SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 9 285 + NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

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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98 Score

Top 2% Ranking

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

97%

GPU

99%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 9 285

75,488 Benchmark Score

Top 3% Market Ranking

View Full Specs →

GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

117,088 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 9 285 is a 24-core, 24-thread desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture, fabricated on a 3nm process by TSMC. This marks a significant shift for Intel, as the Core Ultra Series 2 family moves away from the traditional monolithic die design to a chiplet-based layout, with the compute tile manufactured at an external foundry. The CPU operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, allowing it to scale from power-efficient all-core workloads to high-frequency single-thread tasks. The thermal design power is rated at 65W, which is notably modest for a 24-core part, suggesting a strong focus on efficiency rather than raw sustained power draw.

The cache hierarchy is substantial. Each core gets 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2, while the shared L3 pool totals 36 MB. This distribution favors per-core performance for latency-sensitive applications, while the large shared L3 helps with data reuse across cores in multi-threaded workloads. Memory support is limited to DDR5, running through a dual-channel interface with a theoretical bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. ECC memory is supported, which is a key feature for workstation and server-adjacent use cases where data integrity is paramount. PCIe connectivity is provided via Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU, enabling high-speed NVMe storage and discrete GPUs at current-generation bandwidth. The integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG with 64 execution units, providing a basic display output and modest acceleration capabilities for non-gaming tasks.

Benchmark results paint a clear picture of the CPU's positioning. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score reaches 48945, while the single-core score is 6909. The multi-core result places the chip firmly in the high-end desktop segment, but the single-core score is equally important; it shows strong IPC improvements over previous generations. The PassMark multi-thread score of 56602 and single-thread score of 4881 corroborate this balance. The data compression score of 602121 and floating-point math score of 194988 suggest heavy compute throughput, while the integer math score of 164869 and extended instructions score of 45357 indicate robust general-purpose processing. The encryption score of 46949 and physics score of 3598 are lower relative to the other tests, hinting that these specific workloads do not scale as well with the core architecture.

The average benchmark score is 75488, which places the CPU at the 95th percentile of all CPUs in the database. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Intel part is virtually tied with AMD EPYC 8224P (75582 average score, -0.1% delta), AMD EPYC 4545P (75373, +0.2%), AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (75716, -0.3%), and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (75738, -0.3%). The deltas are within a fraction of a percent, meaning the Core Ultra 9 285 trades blows with these server and high-end PRO chips in aggregate performance. The data indicates that this is not a chip that leads its class by a wide margin; instead, it sits at the top of a tightly contested group.

For real workloads, the 24-core configuration with no hyper-threading (24 threads) is an interesting choice. Multi-threaded rendering tasks like Cinebench R20 (20556 multi-core) and R15 (4933 multi-core) show strong scaling, but the lack of extra threads means the CPU relies on physical core count and clock speed rather than thread oversubscription. In practice, this favors applications that are well-optimized for many-core parallelism, such as video encoding and 3D rendering, while tasks that benefit from high thread counts per core may see less advantage. The 5.60 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded workloads, such as legacy software or lightly threaded games, still perform at the top tier.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The single-core Cinebench R23 score of 6909 and PassMark single-thread score of 4881 indicate strong per-core performance, which is critical for high-refresh gaming at lower resolutions. The 95th percentile CPU ranking suggests the processor will not be a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios, though the data shows no measured FPS for this exact combination, so frame rates must be estimated from these scores. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache helps with game-level data locality, and the 5.60 GHz boost clock provides the frequency headroom needed for demanding physics and game logic threads.

Streaming: The multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 48945 and PassMark multi-thread score of 56602 show ample headroom for simultaneous game encoding and gameplay. The 24 physical cores can handle a software encoder while maintaining frame pacing in the foreground application. The data compression score of 602121 further supports this, as streaming protocols rely heavily on compression algorithms. The 65W TDP means thermal headroom is not a concern for sustained streaming sessions.

Video editing: The floating-point math score of 194988 and integer math score of 164869 indicate strong compute throughput for video processing tasks, such as color grading and effect rendering. The Cinebench multi-core scores (R20: 20556, R23: 48945) reflect the CPU's ability to handle timeline rendering and export tasks in applications like Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve. The 36 MB L3 cache helps with large media buffers, and the memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s provides sufficient throughput for high-bitrate footage.

3D rendering: The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 48945 is the standout metric here, placing the chip in the upper echelon for CPU-based rendering. The PassMark floating-point score of 194988 reinforces this, as 3D rendering engines rely heavily on floating-point arithmetic. The 24 threads are fully utilized in render farms, and the 65W TDP allows for dense multi-CPU configurations without exotic cooling. The near-tie with AMD EPYC 8224P (75582 avg score, -0.1%) shows that this desktop chip competes with server parts in aggregate rendering workloads.

Software development: The extended instructions score of 45357 and integer math score of 164869 are relevant for compilation tasks, which involve heavy integer arithmetic and branch prediction. The 24 cores speed up parallel builds, while the single-thread score of 4881 ensures that incremental builds and IDE responsiveness remain snappy. The ECC memory support is a plus for long-running build servers where memory errors could corrupt artifacts.

Student and office work: The PassMark single-thread score of 4881 and the 65W TDP make this a capable processor for everyday productivity tasks, though it is overkill for basic document editing and web browsing. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU provide enough output for office displays without a discrete GPU. The low power draw is beneficial for quiet systems in shared spaces, and the 95th percentile ranking ensures headroom for any future, more demanding workloads a student might encounter.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The data shows a balanced pairing, with both the CPU and GPU sitting at the 95th percentile of their respective categories. The combined percentile is also 95, indicating that neither component is drastically holding back the other in aggregate benchmark terms. However, the bottleneck analysis requires a closer look at the specific workload characteristics.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 75488, while the GPU's average benchmark score is 117088. The GPU's higher raw score suggests that in compute-heavy tasks that leverage the GPU, such as rendering or machine learning inference, the graphics card will be the dominant component. The CPU's 24 cores and 5.60 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient to feed the GPU's 6144 shading units and 192 tensor cores, so the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor in GPU-accelerated tasks.

Conversely, in CPU-bound workloads like physics simulation (PassMark physics score of 3598) or data encryption (46949), the CPU becomes the constraint. The GPU's 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores sit idle during these tasks, and the CPU's 24 threads must handle all the workload. The FPS scaling in gaming is a mixed picture: the CPU's single-thread score of 4881 handles game logic, while the GPU's 19.17 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput handles pixel shading. Without measured FPS data, the balance can be estimated as follows: at lower resolutions, the CPU's single-thread performance will be the limiting factor, while at higher resolutions, the GPU's rendering throughput will dominate.

The memory subsystem is a potential bottleneck for both components. The CPU's dual-channel DDR5 interface with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth is modest compared to the GPU's 280.0 GB/s of dedicated memory bandwidth. This means that any data transfer between CPU and GPU over the PCIe 4.0 x16 interface will be the slower link, potentially limiting performance in workloads that require frequent data exchange, such as physics simulation with GPU acceleration.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285 uses the Intel Socket 1851 platform, which is specific to the Core Ultra Series 2 family. This socket supports DDR5 memory only, and the CPU's memory controller is dual-channel. The platform also supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes, which is forward-looking for NVMe storage and high-bandwidth peripherals. The ECC memory support is a notable feature for workstation users who require error-free operation.

The CPU's TDP is 65W, which is low for a 24-core part, meaning that most mid-range air coolers and low-end liquid coolers will suffice, though the data does not specify cooler requirements. The suggested PSU for the GPU is 250W, and the GPU itself has a TDP of 70W. This leaves ample headroom for a system PSU in the 300W-400W range, though the exact system power draw depends on other components. The GPU requires no external power connectors, drawing all its power from the PCIe slot, which simplifies cable management.

A sensible next upgrade path would involve increasing memory capacity or speed, given the dual-channel DDR5 support. The CPU's 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes allow for multiple high-speed NVMe drives or a single Gen 5 GPU, though the RTX 4000 SFF Ada uses PCIe 4.0 x16, which is backward compatible. The platform is not overclockable, as the multiplier is locked (multiplierUnlocked: false), so the upgrade path is limited to memory and storage rather than CPU frequency tuning. The launch MSRP of the CPU is $579, which positions it as a premium desktop part, but the upgrade path remains constrained by the socket's longevity.

# FAQ

Q: What is the core and thread count of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285?

A: The CPU has 24 cores and 24 threads, with no hyper-threading.

Q: What is the single-core and multi-core performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The single-core score is 6909, and the multi-core score is 48945.

Q: Does the CPU support ECC memory?

A: Yes, ECC memory is supported.

Q: What is the GPU's memory size and type?

A: The GPU has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 160-bit bus and 280.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the GPU's TDP and recommended PSU?

A: The GPU TDP is 70W, and the suggested PSU is 250W.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 8224P?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285 has an average score of 75488, while the EPYC 8224P scores 75582, a delta of -0.1%, meaning they are effectively tied.

Q: What is the process node for the CPU and GPU?

A: The CPU is on a 3nm process from TSMC, and the GPU is on a 5nm process from TSMC.

# GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is a workstation-class graphics card built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, using the AD104 chip fabricated on a 5nm process by TSMC. The GPU has 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, along with 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores. This configuration is designed for professional rendering and compute workloads, with a focus on ray tracing and AI acceleration.

The memory subsystem consists of 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 280.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, with an effective data rate of 14 Gbps. The 20 GB capacity is generous for workstation tasks, allowing for large datasets and high-resolution textures to reside in VRAM. The bus width of 160 bits is narrower than some rivals, but the bandwidth is still sufficient for the GPU's compute throughput.

The base clock is 720 MHz, with a boost clock of 1560 MHz. The pixel rate is 99.84 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 299.5 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 19.17 TFLOPS, with FP16 also at 19.17 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), meaning there is no half-rate penalty for FP16 workloads. This is particularly relevant for AI inference and training, where FP16 is commonly used. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, covering the full range of modern graphics APIs.

The Geekbench scores reflect the GPU's compute and graphics capabilities. The OpenCL score is 124812, and the Vulkan score is 109364. These scores place the GPU at the 95th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 117088. Compared to its nearest rivals, the GPU is 0.3% behind the NVIDIA GB10 (117393), 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon PRO W7700 (118976), 2.4% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB (114395), and 2.8% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile (113944). The close margins indicate that the RTX 4000 SFF Ada is competitively positioned within its performance tier.

The GPU's TDP is 70W, which is exceptionally low for the performance level, and it draws power solely from the PCIe slot, with no external power connectors. This makes it suitable for small form factor (SFF) builds and systems with limited power delivery. The dual-slot design and 168mm length (6.6 inches) with 69mm height (2.7 inches) fit into most compact cases. The four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs support multi-monitor workstation setups. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are the key differentiators for rendering and AI workloads, providing hardware acceleration that the CPU's integrated graphics cannot match.

# Benchmark Performance

The CPU's benchmark results show a processor that excels in both single-thread and multi-thread scenarios. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 48945 and single-core score of 6909 are both strong, but the PassMark suite provides a broader picture. The multi-thread score of 56602 and single-thread score of 4881 place the CPU in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. The average benchmark score of 75488, with a percentile of 95, confirms that this is a top-tier desktop processor, matching the performance of server-class EPYC parts within a fraction of a percent.

The GPU's Geekbench scores of 124812 (OpenCL) and 109364 (Vulkan) yield an average benchmark score of 117088, also at the 95th percentile of all GPUs. The GPU's performance is characterized by its FP32 throughput of 19.17 TFLOPS and its 20 GB of VRAM, which allow it to handle large compute workloads without memory constraints. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for ray tracing and AI inference, making it a versatile workstation GPU.

The combined picture is a system where both components are at the 95th percentile, meaning the pairing is well-matched for high-end workloads. The CPU's 24 cores and high boost clock feed the GPU's 6144 shading units effectively, and the GPU's compute capabilities complement the CPU's general-purpose throughput. There is no measured FPS data for this exact combination, so gaming performance must be estimated from the benchmark scores. The CPU's single-thread score of 4881 and the GPU's FP32 throughput of 19.17 TFLOPS suggest that at 1080p, the CPU may be the limiting factor in frame rate, while at 4K, the GPU will dominate. The lack of measured FPS rows means these are theoretical estimates.

# Build Overview

This build pairs the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 with the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation, both of which are desktop-class components (buildClass: "desktop"). The CPU is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from Intel's Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3nm process. The GPU is a workstation-focused card from NVIDIA's GeForce 40-series, utilizing the Ada Lovelace architecture on a 5nm process. Both components are at the 95th percentile of their respective categories, and the combined percentile is also 95.

This is a high-end pairing designed for professional and enthusiast workloads. The CPU's 65W TDP and the GPU's 70W TDP make this a power-efficient combination, with the GPU requiring only a 250W suggested PSU. The system is compact in nature, given the GPU's SFF form factor, and is suitable for deskside workstations where space is at a premium. The overall tier is top-tier, as indicated by the 95th percentile rankings, placing this build in the upper echelon of performance for both compute and graphics tasks.

The CPU's launch MSRP is $579, which is a single data point for cost, but the overall system value is determined by the performance relative to rivals. The CPU's near-tie with AMD EPYC 8224P (75582 avg score, -0.1%) and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (75716, -0.3%) shows that it is price-competitive with server and high-end PRO parts. The GPU's performance is similarly competitive, with a 1.6% deficit to the AMD Radeon PRO W7700 and a 2.8% advantage over the RTX A5500 Mobile.

# Who Should Build It

This build is targeted at professionals and enthusiasts who require high-throughput compute and graphics performance in a compact, power-efficient package. The CPU's 24 cores and 5.60 GHz boost clock, combined with the GPU's 6144 shading units and 20 GB of VRAM, make it suitable for a range of demanding applications.

Gamers at 1080p and 1440p will benefit from the CPU's high single-thread score of 4881 and the GPU's 19.17 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput, though the lack of measured FPS data means performance is estimated. The 48 RT cores provide hardware ray tracing acceleration for supported titles.

Content creators working with video editing and 3D rendering will see strong performance in Cinebench multi-core (48945) and GPU-accelerated render engines. The 20 GB VRAM allows for large compositions and high-resolution textures without spilling to system memory.

Software developers will appreciate the CPU's integer math score of 164869 and extended instructions score of 45357 for compilation tasks, while the GPU's tensor cores can accelerate machine learning workloads during model training and inference.

Students and small business workstations will find the power efficiency (65W CPU, 70W GPU) appealing for long-running tasks, and the ECC memory support ensures data integrity for research or financial analysis.

The build is not for budget-conscious users, as the CPU's launch MSRP of $579 and the GPU's workstation class indicate a premium price point, but for those who need top-tier performance in a small form factor, this pairing offers a balanced and capable solution.

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 9 285 + NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core Ultra 9 285

NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

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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