SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 9 285 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

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

Build Configuration

Select your components

PROCESSOR (CPU)

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GRAPHICS CARD (GPU)

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95 Score

Top 5% Ranking

95 / 100

ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 5% 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

97%

GPU

93%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 9 285

75,488 Benchmark Score

Top 3% Market Ranking

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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

# GPU Analysis — VRAM, bandwidth, clocks, RT/tensor hardware, what the benchmark scores mean for rendering

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, manufactured on Samsung’s 8 nm process. The die contains 28,300 million transistors across a 628 mm² area, giving it a transistor density of 45.1M per mm². The GPU operates with a base clock of 1395 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz. Memory clocks run at 1219 MHz, translating to 19.5 Gbps effective.

Memory capacity is substantial at 24 GB of GDDR6X, arranged across a 384-bit bus. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 936.2 GB/s, which is vital for high-resolution textures and large dataset workloads. The sheer VRAM capacity alone positions this card for 4K texture-heavy rendering tasks, where 8 GB or even 16 GB alternatives would fall short.

Compute resources are extensive. The RTX 3090 packs 10,496 shading units, 328 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. Ray tracing is handled by 82 dedicated RT cores, while 328 tensor cores accelerate AI-accelerated features like DLSS. The pixel rate stands at 189.8 GPixel/s, and the texture rate reaches 556.0 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance is rated at 35.58 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio), meaning the card does not sacrifice half-precision throughput for double-rate compute.

Benchmark scores reflect this hardware. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 3090 scores 5,118. Geekbench OpenCL returns 172,758, while Vulkan scores 53,927. Passmark G3D yields 26,645, and GPU compute scores 15,356. The DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 Passmark tests return 220 and 110, respectively, with DirectX 10 at 182 and DirectX 9 at 268. The G2D score is 1,063.

For rendering workloads, the combination of 82 RT cores and 328 tensor cores means real-time ray tracing is viable, though the 73rd percentile ranking against all GPUs indicates that newer architectures have surpassed it. The 24 GB frame buffer is the standout feature for 3D rendering — it allows entire scenes with high-resolution textures and complex geometry to reside in VRAM without spilling to system memory. The 936.2 GB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and frame buffer writes keep pace with the shading units.

The passmark DirectX scores are low in absolute terms, but these are synthetic legacy tests. The more relevant metrics for modern rendering are the Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,118 and the OpenCL compute score of 172,758. OpenCL performance is particularly important for GPU-accelerated renderers like Blender Cycles or Octane, which rely on raw compute throughput.

The RTX 3090 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, allowing multi-monitor setups. Power delivery requires a single 12-pin connector, and the card draws a 350 W TDP. It is a triple-slot design, measuring 336 mm in length, 140 mm in height, and 61 mm in width.

# Benchmark Performance

The CPU and GPU present contrasting performance profiles. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285 sits at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 75,488. Its GPU counterpart, the RTX 3090, ranks at the 73rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 27,565. The combined system percentile is 84, indicating a strong overall build, though the CPU is clearly the more dominant component in raw percentile terms.

CPU benchmark results are extensive. In Cinebench R15, the Core Ultra 9 285 scores 4,933 in multi-core and 696 in single-core. Cinebench R20 yields 20,556 multi-core and 2,901 single-core. Cinebench R23 produces 48,945 multi-core and 6,909 single-core. Passmark tests show multithread performance at 56,602, single-thread at 4,881, and physics at 3,598. Data compression scores 602,121, while encryption hits 46,949. Extended instructions score 45,357, floating-point math reaches 194,988, and integer math scores 164,869. Prime number finding returns 459, and random string sorting scores 73,651.

The CPU’s nearest rivals show how tightly contested this performance tier is. The AMD EPYC 8224P scores 75,582 on average, which is 0.1% higher than the Core Ultra 9 285. The AMD EPYC 4545P scores 75,373, 0.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D scores 75,716, 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 scores 75,738, also 0.3% higher. These deltas are negligible — the Core Ultra 9 285 sits squarely in a performance cluster where no single competitor holds a meaningful advantage.

GPU benchmark scores for the RTX 3090 place it near a different set of rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile scores 27,435, which is 0.5% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT scores 27,425, also 0.5% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 scores 27,839, 1.0% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 7800M scores 27,883, 1.1% higher. The RTX 3090’s average of 27,565 means it trades blows with these cards within a 1.1% band.

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU+GPU combination. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFps rows, so all frame-rate discussions must be treated as estimates derived from the benchmark scores. The CPU’s 95th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 73rd percentile ranking suggest that in CPU-bound scenarios, frame rates will be excellent, while GPU-bound scenarios will see performance closer to mid-range modern cards.

The combined picture is one of asymmetry. The CPU is a top-tier performer, while the GPU is a capable but aging component. In applications that scale with CPU cores — compilation, physics simulation, data compression — this build will outperform most systems. In GPU-heavy tasks like 4K gaming or ray-traced rendering, the RTX 3090’s 73rd percentile will be the limiting factor.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285 uses the Intel Socket 1851 platform, part of the Core Ultra Series 2 family. The architecture is Arrow Lake, specifically Arrow Lake-S, built on a 3 nm process from TSMC. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. ECC memory is supported, which is notable for workstation reliability. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

The CPU’s TDP is 65 W, which is remarkably low for a 24-core processor. This low power draw means the platform does not demand exotic cooling or high-capacity power supplies for CPU headroom. The GPU, however, is a different matter. The RTX 3090 has a TDP of 350 W, and the suggested PSU for the GPU alone is 750 W. This suggests that a system with both components should have at least a 750 W power supply, with headroom for the CPU and other peripherals.

The motherboard must support Intel Socket 1851 and DDR5 memory. The PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU allow for the fastest NVMe SSDs and future GPU upgrades, though the RTX 3090 itself uses PCIe 4.0 x16. This means the GPU will not saturate the Gen 5 lanes, but it will run at full bandwidth on a Gen 4 or Gen 5 slot.

A sensible next upgrade path would focus on the GPU. The CPU has substantial headroom — its 95th percentile ranking means it will not bottleneck most GPUs. Swapping the RTX 3090 for a newer card with a higher percentile would improve frame rates in GPU-bound scenarios without requiring a platform change. The 750 W suggested PSU, however, may need to be revisited if a new GPU draws more power.

Memory upgrades are straightforward given DDR5 support, though the dual-channel configuration caps bandwidth at 102.4 GB/s. For users who need more memory bandwidth, this platform is limited compared to quad-channel workstation platforms. The 36 MB shared L3 cache helps mitigate some of this in gaming and general compute.

The CPU’s integrated graphics — Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 EU — provide a fallback display output and hardware acceleration for video encoding, even if the discrete GPU is removed or fails. This is a useful redundancy for workstation reliability.

# FAQ

Q: What is the CPU’s performance percentile and what does it mean?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285 ranks at the 95th percentile among all CPUs. This means it outperforms roughly 95% of CPUs in the benchmark database, placing it in the top tier for multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads.

Q: How does the RTX 3090 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 3090’s average benchmark score is 27,565. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7800M, scores 27,883, which is 1.1% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile scores 27,435, 0.5% lower. These differences are within a 1.1% band, indicating near-identical average performance.

Q: What memory bandwidth does the CPU support?

A: The Core Ultra 9 285 supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. It also supports ECC memory, which is important for error-sensitive workstation tasks.

Q: Does the RTX 3090 have enough VRAM for modern rendering?

A: The RTX 3090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding 936.2 GB/s bandwidth. This is ample for high-resolution textures and large scenes in 3D rendering and video editing.

Q: What is the suggested PSU wattage for this GPU?

A: The suggested PSU for the RTX 3090 is 750 W. This accounts for the GPU’s 350 W TDP and leaves headroom for the CPU and other system components.

Q: Is the CPU’s TDP low enough for compact builds?

A: The CPU’s TDP is 65 W, which is low for a 24-core processor. This allows for modest air cooling and smaller power supplies dedicated to the CPU, though the GPU’s 350 W TDP dominates thermal and power requirements.

Q: What is the combined percentile of this build?

A: The combined system percentile is 84, reflecting a strong overall configuration. The CPU contributes a 95th percentile score, while the GPU contributes a 73rd percentile score.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The performance asymmetry between the CPU and GPU is stark. The Core Ultra 9 285 sits at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 3090 sits at the 73rd percentile among all GPUs. This 22-point gap indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in most graphics-intensive workloads.

In CPU-bound workloads — such as data compression (Passmark score 602,121), encryption (46,949), or multi-threaded rendering tasks that rely on CPU cores (Cinebench R23 multi-core 48,945) — the system will perform exceptionally well. The CPU’s 24 cores and 24 threads, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, ensure that no CPU-side computation will be a limiting factor.

In GPU-bound workloads — such as 4K gaming, ray-traced rendering, or GPU-accelerated compute — the RTX 3090’s 73rd percentile will cap performance. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 27,565 is competitive with mid-range modern cards, but it is not in the same league as the CPU’s top-tier standing. For example, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,118 reflects the GPU’s ability to handle DirectX 12 titles, but newer GPUs will score higher.

FPS scaling follows this pattern. In esports or older titles at 1080p, where the CPU is the primary driver, frame rates will be extremely high due to the CPU’s 95th percentile single-thread score of 4,881 in Passmark and 6,909 in Cinebench R23. In demanding AAA titles at 4K, the GPU’s 73rd percentile will limit frame rates to what the RTX 3090 can deliver, regardless of CPU headroom.

The 24 GB VRAM buffer helps mitigate GPU bottlenecks in memory-heavy scenarios. With 936.2 GB/s bandwidth, texture streaming and asset loading will not stall. However, the raw compute throughput of 35.58 TFLOPS FP32 is the ceiling for shading and ray tracing work.

For users who prioritize CPU-intensive tasks — software compilation, scientific computing, database operations — this build is exceptionally well-balanced. For users who prioritize GPU-intensive gaming or rendering, the RTX 3090 is the clear weak link, and upgrading it would rebalance the system toward the CPU’s performance tier.

# Who Should Build It

This desktop build targets users who need top-tier CPU performance with solid, if not modern, GPU capability. The Core Ultra 9 285’s 95th percentile ranking makes it ideal for professionals who run multi-threaded workloads daily.

Software developers will benefit from the 24 cores and 24 threads for parallel compilation. The Passmark integer math score of 164,869 and floating-point math score of 194,988 indicate strong compute throughput for build systems and test suites. The 36 MB L3 cache helps with large codebases.

Content creators who work in video editing will find the CPU’s multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 48,945 useful for export and encoding, while the RTX 3090’s 24 GB VRAM handles 4K timelines and effects without memory pressure. The GPU’s OpenCL score of 172,758 supports GPU-accelerated effects in editors like DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro.

3D artists and animators working in Blender, Maya, or Cinema 4D will see strong CPU performance for simulation and physics (Passmark physics score 3,598), while the RTX 3090’s tensor cores and 24 GB VRAM enable GPU rendering of complex scenes. The 82 RT cores provide hardware-accelerated ray tracing in viewports and final renders.

Students and academic researchers in fields like computational physics or bioinformatics will benefit from the CPU’s high single-thread score of 4,881 in Passmark and multi-thread score of 56,602, which accelerate both interactive analysis and batch processing.

Small business workstations that handle database queries, financial modeling, or data analysis will see strong performance from the CPU’s data compression score of 602,121 and encryption score of 46,949. The ECC memory support adds reliability for long-running jobs.

Gamers at 1440p or 4K will get acceptable frame rates from the RTX 3090, but the GPU’s 73rd percentile means this is not a top-tier gaming machine by current standards. It remains capable, but it is not the primary strength of this build.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: At 1080p or 1440p, the CPU’s 95th percentile single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core 6,909) will drive very high frame rates in CPU-bound titles. The RTX 3090’s 73rd percentile will hold frame rates back at 4K, but at lower resolutions, the 24 GB VRAM and 936.2 GB/s bandwidth ensure smooth texture streaming. Expect strong performance in esports and moderate performance in AAA titles.

Streaming: The CPU’s 24 cores handle encoding workloads easily, with Passmark multi-thread score of 56,602. The RTX 3090’s tensor cores support hardware-accelerated encoding and AI features. The combined 84th percentile system ranking ensures that simultaneous gaming and streaming will not cause stutters, though the GPU’s age limits maximum quality settings.

Video editing: The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 48,945 accelerates timeline scrubbing and export rendering. The RTX 3090’s 24 GB VRAM allows entire 4K timelines to reside in GPU memory, reducing proxy rendering needs. The GPU’s OpenCL score of 172,758 supports accelerated effects and color grading.

3D rendering: CPU-based rendering in Blender or similar tools will benefit from the Core Ultra 9 285’s 24 cores and 95th percentile ranking. GPU-based rendering with the RTX 3090 will be limited by its 73rd percentile standing, but the 24 GB VRAM is a significant advantage for scenes exceeding 8 GB. The 82 RT cores enable hardware ray tracing in real-time viewports.

Software development: The CPU’s Passmark integer math score of 164,869 and data compression score of 602,121 indicate fast compilation and build times. The 36 MB L3 cache reduces memory latency for iterative builds. The 65 W TDP means sustained all-core loads are thermally manageable, allowing long build sessions without throttling.

Student and office work: The CPU’s single-thread performance (Passmark 4,881) ensures snappy response in office applications, while the 24 cores handle background tasks like virus scans or file indexing without slowing foreground work. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics provide a display output even without the discrete GPU installed.

# Build Overview

This is a desktop build pairing the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. The combined system percentile is 84, placing it in the upper tier of desktop configurations. The CPU is the standout component at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 73rd percentile among all GPUs.

The Core Ultra 9 285 is part of the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process from TSMC. It features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The 65 W TDP is exceptional for this core count.

The RTX 3090 is an Ampere-generation GPU using the GA102 chip on Samsung’s 8 nm process. It has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, 10,496 shading units, 82 RT cores, and 328 tensor cores. The 350 W TDP and triple-slot design require substantial case space and power delivery.

Overall, this is a workstation-class CPU paired with a high-end previous-generation GPU. The system excels at CPU-bound tasks and handles GPU-accelerated workloads competently, but the GPU is the limiting factor in graphics-intensive applications.

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285 is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, specifically Arrow Lake-S. It is manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC, containing 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The base clock is 2.50 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The TDP is 65 W, which is remarkably low for a 24-core desktop processor.

Cache hierarchy consists of 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and a shared 36 MB L3 cache. This arrangement provides each core with fast local memory while maintaining a large shared pool for multi-threaded workloads. The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, plus ECC memory for error correction in professional environments.

PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU, enabling fast NVMe storage and future GPU upgrades. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 EU provides basic display output and hardware acceleration, useful for troubleshooting or office tasks without a discrete GPU.

Benchmark scores are uniformly strong. Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 48,945, while single-core scores 6,909. Cinebench R20 yields 20,556 multi-core and 2,901 single-core. Cinebench R15 produces 4,933 multi-core and 696 single-core.

Passmark results show a well-rounded profile. Multi-thread score is 56,602, single-thread is 4,881. Data compression hits 602,121, encryption reaches 46,949, and extended instructions score 45,357. Floating-point math scores 194,988, integer math 164,869, physics 3,598, and random string sorting 73,651. Prime number finding returns 459.

The CPU’s 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs places it in elite company. Its nearest rivals, the AMD EPYC 8224P, EPYC 4545P, Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D, and Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, all score within 0.3% of the Core Ultra 9 285. This indicates that at this performance tier, architectural differences between Intel and AMD are negligible.

For real workloads, the 24 cores handle heavily parallel tasks with ease. The high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance for interactive applications and legacy software. The 65 W TDP means power efficiency is excellent, reducing cooling requirements and operational costs. The unlocked multiplier is false, so overclocking is not officially supported, but the stock performance is already at the top of the market.

The 36 MB L3 cache is particularly beneficial for workloads with large working sets, such as database queries or scientific simulations. The ECC memory support adds a layer of data integrity that is crucial for financial modeling or long-running compute jobs where a single-bit error can corrupt hours of work.

The release date is December 31, 2024, with a launch MSRP of $579. The production status is Active, indicating ongoing availability. The part number is SRQD4, and the market segment is Desktop.

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 9 285 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core Ultra 9 285

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090

Market Position

Game Performance Benchmarks

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

Performance Insights

Optimal Performance

4K Gaming Ready

Performance Tiers Explained

Ultimate

High-End

Mid-Range

Entry Level

Legacy

4K Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

1440p Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

1080p Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

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