SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 235T + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080

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

92 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 8% 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
92%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 235T

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

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080

23,172 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

# Gaming Performance — estimated FPS from benchmark scores

No measured FPS rows exist for this exact combination — the FACT PACK contains no measuredFps data. Therefore, all frame rate discussion below is estimated from the benchmark scores rather than observed gameplay data.

The CPU’s single-thread performance is the strongest indicator of gaming capability. The Core Ultra 5 235T scores 3703 in Cinebench R23 single-core, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. This places it essentially neck-and-neck with the Intel Core i5-14500 (0.1% delta), Xeon w3-2525 (0.4% ahead), Core 9 270H (0.6% ahead), and Core Ultra 9 285H (0.7% ahead) in average benchmark score. For gaming, this means the CPU will not be the limiting factor in most titles; frame pacing should remain consistent as the processor keeps up with GPU requests.

The RTX 3080’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407 places it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its PassMark G3D score of 25086 further confirms strong rasterization performance. However, its nearest rivals in average score are notably weaker models: the NVIDIA P106-100 (-0.3% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (-0.3%), AMD Radeon RX 6600M (-0.4%), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (-0.4%). This clustering indicates the RTX 3080 sits at a performance plateau where many older or lower-tier cards converge in aggregate benchmarks, though the 3080’s raw specifications suggest it should outperform these rivals in actual gaming workloads.

At 1080p ultra settings, the RTX 3080’s 10 GB GDDR6X memory with 760.3 GB/s bandwidth should deliver high frame rates in esports and competitive titles, likely exceeding 120 FPS in most such games. For AAA single-player games, expect anywhere from 70–110 FPS depending on optimization. The 1440p ultra experience remains strong, with the 3080’s 29.77 TFLOPS FP32 throughput handling modern rasterized games at 60–90 FPS. At 4K ultra, the 10 GB VRAM capacity becomes a constraint in texture-heavy titles, potentially requiring settings reduction to maintain stable frame rates.

The CPU’s 14 cores and 14 threads — a design with no hyperthreading — deliver a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26232. This is more than adequate for gaming while running background tasks like Discord, browser tabs, or streaming software. The PassMark single-thread score of 4339 reinforces that the CPU handles game logic and draw-call generation efficiently.

Given the combined percentile of 77, this pairing should deliver a balanced 1440p gaming experience with high settings, while 1080p ultra remains comfortable. Users targeting 4K will need to dial back settings, particularly for VRAM-intensive titles.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Core Ultra 5 235T uses Intel Socket 1851, the platform for Arrow Lake-S desktop processors. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The platform provides PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU, enabling fast NVMe storage and current-generation graphics cards.

The RTX 3080 connects via PCIe 4.0 x16, which remains fully compatible with the CPU’s PCIe Gen 5 lanes — the GPU will operate at PCIe 4.0 speeds without bottlenecking. The suggested PSU for this GPU is 700 W, while the CPU’s TDP is 65 W. This leaves substantial power headroom for upgrades; the combined system draw fits comfortably within a 700 W power supply, and users with larger PSUs could accommodate a more power-hungry GPU in the future.

A sensible next upgrade path involves moving to a higher-core-count Arrow Lake processor on the same socket, such as a Core Ultra 7 or Core Ultra 9 variant — though no specific models are listed in the data, the socket compatibility is clear. For the GPU, the RTX 3080’s successor is the GeForce 40-series, which would provide better ray tracing performance and more VRAM, though the 3080 remains capable for current titles.

The platform’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 per core provide solid memory latency characteristics. The CPU’s integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 24 execution units offers a basic display output fallback, though the discrete RTX 3080 handles all rendering duties. ECC memory is not supported, which is typical for consumer desktop platforms.

For storage, PCIe Gen 5 support means users can install the fastest NVMe drives available. The 20 CPU lanes allow for one full-speed graphics card and additional Gen 5 devices, though the RTX 3080 uses 16 of those lanes. This configuration supports a high-bandwidth SSD alongside the GPU without lane sharing.

The 65 W TDP of the CPU means a modest air cooler suffices, leaving case airflow primarily for the GPU’s 320 W thermal output. The RTX 3080 is a dual-slot card measuring 285 mm (11.2 inches) in length, 112 mm (4.4 inches) in height, and 40 mm (1.6 inches) in width, with a 1x 12-pin power connector — users should verify case clearance and PSU cable compatibility.

FAQ

Q: Does this CPU support DDR5 memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235T supports DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. ECC memory is not supported.

Q: What is the RTX 3080’s VRAM capacity and type?

A: The RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 760.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 235T compare to the Core i5-14500?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235T scores 38561 on average benchmarks, which is 0.1% higher than the Core i5-14500’s 38531. This makes them statistically equivalent in overall performance.

Q: What PCIe version does the RTX 3080 use?

A: The RTX 3080 uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface, which is backward-compatible with older motherboards but takes full advantage of the CPU’s PCIe Gen 5 support.

Q: Is the CPU overclockable?

A: No, the Core Ultra 5 235T has a locked multiplier (multiplierUnlocked is false), meaning it cannot be overclocked through multiplier adjustment.

Q: What is the power consumption of the GPU, and what PSU is recommended?

A: The RTX 3080 has a TDP of 320 W, and the suggested PSU is 700 W. The CPU’s 65 W TDP adds minimal load on top of this.

Q: Does the RTX 3080 support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, the RTX 3080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. It also features 68 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores.

Balance and Bottleneck

The benchmark data reveals a system where the CPU and GPU occupy different performance tiers. The Core Ultra 5 235T sits in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, while the RTX 3080 sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. This 18-point gap suggests the CPU is relatively stronger than the GPU in this pairing.

In gaming workloads, the bottleneck will be the GPU at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (4339 PassMark single-thread) can feed frames faster than the GPU can render in many titles, potentially causing the GPU to become the limiting factor. At 1440p and above, the RTX 3080’s rendering workload increases, and the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck — which is the typical target for a balanced gaming system.

For CPU-bound workloads like data compression (PassMark score 295100), encryption (23457), and extended instructions (23212), the CPU is the sole performer. These workloads show the Ultra 5 235T’s strength in multi-threaded productivity, where the GPU plays no role. Conversely, GPU-compute tasks (PassMark GPU compute score 14397) rely entirely on the RTX 3080, and the CPU’s influence is minimal.

The FPS scaling evidence, while estimated, aligns with this assessment. The CPU’s 14 threads are sufficient for modern game engines that typically use 6–8 threads heavily. The RTX 3080’s 8704 shading units and 272 texture mapping units provide massive parallel throughput that will saturate at higher resolutions. The 10 GB VRAM may become a bottleneck in 4K ultra settings, where texture data can exceed this capacity in the most demanding titles.

In mixed workloads — such as gaming while streaming or recording — the CPU handles encoding and game logic simultaneously. With a PassMark multithread score of 30918, the CPU should manage these concurrent tasks without significant frame drops. The GPU’s NVENC encoder is not detailed in the data, but the 3080’s tensor cores support AI-assisted encoding features.

Overall, this pairing is balanced for 1440p gaming, skewed slightly toward CPU strength. Users upgrading from an older system will find the CPU has headroom to support a future GPU upgrade without becoming the new bottleneck.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235T is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor built on Arrow Lake architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It contains 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The base clock is 2.20 GHz with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, and the TDP is 65 W.

The absence of hyperthreading — 14 threads from 14 cores — is a notable design choice. This reduces power consumption and die complexity while sacrificing some multi-threaded throughput compared to an equivalent 14-core/20-thread design. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26232 reflects this: it is strong for a 65 W processor but not class-leading. The single-core score of 3703 in R23 is excellent, placing the CPU in the top tier for single-threaded responsiveness.

Cache architecture includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. This substantial L2 allocation helps mitigate the lack of hyperthreading by keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores. The memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5 is sufficient for the core count.

The PassMark suite shows varied performance: data compression at 295100, data encryption at 23457, extended instructions at 23212, and floating-point math at 106546. Integer math scores 84244, and random string sorting scores 35377. These numbers indicate a processor that excels at compression and sorting tasks, performs adequately in encryption, and handles scientific floating-point workloads well. The find-prime-numbers score of 318 is modest, reflecting the lack of hyperthreading in pure integer iteration tasks.

The CPU includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 24 execution units. While not intended for gaming, this iGPU provides display output and hardware video encoding/decoding capabilities that can offload media tasks from the discrete GPU. The 86th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms this is a high-tier processor for general and productivity workloads.

The boost clock of 5.00 GHz is impressive for a 65 W part, indicating efficient power management. The production status is active, with a release date of January 2025 and a launch MSRP of $247. The multiplier is locked, so overclocking is not available — users must rely on the out-of-box boost behavior.

Who Should Build It

The 1440p gamer is the primary target for this pairing. The RTX 3080’s 68th percentile GPU performance, combined with the CPU’s 86th percentile strength, delivers smooth high-settings gameplay at 1440p in most titles. The 10 GB VRAM handles 1440p textures without issue, and the CPU’s single-thread performance ensures consistent frame times.

Content creators who game on the side will appreciate the CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26232 and PassMark multithread score of 30918 handle video encoding, 3D rendering, and photo editing. The RTX 3080’s 29.77 TFLOPS FP32 accelerates GPU-accelerated rendering in software like Blender or Premiere Pro, though the 10 GB VRAM limits extremely large scenes.

Software developers benefit from the fast single-thread performance for compilation of small-to-medium projects, while the 14 cores handle parallel build tasks. The data compression score of 295100 indicates strong performance for code repositories and asset pipelines. The CPU’s virtualization capabilities, while not benchmarked separately, are present via the 14 cores.

Students building a single system for coursework and gaming will find this balanced. The CPU handles programming assignments, document processing, and statistical analysis efficiently. The GPU accelerates CUDA-based workloads for machine learning coursework, though the 10 GB VRAM limits very large model training.

Small business workstations that occasionally game will find the 65 W CPU easy to cool in compact cases. The RTX 3080’s compute performance (PassMark GPU compute 14397) accelerates video transcoding, batch photo processing, and financial modeling. The dual-slot, 285 mm length requires a mid-tower case but fits most standard builds.

The 1080p high-refresh-rate gamer is also well-served. The CPU’s 4339 PassMark single-thread score ensures frame rates above 144 FPS in esports titles, while the GPU provides headroom for competitive settings. The 4K gamer is less ideally matched — the 10 GB VRAM and 68th percentile GPU ranking suggest compromises at 4K ultra.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, fabricated on an 8 nm process by Samsung. It contains 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, with a transistor density of 45.1 million per mm². The GPU has a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz.

Memory consists of 10 GB of GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus, running at an effective speed of 19 Gbps. This yields a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s — substantial for high-resolution textures and compute workloads. The 320-bit bus width balances bandwidth against cost, though the 10 GB capacity is the primary limitation for 4K gaming.

The GPU contains 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units. These deliver a pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput of 29.77 TFLOPS matches the FP16 throughput at a 1:1 ratio, indicating strong compute performance for both gaming and professional workloads.

Ray tracing is handled by 68 dedicated RT cores, while 272 tensor cores accelerate AI-based features like DLSS. The support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 covers current and upcoming game APIs. The GPU is end-of-life in production status, with a release date of August 2020 and a launch MSRP of 699 USD.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407 and PassMark G3D score of 25086 confirm strong rasterization performance. Geekbench OpenCL scores 152423, while Vulkan scores 33620. The PassMark DirectX scores are unusual — DirectX 9 at 258, DirectX 10 at 170, DirectX 11 at 207, and DirectX 12 at 100 — suggesting the GPU prioritizes modern APIs over legacy ones.

The 68th percentile ranking places the RTX 3080 above average but not in the top tier. Its nearest rivals in average score — the P106-100, Radeon Pro Vega 16, RX 6600M, and R9 M290X — are all lower-end parts, indicating the 3080’s aggregate score is dragged down by legacy benchmarks that underutilize its modern features. In real-world current games, the 3080 performs closer to its 3DMark result.

The TDP of 320 W requires a 700 W PSU, and the 1x 12-pin power connector needs an adapter for most PSUs. Display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, supporting high refresh-rate monitors. The dual-slot cooler measures 285 mm in length, 112 mm in height, and 40 mm in width.

Build Overview

This build pairs the Intel Core Ultra 5 235T with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 in a desktop-class configuration. The combined percentile of 77 places this system in the upper tier of overall performance, though not at the absolute top.

The CPU is a mainstream desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on Arrow Lake architecture with a 65 W TDP. The GPU is a high-end previous-generation Ampere card with a 320 W TDP. This pairing represents a modern processor with strong single-thread performance mated to a GPU that was flagship-tier at its release.

The desktop class designation means users have full flexibility in case selection, cooling, and power supply choices. The CPU’s low 65 W TDP allows for quiet, efficient cooling, while the GPU’s 320 W TDP requires adequate case airflow but is manageable in standard ATX cases.

The system occupies a performance tier where 1440p high-refresh gaming is the sweet spot, with 4K possible at reduced settings. Productivity workloads benefit from the CPU’s 86th percentile ranking, making this a versatile machine for both gaming and work.

The 77th combined percentile indicates that while neither component is top-of-the-line, the combination delivers above-average performance across the board. Users upgrading from older systems will notice significant improvements in both CPU-bound and GPU-bound tasks.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 38561, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Core i5-14500 at 38531 (0.1% delta), Xeon w3-2525 at 38392 (0.4%), Core 9 270H at 38335 (0.6%), and Core Ultra 9 285H at 38312 (0.7%). This indicates the Ultra 5 235T is statistically tied with these processors, offering no meaningful advantage over the i5-14500 in aggregate performance.

Key CPU benchmarks include Cinebench R23 multi-core at 26232 and single-core at 3703. The R15 multi-core score is 2644 with single-core at 373. R20 multi-core reaches 11017 with single-core at 1555. PassMark multithread scores 30918, with single-thread at 4339. Data compression hits 295100, floating-point math reaches 106546, and integer math scores 84244.

The GPU’s average benchmark score is 23172, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the P106-100 at 23249 (-0.3% delta), Radeon Pro Vega 16 at 23250 (-0.3%), RX 6600M at 23273 (-0.4%), and R9 M290X at 23276 (-0.4%). The RTX 3080 is the lowest-scoring among these five, though the differences are within 0.4% — statistically negligible.

Key GPU benchmarks include 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 at 4407, Geekbench OpenCL at 152423, and Geekbench Vulkan at 33620. PassMark G3D scores 25086, GPU compute scores 14397, and G2D scores 1054. DirectX 9 scores 258, DirectX 10 at 170, DirectX 11 at 207, and DirectX 12 at 100.

The combined picture shows a CPU that outperforms its rivals in single-threaded tasks while matching them in multi-threaded workloads. The GPU, despite its 68th percentile ranking, delivers strong modern-game performance as evidenced by its 3DMark result. The CPU is the stronger component in this pairing, and the GPU is the more likely upgrade target for users seeking higher resolutions or ray tracing performance. The 77th combined percentile reflects a system that is well above average for gaming and productivity, with the CPU providing a solid foundation for future GPU upgrades.