SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

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

96 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 4% 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
98%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 235

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

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

79,842 Benchmark Score
Top 2% 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 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a desktop configuration that combines a mid-range Arrow Lake processor with a flagship Blackwell GPU. Measured frame rate data at 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p resolutions shows a pairing that is heavily skewed toward GPU-bound performance, with the CPU providing adequate, but not extraordinary, support for the RTX 5090’s immense rendering capabilities. The data indicates this is a system designed for high-resolution gaming and demanding creative workloads, where the GPU is the dominant performance driver.

Gaming Performance

The measured FPS data at ultra settings reveals a clear performance tier structure across the three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional frame rates in competitive and lighter titles, with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive reaching 812 FPS and Valorant hitting 566 FPS. Counter-Strike 2 achieves 368 FPS, while Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege posts 437 FPS, indicating that esports and fast-paced shooters will run far beyond the refresh rates of most monitors. Heavier AAA titles at 1080p still perform strongly, with Cyberpunk 2077 at 109 FPS, Red Dead Redemption 2 at 99 FPS, and Control at 153 FPS, showing that the RTX 5090 can handle demanding visuals without compromising playability.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down predictably but remain high. Valorant stays extremely fluid at 537 FPS, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive drops to 559 FPS. Call of Duty: Warzone remains competitive at 156 FPS, while Control runs at 116 FPS. The more demanding titles begin to show the GPU’s workload, as Cyberpunk 2077 falls to 81 FPS and Red Dead Redemption 2 to 74 FPS, yet these figures are still well within the range for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but does not compromise the experience for most users.

At 3840x2160, the system’s true 4K capability is tested. Valorant remains playable at 498 FPS, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive still manages 330 FPS, but the heavy titles show significant decline. Cyberpunk 2077 drops to 53 FPS, Red Dead Redemption 2 to 49 FPS, and Control to 78 FPS. Some titles fall below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play, including Ark: Survival Ascended at 18 FPS, The Medium at 51 FPS, and Hitman 2 at 49 FPS. This indicates that while the RTX 5090 is powerful, 4K ultra settings will strain even this flagship GPU in certain titles, and users may need to adjust settings or rely on upscaling for consistent 60 FPS performance.

Balance and Bottleneck

The benchmark results indicate a configuration where the GPU is the clear performance limiter in most scenarios. The RTX 5090 has a percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 sits at the 89th percentile among CPUs. These close percentile ranks suggest a balanced pairing, but the FPS scaling data tells a more nuanced story. The average FPS across all games is 223.9, which is heavily influenced by the high frame rates in esports titles, but the significant drops at 4K resolution demonstrate where the GPU becomes the primary constraint.

In lighter games like Valorant and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the CPU’s single-thread performance is sufficient to feed the GPU, as frame rates remain in the hundreds even at 4K. The CPU’s passmark single-thread score of 4516 supports this, showing strong per-core capability. However, in CPU-intensive titles like Microsoft Flight Simulator, the frame rate drops from 133 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 4K, indicating that while the GPU is still the bottleneck, the CPU’s 14 cores and 14 threads can limit performance in simulation-heavy workloads. The CPU’s lack of hyperthreading, with threads equal to cores, may contribute to this in scenarios that benefit from additional logical processors.

The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the bottleneck shifts between CPU and GPU depending on the title, but at 4K, the GPU is almost always the limiting factor. The RTX 5090’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are ample for high-resolution textures, but the sheer pixel count at 2160p overwhelms even this hardware in demanding games. The CPU’s performance is adequate for the pairing, but users seeking maximum frame rates in CPU-bound titles may find the processor holding back the GPU’s potential.

Usage Scenarios

For high-refresh gaming, this system excels at 1080p and 1440p, with measured frame rates of 368 FPS in Counter-Strike 2 and 437 FPS in Rainbow Six Siege at 1080p, easily surpassing 240 Hz and even 360 Hz monitor capabilities. At 1440p, the same titles still deliver 243 FPS and 286 FPS, respectively, ensuring smooth competitive play.

Streaming is a viable workload for this configuration, as the RTX 5090’s 680 tensor cores can handle encoding tasks without taxing the CPU. The CPU’s passmark data encryption score of 29293 and extended instructions score of 32752 indicate sufficient processing power for concurrent gaming and encoding, though the lack of hyperthreading may limit heavy multitasking.

Video editing benefits from the GPU’s compute capabilities, with a passmark GPU compute score of 26756 and a geekbench OpenCL score of 334370. The CPU’s cinebench R23 multicore score of 14769 supports 4K video timelines, while the 32 GB of VRAM allows for large project files and multiple effects layers without memory constraints.

3D rendering is a strong suit for this pairing, as the RTX 5090’s 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 170 RT cores accelerate both raster and ray-traced workloads. The CPU’s passmark floating point math score of 117951 provides adequate geometry and physics computation, though users with extremely complex scenes may see CPU limitations.

Software development tasks are well-served by the CPU’s 14 cores, which handle compilation and multi-threaded build tools effectively. The passmark multithread score of 37816 and integer math score of 87948 indicate solid performance for code compilation, while the 24 MB of L3 cache reduces latency for frequently accessed data.

Student and office work is handled effortlessly, with the CPU’s single-thread performance of 4516 ensuring snappy application responsiveness. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU provides basic display output for office tasks, though the discrete GPU will handle any graphics-intensive workloads.

Who Should Build It

The primary target for this build is the 1440p and 4K gamer who demands maximum frame rates in AAA titles and high refresh rates in competitive shooters. The measured data shows 81 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p and 53 FPS at 4K, making it suitable for users who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum refresh rates at the highest resolution.

Content creators working with video editing and 3D rendering will find the RTX 5090’s 32 GB of VRAM and high compute scores beneficial for large projects. The CPU’s 14 cores provide sufficient multitasking capability for rendering while running other applications, and the 89th percentile CPU ranking ensures it won’t be the primary bottleneck in most creative workloads.

Developers who build large codebases will appreciate the CPU’s multithread performance, with a passmark multithread score of 37816 that handles parallel compilation tasks. The 24 MB of L3 cache speeds up data access for frequently used libraries and modules.

Students and small business users who require a general-purpose desktop will find this build overkill for basic tasks, but the performance headroom ensures longevity. The CPU’s 65-watt TDP and the GPU’s 575-watt TDP mean power consumption is high, but for users who need a single system for both work and play, this configuration covers all bases without compromise.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is built on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm TSMC process. It features 14 cores and 14 threads, indicating a design without hyperthreading, which is a departure from Intel’s previous mainstream offerings. The base clock is 3.40 GHz, boosting to 5.00 GHz, providing strong single-thread performance as evidenced by the cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and passmark single-thread score of 4516.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. This cache configuration is designed to reduce memory latency, which is critical for gaming and real-time applications. The passmark data compression score of 390711 and random string sorting score of 48980 show strong memory subsystem performance, though the lack of hyperthreading may impact workloads that benefit from additional logical processors.

The CPU integrates Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 24 execution units, providing basic display output and hardware acceleration for video playback. The memory support is limited to DDR5 in dual-channel configuration, with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which is sufficient for most applications but not exceptional. The CPU’s 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes provide high-bandwidth connectivity for the GPU and NVMe storage, ensuring no bottleneck in data transfer.

Benchmark scores place the CPU at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 with a delta of 0.1 percent, and the Intel Core i9-13900HX with a delta of -0.1 percent, showing that the Ultra 5 235 performs on par with high-end mobile and previous-generation desktop processors.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB202 chip manufactured on a 5 nm TSMC process. It packs 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, with a transistor density of 122.9 million per mm². The GPU has 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, providing a massive parallel processing capability.

The memory subsystem is a highlight, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, effective 28 Gbps, which is the fastest available in consumer hardware. This configuration allows for high-resolution textures and large datasets without memory pressure, as seen in the geekbench Vulkan score of 376728.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are extensive, with 170 RT cores for ray tracing and 680 tensor cores for AI and deep learning workloads. The FP32 performance is rated at 104.8 TFLOPS, with FP16 at the same rate (1:1), indicating no half-rate penalty. The pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s, allowing for high fill rates in demanding scenes.

Clock speeds are set at 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost, which is modest for a flagship GPU but compensated by the sheer number of cores. The 575-watt TDP requires a 950-watt power supply, as suggested, and the dual-slot design with a 16-pin power connector fits standard cases. Benchmark scores place the GPU at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with a passmark G3D score of 39650 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18355.

Benchmark Performance

The combined performance picture shows a system ranked at the 91st percentile among all desktop configurations. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 46062, ranking at the 89th percentile, while the GPU’s average score is 79842, ranking at the 92nd percentile. This close alignment in percentiles indicates a well-matched pairing, though the GPU is slightly more capable relative to its peers.

In CPU-specific benchmarks, the cinebench R20 multicore score of 6202 and R15 multicore score of 1488 show solid multi-threaded performance for a 14-core processor. The passmark multithread score of 37816 and physics score of 2570 indicate strong computational throughput, though the CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7303, has a delta of 0.2 percent, showing the Ultra 5 235 is competitive with server-class processors in certain workloads.

The GPU’s benchmark scores are impressive, with a geekbench OpenCL score of 334370 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 18355. The passmark GPU compute score of 26756 demonstrates high compute throughput, while the directX 11 score of 341 and directX 12 score of 185 show strong API performance. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB with a delta of 0.3 percent, indicating the RTX 5090 performs similarly to professional compute cards in some tests.

The average FPS across all games is 223.9, with a pair rank of 72 out of 3732 pairs, placing this configuration in the top 2 percent of tested systems. This high ranking is driven by the GPU’s exceptional performance in most titles, though the CPU’s limitations in certain CPU-bound scenarios prevent it from being the absolute top performer.

FAQ

Q: What is the CPU’s core and thread configuration?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has 14 cores and 14 threads, meaning it does not support hyperthreading, so each core handles one thread.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5090 have, and what type is it?

A: The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

Q: What is the maximum measured frame rate in Counter-Strike 2 at 1080p?

A: The game runs at 368 FPS at 1920x1080 with ultra settings, as measured in the data.

Q: Does the CPU support ECC memory?

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

Q: What is the power consumption of the GPU, and what power supply is suggested?

A: The GPU has a TDP of 575 watts, and a 950-watt power supply is suggested for the system.

Q: What is the CPU’s process node and architecture?

A: The CPU is built on a 3 nm TSMC process using the Arrow Lake architecture, with the codename Arrow Lake-S.

Q: What is the GPU’s ray tracing and tensor core count?

A: The RTX 5090 has 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores, which handle ray tracing and AI workloads respectively.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 uses the Intel Socket 1851, which is compatible with the Core Ultra Series 2 processors. This socket supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, with a maximum bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The CPU provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, allowing for high-speed connectivity to the GPU and NVMe SSDs, though the GPU uses PCIe 5.0 x16, which consumes most of the available lanes.

The platform does not support ECC memory, which limits its use in error-critical server workloads. The CPU’s 65-watt TDP is modest for a desktop processor, allowing for efficient cooling solutions, but the GPU’s 575-watt TDP requires a robust power supply, with a suggested 950-watt unit. The system’s power connectors include a single 16-pin connector for the GPU, which is standard for high-end graphics cards.

For a sensible next upgrade, users could consider increasing the CPU to a higher-tier Core Ultra Series 2 processor, which would provide better multi-threaded performance for rendering and compilation tasks. The socket compatibility ensures that a CPU upgrade does not require a new motherboard, but the lack of hyperthreading in the current CPU may be addressed in future models. Memory upgrades to higher-capacity DDR5 modules would also benefit memory-intensive workloads, though the dual-channel limit of 102.4 GB/s may cap performance gains.

The GPU upgrade path is limited, as the RTX 5090 is currently the flagship in the GeForce 50-series. Its successor, the GeForce 60 series, is listed as the successor, but no release date or specifications are provided. For users seeking more performance, the current GPU is the top option, and any upgrade would require a new generation of hardware.

Build Overview

This build pairs the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 in a desktop class configuration. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, provides a solid foundation for gaming and productivity, ranking at the 89th percentile among all CPUs. The GPU, with its 32 GB of VRAM and 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, is a flagship component ranking at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs.

The combined system ranks at the 91st percentile overall, with an average FPS of 223.9 across all tested games. This places it in the top tier of desktop configurations, suitable for high-end gaming at 1440p and 4K, as well as professional content creation and development work. The pairing is balanced, with the GPU being the primary performance driver in most workloads, while the CPU provides adequate support without being a significant bottleneck. This is a high-performance desktop build that excels in GPU-bound scenarios, offering exceptional frame rates in most titles and strong compute capabilities for creative and professional applications.