SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D

Get a comprehensive performance analysis of your gaming rig with detailed benchmarks, bottleneck detection, and upgrade recommendations

Build Configuration

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PROCESSOR (CPU)

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GRAPHICS CARD (GPU)

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92 Score

Top 8% Ranking

92 / 100

ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 8% of systems. Capable of 4K Ultra gaming and advanced rendering.

4K 60+ FPSVR ReadyRay Tracing

System Balance Analysis

CPU vs GPU performance ratio

Well Balanced

CPU

84%

GPU

99%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i5-12400

18,683 Benchmark Score

Top 16% Market Ranking

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GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D

178,050 Benchmark Score

Top 1% Market Ranking

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Market Position

How your build compares to others

Budget

0-30

Mid-Range

30-60

High-End

60-85

Enthusiast

85-100

Your Build

Game Performance Benchmarks

Real-world 4K FPS in popular titles

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Performance Insights

Tips to maximize your system

Optimal Performance

Your system is in the top tier. You can run any modern game at maximum settings.

4K Gaming Ready

Consider a 4K 144Hz monitor to fully utilize your hardware capabilities.

Compatible Games See what you can play Compare CPUs Find upgrades Compare GPUs Find upgrades

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

The pairing of an Intel Core i5-12400 with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D presents one of the most extreme asymmetries in modern desktop computing: a mainstream six-core processor from the entry point of Intel's 12th generation lineup driving the second-highest-performing consumer GPU on the market, which sits in the 98th percentile of all graphics cards. The data confirms this is a configuration defined by its imbalance, where the CPU's 72nd percentile standing among all processors starkly contrasts with the GPU's near-top-tier ranking. No measured frame rate data exists for this exact combination, so all gaming performance discussion here is framed as an estimate derived from the individual benchmark scores of each component.

Balance and Bottleneck

Benchmark results indicate that the Core i5-12400 will be the primary constraint in virtually every workload where the RTX 4090 D is asked to work hard. The CPU's multi-threaded performance, as measured by a Cinebench R23 score of 15989, places it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, which is respectable for a mainstream part but nowhere near the level required to feed a GPU that scores 8587 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The single-thread score of 2257 in Cinebench R23 is solid, but the gap between the CPU's capabilities and the GPU's raw throughput creates a scenario where frame rates in lighter titles will be capped by processor speed rather than graphics rendering.

The data shows a clear scaling pattern across the CPU's own benchmark suite. The 3DMark thread scaling tests reveal a performance curve that flattens significantly beyond eight threads: the score jumps from 3012 at four threads to 4745 at eight threads, but only reaches 5890 at maximum threads. This indicates the Alder Lake architecture with six performance cores and no efficiency cores (as indicated by the 6-core/12-thread configuration) hits diminishing returns quickly. For gaming, where most titles utilize fewer than eight threads, the i5-12400's 3DMark 8-thread score of 4745 will be the relevant figure, and it is this number that will likely hold back the RTX 4090 D in high-refresh-rate scenarios.

In GPU-bound scenarios, the balance shifts entirely. When rendering at 4K or with ray tracing enabled, the RTX 4090 D's 73.54 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth become the dominant factors, and the i5-12400's limitations become less relevant. The bottleneck is therefore workload-dependent: CPU-bound in esports and older titles at lower resolutions, GPU-bound in modern AAA games at higher resolutions and in compute-heavy tasks. The passmark physics score of 1105 further confirms that the processor's gaming-relevant physics calculations are modest relative to the GPU's capabilities.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Socket 1700 platform provides a defined but limited upgrade path. The i5-12400 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, though the exact bandwidth figures are not specified in the data. The platform's PCIe implementation offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, which is forward-looking, though the RTX 4090 D itself only uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The 65W TDP of the processor is modest, and the data suggests the power supply requirement is driven almost entirely by the GPU.

The RTX 4090 D carries a 425W TDP with a suggested PSU of 800W, which means any system built around this pairing must be designed around the GPU's power appetite, not the CPU's. The processor's 65W TDP is negligible in this context, leaving substantial headroom for the rest of the system. The platform supports a single 16-pin power connector for the GPU, and the triple-slot cooler design indicates that case compatibility and airflow are practical considerations.

A sensible next upgrade on this platform would be moving to a higher-core-count Alder Lake or Raptor Lake processor that fits Socket 1700, which would better match the GPU's performance ceiling in CPU-bound scenarios. The data does not specify which specific models are available, but the socket's compatibility with the 12th generation series means a processor with more cores and higher thread counts would address the bottleneck identified in the benchmark scores. The motherboard would also need to support the appropriate power delivery for such an upgrade, though the i5-12400's current 65W TDP suggests the platform has room for a more power-hungry processor.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: At 1080p or 1440p with competitive settings, the i5-12400's single-thread score of 3456 in PassMark will be the limiting factor, likely preventing the RTX 4090 D from reaching its full frame rate potential in CPU-bound titles. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 1692 indicates modest dual-core performance that will struggle to push extremely high frame rates in less demanding games.

Streaming: The combination of the CPU's 6 cores and the GPU's dedicated video encoding hardware creates a workable setup, though the processor's 12 threads will be taxed when simultaneously encoding and running a game. The Geekbench multicore score of 8564 suggests adequate headroom for background streaming tasks, but the CPU will bottleneck in gaming scenarios where the stream encoding competes for processor resources.

Video editing: The RTX 4090 D's 456 tensor cores and 114 ray tracing cores provide substantial acceleration for effects and rendering, while the CPU's Cinebench R20 multicore score of 6715 handles timeline operations adequately. The 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM is more than sufficient for 4K video projects, and the GPU's 1.01 TB/s bandwidth accelerates scrubbing and preview rendering.

3D rendering: This is where the pairing makes the most sense. The RTX 4090 D's 73.54 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 456 tensor cores dramatically accelerate render engines that support CUDA or OptiX, and the CPU's Cinebench R15 multicore score of 1611 is sufficient for scene preparation and simulation tasks that remain CPU-bound.

Software development: The i5-12400's PassMark integer math score of 58366 and data compression score of 226908 indicate solid performance for compilation and code analysis. The 12 threads handle parallel builds competently, and the single-thread performance of 3456 in PassMark is adequate for interactive development tools.

Student and office work: The UHD Graphics 730 integrated graphics provide a fallback, but the discrete GPU is massively overkill for document processing and web browsing. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 3456 and the system's overall responsiveness make this a very fast office machine, though the power consumption of the GPU is entirely unjustified for these workloads.

Who Should Build It

The target user for this configuration is a content creator or professional who primarily works with GPU-accelerated applications and plays games occasionally. The RTX 4090 D's 98th percentile ranking among all GPUs makes it an exceptional choice for 3D rendering, machine learning experimentation, and video production, where the 24 GB VRAM and 456 tensor cores provide capabilities that far exceed gaming needs. The i5-12400 serves as a cost-effective partner for these workloads, where the CPU is not the primary bottleneck.

Gamers at 4K resolution with maxed settings will see reasonable performance, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor at that resolution, but the system is poorly suited for competitive gaming at lower resolutions where the CPU's 72nd percentile ranking will be exposed. Small business workstations that run GPU-compute workloads such as CAD, scientific visualization, or AI inference would benefit from the GPU's capabilities while tolerating the CPU's limitations. Students in engineering or data science programs would find the system capable for their coursework, though the power and cooling requirements make it impractical for dormitory use.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D is built on the AD102 chip using a 5 nm process from TSMC, packing 76,300 million transistors into a 609 mm² die. The memory subsystem is substantial: 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus delivers 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution textures and large datasets. The base clock of 2280 MHz boosts to 2520 MHz, and the memory runs at an effective 21 Gbps. The GPU contains 14592 shading units, 456 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output processors, along with 114 ray tracing cores and 456 tensor cores.

The benchmark scores reflect the GPU's position at the top of the performance hierarchy. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8587 places it in the 98th percentile of all GPUs, and the Geekbench OpenCL score of 278621 confirms exceptional compute throughput. The Vulkan score of 246941 indicates strong API efficiency. The nearest rivals in the data are professional-grade cards: the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell scores 182109 (2.2% higher), the A100 SXM4 80 GB scores 183725 (3.1% higher), and the RTX 5000 Ada Generation scores 184664 (3.6% higher). This places the RTX 4090 D within striking distance of data center and workstation cards, despite being marketed as a consumer product.

The pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,149.1 GTexel/s indicate that the GPU can sustain extreme fill rates, which matters for high-resolution rendering. The FP32 performance of 73.54 TFLOPS matches the FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio, meaning the GPU does not gain a throughput advantage from reduced precision in supported workloads. The 425W TDP and triple-slot cooler require substantial chassis airflow, and the single 16-pin power connector simplifies cabling but concentrates power delivery.

Gaming Performance

Since no measured FPS data exists for this exact combination, the following gaming performance discussion is estimated from the benchmark scores of the CPU and GPU individually, and should be treated as approximate expectations rather than verified results. The fundamental dynamic is that the i5-12400 will limit performance in CPU-bound scenarios, while the RTX 4090 D will dominate in GPU-bound scenarios.

For competitive esports titles at 1080p with low settings, the i5-12400's 3DMark 2-thread score of 1692 and PassMark single-thread score of 3456 suggest frame rates will be capped by the CPU, potentially leaving significant GPU headroom unused. The system would likely deliver high but not maximal frame rates in these titles, with the CPU as the bottleneck. At 1440p with high settings, the balance shifts slightly toward the GPU, but the CPU's 8-thread score of 4745 still constrains performance in titles that scale well with fewer threads.

For modern AAA games at 4K with ultra settings, the RTX 4090 D's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 8587 and its position in the 98th percentile of GPUs indicate the GPU will be the primary performance driver. The CPU's limitations become less relevant as resolution increases and the GPU's fill rate and bandwidth are taxed more heavily. The 24 GB VRAM ensures that even the most demanding texture packs will fit comfortably, and the 1.01 TB/s bandwidth prevents memory-related stuttering.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. The base clock of 2.50 GHz boosts to 4.40 GHz, and the chip features a 163 mm² die size. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, and it does not support ECC memory. The 65W TDP is modest, and the integrated UHD Graphics 730 provides basic display output.

The benchmark scores paint a picture of a processor that is strong for its class but not exceptional. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 align with the 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs. The PassMark multithread score of 18747 and single-thread score of 3456 confirm balanced performance across workloads. The 3DMark thread scaling shows the processor loses efficiency beyond eight threads, with the max-thread score of 5890 only marginally higher than the 8-thread score of 4745.

The nearest rivals in the data include the AMD EPYC 7643 with an average score of 18697 (-0.1% delta), the Intel Core i7-1355U at 18730 (-0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 at 18811 (-0.7%). The Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, which is 0.9% lower. This clustering indicates the i5-12400 sits in a competitive mid-range segment where performance differences between models are small. The PassMark extended instructions score of 15399 and floating point math score of 45494 indicate solid performance for scientific and mathematical workloads, while the data encryption score of 11418 suggests adequate security-related processing.

FAQ

Q: What is the most significant bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The Core i5-12400's 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs versus the RTX 4090 D's 98th percentile ranking indicates the processor will limit performance in CPU-bound scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions in gaming.

Q: Does the system support DDR5 memory?

A: Yes, the Core i5-12400 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, though the specific bandwidth figures are not provided in the data.

Q: What power supply is recommended for this build?

A: The RTX 4090 D has a 425W TDP, and the suggested PSU is 800W. The Core i5-12400's 65W TDP contributes minimally to overall system power requirements.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 D still in production?

A: The production status is listed as end-of-life, with a release date of December 27, 2023, and the GeForce 50 series listed as its successor.

Q: What is the PCIe interface of the GPU?

A: The RTX 4090 D uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface, while the CPU platform supports PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and what type?

A: The RTX 4090 D has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What are the CPU's thread scaling characteristics?

A: The 3DMark scores show the CPU scales from 1692 at 2 threads to 3012 at 4 threads, 4745 at 8 threads, and 5890 at max threads, indicating diminishing returns beyond 8 threads.

Benchmark Performance

The combined performance picture is defined by extreme asymmetry. The CPU's average benchmark score is 18683, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all processors. The GPU's average benchmark score is 178050, placing it in the 98th percentile of all GPUs. The combined percentile for this pairing is 85, reflecting the overall system position despite the component imbalance.

In CPU-specific benchmarks, the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 establish a baseline for productivity workloads. The Geekbench multicore score of 8564 and single-core score of 1848 provide additional context for cross-platform comparisons. The PassMark suite shows a multithread score of 18747, with notable sub-scores in integer math (58366), floating point math (45494), and data compression (226908).

For the GPU, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8587 is the primary gaming-oriented benchmark, while the Geekbench OpenCL score of 278621 and Vulkan score of 246941 demonstrate compute performance. The nearest GPU rivals are professional data center and workstation cards: the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell at 182109 (2.2% higher), the A100 SXM4 80 GB at 183725 (3.1% higher), and the RTX 5000 Ada Generation at 184664 (3.6% higher). These deltas show the RTX 4090 D is only slightly behind dedicated compute cards, despite being a consumer-oriented product.

The combined picture is a system that excels in GPU-accelerated workloads and high-resolution gaming, but underperforms in CPU-bound tasks relative to the GPU's capabilities. The i5-12400's 6-core, 12-thread configuration is adequate for mainstream use, but it leaves significant performance on the table when paired with a GPU of this caliber. The data suggests that this configuration is best suited for users who prioritize GPU compute and rendering performance over CPU-limited gaming frame rates.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i5-12400

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D

Market Position

Game Performance Benchmarks

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

Performance Insights

Optimal Performance

4K Gaming Ready

Performance Tiers Explained

Ultimate

High-End

Mid-Range

Entry Level

Legacy

Balance and Bottleneck

Upgrade Path and Platform

Usage Scenarios

Who Should Build It

GPU Analysis

Gaming Performance

CPU Analysis

FAQ

Benchmark Performance

4K Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

1440p Gaming Performance

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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