SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 228V + Intel Arc A550M

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

91 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 9% 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
85%
VS
GPU
96%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 228V

21,440 Benchmark Score
Top 15% 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
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 228V and Intel Arc A550M form a laptop pairing that sits in the 81st combined percentile, placing it above most mobile systems. The data shows a configuration where the CPU and GPU are closely matched in overall capability, but their individual strengths target different types of workloads. The processor delivers strong single-threaded performance and efficient multi-threading, while the graphics solution offers high rasterization throughput and advanced feature support, making this a versatile, if not top-tier, mobile platform.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 228V is an 8-core, 8-thread processor based on the Lunar Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and can boost up to 4.50 GHz, all within a 17 W TDP envelope. This low power draw, combined with the mobile BGA 2833 socket, indicates a design focused on efficiency and sustained performance in thin-and-light laptops rather than raw multi-core throughput.

Benchmark results confirm this positioning. The CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 9932 and a single-core score of 1758. The single-core result is particularly strong, reflecting the architecture’s high IPC and the 4.50 GHz boost clock. The multi-core score is respectable for an 8-thread part, but the data suggests that the processor's real advantage lies in responsiveness and lightly-threaded tasks. The Passmark single-thread score of 3836 reinforces this, placing the CPU in a strong position for everyday applications and gaming logic.

In terms of overall average benchmark score, the Ultra 5 228V reaches 21440, which places it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals show a tight cluster of performance: it is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900H, 0.9% behind the Intel Xeon D-1746TER, and 1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9454. This grouping is notable because it places a modern, efficient laptop chip alongside older desktop and server parts, indicating that the Ultra 5 228V offers comparable overall compute capability despite its mobile pedigree and lower power draw.

The cache hierarchy consists of 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. While this L3 amount is modest by desktop standards, it is sufficient for the target workload. The processor supports dual-channel memory, though the specific type depends on the motherboard, and features PCIe Gen 5 with 4 lanes for CPU-attached devices. The integrated Arc 130V GPU provides a baseline graphics capability, but the primary graphics workload in this build is handled by the discrete Arc A550M.

Balance and Bottleneck

The data indicates a well-balanced pairing for most workloads. The CPU's 75th percentile and the GPU's 86th percentile show that the graphics component is a stronger performer relative to its peers than the processor is. This means that in graphics-intensive scenarios, the GPU will likely be the primary driver of performance, while the CPU provides sufficient support without being a major constraint. The combined percentile of 81 reflects this synergy.

However, the balance shifts depending on the workload type. The CPU's Passmark scores show strong data compression at 173924 and floating-point math at 53310, but a relatively lower integer math score of 39679. This suggests that the CPU is well-suited for tasks like file compression and scientific calculations, but may be less dominant in integer-heavy workloads. The processor's physics score of 1538 is a weaker point, which could indicate a potential bottleneck in complex physics simulations within games, though the strong single-thread score helps mitigate this in most gaming scenarios.

For gaming, the CPU's single-thread performance is the critical factor. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1758 and the Passmark single-thread score of 3836 are strong figures that should prevent the CPU from bottlenecking the GPU in most titles. The GPU's 86th percentile suggests it can push high frame rates, and the CPU should be able to keep up with the frame pacing and game logic. In contrast, for CPU-bound tasks like video encoding or 3D rendering, the 8-thread configuration and the 9932 Cinebench R23 multi-core score will be the limiting factor, as the GPU is not utilized in these scenarios.

Benchmark Performance

The Intel Core Ultra 5 228V delivers a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 9932 and a single-core score of 1758. In older Cinebench versions, it scores 6491 multi-core and 916 single-core on R20, and 1502.5 multi-core and 267 single-core on R15. These scores show a consistent scaling pattern across benchmark versions, confirming the processor's performance profile. The Passmark suite shows a multi-thread score of 18227 and a single-thread score of 3836, with specific sub-tests highlighting strengths in data compression (173924), floating-point math (53310), and extended instructions (14801), while integer math (39679) and prime number finding (168) are comparatively lower.

The Intel Arc A550M GPU scores 49894 in Geekbench OpenCL and 49580 in Vulkan, giving it an average benchmark score of 49737. This places the GPU in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, which scores 49957, putting the Arc A550M just 0.4% behind. It is also 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, 2.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, and 2.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT. This places the Arc A550M in a performance tier comparable to high-end desktop graphics cards from previous generations, which is impressive for a mobile part.

The combined picture shows a laptop that is strong in graphics performance relative to its CPU. The GPU's near-parity with the RTX 5070 Ti in compute benchmarks suggests it can handle demanding rendering tasks, while the CPU's solid single-thread and adequate multi-thread scores ensure a responsive system. The 81st combined percentile indicates that this pairing outperforms the majority of laptop configurations available in the market.

Who Should Build It

The data suggests this pairing is ideal for gamers who prioritize high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming. The GPU's 86th percentile and its proximity to desktop-class rivals indicate it can deliver high frame rates in most titles, while the CPU's strong single-thread score ensures that frame times remain consistent. Gamers at 1440p will also find this to be a capable configuration, though the GPU will be pushed harder, and the CPU's advantage becomes less critical.

Content creators engaged in video editing will benefit from the CPU's strong data compression score of 173924 and the GPU's compute performance, which can accelerate effects and rendering. However, for 3D rendering tasks that rely heavily on multi-core CPUs, the 8-thread Ultra 5 228V may be a limiting factor, and the GPU's 8.397 TFLOPS FP32 performance will be the primary engine for GPU-accelerated renderers.

Software developers will find the single-threaded performance of 3836 in Passmark beneficial for compilation tasks, which are often single-threaded, and the extended instructions score of 14801 supports modern code. Students and small business users performing office work, web browsing, and light multitasking will find this configuration more than sufficient, with the CPU's efficiency ensuring long battery life and the GPU providing headroom for any occasional graphics-accelerated tasks.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V compare to its nearest rivals in overall CPU performance?

A: The Ultra 5 228V has an average benchmark score of 21440. It is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900H, 0.9% behind the Intel Xeon D-1746TER, and 1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9454.

Q: What is the performance tier of the Intel Arc A550M GPU?

A: The Arc A550M is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 49737. It is 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and 2.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the stronger component in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the stronger component relative to its peers. The GPU is in the 86th percentile, while the CPU is in the 75th percentile, indicating that the graphics solution is a more significant performance driver.

Q: Does this CPU support multi-threading?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 228V has 8 cores and 8 threads, meaning it does not support simultaneous multi-threading (SMT). Each core handles one thread.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the GPU?

A: The Intel Arc A550M has a 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the power consumption of the CPU and GPU?

A: The CPU has a TDP of 17 W, and the GPU has a TDP of 60 W.

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

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V and Intel Arc A550M is in the 81st combined percentile.

Usage Scenarios

High-Refresh Gaming: The GPU's 86th percentile and its compute parity with the RTX 5070 Ti suggest it can drive high frame rates at 1080p, while the CPU's single-thread score of 3836 ensures low latency and consistent frame pacing. This pairing is well-suited for competitive and fast-paced titles.

Streaming: The CPU's multi-thread score of 18227 in Passmark can handle the encoding overhead of a stream, and the GPU's 16 RT cores and dedicated hardware can offload the encoding process. The strong single-thread performance helps maintain game performance while streaming.

Video Editing: The CPU's data compression score of 173924 aids in file handling and project organization, while the GPU's 8.397 TFLOPS FP32 performance accelerates effects, transitions, and timeline rendering in software that supports GPU acceleration.

3D Rendering: The GPU is the primary engine for GPU-accelerated renderers, and its 86th percentile makes it a strong choice. However, for CPU-based rendering, the 8-thread configuration and the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 9932 will result in longer render times compared to higher-core-count desktop processors.

Software Development: The CPU's single-thread performance of 3836 and its extended instructions score of 14801 make it efficient for code compilation, which is often single-threaded. The 8 MB of L3 cache and 2.5 MB of L2 per core provide adequate capacity for code and project data.

Student and Office Work: The efficiency of the 17 W CPU ensures long battery life, and the Passmark single-thread score of 3836 provides a snappy experience for web browsing, document editing, and spreadsheet work. The GPU is more than capable of handling any light graphics tasks or external display outputs.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A550M is based on the Xe-HPG architecture and the DG2-512 chip, manufactured on a 6 nm process by TSMC with 21,700 million transistors on a 406 mm² die. It operates with a base clock of 900 MHz and a boost clock of 2050 MHz. The memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s.

The GPU features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. It also includes 16 ray tracing cores, which are dedicated to hardware-accelerated ray tracing. The pixel rate is 131.2 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 262.4 GTexel/s. Compute performance is rated at 8.397 TFLOPS for FP32 and 16.79 TFLOPS for FP16, with the FP16 rate being 2:1 relative to FP32.

In benchmark tests, the Arc A550M scores 49894 in Geekbench OpenCL and 49580 in Geekbench Vulkan, resulting in an average score of 49737. This places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, which is only 0.4% faster. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with modern games and applications. Its 60 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate it is designed for mobile integration.

For rendering, the high pixel and texture rates suggest the GPU excels at traditional rasterization, delivering high frame rates in games. The 16 RT cores provide entry-level ray tracing capability, allowing for ray-traced effects in supported titles, though performance will be lower than in rasterized mode. The 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the 8 GB VRAM, preventing memory bottlenecks in most gaming scenarios at 1080p and 1440p.

Build Overview

This build pairs the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V mobile processor with the Intel Arc A550M discrete GPU in a laptop form factor. The CPU is a low-power, high-efficiency part from the Lunar Lake architecture, while the GPU is a mid-range mobile solution from the Alchemist generation. The combined percentile is 81, indicating that this configuration outperforms the vast majority of laptop builds in the database.

The pairing represents a balanced mobile gaming and content-creation platform. The CPU provides strong single-threaded performance and sufficient multi-threading for everyday tasks, while the GPU delivers desktop-class graphics performance. The 86th percentile GPU is the standout component, offering compute performance comparable to high-end desktop cards from previous generations. The 17 W CPU TDP and 60 W GPU TDP suggest a system that balances performance with thermal and power constraints, making it suitable for a range of laptop chassis.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS rows exist for this exact combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 228V and Intel Arc A550M. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFps data for this pairing. All FPS figures discussed here are estimates based on the benchmark scores and the relative performance of the components.

Based on the GPU's 86th percentile and its compute parity with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, this configuration is expected to deliver high frame rates at 1080p with ultra settings in most modern games. The CPU's single-thread score of 3836 is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in most titles. At 1440p, the GPU will be the primary performance driver, and users can expect playable frame rates, though they may need to adjust some settings for the most demanding games. The 8 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p textures, but may be a limitation at higher resolutions or with heavy texture mods. The presence of 16 RT cores enables ray tracing, but it is estimated that enabling ray tracing will significantly reduce frame rates, making it more suitable for less demanding titles or lower settings. Overall, the estimated gaming performance is strong for 1080p high-refresh-rate play and solid for 1440p.