SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900TE + NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

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

Build Configuration

Select your components

PROCESSOR (CPU)

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GRAPHICS CARD (GPU)

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87 Score

Top 13% Ranking

87 / 100

HIGH-END

Power Build

Top 13% of systems. Excellent for 1440p Ultra or 4K High gaming.

1440p Ultra4K High

System Balance Analysis

CPU vs GPU performance ratio

CPU Bottleneck

CPU

76%

GPU

99%

Your CPU is limiting system performance. Consider upgrading to a faster processor to better utilize your GPU.

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i9-12900TE

5,050 Benchmark Score

Top 24% Market Ranking

View Full Specs →

GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

117,088 Benchmark Score

Top 1% 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.

Bottleneck Detected

CPU Bottleneck - Upgrading the weaker component will improve overall performance.

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 i9-12900TE paired with the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is an unusual but coherent desktop combination: a low-power, 16-core Alder Lake CPU mated to a slot-powered professional GPU. The combined percentile of 78 places this build in the upper tier of all recorded systems, and the pairing makes particular sense for compact professional workstations where thermal headroom and sustained throughput matter more than raw gaming frame rates. One important caveat frames everything below: no measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU and GPU combination, so all frame-rate discussion is estimated from the benchmark scores rather than drawn from recorded game results.

CPU Analysis

The Core i9-12900TE is a 16-core, 24-thread Alder Lake-S processor built on Intel's 10 nm process, with a die size of 215 mm². Its defining trait is the 35 W TDP — remarkably low for a full i9 configuration — achieved through a 1100 MHz base clock that can burst to 4.80 GHz. The "TE" suffix marks it as a thermally constrained desktop part, and the benchmark results show what that constraint costs and what it doesn't.

In Cinebench R23, the chip scores 17461 multi-core and 2465 single-core. The single-core figure is strong: it indicates snappy per-thread responsiveness for applications that don't scale across cores. The multi-core result, by contrast, reflects the power ceiling — 16 cores are present, but sustained all-core throughput is throttled relative to what the same silicon could do with a higher power budget. Even so, the aggregate picture is solid: the CPU sits at the 60th percentile against all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 5050.

The nearestRivals list quantifies exactly where that lands. The i9-9820X posts an average score of 5049 — a delta of 0 percent, effectively a dead heat. The Xeon Gold 6334 trails by 0.1 percent at 5043, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 5750GE and Xeon W-2155 sit marginally ahead at 5070 and 5072, deltas of -0.4 percent each. In practical terms, this CPU delivers workstation-class multi-core throughput in the same band as enterprise Xeon parts, while its 2465 single-core score in R23 gives it modern per-thread speed those older rivals can't match. Cache resources support that: 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, plus 30 MB of shared L3.

The multiplier is unlocked, which is notable for a 35 W part — tuning headroom exists in principle, though the TDP rating defines the thermal envelope this build is designed around. Memory support spans both DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus, and PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes is generous, feeding the GPU at full bandwidth. An Intel UHD Graphics 770 iGPU provides display fallback.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming. With no measured FPS rows for this pairing, estimates must come from the GPU's 95th percentile standing and its OpenCL/Vulkan scores. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada has the compute headroom for high-refresh play at 1440p and below; the CPU's 2465 R23 single-core score and 60th percentile overall ranking suggest it will not be the limiter in most GPU-bound titles, though at very high refresh rates the 35 W power envelope becomes relevant.

Streaming. Streaming adds video encoding on top of gaming load. The 16 cores and 24 threads give the 12900TE clear room for concurrent encoding and gameplay, and the Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 7333 indicates genuine parallel throughput. This is a scenario the CPU architecture handles well, even in its low-power trim.

Video editing. Editing benefits from both sides of the build: 24 threads for timeline scrubbing, exports, and effects, plus the GPU's 192 tensor cores and 20 GB of VRAM for accelerated effects work. The R23 multi-core score of 17461 supports smooth handling of multi-stream editing workloads.

3D rendering. This is where the pairing is strongest. The GPU's Geekbench OpenCL score of 124812 and Vulkan score of 109364 place it ahead of the Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB by 2.4 percent and the RTX A5500 Mobile by 2.8 percent on average. Combined with a 16-core CPU for host-side scene processing, viewport and render work both have serious resources.

Software development. Compilation scales with cores, and the 12900TE's 24 threads with 30 MB of shared L3 cache deliver competent build times — the 0-percent delta against the i9-9820X says as much. Single-core speed at 4.80 GHz boost keeps IDE responsiveness and test execution quick.

Student and office work. For documents, browsing, and light creative work, this system is dramatically overqualified — the 60th percentile CPU standing already exceeds what these tasks demand, and the 95th percentile GPU is idle headroom. It would handle such work effortlessly; that is not what it is for.

Balance and Bottleneck

The combined percentile of 78 masks an internal asymmetry: the GPU sits at the 95th percentile while the CPU sits at the 60th. This is a GPU-forward build, and in graphically intensive workloads the RTX 4000 SFF Ada will carry the system. The likely bottleneck in CPU-heavy scenarios is not core count — 16 cores is ample — but the 35 W TDP, which limits sustained all-core clocks relative to standard desktop i9 parts. The benchmark evidence is consistent with this: strong single-core results (248 in R15, 1035 in R20, 2465 in R23) alongside multi-core scores that match older, power-hunglier Xeons rather than exceeding them dramatically.

For estimated gaming, the implication is resolution-dependent. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU's compute standing dominates and the CPU gap is largely irrelevant. At 1080p high-refresh, estimated frame rates become more CPU-sensitive, and the power-limited all-core behavior is where the 12900TE gives ground. Since no measured FPS data exists for this combination, these statements remain estimates grounded in the score spread, not recorded results.

In GPU compute workloads, the CPU's role is host-side data preparation, and its 24 threads plus PCIe Gen 5 connectivity keep the pipeline fed. The 20 CPU PCIe lanes matter here: the GPU's PCIe 4.0 x16 interface is fully satisfied, with lanes to spare.

Who Should Build It

The target user is a professional in a space-constrained environment. The GPU is dual-slot, 168 mm long and 69 mm tall, with no external power connectors and a 70 W TDP — it fits small-form-factor chassis that full-size cards cannot. The CPU's 35 W TDP complements that. Together they define a compact professional workstation.

Concrete candidates: 3D artists and CAD users, given the GPU's 124812 OpenCL score and its positioning above the Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB and RTX A5500 Mobile in the rival table; video professionals working with large projects who benefit from 20 GB of GDDR6; developers who want a quiet, small build machine with 24 compile threads; and small businesses needing a capable workstation that sips power. Gamers are a secondary audience — the estimated experience is strong at 1440p and above, but this pairing prioritizes professional compute over gaming frame rates. Students get more machine than coursework requires. The launch MSRP of the CPU was $494; the GPU's launch MSRP is not recorded in the database.

FAQ

Q: Is this build good for gaming?

A: Estimated from benchmark scores — no measured FPS data exists for this pairing — the 95th-percentile GPU supports strong performance at 1440p and 4K. At 1080p high refresh, the 60th-percentile CPU becomes more relevant.

Q: How does the CPU compare to rivals?

A: Its average score of 5050 is statistically tied with the i9-9820X (0 percent delta) and Xeon Gold 6334 (0.1 percent), and within half a percent of the Ryzen 7 PRO 5750GE and Xeon W-2155.

Q: How does the GPU compare to rivals?

A: Its average of 117088 is within 0.3 percent of the NVIDIA GB10, 1.6 percent behind the Radeon PRO W7700, 2.4 percent ahead of the Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB, and 2.8 percent ahead of the RTX A5500 Mobile.

Q: Can this build fit in a small case?

A: Yes. The GPU is dual-slot at 168 mm long and 69 mm tall with no power connectors, and the CPU's 35 W TDP keeps thermals manageable in compact chassis.

Q: What power supply is needed?

A: The GPU's suggested PSU is 250 W. With the CPU at 35 W TDP and the GPU at 70 W, a modest unit at that rating covers the system.

Q: Does the CPU support overclocking?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked — unusual for a 35 W part — though the thermal envelope constrains practical headroom.

Q: What memory does it use?

A: DDR4 or DDR5, dual-channel. ECC is not supported.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The platform is Intel Socket 1700, which hosts 12th Gen Alder Lake and successor generations on the same socket — the database lists the 12900TE as an Active part on this platform. Memory flexibility is a practical advantage: DDR4 offers a lower-cost entry, DDR5 higher bandwidth, both on the dual-channel bus. PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes is forward-looking; the GPU's PCIe 4.0 x16 interface runs at full speed, and Gen 5 lanes remain available for fast storage.

Power headroom is generous. The GPU needs no power connectors and carries a suggested PSU of 250 W; the CPU's 35 W TDP leaves ample margin within that envelope for storage, cooling, and peripherals. A sensible upgrade path keeps the compact philosophy: a higher-TDP Socket 1700 CPU would raise sustained multi-core throughput beyond the 17461 R23 score, provided the chassis cooling allows it. On the GPU side, the database lists Blackwell PRO W as this card's successor generation, indicating a natural professional-grade upgrade target.

Benchmark Performance

Exact figures, CPU: Cinebench R15 — 1759 multi-core, 248 single-core. Cinebench R20 — 7333 multi-core, 1035 single-core. Cinebench R23 — 17461 multi-core, 2465 single-core. Average benchmark score: 5050, at the 60th percentile versus all CPUs.

GPU: Geekbench OpenCL — 124812. Geekbench Vulkan — 109364. Average benchmark score: 117088, at the 95th percentile versus all GPUs.

The combined percentile is 78, and the spread between the two component percentiles — 95 versus 60 — tells the real story. This system's measured strength is GPU compute, where it outperforms a Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB by 2.4 percent and an RTX A5500 Mobile by 2.8 percent on average score. The CPU contributes competent, workstation-class multi-core throughput statistically indistinguishable from the i9-9820X and Xeon Gold 6334, plus strong single-thread speed across all three Cinebench versions. No measured FPS data exists for this pairing; any game performance figure should be treated as an estimate derived from these scores.

Build Overview

This is a desktop build — buildClass is desktop — pairing a 35 W, 16-core/24-thread Intel Core i9-12900TE with the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation, a 70 W professional GPU on the AD104 chip. The combined percentile of 78 places it firmly in the upper tier of systems in the database. Its class identity is the compact professional workstation: every component choice — the TE-suffix CPU, the slot-powered short-length GPU, the 250 W suggested PSU — points toward serious compute in a small, power-efficient envelope rather than maximum gaming performance. Within that identity, the benchmark data shows it succeeding: top-five-percent GPU compute with a mid-tier-plus CPU that holds its own against enterprise Xeons.

GPU Analysis

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is a workstation card built on TSMC's 5 nm process, using the AD104 chip with 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die — a density of 121.8M per mm². It carries 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores. Clocks run from a 720 MHz base to a 1560 MHz boost, with memory at 14 Gbps effective.

The memory subsystem is the professional signature: 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, delivering 280.0 GB/s of bandwidth. That VRAM capacity exceeds what consumer cards in this power class typically offer and is the direct enabler for large 3D scenes, high-resolution textures, and substantial AI model batches. Throughput figures reinforce the compute story: 19.17 TFLOPS FP32, FP16 at 1:1 for the same rate, 99.84 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 299.5 GTexel/s texture rate.

The benchmark scores translate this hardware directly. The Geekbench OpenCL result of 124812 and Vulkan result of 109364 put the card at the 95th percentile, with an average of 117088 that edges out the Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB (2.4 percent) and RTX A5500 Mobile (2.8 percent) while sitting 1.6 percent behind the Radeon PRO W7700 and 0.3 percent behind the NVIDIA GB10. For rendering, the 48 RT cores handle ray-traced viewport work; for AI and accelerated effects, the 192 tensor cores provide the hardware the software stack expects. Display output is via four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a connections, with DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support. The card draws all power from the PCIe slot, needs a suggested PSU of just 250 W, and remains an Active product — its successor line is Blackwell PRO W.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-12900TE + NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

Power Build

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i9-12900TE

NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

Market Position

Game Performance Benchmarks

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

Performance Insights

Strong Performance

Bottleneck Detected

Performance Tiers Explained

Ultimate

High-End

Mid-Range

Entry Level

Legacy

CPU Analysis

Usage Scenarios

Balance and Bottleneck

Who Should Build It

FAQ

Upgrade Path and Platform

Benchmark Performance

Build Overview

GPU Analysis

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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