SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + Intel Arc B580

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

93 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 7% 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
92%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 235

46,062 Benchmark Score
Top 7% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc B580

23,021 Benchmark Score
Top 8% 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 5 235 and Intel Arc B580 form a modern desktop pairing built around Intel’s Arrow Lake architecture and Battlemage graphics. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, lands in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Together, they achieve a combined percentile of 79, placing this build firmly in the upper-midrange tier of desktop systems. This analysis examines the data to understand what this pairing offers, where its strengths lie, and which users it serves best.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The foundation of this build is the Intel Socket 1851, which is the platform for the Core Ultra Series 2 processors. The Core Ultra 5 235 is based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. The platform supports dual-channel DDR5 memory, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This is a modern memory standard, ensuring the system is not held back by older, slower memory technologies. The CPU provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, offering high-bandwidth connectivity for current and future storage devices and expansion cards. It is important to note that this CPU does not support ECC memory, which is a consideration for users who require error-correcting memory for mission-critical workloads.

The power delivery requirements are modest for this pairing. The CPU has a 65W TDP, and the GPU has a 190W TDP. The suggested PSU for the graphics card is 450 W, which indicates a system with this CPU and GPU will not demand an exceptionally high-wattage power supply. The Arc B580 requires a single 8-pin power connector and occupies a dual-slot width, making it compatible with a wide range of cases. The GPU is 272 mm long, a standard size for a dual-slot card.

Looking at a sensible next upgrade path, the data suggests the CPU has significant headroom. Its benchmark scores are closely matched with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, Intel Core i9-13900HX, AMD EPYC 4364P, and AMD EPYC 7303, with deltaPct values of 0.1%, -0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.2% respectively. This indicates the Ultra 5 235 is a well-balanced processor that will not easily become the primary bottleneck. A logical future upgrade would be to a higher-tier GPU, as the Arc B580’s 68th percentile is the lower-performing component of the two. The PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU ensure that a future, more powerful graphics card will have ample bandwidth. The 450 W suggested PSU provides a baseline, but a future GPU upgrade would likely necessitate a more powerful power supply.

Balance and Bottleneck

The data reveals a clear imbalance in this pairing, with the CPU being the stronger component relative to its peers. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel Arc B580 is in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. This 21-percentile-point gap indicates that in many workloads, particularly gaming, the GPU will be the limiting factor. The CPU has the processing power to feed the GPU with data, but the GPU’s rendering capacity will cap the final frame rate.

This is most evident when examining the measured FPS data. At 1080p, the system achieves playable frame rates in many titles, but the GPU is often the constraint. For example, in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1920x1080, the system produces 44 FPS. At 2560x1440, this drops to 33 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls to 22 FPS. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing resolution puts more strain on the graphics card. The CPU's single-core performance, as indicated by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and Passmark single-thread score of 4516, is strong, meaning it will not hold back the GPU in most gaming scenarios.

However, in CPU-intensive workloads, the balance shifts. The CPU’s multi-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and Passmark multithread score of 37816, is robust. In tasks like video editing or 3D rendering, the CPU will be the primary workhorse, and the GPU will contribute where it can. The Arc B580’s compute capabilities, with an FP32 performance of 13.67 TFLOPS and a Passmark GPU compute score of 7729, are respectable but not class-leading. The data suggests the system is well-balanced for general productivity but is clearly GPU-limited in high-resolution gaming.

Gaming Performance

The measured FPS data, which is confirmed as measured and not estimated, provides a detailed picture of gaming performance. The system excels in esports titles. In Valorant at 1920x1080, it achieves 344 FPS, and at 2560x1440, it hits 293 FPS, showcasing its ability to drive high-refresh-rate monitors in competitive shooters. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is similarly impressive with 332 FPS at 1080p. Call of Duty: Warzone also performs well, with 176 FPS at 1080p and 156 FPS at 1440p.

For AAA titles, performance is more variable. At 1080p, the system delivers playable frame rates in many games. For instance, Assetto Corsa runs at 89 FPS, and Control runs at 62 FPS. However, demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 (44 FPS) and Red Dead Redemption 2 (40 FPS) at 1080p show the limits of the Arc B580. At 1440p, performance often dips below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, with Cyberpunk 2077 at 33 FPS and Red Dead Redemption 2 at 30 FPS. At 4K, the system is generally not suitable for demanding AAA games, with many titles falling into the 20-30 FPS range, such as Ark: Survival Ascended at 7 FPS and The Medium at 21 FPS.

The data indicates a clear resolution hierarchy. At 1080p, the system is a competent gaming machine, capable of high frame rates in esports and playable frame rates in most AAA titles. At 1440p, it is best suited for esports and less demanding games. At 4K, it is only viable for older or less graphically intensive titles. The 12 GB of VRAM is a significant asset, preventing memory-related stuttering in modern games at 1080p and 1440p.

Who Should Build It

This desktop build is targeted at users who prioritize CPU performance and play games primarily at 1080p. The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking makes it an excellent choice for content creators, software developers, and students who need a powerful processor for multitasking, compiling code, or running virtual machines. The Passmark data on data compression (390711) and encryption (29293) suggests strong performance in file archiving and security-related tasks.

For gamers, this is a 1080p-focused system. It provides high frame rates in competitive titles like Valorant and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and can handle most AAA games at 1080p with medium-to-high settings. It is not the right choice for 4K gaming. The GPU’s 68th percentile ranking means it is a mid-range graphics card, and its performance at 4K is limited.

Small business workstations would benefit from the CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities for office applications, data analysis, and light rendering. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 indicates it can handle demanding productivity suites. The build is not suited for professional 3D rendering or AI training workloads, where a higher-tier GPU would be necessary. The data suggests this is a versatile system for a power user who spends more time computing than gaming at high resolutions.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: This system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p. In esports titles, the frame rates are exceptional, with Valorant reaching 344 FPS and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive achieving 332 FPS. The CPU’s strong single-core performance ensures high minimum frame rates, providing a smooth and responsive experience.

Streaming: The CPU is powerful enough to handle game capture and encoding simultaneously. Its multi-threaded performance, with a Passmark multithread score of 37816, allows for software encoding without severely impacting game performance. The 14 cores and 14 threads provide ample headroom for streaming software, though a dedicated encoder would be more efficient.

Video editing: The combination of a strong CPU and a GPU with 12 GB of VRAM makes this a capable video editing system. The CPU excels in timeline operations and rendering, while the GPU can assist with effects and color grading. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 suggests good performance in 4K video export tasks.

3D rendering: The CPU is the primary driver for CPU-based rendering, and its Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 6202 indicates solid performance in such workloads. For GPU-accelerated rendering, the Arc B580’s 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 performance is helpful but not top-tier. This system can handle occasional rendering tasks but is not a professional render farm.

Software development: The CPU’s high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085) and multi-core capabilities make it excellent for compiling code, running tests, and managing containers. The Passmark integer math score of 87948 indicates strong performance in general-purpose computing tasks.

Student and office work: For everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and spreadsheets, this system is overkill, but it provides a smooth and responsive experience. The CPU’s Passmark single-thread score of 4516 ensures snappy application launches. The integrated graphics can handle display output for office work, though the discrete GPU is available for more demanding tasks.

FAQ

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

A: The combined percentile for this desktop build is 79, placing it above the majority of systems in the database.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 compare to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375’s score of 46030.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the system?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

Q: How much VRAM does the Intel Arc B580 have?

A: The Intel Arc B580 comes with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the suggested power supply wattage for this graphics card?

A: The suggested PSU for the Intel Arc B580 is 450 W.

Q: Does this CPU support ECC memory?

A: No, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 does not support ECC memory.

Q: What is the gaming performance in Call of Duty: Warzone at 2560x1440?

A: The measured FPS for Call of Duty: Warzone at 2560x1440 is 156 FPS.

Benchmark Performance

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 demonstrates strong benchmark results. Its average benchmark score is 46062, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. This performance closely rivals the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, which scores 46030 (0.1% lower), and the Intel Core i9-13900HX, which scores 46098 (0.1% higher). The CPU’s multi-core strengths are highlighted by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and its Passmark multithread score of 37816. Single-core performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4516.

The Intel Arc B580’s average benchmark score is 23021, putting it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. This places it in a competitive position against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, which scores 22895 (0.6% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, which scores 23172 (0.7% higher). The GPU achieves a Passmark G3D score of 15748 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068. Its compute performance is notable, with a Geekbench OpenCL score of 92821 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 109672.

The combined benchmark picture shows a CPU that is significantly stronger relative to its peers than the GPU. The CPU’s 89th percentile rank versus the GPU’s 68th percentile rank indicates that the processor is the higher-performing component. The system's pair rank by FPS is 2838 out of 3732 pairs, with an average FPS across all measured games of 98. This confirms that while the individual CPU is top-tier, the overall gaming performance is moderate due to the GPU’s mid-range classification.

Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build, as indicated by the buildClass field. The pairing consists of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, a 14-core processor from the Arrow Lake generation, and the Intel Arc B580, a discrete graphics card based on the Xe2-HPG architecture. The combined percentile of 79 places this system in the upper-midrange tier of all builds in the database. This is a balanced system for productivity and 1080p gaming, with the CPU being the standout component based on its benchmark scores.

The system is designed for users who need a powerful CPU for work and a capable GPU for gaming. The CPU’s performance is comparable to high-end laptop processors and some server chips, while the GPU’s performance aligns with previous-generation high-end graphics cards. The 12 GB of VRAM on the GPU is a forward-looking feature that provides more memory than many rivals in its class, which is beneficial for higher-resolution textures and future game releases. The build is a versatile workhorse that prioritizes compute performance over raw gaming frame rates.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It is manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC, featuring 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The CPU has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 65W TDP. It supports dual-channel DDR5 memory and provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

Benchmark results show this is a top-tier CPU for its class. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. This is a strong result for multi-threaded workloads like video encoding and 3D rendering. The single-core performance is equally impressive, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085, ensuring snappy response in everyday tasks and gaming. The Passmark scores reinforce this, with a multithread score of 37816 and a single-thread score of 4516.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and a 24 MB shared L3 cache. This large cache helps to reduce memory latency and improve performance in data-intensive applications. The Passmark data on extended instructions (32752) and floating-point math (117951) indicates strong computational throughput. This is a processor that can handle demanding workloads without breaking a sweat, making it an excellent foundation for a high-performance desktop system.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc B580 is a discrete graphics card based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, codenamed Battlemage. It is built on a 5 nm process by TSMC, with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. The GPU features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. It has 20 dedicated ray tracing cores, which support hardware-accelerated ray tracing effects in games. The card operates at a base and boost clock of 2670 MHz.

The GPU is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. This is a significant amount of VRAM for a mid-range card, which is beneficial for modern games with high-resolution textures. The card has a 190W TDP and requires a 450W PSU, indicating moderate power requirements.

Benchmark results place the Arc B580 in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its Passmark G3D score is 15748, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3068. The GPU’s compute performance is strong, with an FP32 performance of 13.67 TFLOPS and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 92821. This makes it suitable for GPU-accelerated tasks like video encoding and some light rendering. The pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s are respectable, and its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) ensures compatibility with the latest graphics features. The card’s performance is comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, based on the nearestRivals data, making it a solid performer for 1080p and 1440p gaming.