SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900 + NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation

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)

▼

96 Score

Top 4% Ranking

96 / 100

ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 4% 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

99%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i9-12900

42,906 Benchmark Score

Top 7% Market Ranking

View Full Specs →

GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation

135,218 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

# Balance and Bottleneck

The Intel Core i9-12900 and NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation pairing presents an interesting balance that leans heavily on the GPU for most performance-critical tasks. The CPU sits in the 88th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU commands the 95th percentile among all GPUs — a 7-point gap that indicates the graphics card is the more dominant component in this system. This imbalance suggests that in GPU-bound workloads, the i9-12900 will rarely be the limiting factor, as its multi-threaded capabilities are substantial enough to keep pace with the RTX 4000 Ada's output.

Looking at the CPU's benchmark data, the multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 18628 and Geekbench multi-core score of 13088 reveal a processor that can handle heavily threaded workloads without breaking a sweat. The PassMark multi-thread score of 33608 further reinforces this view. When paired with a GPU that reaches the 95th percentile, the CPU's 88th percentile standing means that for most rendering and compute tasks, the GPU will be waiting on data rather than the CPU struggling to feed it. The single-core performance, exemplified by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1825 and Geekbench single-core score of 1993, is adequate for everyday responsiveness but is not the headline feature here.

The bottleneck analysis shifts depending on workload type. In gaming scenarios, the RTX 4000 Ada's 20 GB of VRAM and 360.0 GB/s bandwidth will dominate the frame production pipeline, while the CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads handle game logic and physics. The i9-12900's PassMark physics score of 1730 suggests it can handle the computational overhead of modern game engines, but the GPU's 26.73 TFLOPS of FP32 performance will be the primary driver of frame rates. For productivity tasks like video editing or 3D rendering, the balance is more even: the CPU's Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 11994 and the GPU's Geekbench OpenCL score of 146593 both contribute meaningfully to the overall throughput.

The data indicates that this is a system where the GPU leads and the CPU follows competently. The combined percentile of 92 places this pairing in the upper echelon of desktop builds, but the 7-point gap between CPU and GPU percentiles means that users who prioritize CPU-heavy workloads like software compilation or data processing will find the i9-12900 adequate yet not exceptional relative to the GPU's standing.

# Benchmark Performance

The CPU benchmark suite for the Intel Core i9-12900 shows a processor that performs strongly across both single-threaded and multi-threaded tests. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18628 places it in a competitive position, while the single-core score of 1825 indicates solid per-thread performance. The Geekbench scores of 13088 multi-core and 1993 single-core corroborate this picture. The PassMark suite provides additional granularity: integer math at 127512, floating point math at 91514, and extended instructions at 24777. Data compression and encryption scores of 407899 and 23203 respectively highlight the CPU's capabilities in data-intensive tasks. The average benchmark score of 42906 places the CPU in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i9-12900KF (deltaPct 0.2) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H (deltaPct -0.7). This tight clustering around the 42900-43300 score range suggests that the i9-12900 is well-matched against its immediate competitors, with performance deltas of 1% or less.

The GPU benchmarks for the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation are more limited but nonetheless revealing. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 146593 and Vulkan score of 123842 demonstrate strong compute and graphics capabilities. The average benchmark score of 135218 places the GPU in the 95th percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA A10M (deltaPct 0), AMD Radeon PRO W6800 (deltaPct -0.1), and AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo (deltaPct -0.4). These sub-1% deltas indicate that the RTX 4000 Ada is essentially performance-equivalent to its closest competitors, making it a well-positioned workstation GPU.

The combined picture is that of a high-performance desktop system. With the CPU at the 88th percentile and the GPU at the 95th percentile, the overall build achieves a combined percentile of 92. This suggests that while the GPU is the standout component, the CPU does not drag the system down in any meaningful way. For users seeking a balanced workstation, the data shows this pairing delivers near-top-tier GPU performance with solid, if not class-leading, CPU performance.

# GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using the AD104 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 2175 MHz, and its memory runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed. The 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides 360.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial for workstation tasks involving large datasets or high-resolution textures.

The compute configuration includes 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. The RTX 4000 Ada also features 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores, making it well-suited for ray-traced rendering and AI-accelerated workloads. The pixel rate of 139.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 417.6 GTexel/s indicate strong rasterization throughput, while the FP32 performance of 26.73 TFLOPS (with FP16 at 26.73 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio) provides the raw compute power needed for scientific simulations and machine learning inference.

The Geekbench OpenCL score of 146593 places the GPU in the 95th percentile, which is remarkable for a workstation card. The Vulkan score of 123842 is also strong, though slightly lower than the OpenCL result, suggesting that compute workloads via OpenCL are particularly well-optimized. The memory bandwidth of 360.0 GB/s is sufficient for the GPU's 20 GB frame buffer, though it is not the highest available in the workstation segment. The 160-bit bus width is a design choice that balances cost and performance, and the data shows it does not significantly hinder the GPU's overall standing.

For rendering workloads, the RT cores and tensor cores are the differentiators. The 48 RT cores accelerate ray-traced scenes, while the 192 tensor cores handle DLSS and other AI-based enhancements. The 20 GB VRAM is particularly valuable for large 3D scenes or high-resolution video editing, where memory capacity often becomes the limiting factor. The single-slot design with a 130 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 300 W makes this a power-efficient option for workstations where space and thermal headroom are at a premium.

# Who Should Build It

This CPU+GPU pairing is targeted at professionals and enthusiasts who need high-end workstation performance in a desktop form factor. The build class is desktop, and the combined percentile of 92 indicates that this system sits well above the majority of available configurations. Gamers playing at high resolutions will benefit from the GPU's 95th percentile standing, though the lack of measured FPS data means exact performance figures are estimated. Content creators working with 4K video or complex 3D scenes will find the 20 GB VRAM and 26.73 TFLOPS FP32 performance valuable, while the CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads handle encoding and multitasking.

Software developers compiling large codebases will appreciate the CPU's PassMark integer math score of 127512 and multi-thread score of 33608, which indicate strong compilation throughput. Students in engineering or computer science programs can leverage this system for simulation workloads, though the workstation-class GPU may be overkill for basic coursework. Small business workstations handling data processing, financial modeling, or CAD applications will find the combination of CPU data compression score of 407899 and GPU compute capabilities well-suited to their needs.

The GPU's workstation heritage — as indicated by the "Workstation Ada" generation label — suggests this is not a typical gaming card but rather a professional tool. Users who need reliable driver support for professional applications, ECC memory support on the CPU side, and the ability to drive multiple displays via the 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs will find this build appropriate. The CPU's ECC memory support is a notable feature for users who require data integrity in long-running compute jobs.

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i9-12900 is a desktop processor from the Core 12th Gen series, based on the Alder Lake architecture with the Alder Lake-S codename. It features 16 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The processor is manufactured on a 10 nm process at Intel, with a die size of 215 mm². The cache hierarchy consists of 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s.

The architecture is notable for its hybrid design, though the FACT PACK does not specify the exact P-core/E-core split. The 16 cores and 24 threads suggest a configuration common to Alder Lake parts, where performance cores handle demanding workloads and efficiency cores manage background tasks. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz is high, enabling strong single-threaded performance, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1825 and Geekbench single-core score of 1993.

The CPU's benchmark scores paint a picture of a well-rounded processor. The Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 3299 and single-core score of 262 show consistent scaling across Cinebench versions. The PassMark single-thread score of 4003 and find prime numbers score of 121 are more specialized metrics but still indicate competent performance. The PassMark data encryption score of 23203 is particularly relevant for users handling sensitive data, as it demonstrates the CPU's ability to handle cryptographic workloads efficiently.

The CPU's 65 W TDP is modest for a 16-core part, which is indicative of the efficiency of the Alder Lake architecture. This low power draw, combined with the multiplier being unlocked, gives users headroom for overclocking if they have adequate cooling. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 provides basic display output capabilities, though the discrete RTX 4000 Ada will handle all graphics duties in this build. The PCIe Gen 5 support with 16 lanes (CPU only) ensures compatibility with the fastest available storage and expansion cards.

# Gaming Performance

No measured FPS rows exist for this exact combination of the Intel Core i9-12900 and NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFps data for this pairing, so all frame rate expectations must be inferred from the benchmark scores and are estimates rather than verified results.

Based on the GPU's 95th percentile standing and its Geekbench Vulkan score of 123842, the RTX 4000 Ada should deliver high frame rates at 1440p and 4K resolutions in most modern games. The 20 GB VRAM is ample for high-resolution textures and ray-traced effects, while the 48 RT cores provide hardware acceleration for ray tracing. The CPU's single-core performance, as measured by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1825, is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in most gaming scenarios. However, the lack of measured data means these expectations are qualitative rather than quantitative.

At 1080p, the CPU's single-threaded performance may become more relevant, as lower resolutions place greater emphasis on the processor's ability to feed frames to the GPU. The i9-12900's 5.10 GHz boost clock and PassMark single-thread score of 4003 suggest it can handle high-refresh-rate gaming at this resolution, though the RTX 4000 Ada is likely capable of far more than a 1080p monitor can display. At 1440p and above, the GPU becomes the primary driver of performance, and the 26.73 TFLOPS FP32 compute power should sustain high frame rates in demanding titles.

For esports titles that are CPU-bound, the i9-12900's strong single-thread performance will be the deciding factor, while for AAA games with heavy graphics requirements, the RTX 4000 Ada's compute and memory bandwidth will dominate. The absence of measured FPS data is a limitation, but the benchmark scores provide a reasonable basis for estimating performance. Users should treat any specific frame rate figures as approximations until verified testing is performed.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The RTX 4000 Ada's 95th percentile GPU score and 26.73 TFLOPS FP32 performance indicate capability for high-refresh gaming at 1440p, though the lack of measured FPS data means exact rates are unknown. The CPU's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 1825 ensures that game logic and physics processing will not be a bottleneck.

Streaming: The i9-12900's 16 cores and 24 threads, combined with a PassMark multi-thread score of 33608, provide ample headroom for encoding while gaming. The CPU's data encryption score of 23203 also suggests it can handle stream encryption overhead, while the GPU's tensor cores could accelerate any AI-based streaming enhancements.

Video editing: The 20 GB VRAM on the RTX 4000 Ada is well-suited for 4K video timelines and effects, while the GPU's Geekbench OpenCL score of 146593 indicates strong compute acceleration for rendering and effects. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18628 supports fast export times, and the 76.8 GB/s memory bandwidth helps with large file transfers.

3D rendering: The combination of 48 RT cores for ray tracing and 192 tensor cores for AI denoising makes this build capable for 3D rendering workloads. The CPU's multi-thread performance, as shown by the PassMark floating point math score of 91514, complements the GPU's 26.73 TFLOPS FP32 compute to provide balanced rendering throughput.

Software development: The i9-12900's PassMark integer math score of 127512 and data compression score of 407899 indicate strong compilation and build performance. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache helps with large codebases, while the 65 W TDP keeps power consumption reasonable during long compile sessions.

Student and office work: This build is overkill for typical student or office tasks, but the CPU's single-thread performance and the GPU's compute capabilities ensure that even demanding applications like data analysis or CAD software will run smoothly. The ECC memory support on the CPU side is a bonus for data-intensive coursework.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core i9-12900 uses the Intel Socket 1700, which is the platform for 12th Gen Core processors. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing flexibility for users who want to upgrade memory without changing the motherboard. The PCIe Gen 5 support with 16 lanes (CPU only) ensures compatibility with the latest graphics cards and NVMe storage, though the RTX 4000 Ada itself uses PCIe 4.0 x16, which is backward compatible.

The suggested PSU for this build is 300 W, which is remarkably low given the GPU's 130 W TDP and the CPU's 65 W TDP. This leaves significant headroom for additional components or future upgrades. The GPU's power connector is a single 16-pin, which is standard for modern NVIDIA cards. The CPU's 65 W TDP is also modest, meaning that users could potentially upgrade to a higher-TDP CPU on the same socket without needing a new power supply, as long as the 300 W PSU rating is adequate.

A sensible next upgrade path would be to increase memory capacity or speed, given that the platform supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s could be improved with faster DDR5 modules, though the current dual-channel configuration is already solid. Users could also consider adding more storage via the PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which would benefit from the high bandwidth available. The GPU's single-slot design and 130 W TDP leave room for a second GPU in a multi-GPU configuration, though the 300 W PSU would need to be upgraded to support that.

# FAQ

Q: What is the combined performance percentile of this CPU+GPU pairing?

A: The combined percentile is 92, placing this desktop build in the upper tier of all configurations.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4000 Ada have and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The GPU has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 160-bit bus and 360.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What are the CPU's core and thread counts?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900 has 16 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz.

Q: Is there measured FPS data for this specific build?

A: No, the FACT PACK contains no measured FPS data for this exact combination. All frame rate expectations are estimates based on benchmark scores.

Q: What socket does the CPU use and what memory does it support?

A: The CPU uses Intel Socket 1700 and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration.

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

A: The GPU has a TDP of 130 W, and the suggested PSU rating for the system is 300 W.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-12900KF?

A: The i9-12900 has an average benchmark score of 42906, which is 0.2% higher than the i9-12900KF's score of 42830.

# Build Overview

This desktop build pairs the Intel Core i9-12900 with the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation, creating a high-performance workstation configuration. The CPU, based on the Alder Lake architecture, offers 16 cores and 24 threads with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, achieving an 88th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The GPU, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 20 GB of GDDR6 memory and 26.73 TFLOPS FP32 performance, ranks in the 95th percentile among all GPUs. The combined percentile of 92 places this build in the upper tier of desktop systems, with the GPU being the standout component. The CPU's average benchmark score of 42906 and the GPU's average score of 135218 together indicate a balanced system that excels in GPU-heavy workloads while providing solid CPU performance. This is a desktop-class build suitable for professionals and enthusiasts who need workstation-level graphics performance with a capable multi-threaded CPU.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900 + NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i9-12900

NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation

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

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