SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 338H + Intel Arc A530M

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

93 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 7% 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
90%
VS
GPU
96%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 338H

33,989 Benchmark Score
Top 10% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc A530M

46,614 Benchmark Score
Top 4% 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

Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and Intel Arc A530M form a mobile pairing that targets the upper-middle tier of laptop performance. The CPU sits at the 84th percentile among all processors, while the GPU reaches the 85th percentile, and the combined package lands at the 85th percentile overall. Benchmark results indicate a system designed for consistent 1080p gaming and serious productivity work, though the data contains no measured FPS rows for this exact combination, so all gaming frame rates discussed here are estimates derived from the synthetic benchmark scores.

Balance and Bottleneck

The balance between the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and the Intel Arc A530M leans toward CPU-heavy workloads in several key ways. The processor’s PassMark multithread score of 28,717 and Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 16,331 place it well above the GPU’s raw compute output of 3.994 TFLOPS FP32. In tasks like data compression, the CPU posts a PassMark score of 276,539, which indicates exceptional throughput for archiving and decompression — workloads that will be entirely CPU-bound and leave the GPU idle. Conversely, the GPU’s Geekbench OpenCL score of 49,735 shows that rendering tasks scale strongly on the Arc A530M, but the CPU’s single-thread performance of 4,180 in PassMark and 2,044 in Cinebench R23 suggests it can feed the GPU adequately in most gaming scenarios.

The 12-core, 12-thread CPU configuration with no Hyper-Threading means the processor relies on physical cores for multi-threaded work. This creates a distinct bottleneck profile: in lightly threaded tasks like older games or single-threaded applications, the 4.70 GHz boost clock ensures strong responsiveness, but in heavily threaded scenarios, the lack of extra threads limits scaling compared to rivals like the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H, which scores nearly identically (34,083 average vs. 33,989 for the 338H, a -0.3% delta). The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p ultra settings in most titles, but at higher resolutions, the CPU’s dual-channel LPDDR5X memory bandwidth of 136.5 GB/s could constrain data flow to the GPU.

FPS scaling estimates from the benchmark scores suggest that at 1080p ultra, the GPU will be the limiting factor in graphically intense titles, while at lower settings or in CPU-bound games like esports titles, the processor’s high boost clock becomes the primary driver. The GPU’s pixel rate of 62.40 GPixel/s and texture rate of 124.8 GTexel/s indicate it can handle modern effects, but the 12 RT cores and 1,536 shading units are modest for ray tracing, so enabling RT features will likely shift the bottleneck firmly to the GPU.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H uses the Intel BGA 2540 socket, which is a soldered mobile platform — this means the CPU is not upgradable in a traditional sense. The processor is part of the Panther Lake architecture on Intel’s 3 nm process node, and it supports LPDDR5X memory in a dual-channel configuration. The memory bus width is dual-channel with a bandwidth of 136.5 GB/s, which is fixed by the platform and cannot be expanded through additional memory channels. ECC memory is not supported, so error-correcting workloads would require a different platform entirely.

PCIe support comes in the form of Gen 5 with 4 lanes available from the CPU only. This is a notable limitation for storage expansion — a single Gen 5 NVMe SSD can use the full 4 lanes, but additional PCIe devices would need to share bandwidth or use the GPU’s PCIe 4.0 x8 interface. The Intel Arc A530M connects via PCIe 4.0 x8, which provides adequate bandwidth for the GPU’s 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, but it does limit theoretical data transfer rates compared to a x16 connection. The GPU has a TDP of 65 W, and the CPU has a TDP of 25 W, which combined suggests a total system draw that is modest for a laptop — the FACT PACK does not list a suggested PSU, but the component TDPs indicate that a typical mobile power delivery system can handle this pair without exotic cooling.

For a sensible next upgrade, benchmark results show the CPU is already near its performance ceiling for this platform class. The nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H, scores 34,083 on average versus 33,989 for the 338H — a delta of only -0.3% — so upgrading to a higher-tier CPU in the same generation would yield marginal gains. The GPU, however, sits at the 85th percentile and could benefit from a faster mobile GPU, but the BGA 2540 socket and integrated nature of the laptop platform mean that any GPU upgrade would require a full system replacement. The integrated graphics, Intel Arc B370, is present on the CPU, which allows for basic display output if the discrete GPU is disabled or fails.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H is a 12-core, 12-thread processor built on the Panther Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node from Intel. The base clock runs at 1.90 GHz, and the boost clock reaches 4.70 GHz, which drives the single-thread performance that benchmarks highlight. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration is notable for having no Hyper-Threading — 12 threads equals 12 cores — which is a design choice that prioritizes power efficiency (25 W TDP) over multi-threaded throughput.

Benchmark scores paint a clear picture of the CPU’s capabilities. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score of 16,331 and single-core score of 2,044 indicate strong all-around performance for a mobile processor. The single-core score is particularly competitive, ranking in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, which means everyday tasks like web browsing, office applications, and light coding will feel responsive. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,180 corroborates this, and the integer math score of 64,934 suggests solid performance in general-purpose computing.

Multi-threaded workloads reveal the trade-off of the 12-thread design. The PassMark multithread score of 28,717 is respectable but trails processors with Hyper-Threading in heavily parallel tasks. The data compression score of 276,539 is outstanding, indicating that archiving and file management tasks will complete quickly. Floating-point math scores 84,067, which is strong for scientific and engineering applications. The extended instructions score of 23,906 shows that SIMD workloads like video encoding will benefit from the CPU’s capabilities. However, the find prime numbers score of 304 and physics score of 2,697 are relatively modest, suggesting that integer-heavy parallel workloads are not the primary strength of this chip.

The 84th percentile ranking places the 338H just below the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (34,083 average score, -0.3% delta) and above the Intel Core i7-12800HX (33,875 average score, +0.3% delta). This means the 338H is effectively a performance peer of those established mobile chips, offering competitive multi-threaded performance with a lower TDP of 25 W.

Who Should Build It

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H with the Intel Arc A530M is a laptop configuration that suits gamers targeting 1080p resolution with high detail settings. The GPU’s 85th percentile ranking and 8 GB of VRAM indicate it can handle modern titles at 1080p ultra, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures smooth frame pacing in CPU-bound scenarios. Gamers who prioritize esports titles like competitive shooters or MOBAs will benefit from the 4.70 GHz boost clock, which drives high frame rates in less graphically demanding games.

Content creators who work with video editing or 3D rendering will find the CPU’s multi-core scores useful. The Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 16,331 and PassMark floating-point math score of 84,067 support tasks like video encoding and 3D scene rendering. The GPU’s Geekbench OpenCL score of 49,735 adds hardware acceleration for GPU-accelerated effects in editing software. However, the 12-thread limit means very heavy multi-threaded renders may take longer than on higher-core-count alternatives.

Software developers will appreciate the CPU’s single-thread performance for compilation tasks, and the PassMark data encryption score of 21,367 suggests solid cryptographic performance for secure development environments. Students and small business users building portable workstations will find the 25 W CPU TDP and 65 W GPU TDP result in a system that balances performance with battery life expectations. The 84th CPU percentile and 85th GPU percentile mean this configuration sits comfortably above entry-level laptops, making it suitable for users who need consistent performance without stepping into premium workstation territory.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A530M is built on the Xe-HPG architecture using TSMC’s 6 nm process node, with a chip size of 269 mm² and 11,500 million transistors. The GPU runs at a base clock of 900 MHz and a boost clock of 1300 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s, which is adequate for 1080p gaming but limits performance at higher resolutions.

The GPU contains 1,536 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 62.40 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 124.8 GTexel/s, which are moderate figures for a mobile GPU. FP32 performance is 3.994 TFLOPS, and FP16 performance is 7.987 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio. The API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, meaning the GPU is ready for modern graphics features like mesh shaders and variable rate shading.

Benchmark results show a Geekbench OpenCL score of 49,735 and a Vulkan score of 43,492, placing the GPU at the 85th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600M, scores 46,601 on average — a delta of 0% — indicating that the Arc A530M is performance-equivalent to that established mobile GPU. The NVIDIA RTX A2000 scores 46,043, which is 1.2% lower, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation scores 45,972, 1.4% lower. This means the Arc A530M is competitive with mid-range mobile GPUs from the previous generation.

For rendering workloads, the 12 RT cores provide hardware-accelerated ray tracing, but the modest FP32 throughput of 3.994 TFLOPS means that ray-traced scenes will be slower than on higher-tier GPUs. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p textures and moderate 1440p usage, but the 128-bit memory bus limits bandwidth-sensitive tasks like high-resolution texture streaming.

Gaming Performance

The FACT PACK contains no measured FPS rows for this exact combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and Intel Arc A530M. Therefore, all frame rate figures discussed in this section are estimates derived from the synthetic benchmark scores, and they should be treated as approximations rather than measured results.

Based on the GPU’s 85th percentile ranking and the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, the estimated gaming experience at 1080p ultra settings is positive. The GPU’s 3.994 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth suggest it can deliver playable frame rates in most titles at 1080p ultra, with the CPU’s 4.70 GHz boost clock ensuring that CPU-bound scenes do not create stutters. Esports titles that are less graphically demanding will likely see high frame rates, potentially exceeding 60 FPS by a wide margin, given the CPU’s single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2,044.

At 1440p, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus become more limiting. Estimated frame rates would drop, and some games may require reducing settings to high rather than ultra to maintain smooth performance. The GPU’s pixel rate of 62.40 GPixel/s limits fill-rate-heavy effects at higher resolutions. Ray tracing performance is expected to be modest — the 12 RT cores can handle basic RT effects, but enabling full ray tracing at ultra settings will likely result in frame rates below 30 FPS in demanding titles.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The CPU’s boost clock of 4.70 GHz and single-thread PassMark score of 4,180 support high frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios. The GPU’s 85th percentile ranking suggests 1080p gaming at high refresh rates (100+ FPS) is achievable in less demanding titles, though the 128-bit memory bus may cap performance in VRAM-heavy games.

Streaming: The CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 28,717 and data encryption score of 21,367 indicate it can handle game capture and encoding simultaneously with gaming. The 12 physical cores provide dedicated processing for stream encoding, though the lack of Hyper-Threading means there is less headroom than on rival chips with more threads.

Video editing: The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16,331 supports timeline editing and export tasks. The GPU’s Geekbench OpenCL score of 49,735 accelerates effects and color grading, while the 8 GB VRAM handles 1080p and moderate 4K timelines.

3D rendering: The CPU’s floating-point math score of 84,067 and the GPU’s 3.994 TFLOPS FP32 performance provide a balanced rendering platform. CPU-based renders in software like Blender will use all 12 cores, while GPU-accelerated renders will leverage the Arc A530M’s Xe-HPG architecture.

Software development: The single-thread Cinebench R23 score of 2,044 and PassMark integer math score of 64,934 support fast compilation and code analysis. The data compression score of 276,539 speeds up build artifact management and version control operations.

Student and office work: The 25 W CPU TDP and 65 W GPU TDP create a power-efficient package. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,180 ensures responsive office applications, while the 84th CPU percentile means multitasking with many browser tabs and documents remains fluid.

FAQ

Q: What is the CPU’s core and thread count?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H has 12 cores and 12 threads, with no Hyper-Threading support.

Q: How much VRAM does the Intel Arc A530M have?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What is the combined performance percentile of this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The combined percentile is 85th, with the CPU at the 84th percentile and the GPU at the 85th percentile.

Q: Does this configuration support ECC memory?

A: No, ECC memory is not supported by the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H.

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

A: The boost clock is 4.70 GHz, with a base clock of 1.90 GHz.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H?

A: The 338H has an average benchmark score of 33,989, while the Ultra 7 165H scores 34,083, resulting in a delta of -0.3% — essentially a performance tie.

Q: What APIs does the GPU support?

A: The Intel Arc A530M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Benchmark Performance

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H achieves an average benchmark score of 33,989, placing it at the 84th percentile of all CPUs. In individual tests, the Cinebench R15 multi-core score is 2,504 and single-core is 305. Cinebench R20 results show 10,213 multi-core and 1,441 single-core. The Cinebench R23 scores are 16,331 multi-core and 2,044 single-core. PassMark results include a multithread score of 28,717, single-thread score of 4,180, data compression of 276,539, data encryption of 21,367, extended instructions of 23,906, floating-point math of 84,067, integer math of 64,934, physics of 2,697, and random string sorting of 34,082.

The Intel Arc A530M achieves an average benchmark score of 46,614, placing it at the 85th percentile of all GPUs. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 49,735 and Vulkan score is 43,492. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 5600M (46,601, 0% delta), AMD Radeon RX 6550M (46,702, -0.2% delta), NVIDIA RTX A2000 (46,043, 1.2% delta), and NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation (45,972, 1.4% delta).

The combined picture shows a balanced mobile platform where the CPU and GPU are closely matched in percentile ranking. The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H, is within 0.3% in average score, meaning this processor holds its own against a higher-tier chip. The GPU’s performance is equally competitive, matching the AMD Radeon RX 5600M exactly in average score. This symmetry suggests that neither component will consistently bottleneck the other in mixed workloads, though the CPU’s higher single-thread performance and the GPU’s moderate compute capacity point to gaming at 1080p as the sweet spot for this configuration.