SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900KF + 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 i9-12900KF

42,830 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

The Intel Core i9-12900KF paired with an Intel Arc A380 is a desktop combination that presents a stark contrast in compute capability. The CPU is a high-end 16-core processor, while the GPU is an entry-level card, resulting in a system where the processor vastly outperforms the graphics solution. The data shows a CPU that ranks in the 88th percentile among all processors, while the GPU sits in the 44th percentile, creating a unique balance profile where the CPU is the dominant component in nearly every scenario.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance percentile of the Intel Core i9-12900KF?

A: The processor ranks in the 88th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42830. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-12900, which has a negligible 0.2% higher score.

Q: How does the Intel Arc A380 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 8558 places it in the 44th percentile. It is nearly identical in performance to the AMD FirePro W5170M, which is 0.4% faster, and sits just ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 8870M, which is 1.1% slower.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the Intel Arc A380?

A: The graphics card features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 186.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1937 MHz, with an effective data rate of 15.5 Gbps.

Q: What are the core and thread counts of the i9-12900KF?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900KF has 16 cores and 24 threads. It operates with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and can boost up to 5.20 GHz, based on the Alder Lake-S architecture.

Q: What is the combined performance percentile for this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The build has a combined percentile of 66, which is a measure of the overall system's performance relative to all other component pairings in the database.

Q: Does the CPU support overclocking?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked, indicating that the Intel Core i9-12900KF is designed for overclocking. This is a feature that allows users to adjust the clock multiplier to increase performance beyond the factory settings.

Q: What is the production status of the Intel Arc A380?

A: The GPU is listed as "End-of-life," with its successor being the Battlemage architecture. It was released on 2022-06-13.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The foundation of this build is the Intel Socket 1700 platform, which supports the Alder Lake architecture. The i9-12900KF uses a dual-channel memory controller that accommodates both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, giving builders flexibility in choosing memory technology and pricing. The CPU itself provides 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, which is ample for a modern graphics card and an NVMe SSD. The platform’s future upgrade path is limited, as the Socket 1700 is tied to 12th-generation processors; the most sensible CPU upgrade within this platform would be to a higher-tier Alder Lake or Raptor Lake model, though the data does not specify any specific compatible processors beyond the 12th gen.

The power delivery situation is notable due to the discrepancy between components. The CPU has a TDP of 125 W, while the GPU has a much lower TDP of 75 W and requires a 250 W suggested PSU. This means the total system power draw is modest, and a power supply with a capacity of 250 W is suggested to be sufficient for the graphics card, but the CPU’s 125 W TDP must also be factored in. A sensible next upgrade for this system would involve replacing the GPU, as the current card is the primary bottleneck. The PCIe 4.0 x8 interface on the Arc A380 means the slot bandwidth is not a limiting factor for most cards, so a more powerful GPU could be installed without needing a platform change.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data reveals a severe imbalance between the two components. The CPU demonstrates flagship-level performance, scoring 34420 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 4859 in single-core. In Geekbench, it achieves a multicore score of 18113 and a single-core score of 2361. The 3DMark tests show a progression from 2112 in the 2-thread test to 11586 in the max-thread test, highlighting the scaling of its 24 threads. Its Passmark multithread score is 40970, with a single-thread score of 4144.

In contrast, the GPU’s benchmark scores are far more modest. It scores 808 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 38224 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 36736 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its Passmark G3D score is 6252, but its compute score is lower at 2762. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 8558 is a fraction of the CPU’s 42830. The combined percentile of 66 reflects this mix, but the individual percentiles (88 for CPU, 44 for GPU) show that the CPU is performing at a level far above the GPU. The data indicates that in any workload that is not purely GPU-bound, the processor will be waiting on the graphics card to finish its work.

Usage Scenarios

For high-refresh gaming, this pairing is not well-suited. The GPU’s 44th percentile ranking and modest scores suggest it cannot push high frame rates at demanding settings, making a high-refresh monitor a wasted investment for this build. The CPU is more than capable, but the GPU will be the limiting factor in most games.

Streaming is a mixed scenario. The CPU’s strong multithreaded performance, indicated by a Cinebench R23 score of 34420, can easily handle game capture and encoding in software. However, the GPU is not powerful enough to run modern games at high settings while the CPU simultaneously encodes the stream, so streamers would likely need to lower game settings significantly.

Video editing will be heavily bottlenecked by the GPU. While the CPU can handle timeline scrubbing and effects processing, the GPU’s low compute score of 2762 in Passmark means that hardware-accelerated encoding and rendering will be slow. The CPU’s high scores in Passmark integer math (138932) and floating-point math (105558) will help with some tasks, but GPU acceleration is key for modern editors, and this card is a weak link.

3D rendering is similarly CPU-favoring but GPU-limited. The CPU’s 16 cores and high Cinebench scores are excellent for CPU-based rendering engines. However, any GPU-accelerated renderer will be severely hampered by the Arc A380’s 4.198 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The 8 RT cores are present, but they are too few to provide meaningful ray tracing performance.

Software development is a strong suit for this build. The CPU’s 16 cores and 24 threads are ideal for compiling code, and its Passmark data compression score of 537785 indicates strong performance in archiving and build tools. The GPU is adequate for basic UI rendering and 2D acceleration, as shown by its Passmark G2D score of 610, but it will not assist with GPU compute tasks like machine learning training.

Student and office work is entirely adequate. The CPU’s single-thread performance is excellent for document processing and web browsing, and the GPU’s capabilities are sufficient for 2D desktop workloads and video playback. This is a scenario where the powerful CPU is largely overkill, but the system will feel responsive and quick for everyday tasks.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i9-12900KF is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. It features a hybrid design, though the fact pack does not specify the core type split. Its die size is 215 mm², and it offers 30 MB of shared L3 cache, with 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU’s base clock is 3.20 GHz, which can boost up to 5.20 GHz, and it has a TDP of 125 W.

The benchmark scores confirm its position in the 88th percentile. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-12900, which scores 42906, a difference of just 0.2%. This indicates the “KF” variant (without integrated graphics) performs virtually identically to the standard “K” part. The data shows a strong scaling from 2 threads to 16 threads, with the 3DMark score rising from 2112 to 9860, demonstrating the effectiveness of its core count. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 34420 is a strong indicator of heavy multithreaded workload performance, while the single-core score of 4859 shows it is also competitive in lightly threaded tasks. In real-world terms, this CPU will not be the limiting factor in almost any application, from gaming to content creation, as its scores place it among the top 12% of all processors.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A380 is an entry-level graphics card based on the Xe-HPG architecture, built on TSMC’s 6 nm process. It has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 186.0 GB/s. The card has 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, along with 8 RT cores. Its base clock is 2000 MHz, boosting to 2050 MHz. The GPU’s FP32 performance is rated at 4.198 TFLOPS.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 44th percentile, making it a below-average card. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 808 is low, and its Passmark G3D score of 6252 confirms its entry-level status. It is closely matched with the AMD FirePro W5170M, which is 0.4% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330, which is 1.2% slower. The 8 RT cores are present but are not powerful enough for modern ray-traced gaming. The GPU’s compute performance is also weak, as the Passmark GPU compute score of 2762 is far below the CPU’s compute capabilities. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, but its raw hardware limits its ability to utilize these APIs effectively in demanding scenarios. For rendering, the 4.198 TFLOPS is sufficient for light 1080p gaming at low settings and basic 2D acceleration, but it will struggle with any modern AAA title at high settings.

Who Should Build It

This build is suited for users who need maximum CPU performance but have minimal GPU demands. A software developer would benefit from the 16 cores and 24 threads for rapid code compilation, and the 30 MB of L3 cache helps with large codebases. The CPU’s high Passmark single-thread score of 4144 ensures fast UI responsiveness.

A student or office worker in engineering or science fields would appreciate the CPU’s performance in simulations or data analysis, where the high integer and floating-point math scores (138932 and 105558, respectively) are valuable. The GPU is sufficient for spreadsheets, documents, and 2D CAD software.

A small business workstation for financial modeling or data processing would also be a good fit, as the CPU’s multithreaded power in Passmark (40970) can handle large datasets. However, a gamer at 1080p would be disappointed, as the GPU’s 44th percentile ranking means it is not designed for high-fidelity gaming. Content creators who rely heavily on GPU acceleration should look elsewhere, as the Arc A380 will bottleneck the entire pipeline. This build is for users who prioritize processor power above all else and have little to no need for 3D graphics performance.

Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build combining a top-tier 16-core processor with an entry-level graphics card. The Intel Core i9-12900KF is a flagship CPU from the Core 12th Gen series, while the Intel Arc A380 is the smallest member of the Arc 3 family. The pairing creates a system with a combined performance percentile of 66, which is a measure of the overall system's performance relative to all other component pairings in the database.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 42830 puts it in the 88th percentile, while the GPU’s average score of 8558 puts it in the 44th percentile. This means the system is far more powerful in CPU-bound tasks than in GPU-bound tasks. The build is a workstation-oriented configuration that sacrifices graphics capability for processor performance. It is a peculiar combination that makes sense only for a narrow set of use cases that are exclusively CPU-intensive.

Balance and Bottleneck

The balance of this system is heavily skewed toward the CPU. The processor’s 88th percentile ranking versus the GPU’s 44th percentile ranking is a clear indicator that the GPU is the bottleneck in most workloads. The data shows that in any task that utilizes the GPU, the Arc A380 will be the limiting factor, capping performance at its own level.

For example, in a gaming scenario, the CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates, but the GPU’s low score will prevent the system from achieving them. The FPS will be limited by the GPU’s rendering speed, not the CPU’s ability to feed it data. In a 3D rendering workload, the CPU will calculate the scene geometry, but the GPU will struggle with the rasterization and shading, making the entire process slow.

Conversely, in CPU-bound workloads like code compilation or data compression, the GPU is idle and does not bottleneck the system. The CPU’s high Passmark data compression score of 537785 indicates that this system excels in such tasks. The bottleneck is not a static issue; it shifts based on the application. However, for the vast majority of user-facing applications, including browsing, office work, and even 2D gaming, the GPU’s performance is adequate but not a limiting factor. The only time the GPU becomes a severe bottleneck is in 3D gaming, video encoding, and GPU-accelerated compute tasks. The 250 W suggested PSU for the GPU is low, indicating that the GPU is not power-hungry, and the system as a whole will have ample power headroom for the 125 W CPU.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU and GPU combination, so all frame rate figures are estimates based on the benchmark scores. The data shows a significant mismatch in performance capabilities, which will directly translate to gaming.

The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 808 and Passmark G3D score of 6252 indicate it is an entry-level card. For 1080p gaming, the Arc A380 is likely to provide playable frame rates only at low to medium settings in older or less demanding titles. For modern AAA games at high settings, the frame rates would be low, likely below 30 FPS in many cases, due to the GPU’s limited shading units and memory bandwidth.

The CPU’s high performance will not help in this scenario, as the GPU is the primary bottleneck. In esports titles like CS or Valorant, the low graphical requirements might allow for higher frame rates, but the GPU’s 44th percentile score suggests it will still be a limiting factor. The 6 GB of VRAM is also a concern for modern games, as many titles at 1080p high settings can exceed this amount. Overall, the gaming experience will be poor for a system with such a powerful CPU. The GPU is simply not in the same performance class, and the system would need a significantly more powerful graphics card to take advantage of the CPU’s capabilities in gaming.