SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

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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94 Score

Top 6% Ranking

94 / 100

ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 6% 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

96%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i9-12900K

42,335 Benchmark Score

Top 7% Market Ranking

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GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

41,187 Benchmark Score

Top 4% 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

# Intel Core i9-12900K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti: Benchmark Analysis

This pairing combines Intel's 16-core Alder Lake flagship with NVIDIA's Ampere-based RTX 3080 Ti, creating a desktop configuration that sits at the 86th percentile overall among all builds. The CPU delivers an average benchmark score of 42335 (88th percentile among all CPUs), while the GPU posts an average score of 41187 (83rd percentile among all GPUs). No measured frame-rate data exists for this exact combination, so all gaming performance discussion is estimated from the component benchmark scores rather than direct testing.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The RTX 3080 Ti's PassMark G3D score of 26896 places it well above the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, indicating it can drive demanding titles at high refresh rates. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 1073 and 4-thread score of 4145 provide the per-core throughput needed to feed the GPU in esports and competitive titles, where frame pacing depends heavily on single-thread responsiveness.

Streaming: With 16 cores and 24 threads, the i9-12900K handles simultaneous game rendering and video encoding without starving either workload. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 41213 and 3DMark max-threads score of 11620 show substantial parallel headroom, while the GPU's tensor cores and RT cores can offload encoding tasks if the streaming software supports hardware acceleration.

Video editing: Cinebench R23 multicore score of 26125 and Geekbench multicore score of 16378 reflect strong multi-threaded performance for timeline rendering and export operations. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory with 912.4 GB/s bandwidth accelerates effects processing and preview rendering, while the CPU's 30 MB shared L3 cache reduces memory latency during scrubbing and multi-track editing.

3D rendering: The CPU's Cinebench R20 multicore score of 14679 and R15 multicore score of 4057 indicate robust CPU-based rendering capability for viewport and final-frame work. The GPU's FP32 throughput of 34.10 TFLOPS and 80 RT cores provide hardware-accelerated ray tracing and CUDA-accelerated rendering for GPU-based engines, making this configuration viable for both CPU and GPU render pipelines.

Software development: The CPU's PassMark data compression score of 537341 and data encryption score of 29579 show strong throughput for build servers and code compilation tasks. The 24-thread configuration handles parallel compilation efficiently, while the 3DMark 16-thread score of 9912 indicates consistent scaling across moderately parallel workloads typical of test suites and static analysis tools.

Student and office work: The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4136 and Geekbench singlecore score of 2193 provide responsive performance for everyday productivity applications. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 offers a fallback display output, though the discrete GPU will handle all graphics-intensive tasks. The 125 W TDP and 750 W suggested PSU leave ample headroom for typical office workloads that rarely stress either component.

GPU Analysis

The RTX 3080 Ti is built on the GA102 chip using Samsung's 8 nm process, with 28,300 million transistors packed into a 628 mm² die. The memory subsystem consists of 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, delivering 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth — a figure that supports 4K texture streaming and high-resolution asset loading without bottlenecking the shader array. The GPU's 10240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output pipelines provide balanced throughput for traditional rasterization.

Clock behavior shows a base of 1365 MHz and boost of 1665 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). These clocks produce a pixel rate of 186.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 532.8 GTexel/s, which translate to strong fill-rate performance in geometry-heavy scenes. The FP32 and FP16 throughput are both rated at 34.10 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), meaning the GPU does not sacrifice half-precision performance — relevant for machine learning inference and certain rendering techniques that benefit from FP16 math.

The 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are the dedicated hardware for ray-traced effects and DLSS-style upscaling. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the GPU scores 5077, reflecting its DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) capability. The PassMark DirectX 12 score of 110 and DirectX 11 score of 223 indicate the GPU handles both API generations well, though the relative scores suggest DX12 titles may not extract the full potential if driver or engine overhead limits parallelism. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 170037 and Vulkan score of 192697 show strong compute and cross-API performance for general-purpose GPU workloads.

The GPU's PassMark G2D score of 1091 is modest, indicating this is not a card optimized for 2D desktop acceleration — its strengths lie in 3D rendering and compute. The PassMark GPU compute score of 15282 confirms substantial compute throughput beyond graphics. With a 350 W TDP and dual-slot cooler, this GPU demands serious power delivery and chassis airflow, reinforced by the 750 W suggested PSU rating.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU's average benchmark score of 42335 places it at the 88th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-12950HX at 42487 (0.4% higher), while the AMD Ryzen 5 7400 trails by 0.7% at 42055. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS sits 0.9% behind at 41963, and the Intel Core i7-14700T is 1% lower at 41914. These small deltaPct values indicate the i9-12900K sits in a tightly contested performance band where thermal headroom and motherboard power delivery may matter more than raw silicon capability.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 41187 places it at the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, AMD Radeon Pro 5300, scores 40870 (0.8% lower), while the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB is 1.2% higher at 41707 and the Tesla M40 is 1.7% higher at 41897. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 trails by 2% at 40377. This clustering shows the RTX 3080 Ti remains competitive with both workstation and newer consumer cards despite being end-of-life.

Combined, the CPU and GPU produce a build at the 86th percentile overall. The CPU's 88th percentile is slightly higher than the GPU's 83rd percentile, suggesting the processor has marginally more headroom relative to its peers than the graphics card does. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2120 and 8-thread score of 7596 show the CPU scales well from light to moderate thread counts, while the jump from 16-thread (9912) to max-thread (11620) scores indicates diminishing returns beyond 16 threads — relevant for workloads that cap thread usage.

Who Should Build It

Gamers targeting 1440p or 4K resolution with high refresh rates will find the combination of the RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB VRAM and the CPU's strong single-thread scores suitable for demanding titles. The GPU's 83rd percentile standing and CPU's 88th percentile mean neither component is likely to hold back the other in GPU-bound scenarios typical of high-resolution gaming.

Content creators working with video editing, motion graphics, or 3D rendering will benefit from the CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 26125 and the GPU's compute throughput. The 24-thread configuration handles parallel export tasks, while the GPU accelerates effects and rendering. The 12 GB VRAM capacity supports large compositing projects and multi-layer timelines.

Software developers compiling large codebases will appreciate the CPU's PassMark integer math score of 139090 and floating-point math score of 105471. The 16 cores provide parallel build capacity, and the 30 MB L3 cache reduces compilation overhead for cache-sensitive workloads. Data encryption at 29579 and random string sorting at 57094 indicate solid performance for security-focused and data-processing applications.

Students and small business users running productivity suites, web applications, and light development environments will find this configuration vastly over-provisioned, but the headroom ensures long-term usability. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 provides a backup display path if the discrete GPU is disabled or under maintenance. The dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 offers flexibility in platform memory selection.

Balance and Bottleneck

The CPU's 88th percentile versus the GPU's 83rd percentile suggests the graphics card is the more likely bottleneck in most gaming and GPU-accelerated workloads. The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 9912 and max-thread score of 11620 demonstrate ample multi-threaded capacity, meaning CPU-bound scenarios would require extremely high thread counts or unusual workloads to saturate the processor before the GPU.

In gaming, the RTX 3080 Ti's 83rd percentile is the limiting factor at 4K resolution, where GPU compute and VRAM bandwidth determine frame rates. The CPU's single-thread score of 1073 in 3DMark and PassMark single-thread score of 4136 provide sufficient per-core performance for most game engines, but at lower resolutions (1080p or 720p), the CPU could become the constraint if frame rates exceed the GPU's output capacity.

For productivity workloads, the CPU is the primary compute engine. Cinebench R23 multicore score of 26125 and Geekbench multicore score of 16378 indicate strong parallel performance, but the GPU's compute capabilities (OpenCL score of 170037) can offload certain tasks. In mixed workloads that use both CPU and GPU simultaneously, the balance is workload-dependent — CPU-heavy tasks like code compilation will stress the processor, while GPU-heavy tasks like rendering will stress the graphics card.

The 125 W CPU TDP and 350 W GPU TDP create a combined thermal load that requires robust cooling and a quality power supply. The 750 W suggested PSU rating provides headroom, but the 12-pin GPU power connector means builders need an appropriate adapter or PSU cable. Memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s for the CPU and 912.4 GB/s for the GPU means data transfer between system memory and VRAM is not a bottleneck, but system memory speed selection (DDR4 vs DDR5) can affect CPU performance.

FAQ

Q: Does this build support ray tracing?

A: Yes. The RTX 3080 Ti includes 80 RT cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which enables hardware-accelerated ray tracing in supported games and applications.

Q: What is the CPU's core and thread configuration?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900K has 16 cores and 24 threads, based on the Alder Lake architecture on Intel's 10 nm process.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have and what type?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 912.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Q: What memory types does the CPU support?

A: The i9-12900K supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with a dual-channel memory bus and 76.8 GB/s memory bandwidth.

Q: What is the GPU's power requirement?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has a 350 W TDP and requires a 750 W power supply, with a 1x 12-pin power connector.

Q: What is the CPU's socket type and PCIe support?

A: The i9-12900K uses Intel Socket 1700 and provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i9-12900K scores 42335 average, which is 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i9-12950HX (42487) and 0.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7400 (42055).

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 (Alder Lake-S) using Intel's 10 nm process. The die size is 215 mm², and the CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth. ECC memory is supported, making this processor viable for workstation use where data integrity is critical.

Clock speeds range from a 3.20 GHz base to a 5.20 GHz boost, with an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 provides basic display output and hardware acceleration for media playback, though the discrete GPU handles all demanding graphics work.

Benchmark results show strong scaling from single-thread to multi-thread workloads. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1073 and 2-thread score of 2120 indicate excellent per-core performance, while the 4-thread score of 4145 and 8-thread score of 7596 demonstrate efficient scaling. The 16-thread score of 9912 and max-thread score of 11620 show diminishing returns beyond 16 threads, consistent with the 24-thread configuration where hyperthreading provides limited additional throughput for most workloads.

Cinebench results reinforce this pattern: R15 single-core score of 289 and multicore score of 4057, R20 single-core score of 2072 and multicore score of 14679, and R23 single-core score of 2004.5 and multicore score of 26125. The multicore-to-singlecore ratios (approximately 14x for R15, 7x for R20, and 13x for R23) indicate the CPU scales well with thread count, though the exact ratio varies by benchmark methodology.

PassMark scores provide additional perspective: multithread score of 41213, single-thread score of 4136, integer math of 139090, floating-point math of 105471, extended instructions of 33682, data compression of 537341, data encryption of 29579, physics of 2219, and random string sorting of 57094. The find prime numbers score of 147 is low relative to other math operations, suggesting the CPU's integer and floating-point pipelines handle different workload types with varying efficiency.

Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build (buildClass: "desktop") combining the Intel Core i9-12900K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The CPU is from the Core 12th Gen series (Alder Lake-S architecture, Intel 10 nm process), while the GPU is from the GeForce 30-series (Ampere architecture, Samsung 8 nm process). Both components target the high-end desktop market, with the CPU at the 88th percentile of all CPUs and the GPU at the 83rd percentile of all GPUs.

The combined build sits at the 86th percentile overall, indicating this is a high-performance configuration that outperforms the majority of systems in the benchmark database. The CPU's launch MSRP was $599, and the GPU's launch MSRP was 1,199 USD. The CPU was released in November 2021 and remains active in production, while the GPU was released in May 2021 and is now end-of-life, with the GeForce 40 series as its successor.

This pairing represents a balanced high-end desktop configuration from the Alder Lake and Ampere generation. The CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads provide substantial multi-threaded compute, while the GPU's 10240 shading units and 12 GB VRAM deliver high-resolution gaming and compute performance. The system is suitable for gaming, content creation, and professional workloads that benefit from both strong CPU and GPU throughput.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU+GPU combination in the benchmark database. All frame-rate figures below are estimates derived from the component benchmark scores and should be treated as approximations rather than measured results.

Based on the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 26896 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077, this configuration is expected to deliver high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p resolutions in most modern titles. At 4K resolution, the RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB GDDR6X memory and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth should support high-quality settings, though frame rates may drop below 60 FPS in the most demanding games without DLSS or other upscaling techniques.

The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 1073 and PassMark single-thread score of 4136 suggest sufficient per-core performance for game engines that rely on a few heavily-threaded tasks. In CPU-bound scenarios at lower resolutions or with reduced graphics settings, the i9-12900K's 16 cores may not all be utilized, but the high single-thread performance should prevent the CPU from becoming a significant bottleneck.

For competitive titles (esports shooters and MOBAs), the combination of the CPU's strong single-thread scores and the GPU's high fill rates should support refresh rates above 144 Hz at 1080p. For AAA single-player titles with ray tracing enabled, the GPU's 80 RT cores provide dedicated hardware acceleration, but the estimated frame rate impact depends on the specific game engine and DLSS implementation. The GPU's tensor cores (320) enable DLSS, which can substantially improve frame rates in supported titles by rendering at lower internal resolutions and upscaling.

At 1440p, the most common high-refresh gaming resolution, this build should handle most titles at high to ultra settings with frame rates between 100 and 144 FPS, depending on the game's optimization and the CPU's ability to feed the GPU. At 4K, expect 60 to 100 FPS in well-optimized titles with some adjustments to settings or DLSS enabled. These estimates assume adequate cooling and power delivery, as the 350 W GPU TDP and 125 W CPU TDP require a quality 750 W power supply.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core i9-12900K uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform, which supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus. The CPU provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes, enabling high-bandwidth connectivity for modern GPUs and NVMe storage. The platform's ECC memory support adds reliability for workstation use, though ECC DDR5 modules are less common than non-ECC variants.

The GPU uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface, which is backward-compatible with the CPU's PCIe Gen 5 slots. The RTX 3080 Ti is end-of-life, with the GeForce 40 series as its successor. A sensible next upgrade would involve moving to a newer GPU generation when available, though the current card's 83rd percentile standing means it remains competitive for several more years.

The CPU's 125 W TDP and the GPU's 350 W TDP combine for a total thermal load of 475 W, requiring a 750 W PSU as suggested. The GPU uses a 1x 12-pin power connector, which may require an adapter depending on the power supply's native cable configuration. The dual-slot GPU cooler and 285 mm length require a case with adequate clearance and airflow.

For CPU upgrades, the Socket 1700 platform supports Intel's 12th Gen (Alder Lake) and later generations, though the exact compatibility depends on motherboard BIOS and chipset. The 16-core/24-thread configuration already provides strong multi-threaded performance, so a CPU upgrade would need to target a higher core count or newer architecture to yield meaningful gains. The DDR4/DDR5 memory support means builders can choose between existing DDR4 modules or newer DDR5 kits, though the memory bandwidth (76.8 GB/s) is a platform-level constraint rather than a per-memory-type limit.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i9-12900K

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

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

Usage Scenarios

GPU Analysis

Benchmark Performance

Who Should Build It

Balance and Bottleneck

FAQ

CPU Analysis

Build Overview

Gaming Performance

Upgrade Path and Platform

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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