SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 238V + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile

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

88 / 100
HIGH-END

Power Build

Top 12% of systems. Excellent for 1440p Ultra or 4K High gaming.

1440p Ultra4K High

System Balance Analysis

CPU vs GPU performance ratio
Well Balanced
CPU
85%
VS
GPU
91%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 238V

21,981 Benchmark Score
Top 15% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile

19,049 Benchmark Score
Top 9% 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

Strong Performance

Excellent for 1440p gaming. Most games will run at high/ultra settings smoothly.

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

This is an analysis of a mobile computing platform pairing Intel's Lunar Lake architecture with NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace GPU. The combination targets a specific segment of the laptop market where power efficiency is as critical as performance. This pairing represents a significant shift in mobile computing, prioritizing battery life and thermal headroom while still delivering respectable performance for modern workloads.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 238V is a mobile processor built on the Lunar Lake architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 3 nm process node. This is a notable departure from Intel's traditional in-house fabrication, marking a strategic shift in their manufacturing approach. The CPU features 8 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This is a unified core design, meaning all cores are capable of handling both performance and efficiency workloads without the hybrid P-core/E-core split seen in other Intel offerings. The processor operates within a 17 W TDP, which positions it firmly in the ultra-low-power segment designed for thin-and-light laptops.

The cache hierarchy is substantial for a mobile part. Each core has access to 192 KB of L1 cache and 2.5 MB of L2 cache, with a shared 8 MB L3 cache across the entire chip. This cache configuration helps mitigate the relatively modest memory bandwidth available in low-power mobile platforms. The CPU supports dual-channel memory, though the specific memory type is dependent on the motherboard implementation. Importantly, the processor does not support ECC memory, which is expected for a consumer-focused mobile chip.

Benchmark results paint a clear picture of the CPU's capabilities. In Cinebench R23, the chip scores 15645 in multi-core and 2208 in single-core tests. The single-core score of 2208 is particularly impressive, indicating strong per-thread performance that benefits everyday responsiveness and lightly-threaded applications. The multi-core score of 15645 demonstrates that despite the 17 W TDP constraint, the processor can sustain meaningful all-core workloads. The PassMark single-thread score of 3890 reinforces this strength, while the multi-thread score of 18407 shows solid scaling across the 8 cores.

The CPU's overall average benchmark score is 21981, placing it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs in the database. This is a strong showing for a low-power mobile processor. The nearest rivals are telling: the Intel Core i7-11700F and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X both score nearly identically (21988 and 21992 respectively, both with a deltaPct of 0). This means the Ultra 5 238V delivers desktop-class performance from a previous generation in a package that sips power. The Intel Core Ultra 5 236V is essentially a sibling with a 0.1% delta, confirming this is a well-binned part within its own family. Even the AMD EPYC 9534, a server-class processor, is only 0.4% ahead in average score, though that comparison is more about benchmark methodology than real-world equivalency.

For real workloads, the data suggests this CPU excels at tasks that benefit from strong single-thread performance: web browsing, office productivity, software compilation, and general system responsiveness. The multi-core scores indicate it can handle video editing and 3D rendering, though sustained all-core loads will be limited by the thermal and power envelope. PassMark data compression score of 176532 and integer math score of 38889 indicate solid performance for file archiving and general computation. Floating-point math at 53160 is respectable for scientific and engineering applications that don't require extreme throughput.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The CPU's strong single-core performance (2208 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures it will not bottleneck modern game engines at high frame rates. However, the GPU pairing (detailed later) will be the primary determinant of gaming performance. The 75th percentile CPU ranking suggests it has sufficient headroom for most gaming workloads, but the 17 W TDP means sustained gaming sessions may see thermal throttling in poorly designed chassis.

Streaming: The CPU's 8 threads and 17 W TDP present a challenge for software encoding. The PassMark data encryption score of 13072 is modest, suggesting that hardware encoding via the integrated Arc 130V graphics or the discrete GPU's NVENC encoder will be the preferred path. The CPU can handle the encoding overhead, but dedicated hardware encoders will free up CPU resources for game logic and other tasks.

Video editing: The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15645 indicates the CPU can handle 1080p and even some 4K video editing timelines. The PassMark extended instructions score of 15377 suggests good SIMD performance for media processing. However, the 8 MB L3 cache and dual-channel memory will limit performance in complex multi-stream projects. Export times will be respectable but not class-leading.

3D rendering: This is a challenging workload for the 17 W TDP. The Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 1576 and R20 score of 6570 show that the CPU can complete rendering tasks, but users should expect longer render times compared to higher-power desktop processors. The PassMark physics score of 1546 is modest, indicating that physics simulation in 3D applications will be a bottleneck. This is suitable for occasional rendering, not professional-grade production work.

Software development: The strong single-core performance (3890 PassMark single-thread) is ideal for code compilation and IDE responsiveness. The PassMark random string sorting score of 21585 indicates solid performance for parsing and text processing tasks. The 8 threads handle parallel builds reasonably well, and the 17 W TDP means developers can work unplugged for extended periods without performance degradation.

Student and office work: This CPU is ideal for this segment. The single-core performance ensures snappy application launches and smooth multitasking in word processors, spreadsheets, and web browsers. The low 17 W TDP translates to excellent battery life, a critical factor for students. The 75th percentile ranking means this system will outperform the vast majority of office machines in daily use.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 5 238V uses the Intel BGA 2833 socket, which is a soldered, non-upgradeable platform. This is standard for ultra-portable laptops, where the CPU is permanently attached to the motherboard. The platform supports PCIe Gen 5 with 4 lanes from the CPU, enabling high-speed connectivity for next-generation NVMe SSDs and potentially external GPU enclosures. The memory support is listed as "unknown" and "depends on motherboard," which is typical for BGA platforms where the memory is often soldered alongside the CPU.

The integrated graphics is the Arc 130V, which provides a baseline graphics capability. This is useful for light gaming, video playback, and general GPU-accelerated tasks when the discrete GPU is not in use. The 17 W TDP combined with the GPU's 50 W TDP means the total system draw is modest, allowing for smaller batteries and lighter chassis designs.

For upgrades, the primary path forward is storage and memory, though both are typically soldered or limited in BGA laptops. Users should prioritize a fast NVMe SSD to maximize the PCIe Gen 5 capabilities. Since the CPU is soldered, the "next upgrade" is effectively a new laptop. Given the performance parity with the Intel Core i7-11700F and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, users should expect that this platform will remain relevant for several years for mainstream workloads. The absence of a suggested PSU figure and the GPU's "None" power connector requirement means this is a fully integrated mobile solution without user-serviceable power components.

Balance and Bottleneck

The CPU's 75th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 63rd percentile suggests that the CPU is the stronger component in this pairing. This is an unusual configuration, as most budget laptops feature a weaker CPU paired with a stronger GPU. The data indicates the CPU will rarely be the bottleneck in gaming scenarios, as its single-core performance (2208 Cinebench R23 single-core) is sufficient to feed the GPU's frame output. The GPU's 63rd percentile places it below the CPU in relative performance, meaning the GPU will be the limiting factor in graphics-intensive workloads.

For CPU-bound tasks like software compilation, data compression, and spreadsheet calculations, the CPU's 75th percentile ranking means it will perform well above average. The bottleneck in these scenarios will be the 17 W TDP, which limits sustained all-core boost clocks. The PassMark find prime numbers score of 174 is notably low, indicating that heavily integer-bound single-threaded workloads will not see exceptional performance despite the high single-core benchmark scores.

In gaming, the GPU's 8.986 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 192.0 GB/s memory bandwidth will be the primary constraints. The 6 GB GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus is sufficient for 1080p gaming at medium to high settings, but will struggle with 1440p or high-texture packs. The CPU's 8 MB L3 cache and dual-channel memory will not bottleneck the GPU at 1080p, but frame pacing may suffer in CPU-intensive scenes due to the modest thread count.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU's average benchmark score is 21981, placing it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. This is a remarkable achievement for a 17 W mobile processor. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15645 is within striking distance of desktop processors from just a few generations ago. The single-core score of 2208 is competitive with current desktop mid-range processors, confirming that Lunar Lake's architecture delivers excellent per-thread performance.

The GPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, has an average benchmark score of 19049, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are telling: the AMD Radeon RX 6600 scores 19036 (0.1% delta), making the RTX 4050 Mobile essentially equivalent to that desktop GPU in raw compute. The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 and Tesla K20m are also within 0.1-0.2%, though these are much older architectures. The RTX 2000 Ada Generation is 0.5% behind, showing the RTX 4050 Mobile is a well-positioned entry-level Ada chip.

In specific GPU benchmarks, the PassMark G3D score of 14423 indicates solid DirectX gaming performance. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 74748 and Vulkan score of 75235 show strong compute capability for GPU-accelerated tasks. The DirectX 12 score of 61 in PassMark is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 130, which may indicate driver overhead or architectural limitations in certain DX12 workloads. The GPU compute score of 5947 is modest, suggesting the RTX 4050 Mobile is not primarily designed for compute-heavy tasks like machine learning training.

The combined percentile for this CPU+GPU pairing is 69, indicating that the system as a whole sits above the majority of laptop configurations in the database. This is a balanced pairing where the CPU's strength compensates for the GPU's mid-range positioning. The absence of measured FPS data means these benchmark scores are the primary quantitative evidence for performance expectations.

Who Should Build It

This platform is best suited for users who prioritize portability and battery life without sacrificing everyday performance. Mobile professionals who spend their day in Office applications, web browsers, and video conferencing will find the CPU's single-core performance (3890 PassMark single-thread) more than adequate, while the 17 W TDP ensures all-day battery life. Software developers will appreciate the strong single-thread performance for code compilation and IDE responsiveness, though the 8 threads may limit large parallel builds.

Students are an ideal audience. The combination of a 75th percentile CPU and 63rd percentile GPU means this system handles all academic workloads, from research papers to statistical analysis, while remaining lightweight and power-efficient. Casual gamers who play at 1080p with medium settings will find the RTX 4050 Mobile's 14423 G3D score sufficient for esports titles and older AAA games. Content creators who work with 1080p video and light 3D rendering will appreciate the CPU's 15645 Cinebench R23 multi-core score, though they should temper expectations for 4K workloads.

Small business users will find this platform reliable for accounting software, inventory management, and customer relationship management tools. The 75th percentile CPU ranking means it outperforms most office desktops from a few years ago. However, hardcore gamers targeting 1440p or 4K should look elsewhere, as the GPU's 6 GB VRAM and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth will be insufficient for modern titles at those resolutions. Similarly, professional 3D artists and data scientists requiring heavy compute will find the GPU's 5947 compute score limiting.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 238V better than the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X?

A: The two processors have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with the Ryzen 5 3600X scoring 21992 and the Core Ultra 5 238V scoring 21981, a deltaPct of 0. The Ultra 5 does this at a 17 W TDP, making it far more efficient for mobile use.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4050 Mobile have?

A: The GPU has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock speed?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 238V has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz and a base clock of 2.10 GHz.

Q: Does the CPU support ECC memory?

A: No, the Intel Core Ultra 5 238V does not support ECC memory.

Q: What is the combined percentile ranking for this CPU+GPU pairing?

A: The combined percentile is 69, placing it above the majority of laptop configurations in the database.

Q: What is the GPU's architecture?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD107 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC.

Q: How does the RTX 4050 Mobile compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6600?

A: The RTX 4050 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 19049, while the RX 6600 scores 19036, a deltaPct of 0.1%. The two are essentially equivalent in raw performance.

Build Overview

This is a laptop-class build pairing the Intel Core Ultra 5 238V with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile. The CPU is a Lunar Lake architecture processor with 8 cores and 8 threads, a 17 W TDP, and a 4.70 GHz boost clock. The GPU is an Ada Lovelace architecture mobile chip with 2560 shading units, 6 GB GDDR6 memory, and a 50 W TDP. The combined system operates as a fully integrated mobile solution with no user-replaceable power components, as indicated by the GPU's "None" power connector requirement and IGP slot width.

The system's overall tier is solidly mid-range. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking places it in the upper echelon of all processors, while the GPU's 63rd percentile is slightly above average. The combined 69th percentile indicates this system will handle most mainstream tasks with ease, though it will not compete with high-end gaming laptops or mobile workstations. This is a platform designed for efficiency and portability, offering performance that rivals desktop systems from a few generations ago while consuming a fraction of the power.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU+GPU combination. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFpsUltraByGame entries, so all gaming performance figures presented here are estimates derived from the benchmark scores and should be treated as approximations rather than verified results.

Based on the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 14423 and DirectX 11 score of 130, this system is capable of 1080p gaming at medium to high settings in most modern titles. The GPU's 8.986 TFLOPS FP32 performance is sufficient for esports titles like CS:GO and Valorant at high frame rates, potentially exceeding 144 FPS at 1080p with competitive settings. The 6 GB VRAM will be adequate for these lighter titles.

For AAA games at 1080p, the GPU's 63rd percentile ranking suggests playable frame rates in the 40-60 FPS range at high settings. The CPU's strong single-core performance (2208 Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures that frame pacing will be stable, with minimal CPU-induced stuttering. However, the 8 threads and 17 W TDP may cause frame drops in CPU-intensive scenes in games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Starfield.

At 1440p, the GPU's 192.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6 GB VRAM will be significant bottlenecks. Users should expect to lower settings to medium or use upscaling technologies to maintain playable frame rates. The DirectX 12 PassMark score of 61 suggests that DX12 titles may underperform compared to DX11 equivalents, though this could be a driver-related issue that improves over time.

The GPU's compute performance (5947 PassMark GPU compute) indicates that ray tracing workloads will be challenging. The 20 RT cores are present, but the modest FP32 throughput will limit ray tracing to lighter implementations or lower resolutions. DLSS support, enabled by the 80 tensor cores, will be crucial for maintaining playable frame rates in ray-traced titles. Overall, this system is best suited for 1080p gaming with reasonable settings, delivering a smooth experience in most titles with the understanding that it is not a high-refresh or high-resolution gaming machine.