SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900K + Intel Arc A380

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

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
93%
VS
GPU
86%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core i9-12900K

42,335 Benchmark Score
Top 7% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc A380

8,558 Benchmark Score
Top 14% 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

# Balance and Bottleneck

The Intel Core i9-12900K paired with the Intel Arc A380 presents one of the most pronounced CPU-to-GPU imbalances in the current benchmark database. The processor sits at the 88th percentile among all CPUs, while the graphics card rests at the 44th percentile among all GPUs. This 44-percentage-point gap defines the system's character: the CPU is capable of feeding far more graphics horsepower than the A380 can consume.

Benchmark results illustrate this asymmetry clearly. The i9-12900K's multi-threaded 3DMark score reaches 11,620 at max threads, while its single-thread score of 1,073 indicates strong per-core performance. The A380, by contrast, produces a PassMark G3D score of 6,252 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 808. In any graphics-limited workload, the GPU will be the constraint. The CPU will sit partially idle, waiting for the A380 to finish frame rendering.

The bottleneck shifts depending on workload type. In lightly-threaded tasks such as gaming at lower resolutions, the CPU's single-thread strength (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,004.5) is more than adequate, and the GPU becomes the sole limiting factor. In heavily-threaded productivity tasks like video encoding or 3D rendering, the CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,125) can still be saturated, but the GPU's compute capabilities (PassMark GPU compute score of 2,762) will lag behind. The practical result is that this build is CPU-bound in every meaningful scenario, with the A380 acting as the ceiling for frame rates and graphics throughput.

FPS scaling evidence is absent from the measured data for this exact combination — no measuredFps rows exist in the FACT PACK. However, extrapolating from the benchmark scores, the A380's 44th percentile GPU ranking suggests that at 1080p with ultra settings, frame rates would be modest, while the CPU's 88th percentile ranking implies that resolution increases would not meaningfully change the CPU's utilization. The bottleneck is unambiguous: the GPU limits all graphics performance, and the CPU's headroom remains largely untapped.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core i9-12900K uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform, built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node from Intel. The platform supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, with a measured memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. ECC memory is supported, which broadens the platform's appeal for workstation tasks where data integrity is critical. PCIe connectivity is provided via Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, offering ample bandwidth for modern storage and expansion cards.

The CPU's TDP is 125 W, and the A380's TDP is 75 W. The suggested PSU for the GPU is 250 W, which is remarkably low for a desktop system. This means the platform has substantial PSU headroom. A system powered by a modest 250 W PSU could drive the A380, but the i9-12900K's 125 W TDP plus the rest of the system would exceed that threshold. A sensible PSU selection would account for the CPU's draw, but the data indicates that no high-capacity unit is necessary. The A380 uses a single 8-pin power connector and occupies a dual-slot width, measuring 222 mm in length, 114 mm in height, and 42 mm in width.

A sensible next upgrade path would involve replacing the A380 with a more powerful GPU. The CPU's 88th percentile ranking and 16 cores with 24 threads indicate it has years of useful life remaining for gaming and productivity. The platform's support for both DDR4 and DDR5 gives builders flexibility, though the memory bandwidth figure of 76.8 GB/s applies regardless of memory type. The PCIe Gen 5 x16 slot from the CPU ensures that any modern GPU will not be bandwidth-constrained. The i9-12900K's unlocked multiplier allows overclocking, and its production status is Active, meaning availability and driver support continue. The A380, by contrast, is End-of-life with a successor named Battlemage, so users should expect no further performance optimizations for this GPU.

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i9-12900K is a 16-core, 24-thread desktop processor from the Core 12th Gen series, built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The cache hierarchy consists of 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The die size is 215 mm², and the CPU was released on November 3, 2021, with a launch MSRP of $599.

Benchmark scores place this CPU in the upper echelon of processors. The average benchmark score is 42,335, which places it at the 88th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i9-12950HX (avg score 42,487, delta -0.4%), the AMD Ryzen 5 7400 (avg score 42,055, delta 0.7%), the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS (avg score 41,963, delta 0.9%), and the Intel Core i7-14700T (avg score 41,914, delta 1.0%). The i9-12900K sits within 1.4% of all four rivals, indicating that performance is tightly clustered in this segment.

Synthetic benchmarks reveal the CPU's strengths. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score of 26,125 and single-core score of 2,004.5 demonstrate balanced performance across thread counts. The 3DMark test suite shows scaling from 2,120 at 2 threads to 11,620 at max threads, a 5.5x improvement that indicates good multi-threading efficiency. Geekbench scores of 16,378 multi-core and 2,193 single-core corroborate this picture. PassMark integer math reaches 139,090, floating-point math hits 105,471, and extended instructions score 33,682 — all strong figures for productivity workloads. Data compression scores 537,341, and data encryption scores 29,579, showing capability in storage and security tasks.

For real workloads, these numbers translate to fast compilation times, smooth video editing, and responsive multitasking. The 24 threads handle heavily parallel tasks like 3D rendering (Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 4,057) with ease, while the high single-thread score ensures snappy application launches and good gaming performance in CPU-bound scenarios. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,136 is particularly notable, placing it among the faster desktop CPUs for legacy single-threaded applications.

# Who Should Build It

This build targets users who prioritize CPU performance above all else and are willing to accept modest graphics capability. The i9-12900K's 88th percentile CPU ranking makes it suitable for content creators who work with video editing, 3D rendering, and software compilation — tasks that leverage the 16 cores and 24 threads. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,125 indicates strong rendering throughput, and the PassMark multi-thread score of 41,213 confirms this.

Gamers at 1080p resolution with medium-to-low settings could find this build acceptable, but the A380's 44th percentile GPU ranking means high-refresh gaming at ultra settings is out of reach. For competitive esports titles that are CPU-bound, the i9-12900K's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,004.5) would deliver high frame rates, but the GPU would still cap maximum FPS.

Software developers benefit from the CPU's 24 threads for parallel builds and the 30 MB L3 cache for frequently accessed data. Students and small business workstations that run office applications, spreadsheets, and database queries would find the CPU's PassMark data compression score of 537,341 and integer math score of 139,090 more than sufficient. The platform's ECC memory support adds reliability for data-sensitive workloads.

The combined percentile of 66 for this CPU+GPU pairing suggests it is a mid-tier build overall, but the CPU's 88th percentile means the processor will not be the limiting factor in any workload. Users who plan to upgrade the GPU later would find this a solid foundation.

# Benchmark Performance

The Intel Core i9-12900K delivers strong benchmark results across all tested suites. Its average benchmark score of 42,335 places it at the 88th percentile of all CPUs. In 3DMark, the CPU scores 9,912 at 16 threads, 2,120 at 2 threads, 4,145 at 4 threads, 7,596 at 8 threads, 11,620 at max threads, and 1,073 in single-thread. These scores show consistent scaling from 2 to 16 threads, with diminishing returns beyond 8 threads.

Cinebench results are equally robust. The R15 multi-core score is 4,057, and single-core is 289. The R20 multi-core score is 14,679, and single-core is 2,072. The R23 multi-core score is 26,125, and single-core is 2,004.5. Geekbench reports 16,378 multi-core and 2,193 single-core. PassMark tests show multi-thread performance of 41,213, single-thread of 4,136, physics of 2,219, floating-point math of 105,471, integer math of 139,090, and extended instructions of 33,682.

The Intel Arc A380's benchmark results are more modest. Its average benchmark score is 8,558, placing it at the 44th percentile of all GPUs. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 808. Geekbench OpenCL scores 38,224, and Vulkan scores 36,736. PassMark tests show G3D of 6,252, G2D of 610, DirectX 9 of 73, DirectX 10 of 37, DirectX 11 of 38, DirectX 12 of 35, and GPU compute of 2,762.

The combined picture is a system with exceptional CPU performance and entry-level GPU performance. The CPU's nearest rivals are all within 1.4% of its average score, confirming it is competitive with modern mid-range and high-end processors. The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W5170M (delta -0.4%), AMD Radeon HD 8870M (delta 1.1%), NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (delta 1.2%), and AMD Radeon 880M (delta 1.4%), all of which are older or lower-tier parts. The GPU's 44th percentile ranking indicates it is in the bottom half of all GPUs, making it unsuitable for demanding graphics workloads.

# FAQ

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

A: The combined percentile is 66, indicating a mid-tier desktop build overall, despite the CPU's 88th percentile ranking and the GPU's 44th percentile ranking.

Q: Does the Intel Core i9-12900K support overclocking?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked, allowing users to adjust clock speeds beyond the 5.20 GHz boost clock.

Q: What memory types does the i9-12900K support?

A: The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. ECC memory is also supported.

Q: Is the Intel Arc A380 still in production?

A: No, the A380 is End-of-life, with a successor named Battlemage. Its production status is listed as End-of-life.

Q: What is the suggested PSU wattage for the Arc A380?

A: The suggested PSU is 250 W, and the GPU itself has a TDP of 75 W with a single 8-pin power connector.

Q: How does the i9-12900K compare to the AMD Ryzen 5 7400?

A: The i9-12900K has an average benchmark score of 42,335, which is 0.7% higher than the Ryzen 5 7400's average score of 42,055.

Q: What PCIe interface does the Arc A380 use?

A: The GPU uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface, while the CPU provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

# Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU+GPU combination — the FACT PACK contains no measuredFps rows. All frame rate discussion is therefore estimated from the benchmark scores and should be treated as approximate.

The Intel Arc A380's PassMark G3D score of 6,252 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 808 place it in the entry-level graphics category. Its 44th percentile GPU ranking suggests that at 1080p resolution with ultra settings, most modern games would run at playable but not high frame rates — likely in the 30-50 FPS range for demanding titles. At 1440p or 4K, performance would drop significantly, and ultra settings would likely be unplayable.

The CPU's 88th percentile ranking means it would not be the limiting factor in any gaming scenario. The i9-12900K's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,004.5) is more than sufficient for game logic and physics calculations. In CPU-bound games like esports titles, the CPU could push very high frame rates, but the A380's GPU performance would cap the actual output.

The A380's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p gaming but may struggle with high-resolution textures. The GPU's 8 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) provide modern API compatibility, but the 4.198 TFLOPS FP32 performance limits the practical use of ray tracing. Gamers should expect to lower settings to medium or high for smooth gameplay at 1080p.

# Build Overview

This is a desktop build pairing the Intel Core i9-12900K CPU with the Intel Arc A380 GPU. The CPU is a high-end 16-core, 24-thread processor from the Core 12th Gen series, built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process. The GPU is an entry-level Alchemist (Arc 3) part from Intel, built on the Xe-HPG architecture with a 6 nm TSMC process.

The overall tier of this build, based on the combined percentile of 66, is mid-range. However, this single number masks the extreme disparity between components. The CPU's 88th percentile ranking makes it a top-tier processor, while the GPU's 44th percentile ranking places it in the bottom half of all graphics cards. This is a CPU-centric build where the processor is the star and the GPU is a placeholder for future upgrades.

The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, ECC memory, and PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes, making the platform future-proof. The GPU supports PCIe 4.0 x8, DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, with display outputs of 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0. The GPU is End-of-life, so no further driver optimizations are expected. The CPU is Active, meaning continued support and availability.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: This build is not suitable for high-refresh gaming at ultra settings. The A380's 44th percentile ranking and PassMark G3D score of 6,252 limit frame rates, though the CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 score of 2,004.5) would allow high FPS in less demanding esports titles if settings are lowered.

Streaming: The i9-12900K's 24 threads and PassMark multi-thread score of 41,213 can handle game capture and encoding simultaneously. However, the A380's modest GPU performance means games would need to run at low settings to free up headroom for streaming software.

Video editing: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,125 and PassMark floating-point math score of 105,471 make this a strong video editing machine. The A380's 4.198 TFLOPS FP32 performance is less relevant for timeline editing but could accelerate some effects. The 30 MB L3 cache helps with large media files.

3D rendering: Rendering workloads are CPU-bound, and the i9-12900K's 16 cores and 24 threads (Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 4,057) excel here. The A380's GPU compute score of 2,762 is low, so GPU-accelerated rendering would be slow.

Software development: The CPU's 24 threads and PassMark integer math score of 139,090 speed up compilation. The 30 MB L3 cache and DDR4/DDR5 memory support (76.8 GB/s bandwidth) benefit large codebases. The A380 is sufficient for basic GUI rendering but not for graphics development.

Student and office work: Office applications, web browsing, and productivity suites run easily on the CPU's single-thread performance (PassMark single-thread score of 4,136). The A380's 6 GB VRAM is more than enough for 2D applications and multi-monitor setups via its 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0 outputs.

# GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A380 is built on the Xe-HPG architecture with the DG2-128 chip, manufactured by TSMC on a 6 nm process. It contains 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 45.9 million per mm². The GPU has 1,024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. It features 8 ray tracing cores, though the tensor core count is not listed in the data.

Memory configuration consists of 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 186.0 GB/s. The memory clock is 1,937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective). The GPU base clock is 2,000 MHz with a boost clock of 2,050 MHz. Pixel rate is 65.60 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 131.2 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 4.198 TFLOPS, and FP16 performance is 8.397 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio).

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its entry-level positioning. The average benchmark score of 8,558 places it at the 44th percentile of all GPUs. In PassMark tests, DirectX 9 scores 73, DirectX 10 scores 37, DirectX 11 scores 38, and DirectX 12 scores 35 — all low figures. The G3D score of 6,252 and G2D score of 610 are modest. Geekbench OpenCL scores 38,224, and Vulkan scores 36,736. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 808 is the lowest in the GPU's benchmark set.

For rendering workloads, the A380's 8 ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) provide modern feature compatibility, but the low FP32 throughput limits practical ray tracing performance. The GPU's 75 W TDP and suggested 250 W PSU make it energy-efficient, and its 222 mm length fits in most cases. The dual-slot width and single 8-pin power connector are standard. The GPU is End-of-life, with Battlemage as its successor, so users should not expect future performance improvements from driver updates. The nearest rivals — AMD FirePro W5170M, AMD Radeon HD 8870M, NVIDIA GeForce MX330, and AMD Radeon 880M — are all within 1.4% of the A380's average score, confirming that this GPU competes with mobile and older desktop parts rather than modern gaming cards.