SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i5-12600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

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

Build Configuration

Select your components

PROCESSOR (CPU)

▼

GRAPHICS CARD (GPU)

▼

94 Score

Top 6% Ranking

94 / 100

ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 6% 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

88%

GPU

99%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i5-12600

28,646 Benchmark Score

Top 12% Market Ranking

View Full Specs →

GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

131,938 Benchmark Score

Top 1% 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

View All Games →

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 Core i5-12600 and RTX 3090 Ti form an unusual pairing: a mid-range, efficiency-focused 12th Gen processor harnessed to one of the most powerful consumer GPUs ever made. Benchmark data indicates the CPU will be the limiting factor in most gaming scenarios, while the GPU provides overwhelming headroom for rendering and compute workloads. This analysis uses only the provided benchmark scores and specifications to describe what this combination does well and where it falls short.

Balance and Bottleneck

The most striking imbalance in this system is the gap between the CPU's 80th percentile rank among all processors and the GPU's 95th percentile rank among all GPUs. In practical terms, the RTX 3090 Ti is a top-5% part, while the Core i5-12600 sits in the top 20% of CPUs. This delta of 15 percentile points suggests that in CPU-bound tasks—particularly high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions—the processor will frequently be the constraint.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18105 is respectable for a 6-core part, but it places the i5-12600 in a tier where it competes with the Intel Core i5-13500T (deltaPct -0.1%) and AMD EPYC 7203P (deltaPct 0.2%). These are not high-end desktop parts; they are efficiency-focused or server-oriented chips. Meanwhile, the GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA L4 (deltaPct 0.7%) and RTX 4000 Ada Generation (deltaPct -2.4%), which are professional compute cards. The pairing is therefore one of a strong but not elite CPU with an elite GPU.

For frame rate scaling, the data shows that the GPU can produce enormous throughput—1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth and 40.00 TFLOPS of FP32 compute—but only if the CPU can feed it. In 1080p and 1440p gaming, where frame rates are high and per-frame CPU work is significant, the i5-12600's single-thread score of 2556 in Cinebench R23 will likely cap performance. At 4K, the GPU's workload becomes dominant, and the CPU bottleneck shrinks, but it does not disappear entirely.

The TDP figures reinforce this analysis: the CPU draws 65 W, while the GPU demands 450 W. This is a ratio of nearly 7:1 in favor of the GPU, which is typical for a high-end graphics card paired with a mainstream processor, but it means the system's overall performance envelope is dictated almost entirely by the GPU's thermal and power headroom.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU's average benchmark score is 28646, placing it in the 80th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Core i5-13500T scores 28670 (0.1% higher), the AMD EPYC 7203P scores 28583 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Core 5 220H scores 28574 (0.3% lower). The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850HS is also within 0.3% at 28549. This means the i5-12600 is effectively performance-equivalent to a group of chips that are either lower-power or mobile variants, which reflects its efficiency but also a reminder that it is not a high-core-count powerhouse.

In multi-threaded workloads, the Cinebench R23 score of 18105 is strong for a 6-core/12-thread processor. The R20 multi-core score of 7604 and R15 multi-core score of 1824 follow a similar pattern. Single-thread performance is excellent, with R23 single-core at 2556, R20 single-core at 1073, and R15 single-core at 257. These numbers indicate that the CPU is well-suited for tasks that rely on a few fast cores, such as older games and lightly-threaded productivity apps.

The GPU's benchmark scores are in a different league. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5741 is a strong result, and the Geekbench OpenCL score of 174441 and Vulkan score of 215633 confirm that the RTX 3090 Ti is a compute monster. Its average benchmark score is 131938, placing it in the 95th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals are all professional cards: the NVIDIA L4 (131072, 0.7% lower), RTX 4000 Ada Generation (135218, 2.4% higher), and AMD Radeon PRO W6800 (135396, 2.6% higher). This indicates that the RTX 3090 Ti is not just a gaming card; it is a workstation-class GPU in gaming clothing.

Combined, the system's percentile is 88, which is higher than the CPU's 80th percentile but lower than the GPU's 95th. This reflects the fact that the CPU drags down the overall score in CPU-bound tests, while the GPU boosts it in GPU-bound tests.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i5-12600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. 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 die size is 163 mm², which is modest compared to the GPU's 628 mm², reflecting the CPU's simpler design.

The PassMark results provide a granular view of its capabilities. Data compression scores 252160, which is strong and suggests good integer throughput. Integer math scores 66123, floating-point math scores 50838, and extended instructions score 17027. These are solid numbers for a mid-range desktop chip. The single-thread score of 3823 is notably high, indicating that the 4.80 GHz boost clock is effective in lightly-threaded tasks.

However, the multi-thread score of 21399 and the find prime numbers score of 83 are less impressive. The latter is particularly low, which suggests that the CPU's ALUs are not optimized for certain types of integer-heavy workloads. The physics score of 1365 and random string sorting score of 25832 round out the picture: this is a CPU that excels at general-purpose tasks and single-threaded performance but is not a server-class workhorse.

The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with a dual-channel memory bus. This flexibility is useful, though the lack of ECC support (eccMemory: false) means it is not suited for mission-critical server workloads. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present, which is useful for troubleshooting or basic display output, but it is not a gaming solution.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average score (i5-13500T, EPYC 7203P, Core 5 220H, Ryzen 7 PRO 6850HS) are all within 0.3% of its score, which means that in real-world applications, the differences are negligible. This is a CPU that performs exactly at its expected level for a 6-core Alder Lake part.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: At 1080p or 1440p with high refresh rates, the CPU is the bottleneck. The single-thread score of 2556 in R23 is good, but not exceptional, and the GPU's enormous power cannot be fully utilized if the CPU cannot issue draw calls fast enough. Expect frame rates to be limited by the i5-12600 in this scenario, particularly in esports titles. The GPU is overkill for this use case.

Streaming: The RTX 3090 Ti has 336 tensor cores and 84 RT cores, which means NVENC-based encoding is excellent. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for encoding at moderate bitrates, but the GPU will carry most of the load. The i5-12600's multi-thread score of 21399 in PassMark suggests it can handle a game plus stream encoding without major issues, though the CPU will still be the limiting factor in CPU-heavy games.

Video editing: This is a strong scenario for this pairing. The GPU's 24 GB of VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are excellent for timeline scrubbing and effects rendering. The CPU's single-thread score of 3823 in PassMark is high, which helps with timeline responsiveness. Multi-core video exports will be slower than on a high-core-count CPU, but the GPU can accelerate many effects and codecs.

3D rendering: The RTX 3090 Ti is a rendering powerhouse. With 10752 shading units and 40.00 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, it can handle complex scenes in Blender or OctaneRender. The CPU's role is secondary, but its 18 MB of L3 cache and 4.80 GHz boost clock will help with scene preparation. The GPU's 84 RT cores also accelerate ray-traced renders. This is the best use case for this combination.

Software development: The CPU's single-thread performance is excellent for compilation, and the 12 threads handle parallel builds adequately. The GPU is irrelevant for most development tasks, but it can be used for CUDA-based testing or machine learning experiments. The 24 GB VRAM is a boon for local model training.

Student and office work: This is massively overpowered. The CPU's 65 W TDP and integrated graphics are more than enough for document editing, web browsing, and spreadsheets. The GPU is entirely unnecessary for these tasks, and its 450 W TDP and triple-slot cooler are a liability in a small office PC. The system is impractical for this scenario due to size and power requirements.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is the top-tier Ampere card, built on Samsung's 8 nm process with 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die. It has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The core clocks are 1560 MHz base and 1860 MHz boost, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective).

The compute specifications are staggering: 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 84 RT cores, and 336 tensor cores. The pixel rate is 208.3 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 625.0 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 performance are both 40.00 TFLOPS (1:1), which is notable for a gaming card—most GPUs halve FP16 throughput.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5741 places it in the top 5% of all GPUs. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 174441 and Vulkan score of 215633 confirm its compute strength. Its average score of 131938 is nearly five times the CPU's average score, underscoring the imbalance.

The GPU's nearest rivals are all professional cards: NVIDIA L4 (0.7% lower), RTX 4000 Ada Generation (2.4% higher), and AMD Radeon PRO W6800 (2.6% higher). This means the RTX 3090 Ti is competitive with workstation GPUs, despite being a gaming product. The 24 GB VRAM is particularly valuable for large datasets and high-resolution textures.

The GPU is end-of-life, with a release date of January 26, 2022. It requires a 850 W PSU (suggestedPsu) and uses a single 16-pin power connector. The triple-slot cooler and 336 mm length mean it will not fit in most compact cases. Display outputs include one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a, which is sufficient for multi-monitor setups.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The CPU uses Intel Socket 1700, which supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. This is a mature platform, and the i5-12600 is not multiplier-unlocked, so overclocking is limited. The memory bus is dual-channel, and the CPU has PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes. This means the RTX 3090 Ti, which uses PCIe 4.0 x16, will run at full bandwidth.

The TDP figures are important for upgrade planning: the CPU's 65 W TDP and the GPU's 450 W TDP mean the system requires a robust PSU. The suggested PSU for the GPU is 850 W, which provides headroom for the entire system. This is a sensible baseline for any future upgrades.

A sensible next upgrade would be a higher-core-count CPU on the same socket, such as a 13th or 14th Gen Core i7 or i9, if the motherboard's BIOS supports it. This would alleviate the CPU bottleneck in gaming and multi-threaded workloads. Alternatively, the GPU is already at the top of its generation, so a GPU upgrade would require moving to a newer architecture, which would also necessitate a PSU check.

The platform's DDR5 support is a future-proofing advantage, but the current CPU's performance does not depend heavily on memory speed. The PCIe Gen 5 lanes are not fully utilized by the RTX 3090 Ti, but they provide headroom for future GPUs. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is a fallback if the discrete GPU fails.

Who Should Build It

This system is best suited for a creator or researcher who needs massive GPU compute but does not require a high-core-count CPU. The 3D rendering and video editing scenarios are the strongest fits, as the GPU's 40.00 TFLOPS and 24 GB VRAM are the key assets. Gamers at 4K resolution will also benefit, as the GPU's power is fully utilized at that resolution, but the CPU's 80th percentile rank means it is not an ideal pairing for high-refresh 1080p gaming.

Content creators working in Blender, DaVinci Resolve, or After Effects will find the GPU's tensor cores and RT cores invaluable. Developers training machine learning models locally will appreciate the 24 GB VRAM. Students and office workers should avoid this build—it is overkill and impractical due to the GPU's size and power draw.

Small business workstations that need CUDA acceleration for tasks like simulation or data analysis will also benefit, but the lack of ECC memory on the CPU side is a limitation. The system is a niche product: a GPU-first workstation with a budget-oriented CPU.

FAQ

Q: Is the Core i5-12600 a bottleneck for the RTX 3090 Ti?

A: Yes, in most CPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's 80th percentile rank is well below the GPU's 95th percentile, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18105 is modest. In high-refresh gaming at 1080p or 1440p, the CPU will limit frame rates.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, the RTX 3090 Ti is excellent for 4K, with 24 GB VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. The CPU bottleneck is less severe at 4K, where the GPU is the primary workload.

Q: Is the GPU better than professional workstation cards?

A: The RTX 3090 Ti's average benchmark score of 131938 is within 2.6% of the AMD Radeon PRO W6800 and RTX 4000 Ada Generation. It is competitive with professional cards, despite being a gaming product.

Q: What memory should I use with this CPU?

A: The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5, with a dual-channel memory bus. Either is fine, but DDR5 is more future-proof. The CPU does not support ECC memory.

Q: How much power does this system need?

A: The CPU has a 65 W TDP, and the GPU has a 450 W TDP. The suggested PSU for the GPU is 850 W, which provides adequate headroom for the entire system.

Q: Is the CPU good for video editing?

A: Yes, the single-thread score of 3823 in PassMark is high, which helps with timeline responsiveness. However, multi-core exports will be slower than on a higher-core-count CPU.

Q: Can I overclock this CPU?

A: No, the multiplier is not unlocked. The boost clock of 4.80 GHz is fixed, and overclocking is not supported.

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 hardware specifications.

Based on the GPU's 95th percentile rank and 40.00 TFLOPS of compute, this system should deliver extremely high frame rates in most games at 1440p and 4K. The RTX 3090 Ti's 24 GB VRAM is sufficient for the highest texture settings and future titles.

At 1080p, however, the CPU's single-thread score of 2556 in Cinebench R23 will likely cap frame rates in CPU-bound titles. Games that are poorly optimized for multi-threading will see the CPU become the limiting factor, with frame rates plateauing regardless of the GPU's power.

At 1440p, the balance shifts toward the GPU, and the system should deliver smooth, high-refresh gameplay in most titles. At 4K, the GPU is fully utilized, and frame rates will be limited only by the GPU's raw performance, which is top-tier.

Esports titles like CS:GO or Valorant, which are heavily CPU-bound, will see the i5-12600 as the bottleneck, with frame rates potentially lower than what the GPU could achieve with a stronger processor. On the other hand, visually demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Microsoft Flight Simulator will be GPU-bound, and the RTX 3090 Ti will shine.

Overall, this is a system for high-resolution, high-detail gaming, not for chasing maximum frame rates at 1080p. The data supports a clear verdict: the GPU is the star, and the CPU is a capable but not exceptional supporting player.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i5-12600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i5-12600

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

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

Benchmark Performance

CPU Analysis

Usage Scenarios

GPU Analysis

Upgrade Path and Platform

Who Should Build It

FAQ

Gaming 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

Related Processors

Related Graphics Cards

Compare Your CPU

Compare Your GPU

Related PC Builds

Same CPU with Different GPUs

Same GPU with Different CPUs

Other Popular Builds