SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 7 265F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D

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

98 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 2% 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
99%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 7 265F

64,438 Benchmark Score
Top 4% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D

178,050 Benchmark Score
Top 1% 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

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F represents a significant architectural shift for Intel's desktop lineup, built on the Arrow Lake-S architecture using a 3 nm process node fabricated by TSMC. This is a 20-core, 20-thread processor with no hyperthreading, a decision that prioritizes efficiency and thermal management over raw thread count. The base clock sits at 2.40 GHz with a boost capability reaching 5.30 GHz, and the chip carries a 65 W TDP — a notably power-conscious figure for a 20-core part. The cache hierarchy consists of 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache, providing 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die.

Benchmark results place this CPU in the 93rd percentile among all processors, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of desktop and server chips currently available. In Cinebench R23, the 265F scores 41,980 in multi-core and 5,926 in single-core, demonstrating strong parallel scaling alongside respectable single-thread performance. The R20 results show 17,631 multi-core and 2,488 single-core, while R15 yields 4,231 multi-core and 597 single-core. These scores suggest that the 265F handles heavily threaded workloads with aplomb while maintaining competitive responsiveness in lightly threaded tasks.

PassMark results reinforce this profile. The multithread score of 49,410 and single-thread score of 4,750 indicate balanced performance across both domains. More specific workloads show the chip's character: floating-point math scores 173,855, integer math reaches 138,078, and extended instructions (SIMD-heavy tasks) hit 39,235. Data encryption scores 39,468, while data compression achieves 507,018 — the latter indicating strong throughput for file archiving and compression workloads. Physics calculations score 3,172, and random string sorting reaches 62,439, suggesting solid performance in data manipulation tasks.

Comparing to nearest rivals contextualizes these numbers. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 (the non-F variant, which includes integrated graphics) scores an average of 64,640, a mere 0.3% higher than the 265F's 64,438 average — effectively identical performance. The AMD EPYC 7343 scores 64,202, which is 0.4% lower, while the AMD EPYC 4464P scores 64,823, 0.6% higher. The Intel Core i9-13900KS, a flagship consumer chip from the previous generation, scores 64,051, trailing the 265F by 0.6%. This grouping shows the 265F sits in a tight performance cluster where no rival holds a meaningful advantage, making architectural efficiency and platform features the differentiating factors rather than raw compute.

The 265F lacks integrated graphics (the "F" suffix), requires a discrete GPU, and supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe Gen 5 connectivity is available with 20 lanes from the CPU, providing ample bandwidth for modern GPUs and NVMe storage. The multiplier is locked, so overclocking is not supported, but the 65 W TDP suggests the chip is designed for sustained, efficient operation rather than extreme performance headroom.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D creates an interesting balance question. The RTX 4090 D sits in the 98th percentile of all GPUs, while the 265F rests in the 93rd percentile of CPUs. This 5-percentile gap suggests the GPU is the stronger component in absolute terms, but the CPU's performance is sufficient to feed the GPU in most scenarios.

The RTX 4090 D's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,587, Geekbench OpenCL score of 278,621, and Vulkan score of 246,941 indicate exceptional rasterization and compute capabilities. With 14,592 shading units, 456 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs, the GPU has immense raw throughput. Its 114 ray tracing cores and 456 tensor cores further enhance its workload versatility. The GPU's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, ensuring it can feed its massive compute resources without starvation.

In CPU-limited scenarios — such as high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions, simulation-heavy titles, or lightly threaded applications — the 265F's single-thread performance becomes the bottleneck. A Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,926 is strong but not class-leading; it sits in a cluster with rivals that differ by less than 1%. For gaming at 1080p or 1440p with very high frame rates, the CPU may limit the RTX 4090 D from reaching its full potential in certain titles. However, at 4K resolution or with ultra settings that shift the load onto the GPU, the 4090 D becomes the dominant factor, and the 265F's multi-core muscle ensures it won't hold back frame pacing.

In productivity workloads, the balance shifts decisively toward the CPU. The 265F's 20 cores and 20 threads, combined with its 41,980 Cinebench R23 multi-core score, make it a capable workstation processor. The RTX 4090 D's compute capabilities, evidenced by its Geekbench scores, complement this by accelerating GPU-accelerated rendering, machine learning inference, and video encoding tasks. The data suggests neither component consistently bottlenecks the other across all workloads; instead, each takes the lead in its respective domain, making this a well-balanced pairing for mixed-use systems.

# FAQ

Q: What is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F's core and thread configuration?

A: The 265F features 20 cores and 20 threads, with no hyperthreading. It operates at a base clock of 2.40 GHz and boosts up to 5.30 GHz, built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process.

Q: How does the RTX 4090 D compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4090 D's average benchmark score of 178,050 places it 2.2% behind the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell (182,109), 3.1% behind the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB (183,725), 3.6% behind the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation (184,664), and 4.9% behind the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB (187,147). It ranks in the 98th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Does the 265F support overclocking?

A: No. The multiplier is locked, meaning the processor cannot be overclocked. The 65 W TDP reflects a design focused on efficiency rather than unlocked performance tuning.

Q: What memory and PCIe support does the 265F offer?

A: The CPU supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. It provides PCIe Gen 5 connectivity with 20 lanes from the CPU, suitable for high-bandwidth GPUs and storage devices.

Q: Is there measured gaming FPS data for this CPU+GPU combination?

A: No. The FACT PACK contains no measured FPS rows for this exact pairing. All gaming performance discussions are estimated from benchmark scores and should be treated as approximations rather than measured results.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the 265F and the RTX 4090 D?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F has a launch MSRP of $379. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D has a launch MSRP of 1,599 USD.

Q: How does the 265F compare to the Intel Core Ultra 7 265?

A: The two processors are virtually identical in performance. The Core Ultra 7 265 scores an average of 64,640, which is 0.3% higher than the 265F's 64,438 average. The key difference is that the 265 includes integrated graphics, while the 265F does not.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The RTX 4090 D's 98th percentile ranking makes it one of the fastest GPUs available, and its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth provides ample headroom for high-resolution textures. The 265F's single-core score of 5,926 in Cinebench R23 and 4,750 in PassMark single-thread tests indicates it can drive high frame rates, though at very high refresh rates in CPU-bound titles, the GPU's potential may not be fully realized. This pairing is best suited for 1440p and 4K gaming where GPU load dominates.

Streaming: The 265F's 20 cores provide substantial headroom for simultaneous gaming and encoding workloads. With no dedicated encoder on the CPU itself, the RTX 4090 D's NVENC (implied by its Ada Lovelace architecture and GeForce 40-series lineage) handles video encoding, offloading that work from the CPU. The 65 W TDP of the CPU leaves thermal and power headroom for sustained streaming sessions.

Video editing: The combination of 20 CPU cores and the GPU's 73.54 TFLOPS of FP32 performance accelerates timeline scrubbing, effects rendering, and export tasks. The 265F's PassMark data compression score of 507,018 indicates fast handling of intermediate codecs, while the GPU's 24 GB memory capacity allows for large preview buffers and complex effects stacks.

3D rendering: The 265F's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 41,980 makes it a strong CPU renderer, while the RTX 4090 D's compute scores (278,621 OpenCL, 246,941 Vulkan) enable GPU-accelerated rendering in engines like Blender or Octane. The GPU's 114 ray tracing cores specifically accelerate ray-traced workloads, making this a formidable rendering workstation.

Software development: The 265F's 20 threads handle parallel compilation tasks efficiently, and its strong integer math score of 138,078 in PassMark suggests capable code compilation and testing throughput. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache aids in keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency in iterative development workflows.

Student and office work: This pairing is massively overqualified for typical productivity tasks. The 265F's 93rd percentile ranking and 65 W TDP mean it handles spreadsheets, documents, and web browsing with negligible power draw, while the RTX 4090 D's capabilities go entirely unused in such scenarios. For purely office workloads, a less powerful GPU would be more appropriate, but this build handles any academic or office task with immense headroom.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F uses the Intel Socket 1851 platform, which is specific to the Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake) generation. The CPU supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU provide high-bandwidth connectivity for GPUs and NVMe storage, though the RTX 4090 D itself uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface.

The 65 W TDP of the CPU is modest, and the RTX 4090 D's 425 W TDP dominates the system power budget. The GPU's suggested power supply is 800 W, meaning a quality 800 W PSU is the baseline for this build. The CPU's low power draw leaves thermal headroom within the system, but the GPU's single 16-pin power connector and triple-slot form factor require a case with adequate clearance (304 mm length, 137 mm height, 61 mm width).

As an upgrade path, the Socket 1851 platform is tied to the Arrow Lake generation, so future CPU upgrades would likely require a new motherboard. The DDR5 memory support is current-generation, and the PCIe Gen 5 lanes ensure storage and GPU bandwidth are not limiting factors. The RTX 4090 D is end-of-life, with its successor (GeForce 50 series) already announced, though the 4090 D's 98th percentile ranking means it remains competitive. A sensible future upgrade would involve moving to the next-generation GPU when performance demands exceed the 4090 D's considerable capabilities, or adding more DDR5 memory if capacity becomes a constraint.

# Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU+GPU combination. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFps rows, so all gaming performance figures below are estimates derived from benchmark scores rather than direct measurements. Treat these as approximations.

Based on the RTX 4090 D's 98th percentile GPU ranking and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,587, this system is expected to deliver exceptional frame rates at 1440p and 4K resolutions with ultra settings. The GPU's 24 GB of VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensure high-resolution textures and heavy effects present no memory bottleneck. At 1080p, the 265F's single-thread performance (5,926 in Cinebench R23 single-core) may become the limiting factor in CPU-bound titles, potentially capping frame rates below what the GPU alone could achieve. At 1440p and above, the GPU becomes the primary driver, and the 265F's 20 cores ensure smooth frame pacing.

The Geekbench Vulkan score of 246,941 and OpenCL score of 278,621 indicate strong API-level performance across both graphics and compute workloads. The GPU's 114 ray tracing cores suggest excellent performance in ray-traced titles, while its 456 tensor cores accelerate DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) workloads, which can significantly boost frame rates at higher resolutions. For competitive esports titles at high refresh rates, expect extremely high FPS at 1440p, with potential CPU limitations at 1080p. For AAA single-player games at 4K ultra, this system is expected to deliver near-maximum settings with high frame rates.

# Who Should Build It

This system targets enthusiasts and professionals who demand top-tier performance in both CPU and GPU workloads. Gamers playing at 1440p or 4K with ultra settings will benefit from the RTX 4090 D's 98th percentile GPU performance, which delivers exceptional frame rates in GPU-bound scenarios. Content creators working in video editing or 3D rendering will leverage the 265F's 20 cores (41,980 Cinebench R23 multi-core) alongside the GPU's compute capabilities (73.54 TFLOPS FP32). Software developers compiling large codebases will appreciate the CPU's integer math throughput of 138,078 in PassMark and its 93rd percentile overall ranking.

Students in computer science or engineering programs, particularly those working with machine learning frameworks or GPU-accelerated compute, will find the 4090 D's 456 tensor cores and 24 GB of memory invaluable. Small business workstations handling data processing tasks will benefit from the CPU's data compression score of 507,018 and encryption throughput of 39,468 in PassMark. However, for purely office or administrative workloads, this build is significantly over-specified, and the power draw of the RTX 4090 D (425 W TDP, 800 W suggested PSU) makes it an inefficient choice for such applications.

# Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build pairing Intel's Core Ultra 7 265F with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4090 D. The CPU represents Intel's latest Arrow Lake architecture on a 3 nm process, offering 20 cores and 20 threads with a 65 W TDP. The GPU is an end-of-life Ada Lovelace flagship with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 425 W TDP. Together, they occupy the 96th percentile of all builds in the database, indicating a top-tier system in terms of overall performance.

The combined percentile of 96 reflects the strength of both components: the CPU's 93rd percentile ranking and the GPU's 98th percentile ranking. This places the build in the upper echelon of desktop systems, suitable for demanding gaming, content creation, and compute workloads. The CPU's efficiency (65 W TDP) contrasts with the GPU's power hunger (425 W TDP), but the suggested 800 W PSU accounts for the combined draw. The build's class is desktop, with the CPU on a Socket 1851 platform and the GPU using a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface.

# Benchmark Performance

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F achieves an average benchmark score of 64,438, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265, scores 64,640, a 0.3% difference; the AMD EPYC 7343 scores 64,202, 0.4% lower; the AMD EPYC 4464P scores 64,823, 0.6% higher; and the Intel Core i9-13900KS scores 64,051, 0.6% lower. These tight margins show the 265F is competitively positioned within its performance class, with no rival holding a meaningful advantage.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D achieves an average benchmark score of 178,050, placing it in the 98th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell at 182,109 (2.2% higher), the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB at 183,725 (3.1% higher), the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation at 184,664 (3.6% higher), and the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB at 187,147 (4.9% higher). The 4090 D trails these workstation-oriented cards by modest margins, but its gaming-focused feature set and 24 GB of GDDR6X memory make it a stronger consumer choice.

The combined picture shows a system with a CPU that is strong but not class-leading, paired with a GPU that is near the top of the consumer market. The 96th combined percentile reflects this balance: the GPU carries more of the system's performance weight, but the CPU provides sufficient muscle to avoid becoming a significant bottleneck in most workloads. In CPU-heavy tasks like rendering or compilation, the 265F performs within 1% of its closest rivals; in GPU-heavy tasks like gaming or GPU compute, the 4090 D outperforms the vast majority of installed GPUs. This is a system built for high-end gaming and professional workloads, with each component contributing meaningfully to the overall performance profile.