SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060

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

92 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 8% 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
91%
VS
GPU
93%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 225

36,938 Benchmark Score
Top 9% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060

26,331 Benchmark Score
Top 7% 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 Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 form a desktop pairing that targets the middle of the performance spectrum. The CPU, built on Intel's Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process, delivers strong single-threaded performance, while the GPU, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, provides capable 1080p and 1440p gaming. This analysis examines the benchmark data to determine the strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases for this combination.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-S architecture. It operates at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boosts up to 4.90 GHz, which is a substantial frequency range for handling both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded tasks. The chip is manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors packed into a 243 mm² die. Cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 cache.

Benchmark results show a processor that excels in single-threaded workloads. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 3,655 points in the single-core test, while the multi-core test yields 25,891 points. This single-core strength is further evidenced by a PassMark single-thread score of 4,412. The multi-core performance is respectable but not class-leading, with a Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 6,317 and a PassMark multithread score of 30,459.

The CPU's integer and floating-point performance are solid for general productivity. PassMark integer math scores 65,345, while floating-point math reaches 92,038. Data compression and encryption workloads show scores of 302,811 and 22,285, respectively. The extended instructions test scores 27,162, indicating strong support for modern instruction sets. The processor's average benchmark score is 36,938, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, which is a strong showing for a mid-range desktop part.

Comparing to nearest rivals, the Ultra 5 225 sits within a very tight performance band. It is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which has an average score of 36,945, a delta of 0%. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% slower, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is 0.4% slower, and the Intel Core i9-12900T is 0.5% slower. This clustering indicates that the Ultra 5 225 is a well-positioned competitor in its segment, with no significant performance gap to its direct rivals.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Ultra 5 225 uses the Intel Socket 1851, which is specific to the Core Ultra Series 2 desktop processors. This socket supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The CPU provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which is ample for a high-end graphics card and a fast NVMe SSD. The platform does not support ECC memory, which is typical for consumer desktop builds.

The CPU has a TDP of 65 W, which is modest for a 10-core processor. This makes it suitable for a wide range of air coolers and mid-range motherboards. The system's power supply requirement is dictated primarily by the GPU, which has a 145 W TDP and a suggested PSU rating of 300 W. This is a low total system power draw, allowing for a compact and efficient build.

For a sensible next upgrade, users could consider a higher-tier Core Ultra 5 or Core Ultra 7 processor on the same Socket 1851, provided the motherboard supports it. The GPU could be upgraded to a higher-end GeForce 50-series card, though the PCIe 5.0 x8 interface on the RTX 5060 means there is headroom for a faster card. The 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 5060 is a potential limiting factor at higher resolutions, so a GPU with more memory would be a logical future upgrade path.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,655) pairs well with the GPU to deliver high frame rates in esports titles. Data shows 434 FPS in CS:GO at 1080p and 450 FPS in Valorant at 1080p, making this build ideal for 144Hz or even 240Hz monitors in competitive games.

Streaming: The 10-core, 10-thread configuration provides enough processing headroom for game capture and encoding. The PassMark multithread score of 30,459 indicates solid multi-tasking capability. The GPU's NVENC encoder, part of the Blackwell architecture, can offload encoding tasks, though specific encoding benchmarks are not in the data.

Video editing: The CPU's multi-core performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25,891) is sufficient for 1080p and some 1440p video editing. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 19.18 TFLOPS FP32 performance help with effects and rendering, though large 4K projects may strain the memory capacity. The data indicates a capable mid-range editing machine.

3D rendering: The CPU's 20 MB of L3 cache and 10 cores provide decent performance for CPU-based rendering. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3,628 suggests it can handle real-time viewport rendering, but the 8 GB VRAM may limit complex scenes. The FP32 throughput of 19.18 TFLOPS supports moderate GPU rendering workloads.

Software development: The PassMark data compression score of 302,811 and encryption score of 22,285 indicate fast compile times and secure data handling. The single-thread performance (4,412 on PassMark) is excellent for code editing and incremental builds. The 65 W TDP allows for a quiet workstation environment.

Student and office work: The 10 threads and 3.30 GHz base clock handle office suites and web browsing with ease. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU provides a backup display output. The modest power draw (65 W CPU, 145 W GPU) keeps electricity costs low, and the 300 W suggested PSU allows for a compact, energy-efficient build.

Balance and Bottleneck

The benchmark data reveals a balanced pairing where the CPU and GPU complement each other, but with some workload-specific bottlenecks. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking is higher than the GPU's 72nd percentile, indicating the CPU is relatively stronger. This suggests the GPU is more likely to be the limiting factor in gaming scenarios.

In gaming, the GPU's performance at 1080p is generally strong, as seen in titles like Counter-Strike 2 (196 FPS) and Fortnite (94 FPS). However, at 1440p, frame rates drop significantly in demanding titles: Cyberpunk 2077 falls from 58 FPS at 1080p to 43 FPS at 1440p. At 4K, the GPU struggles, with Cyberpunk 2077 at 29 FPS and Red Dead Redemption 2 at 26 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a contributing factor at higher resolutions.

The CPU can keep up with the GPU in most games, as evidenced by high frame rates in CPU-bound titles. In Valorant, the 307 FPS at 4K suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck even at high resolutions. However, in heavily multi-threaded workloads, the 10 threads may become a limitation compared to CPUs with more threads. The PassMark physics score of 2,342 is moderate, indicating that physics-heavy games may see CPU bottlenecks.

The average FPS across all tested games is 126.9, with a pair rank of 1,719 out of 3,732 pairs. This places the system in the 46th percentile of all tested pairs, which is slightly below the combined percentile of 79. This discrepancy suggests that while individual components are strong, the pairing may not always achieve the highest frame rates due to the GPU's memory and bandwidth constraints.

Who Should Build It

Gamers at 1080p and 1440p: This system is ideal for gamers who play at 1080p or 1440p. Data shows excellent performance in esports titles (450 FPS in Valorant at 1080p) and playable frame rates in AAA games (58 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p). At 1440p, most games achieve 60+ FPS, though demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 (43 FPS) may require settings adjustments.

Content creators: The CPU's strong single-thread performance and 10 cores make it suitable for photo editing and light video editing. The GPU's 19.18 TFLOPS FP32 performance supports GPU-accelerated effects. The 8 GB VRAM is adequate for 1080p and 1440p projects but may be limiting for 4K work.

Developers: The fast single-thread performance (4,412 PassMark) and data compression score (302,811) make this a responsive machine for code compilation and testing. The 65 W CPU TDP allows for a quiet office environment.

Students: The low power draw (65 W CPU, 145 W GPU, 300 W PSU) makes this an economical choice for a dorm room. The performance handles all academic workloads, from research to presentations.

Small business workstations: The 10-core CPU and 20 MB L3 cache provide reliable performance for office applications, data analysis, and light database work. The GPU can accelerate spreadsheet calculations and visualization tasks. The platform's DDR5 memory support ensures fast data access.

Gaming Performance

The measured FPS data at ultra settings provides a clear picture of gaming performance. At 1920x1080, the system delivers high frame rates in most titles. Esports games perform exceptionally: Valorant hits 450 FPS, CS:GO reaches 434 FPS, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege achieves 234 FPS. Popular multiplayer games also run well, with Call of Duty: Warzone at 172 FPS and Fortnite at 94 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance remains playable but drops noticeably. Valorant still excels at 384 FPS, and CS:GO maintains 299 FPS. However, more demanding titles see significant reductions: Cyberpunk 2077 drops to 43 FPS, Red Dead Redemption 2 to 39 FPS, and Ark: Survival Ascended to 18 FPS. The GPU's 448 GB/s memory bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM become limiting factors at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles with modern AAA games. Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 29 FPS, Red Dead Redemption 2 at 26 FPS, and Ark: Survival Ascended at 9 FPS. Lighter titles remain playable, with Valorant at 307 FPS and Roblox at 96 FPS. The 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB VRAM clearly cap performance at 4K.

The average FPS across all games and resolutions is 126.9, with a pair rank of 1,719 out of 3,732. This indicates that while the system is not top-tier, it provides a solid gaming experience for the majority of users.

FAQ

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

A: The Ultra 5 225 scores 3,655 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Its overall average benchmark score of 36,938 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36,945, 0% delta) and slightly ahead of the Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018, -0.2% delta).

Q: Does the GPU support the latest graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the RTX 5060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. It also has 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores for ray tracing and AI workloads.

Q: What is the total system power requirement?

A: The CPU has a 65 W TDP and the GPU has a 145 W TDP. The suggested PSU for the system is 300 W, which is relatively low for a desktop gaming PC.

Q: At what resolution does the system perform best?

A: The data shows the best performance at 1920x1080, where most games exceed 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, performance is still playable but drops in demanding titles. At 3840x2160, the system struggles with modern AAA games.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-thread performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The CPU's average score is 36,938, which is 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018) and 0.5% slower than the Intel Core i9-12900T (37,112). It is tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The RTX 5060 has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 1750 MHz, effective 28 Gbps.

Q: Is the CPU multiplier unlocked for overclocking?

A: No, the multiplier is locked (multiplierUnlocked: false). Users cannot overclock the CPU multiplier, though BCLK overclocking may be possible on some motherboards.

Build Overview

This is a desktop build (buildClass: "desktop") combining the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 processor with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 graphics card. The CPU is part of the Core Ultra Series 2, using the Arrow Lake architecture on a 3 nm process. The GPU is from the GeForce 50-series, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture on a 5 nm process.

The combined percentile ranking is 79, indicating this system outperforms 79% of all tested CPU-GPU pairs. The individual components rank at the 85th percentile (CPU) and 72nd percentile (GPU), showing a well-matched pairing with the CPU being slightly stronger. The average benchmark score for the CPU is 36,938, while the GPU's average is 26,331.

This system is positioned in the upper-mid range of desktop builds. It is designed for gamers at 1080p and 1440p, content creators working with 1080p and 1440p media, and users seeking a balanced workstation for productivity tasks. The low power draw (65 W CPU, 145 W GPU) makes it suitable for compact and efficient builds.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU's benchmark scores are consistent across different test suites. In Cinebench R15, it scores 2,609 multi-core and 368 single-core. In R20, scores are 6,317 multi-core and 891 single-core. In R23, the multi-core score is 25,891 and single-core is 3,655. These scores indicate a processor that is roughly 3.5x faster in multi-core than single-core, which is typical for a 10-core part.

The GPU's benchmark scores show its capabilities. In 3DMark Steel Nomad (DX12), it scores 3,628. Geekbench results show 112,787 in OpenCL and 113,321 in Vulkan. PassMark scores include 20,891 in G3D and 10,899 in GPU compute. The GPU's average benchmark score is 26,331, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs.

The combined picture shows a CPU that is strong in both single and multi-threaded tasks, and a GPU that is capable but not exceptional. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking is higher than the GPU's 72nd percentile, suggesting the CPU can handle more demanding workloads than the GPU can feed. This is reflected in the gaming data, where the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and uses the GB206 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The chip contains 21,900 million transistors on a 181 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 121.0M per mm². The GPU has 3,840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units.

Memory configuration consists of 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 1750 MHz, effective 28 Gbps. The base clock is 2,280 MHz with a boost clock of 2,497 MHz. The GPU features 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores, supporting ray tracing and AI acceleration.

Compute performance is rated at 19.18 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio). Pixel rate is 119.9 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 299.6 GTexel/s. The GPU has a 145 W TDP and requires a single 8-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 300 W. The card is dual-slot, measuring 241 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width.

Benchmark results show the GPU's capabilities. In PassMark G3D, it scores 20,891, which is 1.2% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (26,011). It is 0.8% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26,553). The GPU's average benchmark score of 26,331 places it in the 72nd percentile. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3,628 indicates solid DX12 performance. The 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are the primary limitations for high-resolution gaming, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops at 4K in the measured data.