SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 235T + Intel Arc A580

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

94 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 6% 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
92%
VS
GPU
97%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 235T

38,561 Benchmark Score
Top 8% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc A580

57,756 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
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

# Balance and Bottleneck

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235T and Intel Arc A580 pairing sits at the 87th percentile across all desktop configurations, but the data shows a clear asymmetry in workload handling. The CPU, with a 65W TDP and 14 cores, posts an average benchmark score of 38,561 and sits at the 86th percentile among all CPUs. The GPU, meanwhile, delivers an average benchmark score of 57,756 and occupies the 87th percentile among all GPUs. These percentile positions are remarkably close, suggesting the two components are broadly matched in overall capability, but the nature of their workloads diverges sharply.

The CPU's single-thread performance is where the 235T shines. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,703 points places it in a strong position for tasks that depend on low-latency, high-frequency execution. The boost clock of 5.00 GHz is the key enabler here, allowing the processor to handle lightly-threaded workloads like gaming logic, physics calculations, and everyday application responsiveness without breaking a sweat. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,339 reinforces this, indicating that the CPU will not be the limiting factor in scenarios where a single core is the primary driver.

Conversely, the multi-threaded picture is more nuanced. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,232 is respectable, but the CPU's 14 threads (matching its 14 cores, with no hyper-threading) means it cannot match processors that double their thread count. The PassMark multi-thread score of 30,918 and the integer math score of 84,244 show solid throughput for compilation, rendering, and batch operations, but the absence of hyper-threading creates a hard ceiling. In heavily parallel workloads, the CPU will be the bottleneck, not the GPU.

The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial for a mid-range card. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,229 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 79,381 indicate that the Arc A580 is capable of feeding the CPU with frames in most gaming scenarios. However, at higher resolutions where pixel throughput becomes paramount, the GPU's 12.29 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 192.0 GPixel/s pixel rate will be the constraint. The data suggests a balanced pairing at 1080p, with the CPU's strong single-thread performance preventing it from holding back the GPU, while the GPU's bandwidth and compute keep up with the CPU's game logic demands.

# Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for this combination is derived entirely from component-level scores, as no measured FPS rows exist for this exact CPU+GPU pairing in the FACT PACK. All FPS discussion is therefore estimated from the benchmark scores, not observed directly.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 38,561 places it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14500, averages 38,531, a delta of just 0.1% — effectively a statistical tie. The Xeon w3-2525 is 0.4% behind, the Core 9 270H is 0.6% behind, and the Core Ultra 9 285H is 0.7% behind. This clustering indicates that the 235T is performance-competitive with a broad range of higher-tier processors, despite its lower TDP and lack of hyper-threading. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,232 and single-core score of 3,703 demonstrate that the CPU can handle both bursty single-threaded tasks and sustained multi-threaded loads, though the latter is less impressive relative to its rivals.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 57,756 places it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM, scores 58,085, a delta of -0.6% — the Arc A580 is slightly behind. The RX 9070 GRE is 0.7% behind the Arc, the Arc A570M is 0.8% ahead, and the RX 6950 XT is 1.1% ahead. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,229 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 91,657 show the GPU's raw compute capability, while the Vulkan score of 79,381 indicates solid API efficiency.

Combined, the CPU and GPU occupy the 87th percentile for the build, which is consistent with their individual placements. The data shows a pairing that is neither CPU-bound nor GPU-bound in aggregate, but rather one that shifts balance depending on the workload type. For gaming at 1080p, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for most titles, and the CPU's strong single-thread scores will keep frame pacing stable. At 1440p or higher, the GPU's pixel rate and compute will become the limiting factor, as the CPU's headroom will go unused.

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235T is built on the Arrow Lake architecture, specifically Arrow Lake-S, using a 3 nm process node from TSMC. The die packs 17,800 million transistors into a 243 mm² area, which is a high density for a desktop part. The CPU has 14 cores and 14 threads, with no hyper-threading enabled. This is a deliberate design choice that trades multi-threaded throughput for power efficiency and heat management, given the 65W TDP.

The base clock of 2.20 GHz is low, but the boost clock of 5.00 GHz is where the performance lives. The Cinebench R15 single-core score of 373 and R20 single-core score of 1,555 confirm that the boost clock is effective for lightly-threaded workloads. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,339 is in the upper echelon for desktop CPUs, meaning the 235T will handle everyday tasks like web browsing, office applications, and code editing with responsiveness that rivals higher-TDP parts.

The cache hierarchy is substantial: 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The L3 cache is particularly important for gaming and data-intensive workloads, as it reduces memory latency and improves hit rates. The memory support is DDR5 only, running dual-channel with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This is adequate for the CPU's needs, though it does not support ECC memory, which may be a consideration for workstation users who require error correction.

The multi-threaded scores are where the 235T's limitations show. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,232 is respectable but not class-leading. The PassMark data compression score of 295,100 and encryption score of 23,457 indicate that the CPU can handle compression and encryption tasks efficiently, but the extended instructions score of 23,212 and find prime numbers score of 318 suggest that AVX-512 and similar workloads are not this CPU's forte. The floating-point math score of 106,546 and integer math score of 84,244 are solid for general-purpose computing, but the random string sorting score of 35,377 shows that the CPU's memory subsystem can become a bottleneck in certain operations.

The nearest rivals illustrate where the 235T fits. The Core i5-14500, with its 0.1% delta, is a direct competitor; the 235T matches it in average score while likely consuming less power. The Xeon w3-2525 and Core 9 270H are 0.4% and 0.6% behind, respectively, meaning the 235T edges out these higher-tier parts in aggregate performance. The Core Ultra 9 285H is 0.7% behind, which is surprising given its higher position in Intel's lineup, but the data is clear.

The integrated graphics, Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 24 execution units, are not designed for gaming but can handle basic display output and video decode. The CPU is not multiplier-unlocked, so overclocking is off the table, but the 65W TDP means it can be cooled by a capable air cooler without resorting to liquid cooling.

# FAQ

Q: What is the CPU's single-core performance relative to its rivals?

A: The 235T scores 3,703 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4,339 in PassMark single-thread, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, the Core i5-14500, Xeon w3-2525, Core 9 270H, and Core Ultra 9 285H, are all within 0.7% of its average score, indicating that single-core performance is competitive with higher-tier parts.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for modern gaming?

A: The Arc A580 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for 1080p gaming in most titles, but at 1440p or higher with high-resolution textures, the 8 GB capacity may become a constraint in demanding games.

Q: How does the Arc A580 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc A580's average benchmark score of 57,756 places it in the 87th percentile. It is 0.6% behind the RX 5600 OEM, 0.7% ahead of the RX 9070 GRE, 0.8% behind the Arc A570M, and 1.1% behind the RX 6950 XT. These are all within a narrow band, so the differences are minor in practice.

Q: Is the CPU good for multi-threaded workloads?

A: The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,232 and PassMark multi-thread score of 30,918 show solid throughput, but the lack of hyper-threading means it cannot match CPUs with higher thread counts. For tasks like video editing or 3D rendering, it will perform adequately, but it is not a top-tier multi-threaded processor.

Q: What memory does the CPU support?

A: The 235T supports DDR5 memory only, running dual-channel with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. ECC memory is not supported, so users requiring error correction will need to look elsewhere.

Q: What is the GPU's ray tracing capability?

A: The Arc A580 has 24 RT cores, which support hardware-accelerated ray tracing. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,229 indicates that ray tracing performance is present but not class-leading, so users should expect playable but not high-end ray tracing performance.

Q: Can this build handle 4K gaming?

A: The GPU's 12.29 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 8 GB VRAM are not sufficient for 4K gaming at high settings. The pixel rate of 192.0 GPixel/s is adequate for 1080p and some 1440p scenarios, but 4K would require lowering settings or resolution scaling.

# Who Should Build It

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235T + Intel Arc A580 build is best suited for gamers targeting 1080p high-refresh-rate displays. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by the 5.00 GHz boost clock and PassMark single-thread score of 4,339, ensures that game logic and physics calculations are handled without stutter. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p textures, and the 87th percentile GPU placement means it can keep up with the CPU's output.

Content creators working with video editing or photo manipulation will find this build capable, but with caveats. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,232 handles 1080p video export and timeline scrubbing, while the GPU's OpenCL score of 91,657 accelerates effects and encodes. However, for 4K video editing or complex 3D rendering, the lack of hyper-threading and the GPU's 8 GB VRAM will be limiting.

Software developers will appreciate the CPU's balanced performance. The PassMark integer math score of 84,244 and data compression score of 295,100 are useful for code compilation and data processing, while the single-thread performance ensures IDE responsiveness. Students and small business workstations also fit this build, as the 65W TDP keeps power and cooling costs low, and the integrated graphics provide a fallback for troubleshooting.

The build is not ideal for high-end 1440p or 4K gaming, nor for professional 3D rendering workstations that require more VRAM and multi-threaded throughput. Those users should look at GPUs with larger memory pools and CPUs with hyper-threading.

# GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A580 is built on the Xe-HPG architecture, specifically the DG2-512 chip, using a 6 nm process from TSMC. The die contains 21,700 million transistors across a 406 mm² area, resulting in a transistor density of 53.4 million per mm². The GPU has 3,072 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation units, providing a balanced configuration for rasterization.

The memory subsystem is a highlight: 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, running at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective speed, yields 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a significant advantage over GPUs with narrower buses, as it reduces the likelihood of memory bandwidth becoming a bottleneck in texture-heavy scenes. The pixel rate of 192.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 384.0 GTexel/s are adequate for 1080p and some 1440p workloads.

The clock speeds are modest, with a base of 1700 MHz and boost of 2000 MHz. The FP32 compute of 12.29 TFLOPS and FP16 of 24.58 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) place the card in the mid-range tier. The 24 RT cores provide hardware ray tracing support, but the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,229 suggests that ray tracing performance is not this card's primary strength. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 91,657 and Vulkan score of 79,381 indicate that compute workloads and modern APIs are well-supported.

The GPU's nearest rivals are all within a narrow band. The RX 5600 OEM is 0.6% ahead, the RX 9070 GRE is 0.7% behind, the Arc A570M is 0.8% ahead, and the RX 6950 XT is 1.1% ahead. These small deltas mean that the Arc A580 will perform similarly to these cards in most scenarios, though driver optimization and game-specific factors may cause deviations.

The power draw is 175W TDP, requiring a 450W suggested PSU and dual 8-pin power connectors. The dual-slot design and PCIe 4.0 x16 interface are standard. Display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0, which is a generous selection for multi-monitor setups. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with modern titles and APIs.

For rendering workloads, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is the primary limitation. Textures and geometry for complex scenes can exceed this capacity, forcing the GPU to use system memory, which reduces performance. The FP32 compute of 12.29 TFLOPS is sufficient for real-time rendering and moderate offline rendering, but not for professional-grade work.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: At 1080p, the Arc A580's 8 GB VRAM and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for high-refresh displays. The CPU's boost clock of 5.00 GHz and PassMark single-thread score of 4,339 ensure frame pacing remains consistent, and the GPU's 87th percentile placement means it can push high frame rates in esports titles and moderate settings in AAA games.

Streaming: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,232 provides enough headroom for software encoding while gaming, though the lack of hyper-threading may cause frame drops in CPU-intensive titles. The GPU's 24 RT cores and 12.29 TFLOPS FP32 can offload encoding tasks, but the 8 GB VRAM may be stretched when gaming and encoding simultaneously.

Video editing: The PassMark data compression score of 295,100 and floating-point math score of 106,546 are useful for codecs and effects. The GPU's OpenCL score of 91,657 accelerates rendering and exports. For 1080p projects, this build is capable; for 4K, the 8 GB VRAM and CPU's thread count will cause slower exports.

3D rendering: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26,232 will handle CPU-based rendering in Blender or similar, but the lack of hyper-threading limits throughput. The GPU's FP32 compute of 12.29 TFLOPS is useful for GPU rendering, but the 8 GB VRAM will cap scene complexity. This build is suitable for small projects, not production workloads.

Software development: The PassMark integer math score of 84,244 and extended instructions score of 23,212 are solid for code compilation. The single-thread performance ensures IDE responsiveness, and the 65W TDP keeps the system quiet and cool during long builds.

Student and office work: The CPU's single-thread scores and 14 cores handle multitasking, spreadsheets, and document editing with ease. The integrated graphics provide a fallback, and the 65W TDP means the system can run on a modest power supply without issue.

# Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build combining the Intel Core Ultra 5 235T with the Intel Arc A580. The CPU, part of the Core Ultra Series 2 based on Arrow Lake, is a 14-core, 14-thread processor with a 65W TDP. The GPU, based on the Xe-HPG architecture with the DG2-512 chip, is an 8 GB GDDR6 card with a 175W TDP.

The combined build percentile is 87, placing it in the upper tier of desktop configurations. The CPU's 86th percentile and GPU's 87th percentile are closely aligned, indicating a balanced pairing. The CPU's average benchmark score of 38,561 and GPU's average of 57,756 confirm that neither component dramatically outclasses the other, making this a coherent mid-range-to-upper-mid-range system.

The CPU's launch MSRP is $247, which positions it as a mainstream desktop part. The GPU has no launch MSRP listed in the data, but its performance tier is clear from its benchmark scores. This build is not an entry-level system, nor is it a high-end enthusiast setup; it occupies a practical middle ground for users who need solid performance across a range of tasks without breaking the bank.

The build's strengths are its balanced CPU-GPU performance, the CPU's strong single-thread capability, and the GPU's high memory bandwidth. Its weaknesses are the CPU's lack of hyper-threading and the GPU's 8 GB VRAM, both of which will limit performance in the most demanding workloads.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235T uses the Intel Socket 1851, which is the platform for Arrow Lake desktop processors. This socket supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU has 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which are sufficient for a high-end GPU and one or two NVMe SSDs.

The GPU uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, which is backward compatible with the CPU's PCIe Gen 5 slots. The 175W TDP of the GPU and the 65W TDP of the CPU suggest a total system draw that can be handled by the suggested 450W PSU, though a higher-wattage unit would provide headroom for upgrades. The GPU requires two 8-pin power connectors, which is standard for mid-range cards.

For a sensible next upgrade, the CPU could be replaced with a higher-core-count Arrow Lake part on the same Socket 1851, provided the motherboard supports it. The memory can be expanded within the dual-channel DDR5 configuration, and the storage can be increased using the available PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

The GPU is the more likely first upgrade target. The Arc A580's 8 GB VRAM is the primary limitation for 1440p and 4K gaming, so a GPU with more memory and higher compute would be the logical next step. The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface ensures compatibility with current and future GPUs, and the 450W PSU may need to be upgraded to support a higher-TDP card.

The platform's lack of ECC memory support is a limitation for workstation use, but for gaming and general productivity, the upgrade path is straightforward. The Socket 1851 platform is current and active, with the CPU production status listed as "Active," so future BIOS updates and CPU compatibility are likely. The GPU's production status is also "Active," and its successor, Battlemage, is listed in the data, indicating a clear generational path forward.