SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i5-14600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

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

Build Configuration

Select your components

PROCESSOR (CPU)

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GRAPHICS CARD (GPU)

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91 Score

Top 9% Ranking

91 / 100

ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 9% 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

93%

GPU

89%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i5-14600

44,889 Benchmark Score

Top 7% 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

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 — Intel Core i5-14600

The Intel Core i5-14600 is a 14-core, 20-thread desktop processor built on the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process node. The core configuration is split between performance and efficiency cores, which is a hallmark of Intel's hybrid design from this generation. The base clock runs at 2.70 GHz, with a boost clock reaching 5.20 GHz, providing a substantial frequency headroom for single-threaded workloads. The CPU has a 65 W TDP, which is modest for a 14-core part and indicates that it is designed for mainstream power envelopes rather than extreme overclocking — the multiplier is locked, so enthusiast tuning is not available.

The cache hierarchy is generous: 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 24 MB L3 cache. This cache layout is critical for gaming and productivity tasks where data reuse is high. The memory controller supports both DDR4 and DDR5, with a dual-channel bus, giving builders flexibility in platform cost versus performance. ECC memory is supported, which is a notable feature for workstation-oriented builds. The CPU also integrates UHD Graphics 770, so a discrete GPU is not strictly required for basic display output, though the bundled RTX 3050 OEM in this page's configuration makes that integrated solution secondary.

Benchmark data places this CPU in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, which is a strong showing. The average benchmark score is 44,889. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score is 30,464, while the single-core score is 4,300. The single-core figure is particularly important for legacy software and lightly threaded games that rely on high frequency. The multi-core score is indicative of serious rendering and compilation capability. Geekbench scores are 14,680 for multi-core and 2,424 for single-core, which corroborates the Cinebench results with a different workload profile. PassMark multi-thread score is 35,848, and single-thread is 4,167. The floating-point math score is 85,759, integer math is 117,078, and extended instructions score is 25,674. These numbers suggest robust mathematical throughput for scientific and financial workloads.

The nearest rivals provide context. The Intel Core i9-12900KS has an average score of 45,094, which is only 0.5% higher than the i5-14600's 44,889. This means the i5-14600 is statistically tied with a previous-generation flagship in aggregate benchmarks. The AMD EPYC 4344P is similarly close at 45,122, just 0.5% ahead. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is 0.7% behind, and the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is 1% behind. The takeaway is that the i5-14600 sits in a sweet spot of performance that rivals both older high-end parts and newer mid-range parts, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of tasks.

For real workloads, the multi-core scores translate to faster video exports, quicker code compilation, and smoother multitasking. The single-core scores are what drive responsive application launch times and high frame rates in games that are not heavily threaded. The 24 MB L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency in database workloads and simulation software. The 65 W TDP means cooling is straightforward; a capable air cooler is sufficient, and the system will not generate excessive heat in a compact chassis.

# Benchmark Performance

The combined system percentile is 73, which is above the median but not top-tier. This is a balanced pairing where the CPU is clearly the stronger component relative to its peers, while the GPU is more modest in comparison.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 44,889 places it in the 89th percentile, as noted. This is a high-water mark for mainstream processors. The GPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, has an average benchmark score of 15,199 and sits in the 57th percentile among all GPUs. That is a significant gap in relative standing: the CPU is near the top of the heap, while the GPU is just above average. The combined percentile of 73 reflects this asymmetry — the system overall is better than most, but the GPU drags the aggregate down from what the CPU alone could achieve.

In GPU benchmarks, the Geekbench OpenCL score is 60,740, and Vulkan is 57,103. The PassMark G3D score is 11,857, with a G2D score of 973. The GPU compute score is 5,779. The DirectX 12 score is 58, DirectX 11 is 86, DirectX 10 is 61, and DirectX 9 is 137. These scores indicate that the GPU is capable in legacy APIs but shows its age in modern DirectX 12 workloads, where the score drops sharply compared to DirectX 11.

The GPU's nearest rivals give a useful comparison. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 has an average score of 15,171, which is 0.2% higher than the RTX 3050 OEM's 15,199 — essentially identical. The AMD Radeon 680M integrated graphics score 15,270, which is 0.5% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 scores 15,283, 0.5% higher, and the RTX 2060 scores 15,290, 0.6% higher. This places the RTX 3050 OEM in a strange position: it trades blows with integrated graphics and a decade-old flagship, which is a commentary on how far integrated graphics have come and how the RTX 3050 OEM is positioned at the entry level of discrete GPUs.

The combined picture is clear: this is a CPU-bound system for most tasks. The CPU can feed far more powerful GPUs without bottlenecking, but the RTX 3050 OEM will be the limiting factor in graphically intensive scenarios. For productivity workloads that rely on the CPU — rendering, compiling, data processing — the system performs far above its GPU would suggest. For gaming at high settings, the GPU will cap performance.

# GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is built on the Ampere architecture, using the GA106 chip fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. The chip contains 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, with a transistor density of 43.5 million per mm². The GPU has 2,304 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. It also includes 18 RT cores and 72 tensor cores, which provide hardware acceleration for ray tracing and AI-driven features like DLSS.

Memory is 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The memory clock is 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective. This bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p gaming but can become a constraint at higher resolutions or with texture-heavy mods. The pixel rate is 56.16 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 126.4 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 8.087 TFLOPS, with FP16 at the same rate (1:1 ratio). The base clock is 1515 MHz, and the boost clock is 1755 MHz.

The GPU has a 130 W TDP and requires a 300 W suggested PSU. It uses a single 8-pin power connector and is a dual-slot design, measuring 242 mm in length (9.5 inches) and 112 mm in height (4.4 inches). The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x8, which is half the lanes of a typical x16 GPU, but for this performance class, the bandwidth reduction is negligible. Display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, supporting modern monitors. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so it is fully compliant with current game APIs.

The benchmark scores for the GPU are modest. The PassMark G3D score of 11,857 places it in the 57th percentile. The DirectX 12 score of 58 is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 86, which suggests that the GPU's driver overhead or hardware architecture is not optimized for the latest API features. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 60,740 and Vulkan score of 57,103 indicate that compute workloads are handled adequately but not spectacularly.

For rendering, the 8 GB VRAM is the key limitation. Modern 3D scenes with high-resolution textures can exceed 8 GB, leading to texture swapping and stuttering. The 224 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p rendering but will struggle with 4K texture sets. The 18 RT cores allow for ray-traced effects, but the raw performance is such that enabling RT will significantly reduce frame rates. The 72 tensor cores enable DLSS, which can offset some of that performance loss by rendering at a lower resolution and upscaling. In practical terms, this GPU is a 1080p-class part that can handle esports titles at high frame rates and AAA games at medium settings, but it is not a high-refresh 1440p or 4K solution.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The data shows a clear imbalance between the CPU and GPU. The CPU is in the 89th percentile, while the GPU is in the 57th percentile. This means the CPU is capable of driving workloads far beyond what the GPU can render. In CPU-bound tasks like video encoding, data compression, or software compilation, the system will perform excellently. In GPU-bound tasks like gaming at high resolutions or 3D rendering with ray tracing, the GPU will be the limiting factor.

The PassMark data compression score of 434,620 and encryption score of 25,082 indicate strong CPU throughput for productivity. The floating-point math score of 85,759 is also high, which benefits scientific computing. On the GPU side, the PassMark G3D score of 11,857 is modest, and the DirectX 12 score of 58 is low, indicating that modern game engines will not be able to leverage the GPU's full potential.

The bottleneck is situational. For a game like a fast-paced esports title at 1080p with low settings, the CPU will likely be the constraint if the frame rate is extremely high, but the GPU will still be able to keep up. For a AAA game at 1080p with ultra settings, the GPU will be the clear bottleneck, as the CPU has ample headroom. At 1440p or 4K, the GPU will be even more strained, and the CPU will be underutilized. The lack of measured FPS data for this exact combination means these are estimates, but the percentile gap strongly supports this conclusion.

# Gaming Performance

No measured FPS rows exist for this exact combination — the FACT PACK contains no measuredFps data. Therefore, all FPS figures discussed here are estimates derived from the benchmark scores of the CPU and GPU, not direct measurements. The dataIsMeasured field is false, so treat the following as qualitative expectations.

At 1080p, the RTX 3050 OEM should handle esports titles like Counter-Strike or Valorant at high frame rates, likely exceeding 144 FPS on competitive settings, given the CPU's strong single-thread score of 4,300 in Cinebench R23. For AAA games at 1080p ultra settings, expect frame rates in the 40-60 FPS range, as the GPU's DirectX 12 score of 58 is low and the VRAM is limited to 8 GB. The GPU's 57th percentile ranking suggests it is average, so it will not excel in demanding titles.

At 1440p, the GPU will struggle. The 224 GB/s bandwidth and 128-bit bus are insufficient for high-resolution textures, and the 8 GB VRAM will be a hard limit. Expect frame rates to drop below 60 FPS in most AAA games, even at medium settings. The CPU will not be the constraint here; the GPU's pixel rate of 56.16 GPixel/s is simply too low for high-resolution rendering.

At 4K, this system is not viable for modern gaming. The GPU would need to render at a very low internal resolution and use DLSS to achieve playable frame rates, but the tensor cores are not powerful enough to make this a pleasant experience. The CPU is not the issue; it is the GPU's raw throughput and memory bandwidth that are insufficient. For gamers targeting high-refresh 1080p, this system is adequate. For higher resolutions, the GPU is the limiting factor and should be upgraded.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: At 1080p with competitive settings, the CPU's single-core performance will drive high frame rates, but the GPU will cap performance in more demanding titles. Expect 144+ FPS in esports and 60 FPS in AAA games with reduced settings. The 57th percentile GPU ranking makes this a 1080p-class system.

Streaming: The CPU has 14 cores and 20 threads, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30,464. This is sufficient for software encoding while gaming, as the extra cores can handle the encoding workload without starving the game. The GPU's NVENC encoder, part of the Ampere architecture, can also be used to offload encoding, but the 8 GB VRAM may be a constraint when gaming and encoding simultaneously.

Video editing: The CPU's multi-threaded performance is strong, with a PassMark multithread score of 35,848. This will handle 1080p and 1440p video editing smoothly, including effects and color grading. The GPU can assist with accelerated effects, but its 8 GB VRAM and 57th percentile ranking mean it is not ideal for heavy motion graphics or 4K timelines.

3D rendering: The CPU excels here, with a Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 12,794 and R15 multi-core of 3,070. CPU-based rendering will be fast. GPU-based rendering with the RTX 3050 OEM will be slower, as the FP32 performance of 8.087 TFLOPS is modest. The 18 RT cores provide ray tracing capability, but the performance is not competitive with higher-tier GPUs.

Software development: The CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads are excellent for compilation, with a PassMark integer math score of 117,078. Code builds will be quick, and the 24 MB L3 cache will help with large codebases. The GPU is irrelevant for most development tasks, so this system is well-suited for developers.

Student and office work: This system is overkill for typical student tasks like word processing and web browsing. The CPU's single-thread score of 4,167 ensures snappy response, and the integrated UHD Graphics 770 provides a fallback if the discrete GPU is not needed. The 65 W CPU TDP means the system is quiet and efficient for daily use.

# Who Should Build It

This build targets gamers at 1080p who want a system with a strong CPU foundation and are willing to accept GPU limitations. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking ensures that any future GPU upgrade will be fully utilized, so this is a good starting point for a platform that can evolve. The 73rd combined percentile indicates that the overall system is above average, but the GPU is the weak link.

Content creators who work primarily with CPU-bound tasks — video encoding, 3D rendering in CPU modes, software compilation — will benefit from the i5-14600's multi-core performance. The 30,464 Cinebench R23 multi-core score is competitive with previous-generation flagship CPUs, making this a cost-effective workstation CPU. The GPU is sufficient for preview and light GPU acceleration.

Developers will find the 20 threads and strong integer math score of 117,078 ideal for building large projects. The platform supports both DDR4 and DDR5, allowing for flexible memory configurations based on budget. Students building a versatile system for coursework, light gaming, and productivity will find this balanced, though the GPU is more than what is needed for office tasks.

Small business workstations that run database queries, financial modeling, or scientific simulations will benefit from the CPU's strong performance and ECC memory support. The 65 W TDP keeps power costs low, and the system is reliable for long-running workloads. The GPU is not a focus here, but it provides adequate display output and some compute acceleration.

# FAQ

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile relative to all CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600 is in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44,889.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM has an average score of 15,199, which is 0.2% lower than the RX 7600's 15,171, making them effectively tied in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock and TDP?

A: The boost clock is 5.20 GHz, and the TDP is 65 W.

Q: What memory types does the CPU support?

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

Q: Does the GPU support ray tracing and DLSS?

A: Yes, the GPU has 18 RT cores and 72 tensor cores, which enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing and DLSS.

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

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Is the combined system percentile higher or lower than the CPU's percentile?

A: The combined percentile is 73, which is lower than the CPU's 89th percentile, indicating the GPU brings the overall score down.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The CPU is based on Intel Socket 1700, which supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. This platform is mature, and the 65 W TDP means there is significant headroom for cooling upgrades, though the multiplier is locked, so overclocking is not an option. The CPU provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes, which is future-proof for high-speed SSDs and GPUs.

The GPU uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, so it is compatible with the CPU's PCIe Gen 5 slot, though it will run at x8 speeds. The suggested PSU is 300 W, which is low, and the GPU has a 130 W TDP. This leaves ample headroom for a more powerful GPU upgrade without necessarily replacing the power supply, though a higher-wattage PSU would be advisable for a significant upgrade.

A sensible next upgrade would be the GPU. The CPU is in the 89th percentile and can easily handle a GPU with a higher performance class, such as those in the 90th percentile or above. The 8 GB VRAM and 224 GB/s bandwidth of the current GPU are the primary limitations, and replacing it with a GPU that has more VRAM and bandwidth would unlock the CPU's full potential in gaming and rendering. The CPU's launch MSRP is $255, but that is not a consideration for upgrades.

For memory, the platform supports both DDR4 and DDR5, so a builder could start with DDR4 to save costs and later move to DDR5 if the motherboard supports it, though that would require a new motherboard. The 24 MB L3 cache is fixed, so CPU-side cache upgrades are not possible. The platform is at the end of its socket generation, so a future CPU upgrade would require a new motherboard. The next logical step for this system is a GPU upgrade to balance the strong CPU.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i5-14600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i5-14600

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

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

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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