SYSTEM ANALYZER

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

45,094 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
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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

# GPU Analysis — VRAM, bandwidth, clocks, RT/tensor hardware, what the benchmark scores mean for rendering

The Intel Arc A380 is a 6 GB GDDR6 card with a 96-bit memory bus and 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. It runs at a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 2050 MHz, with memory clocked at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective). The GPU packs 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output pipelines, producing a pixel rate of 65.60 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 131.2 GTexel/s. Compute throughput is rated at 4.198 TFLOPS for FP32 and 8.397 TFLOPS for FP16 via a 2:1 ratio. The card includes 8 RT cores for ray tracing acceleration, though the absence of tensor core data in the spec sheet means AI acceleration is limited to what the Xe-HPG architecture provides through other means.

Benchmark results place this GPU in the 44th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 8558. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W5170M (avg score 8595, delta -0.4%), AMD Radeon HD 8870M (avg 8462, delta 1.1%), NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (avg 8458, delta 1.2%), and AMD Radeon 880M (avg 8436, delta 1.4%). These deltas are all within 1.4% of each other, indicating the A380 sits in a tightly packed performance band. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the card scores 808, which reflects modest rendering capability. Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores are 38224 and 36736 respectively, showing compute workloads are handled better than pure rasterization tasks. Passmark DirectX tests reveal the card's weaknesses: DirectX 9 scores 73, DirectX 10 scores 37, DirectX 11 scores 38, and DirectX 12 scores 35. Passmark G3D scores 6252, with G2D at 610 and GPU compute at 2762.

For rendering workloads, the FP32 throughput of 4.198 TFLOPS is the raw ceiling for shader work, but the low DirectX 12 score of 35 suggests driver overhead or architectural inefficiencies in modern APIs. The 8 RT cores can technically handle ray-traced effects, but the overall GPU tier indicates this is entry-level hardware. The 6 GB framebuffer is sufficient for 1080p textures but will constrain high-resolution or high-detail scenes. The 186.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for the 96-bit bus width, but it is not a high-bandwidth design. In practice, the A380 is best suited for light rendering tasks, esports titles, and media playback, not for heavy 3D workloads.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The Arc A380's 44th percentile ranking and DirectX 12 score of 35 indicate this is not a high-refresh gaming card. Estimated FPS in modern titles would struggle to maintain 60 fps at 1080p, let alone 144 Hz. The CPU's single-thread score of 1121 in 3DMark and 4330 in Passmark single-thread ensures frame pacing won't be CPU-limited, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck in any gaming scenario.

Streaming: The A380's video encoder is not detailed in the benchmark data, but the GPU compute score of 2762 suggests limited headroom for encoding alongside rendering. The CPU has plenty of multithreaded power — a Passmark multithread score of 43698 and Cinebench R23 multicore of 36859 — so software encoding on the i9-12900KS would be the more reliable path for streaming, offloading the task to the 16 cores and 24 threads.

Video editing: The CPU's 3DMark max threads score of 11897 and Geekbench multicore of 18538 provide strong export and timeline performance. The GPU's 6 GB VRAM and 4.198 TFLOPS are workable for 1080p editing with effects, but 4K timelines will strain the A380. Passmark data compression of 563709 and encryption of 31403 on the CPU handle codec-heavy tasks well.

3D rendering: Cinebench R23 multicore at 36859 is a strong result for CPU-based rendering, putting the i9-12900KS in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. GPU rendering via the A380 is limited by its 4.198 TFLOPS and 44th percentile standing, making it unsuitable for production renderers that leverage CUDA or OptiX — though those are NVIDIA-specific, so the Arc would rely on Vulkan or OpenCL paths, with the Geekbench OpenCL score of 38224 being modest.

Software development: The CPU's Passmark integer math score of 147575 and floating point math of 111429 show strong compile and numerical computation capabilities. The 30 MB shared L3 cache and 80 KB per-core L1 reduce latency for iterative builds. The GPU is irrelevant for most development tasks, so the A380's low scores don't hinder this workflow.

Student and office work: The CPU's single-thread Passmark of 4330 and 3DMark 2-thread of 2212 handle office suites and web browsing with ease. The GPU's Passmark G2D score of 610 is sufficient for 2D desktop rendering. This pairing is massively overprovisioned for student workloads, but the power draw of 150 W TDP (CPU) plus 75 W (GPU) is manageable in a desktop context.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core i9-12900KS uses the Intel Socket 1700, which supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configurations, with a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. The platform offers PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the Arc A380 uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface — meaning the GPU runs at half the lane width of the CPU's native Gen 5 capability. The CPU supports ECC memory, which is unusual for a consumer desktop chip and could appeal to small workstations that need data integrity.

The suggested PSU for the A380 is 250 W, and the CPU's TDP is 150 W, so a combined system with this pairing would have modest total power requirements. The GPU uses a single 8-pin power connector, and the CPU is unlocked (multiplier unlocked), so overclocking is possible if the motherboard and cooling allow. The A380 is dual-slot, 222 mm long, 114 mm tall, and 42 mm wide, so it fits most mid-tower cases. The CPU's 215 mm² die size on a 10 nm Intel process indicates a dense chip, but the 150 W TDP is the thermal envelope to plan around.

A sensible next upgrade would be a stronger GPU, since the CPU is in the 89th percentile while the GPU is in the 44th. The PCIe 4.0 x8 slot on the A380 means the platform can support a faster card — a PCIe Gen 5 x16 GPU would work but run at Gen 4 speeds due to the A380's interface. The 250 W suggested PSU is only rated for the A380, so a higher-tier GPU would require a PSU upgrade. The CPU's ECC support and DDR4/DDR5 flexibility give the platform longevity for workstation use, but the A380 is end-of-life (production status: End-of-life) and its successor is Battlemage, so future driver support may taper off.

# Who Should Build It

This build targets users who need extreme CPU compute but are constrained on GPU budget or only run light graphics workloads. Gamers at 1080p with esports titles could use the A380's 44th percentile performance, but the CPU's 89th percentile ranking means the GPU will limit frame rates to low settings for modern games. Content creators working on CPU-centric tasks like video encoding or 3D rendering via CPU (Cinebench R23 multicore 36859) will find the i9-12900KS excellent, but GPU-accelerated rendering will disappoint due to the A380's modest scores.

Software developers compiling large codebases benefit from the 16 cores and 24 threads, with Passmark integer math at 147575, and the GPU is irrelevant for most build processes. Students and office workers get a massively overkill CPU for document editing and web browsing, but the pairing is inefficient — the 150 W TDP CPU idles high relative to the tasks. Small business workstations that need ECC memory support and multithreaded throughput for data processing (Passmark multithread 43698) could justify the platform, but the A380 adds little value beyond display output.

The 89th CPU percentile versus 44th GPU percentile creates a clear mismatch. If the workload is CPU-bound — compiles, rendering, data compression — this build excels. If the workload touches the GPU — gaming, GPU rendering, video effects — the A380 will be the limiting factor. The launch MSRP of the CPU is $739, and the GPU's launch MSRP is 149 USD, but the performance disparity suggests the GPU is a placeholder rather than a permanent pairing.

# Benchmark Performance

The Intel Core i9-12900KS achieves an average benchmark score of 45094, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD EPYC 4344P with an average score of 45122 (delta -0.1%), meaning the i9-12900KS is essentially tied with that server chip. The Intel Core i5-14600 scores 44889 (delta 0.5%), the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D scores 44573 (delta 1.2%), and the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H scores 44466 (delta 1.4%). This shows the i9-12900KS leads its nearest rivals by a narrow margin, less than 1.5% in all cases.

In individual CPU tests, the 3DMark scores scale with thread count: 1121 single-thread, 2212 for 2 threads, 4320 for 4 threads, 7872 for 8 threads, 10316 for 16 threads, and 11897 for max threads. Cinebench R15 multicore is 3715, R20 multicore is 15480, and R23 multicore is 36859, with single-core scores of 524, 2185, and 5203 respectively. Geekbench multicore is 18538 and single-core is 2408. Passmark tests show multithread at 43698, single-thread at 4330, integer math at 147575, floating point math at 111429, and data compression at 563709.

The Intel Arc A380 has an average benchmark score of 8558, placing it in the 44th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all within 1.4%: AMD FirePro W5170M at 8595 (delta -0.4%), AMD Radeon HD 8870M at 8462 (delta 1.1%), NVIDIA GeForce MX330 at 8458 (delta 1.2%), and AMD Radeon 880M at 8436 (delta 1.4%). The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 808, Geekbench OpenCL is 38224, and Vulkan is 36736. Passmark DirectX scores are low across the board: 73 for DX9, 37 for DX10, 38 for DX11, and 35 for DX12. The G3D score is 6252, G2D is 610, and GPU compute is 2762.

The combined percentile for this CPU+GPU pairing is 67, indicating the system sits in the upper two-thirds of all configurations. However, the massive gap between CPU (89th percentile) and GPU (44th percentile) means the combined score is dragged down by the GPU. No measured FPS data exists for this exact combination — the FACT PACK contains no measuredFps rows — so all FPS discussions are estimated from the benchmark scores.

# FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-12900KS faster than the AMD EPYC 4344P?

A: The i9-12900KS has an average benchmark score of 45094, while the AMD EPYC 4344P scores 45122, a delta of -0.1%. This means the EPYC is 0.1% faster, which is a negligible difference.

Q: What is the GPU's performance relative to the NVIDIA GeForce MX330?

A: The Intel Arc A380 scores 8558 on average, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 scores 8458, a delta of 1.2%. The A380 is 1.2% faster than the MX330, placing them in the same performance tier.

Q: Does the CPU support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i9-12900KS supports ECC memory. It also supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel configurations, with a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s.

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

A: The combined percentile for the Intel Core i9-12900KS and Intel Arc A380 is 67, meaning it outperforms 67% of all recorded configurations.

Q: Is the GPU suitable for modern gaming at high settings?

A: The Arc A380's DirectX 12 score is 35, and it sits in the 44th GPU percentile. This indicates it is not suitable for high settings in modern games; it is more aligned with entry-level or esports gaming.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance compared to its multithread performance?

A: The CPU scores 1121 in 3DMark single-thread and 11897 in max threads, a roughly 10.6x scaling. In Passmark, single-thread is 4330 and multithread is 43698, a 10.1x scaling. This shows strong multithreaded scaling across 24 threads.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the platform?

A: The system has a dual-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. The GPU has its own 186.0 GB/s bandwidth from its 6 GB GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus.

# Balance and Bottleneck

This pairing exhibits one of the most lopsided CPU-to-GPU ratios in the benchmark database. The CPU sits in the 89th percentile with an average score of 45094, while the GPU sits in the 44th percentile with an average score of 8558. The GPU's average score is only 19% of the CPU's, which means any workload that engages the GPU will be entirely GPU-limited. No measured FPS data exists for this combination, but the benchmark scores imply that at 1080p, the A380 would cap frame rates in the 30-60 fps range for demanding titles, while the CPU would sit idle waiting for the GPU to catch up.

In CPU-bound workloads, the bottleneck flips. The i9-12900KS's max thread score of 11897 and multithread Passmark of 43698 allow it to process heavy compute tasks, but the GPU's low compute score of 2762 means any GPU-accelerated component of those tasks stalls. For example, video encoding on the CPU (Passmark data compression 563709) would be fast, but if the workflow uses GPU effects, the A380's 44th percentile standing drags the whole pipeline down.

The FPS scaling evidence is absent — there are no measured FPS rows — but the percentile gap is diagnostic. The CPU's 89th percentile versus GPU's 44th percentile means the GPU is the limiting factor in any frame-rate-sensitive task. For productivity, the CPU is the workhorse, and the GPU is a display adapter with some compute capability. The combined percentile of 67 reflects this imbalance: the system is better than average overall, but only because the CPU is so strong.

# Build Overview

This is a desktop build combining the Intel Core i9-12900KS (Alder Lake-S, 10 nm, 16 cores, 24 threads, base 3.40 GHz, boost 5.50 GHz) with the Intel Arc A380 (Xe-HPG, 6 nm, 1024 shading units, 8 RT cores, 6 GB GDDR6). The CPU has a 150 W TDP, and the GPU has a 75 W TDP, with a suggested PSU of 250 W for the GPU alone. The launch MSRP of the CPU is $739, and the GPU's launch MSRP is 149 USD.

The overall tier, based on the combined percentile of 67, places this system in the upper third of all configurations. However, this ranking is deceptive — the CPU is in the 89th percentile, while the GPU is in the 44th, so the system's tier is defined by CPU performance with a GPU that is merely entry-level. The build class is desktop, and the components are both from Intel, but the GPU is end-of-life with a successor (Battlemage) already named. This pairing is best described as a high-end CPU with a placeholder GPU, suitable for CPU-centric tasks but not for graphics-intensive workloads.

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i9-12900KS is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 215 mm². It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 150 W. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configurations, with a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s, and includes UHD Graphics 770 as integrated graphics.

Benchmark results show the CPU in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average score of 45094. The 3DMark scores scale from 1121 (single-thread) to 11897 (max threads), indicating strong scaling across the 24 threads. Cinebench R23 multicore at 36859 and single-core at 5203 place it as a top-tier desktop chip. Passmark multithread at 43698 and integer math at 147575 show excellent compute throughput for compilation and data processing. The nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4344P, is only 0.1% faster, meaning the i9-12900KS is effectively tied with a server-class chip in average score.

Real workloads benefit from this CPU's combination of high single-thread performance (Passmark single-thread 4330, Geekbench single-core 2408) and massive multithreaded capability. The 30 MB shared L3 cache reduces memory latency for data-heavy tasks, and the 16 cores handle parallel workloads like rendering, encoding, and scientific computing. The 5.50 GHz boost clock is among the highest for desktop CPUs, giving it an edge in lightly-threaded applications like games (though the GPU limits gaming here) and office software. The ECC memory support is a unique feature for a consumer chip, making it viable for small workstations that need error-correcting memory.