SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i5-12600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

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

93 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 7% 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%
VS
GPU
97%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core i5-12600

28,646 Benchmark Score
Top 12% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

60,347 Benchmark Score
Top 3% 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

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i5-12600 is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor built on Intel's Alder Lake architecture and manufactured on a 10 nm process node. It belongs to the Core 12th Gen family, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The chip carries a 65 W TDP and integrates UHD Graphics 770, though this pairing with a discrete GPU makes the integrated graphics largely irrelevant for demanding workloads.

The cache hierarchy is substantial for a mainstream desktop part: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, giving builders flexibility in platform cost and bandwidth. The CPU provides 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which is reserved for the primary graphics card or other high-throughput devices.

Benchmark results place this CPU at the 80th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28,646. In Cinebench R23, it scores 18,105 points in multi-core and 2,556 in single-core. The R20 results show 7,604 multi-core and 1,073 single-core, while R15 shows 1,824 multi-core and 257 single-core. These scores indicate a well-balanced processor that excels in lightly-threaded tasks while maintaining respectable multi-threaded throughput for a 6-core part.

The PassMark suite reveals specific strengths: integer math at 66,123, floating-point math at 50,838, and extended instructions at 17,027. Data compression scores 252,160, while encryption hits 13,084. The multithread score of 21,399 and single-thread score of 3,823 show strong per-core performance. The physics score of 1,365 and prime number finding at 83 point toward moderate computational intensity in those specific workloads.

Comparing to nearest rivals, the i5-12600 sits within a tight band. The Intel Core i5-13500T averages 28,670, which is only 0.1% higher. The AMD EPYC 7203P scores 28,583, putting it 0.2% behind the i5-12600. The Intel Core 5 220H and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850HS score 28,574 and 28,549 respectively, both within 0.3% of this chip. This clustering shows that the i5-12600 delivers performance competitive with newer and more power-efficient parts despite being an earlier Alder Lake design.

For real workloads, the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18,105 suggests strong rendering capability for a 6-core processor, while the single-core score of 2,556 indicates responsive application performance and solid gaming potential. The 4.80 GHz boost clock is the key driver for single-threaded tasks, and the 18 MB L3 cache helps maintain low-latency access to frequently used data.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core i5-12600 uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform, which supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. This flexibility is a notable advantage, as builders can choose between cost-effective DDR4 or higher-bandwidth DDR5 depending on their performance targets and budget constraints. The platform provides 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU, enabling high-speed connectivity for modern graphics cards and NVMe storage.

The CPU's 65 W TDP is modest, which means a wide range of cooling solutions can handle it effectively. For this specific build pairing with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, the GPU's 450 W TDP and suggested 850 W PSU requirement dominate the system's power considerations. The CPU's power draw is insignificant by comparison, so the PSU headroom is determined almost entirely by the graphics card.

A sensible next upgrade path from this CPU would involve moving to a higher-core-count Alder Lake or Raptor Lake part on the same Socket 1700 platform. The platform's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 means existing memory kits can carry over, though the PCIe Gen 5 lanes ensure that future storage and GPU upgrades will not be bottlenecked by interface bandwidth. The production status of the CPU is Active, indicating ongoing availability for new builds.

The platform's dual-channel memory bus is adequate for the i5-12600's 6-core configuration, and the 18 MB shared L3 cache mitigates some of the latency penalties that can arise from memory-bound workloads. With the RTX 4090's 24 GB GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, the system's overall memory subsystem is robust, though CPU memory bandwidth remains a potential constraint in certain compute-heavy tasks.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The i5-12600's single-core performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,556 and PassMark single-thread score of 3,823, provides strong per-thread throughput that games rely on for physics, AI, and game logic. The 80th percentile CPU standing means it will not hold back most gaming workloads, though the RTX 4090's capabilities may exceed what this CPU can feed at very high frame rates in CPU-bound titles.

Streaming: The 12 threads handle concurrent encoding and gaming, though the CPU lacks a dedicated hardware encoder advantage beyond what NVDEC and NVENC on the RTX 4090 provide. The PassMark multithread score of 21,399 indicates that simultaneous gaming and streaming are feasible, but the CPU's 6 cores may be a limiting factor in extremely demanding scenarios with heavy overlays and chat processing.

Video editing: The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18,105 and PassMark floating-point score of 50,838 indicate solid performance for video encoding and effects processing. The RTX 4090's CUDA and tensor cores offload much of the rendering workload, but the CPU's 18 MB L3 cache and 4.80 GHz boost clock help with timeline scrubbing and real-time previews. The 65 W TDP means sustained loads are thermally manageable.

3D rendering: The CPU's multi-core throughput, while not class-leading, is sufficient for moderate rendering tasks. The PassMark integer math score of 66,123 supports CPU-based physics simulations, while the RTX 4090 handles GPU-accelerated rendering with its 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 128 RT cores. The combination is powerful, though the CPU may be the bottleneck in pure CPU rendering workloads.

Software development: The 12 threads and strong single-core performance make compilation and code analysis responsive. The PassMark data encryption score of 13,084 suggests adequate cryptographic performance for secure development workflows, while the 18 MB L3 cache reduces recompilation times for iterative builds. The platform's PCIe Gen 5 lanes support fast NVMe storage for large code repositories.

Student and office work: The CPU's balanced performance across single and multi-threaded tasks handles document processing, spreadsheet calculations, and multitasking with ease. The 80th percentile standing ensures that even demanding office applications run smoothly. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 provides a fallback display output, though the RTX 4090 will be the primary graphics solution in this build.

# Who Should Build It

This pairing targets desktop users who demand maximum graphics performance without compromising on CPU responsiveness. Gamers at 4K resolution will benefit most, as the GPU's 88th percentile standing and 24 GB VRAM allow ultra-high settings with ray tracing enabled, while the CPU's 80th percentile ensures consistent frame pacing. Content creators working with 4K or 8K video will leverage the RTX 4090's 24 GB GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth for large project files, with the CPU providing adequate encoding and effects processing.

Software developers building large applications will appreciate the i5-12600's strong single-core performance for compilation and the platform's PCIe Gen 5 support for fast storage access. Students and small business users who require a workstation-class GPU for CUDA-accelerated applications will find the RTX 4090's 512 tensor cores and 16,384 shading units valuable, while the CPU's 65 W TDP keeps system power requirements manageable.

The i5-12600's 6-core, 12-thread configuration is sufficient for most productivity tasks, but users who run heavily threaded workloads like 3D rendering or scientific simulations may find the CPU to be the limiting factor. The 80th percentile CPU standing means it outperforms approximately 80% of all CPUs, but the RTX 4090's 88th percentile GPU standing indicates the graphics card is the stronger component in this pairing.

# Benchmark Performance

The CPU's average benchmark score of 28,646 places it at the 80th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU's average benchmark score of 60,347 places it at the 88th percentile among all GPUs. The combined system percentile is 84, reflecting a high-performance pairing where both components exceed the majority of their respective categories.

In Cinebench R15, the CPU scores 1,824 multi-core and 257 single-core. The R20 results show 7,604 multi-core and 1,073 single-core, while R23 shows 18,105 multi-core and 2,556 single-core. These scores demonstrate consistent scaling across benchmark generations, with multi-core performance improving significantly as the workload size increases.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 indicates strong DirectX 12 performance. Geekbench OpenCL scores 255,416, while Vulkan scores 271,631, showing the GPU's compute capabilities across different APIs. PassMark G3D scores 38,194, with G2D at 1,299. The GPU compute score of 26,613 reflects the card's parallel processing power.

The PassMark DirectX scores show 397 for DX9, 224 for DX10, 326 for DX11, and 150 for DX12. These results are interesting in that they show the GPU's compatibility across legacy and modern APIs, though the absolute scores are not directly comparable across different DirectX versions. The RTX 4090's nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60 at 60,326 (0% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 at 60,140 (0.3% higher), and AMD Radeon Pro W6600M at 61,896 (2.5% higher).

The CPU's nearest rivals show a tight cluster: the Intel Core i5-13500T is 0.1% higher, the AMD EPYC 7203P is 0.2% lower, and both the Intel Core 5 220H and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850HS are 0.3% lower. This indicates that the i5-12600 sits within a performance band where minor architectural differences determine the ranking.

# Gaming Performance

The FACT PACK contains no measured FPS data for this exact CPU+GPU combination. All frame rate discussions are therefore estimated from the benchmark scores and should be treated as approximations. The RTX 4090's 88th percentile GPU standing and the i5-12600's 80th percentile CPU standing provide a basis for these estimates.

At 1080p resolution, the CPU's strong single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,556) suggests that most games will be GPU-bound, with the RTX 4090 delivering extremely high frame rates. The GPU's 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate indicate the ability to push well beyond 144 Hz in most titles.

At 1440p, the balance shifts slightly toward the GPU, with the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth handling high-resolution textures and effects. The CPU's 12 threads provide adequate support for modern game engines that utilize multiple cores for streaming, physics, and AI. The 18 MB L3 cache helps maintain low-latency access to game assets.

At 4K resolution, the GPU becomes the dominant factor, with the RTX 4090's 176 ROPs and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate ensuring high detail levels remain playable. The CPU's 80th percentile standing means it will not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios, though CPU-bound titles with heavy simulation elements may see some frame rate limitations.

The absence of measured FPS data means that specific frame rate numbers cannot be provided. However, based on the component percentiles, the system is expected to deliver excellent gaming performance across all resolutions, with the RTX 4090 being the primary driver of frame rates. The CPU's 4.80 GHz boost clock ensures responsive gameplay, while the 6-core configuration handles background tasks without impacting gaming performance.

# FAQ

Q: What is the CPU's core and thread configuration?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600 has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz.

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

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

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

A: The Intel Core i5-12600's average benchmark score of 28,646 is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-13500T's 28,670, and 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 7203P's 28,583.

Q: What is the combined system percentile?

A: The combined system percentile is 84, indicating that this CPU+GPU pairing outperforms 84% of all tracked system configurations.

Q: What memory types does the platform support?

A: The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus.

Q: What is the GPU's TDP and suggested PSU?

A: The RTX 4090 has a TDP of 450 W, and the suggested PSU for the system is 850 W.

Q: Is there measured FPS data for this combination?

A: No, the FACT PACK contains no measured FPS data for this exact CPU+GPU pairing, so frame rates are estimates based on benchmark scores.

# Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build pairing the Intel Core i5-12600 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The CPU sits at the 80th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 88th percentile among all GPUs. The combined system percentile of 84 places this configuration in the upper tier of tracked builds.

The i5-12600 is a 6-core, 12-thread Alder Lake processor with a 65 W TDP, representing a mainstream CPU choice. The RTX 4090 is a flagship Ada Lovelace GPU with a 450 W TDP, representing the top of NVIDIA's GeForce 40-series lineup. The pairing combines a mid-range CPU with an ultra-high-end GPU, creating an imbalance where the graphics card is the dominant component.

This build class is desktop, meaning it is designed for stationary use with full-size components. The GPU's triple-slot width and 304 mm length require a spacious case, while the 850 W suggested PSU indicates substantial power delivery requirements. The CPU's modest 65 W TDP means cooling is not a major concern, allowing builders to focus on GPU airflow.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The RTX 4090's 88th percentile GPU standing is notably higher than the i5-12600's 80th percentile CPU standing, indicating that the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing. In GPU-bound workloads such as high-resolution gaming and 3D rendering, the graphics card will be the primary performance driver. In CPU-bound workloads such as physics simulation and certain productivity tasks, the processor may limit overall system performance.

The CPU's 6-core, 12-thread configuration is adequate for most gaming scenarios, but the GPU's immense processing power can outpace the CPU in frame generation at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck in CPU-intensive titles, while at 4K, the GPU's rendering workload dominates and the CPU's limitations become less apparent.

The GPU's 24 GB VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth far exceed what the CPU's dual-channel memory bus can provide for system memory. This mismatch is typical for high-end GPU pairings with mainstream CPUs, but it means that workloads requiring frequent CPU-GPU data transfers may see reduced efficiency. The PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU provide ample bandwidth for the GPU's PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, so the connection between components is not a limiting factor.

# GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a chip designated AD102. It contains 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 125.3 million per mm². The GPU has a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with memory clocked at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective).

The memory subsystem consists of 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 raster operation units. It also includes 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based features like DLSS.

Compute performance is substantial: FP32 and FP16 both at 82.58 TFLOPS (with FP16 at 1:1 ratio), pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s, and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s. The GPU's average benchmark score of 60,347 places it at the 88th percentile among all GPUs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 demonstrates strong DirectX 12 performance, while Geekbench OpenCL at 255,416 and Vulkan at 271,631 show excellent compute capabilities across APIs.

The GPU's nearest rivals show a mixed picture: the Intel Arc Pro A60 scores 60,326 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60,140 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61,896 (2.5% higher). The AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58,657 (2.9% lower). This indicates that the RTX 4090 sits within a competitive landscape of professional-grade GPUs, though its gaming-oriented features and driver optimization set it apart.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and compute score of 26,613 reflect strong rasterization and parallel processing capabilities. The DirectX scores of 397 for DX9, 224 for DX10, 326 for DX11, and 150 for DX12 show varied performance across API generations. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with modern graphics APIs. The GPU's production status is End-of-life, with a release date of September 19, 2022, succeeding the GeForce 30 series and preceding the GeForce 50 series.