SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i5-12500 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

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

87 / 100
HIGH-END

Power Build

Top 13% of systems. Excellent for 1440p Ultra or 4K High gaming.

1440p Ultra4K High

System Balance Analysis

CPU vs GPU performance ratio
Well Balanced
CPU
84%
VS
GPU
89%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core i5-12500

19,668 Benchmark Score
Top 16% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

15,199 Benchmark Score
Top 11% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →

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

Strong Performance

Excellent for 1440p gaming. Most games will run at high/ultra settings smoothly.

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

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i5-12500 sits in the upper-middle tier of desktop processors, with a percentile rank of 73 against all CPUs tracked in the database. This Alder Lake-S part brings six physical cores and twelve threads, running from a 3.00 GHz base clock up to a 4.60 GHz boost. The architecture is Intel's hybrid-free Alder Lake design—not the P-core/E-core split found in some 12th-generation siblings, but a uniform six-core layout built on the 10 nm process node. The die measures 163 mm², and the cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3.

The benchmark data paints a clear picture of a processor that scales well with thread count while maintaining strong single-threaded performance. The 3dmark suite shows a progression from 951 in single-thread, climbing to 1741 in 2-thread, 3125 in 4-thread, 4862 in 8-thread, and reaching 6007 in 16-thread tests. Interestingly, the max-threads score of 6023 is nearly identical to the 16-thread result, suggesting that the six-core, twelve-thread configuration hits diminishing returns beyond that point—the extra virtual threads beyond the physical cores add only marginal throughput. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16759 against a single-core score of 2366 indicates strong multi-threaded scaling for a six-core part, while the Geekbench scores of 9374 multicore and 1969 single-core reinforce this balanced profile.

The PassMark suite adds workload-specific context. Integer math scores 61626, floating-point math hits 48004, and extended instructions reach 16090. Data compression is a standout at 238753, while data encryption posts 12033. The single-thread PassMark of 3666 and multithread score of 19893 place this chip in a position where it can handle both lightly-threaded tasks and heavily-parallel workloads without embarrassment. The average benchmark score of 19668, with an average CPU score of 19668, places it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs.

Comparing to nearest rivals, the i5-12500 is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (19617), 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 (19593), and 0.3% behind the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19723), and 0.6% behind the Intel Core i5-11600K (19786). These deltas are essentially noise-level differences, meaning the i5-12500 trades blows with previous-generation six-core parts and current entry-level options. The real story is that this CPU delivers near-identical performance to the i5-11600K while being a newer architecture, and it edges out the Ryzen 5 5500 by a hair in aggregate scoring.

# Usage Scenarios

High-Refresh Gaming: The CPU's single-thread score of 951 in 3dmark and 2366 in Cinebench R23 single-core indicate sufficient headroom for most gaming workloads. The 4-thread score of 3125 and 8-thread score of 4862 suggest that modern games leveraging multiple cores will see solid performance. However, the GPU pairing (covered later) will be the primary constraint at high refresh rates, particularly at 1080p where CPU overhead matters most.

Streaming: The twelve threads and 18 MB of L3 cache provide a reasonable foundation for simultaneous gaming and encoding. The PassMark data encryption score of 12033 and extended instructions score of 16090 suggest the CPU can handle software encoding offload if needed, though dedicated hardware encoders on the GPU would be more efficient. The multicore Cinebench R23 score of 16759 indicates enough parallel headroom for background encoding tasks while gaming.

Video Editing: Multi-threaded performance is solid for a six-core part. The Cinebench R20 multicore score of 7038 and R15 multicore of 1689 show consistent scaling across generations of the Cinebench test. The PassMark floating-point math score of 48004 indicates competent handling of video processing arithmetic. The 18 MB L3 cache helps with sequential access patterns common in video editing workflows. This CPU can handle 1080p editing comfortably and 4K with patience, though longer render times than higher-core-count alternatives are expected.

3D Rendering: The max-threads 3dmark score of 6023 and Cinebench R23 multicore of 16759 place this chip in a range where small-to-medium renders are feasible. The data compression score of 238753 suggests strong memory subsystem performance that benefits rendering workloads. For professional rendering with tight deadlines, a higher-core-count CPU would be preferable, but for occasional or hobbyist rendering, this is adequate.

Software Development: Compilation workloads benefit from the 12 threads and the 10 nm process node's efficiency. The integer math score of 61626 and random string sorting score of 23523 indicate strong performance for code compilation and data manipulation tasks. The single-thread score of 3666 in PassMark ensures snappy IDE responsiveness. The DDR4/DDR5 memory support provides flexibility for build servers or development workstations.

Student and Office Work: The integrated UHD Graphics 770 provides display output capability without a discrete GPU, making this a viable office machine. The 3dmark 2-thread score of 1741 and 4-thread score of 3125 handle typical office productivity with ease. The 73rd percentile CPU ranking means this is overkill for basic document editing but provides headroom for multitasking with many browser tabs, spreadsheets, and communication tools simultaneously.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The data shows a clear imbalance between CPU and GPU performance tiers. The CPU sits in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU rests in the 57th percentile of all GPUs. This 16-percentage-point gap suggests the GPU will be the limiting factor in most gaming scenarios. The combined percentile of 65 confirms this mid-range positioning.

The CPU's 3dmark 8-thread score of 4862 and max-threads score of 6023 indicate it can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them in most cases. For gaming, the RTX 3050 OEM's PassMark G3D score of 11857 and the CPU's strong single-thread performance mean the bottleneck will shift depending on resolution. At lower resolutions, the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking versus the GPU's 57th percentile means the GPU will still be the constraint—the CPU has more headroom than the GPU can utilize.

In productivity workloads, the balance flips. The CPU's 73rd percentile and the GPU's compute score of 5779 in PassMark GPU Compute suggest that CPU-bound tasks like video encoding, compilation, and office work will be CPU-limited, while GPU-accelerated rendering and compute tasks will be GPU-limited. The 65th combined percentile reflects a system where neither component dramatically outperforms the other, but the GPU is the weaker link for gaming and the CPU is the bottleneck for multi-threaded productivity.

FPS scaling would show this imbalance: at 1080p, the GPU's 224.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB GDDR6 memory will cap frame rates below what the CPU could potentially deliver. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes even more dominant as the limiting factor. The CPU's 4.60 GHz boost clock and 951 single-thread 3dmark score ensure it won't hold back the GPU in most scenarios, but the GPU will hold back the CPU in others.

# Who Should Build It

The target user for this pairing is a gamer building a budget-conscious desktop who prioritizes CPU headroom over GPU performance. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking means it will remain relevant through several GPU upgrades, while the GPU's 57th percentile is adequate for current titles at 1080p with settings adjustments.

Content creators working with 1080p video or light 3D rendering would find the CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16759 and 12 threads sufficient, while the GPU's 8 GB VRAM handles GPU-accelerated effects. The 65th combined percentile suggests a system that can handle entry-level creative work without frustration.

Software developers would appreciate the CPU's single-thread performance (PassMark single-thread 3666) for IDE responsiveness and the 12 threads for parallel builds. The DDR4/DDR5 memory support allows flexibility in platform choice. Students and office workers would find the integrated UHD Graphics 770 sufficient for daily tasks, with the discrete GPU available for heavier workloads when needed.

Small business workstations that need reliable multi-threaded performance for spreadsheets, databases, and office applications would be well-served. The CPU's 73rd percentile and the GPU's 57th percentile mean this system handles typical business software with ease, and the 65th combined percentile indicates no obvious weak point for standard productivity.

# Benchmark Performance

The CPU's average benchmark score of 19668 places it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, scores 19617—a 0.3% difference in the i5-12500's favor. The Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 19723, putting the i5-12500 0.3% behind. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 scores 19593, making the i5-12500 0.4% ahead. The Intel Core i5-11600K scores 19786, leaving the i5-12500 0.6% behind. These margins are negligible in real-world use.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 15199 places it in the 57th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600, scores 15171—a 0.2% difference in the RTX 3050 OEM's favor. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, putting the RTX 3050 OEM 0.5% behind. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 scores 15283, a 0.5% deficit. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 scores 15290, leaving the RTX 3050 OEM 0.6% behind. The RTX 3050 OEM is essentially tied with these competitors, which is remarkable given the GTX 580's age.

The combined picture is a system at the 65th percentile overall, with the CPU outperforming the GPU by 16 percentile points. This suggests a platform that has more processing headroom than graphical capability. The GPU's Geekbench OpenCL score of 60740 and Vulkan score of 57103 indicate solid compute performance, while the PassMark G3D score of 11857 and DirectX 11 score of 86 show competent rasterization.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Socket 1700 platform supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, giving builders flexibility in choosing memory technology based on budget and availability. The CPU's dual-channel memory bus and 18 MB L3 cache benefit from faster memory, but the platform's support for both standards means existing DDR4 can be carried over from older builds.

The CPU provides PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU, while the GPU uses PCIe 4.0 x8. This means the GPU has sufficient bandwidth for its 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth, but the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface could theoretically limit performance compared to a full x16 slot—though benchmark data shows this is rarely a practical constraint for mid-range GPUs.

The suggested PSU of 300 W for the GPU, combined with the CPU's 65 W TDP, means a modest power supply can handle this system. The GPU's 130 W TDP and the CPU's 65 W TDP total 195 W of component power draw, leaving substantial headroom on a typical 500-650 W PSU. The GPU requires a single 8-pin power connector.

A sensible next upgrade would be a more powerful GPU, as the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking and PCIe Gen 5 support mean it can handle substantially faster graphics cards without bottlenecking. The 65 W TDP and Socket 1700 platform also allow for future CPU upgrades within the same generation, though the specific upgrade options depend on motherboard chipset.

# GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is an Ampere-architecture part built on Samsung's 8 nm process. The GA106 chip contains 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, with a transistor density of 43.5M per mm². The GPU has 2304 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. Its 18 RT cores and 72 tensor cores provide hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI features, including DLSS support.

The GPU operates at a base clock of 1515 MHz and boosts to 1755 MHz. Memory runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective data rate across a 128-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for 1080p gaming with high textures and moderate 1440p use. Pixel rate is 56.16 GPixel/s and texture rate is 126.4 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 8.087 TFLOPS and FP16 at 8.087 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio).

The PassMark G3D score of 11857 places this GPU in the 57th percentile. Its DirectX 12 score of 58 and DirectX 11 score of 86 show competent modern API support, while the DirectX 9 score of 137 indicates strong legacy performance. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 60740 and Vulkan score of 57103 demonstrate solid compute capabilities for a mid-range GPU.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 15199 puts it within 0.6% of the RTX 2060 (15290) and 0.5% of the GTX 580 (15283), which is notable given the architectural differences. The RTX 3050 OEM's 8 GB VRAM gives it an advantage over the GTX 580's older memory configuration, while the RTX 2060's similar score suggests comparable rasterization performance.

# Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build pairing the Intel Core i5-12500 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM. The combination targets the 65th percentile overall, with the CPU at the 73rd percentile and the GPU at the 57th percentile. This is a balanced mid-range system that leans slightly toward CPU capability over GPU performance.

The i5-12500 provides six cores and twelve threads with a 4.60 GHz boost clock, making it a capable all-around processor. The RTX 3050 OEM offers 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 8.087 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, positioning it as an entry-level discrete GPU for 1080p gaming. The system supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, providing platform flexibility.

This pairing is best described as a CPU-heavy mid-range build. The processor has headroom for future GPU upgrades, while the GPU is sufficient for current 1080p gaming at medium-to-high settings. The 65th combined percentile reflects a system that outperforms entry-level builds but doesn't approach high-end performance tiers.

# FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12500 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i5-12500's average benchmark score of 19668 is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (19617), 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 (19593), 0.3% behind the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19723), and 0.6% behind the Intel Core i5-11600K (19786). These are essentially negligible differences.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile and what does it mean?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM is in the 57th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 15199. This means it outperforms 57% of GPUs in the database, placing it in the mid-range tier for gaming and compute tasks.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU bottleneck this system?

A: The CPU is at the 73rd percentile while the GPU is at the 57th percentile, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor for gaming workloads. The combined percentile of 65 reflects this imbalance, with the CPU having more headroom than the GPU can utilize.

Q: What memory types does this platform support?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through its dual-channel memory bus. This provides flexibility in choosing memory based on availability and budget, though the specific support depends on the motherboard.

Q: What is the CPU's power consumption?

A: The i5-12500 has a TDP of 65 W, which is modest for a six-core processor. The GPU has a TDP of 130 W, and the suggested PSU for the GPU is 300 W, making this a power-efficient pairing.

Q: How does the RTX 3050 OEM compare to the RTX 2060?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199 on average, which is 0.6% behind the RTX 2060's 15290. This places them at essentially the same performance level, though the RTX 3050 OEM has 8 GB VRAM and newer architecture features.

Q: Is there room for future upgrades?

A: Yes. The Socket 1700 platform supports PCIe Gen 5 from the CPU, and the GPU uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking means it can handle a more powerful GPU without bottlenecking, making a GPU upgrade the most sensible path forward.

# Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU-GPU combination. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFps rows, so all frame rate expectations are estimates derived from the benchmark scores and should be treated as approximations rather than verified measurements.

Based on the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 11857 and the CPU's 3dmark single-thread score of 951, this system should handle 1080p gaming at medium-to-high settings in most modern titles. The GPU's 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p textures, while the CPU's 4.60 GHz boost clock and 18 MB L3 cache provide responsive frame pacing.

At 1080p, the GPU's 57th percentile ranking means it will be the limiting factor in GPU-intensive titles, while CPU-light games may see higher frame rates. At 1440p, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus will likely require reduced settings for playable frame rates. At 4K, this system is not well-suited, and the GPU's 57th percentile indicates it will struggle with demanding titles.

The CPU's 8-thread 3dmark score of 4862 suggests it can maintain consistent frame delivery in games that use up to eight threads, while the 12 threads provide headroom for background tasks. The GPU's DirectX 12 score of 58 and Vulkan score of 57103 (Geekbench) indicate solid modern API performance, which is important for current game engines. Ray tracing performance will be limited by the 18 RT cores, but DLSS support via the 72 tensor cores can help offset this in supported titles.