SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900F + Intel Arc A310

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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89 Score

Top 11% Ranking

89 / 100

HIGH-END

Power Build

Top 11% of systems. Excellent for 1440p Ultra or 4K High gaming.

1440p Ultra4K High

System Balance Analysis

CPU vs GPU performance ratio

Well Balanced

CPU

94%

GPU

85%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i9-12900F

47,176 Benchmark Score

Top 6% Market Ranking

View Full Specs →

GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc A310

7,550 Benchmark Score

Top 15% 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

Strong Performance

Excellent for 1440p gaming. Most games will run at high/ultra settings smoothly.

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 i9-12900F and Intel Arc A310 represent a stark juxtaposition of processing extremes. The CPU is a high-end 16-core desktop processor, while the GPU is a low-power entry-level graphics card. This pairing creates a significant performance imbalance where the processor's capabilities far outstrip the graphics card's output in most scenarios. The benchmark data confirms this, showing a CPU that ranks in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 40th percentile against all GPUs.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i9-12900F is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and boosts up to 5.10 GHz, leveraging a hybrid architecture that combines high-performance and high-efficiency cores to manage both heavy workloads and lighter tasks. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel interface, providing a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s, and it includes ECC memory support, which is notable for workstation stability. The CPU is built on the Intel Socket 1700 platform and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

Benchmark results show the i9-12900F is a formidable multi-threaded performer. In Cinebench R23, it scores 30405 points in multi-core and 4292 points in single-core tests. The multi-core score indicates exceptional capability for rendering, video encoding, and other heavily parallelized tasks. Its Geekbench scores of 15965 multi-core and 2339 single-core reinforce this position. The Passmark multithread score of 35912, combined with a single-thread score of 4017, shows that while multi-core performance is the primary strength, single-thread performance is also robust for a processor of this class. The data suggests this CPU can handle demanding productivity suites, complex code compilation, and 3D rendering without becoming the limiting factor in most systems.

The processor's average benchmark score of 47176 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700KF, which scores 47330 (a 0.3% difference), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, which scores 47022 (a 0.3% difference in favor of the i9). This tight grouping indicates that the i9-12900F is positioned at a performance plateau where minor architectural differences between top-tier processors yield negligible performance deltas. The i9-12900F effectively trades blows with newer and more specialized chips, showing that its 16-core configuration remains highly relevant. The Passmark integer math score of 129504 and floating-point math score of 96452 further demonstrate its computational breadth for both general and scientific workloads.

Balance and Bottleneck

The performance data reveals a pronounced bottleneck scenario that is entirely GPU-limited. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 40th percentile ranking indicates that the graphics card will be the constraining component in virtually every graphics-intensive application. For gaming, this means that frame rates will be dictated by the Arc A310's capabilities, not the i9-12900F's processing power. In CPU-bound workloads like 3D rendering or video encoding, the situation reverses, and the GPU becomes less relevant.

The Passmark GPU compute score of 2157 highlights the GPU's limited computational throughput relative to modern standards. When compared to the CPU's Passmark multithread score of 35912, it is evident that for tasks like physics simulation or certain compute shaders, the CPU could potentially outperform the GPU. This imbalance suggests that the system will excel at tasks that rely on the CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads, such as software development, data analysis, and office productivity, while struggling with high-resolution gaming or GPU-accelerated rendering. The FPS scaling in games will be flat regardless of resolution changes, as the GPU will remain the limiting factor even at lower resolutions where the CPU could theoretically push higher frame rates.

Benchmark Performance

The combined performance picture is defined by the delta between the two components. The CPU's Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 12770 and single-core score of 1802 place it well above average for productivity tasks. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 5433, however, places it in a category closer to older entry-level discrete graphics cards. The combined percentile for this build is 65, which reflects the CPU's high standing tempered by the GPU's modest performance.

In the GPU benchmark suite, the Arc A310 shows strong results in API-agnostic tests. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 30607 and Vulkan score of 28964 demonstrate respectable raw compute. However, its Passmark DirectX scores are notably low, with DirectX 12 at 29 and DirectX 11 at 33. These low DirectX scores suggest that the GPU may not be well-optimized for legacy or current game APIs, potentially leading to inconsistent performance in real-world gaming scenarios. The GPU's average benchmark score of 7550 places it at the 40th percentile, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon R7 250, which scores 7557 (a 0.1% difference), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, which scores 7472 (a 1% difference in favor of the Arc). This proximity to older and lower-tier cards defines its performance class.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS rows exist for this exact combination — the FACT PACK contains no measuredFps data. All frame rate discussions below are therefore estimates based on the GPU's benchmark scores and its position relative to known gaming cards. The data suggests that the Arc A310 will deliver playable frame rates only at 1080p with low to medium settings in most modern titles. Its 4 GB GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus with 124.0 GB/s bandwidth is a significant limitation for high-resolution textures and modern game engines.

Given its Passmark DirectX 12 score of 29, which is low even for its class, gamers should expect frame rates that are below the 60 FPS threshold in demanding AAA titles at 1080p ultra settings. The GPU is better suited for esports titles and older games where its 2.688 TFLOPS of FP32 performance can keep up with the graphical demands. The i9-12900F will not be the limiting factor in any gaming scenario; instead, the Arc A310 will cap performance. For example, in a game where a higher-end GPU might achieve 100 FPS, this pairing would likely achieve less than half of that, with the CPU remaining underutilized. The 16 GB of combined system memory bandwidth from the CPU does not help the GPU's memory bottleneck, as the GPU has its own dedicated but narrow memory interface.

Who Should Build It

This build targets users who prioritize CPU-intensive workloads over gaming or GPU-accelerated tasks. Content creators who work primarily with CPU-based rendering, such as software developers compiling large codebases or video editors using CPU-accelerated encoding, will find the i9-12900F's 24 threads and 30405 Cinebench R23 multi-core score highly beneficial. Students and small business workstations that run data analysis, virtualization, or heavy multitasking will see excellent responsiveness in everyday applications, as the CPU's 4017 Passmark single-thread score ensures snappy interface interaction.

The target user is not a gamer at 1440p or 4K resolution, as the GPU cannot support those resolutions with playable frame rates in modern titles. Instead, this is a system for professionals who need a high-core-count CPU and only require basic display output or light 2D acceleration. The GPU's 4x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs allow for multi-monitor productivity setups without needing a discrete graphics card upgrade for office work. For users in this category, the pairing offers a balanced cost structure where the CPU does the heavy lifting and the GPU simply provides a display signal.

FAQ

Q: What is the Intel Core i9-12900F's performance percentile?

A: The CPU is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47176.

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

A: The Intel Arc A310 has an average score of 7550, which is 1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650's score of 7472, but 0.1% lower than the AMD Radeon R7 250's score of 7557.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900F has a boost clock of 5.10 GHz and a base clock of 2.40 GHz.

Q: What memory types does the CPU support?

A: The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a total memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s.

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

A: The Intel Arc A310 has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 124.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the combined percentile for this build?

A: The combined percentile for this CPU and GPU pairing is 65.

Q: What are the CPU's Cinebench R23 scores?

A: The CPU scores 30405 points in multi-core and 4292 points in single-core tests in Cinebench R23.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The build is based on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, which supports the Alder Lake architecture. The CPU provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes, ensuring compatibility with the latest high-speed storage and graphics cards. The memory controller supports both DDR4 and DDR5, giving builders flexibility in choosing memory modules based on availability and cost. The CPU has a TDP of 65 watts, which is modest for a 16-core processor, indicating that the platform does not require an excessive cooling solution or a high-wattage power supply.

The GPU has a TDP of 30 watts and requires no external power connectors, with the suggested PSU rating being 200 watts. This leaves substantial headroom for a future GPU upgrade. The most sensible next upgrade for this system would be to replace the Arc A310 with a more powerful graphics card, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a GPU that performs several times better. For example, a user could upgrade to a mid-range or high-end GPU without needing to change the CPU or power supply, as the 65-watt CPU TDP leaves a large portion of a typical 500-600 watt PSU's capacity available for a new graphics card. The PCIe Gen 5 x16 slot ensures that any current or near-future GPU will not be bandwidth-limited.

Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build that pairs a high-end 16-core CPU with an entry-level low-profile GPU. The Intel Core i9-12900F is a flagship-tier processor for productivity, while the Intel Arc A310 is an end-of-life, single-slot graphics card aimed at basic display and light acceleration. The overall tier of the build, based on the combined percentile of 65, places it in the upper-midrange of all systems. However, this percentile is heavily weighted by the CPU's 89th percentile ranking.

The build is characterized by extreme asymmetry. It can handle the most demanding CPU workloads, such as 3D rendering in Cinebench R23 with a score of 30405, but it will struggle with GPU-accelerated tasks like modern gaming or video encoding using NVENC-like hardware. The Arc A310's predecessor is Xe Graphics and its successor is Battlemage, indicating that Intel is evolving its discrete GPU lineup, but this particular model is firmly an entry-level product. For users who need a powerful processor and only require a basic graphics output, this build offers a coherent solution; for any graphics-intensive use, the GPU would need to be replaced.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: This scenario is not viable with the Arc A310. The GPU's low Passmark DirectX 12 score of 29 and 4 GB memory limit will cap frame rates well below the 144 Hz or 240 Hz targets that high-refresh monitors demand. The CPU could handle high frame rates, but the GPU cannot deliver them.
Streaming: The CPU's 24 threads can handle software encoding for streaming without impacting game performance, provided the game is not too graphics-intensive. The i9-12900F's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30405 ensures that the encoding workload will be easily managed, but the overall stream quality will be limited by the GPU's rendering output.
Video editing: The CPU excels in this role. The 30405 multi-core score in Cinebench R23 and the Passmark data compression score of 451402 indicate fast timeline scrubbing and export times for CPU-based codecs. The GPU will accelerate some effects, but its low compute score of 2157 in Passmark GPU compute means it will not provide significant acceleration.
3D rendering: This is a strong CPU workload. The i9-12900F's 16 cores and 24 threads will render scenes efficiently in CPU-based renderers like V-Ray or Cycles. The GPU's 2.688 TFLOPS FP32 performance is insufficient for GPU-accelerated rendering, so users will rely entirely on the CPU.
Software development: The CPU is ideal for developers. The 129504 Passmark integer math score and high multithread scores allow for fast compilation of large codebases and efficient running of multiple virtual machines. The GPU is adequate for displaying code and running basic GUI environments.
Student and office work: This build is overkill for typical office tasks like word processing and spreadsheets, but it will never feel slow. The CPU's 4017 Passmark single-thread score ensures instant application launches, and the GPU's 625 Passmark G2D score is sufficient for 2D desktop acceleration and multi-monitor setups.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A310 is a low-power graphics card built on the Xe-HPG architecture, manufactured on a 6 nm process by TSMC. It features the DG2-128 chip with 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die. The GPU has 768 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation units. It includes 6 ray tracing cores, though its overall performance is limited by its small memory interface and low power budget.

The card has a base and boost clock of 1750 MHz, with memory clocked at 1937 MHz, resulting in 15.5 Gbps effective data rate. It is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing 124.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is a significant bottleneck, as modern games require more bandwidth and capacity for high-resolution textures. The GPU's pixel rate is 28.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 56.00 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 2.688 TFLOPS, which is modest for a discrete GPU.

In benchmark tests, the GPU scores 30607 in Geekbench OpenCL and 28964 in Vulkan, showing that its compute capabilities are not terrible for its class. However, its Passmark DirectX 12 score of 29 is alarmingly low, indicating poor optimization or driver maturity for gaming workloads. The GPU's G3D score of 5433 places it at the 40th percentile, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon R7 250. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and it has 4x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, but its end-of-life status suggests that driver updates may be limited. The data indicates that this GPU is suited for basic display tasks, light photo editing, and older or less demanding games, but it will not provide a satisfying experience for modern gaming at high settings.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900F + Intel Arc A310

Power Build

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i9-12900F

Intel Arc A310

Market Position

Game Performance Benchmarks

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

Performance Insights

Strong Performance

Performance Tiers Explained

Ultimate

High-End

Mid-Range

Entry Level

Legacy

CPU Analysis

Balance and Bottleneck

Benchmark Performance

Gaming Performance

Who Should Build It

FAQ

Upgrade Path and Platform

Build Overview

Usage Scenarios

GPU Analysis

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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