SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 7 155U + 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 7 155U

21,174 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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155U and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile form a balanced mid-range laptop pairing designed for portability with acceptable performance. This combination targets users who need a capable machine for both productivity and light gaming, without the bulk and power draw of a high-end desktop replacement. The benchmark data shows a system that sits in the 69th percentile overall, indicating it outperforms the majority of existing hardware while remaining accessible for a wide range of tasks.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155U is a 12-core, 14-thread processor built on the Meteor Lake architecture, representing Intel's first generation of Core Ultra chips. This mobile-focused CPU operates on a 7 nm process node from Intel and features a base clock of 1700 MHz with a boost clock of up to 4.80 GHz. The hybrid core arrangement, typical of Meteor Lake, allows the chip to balance power efficiency with burst performance, though the exact core type distribution is not detailed in the data. The 15W TDP classifies this as a low-power part, designed primarily for thin-and-light laptops where thermal headroom is limited.

The CPU's cache hierarchy is substantial for a mobile part: 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. This arrangement helps feed the 14 threads efficiently, particularly in workloads that benefit from frequent data reuse. Memory support is listed as DDR5, dependent on the motherboard, with a dual-channel bus delivering a theoretical bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. This is a solid foundation for a laptop processor, ensuring that memory bandwidth does not bottleneck the CPU's compute capabilities in most scenarios.

Benchmark results paint a clear picture of the 155U's position. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score of 9674.5 and single-core score of 1666 indicate strong performance for a 15W part. The multi-core result is particularly notable, suggesting that the chip can sustain high throughput across all cores for extended periods, which is crucial for video encoding and 3D rendering tasks. The Passmark suite reinforces this: a single-thread score of 3372 and a multithread score of 16382 show balanced capabilities, while the integer math score of 57564 and floating-point math score of 40256 demonstrate solid arithmetic processing power. Data encryption at 11333 and compression at 177122 further indicate that the CPU handles data-intensive workloads with relative ease.

The 155U's average benchmark score of 21174 places it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of the processors in the database. Its nearest rivals are remarkably close: the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U scores 21133, a mere 0.2% lower, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V scores 21112, also 0.2% behind. The AMD EPYC 9454, a server chip, scores 21223, just 0.2% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G scores 21088, 0.4% lower. This clustering indicates that the 155U is competitively positioned within its performance tier, neither dramatically ahead nor behind its direct competitors. For real-world workloads, this translates to smooth multitasking, responsive application launches, and capable content creation performance, though it will not rival higher-TDP desktop chips.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The RTX 4050 Mobile GPU, combined with the 155U's single-thread performance, can drive high-refresh-rate displays in esports titles. The CPU's 1666 Cinebench R23 single-core score ensures that game logic and physics are handled without significant bottlenecks, while the GPU provides sufficient frame rates in less demanding games. However, the lack of measured FPS data means expectations must be tempered for AAA titles at high settings.

Streaming: The 155U's multi-core score of 9674.5 in Cinebench R23 suggests adequate headroom for software encoding while gaming. The 12 cores provide enough parallelism to handle both game threads and encoding threads, though a dedicated hardware encoder on the GPU may be preferable for higher quality streams. The Passmark data encryption score of 11333 indicates the CPU can handle the overhead of stream encryption without major performance drops.

Video editing: The combination of the 155U's multithread performance and the RTX 4050's acceleration features makes this a viable laptop for 1080p video editing. The CPU's 40256 floating-point math score and 177122 data compression score suggest it can handle codec operations and timeline scrubbing, while the GPU's tensor cores can accelerate effects and exports. This is not a professional workstation, but it will manage consumer-level projects effectively.

3D rendering: The 155U's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 9674.5 indicates that CPU-based rendering is possible but will be slower than dedicated workstation chips. The RTX 4050 Mobile, with its 8.986 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, can accelerate GPU-based renderers significantly. For Blender or similar applications that leverage both CPU and GPU, this pairing offers a balanced approach, though render times will be longer than high-end desktops.

Software development: The 155U's 3372 Passmark single-thread score and 16382 multithread score provide a responsive environment for compiling code, running tests, and managing virtual machines. The 12 cores handle parallel builds efficiently, while the single-thread performance ensures quick IDE responsiveness. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth supports large project loads without excessive swapping.

Student and office work: This pairing excels in this scenario. The 155U's low 15W TDP means long battery life, while the 75th percentile CPU performance ensures smooth multitasking across documents, spreadsheets, and web browsers. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG 64EU graphics provide a backup for video playback and light graphical tasks, making this a versatile daily driver.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU's average benchmark score of 21174 places it in the 75th percentile among all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U at 21133, a 0.2% difference. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score of 9674.5 is the most telling metric, representing sustained all-core performance. The single-core score of 1666 is competitive for a mobile chip, ensuring snappy responsiveness in lightly threaded applications.

The GPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, delivers an average benchmark score of 19049, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6600 with a score of 19036, a 0.1% difference. In Passmark G3D, the GPU scores 14423, while the DirectX 12 test shows 61 and DirectX 11 shows 130. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 74748 and Vulkan score of 75235 indicate strong compute capabilities. The GPU compute score in Passmark is 5947, reflecting its parallel processing power.

Combined, the CPU and GPU achieve a 69th percentile overall ranking, indicating that this pairing outperforms the majority of laptops in the database. The close rival scores on both components suggest that this is a well-balanced system where neither component dramatically outclasses the other. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking is slightly higher than the GPU's 63rd, suggesting the processor has a slight edge in relative performance, but the gap is not large enough to create a significant imbalance.

Who Should Build It

This pairing targets users who need a laptop for mixed workloads without extreme performance demands. Gamers at 1080p resolution will find the RTX 4050 Mobile sufficient for medium to high settings in most titles, while the 155U ensures no CPU bottleneck. Content creators working with 1080p video or moderate 3D projects will appreciate the balanced performance, though 4K workflows would require a more powerful GPU.

Software developers benefit from the 12-core CPU, which accelerates compilation times, and the GPU's compute capabilities for machine learning experiments. Students and office workers will find the low 15W TDP ideal for all-day battery life, with the 75th percentile CPU performance handling any productivity task. Small business workstations requiring a reliable, portable machine for data analysis, presentations, and light design work will find this pairing adequate, though it lacks the expandability of a desktop.

The 69th combined percentile indicates this is a mid-range offering, suitable for users who want current-generation performance without paying a premium for top-tier hardware. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking means it handles most software without hesitation, while the GPU's 63rd percentile ensures playable frame rates at 1080p. This is a sensible choice for a primary personal laptop or a secondary work machine.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The chip, designated AD107, contains 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 118.9 million per square millimeter. This is a compact, efficient design suited for mobile use, with a 50W TDP that fits within the power envelope of thin laptops.

The GPU features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This configuration is sufficient for 1080p gaming with high textures, though the 96-bit bus limits performance at higher resolutions. The memory runs at 2000 MHz with an effective speed of 16 Gbps. The GPU's 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units provide a solid foundation for rasterization, while 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores enable ray tracing and DLSS acceleration.

Clock speeds are modest for a mobile part: a base of 1455 MHz and a boost of 1755 MHz. The pixel rate of 84.24 GPixel/s and texture rate of 140.4 GTexel/s indicate balanced throughput for 1080p rendering. The FP32 performance of 8.986 TFLOPS, with FP16 at the same rate (1:1), provides ample compute for both gaming and GPU-accelerated applications. The PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is adequate for mobile use, and the DirectX 12 Ultimate support ensures compatibility with modern titles.

Benchmark results show the 4050 Mobile performs at a level comparable to the desktop RX 6600, with a 0.1% difference in average score. The Passmark G3D score of 14423 is respectable, while the DirectX 12 score of 61 suggests some driver overhead in certain workloads. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 75235 indicates strong API utilization. For rendering, the 8.986 TFLOPS FP32 performance is sufficient for real-time viewport rendering, while the tensor cores accelerate AI-based denoising and upscaling.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU+GPU combination in the FACT PACK. The `measuredFpsUltraByGame` field is empty, and `dataIsMeasured` is false. All frame rate expectations presented here are estimates derived from the component benchmark scores, not empirical measurements. Users should treat these as directional indicators rather than guaranteed performance.

Based on the RTX 4050 Mobile's Passmark G3D score of 14423 and its 63rd percentile ranking, this GPU is positioned for 1080p gaming. At ultra settings, the 4050 Mobile will likely handle esports titles like Counter-Strike and Valorant at high frame rates, potentially exceeding 100 FPS, driven by the CPU's strong single-thread score of 1666 in Cinebench R23. For AAA games, the 6 GB VRAM and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth will be limiting at ultra settings, with frame rates likely dropping below 60 FPS in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Microsoft Flight Simulator.

At high settings rather than ultra, the GPU's texture rate of 140.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 84.24 GPixel/s suggest playable performance in most games, with frame rates estimated between 50-80 FPS depending on optimization. The 20 RT cores enable ray tracing, but at a significant performance cost, likely reducing frame rates by 30-40% in RT-heavy scenes. DLSS, leveraging the 80 tensor cores, can offset this, potentially restoring playable frame rates.

The CPU's 75th percentile ranking ensures that game logic and AI calculations are handled without bottlenecking the GPU in most scenarios. However, in CPU-intensive simulations like strategy games, the 155U's 15W TDP may limit sustained performance, causing frame drops in late-game scenarios. Overall, this pairing is best suited for 1080p medium-high settings, with ultra reserved for older or less demanding titles.

Balance and Bottleneck

The balance between the CPU and GPU is notably even. The CPU's 75th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 63rd percentile indicates the processor is relatively stronger, but the 12-point gap is not severe. In gaming workloads, the RTX 4050 Mobile will be the primary limiter at ultra settings, particularly in GPU-bound titles. The 6 GB VRAM and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest, causing potential texture pop-in or reduced detail in high-resolution scenarios.

Conversely, in CPU-bound tasks like physics simulation or data processing, the 155U's 15W TDP may cause it to throttle under sustained load. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 9674.5, while strong for a mobile chip, is achieved within a tight power envelope, meaning long render sessions could see clock speed reductions. The Passmark physics score of 1084 suggests the CPU handles basic physics calculations adequately, but complex simulations may strain it.

The combined 69th percentile indicates that neither component drastically underperforms the other. The GPU's 8.986 TFLOPS FP32 is well-matched to the CPU's 57564 integer math score, suggesting balanced compute for combined workloads. For gaming, the CPU's single-thread performance (3372 Passmark) ensures the GPU receives a steady stream of draw calls, but at higher resolutions or settings, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, as evidenced by its lower percentile ranking.

In productivity scenarios, the CPU leads, with the GPU providing acceleration for specific tasks like video encoding via its tensor cores. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth of the CPU is sufficient to feed both components, avoiding a memory bottleneck. Overall, this is a well-balanced system where the bottleneck shifts based on workload, with no single component consistently limiting performance.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The CPU uses the Intel BGA 2049 socket, which is a soldered mobile platform, meaning processor upgrades are not feasible without replacing the entire motherboard or laptop. The 155U is part of the Core Ultra Series 1, and the platform supports DDR5 memory, though the exact speed depends on the motherboard. The dual-channel memory bus provides 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for the current CPU and GPU.

PCIe connectivity includes Gen 4 with 12 lanes from the CPU, allowing for fast NVMe storage. The GPU connects via PCIe 4.0 x8, which is sufficient for the 4050 Mobile's bandwidth needs. The 15W CPU TDP and 50W GPU TDP indicate a combined power draw of 65W for the core components, leaving headroom for peripherals and display. The GPU's power connector is listed as "None," and the suggested PSU is null, confirming this is a laptop with a proprietary power adapter, not a user-replaceable desktop PSU.

For upgrades, the most practical path is increasing memory capacity and storage. The DDR5 support allows for high-speed RAM, which can improve performance in memory-intensive tasks. Adding a second NVMe drive can expand storage without affecting the current configuration. A sensible next upgrade would be a newer GeForce 50 Mobile GPU, which is listed as the successor to the 40-series, but this would require a new laptop entirely due to the soldered nature of mobile components. The platform's 7 nm CPU and 5 nm GPU are both current-generation, so no immediate architectural upgrades are necessary.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U compare to the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U?

A: The two processors are nearly identical in performance. The 155U scores 21174 on average, while the 7530U scores 21133, a difference of only 0.2% in favor of the Intel chip.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4050 Mobile has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, delivering 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory runs at 2000 MHz with an effective speed of 16 Gbps.

Q: Can this laptop handle ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX 4050 Mobile includes 20 RT cores dedicated to ray tracing. However, the modest GPU performance means ray tracing will significantly impact frame rates, and DLSS is recommended to maintain playability.

Q: What is the CPU's TDP and why does it matter?

A: The CPU has a 15W TDP, indicating a low-power design. This allows for thinner laptops and longer battery life but limits sustained performance under heavy loads compared to higher-TDP processors.

Q: Is the 6 GB VRAM sufficient for modern games?

A: At 1080p resolution, 6 GB is sufficient for most games at medium to high settings. For ultra settings or higher resolutions, the VRAM may become a limiting factor, causing texture streaming issues.

Q: What is the combined performance percentile of this system?

A: The CPU+GPU pairing achieves a 69th percentile ranking among all systems in the database, indicating it outperforms roughly two-thirds of comparable hardware.

Q: Can the CPU be upgraded in this laptop?

A: No, the CPU is soldered to the motherboard using the Intel BGA 2049 socket. Upgrading the processor would require replacing the entire motherboard or purchasing a new laptop.

Build Overview

This system pairs the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U, a 12-core Meteor Lake processor, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, an Ada Lovelace GPU. Both components are current-generation mobile parts, with the CPU released in December 2023 and the GPU in January 2023. The build class is laptop, confirming this is a portable configuration rather than a desktop setup.

The CPU's 75th percentile ranking and the GPU's 63rd percentile ranking combine to place this system in the 69th overall percentile. This indicates a mid-to-upper-tier laptop that handles modern workloads competently. The 155U's strong multi-core performance (Cinebench R23 score of 9674.5) and the 4050 Mobile's balanced GPU capabilities (Passmark G3D score of 14423) make this a versatile machine for gaming, content creation, and productivity. The 15W CPU TDP and 50W GPU TDP keep power consumption manageable, extending battery life without sacrificing significant performance.

In summary, this is a well-rounded laptop configuration designed for users who need a single device capable of handling a variety of tasks. It is not a high-end enthusiast system, but it represents a sensible middle ground, offering reliable performance across gaming, creative, and professional workloads. The 69th percentile ranking confirms that this pairing delivers above-average performance relative to the broader hardware landscape, making it a solid choice for its intended market segment.