SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i5-12600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

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
98%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core i5-12600

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

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

79,842 Benchmark Score
Top 2% 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

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 Intel Core i5-12600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a study in stark contrast—a mainstream 6-core processor from the Alder Lake generation matched with the current flagship graphics card built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The data shows a system where the GPU operates in an entirely different performance tier than the CPU, making it a configuration that prioritizes raw graphical horsepower above all else. This analysis draws exclusively from the benchmark scores and technical specifications in the provided data, interpreting what those numbers mean for real-world workloads and whether this pairing makes sense for specific use cases.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i5-12600 is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor built on the Alder Lake architecture using Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, with a 65W TDP that places it firmly in the mainstream power envelope. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, though the specific bandwidth figures are not listed in the data. It uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform and includes UHD Graphics 770 integrated graphics, which provides a fallback display output but is not intended for serious gaming. The cache hierarchy consists of 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache.

The benchmark results paint a picture of a capable mid-range CPU that holds its own in both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads. In Cinebench R23, the processor scores 18105 in multi-core and 2556 in single-core tests, indicating strong performance for applications that can utilize all 12 threads. The PassMark single-thread score of 3823 suggests that the 4.80 GHz boost clock delivers responsive performance in lightly-threaded tasks like web browsing, office applications, and older games. The multi-threaded PassMark score of 21399 is respectable, but it is the more specialized tests that reveal the processor's character.

Data compression performance is particularly strong at 252160 in PassMark, while floating-point math scores 50838 and integer math scores 66123. The extended instructions score of 17027 indicates solid SIMD performance, which helps in media encoding and scientific workloads. The processor sits at the 80th percentile among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly four out of five processors in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score of 28646 places it in close competition with the Intel Core i5-13500T, which scores 28670, a negligible 0.1% difference, and the AMD EPYC 7203P at 28583, a 0.2% gap. This suggests that the i5-12600 delivers performance comparable to those alternatives despite being an older generation part.

For real workloads, the 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient for most productivity tasks but will show its limits under heavy multi-threaded loads. Video editing in applications like Premiere Pro will run comfortably, though render times will be longer than with higher-core-count processors. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache helps with gaming performance and reduces latency in memory-sensitive workloads, but the processor is clearly not designed to feed a flagship GPU in every scenario.

Benchmark Performance

The combined picture from the benchmark data shows a system with a massive performance disparity between its two main components. The CPU achieves an average benchmark score of 28646, placing it at the 80th percentile, while the GPU achieves an average score of 79842, placing it at the 92nd percentile among all graphics cards. The combined percentile for this system is 86, indicating that the whole is slightly less than the sum of its parts due to potential bottlenecking in certain scenarios.

The CPU's Cinebench R20 scores of 7604 multi-core and 1073 single-core reinforce the pattern seen in R23, showing consistent performance across different versions of the benchmark. The PassMark physics score of 1365 is notably low, which could indicate that the processor struggles with certain types of physics calculations that are heavily threaded but have specific instruction requirements. The data encryption score of 13084 and random string sorting score of 25832 are moderate, suggesting acceptable but not exceptional performance in security-related and data manipulation tasks.

The GPU benchmarks are where this system truly shines. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355 is a strong indicator of modern gaming performance, while the Geekbench OpenCL score of 334370 and Vulkan score of 376728 demonstrate massive compute capability. The PassMark G3D score of 39650 is exceptional, and the GPU compute score of 26756 shows that the card can handle compute-heavy workloads like rendering and machine learning inference. The PassMark DirectX scores are less relevant due to the age of those tests, but the DirectX 12 score of 185 is still respectable.

When comparing the GPU to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is in a class of its own. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605, which is 0.3% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, a 1.1% gap. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, which is 1.4% higher, but that card is a workstation part with different driver optimizations. The RTX 5090's 92nd percentile ranking means it outperforms 92% of all GPUs in the database, and its average score of 79842 is nearly three times higher than the CPU's average score.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process node, with a massive 92,200 million transistors packed into a 750 mm² die. The chip, designated GB202, operates at a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz for 28 Gbps effective speed. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory runs across a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth—a figure that dwarfs most other graphics cards and is essential for high-resolution textures and large compute workloads.

The GPU features 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, which combine to produce a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute performance of 104.8 TFLOPS is matched by FP16 at 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1), indicating that the card does not sacrifice half-precision performance for full-precision work. The 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads, making this a formidable card for both gaming with ray tracing enabled and professional applications that leverage DLSS or other tensor core features.

The benchmark scores confirm the GPU's dominance in rendering tasks. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355 indicates that the card can handle modern DX12 games at high settings without breaking a sweat. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 376728 is particularly telling, as Vulkan is used in both gaming and professional rendering applications, suggesting the card excels in compute-heavy scenarios. The PassMark G3D score of 39650 and GPU compute score of 26756 further reinforce that this is a top-tier performer for both graphics and general-purpose GPU computing.

For rendering workloads, the RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM is a critical advantage. Large 3D scenes, high-resolution textures, and complex simulations can easily exceed the memory capacity of lesser cards, and the 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that data flows quickly between the GPU and its memory. The 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance means that GPU rendering in applications like Blender or Octane will be exceptionally fast, and the tensor cores provide acceleration for AI denoising and upscaling features.

Balance and Bottleneck

The data clearly indicates that the Intel Core i5-12600 will be the limiting factor in most workloads when paired with the RTX 5090. The CPU's 80th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 92nd percentile creates a scenario where the processor cannot consistently feed the graphics card enough data to keep it fully utilized, particularly in CPU-bound scenarios like physics calculations, AI processing, and certain game engines. The PassMark physics score of 1365 is a weak point, suggesting that the CPU may struggle with complex physics simulations that are increasingly common in modern games.

In gaming workloads, the bottleneck will manifest at lower resolutions and with less demanding graphics settings. At 1080p or 1440p with settings that do not heavily tax the GPU, the CPU will likely become the limiting factor, preventing the RTX 5090 from reaching its full frame rate potential. The CPU's single-thread performance, as indicated by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2556, is decent but not exceptional, and games that rely heavily on single-threaded performance will show the CPU's limitations more clearly.

However, the balance shifts in the GPU's favor at higher resolutions and with more demanding graphics settings. At 4K with ultra settings, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, and the CPU has more time to prepare frames, reducing the impact of its lower performance. The 32 GB of VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth mean that the GPU can handle massive textures and complex scenes without stuttering, even if the CPU is not delivering frames at the maximum possible rate.

For compute workloads like 3D rendering or machine learning, the bottleneck is less severe because these tasks are primarily GPU-bound. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads can prepare data and manage the scene while the GPU does the heavy lifting, and the 18 MB L3 cache helps reduce memory latency. However, in workloads that require significant CPU preprocessing, such as certain simulation tasks or video encoding, the CPU will still be a limiting factor compared to what the GPU is capable of.

Gaming Performance

The FACT PACK contains no measured FPS data for this exact CPU-GPU combination, so all gaming performance figures discussed here are estimates based on the benchmark scores and the relative performance of the components. The data shows that the RTX 5090 is in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355 that suggests it can handle any modern game at maximum settings. The CPU, at the 80th percentile, is less capable but still above average.

In games that are heavily GPU-bound, particularly at 4K resolution with ultra settings, the RTX 5090 should deliver extremely high frame rates, likely exceeding 100 FPS in most titles and potentially reaching 200 FPS or more in less demanding games. The 32 GB of VRAM ensures that even the most texture-heavy games will not exceed memory capacity, and the 1.79 TB/s bandwidth prevents texture streaming bottlenecks. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power means that modern rendering techniques like ray tracing can be enabled without significant performance penalties.

However, in CPU-bound scenarios, the i5-12600 will limit performance. Games that are poorly optimized for multi-threading or that have heavy single-threaded requirements will see frame rates capped by the CPU's single-core performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2556 is adequate for most games, but the PassMark physics score of 1365 suggests that games with complex physics engines may see noticeable frame drops or stuttering. At 1080p and 1440p resolutions, the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck, and the estimated frame rates will be lower than what the GPU is capable of delivering.

For competitive gaming at high refresh rates, the combination is less ideal. The CPU may not be able to sustain frame rates above 240 FPS in all titles, even if the GPU is capable of producing them. The boost clock of 4.80 GHz helps, but the 6-core/12-thread configuration is not optimal for the highest-end competitive gaming scenarios. For single-player games at 4K with ultra settings, the GPU's dominance ensures a smooth and visually stunning experience, even if the CPU occasionally limits the frame rate in specific scenes.

Usage Scenarios

High-Refresh Gaming: The RTX 5090's 92nd percentile ranking and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 18355 indicate that it can drive very high frame rates at 1440p and 4K, but the i5-12600's 80th percentile ranking means it will struggle to keep up at 1080p and in CPU-intensive titles. This setup is best suited for 4K gaming at 60-120 FPS, where the GPU is the primary driver.

Streaming: The CPU's 12 threads and 18 MB L3 cache provide enough headroom for software encoding at moderate bitrates, but the RTX 5090's tensor cores and 680 tensor core count suggest that NVENC or other hardware encoding solutions will be far more efficient. The PassMark data encryption score of 13084 and extended instructions score of 17027 indicate that the CPU can handle the additional load of streaming alongside gaming, though the system may benefit from using the GPU for encoding.

Video Editing: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18105 and PassMark multithread score of 21399 indicate that it can handle video editing workloads, but the RTX 5090's GPU compute score of 26756 and FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS will accelerate effects, color grading, and rendering significantly. The 32 GB of VRAM is ideal for large projects with high-resolution footage.

3D Rendering: This is where the combination shines. The RTX 5090's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 170 RT cores provide exceptional rendering speed for GPU-accelerated engines like Blender Cycles or Octane. The CPU's 6 cores can handle scene preparation and file management, but the GPU will do the overwhelming majority of the work.

Software Development: The CPU's PassMark integer math score of 66123 and single-thread score of 3823 indicate solid compilation speed for most projects. The 12 threads handle parallel builds well, and the 18 MB L3 cache reduces cache misses during large code compilation. The 65W TDP keeps power consumption manageable during extended development sessions.

Student and Office Work: This configuration is massively overkill for typical student or office workloads. The CPU's single-thread performance is more than sufficient for document processing, spreadsheets, and web browsing, while the GPU's capabilities are entirely unused. The 65W CPU TDP and 575W GPU TDP mean that the system draws significant power even when idle, making it inefficient for basic tasks.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core i5-12600 uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform, which supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. This provides flexibility for users who want to keep existing DDR4 memory or upgrade to DDR5, though the memory bus is dual-channel regardless of memory type. The platform supports PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, which is sufficient for the RTX 5090's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface. The 65W TDP of the CPU means that most motherboards can handle it without special power delivery requirements, and the system's overall power draw is dominated by the GPU.

The RTX 5090 has a TDP of 575W and requires a 950W power supply, as indicated by the suggested PSU rating. The card uses a single 16-pin power connector and is dual-slot, measuring 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. This means that case compatibility is a consideration, as the card is large and requires adequate airflow. The display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, supporting the latest high-refresh-rate and high-resolution monitors.

A sensible next upgrade for this system would be the CPU, if the user finds the processor is limiting performance in their specific workloads. Upgrading to a higher-core-count processor on the same socket would provide more headroom for CPU-bound tasks without requiring a new motherboard. However, the data shows that the current CPU is in the 80th percentile, so the upgrade would only be necessary for workloads that are heavily CPU-bound. Alternatively, users who primarily game at 4K may find that the current CPU is sufficient and that the GPU is the primary driver of performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core i5-12600?

A: The launch MSRP is $233.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rival in the data?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79842, which is 1.4% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X at 80959, but 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78940.

Q: Does the i5-12600 support DDR5 memory?

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

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 5090?

A: The memory bandwidth is 1.79 TB/s.

Q: What is the combined percentile ranking for this system?

A: The combined percentile is 86.

Q: Does the i5-12600 have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, it includes UHD Graphics 770 integrated graphics.

Q: What is the process node for the RTX 5090?

A: The RTX 5090 is built on a 5 nm process node by TSMC.

Who Should Build It

This system is targeted at users who prioritize raw graphical performance above all else. Gamers playing at 4K resolution with ultra settings will benefit most from the RTX 5090's 92nd percentile ranking and 32 GB of VRAM, which ensures that the latest games run with maximum detail and smooth frame rates. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355 indicates that the GPU can handle the most demanding modern titles, even with ray tracing enabled, though the CPU may limit performance in games that are more CPU-dependent.

Content creators working with 3D rendering, video editing, or machine learning will find the RTX 5090's compute capabilities transformative. The 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 170 RT cores provide exceptional rendering speed, while the 32 GB of VRAM allows for large scenes and high-resolution textures that would be impossible on lesser cards. The i5-12600's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for managing these workloads, even if they are not the primary driver of performance.

Developers and software engineers will appreciate the CPU's solid compilation performance, with the PassMark integer math score of 66123 indicating that most builds will complete quickly. The 65W TDP of the CPU keeps power consumption reasonable during development, though the GPU's 575W TDP means that the system as a whole is power-hungry. Students and office workers should avoid this configuration unless they have specific needs for GPU compute, as the system is overpowered and inefficient for basic tasks.

The data suggests that this system is best suited for enthusiasts and professionals who demand the absolute best GPU performance and are willing to accept that the CPU will be a limiting factor in some scenarios. For users who primarily game at 4K or work with GPU-accelerated applications, the RTX 5090's 92nd percentile ranking justifies the investment, even with the i5-12600's 80th percentile CPU performance. For users who need balanced performance across CPU and GPU workloads, a more powerful processor would be a better pairing.