SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 235A + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

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

94%

GPU

97%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 235A

48,201 Benchmark Score

Top 6% Market Ranking

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GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

60,347 Benchmark Score

Top 3% 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 Ultra 5 235A and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 pairing is a study in extremes. The CPU is a 65-watt, 14-core desktop processor built on a 3 nm process, while the GPU is an end-of-life, 450-watt flagship with 24 GB of memory. The benchmark data shows a combined percentile of 89, placing this system in the upper tier of all configurations, yet the performance gap between the two components suggests a specific and somewhat unconventional balance of capabilities. This analysis relies solely on the provided benchmark scores and specifications, as no measured frame rate data exists for this exact combination.

Balance and Bottleneck

The balance of this system is heavily skewed toward the GPU, but not in a way that creates a simple, predictable bottleneck. The RTX 4090 achieves a Passmark G3D score of 38194, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. In contrast, the Core Ultra 5 235A's average benchmark score of 48201 places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. While the CPU's percentile is technically higher, the raw compute disparity is immense. The GPU's FP32 performance is 82.58 TFLOPS, while the CPU's Passmark floating-point math score is 118778, a figure that, while strong for a CPU, is dwarfed by the graphics card's dedicated compute hardware.

The data suggests that in gaming workloads, the RTX 4090 will be the primary performance driver, with the CPU needing to keep up with frame generation demands. The CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4607, is robust and should not hinder the GPU in most scenarios. However, the CPU's 14 threads and lack of multi-threading (14 cores, 14 threads) could become a limiting factor in highly CPU-intensive titles or when streaming and gaming simultaneously. The Passmark physics score of 2437, while not directly comparable to the GPU's compute, indicates the CPU's capability in simulation-heavy tasks.

The bottleneck analysis is nuanced by the data showing the CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 (deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (deltaPct -0.2). This indicates the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Arc Pro A60 (deltaPct 0) and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (deltaPct 0.3), show a similar pattern. The system's combined percentile of 89 confirms the GPU's raw power, but the CPU's 90th percentile ranking suggests it is not a weak link. The true bottleneck will be workload-dependent: the GPU will be the ceiling in pure rasterization, while the CPU's 14 threads may be the ceiling in heavily threaded production tasks.

Gaming Performance

Important note: The FACT PACK contains no measured FPS data for this CPU and GPU combination. All frame rate discussions below are estimates derived from the benchmark scores and should be treated as approximations, not empirical results.

Based on the GPU's Passmark G3D score of 38194 and its 88th percentile ranking, the RTX 4090 is capable of extremely high frame rates in modern games. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 271631 and OpenCL score of 255416 further corroborate its DirectX 12 and compute strength. For the CPU, the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4607 is critical for gaming, as it dictates the maximum frame rate a CPU can feed to the GPU.

At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor. The Core Ultra 5 235A's single-thread performance is strong, but at this resolution, the GPU's immense power means the CPU must work harder to keep up. We estimate that in esports titles with lower graphical demands, the system could achieve very high frame rates, likely in the hundreds, but the exact number is unknown. In demanding AAA titles at 1080p, the system should still deliver well over 100 FPS, but the variance between games will be high.

At 1440p and 4K, the RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth become the dominant factors. The GPU's pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s are sufficient to handle the increased resolution, and the CPU bottleneck will be less pronounced. We estimate that at 1440p, the system will maintain high frame rates in most titles, and at 4K, it will still be capable of high refresh rate gaming in many optimized titles, though the exact figures remain estimates. The absence of measured data means we cannot state specific FPS numbers with certainty, but the component scores suggest a system that is overqualified for 1080p and well-suited for high-refresh 1440p and 4K gaming.

FAQ

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

A: The combined percentile for this CPU and GPU pairing is 89, indicating it ranks in the top 11% of all tested system configurations.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in gaming?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4607 is strong, and its 90th percentile ranking suggests it will not be a major bottleneck in most games. However, its 14 threads (14 cores, 14 threads) may limit performance in heavily threaded titles or when streaming while gaming.

Q: What is the RTX 4090's memory bandwidth and capacity?

A: The GPU features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This is a key advantage for high-resolution textures and compute workloads.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235A has an average benchmark score of 48201. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380, scores 48171, a delta of 0.1%. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the 235A is effectively on par with both.

Q: What is the GPU's direct compute performance?

A: The RTX 4090's FP32 performance is 82.58 TFLOPS, with a Passmark GPU Compute score of 26613. This indicates massive parallel processing capability for rendering and compute tasks.

Q: What is the CPU's socket and memory support?

A: The CPU uses the Intel Socket 1851 and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. It also provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes for the CPU.

Q: What is the suggested power supply for this build?

A: The GPU's TDP is 450 W, and the suggested PSU for the RTX 4090 is 850 W. The CPU has a TDP of 65 W.

Who Should Build It

This system is designed for a user who prioritizes maximum graphics performance and has a workload that can utilize the RTX 4090's immense compute power. The data suggests a target user is a content creator or 3D artist working with large scenes, high-resolution textures, and GPU-accelerated rendering. The GPU's 24 GB of VRAM is crucial for this, as it allows for massive datasets to reside in memory. The CPU's 14 cores are sufficient for general system tasks and asset preparation, but the GPU will be the workhorse.

For gamers, this build is aimed at those with high-refresh-rate 1440p or 4K monitors who want to max out graphical settings. The CPU's single-thread score of 4607 ensures that it can handle the game logic and physics at high frame rates, while the GPU provides the raw rendering power. It is not a build for budget-conscious gamers, but for those who want a top-tier experience. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking and the GPU's 88th percentile ranking indicate a high-performance combination, though the specific pairing is unusual. It is also a viable platform for researchers or developers working with GPU compute, given the FP32 performance and 512 tensor cores.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU's average benchmark score is 48201, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. In Cinebench R23, it scores 32633 in multi-core and 4607 in single-core. Its Passmark multi-thread score is 38392, and its single-thread score is 4557. These scores place it in direct competition with the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 (avg score 48171) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (avg score 48287), showing a performance delta of less than 1% in both cases. The CPU's data compression score is 393800, and its integer math score is 88626.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 60347, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 9223, and its Passmark G3D score is 38194. In Geekbench, it scores 271631 in Vulkan and 255416 in OpenCL. The GPU's nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, has an average score of 60326 (delta 0%), while the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657 (delta 2.9%). Together, the CPU and GPU achieve a combined percentile of 89. The data shows a system where the CPU is slightly above average in its class, but the GPU is a dominant force, driving the overall performance tier.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is based on the AD102 chip and Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It contains 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with a memory clock of 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). It has 16384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. The card features 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, which are dedicated to ray tracing and AI acceleration respectively.

The memory subsystem is a key strength: 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus yields a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This is essential for 4K textures and complex compute workloads. The pixel rate is 443.5 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 1,290.2 GTexel/s. The GPU's FP32 performance is 82.58 TFLOPS, which is identical to its FP16 performance (82.58 TFLOPS 1:1), indicating a unified shader architecture. The Passmark G3D score of 38194 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 271631 confirm its dominance in rasterization and modern APIs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 9223 is a strong indicator of DirectX 12 performance. With a TDP of 450 W and a triple-slot cooler, this is a power-hungry card that requires a robust power supply (suggested 850 W). Its production status is listed as end-of-life, with the GeForce 50 series as its successor.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture (Arrow Lake-S). It is built on a 3 nm process at TSMC, containing 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The CPU has 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It has a 24 MB shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core. The TDP is rated at 65 W.

The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, and it provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. It includes an integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU, which is not intended for gaming but provides basic display output. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32633 and single-core score of 4607 demonstrate strong all-around performance. The Passmark data shows a multi-thread score of 38392 and a single-thread score of 4557. The CPU's floating-point math score is 118778, and its integer math score is 88626. The data encryption score is 30136, and the extended instructions score is 31625. The CPU's average benchmark score of 48201 places it in the 90th percentile, making it a high-performance part. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900, scores 47918, a delta of 0.6%, showing the 235A is slightly faster.

Build Overview

This build pairs a 14-core Intel Core Ultra 5 235A desktop processor with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, a flagship-class GPU. The build class is desktop. The CPU is a high-end mainstream part, ranking in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. The combined percentile of 89 indicates a system that is well above average, but the specific configuration is unusual. The CPU is a 65 W part, while the GPU is a 450 W behemoth, creating a significant power draw imbalance. This is not a balanced workstation build; it is a system where the GPU is the clear focal point, and the CPU is selected to provide sufficient support without being a bottleneck. The data suggests this is a gaming or GPU-compute-focused machine rather than a balanced productivity workstation.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The CPU uses the Intel Socket 1851, which is specific to the Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake) processors. The platform supports dual-channel DDR5 memory. The CPU provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which is the current standard for high-bandwidth devices. The GPU, however, uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, which is backward compatible with the CPU's PCIe 5.0 slots. This means the RTX 4090 will run at its full performance potential, though a future GPU upgrade to a PCIe 5.0 model could take advantage of the higher bandwidth.

The suggested PSU for the RTX 4090 is 850 W, and the GPU has a TDP of 450 W. The CPU's TDP is 65 W, so the power supply headroom is ample for the current configuration. A sensible next upgrade would be to a newer-generation GPU, as the RTX 4090 is end-of-life with a successor in the GeForce 50 series. Since the platform supports PCIe Gen 5, a future GPU with a Gen 5 interface would be a logical step. The CPU itself has no upgrade path within the same socket other than another Arrow Lake part, as the socket is not forward-compatible with future generations. The 24 MB of L3 cache and 14 threads are adequate for most tasks, so a CPU upgrade would only be necessary for heavily threaded workloads.

Usage Scenarios

High-Refresh Gaming: The RTX 4090's Passmark G3D score of 38194 and the CPU's single-core score of 4607 suggest this system can drive high refresh rate monitors at 1440p and 4K. The GPU's 24 GB VRAM prevents texture loading bottlenecks, and the CPU's single-thread performance ensures game logic keeps pace, though exact FPS is unmeasured.

Streaming: The CPU's 14 threads may be a limiting factor for simultaneous gameplay and encoding. While the GPU has 512 tensor cores that can handle NVENC, the CPU's thread count is modest. The Passmark multi-thread score of 38392 indicates it can handle encoding, but there may be frame drops in CPU-intensive games.

Video Editing: The GPU's FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS and the CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32633 make this a powerful editing rig. The 24 GB VRAM allows for smooth scrubbing of 4K timelines and GPU-accelerated effects.

3D Rendering: This is a primary strength. The GPU's 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, combined with its compute score, will accelerate ray-traced renders significantly. The CPU's 14 cores will handle scene setup and simulation, but the GPU will be the render engine.

Software Development: The CPU's Passmark extended instructions score of 31625 and integer math score of 88626 are strong for compilation and code execution. The GPU is less relevant here, but the fast memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s on the CPU will help with large builds.

Student and Office Work: This is extreme overkill for this scenario. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking and the GPU's 88th percentile ranking will handle any office application with ease, but the power draw and cost make it impractical. A lower-tier system would be more appropriate.

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 235A + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core Ultra 5 235A

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

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

Gaming Performance

FAQ

Who Should Build It

Benchmark Performance

GPU Analysis

CPU Analysis

Build Overview

Upgrade Path and Platform

Usage Scenarios

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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