SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-13950HX + Intel Arc A550M

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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95 Score

Top 5% Ranking

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%

GPU

96%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i9-13950HX

44,342 Benchmark Score

Top 7% Market Ranking

View Full Specs →

GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc A550M

49,737 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

The Intel Core i9-13950HX paired with the Intel Arc A550M is a mobile combination that delivers desktop-class compute power alongside a surprisingly capable GPU. This analysis is based strictly on the available benchmark data. Note that no measured FPS rows exist for this exact combination, so all frame rate discussions are estimated from the benchmark scores rather than direct gameplay captures.

Balance and Bottleneck

The balance between this CPU and GPU is heavily skewed toward the processor. The Core i9-13950HX sits at the 88th percentile among all CPUs, while the Arc A550M sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs. That two-point gap suggests the CPU is the stronger component, but the real story emerges from the multi-threaded benchmark data.

In heavily threaded workloads, the CPU’s 24 cores and 32 threads produce a 3dmark_max_threads score of 11926. This is nearly 5.7 times higher than the 3dmark_2_threads score of 2107, showing exceptional scaling as more cores are engaged. For gaming, however, the bottleneck shifts. The GPU’s 8.397 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 224.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth will cap frame rates in most modern titles, especially at higher resolutions where the CPU’s single-thread advantage matters less.

The single-thread performance is strong but not overwhelming. A 3dmark_single_thread score of 1102 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2096 place it comfortably in the upper tier for gaming CPUs, but the GPU will still be the limiting factor in most scenarios. In CPU-light games at lower resolutions, the i9-13950HX has enough headroom to push the Arc A550M to its limits. In CPU-heavy simulations or strategy titles, the 24-core design will prevent stutter, but the GPU will still determine overall frame pacing.

For content creation, the balance is more favorable to the CPU. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28681 is exceptional for a laptop chip, meaning video encoding, 3D scene preparation, and code compilation will all be CPU-bound and extremely fast. The GPU’s 16 ray tracing cores and 2048 shading units will handle rendering tasks, but the CPU will finish its part of the pipeline much faster, creating a workflow where the GPU becomes the bottleneck for final frame output.

The combined percentile of 87 reflects this slight imbalance. The pair is well-matched for productivity, but gamers should expect the GPU to be the primary constraint in most titles.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU delivers a strong multi-threaded performance profile. In 3dmark tests, the processor scores 8903 at 16 threads, 6732 at 8 threads, and 3957 at 4 threads. The scaling from 8 to 16 threads is particularly strong, showing only a 32 percent drop in per-thread efficiency. The Cinebench R20 multicore score of 14462 and R15 multicore score of 4529 confirm this trend, with the R23 multicore score of 28681 being the standout figure.

Single-thread performance is equally solid. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2096 and R20 single-core score of 2041 are nearly identical, suggesting the boost clock of 5.50 GHz is sustained under load. The Passmark single-thread score of 3899 reinforces this, placing the chip well above average for everyday responsiveness.

The GPU’s benchmark results are more modest. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 49894 and Vulkan score of 49580 are nearly identical, showing consistent performance across APIs. The average benchmark score of 49737 places it at the 86th percentile, which is respectable for a mobile GPU but far from flagship territory.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 44342 places it at the 88th percentile. Its nearest rivals are remarkably close: the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 scores 44309 (0.1 percent behind), the Intel Core i5-13600 scores 44240 (0.2 percent behind), and the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H scores 44466 (0.3 percent ahead). The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D scores 44573 (0.5 percent ahead). This cluster of chips within one percent of each other means the i9-13950HX is effectively tied with several strong desktop and mobile processors.

The GPU’s nearest rivals show a wider spread. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti scores 49957 (0.4 percent ahead), while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 scores 50001 (0.5 percent ahead). The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is 2.4 percent ahead at 50951, and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is 2.6 percent behind at 48477. This places the Arc A550M in the same performance band as several desktop GPUs from previous generations.

FAQ

Q: How does the Core i9-13950HX compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The i9-13950HX scores 44342 on average, placing it 0.1 percent ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385, 0.2 percent ahead of the Intel Core i5-13600, 0.3 percent behind the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, and 0.5 percent behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D. These differences are negligible in real-world use.

Q: Is the Arc A550M competitive with desktop GPUs?

A: The Arc A550M’s average benchmark score of 49737 puts it 0.4 percent behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 0.5 percent behind the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, and 2.4 percent behind the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT. It is 2.6 percent ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT.

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

A: The combined percentile is 87, reflecting a strong laptop configuration that outperforms most mobile systems but trails the very top tier of desktop replacements.

Q: Does the CPU support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i9-13950HX supports ECC memory, which is unusual for a mobile processor and beneficial for workstation reliability.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the GPU?

A: The Arc A550M has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is adequate for 1080p gaming but may limit performance at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance scale?

A: The 3dmark scores show strong scaling: 2107 at 2 threads, 3957 at 4 threads, 6732 at 8 threads, 8903 at 16 threads, and 11926 at max threads. The scaling is nearly linear up to 8 threads, with diminishing returns beyond that.

Q: Is the GPU production status a concern?

A: The Arc A550M is listed as end-of-life, meaning Intel has ceased production. Driver support may continue, but future optimizations are uncertain.

Who Should Build It

This pairing targets users who need extreme CPU throughput in a laptop form factor. The 24-core, 32-thread design with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28681 makes it ideal for software developers compiling large codebases, researchers running simulations, and content creators rendering complex 3D scenes. The Passmark multithread score of 41614 and integer math score of 147091 further support this profile, indicating strong performance in parallel compute tasks.

Gamers at 1080p will find the Arc A550M sufficient for most titles, given its 86th percentile GPU ranking and 8.397 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The CPU’s single-thread score of 3899 in Passmark ensures that even older or poorly optimized games will run without CPU bottlenecks. However, gamers seeking 1440p or 4K performance should look elsewhere, as the GPU’s 224.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB memory will become limiting factors.

Students and office workers are arguably over-served by this configuration. The CPU’s single-thread performance is excellent for everyday tasks, but the cost and power characteristics of a 55 W TDP processor are excessive for document editing and web browsing. Small business workstations that run virtual machines, database queries, or heavy spreadsheet models will benefit from the 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 32 threads.

Content creators working with video will appreciate the CPU’s Passmark data compression score of 510258 and encryption score of 30805. These figures indicate fast archival, backup, and secure file operations. The GPU’s 16 RT cores and 2048 shading units provide hardware-accelerated ray tracing for preview renders, though final frame output will be slower than the CPU’s encoding throughput.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The Arc A550M’s 8.397 TFLOPS and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth can push high frame rates at 1080p in esports titles, but the lack of measured FPS data means expectations should be tempered. The CPU’s 5.50 GHz boost clock ensures minimal frame pacing issues.

Streaming: The CPU’s 24 cores provide ample headroom for software encoding while gaming. The Passmark floating point math score of 105553 indicates strong video processing capability, though the GPU’s end-of-life status may limit encoder optimizations.

Video editing: The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28681 accelerates timeline rendering and export. The GPU’s 16.79 TFLOPS of FP16 performance supports accelerated effects processing, though the 8 GB memory may limit the complexity of projects.

3D rendering: The CPU will dominate scene preparation and physics simulation, while the GPU’s 16 RT cores handle ray-traced previews. Final renders in GPU-based engines will be slower than the CPU’s compute throughput suggests.

Software development: The Passmark multithread score of 41614 and 32 threads allow parallel compilation of large projects. The 36 MB L3 cache reduces memory latency for iterative builds, and the ECC memory support improves stability for long-running test suites.

Student and office work: Single-thread performance of 3899 in Passmark makes everyday applications feel responsive, but this configuration is overkill for such tasks. The 55 W TDP and 60 W GPU TDP will require a robust cooling solution in the laptop chassis.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this CPU and GPU combination. All frame rate figures presented here are estimates derived from the benchmark scores. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 49737 and 86th percentile ranking suggest 1080p gaming at high settings is achievable in most titles, with frame rates roughly comparable to the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, which the Arc A550M leads by 2.6 percent.

At 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance will not be a limiting factor in most games. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 1102 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2096 indicate strong per-core performance, capable of feeding the GPU in CPU-bound titles. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth should handle 1080p textures without issue.

At 1440p, the GPU will become the primary constraint. The 128-bit memory bus and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest by modern standards, and the 8.397 TFLOPS of FP32 compute will struggle with demanding titles at higher resolutions. Players should expect to reduce settings to medium or high to maintain playable frame rates.

At 4K, this pairing is not recommended for gaming. The GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute throughput are insufficient for smooth 4K gameplay in AAA titles. The CPU’s performance would not be the bottleneck, but the GPU would hold frame rates well below acceptable levels.

Ray tracing performance will be limited by the 16 RT cores and the GPU’s overall compute capacity. Titles with heavy ray-traced effects will see significant frame rate drops, and DLSS-style upscaling is not available since this is an Intel GPU.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i9-13950HX is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. The die size is 257 mm², and it uses the Intel BGA 1964 socket, confirming its mobile-only design.

The cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. This large L3 cache is beneficial for workloads that repeatedly access the same data, such as database queries and virtual machine hosting. The memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus provides flexibility for system builders, though the lack of a listed memory bandwidth figure makes direct comparison difficult.

The benchmark results paint a picture of a CPU that excels in both single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28681 is the highest among the listed benchmarks, and the Passmark multithread score of 41614 confirms this strength. The Passmark integer math score of 147091 and floating point math score of 105553 indicate balanced ALU and FPU performance.

The CPU’s nearest rivals are all within 0.5 percent of its average score, making it effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385, Intel Core i5-13600, Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, and AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D. This is notable because the i9-13950HX is a mobile processor competing directly with desktop chips, showcasing the maturity of Raptor Lake-HX.

The production status is listed as active, with a release date of January 3, 2023. The launch MSRP is $590. The multiplier is unlocked, allowing overclocking on supported laptops, though thermal constraints will likely limit practical gains.

Build Overview

This is a laptop-class build combining the Intel Core i9-13950HX with the Intel Arc A550M. The combined percentile of 87 places it in the upper tier of mobile systems, though not at the absolute top. The CPU’s 88th percentile and GPU’s 86th percentile are closely aligned, creating a balanced platform for productivity with a slight CPU bias.

The build class is explicitly listed as laptop, meaning the components are soldered or socketed in a mobile chassis. The CPU’s 55 W TDP and GPU’s 60 W TDP combine for a 115 W thermal envelope, which is manageable in larger gaming or workstation laptops but will require robust cooling solutions.

The Arc A550M is marked as end-of-life, which is a consideration for long-term support. The CPU is still in active production, so the pairing is viable for current purchases, but the GPU’s lifecycle status may affect driver updates and game optimizations over time.

This configuration sits above typical mid-range laptops but below flagship desktop replacements. The CPU is the standout component, offering desktop-tier multi-threaded performance. The GPU is competitive with several desktop cards from previous generations, making this a capable all-around system for users who need both compute and graphics power in a portable form factor.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A550M is based on the DG2-512 chip, using the Xe-HPG architecture on TSMC’s 6 nm process. The chip contains 21,700 million transistors on a 406 mm² die, with a transistor density of 53.4 million per mm². The base clock is 900 MHz, boosting to 2050 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

The memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is the most significant limitation of the GPU, as the narrow bus width restricts memory throughput compared to wider designs. The 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units provide a pixel rate of 131.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 262.4 GTexel/s.

Compute performance is rated at 8.397 TFLOPS for FP32 and 16.79 TFLOPS for FP16 with a 2:1 ratio. The 16 ray tracing cores provide hardware acceleration for ray-traced effects, and the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface ensures adequate bandwidth for CPU communication.

The Geekbench OpenCL score of 49894 and Vulkan score of 49580 are nearly identical, indicating consistent performance across different compute APIs. The average benchmark score of 49737 places it at the 86th percentile, with the nearest rivals being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (0.4 percent ahead), AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (0.5 percent ahead), AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (2.4 percent ahead), and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (2.6 percent behind).

For rendering workloads, the FP32 compute of 8.397 TFLOPS is adequate for 1080p gaming and light 3D work, but the 224.0 GB/s bandwidth will limit high-resolution texture streaming and complex scenes. The FP16 performance of 16.79 TFLOPS is useful for AI-accelerated workloads, though the lack of dedicated tensor cores means this is achieved through general-purpose shaders. The GPU’s end-of-life status is a consideration for future driver support, but current performance is competitive with several desktop GPUs from previous generations.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i9-13950HX + Intel Arc A550M

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i9-13950HX

Intel Arc A550M

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

Balance and Bottleneck

Benchmark Performance

FAQ

Who Should Build It

Usage Scenarios

Gaming Performance

CPU Analysis

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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