SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

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

96%

GPU

93%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

66,855 Benchmark Score

Top 4% Market Ranking

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GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

27,565 Benchmark Score

Top 7% Market Ranking

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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

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus sits at the heart of this build, and the silicon behind it is remarkably dense. Fabricated on a 3 nm process at TSMC, this processor packs 17,800 million transistors into a 243 mm² die. That transistor density is the foundation for everything else: 18 cores and 18 threads, all identical, with no hyper-threading to inflate thread counts. The base clock of 4.20 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz are aggressive for a 125 W TDP part, and the unlocked multiplier means those clocks are headroom for manual tuning if the cooling allows.

The architecture is Arrow Lake Refresh, the latest iteration of Intel's Core Ultra Series 2. The cache hierarchy is generous but unconventional: 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 30 MB L3 pool. Notably, there is no 3D V-Cache — this is a flat, wide design rather than a stacked one. Memory support is DDR5 only, dual-channel, with a 115.2 GB/s bandwidth ceiling. ECC memory is supported, which is a meaningful feature for workstation-oriented builds that need error correction without moving to a server platform.

The integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG with 64 execution units, which means the system can drive a display even before the RTX 3090 drivers are installed — a small convenience, but one that matters for troubleshooting or for a secondary display. PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes is forward-looking, though the RTX 3090 in this build uses PCIe 4.0. The socket is Intel Socket 1851, the current LGA platform for this generation.

Benchmark results show a processor that is balanced across both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads. In Cinebench R23, the multicore score is 30,867 and the singlecore score is 2,261. The R20 run yields 18,442 multicore and 2,603 singlecore, while R15 produces 4,640 multicore and 328 singlecore. The singlecore-to-multicore scaling is linear in a way that reflects the uniform 18-core design — there is no cluster of efficiency cores dragging down the aggregate.

The PassMark suite tells the same story with different metrics. Multithread score is 51,596, single-thread is 4,757. Integer math hits 125,091, floating point math reaches 162,692, and extended instructions score 44,565. Data encryption is 42,144, data compression is 568,721, and random string sorting is 69,090. Physics simulation scores 3,494, and finding prime numbers scores 486. The floating point advantage over integer math suggests strong FPU throughput, which matters for scientific computing and rendering workloads.

The average benchmark score is 66,855, placing this CPU in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs tracked. That is a top-tier position, but the nearest rivals show how tight the competition is. The AMD EPYC 4465P averages 66,925, a delta of -0.1% — essentially a statistical tie. The Intel Xeon 6515P is at 67,006, also -0.2% behind this chip. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, a mobile flagship, scores 67,469, which is -0.9% relative to the 250K Plus. Only the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus, the F-variant without integrated graphics, is ahead at 66,159 with a +1.1% delta.

What does this mean for real workloads? The 93rd percentile ranking and the near-exact parity with server-class EPYC and Xeon parts indicate that this desktop CPU is not just a gaming chip — it has genuine compute density. The 18 cores at 5.3 GHz boost will chew through multi-threaded compilation, rendering, and data processing tasks. The singlecore score of 4,757 in PassMark ensures that everyday responsiveness and lightly-threaded applications are not sacrificed for core count.

The launch MSRP for this CPU is $199. That is the only pricing data available, so no further cost analysis is possible here.

# Benchmark Performance

The CPU's average benchmark score of 66,855 places it at the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU's average benchmark score of 27,565 places it at the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. The combined system percentile is 83. These three numbers tell a clear story about the pairing: the CPU is substantially stronger relative to its peers than the GPU is relative to its own peer group. That imbalance shapes everything this system can and cannot do.

Looking at the GPU in isolation, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 is an Ampere-architecture part built on Samsung's 8 nm process. It packs 28,300 million transistors across a 628 mm² die. The compute resources are massive: 10,496 shading units, 328 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 82 RT cores, and 328 tensor cores. The FP32 throughput is 35.58 TFLOPS, with FP16 at the same 35.58 TFLOPS in a 1:1 ratio. The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 936.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is the key spec for high-resolution textures and large datasets.

In benchmarks, the RTX 3090 scores 5,118 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 172,758 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 53,927 in Geekbench Vulkan. The PassMark suite shows a G3D score of 26,645, a GPU compute score of 15,356, and DirectX-specific scores of 268 (DX9), 220 (DX11), 182 (DX10), and 110 (DX12). The G2D score is 1,063. The average benchmark score across all of these is 27,565.

The nearest rivals for the RTX 3090 are illustrative. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile scores 27,435, a +0.5% delta — meaning the 3090 is 0.5% ahead of a high-end mobile part. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT scores 27,425, also +0.5%. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 scores 27,839, which is -1.0% relative to the 3090, and the AMD Radeon RX 7800M scores 27,883, a -1.1% delta. The RTX 3090 sits in the middle of this pack, trailing two AMD parts slightly while edging out a mobile Nvidia and a desktop AMD.

The 73rd percentile ranking for the GPU is respectable but not elite. The CPU's 93rd percentile is the star of the show. When these two are combined, the 83rd percentile system rank reflects the GPU pulling the average down.

There are no measured FPS rows for this exact CPU+GPU combination. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFps data. Therefore, all FPS discussion in this analysis is estimated from the benchmark scores — the CPU's 93rd percentile and the GPU's 73rd percentile — rather than from direct frame captures. Any gaming figures cited are projections, not observed results.

The combined picture is one of compute capability outstripping graphics capability. The CPU can feed a faster GPU than the one installed. The RTX 3090 is a capable 4K card, but it is not in the same percentile tier as the CPU. For productivity workloads where the CPU dominates, this system is well above average. For gaming, it is above average but not top-of-the-line.

# FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus compare to the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus?

A: The 250K Plus has an average benchmark score of 66,855, while the 250KF Plus scores 66,159. The 250KF Plus is 1.1% ahead, per the deltaPct values. The key difference is that the 250K Plus includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 EU, whereas the F-variant does without.

Q: What is the memory configuration of this build?

A: The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel setup with a peak bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The GPU uses 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus with 936.2 GB/s of bandwidth. ECC memory is supported by the CPU, which is notable for error-sensitive workloads.

Q: Is the RTX 3090 a top-tier GPU by benchmark scores?

A: No. The RTX 3090 ranks at the 73rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 27,565. It is within 0.5% of the RTX 4070 Mobile and the RX 6700 XT, and it trails the Radeon Pro Vega 20 and RX 7800M by 1.0% and 1.1%, respectively.

Q: Can this system handle high-refresh gaming at 1080p or 1440p?

A: Based on the GPU's 73rd percentile ranking and the CPU's 93rd percentile, the CPU will not be a bottleneck at those resolutions. However, no measured FPS data exists for this combination. The expectation is that the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the RTX 3090's strengths are better suited to 4K where its 24 GB memory and 936.2 GB/s bandwidth are fully utilized.

Q: What is the TDP of the CPU and GPU?

A: The CPU has a TDP of 125 W, and the GPU has a TDP of 350 W. The suggested PSU for the GPU is 750 W. The CPU is unlocked, so manual overclocking can increase power draw beyond the 125 W figure.

Q: Does the CPU have integrated graphics?

A: Yes. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus includes Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units. This is useful for basic display output or troubleshooting without the RTX 3090 installed.

Q: What socket does this CPU use?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus uses Intel Socket 1851. It supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU, though the RTX 3090 uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The platform is built around Intel Socket 1851, which is the current socket for Core Ultra Series 2 desktop processors. The CPU supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU, and the RTX 3090 uses PCIe 4.0 x16 — so the GPU is not saturating the newest bus standard, but it is fully compatible and will not be bandwidth-starved on PCIe 4.0. The memory support is DDR5 only, dual-channel, with 115.2 GB/s of theoretical bandwidth. ECC memory is supported, which is rare for a mainstream desktop platform and worth considering if data integrity is a priority.

The CPU has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is on the table. The 125 W TDP is modest for an 18-core part, which suggests there is thermal headroom for manual tuning, though the actual power draw after overclocking is not specified in the data. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG graphics with 64 EU provide a fallback display output if the discrete GPU is removed or disabled.

The GPU is a different story. The RTX 3090 has a TDP of 350 W, and the suggested PSU is 750 W. The power connector is a single 12-pin, which is unusual and requires an adapter for most standard PSUs. The card is triple-slot, 336 mm long, 140 mm tall, and 61 mm wide — case compatibility is a real consideration. The production status is end-of-life, and the predecessor is the GeForce 20 series while the successor is the GeForce 40 series. This means the RTX 3090 is a previous-generation part, and the upgrade path for the GPU would be a newer generation card, though no specific model is named in the data.

For a sensible next upgrade, the CPU has room to grow. The 93rd percentile ranking means it is already near the top of the desktop heap, but the socket supports newer Core Ultra parts if more cores are needed. The GPU, at the 73rd percentile, is the weaker link — upgrading to a higher-percentile GPU would balance the system better. The 750 W PSU suggestion is the ceiling for this GPU; a more power-hungry replacement would require a PSU upgrade, but that figure is not in the data.

The memory is DDR5, so an upgrade to higher-capacity or faster DDR5 sticks is straightforward, though the 115.2 GB/s bandwidth is a platform limit. ECC support is a bonus for workstation use, but it requires ECC DDR5 modules specifically, which are not always compatible with consumer boards.

# Who Should Build It

This system targets users who need serious CPU compute with solid — not top-tier — graphics. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking and its parity with server-class EPYC and Xeon parts make it a natural fit for developers who compile large codebases, researchers running simulations, and content creators doing video encoding or 3D rendering. The 18 cores and 30 MB of L3 cache are well-suited to multi-threaded workloads that scale linearly, as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 30,867 demonstrates.

Gamers at 4K resolution are a secondary audience. The RTX 3090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 936.2 GB/s bandwidth are designed for high-resolution textures and large assets. At 1080p or 1440p, the GPU's 73rd percentile ranking would likely become the bottleneck, but at 4K, the balance shifts. No measured FPS data exists for this pairing, so expectations should be based on the benchmark scores alone.

Students and small business workstations are also viable targets. The ECC memory support and the CPU's high single-thread score of 4,757 in PassMark mean everyday office tasks, spreadsheet manipulation, and light development are handled with ease. The integrated graphics provide a fallback for basic display tasks without the discrete GPU, which is useful for troubleshooting or low-power use.

The build class is desktop, so this is not a portable system. The GPU is triple-slot and 336 mm long, so it requires a full-size tower case with adequate clearance. The 125 W CPU TDP and 350 W GPU TDP mean the system runs hot and loud under load, but that is expected for this performance class.

# Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFpsUltraByGame entries, and dataIsMeasured is false. Therefore, all gaming performance figures discussed here are estimates derived from the benchmark scores — specifically the CPU's 93rd percentile and the GPU's 73rd percentile — and should be treated as projections rather than observed results.

The RTX 3090's 73rd percentile ranking puts it in the upper-middle tier of GPUs. It is within 0.5% of the RTX 4070 Mobile and the RX 6700 XT, and it trails the Radeon Pro Vega 20 and RX 7800M by roughly 1%. This suggests that in ultra settings, the card will deliver playable frame rates at 1440p and 4K, with the 24 GB memory pool preventing texture-related stuttering in modern titles. At 1080p, the CPU's 93rd percentile would likely keep frame rates high, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 singlecore score of 2,261 and PassMark single-thread score of 4,757 indicate strong per-core performance, which is critical for game logic and physics calculations. The 18 cores provide ample headroom for background tasks, streaming, or recording while gaming. The 30 MB of L3 cache reduces memory latency for frequently accessed game data.

The combined 83rd percentile system rank suggests that this build is above average for gaming, but not in the top tier. The GPU is the weaker component, and games that are GPU-bound at high resolutions will show that limitation. Games that are CPU-bound, such as simulation or strategy titles, will benefit from the strong processor.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: At 1080p or 1440p with high refresh rate monitors, the CPU's 93rd percentile ensures that frame generation is not CPU-limited, but the GPU's 73rd percentile will cap average frame rates below what a top-tier card would deliver. The 24 GB memory helps maintain consistent performance in texture-heavy scenes.

Streaming: The 18-core CPU has enough parallelism to handle game encoding alongside the game itself. The PassMark multithread score of 51,596 shows strong multi-threaded throughput, so software encoding is viable without a dedicated capture card.

Video editing: The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 30,867 and the floating point math score of 162,692 indicate strong performance in video encoding and effects rendering. The 24 GB GPU memory accelerates timeline scrubbing and preview rendering, though the GPU's 73rd percentile is not class-leading.

3D rendering: CPU-based rendering will be excellent, given the 18 cores and the 30,867 R23 multicore score. GPU-based rendering via the RTX 3090's 35.58 TFLOPS FP32 will be good but not top-tier, given the 73rd percentile ranking.

Software development: Compilation and testing benefit directly from the 18 cores and the data compression score of 568,721 in PassMark, which suggests strong zip and build artifact handling. ECC memory support is a plus for long-running test suites.

Student and office work: The single-thread score of 4,757 in PassMark ensures snappy responsiveness in word processors, spreadsheets, and web browsers. The integrated Arc graphics provide display output without the discrete GPU, making this a flexible workstation.

# Build Overview

This is a desktop build pairing the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. The CPU is a 93rd-percentile processor with an average benchmark score of 66,855, and the GPU is a 73rd-percentile card with an average score of 27,565. The combined system percentile is 83, which places this build in the upper tier of desktop configurations.

The CPU is an 18-core, 18-thread Arrow Lake Refresh part on Intel Socket 1851, with a 5.30 GHz boost clock and a 125 W TDP. The GPU is an Ampere-architecture card with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, a 350 W TDP, and a triple-slot design. The CPU is currently active in production, while the GPU is end-of-life.

The pairing is notable for the CPU's strength relative to the GPU. The 93rd percentile CPU is a top-tier compute part, while the 73rd percentile GPU is a solid but not elite graphics card. This is a workstation-first, gaming-second configuration. The CPU can handle the most demanding productivity tasks, while the GPU provides sufficient — but not exceptional — graphics performance.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The data shows a clear imbalance in favor of the CPU. With a 93rd percentile CPU and a 73rd percentile GPU, the graphics card is the limiting factor in any GPU-bound workload. The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals show it is within 1.1% of mid-range cards like the RX 6700 XT and the RTX 4070 Mobile, meaning the RTX 3090 is not punching far above its weight class.

In gaming, the bottleneck will shift depending on resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's high single-thread performance — a PassMark single-thread score of 4,757 — is sufficient to feed the GPU, but the GPU's 73rd percentile ranking caps the frame rate. At 4K, the GPU's 24 GB memory and 936.2 GB/s bandwidth become the critical resource, and the CPU's advantage is less relevant. The absence of measured FPS data means these are estimates, but the percentile gap is the strongest evidence of where the bottleneck lies.

In productivity workloads, the CPU dominates. The 30,867 Cinebench R23 multicore score and the 51,596 PassMark multithread score show that the CPU is not the constraint. The GPU's compute score of 15,356 in PassMark indicates that GPU-accelerated tasks like rendering or machine learning will be limited by the graphics card's 73rd percentile standing.

The combined 83rd percentile system rank reflects this compromise. A more balanced build would pair the 93rd-percentile CPU with a higher-percentile GPU, but the RTX 3090 is still a capable partner for most workloads. The CPU will never be the bottleneck in this system; the GPU will be the first component to show its limits in both gaming and compute-heavy graphics tasks.

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

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

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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