SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

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

94 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 6% 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%
VS
GPU
93%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 7 265

64,640 Benchmark Score
Top 4% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

27,565 Benchmark Score
Top 7% 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
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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

# Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090: A High-End Desktop Analysis

This pairing combines Intel's 20-core Arrow Lake desktop processor with NVIDIA's 24 GB Ampere flagship GPU, landing in the 83rd combined percentile across all benchmarked systems. The data indicates a desktop-class build (not a laptop configuration) with a strong CPU that outperforms its nearest rivals in synthetic multi-threaded tests, paired with a GPU that sits comfortably in the upper tier of the database, though neither component dominates the other in every workload. No measured FPS rows exist for this exact CPU+GPU combination, so all frame-rate discussion below is estimated from the individual benchmark scores and their percentile positions.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 uses the Intel Socket 1851 platform, which is the foundation for the Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake-S) desktop processors. This socket supports DDR5 memory exclusively, with a dual-channel memory bus delivering a theoretical bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s — a figure that places the platform in the mid-range of current desktop memory architectures. The CPU itself provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which is sufficient for a single high-end graphics card and a fast NVMe SSD, though multi-GPU configurations would require a chipset to expand lane count.

Memory support is limited to DDR5, with no ECC capability, meaning this platform targets consumer and prosumer workloads rather than mission-critical server applications. The 65 W TDP of the CPU is modest for a 20-core part, which suggests that a capable air cooler or a compact liquid cooler will suffice for most builds; the data does not specify a recommended cooler size, so users should plan around the 65 W thermal envelope. The GPU, however, is a different story — its 350 W TDP and suggested PSU rating of 750 W indicate that the power supply is the primary headroom concern for this pairing. A 750 W PSU is the minimum recommendation, and users who plan to overclock or add peripherals would be wise to consider a higher-wattage unit, though the fact pack does not list specific alternatives.

The CPU is not multiplier-unlocked (locked multiplier), so overclocking headroom is limited to BCLK adjustments or memory tuning, not core clock multipliers. For a sensible next upgrade from this platform, the data shows that the Core Ultra 7 265F is nearly identical in performance (0.3% ahead), so swapping to that part would be pointless. The nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, scores 0.3% higher, but moving to that platform would require a motherboard and memory change. A more practical upgrade path would be a higher-tier Core Ultra 9 part on the same socket, though the fact pack does not list specific models or their scores. The PCIe Gen 5 lanes on the CPU are future-proof for the next generation of GPUs and SSDs, so the platform itself has room to grow without a motherboard swap.

Benchmark Performance

The combined benchmark picture for this CPU+GPU pairing is defined by a strong CPU and a solid, though not class-leading, GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 achieves a 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 64,640. Its nearest rivals are all AMD EPYC server processors: the EPYC 4464P scores 64,823 (0.3% higher), the EPYC 9124 scores 65,104 (0.7% higher), and the EPYC 7343 scores 64,202 (0.7% lower). The only Intel competitor in the immediate vicinity is the Core Ultra 7 265F, which scores 64,438 (0.3% lower). This means the 265 is essentially tied with four other processors at the top of its performance tier, with deltas under 1% — a remarkably tight cluster that suggests the 265 is a well-balanced part rather than an outlier in either direction.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3090 achieves a 73rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,565. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 4070 Mobile (0.5% higher), the RX 6700 XT (0.5% higher), the Radeon Pro Vega 20 (1.0% lower), and the RX 7800M (1.1% lower). The GPU is thus in a mid-to-high tier, but it is not a top-10 performer — the 73rd percentile places it above the majority of GPUs, yet clearly behind the current flagship parts. In specific tests, the RTX 3090 scores 26,645 in Passmark G3D, 15,356 in Passmark GPU Compute, and 5,118 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12.

The combined percentile for this pairing is 83rd, which means that in the database of all CPU+GPU combinations, this build outperforms 83% of them. The CPU is the stronger component relative to its peer group (93rd vs 73rd percentile), which means the CPU is less likely to be the bottleneck in most workloads. The gap between the CPU's 93rd percentile and the GPU's 73rd percentile is notable — it suggests that the GPU will limit performance in graphics-bound tasks, while the CPU has headroom to handle compute-heavy workloads without being the constraining factor.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture (Arrow Lake-S codename), manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It packs 17,800 million transistors into a 243 mm² die, which is a high transistor density for a desktop part. The base clock is 2.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and the 65 W TDP is notably low for a 20-core chip, indicating strong power efficiency from the 3 nm node. Cache is organized as 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache.

Benchmark results show a processor that excels in multi-threaded workloads. In Cinebench R23, the 265 scores 42,216 in multi-core and 5,960 in single-core — the multi-core figure is exceptionally high, placing it in the top echelon for desktop processors. The R20 scores are 6,268 multi-core and 884 single-core, while R15 scores are 4,255 multi-core and 600 single-core. These numbers indicate that the CPU scales well with thread count, as expected from 20 physical cores.

The Passmark suite provides a broader picture. The multithread score is 49,682, with integer math at 134,773 and floating-point math at 172,776. The extended instructions score of 41,478 suggests strong SIMD performance for AVX-512 style workloads, while data encryption scores 40,456 and data compression scores 522,983. The single-thread score is 4,689, which is competitive but not top-tier — the 5.30 GHz boost clock helps, but the architecture's IPC is what really matters.

For real workloads, the data suggests the 265 is a monster for rendering, video encoding, and compilation. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216 is about 7x the single-core score of 5,960, indicating near-linear scaling across the 20 cores. The Passmark physics score of 2,923 is lower relative to other scores, which may indicate that the CPU's gaming physics performance is not its strongest suit. The find prime numbers score of 418 is notably low, suggesting that the architecture is not optimized for simple integer loops, but the integer math score of 134,773 shows it excels at more complex integer workloads. The 30 MB L3 cache is shared across all cores, which helps with data-sharing workloads but is not as large as some server processors.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 use?

A: The CPU uses Intel Socket 1851, which is the platform for Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake-S) desktop processors.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does the platform provide?

A: The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a theoretical memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. ECC memory is not supported.

Q: What is the recommended power supply for the RTX 3090?

A: The suggested PSU for the RTX 3090 is 750 W. The GPU itself has a 350 W TDP and uses a single 12-pin power connector.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 7 265 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P?

A: The 265 scores an average of 64,640, which is 0.3% lower than the EPYC 4464P's 64,823. The difference is negligible in practical terms.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 3090 ranks in the 73rd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 27,565. It is 0.5% behind the RTX 4070 Mobile and 0.5% ahead of the RX 6700 XT.

Q: Does the CPU support PCIe Gen 5?

A: Yes, the CPU provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which is suitable for a single high-end GPU and a fast NVMe SSD.

Q: Is the CPU multiplier unlocked for overclocking?

A: No, the multiplier is locked, so overclocking is limited to BCLK adjustments or memory tuning rather than core clock multipliers.

Balance and Bottleneck

The performance balance between the Core Ultra 7 265 and the RTX 3090 is skewed toward the CPU. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking is 20 points higher than the GPU's 73rd percentile, which means the GPU is the limiting factor in graphics-heavy workloads. In gaming at high resolutions, the GPU's 24 GB VRAM and 936.2 GB/s bandwidth are ample, but its 73rd percentile standing means that the latest AAA titles at 4K ultra settings will likely be GPU-bound. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,118 is the key gaming metric — it places the GPU in the upper-mid tier, but not at the level of the current top cards.

Conversely, in CPU-bound workloads such as 3D rendering, video encoding, or software compilation, the CPU has significant headroom. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216 is in the top 7% of all CPUs, so the 265 will not bottleneck the GPU in compute-heavy tasks. The Passmark multithread score of 49,682 confirms this, as does the data compression score of 522,983, which is exceptionally high. The bottleneck in these workloads would be the GPU's compute performance, which scores 15,356 in Passmark GPU Compute — a good number, but not as dominant as the CPU's scores.

The estimated FPS picture (since no measured FPS exists for this pairing) is that at 1080p, the GPU will likely be the limiting factor in most games, while at 1440p and 4K, the GPU will definitely be the bottleneck. The CPU's single-thread score of 4,689 in Passmark is sufficient for high-refresh gaming, but the GPU's 73rd percentile means that achieving 144 FPS at 4K ultra is unlikely in demanding titles. For esports titles at lower settings, the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's 24 GB VRAM would allow for very high frame rates, but the data does not provide specific FPS figures to confirm this.

Who Should Build It

This pairing targets users who need strong multi-threaded CPU performance and are willing to accept a GPU that is good but not class-leading. Gamers at 1440p or 4K resolution will find the RTX 3090's 24 GB VRAM and 936.2 GB/s bandwidth sufficient for most titles, though the 73rd percentile GPU ranking means that ultra settings at 4K may require compromises. Content creators who work with video editing, 3D rendering, or large datasets will benefit most from the CPU's 93rd percentile performance — the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216 and Passmark multithread score of 49,682 indicate that rendering and encoding tasks will complete quickly.

Software developers compiling large codebases will appreciate the 20 cores and 20 threads, especially with the extended instructions score of 41,478 for SIMD-heavy code. Students and small business users who run virtual machines or data analysis workloads will find the CPU's data encryption (40,456) and compression (522,983) scores to be strong assets. However, the GPU's 73rd percentile means that this is not the ideal build for users who prioritize gaming above all else — a lower-tier CPU with a higher-tier GPU would be better for pure gaming. The build is best suited for a workstation-class desktop where the CPU is the primary workhorse and the GPU handles graphics and compute tasks adequately.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 is based on the GA102 chip, built on an 8 nm process by Samsung, with 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die. It features 10,496 shading units, 328 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 82 RT cores and 328 tensor cores — the RT cores accelerate ray tracing, while the tensor cores handle AI workloads like DLSS. The memory subsystem is massive: 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 936.2 GB/s. The base clock is 1395 MHz with a boost clock of 1695 MHz, and memory runs at 19.5 Gbps effective.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 73rd percentile. The Passmark G3D score of 26,645 is strong, but the DirectX 12 score of 110 is notably low, which may indicate driver overhead or a specific test artifact. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 172,758 is very high, showing excellent compute performance for non-gaming workloads. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 53,927 is also solid. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,118 is the most relevant for modern gaming — it suggests the GPU can handle DX12 titles at high settings, but not at the absolute highest frame rates.

For rendering workloads, the 24 GB VRAM is a major advantage, allowing large scenes and high-resolution textures to fit in memory without swapping. The 936.2 GB/s bandwidth ensures that memory-bound operations are not a bottleneck. The FP32 performance of 35.58 TFLOPS (and FP16 at 35.58 TFLOPS with 1:1 ratio) is strong for compute tasks, and the 328 tensor cores provide AI acceleration for features like DLSS and OptiX denoising. The texture rate of 556.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 189.8 GPixel/s are high, but the 73rd percentile ranking suggests that newer GPUs have surpassed this part in raw rasterization performance. The GPU is end-of-life in production status, so availability may be limited to used or refurbished markets.

Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build that combines the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 CPU with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 GPU, landing in the 83rd combined percentile of all benchmarked systems. The CPU is an Arrow Lake-S part on Socket 1851, with 20 cores, 20 threads, a 5.30 GHz boost clock, and a 65 W TDP. The GPU is an Ampere-generation part with 24 GB GDDR6X memory, a 350 W TDP, and a 750 W suggested PSU. The pairing is somewhat unusual because the CPU is a top-tier performer (93rd percentile) while the GPU is merely upper-mid-tier (73rd percentile), creating a system that is CPU-dominant rather than GPU-dominant.

The overall tier from the percentiles is "high-end desktop with a strong CPU and a good-but-not-great GPU." The CPU's average benchmark score of 64,640 places it in the top 7% of all CPUs, while the GPU's average score of 27,565 places it in the top 27% of all GPUs. The combined 83rd percentile means that this build will outperform the vast majority of systems in the database, but it will not be the fastest in any single category. The platform supports DDR5 memory, PCIe Gen 5, and has room for future upgrades, but the locked multiplier and lack of ECC limit its appeal to enthusiasts who want extreme overclocking or workstation-class reliability.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The RTX 3090's 73rd percentile ranking and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5,118 suggest that 144 Hz gaming at 1440p is achievable in most titles, but 4K high-refresh gaming may require reduced settings. The CPU's single-thread score of 4,689 is sufficient to avoid being a bottleneck in most games.

Streaming: The GPU's 328 tensor cores provide excellent NVENC encoding performance, while the CPU's 20 cores handle the streaming workload simultaneously. The Passmark multithread score of 49,682 ensures that encoding and gaming can run concurrently without significant frame drops.

Video editing: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216 accelerates timeline rendering and export, while the GPU's 24 GB VRAM allows for large 4K or even 8K projects to be handled in real-time preview. The data compression score of 522,983 helps with file I/O during editing.

3D rendering: The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking makes it a strong choice for CPU-based rendering engines, while the GPU's 35.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance accelerates GPU-based renderers like Blender Cycles or Octane. The 82 RT cores also speed up ray-traced rendering.

Software development: The 20 cores and 20 threads are ideal for parallel compilation, and the extended instructions score of 41,478 accelerates SIMD-heavy code. The data encryption score of 40,456 is useful for secure development environments and code signing.

Student and office work: The CPU's 65 W TDP means this build can run efficiently for everyday tasks, while the GPU's 24 GB VRAM is overkill for office applications but provides headroom for future machine learning or data science coursework. The Passmark single-thread score of 4,689 ensures snappy responsiveness in office suites and web browsing.