SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900KS + Intel Arc A770

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

95 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 5% 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%
VS
GPU
97%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core i9-12900KS

45,094 Benchmark Score
Top 7% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc A770

68,809 Benchmark Score
Top 3% 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

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 i9-12900KS and Intel Arc A770 form a desktop pairing that targets high-end productivity and modern gaming. The processor is a 16-core, 24-thread Alder Lake-S part built on Intel's 10 nm process, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its hybrid architecture combines performance and efficiency cores, though the FACT PACK does not specify the exact P-core/E-core split. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache, dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support, and 76.8 GB/s memory bandwidth position it as a versatile workhorse. The GPU, based on the Xe-HPG architecture and DG2-512 chip, is fabricated on TSMC's 6 nm node with 21,700 million transistors. It offers 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Arc A770 is an end-of-life product, but its 90th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it remains a competitive option in its class.

CPU Analysis

The i9-12900KS delivers a balanced mix of single-thread agility and multi-thread throughput. In 3DMark tests, the processor scales from 1,121 points in single-thread to 11,897 points at max threads, showing strong scaling across 16 cores and 24 threads. The 8-thread score of 7,872 and 16-thread score of 10,316 suggest that heavily threaded workloads benefit substantially from the full core count, while the 2-thread score of 2,212 and 4-thread score of 4,320 indicate efficient light-thread execution. This pattern is typical of a hybrid design where fewer threads engage high-clock performance cores, and more threads activate the full complement of cores.

Cinebench results reinforce the processor's dual nature. The R23 multi-core score of 36,859 dwarfs the single-core score of 5,203, a ratio that highlights exceptional parallel scaling for rendering tasks. The R20 multi-core score of 15,480 and R15 multi-core score of 3,715 follow a similar trajectory. Geekbench scores of 18,538 multi-core and 2,408 single-core align with these results, placing the chip in the upper tier for both productivity and responsive everyday use.

The PassMark suite adds granularity. Integer math at 147,575 and floating-point math at 111,429 show robust arithmetic capability, while data compression at 563,709 and encryption at 31,403 indicate strong throughput for archive and security workloads. Extended instructions score 35,089, and random string sorting hits 60,539, both pointing to competent handling of diverse data manipulation tasks. The single-thread score of 4,330 confirms that the 5.50 GHz boost clock translates into tangible single-core performance, which is critical for lightly threaded applications like older games or certain scripting workloads.

The CPU's 89th percentile among all CPUs means it outperforms roughly 89% of processors in the database, placing it in the upper echelon but not at the absolute top. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4344P, scores 45,122 with a delta of -0.1%, essentially a statistical tie. The Intel Core i5-14600 trails by 0.5%, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is 1.2% behind. This clustering shows the i9-12900KS sits at a performance plateau where small percentage differences separate competitors, making workload-specific features more decisive than raw average scores.

Benchmark Performance

The combined picture from CPU and GPU benchmarks places this build at the 90th percentile overall. The CPU's average benchmark score of 45,094 is within 0.1% of the AMD EPYC 4344P's 45,122, and the GPU's average score of 68,809 is within 0.3% of the NVIDIA CMP 90HX's 69,000. These near-ties suggest that both components are well-matched in their respective tiers, with neither dramatically outperforming its closest competition.

For the GPU, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,969 is a modern rasterization test that shows the Arc A770's DirectX 12 Ultimate capability. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 109,175 and Vulkan score of 94,284 provide cross-API compute and graphics measurements. The Vulkan score being lower than OpenCL is notable, as it may indicate driver overhead or architectural preferences in specific workloads. The GPU's 90th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it alongside professional and high-end consumer cards, with the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 at 69,870 (1.5% ahead) and NVIDIA Quadro P6000 at 69,986 (1.7% ahead) as nearest rivals.

The CPU's percentile of 89 and GPU's percentile of 90 combine to a build percentile of 90, meaning this pairing outperforms 90% of all recorded build combinations. The lack of measured FPS data means these benchmark scores are the primary quantitative evidence for real-world performance, but the consistency across CPU and GPU tests suggests a balanced system capable of handling demanding workloads without a clear weak link.

Usage Scenarios

High-Refresh Gaming: The CPU's 5.50 GHz boost clock and single-thread score of 4,330 provide the responsiveness needed for fast-paced titles, while the GPU's 90th percentile ranking and 16 GB VRAM support high-resolution textures. However, without measured FPS data, exact frame rates are estimates, and the GPU's performance in ray tracing is likely a limiting factor in titles that heavily use RT effects.

Streaming: The 16 cores and 24 threads offer ample headroom for simultaneous game encoding and gameplay. The PassMark data compression score of 563,709 and encryption score of 31,403 indicate the CPU can handle video encoding workloads, though software encoding may be preferred over the GPU's capabilities given the lack of NVENC-class dedicated hardware.

Video Editing: Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 36,859 and Geekbench multi-core score of 18,538 suggest strong timeline scrubbing and export performance. The GPU's 512.0 GB/s bandwidth and 16 GB VRAM accelerate effects rendering and previews, but the lack of measured FPS data means exact export times are speculative.

3D Rendering: The CPU's PassMark floating-point score of 111,429 and Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 15,480 indicate robust CPU-based rendering, while the GPU's 19.66 TFLOPS FP32 performance enables GPU-accelerated renderers. The 90th percentile build ranking reinforces this as a viable entry-level workstation for independent creators.

Software Development: The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 10,316 and PassMark integer math score of 147,575 suggest fast compilation times. The 30 MB L3 cache and dual-channel memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s reduce bottlenecks in large codebases, though the lack of ECC support (listed as true in the FACT PACK, but unverified) may matter for mission-critical builds.

Student and Office Work: The CPU's single-thread score of 1,121 in 3DMark and 4,330 in PassMark ensure snappy productivity apps, while the GPU's 16 GB VRAM is overkill for spreadsheets but future-proofs for data visualization. The 150 W CPU TDP and 225 W GPU TDP mean a capable air cooler and 550 W PSU are sufficient, keeping the build quiet and manageable for dorm or home office use.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The i9-12900KS uses Intel Socket 1700, which supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, allowing builders to choose between cost-effective DDR4 or higher-bandwidth DDR5. The memory bus is dual-channel with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth, and ECC memory is supported, a feature typically found in workstation platforms. PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU provides high-speed connectivity for modern SSDs and GPUs, though the Arc A770 itself uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

The GPU's suggested PSU is 550 W, and with a CPU TDP of 150 W, the total system draw remains within a standard mid-range power supply's headroom. The GPU requires a 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connector, which is common on modern PSUs. The CPU's 150 W TDP is manageable with a capable air cooler, as the FACT PACK does not specify a liquid cooling requirement.

A sensible next upgrade would be a newer GPU, given that the Arc A770 is end-of-life and its successor, Battlemage, is listed as the next generation. The CPU's 5.50 GHz boost clock and 16 cores remain competitive, so a GPU swap to a higher-tier card would likely extend the system's gaming lifespan without a platform change. The PCIe 5.0 support ensures future GPUs are not bottlenecked by interface bandwidth.

Who Should Build It

This build targets enthusiasts and professionals who need a balance of CPU and GPU compute. Gamers at 1440p or 4K resolutions will benefit from the GPU's 16 GB VRAM and 90th percentile ranking, though exact FPS figures are unknown. Content creators editing 4K video or rendering 3D scenes will leverage the CPU's 36,859 Cinebench R23 score and the GPU's 19.66 TFLOPS FP32 throughput. Software developers compiling large projects will appreciate the CPU's 147,575 PassMark integer math score and 24 threads. Students in engineering or data science programs can run simulations and machine learning workloads, given the GPU's OpenCL score of 109,175. Small business workstations handling databases or virtualization will find the CPU's 563,709 data compression score and 30 MB cache suitable for concurrent workloads.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core i9-12900KS has 16 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does the system support?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR4 or DDR5 memory with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth, and ECC memory is supported.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The Intel Arc A770 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What is the build's overall percentile ranking?

A: The combined build percentile is 90, meaning it outperforms 90% of recorded build combinations.

Q: What is the CPU's nearest rival performance?

A: The AMD EPYC 4344P has an average score of 45,122, which is 0.1% lower than the i9-12900KS's 45,094.

Q: What is the GPU's nearest rival performance?

A: The NVIDIA CMP 90HX has an average score of 69,000, which is 0.3% higher than the Arc A770's 68,809.

Q: What is the GPU's production status?

A: The Intel Arc A770 is end-of-life, with Battlemage listed as its successor.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A770 is built on the Xe-HPG architecture with the DG2-512 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 6 nm process with 21,700 million transistors. The GPU has 4,096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 128 raster operation units, along with 32 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 2100 MHz with a boost clock of 2400 MHz, and memory runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). This configuration yields a pixel rate of 307.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 614.4 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 19.66 TFLOPS and FP16 at 39.32 TFLOPS (2:1).

The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is generous for 1440p and 4K textures. The 32 ray tracing cores enable hardware-accelerated RT, but the lack of dedicated tensor cores means AI-accelerated features like DLSS are not available; Intel's XeSS would rely on the GPU's general compute. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,969 is a strong indicator of DX12 rasterization performance, while the Geekbench OpenCL score of 109,175 shows compute capability for non-gaming workloads.

The GPU's 90th percentile ranking places it above 90% of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA CMP 90HX (0.3% ahead), AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 (0.4% behind), AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 (1.5% ahead), and NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (1.7% ahead). These are all professional or mining-focused cards, indicating the Arc A770's performance sits at a professional-tier level despite its consumer positioning. The 225 W TDP and dual-slot design require a 550 W PSU and a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector, which is standard for this performance class.

Build Overview

This is a desktop build combining the Intel Core i9-12900KS (Socket 1700, Alder Lake) with the Intel Arc A770 (Xe-HPG, Alchemist). The CPU is an active product with a launch MSRP of $739, while the GPU is end-of-life with a launch MSRP of 329 USD. The build's combined percentile of 90 indicates it sits in the top 10% of recorded configurations, with both components individually ranking at 89th and 90th percentiles, respectively. The CPU's average benchmark score of 45,094 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4344P, and the GPU's 68,809 average is within 1.7% of the NVIDIA Quadro P6000.

The pairing is notable for being an all-Intel system, which may offer platform-level optimizations in certain workloads, though the FACT PACK does not provide specific data on this. The CPU's 150 W TDP and GPU's 225 W TDP suggest a system that can be cooled with standard air solutions, and the 550 W suggested PSU leaves headroom for modest overclocking given the CPU's unlocked multiplier. The build is best described as a high-end productivity machine that also serves as a capable gaming rig, with the CPU providing exceptional multi-threaded performance and the GPU offering ample VRAM and compute throughput.

Balance and Bottleneck

The CPU and GPU are closely matched in percentile terms (89 vs 90), suggesting no single component dominates the other in overall capability. However, workload-specific bottlenecks are evident. In CPU-bound tasks like data compression (PassMark score of 563,709) or single-threaded applications (3DMark single-thread score of 1,121), the CPU is the clear driver, and the GPU's role is minimal. Conversely, in GPU-bound tasks like 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (score of 2,969), the GPU's performance is the limiting factor, and the CPU's 16 cores provide ample headroom.

For gaming, the CPU's 5.50 GHz boost clock and single-thread score of 4,330 ensure it is unlikely to bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions, but at 1080p with a high-refresh monitor, the CPU may be the limiting factor in esports titles. At 4K, the GPU's 90th percentile performance becomes the primary constraint. The GPU's 512.0 GB/s bandwidth and 16 GB VRAM are sufficient for most current titles, but the lack of measured FPS data means these are estimates. The CPU's 76.8 GB/s memory bandwidth is lower than the GPU's, but this is typical since CPU and GPU memory systems are separate.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS rows exist for this exact combination, so all frame rates discussed are estimates derived from the benchmark scores. The CPU's 3DMark 8-thread score of 7,872 and single-thread score of 1,121 indicate strong gaming performance in CPU-bound scenarios, while the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,969 suggests capable rasterization performance. The GPU's 16 GB VRAM is sufficient for high-resolution textures, and its 90th percentile ranking implies it can handle most games at 1440p with high settings, with 4K being achievable but potentially requiring settings adjustments.

The GPU's 32 ray tracing cores enable RT effects, but without dedicated tensor cores, AI-accelerated upscaling like DLSS is unavailable, which may impact performance in RT-heavy titles. The CPU's boost clock of 5.50 GHz is advantageous for maintaining high frame rates in games that are sensitive to single-core performance. The combined 90th percentile build ranking suggests this system should deliver smooth gameplay at 1440p in most titles, with 4K performance varying by game. However, these are estimates, and actual FPS will depend on specific game optimizations and driver maturity.