SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900H + Intel Arc A350M

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

Build Configuration

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PROCESSOR (CPU)

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GRAPHICS CARD (GPU)

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90 Score

Top 10% Ranking

90 / 100

ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 10% 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%

GPU

92%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i9-12900H

28,003 Benchmark Score

Top 12% Market Ranking

View Full Specs →

GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc A350M

24,647 Benchmark Score

Top 8% 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 i9-12900H and Intel Arc A350M represent a specific, somewhat contradictory pairing found in a laptop. The CPU is a high-end, 14-core Alder Lake-H mobile processor designed to deliver desktop-class multi-threaded performance, while the GPU is an entry-level Alchemist part intended for casual gaming and light creative work. This analysis examines the benchmark data, architectural details, and performance implications for a user deciding whether this combination fits their needs.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i9-12900H is built on the Alder Lake architecture, specifically the Alder Lake-H mobile variant, using Intel's 10 nm process node. It integrates 14 physical cores and 20 threads, a hybrid configuration that pairs high-performance P-cores with efficient E-cores to balance raw speed against power consumption. The base clock is 2.50 GHz, with a boost clock capable of reaching 5.00 GHz under load. This is a mobile part with a 45 W TDP, soldered to the motherboard via the Intel BGA 1744 socket, meaning it is not upgradeable in a traditional sense.

The cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a 24 MB shared L3 cache. This large pool of fast memory helps feed the 20 threads during intensive multi-threaded workloads. The CPU supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory, giving laptop manufacturers flexibility in memory configuration, though the specific bandwidth is not listed. It also provides PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU, enabling fast connectivity for the GPU and NVMe storage. The integrated Iris Xe 96EU graphics provides a fallback display output and basic acceleration when the discrete GPU is not in use.

Benchmark results show a processor with strong multi-threaded capabilities. In Cinebench R23, the i9-12900H scores 15946.5 points in multi-core and 1863.5 points in single-core. The multi-core figure is particularly telling; it indicates that this chip can sustain heavy all-core loads, making it suitable for video encoding, 3D rendering, and software compilation. The single-core score of 1863.5 is solid, reflecting good IPC and high boost clocks for everyday responsiveness and lightly-threaded applications.

The 3DMark CPU tests reinforce this profile. The score scales from 999 in single-thread to 6927 in max-thread, with intermediate results of 1891 for 2 threads, 3398 for 4 threads, 5074 for 8 threads, and 6457 for 16 threads. The scaling from 8 to 16 threads is 27%, which shows that the additional E-cores are contributing, but the P-cores are doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. The PassMark suite shows a high multithread score of 27340, with integer math at 93828 and floating-point math at 67940. Data compression scores 316714, and encryption hits 18548, indicating robust performance for archiving and security tasks. The find prime numbers test is a modest 107, a typical result for this type of workload.

The i9-12900H sits at the 80th percentile among all CPUs, indicating it is better than the vast majority of processors on the market. Its average benchmark score is 28003. Compared to its nearest rivals, the margin is razor-thin. It is 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G, 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE and Intel Core i5-14500T, and 0.3% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340. This places the i9-12900H in a performance tier where the differences are negligible, meaning real-world application benchmarks would likely be tied. For a laptop CPU from 2022, this is a strong showing, indicating the chip remains competitive against newer mid-range desktop and mobile processors.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU's overall average benchmark score of 28003 places it in the 80th percentile, while the GPU's average score of 24647 places it in the 70th percentile. The combined percentile for this build is 75, indicating that as a complete laptop package, it outperforms three-quarters of tested systems. The data does not include measured FPS for any game, so the performance picture must be built from these individual component scores.

The GPU benchmarks are limited to Geekbench compute tests. The Arc A350M scores 24546 in OpenCL and 24747 in Vulkan. These scores are close, suggesting consistent compute performance across different APIs. Compared to its nearest rivals, the A350M is a modest performer. It is 0.4% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 590, 0.5% slower than the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile, 0.8% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, and 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630. The RX 590 and GTX 1630 are older desktop cards, so the A350M is effectively matching them, which is a reasonable result for a low-power mobile GPU. The deltaPct values are all within 1.5%, indicating these GPUs are clustered together in raw compute performance.

The CPU's multi-threaded strength is the defining feature of this pairing. The i9-12900H's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15946.5 puts it ahead of many desktop CPUs from the same era, making it a capable workstation processor. The single-core score of 1863.5 is less remarkable but still adequate for most tasks. The combined picture is a system that can chew through CPU-bound productivity workloads with ease, but the GPU will be the limiting factor for anything graphics-intensive. A user compiling code, running simulations, or exporting video will find the CPU performs admirably, but those same users would need to accept lower graphics settings in games or slower GPU-accelerated renders.

The PassMark data compression score of 316714 and encryption score of 18548 highlight the CPU's efficiency in data-centric tasks. The extended instructions score of 18875 shows solid AVX-512 and similar instruction set performance, which benefits scientific and engineering software. These scores, combined with the 3DMark multi-thread results, paint a picture of a mobile workstation CPU trapped in a chassis with a budget GPU.

Gaming Performance

The FACT PACK contains no measured FPS data for this specific CPU and GPU combination, and the dataIsMeasured flag is false. Therefore, all frame rate discussions are estimates derived from the benchmark scores and should be treated as approximations, not guarantees. The Arc A350M's Geekbench scores place it in a performance class comparable to a desktop GTX 1630 or RX 590, based on the nearest rival data. These are entry-level GPUs, so the gaming expectations are modest.

At 1080p resolution with ultra settings, this system would likely struggle to maintain smooth frame rates in modern AAA titles. The 4 GB VRAM and 64-bit memory bus with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth are severe constraints for high-resolution textures and complex scenes. A game like Cyberpunk 2077 or Microsoft Flight Simulator would probably run at low to medium settings to achieve playable frame rates, and even then, it may dip below 30 FPS in demanding areas. Less demanding esports titles like CS:GO or League of Legends would be more comfortable, potentially hitting 60 FPS or higher at medium settings.

The CPU is not the bottleneck in gaming; the i9-12900H has more than enough single-thread and multi-thread performance to drive a discrete GPU. The bottleneck is clearly the Arc A350M. Its 3.379 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is low by modern standards, and the 6 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate are present but too weak to enable meaningful ray tracing at playable frame rates. The 14 Gbps effective memory speed on a 64-bit bus is the key limiting factor, as it restricts data throughput to the GPU cores.

For a user expecting high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p or 4K, this laptop is not suitable. The GPU would be overwhelmed. At 1080p, it is a 720p-to-1080p class component, capable of handling older titles and indie games at high settings, but requiring significant compromises for newer releases. The lack of measured data means these are educated guesses based on the GPU's performance tier, but the hardware specifications strongly support this assessment.

Who Should Build It

This CPU+GPU pairing is not a coherent gaming or content creation machine; it is a laptop with a lopsided specification sheet. The primary audience is likely a professional or student who needs substantial CPU performance for compute-heavy tasks but has a limited need for graphics acceleration. A software developer compiling large codebases, a data analyst running simulations, or a student using MATLAB or similar engineering tools would benefit from the 14-core i9-12900H. The high PassMark multithread score of 27340 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15946.5 ensure that these workloads will complete quickly.

For content creators, the picture is mixed. The CPU will handle video encoding and export in software like HandBrake or Premiere Pro with ease, but the GPU will lag in effects rendering or GPU-accelerated exports. A photographer using Lightroom or Photoshop would see decent performance for CPU-based edits, but the 4 GB GPU memory could be a limitation for large, multi-layer projects. The 70th percentile GPU ranking means it is better than most integrated graphics, but it is not a serious rendering accelerator.

Gamers should look elsewhere unless their library is dominated by older or less demanding titles. The 75th combined percentile suggests this system is above average overall, but the GPU drags down the gaming potential. Small business workstations for office productivity, accounting, or database management would be well-served by the CPU's responsiveness, and the GPU is more than enough for spreadsheets and web applications. This is a work-first laptop, with gaming as a secondary, casual activity.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The CPU is soldered to the motherboard using the Intel BGA 1744 socket, so there is no CPU upgrade path. The laptop is the system; you cannot swap the processor. The same applies to the GPU, which is a mobile part integrated into the motherboard. This is a sealed platform, so future upgrades are limited to memory and storage, assuming the laptop manufacturer provides accessible slots.

Memory support includes both DDR4 and DDR5, dual-channel, but the specific configuration depends on the motherboard design. Upgrading to the maximum supported capacity would improve multitasking and memory-intensive workloads. Storage is not specified in the data, but PCIe Gen 4 support with 20 lanes from the CPU means that a fast NVMe SSD would be the sensible next upgrade to reduce load times and improve system responsiveness. The GPU's bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x8, so it is not using the full 20 lanes, leaving headroom for other devices.

The CPU TDP is 45 W, and the GPU TDP is 25 W, totaling 70 W for the core components. The suggested PSU is not listed, but a laptop power adapter would need to supply enough wattage for these components plus the rest of the system. The data suggests this is a low-power pairing, so the thermal and power headroom is modest. There is no meaningful upgrade path for performance; the only practical improvements are adding more RAM or a larger, faster SSD.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A350M is based on the Xe-HPG architecture, codenamed Alchemist, built on a 6 nm TSMC process. The chip, DG2-128, contains 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, with a transistor density of 45.9M per mm². The GPU has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. It is equipped with 6 ray tracing cores, though tensor cores are not listed, indicating a lack of dedicated AI acceleration hardware.

Memory is a significant limitation. The A350M has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a low figure, half the bandwidth of many 128-bit GPUs. The base clock is 1150 MHz with a boost clock of 2200 MHz. The memory runs at 1750 MHz, translating to 14 Gbps effective. Pixel rate is 52.80 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 105.6 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 3.379 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 6.758 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio).

The Geekbench scores tell the story: 24546 in OpenCL and 24747 in Vulkan. These are comparable to a desktop GTX 1630 or RX 590, which are entry-level cards from previous generations. The 70th percentile ranking among all GPUs means it sits above the bottom third, but it is not a high-performance part. The 6 RT cores support ray tracing in theory, but with only 3.379 TFLOPS of compute, enabling ray tracing would likely tank frame rates to unplayable levels. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so it is feature-complete, but the hardware is too weak to exploit those features fully.

For rendering tasks, the A350M is a basic accelerator. It can handle hardware-accelerated video encoding and decoding, and it will speed up GPU-accelerated effects in some software. However, 4 GB of VRAM is a hard ceiling for larger 3D scenes or high-resolution textures. The 112.0 GB/s bandwidth will cause bottlenecks in memory-intensive renders. This GPU is best suited for light photo editing, 2D design, and casual gaming, not serious 3D rendering or heavy compute workloads.

FAQ

Q: How many cores and threads does the Intel Core i9-12900H have?

A: It has 14 cores and 20 threads, using a hybrid architecture of performance and efficiency cores.

Q: What is the boost clock speed of the CPU?

A: The CPU has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz.

Q: How much VRAM does the Intel Arc A350M have, and what is its memory bus width?

A: The GPU has 4 GB of GDDR6 VRAM on a 64-bit bus, offering 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

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

A: The i9-12900H is in the 80th percentile, meaning it outperforms 80% of all tested CPUs.

Q: Does the system have measured FPS data for games?

A: No, the FACT PACK contains no measured FPS data for this combination, so all gaming performance is estimated from benchmark scores.

Q: What is the GPU's average benchmark score, and how does it compare to a rival?

A: The Arc A350M has an average score of 24647, which is 0.4% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 590.

Q: What memory types does the CPU support?

A: The i9-12900H supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory.

Build Overview

This is a laptop-class build, as indicated by the buildClass field. It pairs the Intel Core i9-12900H, a high-end 14-core Alder Lake-H processor, with the Intel Arc A350M, an entry-level Alchemist mobile GPU. The combined percentile is 75, placing this system in the upper quartile of all tested builds. The CPU is the star, ranking in the 80th percentile, while the GPU is more modest, ranking in the 70th percentile. The overall tier is that of a mobile workstation or a high-performance productivity laptop that has been paired with a budget graphics solution.

The core mismatch is evident: the CPU is capable of heavy multi-threaded workloads, but the GPU is not. In a benchmark sense, the CPU is 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G, while the GPU is 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630. This indicates a system designed for CPU-centric tasks like development, data processing, and compilation, with the GPU providing just enough acceleration for basic graphics and light gaming. It is not a gaming laptop, nor is it a professional rendering workstation. It occupies a middle ground, excelling at compute but underperforming in graphics.

Balance and Bottleneck

The performance balance is heavily skewed toward the CPU. In multi-threaded workloads, the i9-12900H's 14 cores and 20 threads allow it to dominate, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15946.5 and a PassMark multithread score of 27340. The GPU is the clear bottleneck in any graphics-intensive task. Its 3.379 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth are insufficient to keep pace with the CPU's ability to feed it data. In gaming, the CPU can easily generate frames, but the GPU will limit the frame rate, making the system CPU-bound in the sense that the GPU cannot utilize the CPU's full potential.

The percentile data supports this. The CPU's 80th percentile is far above the GPU's 70th percentile, and the combined percentile of 75 is an average of the two. The deltaPct values for the GPU show it is clustered with much older or lower-tier cards, while the CPU is clustered with modern mid-range parts. This means that for any workload that uses the GPU, such as gaming, 3D rendering, or video effects, the GPU will be the limiting factor. For CPU-only tasks like compiling code, running spreadsheets, or using office software, the system will feel fast and responsive. The bottleneck is the GPU, and it is significant. A user would need to pair this CPU with a much stronger GPU to achieve a balanced system, but that is not possible in this laptop form factor.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900H + Intel Arc A350M

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i9-12900H

Intel Arc A350M

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

CPU Analysis

Benchmark Performance

Gaming Performance

Who Should Build It

Upgrade Path and Platform

GPU Analysis

FAQ

Build Overview

Balance and Bottleneck

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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