SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4010

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
97%
VS
GPU
79%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 7 265K

70,879 Benchmark Score
Top 3% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4010

2,893 Benchmark Score
Top 21% 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

# Intel Core Ultra 7 265K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4010: A Desktop Analysis

This desktop pairing combines Intel's 20-core Arrow Lake flagship with NVIDIA's entry-level Ampere GPU, creating a system where the processor clearly outclasses the graphics card in almost every measurable way. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile of all processors, while the GPU languishes in the 18th percentile, a gap that defines the system's character and limits its use cases.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K uses the Intel Socket 1851 platform, which is exclusive to the Core Ultra Series 2 generation. This is a desktop-class socket with DDR5 memory support running on a dual-channel memory bus. The platform provides a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which is standard for dual-channel DDR5 configurations. The CPU supports ECC memory, a feature that typically appeals to workstation users who need data integrity for long compute tasks.

PCIe connectivity comes from the CPU itself, offering Gen 5 with 20 lanes. This is a significant capability for storage and expansion, as Gen 5 devices can take full advantage of the bandwidth for high-end NVMe drives or future expansion cards. The GPU, however, uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, which is older and narrower than what the CPU supports, though this is not a bottleneck for the GPU's modest performance level.

The CPU's TDP is 125 watts, which is moderate for a 20-core part. The GPU is far more efficient, with a TDP of just 50 watts and a suggested PSU of 250 W for the entire system. This means the platform does not require a massive power supply, and the total system draw is well within the range of typical mid-range PSUs. The GPU requires no power connectors, drawing all its power from the PCIe slot, which simplifies installation and cable management.

A sensible next upgrade path for this platform would be to replace the GPU with a higher-end model. The CPU has enough headroom in its benchmark scores to drive substantially more powerful graphics hardware. The 125-watt TDP leaves room for a more capable GPU without needing to upgrade the power supply, assuming the PSU has adequate wattage and connectors. The CPU's 20 cores and 30 MB of shared L3 cache will remain relevant for years, so the platform's longevity is tied more to the GPU than the CPU. Users could also add more DDR5 memory over time, as the dual-channel configuration supports standard DIMM modules.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU's benchmark results are consistently strong across synthetic tests. In Cinebench R23, it scores 35,850 in multi-core and 2,020 in single-core. The multi-core figure represents a substantial workload capability, while the single-core score is competitive for modern desktop parts. Geekbench results show 23,085 in multi-core and 2,713 in single-core, reinforcing the CPU's balanced performance profile.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 70,879, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6511P at 71,051 (0.2% ahead), the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 at 71,370 (0.7% ahead), the Intel Core i7-14700KF at 70,163 (1% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F at 69,996 (1.3% behind). The data shows that the 265K is effectively tied with these parts, trading places within a 2% window. This places the CPU in the upper echelon of desktop processors, suitable for heavy multi-threaded work.

The GPU tells a different story. Its only benchmark, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, yields a score of 2,893. This puts the GPU in the 18th percentile of all GPUs, which is decidedly entry-level. Its nearest rivals are oddly placed: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB scores 2,907 (0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell SFF scores 2,910 (0.6% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB scores 2,913 (0.7% ahead). These deltas are tiny, but the RTX 4010 is still at the bottom of this group. The combined percentile for the system is 56, which reflects the average of a very strong CPU and a very weak GPU.

The combined picture is one of imbalance. The CPU can handle demanding compute tasks with ease, but the GPU will struggle with graphics-intensive workloads. This is not a system for high-end gaming or GPU-accelerated rendering, but it can handle CPU-bound tasks like compilation, data processing, and office productivity exceptionally well.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4010 is built on the Ampere architecture using the GA107 chip, manufactured on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 96.00 GB/s. This is a small memory pool and a narrow bus, which limits the GPU's ability to handle large textures or high-resolution assets. The memory clock runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective speed.

The GPU's compute resources are modest: 768 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation units. It has 6 RT cores and 24 tensor cores, providing entry-level ray tracing and AI acceleration. The boost clock is 1762 MHz, with a base clock of 1417 MHz. Pixel rate is 28.19 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 42.29 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 2.706 TFLOPS, with FP16 running at the same rate (1:1), indicating no dedicated FP16 acceleration.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,893 places this GPU far below the median. In rendering terms, this means the GPU is not suitable for real-time 3D work at high settings, nor for GPU-accelerated rendering in applications like Blender or Octane. The 4 GB VRAM will fill quickly with modern scenes, and the 96 GB/s bandwidth will throttle texture streaming. The RT and tensor cores are present but so weak that ray tracing will be a novelty rather than a usable feature at playable frame rates.

The GPU's power draw is minimal at 50 W, and it requires no power connectors, making it a drop-in solution for low-power systems. Its single-slot design and 163 mm length allow it to fit in compact cases. Display output is limited to 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a, which is unusual for a consumer card and suggests a niche or specialized positioning.

Who Should Build It

The target user for this system is someone whose primary workloads are CPU-bound and who needs only basic graphics output. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking makes it excellent for software development, especially compilation and code analysis. The PassMark data compression score of 665,554 and data encryption score of 48,246 indicate strong performance in data-intensive tasks. The extended instructions score of 54,333 and floating point math score of 189,629 show robust number-crunching capability.

Students in computer science or engineering fields would benefit from the CPU's multi-threaded power for simulations and builds, while the GPU is sufficient for desktop compositing and 2D applications. Small business workstations running databases or financial models would see responsive performance, as the PassMark multithread score of 58,594 and integer math score of 143,242 suggest strong transactional throughput.

Content creators who work primarily with CPU-based encoding or processing, such as video transcoding using x264 or x265, would find the 20 cores useful. However, creators who rely on GPU acceleration for effects or rendering would be disappointed by the GPU's 18th percentile standing. Gamers at 1080p with low to medium settings might find the system playable for esports titles, but modern AAA games will struggle.

The system is not ideal for AI researchers or machine learning practitioners, as the GPU's 4 GB VRAM is too small for most models, and its tensor core performance is limited. The CPU's AVX-512-like extended instructions score of 54,333 could help with some vectorized workloads, but the GPU will be the limiting factor for any neural network training or inference.

Balance and Bottleneck

The data clearly shows that the GPU is the bottleneck for graphics workloads. The CPU's 94th percentile performance versus the GPU's 18th percentile creates a massive imbalance. In any GPU-accelerated task, the RTX 4010 will limit overall performance, regardless of the CPU's capabilities. The 3DMark score of 2,893 is far below what the CPU could drive if paired with a more capable GPU.

For CPU-bound workloads, the system performs at the level expected of a 94th percentile processor. Compilation, data compression, and encryption tasks will run at speeds comparable to the nearest rivals, which include server-class Xeon parts. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,928 indicates strong per-core performance, so even lightly threaded applications will respond well.

The FPS scaling in games will be entirely dictated by the GPU. At 1080p, the CPU could push high frame rates, but the GPU's limited shading units and 96 GB/s bandwidth will cap performance well below what the CPU can feed. At 1440p or 4K, the GPU will be even more constrained, and frame rates will drop further. In CPU-heavy games with low graphics settings, the system might show better results, but the GPU will still be the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The 250 W suggested PSU indicates that the system does not stress the power delivery, but this is a reflection of the GPU's low draw, not the CPU's capability. If a user upgrades the GPU, they will need to reevaluate their PSU requirements.

FAQ

Q: Does the CPU support overclocking?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked, allowing users to adjust clock speeds beyond the stock 5.50 GHz boost.

Q: What kind of memory does this system use?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s and ECC capability.

Q: How many PCIe lanes does the CPU provide?

A: The CPU provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, while the GPU uses a separate PCIe 4.0 x8 interface.

Q: Is the GPU suitable for ray tracing?

A: The GPU has 6 RT cores, but its low overall performance means ray tracing will not be practical at playable frame rates.

Q: What is the CPU's process node and foundry?

A: The CPU is manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the Intel Core i7-14700KF?

A: The 265K scores 1% higher than the i7-14700KF in average benchmark score, making them effectively equivalent.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The GPU has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 96.00 GB/s.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU and GPU combination. The FACT PACK contains no measured FPS rows, so all gaming performance figures discussed here are estimates derived from the benchmark scores rather than empirical results.

Based on the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2,893 and its 18th percentile ranking, gaming performance will be entry-level. At 1080p resolution, the system could handle esports titles like Counter-Strike or Valorant at medium settings, potentially achieving playable frame rates. However, modern AAA games with demanding graphics will likely run at low settings to maintain playability, and even then, frame rates may be inconsistent.

The CPU's single-core score of 2,020 in Cinebench R23 suggests it can handle game logic and physics without bottlenecking, but the GPU's 768 shading units and 16 ROPs will cap pixel throughput. The 4 GB VRAM will also limit texture quality and resolution, as many modern games require more memory for high-quality assets. At 1440p, the GPU will struggle significantly, and 4K gaming is not viable.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 96 GB/s is low, which will cause stuttering in open-world games that stream assets. The 64-bit memory bus is a severe limitation, as it restricts the data throughput available to the GPU's cores. Ray tracing, despite the presence of 6 RT cores, will be impractical due to the low compute throughput. Overall, this is a system for light or older games, not a gaming rig.

Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build combining the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4010. The CPU is a 20-core Arrow Lake part with a 3.90 GHz base clock and 5.50 GHz boost, while the GPU is a 4 GB Ampere part with a 1762 MHz boost clock. The system's combined percentile is 56, which places it in the middle of the pack overall, but this number masks a wide disparity between the two components.

The CPU's 94th percentile ranking makes it a high-end desktop processor, suitable for serious compute workloads. The GPU's 18th percentile ranking makes it a low-end graphics solution, suitable for basic display output and light graphics tasks. The system is best characterized as a high-performance CPU workstation with a placeholder GPU, rather than a balanced multimedia machine. The 125 W CPU TDP and 50 W GPU TDP mean the system runs cool and quiet, with a 250 W suggested PSU indicating low power draw.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture and manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 125 watts. The CPU contains 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die, and its cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache.

The CPU's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance. The Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 5,020 and R20 score of 20,918 indicate heavy compute capability. The R23 score of 35,850 is particularly notable, as it places the CPU in the upper tier of consumer processors. The Geekbench multi-core score of 23,085 reinforces this picture. Single-core performance is also solid, with R23 single-core at 2,020 and Geekbench single-core at 2,713.

The PassMark results provide a more granular view of workload characteristics. The data compression score of 665,554 is exceptionally high, suggesting strong performance in archiving and compression tasks. The data encryption score of 48,246 indicates robust cryptographic throughput. The floating point math score of 189,629 and integer math score of 143,242 show balanced arithmetic capability. The find prime numbers score of 491 is modest, but this is a niche workload. The physics score of 3,731 and multithread score of 58,594 round out a profile that is strong across the board.

The CPU's nearest rivals are all within a 1.3% performance window, which means the 265K does not have a clear advantage over its closest competitors. However, its 94th percentile ranking puts it above the vast majority of CPUs, including many server parts. For real workloads, this translates to fast compilation times, quick data processing, and responsive system performance. The unlocked multiplier allows enthusiasts to push performance further, though the stock boost clock of 5.50 GHz is already high. The CPU's 20 threads (no hyperthreading) mean it handles heavily threaded workloads well, but its architecture does not double thread count, which is a design choice that trades off some multi-threaded capability for efficiency.