRAPHICS CARD

AMD Radeon RX 6800

30,095 Benchmark Score

Top 6% Market Ranking

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0-30

Mid-Range

30-60

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60-85

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Performance Tiers Explained

90-100

Ultimate

4K Ultra gaming, VR ready, ray tracing enabled, professional workloads

4K 60+ FPS VR Ready

70-89

High-End

1440p Ultra or 4K High settings, excellent for modern AAA titles

1440p Ultra 4K High

50-69

Mid-Range

1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium, great value for most gamers

1080p Ultra 1440p Med

30-49

Entry Level

1080p Medium settings, suitable for eSports and older titles

1080p Med eSports

0-29

Legacy

Basic gaming, older titles, consider upgrading for modern games

720p-1080p Low Older Games

# CPU Analysis

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is the flagship 16-core, 32-thread processor in AMD's 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (codenamed Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4 nm process node. The chip packs 16,630 million transistors across a dual-chiplet design with a die size of 2x 70.6 mm². It runs at a base clock of 4.30 GHz and boosts up to 5.70 GHz, with a TDP of 170 W. The cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 64 MB of L3 cache. This is a desktop-class part with an unlocked multiplier, making it a candidate for enthusiast tuning.

The benchmark data positions this CPU in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 74,640. Its nearest rivals are extremely close: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9745 scores 74,761 (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 475 scores 74,496 (0.2% lower), the AMD EPYC 4545P scores 75,373 (1% higher), and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 scores 75,488 (1.1% higher). The 9950X sits essentially at parity with these parts, trading blows within a narrow 1.3% band. This suggests the 9950X is not a class-leader in raw aggregate performance but is firmly among the top-tier desktop processors available.

Looking at thread scaling, the 3DMark results tell a clear story. The single-thread score is 1,293, while the 2-thread score is 2,543, the 4-thread score is 4,958, the 8-thread score is 9,298, and the 16-thread score is 16,263, with a max-thread score of 16,780. The scaling from 1 to 2 threads is near-perfect (about 97% efficiency), and from 2 to 4 threads it remains strong (about 95% efficiency). From 4 to 8 threads, efficiency drops slightly to about 94%, and from 8 to 16 threads it falls to about 87%. The jump from 16 to 32 threads (max-thread) shows only a 3.2% gain over the 16-thread score, indicating that the processor is hitting diminishing returns beyond 16 threads in this workload. This is typical for a chip with 16 physical cores and simultaneous multithreading; the extra logical threads provide modest gains in heavily threaded scenarios.

In Cinebench, the multicore R23 score is 40,924, while the single-core score is 2,202. The ratio between multicore and single-core is roughly 18.6x, which is impressive for a 16-core chip. The R15 results show a similar pattern: 6,335 multicore and 344 single-core, a ratio of about 18.4x. Geekbench reports a multicore score of 25,616 and a single-core score of 3,029, a ratio of about 8.5x, which is lower because Geekbench's multicore test does not scale as aggressively across all 32 threads.

PassMark results reveal specific workload strengths. The integer math score is 242,097, floating-point math is 159,063, and extended instructions (SIMD) score is 71,564. Data compression hits 896,544, random string sorting is 94,368, and data encryption is 44,366. The find prime numbers score is 345, which is notably lower relative to the other tests, suggesting this particular workload may not be a strength of the Zen 5 architecture. The multi-thread score is 66,030, while the single-thread score is 4,737. These numbers indicate that the 9950X excels at parallel integer and floating-point workloads, making it well-suited for rendering, compilation, and scientific computing tasks.

For real workloads, the 9950X's 16 cores and 32 threads handle heavily parallel tasks like video encoding, 3D rendering, and software compilation with ease. The high single-thread scores mean it also performs well in lightly threaded applications like web browsing, office productivity, and legacy software. The 64 MB L3 cache helps with data-heavy workloads, and the dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate memory throughput for most applications. The integrated Radeon Graphics provide basic display output capability, though most buyers will pair this CPU with a discrete GPU.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The pairing of the Ryzen 9 9950X with the Radeon RX 6800 creates an interesting balance question. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 75th percentile among all GPUs. This is a notable gap: the CPU is significantly more capable than the GPU in relative terms. The combined percentile for this build is 85, which reflects the average of these two components.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 74,640 dwarfs the GPU's average score of 30,095. In raw computational terms, the CPU is about 2.5x more powerful according to these aggregate metrics. However, these are not directly comparable scores since they measure different types of workloads. The CPU benchmarks include Cinebench, Geekbench, and PassMark tests that stress processing and memory; the GPU benchmarks include 3DMark, Geekbench compute, and PassMark graphics tests that stress rendering and compute.

The bottleneck analysis depends heavily on the workload. In CPU-bound tasks like software compilation, data compression, or physics simulation, the Ryzen 9 9950X will be the limiting factor only in the sense that it is the component doing the work; the GPU will be mostly idle. The PassMark physics score of 3,279 indicates strong CPU physics performance, which is relevant for games that use CPU-side physics calculations.

In GPU-bound tasks like gaming at high resolutions or 3D rendering, the RX 6800 will be the limiting factor. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 22,067 and DirectX 12 score of 89 suggest it is a capable mid-range to upper-mid-range GPU, but it cannot match the CPU's relative standing. In gaming, this means the CPU will rarely be the bottleneck; the GPU will typically be the constraint, especially at higher resolutions where pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

The lack of measured FPS data for this combination means precise bottleneck quantification is unavailable. However, based on the percentile gap, the data suggests that in gaming workloads, the RX 6800 will be the primary limiter, with the 9950X having significant headroom. In productivity workloads that are heavily multithreaded, the CPU's 16 cores will be fully utilized, and the GPU will only be involved if the application uses GPU acceleration.

The FPS scaling story is one of GPU limitation. With a GPU in the 75th percentile, users can expect that frame rates will be dictated by the GPU's rendering capability, not the CPU's processing speed. The CPU's high single-thread score of 1,293 in 3DMark and 4,737 in PassMark single-thread means it can feed frames to the GPU quickly, reducing the likelihood of CPU-side frame drops or stuttering.

# Benchmark Performance

The CPU's aggregate benchmark performance places it in the 94th percentile, with key scores including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 40,924 and a single-core score of 2,202. The Geekbench multicore score is 25,616 with a single-core score of 3,029. The 3DMark max-thread score is 16,780, and the single-thread score is 1,293. These numbers establish the 9950X as a top-tier processor that competes directly with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9745 (0.2% difference), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 475 (0.2% difference), AMD EPYC 4545P (1% difference), and Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (1.1% difference).

The GPU's benchmark performance places it in the 75th percentile, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,188. The Geekbench compute scores are 153,635 for Metal, 24,508 for OpenCL, and 115,107 for Vulkan. PassMark results show a G3D score of 22,067, a GPU compute score of 10,864, and DirectX scores of 128 (DX10), 214 (DX11), and 89 (DX12). The GPU's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (0.5% higher), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.6% higher), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (1% higher), and AMD Radeon RX 6700 (1.1% lower). This places the RX 6800 in a tight competitive cluster with these cards, all within a 1.7% range.

The combined picture shows a CPU that outperforms its nearest rivals by a small margin (or is beaten by them by a small margin), and a GPU that is similarly competitive with its nearest rivals. The CPU is clearly the stronger component in this pairing, with a 94th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 75th percentile. The combined percentile of 85 reflects this imbalance.

The PassMark multi-thread score of 66,030 for the CPU is particularly strong, indicating excellent parallel processing capability. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 22,067 is respectable but not exceptional for its class. The GPU's DirectX 12 score of 89 is relatively low compared to its DirectX 11 score of 214, which may indicate driver optimization or architectural differences in how the GPU handles these two API versions.

The data shows a build where the CPU is the star performer and the GPU is a competent but not outstanding partner. For users who prioritize CPU-intensive workloads, this pairing offers exceptional performance. For users who prioritize gaming, the GPU will be the constraining factor, and the CPU's power may go underutilized in many gaming scenarios.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Ryzen 9 9950X uses AMD Socket AM5, which is the current mainstream desktop platform from AMD. This socket supports DDR5 memory, and this CPU specifically supports dual-channel DDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. ECC memory is supported, which is a useful feature for workstation builds where data integrity is critical. The CPU provides PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU, offering high-bandwidth connectivity for modern GPUs and NVMe storage.

The platform's upgrade path is forward-looking within the AM5 ecosystem. The 9950X is a 9000 series part, and it uses the Zen 5 architecture on the 4 nm process. Future CPUs in the same socket may offer improved performance, but the 9950X already sits near the top of the current lineup. The DDR5 memory support is the modern standard, and the dual-channel configuration provides adequate bandwidth for most workloads. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for the 16-core CPU, though it is not exceptional compared to higher-end workstation platforms.

The GPU, a Radeon RX 6800, uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface. This is fully compatible with the CPU's PCIe Gen 5 lanes, though the GPU will operate at PCIe 4.0 speeds. The GPU's TDP is 250 W, and the suggested PSU is 600 W. The CPU's TDP is 170 W. Combined, these components require a PSU that can handle at least 420 W of component power draw, leaving headroom for other system components. The suggested PSU of 600 W provides adequate headroom for this pairing, with room for drives, fans, and other peripherals.

The GPU requires 2x 8-pin power connectors and is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm in length, 120 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C, providing flexible connectivity for modern displays.

A sensible next upgrade for this build would be a more powerful GPU. The CPU has significant headroom, as evidenced by its 94th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 75th percentile. Upgrading the GPU would allow the 9950X to be fully utilized in gaming and GPU-accelerated workloads. The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface on the GPU is compatible with any modern GPU, so the upgrade path is straightforward. The 600 W suggested PSU may need to be upgraded if a more power-hungry GPU is installed, but the current PSU recommendation provides adequate headroom for the existing components.

The CPU's launch MSRP is $649. The GPU's launch MSRP is 579 USD.

# Who Should Build It

This build targets users who need exceptional CPU performance and are willing to pair it with a mid-range to upper-mid-range GPU. The Ryzen 9 9950X's 94th percentile CPU ranking makes it suitable for content creators, software developers, and professionals who run heavily multithreaded workloads. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 40,924 and PassMark multi-thread score of 66,030 indicate strong performance in video rendering, 3D modeling, and data processing tasks.

Gamers at 1080p and 1440p resolutions will find the RX 6800 provides solid frame rates, though the GPU's 75th percentile ranking means it is not a top-tier gaming card. The CPU's high single-thread performance ensures that games will not be CPU-limited, allowing the GPU to operate at its full potential. Gamers at 4K resolution will be more GPU-limited, and the RX 6800 may struggle to maintain high frame rates at this resolution in demanding titles.

Content creators who work with video editing, motion graphics, or 3D rendering will benefit from the CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads. The high Cinebench multicore score translates to faster render times in applications like Blender, Cinema 4D, or Premiere Pro. The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM and 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth provide adequate support for GPU-accelerated effects and rendering.

Software developers will appreciate the CPU's compilation speed. The PassMark integer math score of 242,097 and data compression score of 896,544 indicate strong performance in code compilation, data processing, and build automation. The 64 MB L3 cache helps with large codebases that benefit from fast cache access.

Students and small business users building a workstation for general productivity will find this pairing more powerful than necessary for typical office tasks, but the headroom ensures longevity. The CPU's single-thread performance of 4,737 in PassMark ensures snappy response in everyday applications, and the integrated Radeon Graphics provide a fallback display output if the discrete GPU is not needed.

# GPU Analysis

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using the Navi 21 chip on TSMC's 7 nm process. The chip contains 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die, with a transistor density of 51.5M per mm². This is a large, power-hungry GPU with a TDP of 250 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W. The GPU has 3,840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation units, along with 60 ray tracing cores.

The memory subsystem consists of 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The memory clock is 2000 MHz, which translates to 16 Gbps effective. This large VRAM capacity is a significant advantage for modern games and content creation applications that require substantial memory for high-resolution textures and complex scenes.

The clock speeds are 1700 MHz base, 1815 MHz game, and 2105 MHz boost. The pixel rate is 202.1 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 505.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 16.17 TFLOPS, while FP16 performance is 32.33 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). These numbers indicate a capable mid-range to upper-mid-range GPU that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming with high settings, and can perform light to moderate GPU compute tasks.

The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. This provides modern API support for the latest games and applications. The ray tracing cores enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing, though the RDNA 2.0 architecture's ray tracing performance is generally considered less competitive than NVIDIA's Ampere or newer architectures.

In benchmark results, the RX 6800 scores 3,188 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The Geekbench compute scores are 153,635 for Metal, 24,508 for OpenCL, and 115,107 for Vulkan. PassMark results show a G3D score of 22,067 and a GPU compute score of 10,864. The DirectX 12 score of 89 is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 214, which may reflect the GPU's performance characteristics under different API loads.

The GPU's 75th percentile ranking places it in the upper-middle tier of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (0.5% higher), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.6% higher), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (1% higher), and AMD Radeon RX 6700 (1.1% lower). This competitive cluster means the RX 6800 is a well-rounded GPU that trades blows with several popular NVIDIA cards.

For rendering workloads, the 16 GB VRAM and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth provide adequate memory capacity and throughput for 3D rendering, video editing, and GPU-accelerated effects. The FP32 performance of 16.17 TFLOPS is sufficient for many compute tasks, though not exceptional for professional workloads. The GPU's end-of-life production status means it is no longer manufactured, but it remains a viable option in the used or clearance market.

# Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU+GPU combination. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFps data for this pairing, so all frame rate discussion is framed as estimates based on the benchmark scores.

The CPU's high single-thread performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,293 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4,737, indicates that the Ryzen 9 9950X can handle game logic and physics calculations without bottlenecking the GPU. The PassMark physics score of 3,279 suggests strong physics performance, which is relevant for games that use CPU-side physics engines.

The GPU's performance, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,188 and a PassMark G3D score of 22,067, suggests that the RX 6800 can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p resolutions in most modern games. At 4K resolution, the GPU will be the limiting factor, and users may need to reduce settings to maintain smooth performance.

The GPU's 16 GB VRAM is a significant advantage for gaming at high resolutions with high-quality textures. Many modern games at 4K with ultra settings can exceed 8 GB of VRAM usage, so the 16 GB capacity provides comfortable headroom. The 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that the GPU can feed its 3,840 shading units efficiently.

The estimated gaming performance is that the RX 6800 will deliver strong 1080p performance, good 1440p performance, and acceptable 4K performance with settings adjustments. The CPU's power ensures that frame rates will be GPU-limited in most gaming scenarios, meaning the 9950X will not hold back the GPU.

Users who prioritize high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p or 1440p will find this pairing capable of delivering high frame rates in competitive titles, though the GPU's 75th percentile ranking means it is not a top-tier card for esports at maximum settings. In graphically demanding AAA titles, users may need to lower settings to achieve high refresh rates.

# Build Overview

This build pairs the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 in a desktop configuration. The CPU is a 16-core, 32-thread processor with a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the GPU is a 16 GB card with a 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The combined percentile for this build is 85, indicating an above-average overall system.

The CPU is the clear star of this pairing. Its average benchmark score of 74,640 places it in the top 6% of all CPUs, competing directly with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9745, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 475, AMD EPYC 4545P, and Intel Core Ultra 9 285. The GPU's average score of 30,095 places it in the top 25% of all GPUs, competing with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, and AMD Radeon RX 6700.

The overall tier of this build is that of a high-performance workstation with a mid-range to upper-mid-range gaming GPU. The CPU provides exceptional processing power for productivity and content creation, while the GPU provides solid gaming performance at 1080p and 1440p. The imbalance between CPU and GPU performance means that the system is better suited for CPU-intensive workloads than for pure gaming performance at the highest settings.

The desktop form factor allows for easy upgrades and customization. The AM5 socket provides a modern platform with DDR5 memory support and PCIe Gen 5 connectivity. The RX 6800, while end-of-life, remains a capable GPU that can be upgraded in the future without changing the rest of the system.

This build represents a sensible pairing for users who need a powerful CPU for work and a competent GPU for gaming and light GPU compute. The CPU's headroom means that future GPU upgrades will be fully utilized, making this a forward-looking build for users who plan to upgrade their graphics card over time.

# FAQ

Q: What is the CPU's thread count and architecture?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has 16 cores and 32 threads, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the codename Granite Ridge, manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 74,640, placing it 0.2% below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9745, 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 475, 1% below the AMD EPYC 4545P, and 1.1% below the Intel Core Ultra 9 285.

Q: What is the GPU's VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, with memory clocked at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective).

Q: What memory type does the CPU support?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and includes ECC memory support.

Q: Is there measured FPS data for this CPU+GPU combination?

A: No, the FACT PACK contains no measured FPS data for this exact combination, so frame rate discussions are estimates based on benchmark scores.

Q: What is the suggested PSU wattage for this GPU?

A: The suggested PSU for the Radeon RX 6800 is 600 W, with the GPU's TDP rated at 250 W and requiring 2x 8-pin power connectors.

Q: What is the CPU's socket and PCIe support?

A: The CPU uses AMD Socket AM5 and provides PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The RX 6800's 75th percentile ranking and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3,188 indicate it can deliver high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p in most games, while the 9950X's single-thread score of 4,737 in PassMark ensures the CPU will not bottleneck the GPU, making this pairing suitable for competitive gaming at high refresh rates.

Streaming: The CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads, with a PassMark multi-thread score of 66,030, provide ample processing power for streaming software and game encoding simultaneously, though the GPU's 75th percentile ranking may require users to balance streaming quality with gaming performance.

Video editing: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 40,924 and PassMark floating-point math score of 159,063 indicate strong performance in video encoding and rendering, while the GPU's 16 GB VRAM and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth support GPU-accelerated effects and timeline playback.

3D rendering: The CPU's 16 cores and 64 MB L3 cache, combined with a PassMark integer math score of 242,097, make this build well-suited for 3D rendering workloads, with the GPU's 16.17 TFLOPS FP32 performance providing additional compute acceleration.

Software development: The CPU's PassMark data compression score of 896,544 and integer math score of 242,097 indicate fast code compilation and build times, making this build suitable for developers working with large codebases, while the 64 MB L3 cache helps with frequently accessed data.

Student and office work: The CPU's single-thread performance of 4,737 in PassMark ensures snappy response in everyday applications, and the integrated Radeon Graphics provide a fallback display output, making this build more powerful than necessary for typical academic and office tasks but ensuring longevity.

Rate My PC: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X + AMD Radeon RX 6800

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System Balance Analysis

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

AMD Radeon RX 6800

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Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

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Performance Insights

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Performance Tiers Explained

Ultimate

High-End

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4K Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

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Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

1080p Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

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