SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D

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

Build Configuration

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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 285K

83,807 Benchmark Score

Top 3% Market Ranking

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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

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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

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is the flagship desktop processor of the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture and fabricated on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It packs 24 cores and 24 threads, with no hyper-threading, a design choice that prioritizes efficiency and die space over thread duplication. The base clock sits at 3.70 GHz, and the boost clock reaches 5.70 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The chip integrates Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units, making it a self-contained package for systems that may not immediately pair it with a discrete GPU.

The cache hierarchy is substantial: 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. This arrangement feeds the 24 cores with ample local data, which is reflected in benchmark results. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 42,522 in multi-core and 2,377 in single-core. The multi-core figure places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 96% of processors tracked in the database. The single-core score of 2,377 is competitive but not class-leading, suggesting that while the architecture excels at parallel workloads, its per-thread performance is strong but not exceptional.

The Geekbench results reinforce this picture: 26,702 multi-core and 2,870 single-core. These numbers indicate that the 285K handles heavily threaded applications with ease, while single-threaded tasks like legacy software or lightly threaded games will still perform well, though they may not fully leverage the chip's potential. The Passmark suite provides granular insights into specific workloads. For instance, integer math scores 172,379 and floating-point math scores 224,324, showing a strong balance between these two fundamental compute types. Data encryption scores 57,745, while data compression hits 790,052, indicating robust throughput for archive work and cryptographic operations. Extended instructions score 62,277, which is relevant for AVX-512-style workloads, and random string sorting scores 94,927, a measure of memory-bound sorting performance. The find prime numbers test scores 541, and physics simulation scores 3,938, both of which are moderate figures that suggest the CPU is better suited to general compute rather than highly specialized integer loops.

The average benchmark score for the 285K is 83,807. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, scores 84,003, placing the 285K just 0.2% behind. The AMD EPYC 4584PX scores 83,090, which puts the 285K 0.9% ahead. The AMD EPYC 9135 scores 82,980, a 1% lead for the Intel part. Against the AMD EPYC 7F72, which scores 85,072, the 285K is 1.5% behind. These deltas are narrow, indicating that the 285K sits squarely in a performance cluster where no single processor dominates by more than a couple of percentage points. The 96th percentile ranking underscores that this is a top-tier desktop CPU, but the rivalry data shows that the competition is fierce at this level.

Memory support includes DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, offering a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. ECC memory is supported, which is a notable feature for workstation builds where data integrity is paramount. The PCIe interface is Gen 5 with 20 lanes available from the CPU, providing high-speed connectivity for the latest NVMe drives and GPUs. The platform uses Intel Socket 1851, which is the LGA-1851 form factor, and the processor was released in late 2024, with a launch MSRP of $589. The chip is unlocked for overclocking, and the production status is listed as active.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: The combination of the 285K's strong single-core performance (2,377 in Cinebench R23, 2,870 in Geekbench) and the RTX 4090 D's massive compute capability means that at 1080p and 1440p with high refresh rates, the CPU will not typically be the bottleneck. The 96th percentile CPU ranking ensures that frame pacing remains stable, and the 24 cores provide headroom for background tasks like Discord or streaming overlays without impacting gaming frames.

Streaming: The 285K has 24 threads and a Passmark multi-thread score of 67,260, which is more than sufficient for x264 encoding at medium or slow presets while gaming. The CPU's data encryption score of 57,745 also aids in secure streaming protocols. The Arc integrated graphics could handle encoder offload in a pinch, but the discrete RTX 4090 D with its dedicated NVENC encoder will be the primary tool for stream encoding, leaving CPU threads free for game logic.

Video editing: In applications like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, the 285K's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,522 directly translates to faster export times and smoother timeline scrubbing. The L3 cache of 36 MB helps keep large media files resident, and the 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that 4K and 8K footage can be moved through the system without stalling. The 96th percentile position among all CPUs means this processor is in the top 4% for rendering workloads.

3D rendering: The Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 24,003 and R15 multi-core score of 6,494 indicate that the 285K is a rendering powerhouse. For CPU-based renderers like Blender Cycles or V-Ray, the 24 cores will produce frames at a rate that only a handful of desktop chips can match. The 0.9% advantage over the AMD EPYC 4584PX in average score shows that this desktop part can hold its own against server-class silicon in certain threaded scenarios.

Software development: Compilation times are heavily dependent on multi-core performance, and the 285K's Passmark integer math score of 172,379 and extended instructions score of 62,277 suggest that code compilation, unit testing, and static analysis will complete quickly. The ECC memory support is a boon for developers running long builds where memory errors could corrupt artifacts. The single-thread performance of 5,087 in Passmark single-thread tests ensures that interactive IDEs remain responsive.

Student and office work: For document editing, spreadsheet manipulation, and web browsing, the 285K is vastly overprovisioned. The single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2,377 ensures that office applications load instantly, and the integrated Arc graphics can drive multiple 4K displays without a discrete GPU. The 125 W TDP is modest for a 24-core part, meaning that a standard office PC power supply suffices, and the platform's longevity is supported by the active production status.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K uses the Intel Socket 1851, which is the LGA-1851 platform. This socket is designed for the Arrow Lake generation, meaning that future upgrades within this family would require a motherboard with this socket. The memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, and ECC memory is supported, which is valuable for users who prioritize system stability. The PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU, allowing for a Gen 5 NVMe SSD and a Gen 5 GPU adapter, though the RTX 4090 D uses PCIe 4.0 x16, which is backward compatible.

The CPU's TDP is 125 W, and the RTX 4090 D has a TDP of 425 W, with a suggested PSU of 800 W. This gives a combined thermal envelope of roughly 550 W for the two primary components, leaving headroom for peripherals, fans, and RGB lighting within an 800 W power supply. The suggested PSU of 800 W is adequate for this pairing, but users who plan to overclock the unlocked multiplier on the CPU may want additional headroom. The GPU uses a single 16-pin power connector, which is typical for the RTX 40-series, and the triple-slot cooler is substantial, requiring a case with adequate clearance.

A sensible next upgrade for this platform would be a newer processor in the Core Ultra Series 2 family, though the 285K is already the top SKU in that lineup. The nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, scores just 0.2% higher, so the upgrade would yield negligible gains. Alternatively, users could upgrade the GPU to a future GeForce 50-series card, as the successor to the RTX 4090 D is listed as GeForce 50, but no performance data is available for that part. The PCIe Gen 5.0 lanes ensure that future high-bandwidth devices will not be bottlenecked by the CPU interface.

# Who Should Build It

This build is intended for enthusiasts and professionals who require top-tier performance in both CPU and GPU workloads. Gamers at 4K resolution will benefit from the RTX 4090 D's 98th percentile ranking among all GPUs, which ensures that frame rates remain high even with ultra settings and ray tracing enabled. The 285K's 96th percentile CPU ranking prevents the processor from becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions, making this a balanced system for 1440p and 1080p high-refresh monitors as well.

Content creators working with 4K or 8K video will find that the 285K's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,522 accelerates export times, while the RTX 4090 D's 24 GB of VRAM allows for complex compositing and color grading without running out of memory. The GPU's FP32 throughput of 73.54 TFLOPS is suited for GPU-accelerated effects in After Effects or Nuke.

Developers will appreciate the ECC memory support and the high integer math score of 172,379, which speeds up compilation and test execution. The 24 threads allow for parallel builds or running multiple virtual machines simultaneously.

Students and small business workstations are a secondary audience. The CPU's integrated Arc graphics mean that a system can be built without a discrete GPU for office tasks, and the 125 W TDP keeps cooling requirements modest. However, the launch MSRP of $589 for the CPU and $1,599 for the GPU makes this a premium build, so it is not a cost-effective choice for basic productivity, but the performance ceiling is unmatched.

# Benchmark Performance

The combined percentile for this CPU and GPU pairing is 97, indicating that the system outperforms 97% of all tracked desktop configurations. The CPU alone is in the 96th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 83,807. The GPU is in the 98th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 178,050.

The CPU's benchmark results are extensive. In Cinebench R15, it scores 6,494 multi-core and 359 single-core. In R20, the scores are 24,003 multi-core and 3,388 single-core. In R23, the scores are 42,522 multi-core and 2,377 single-core. Geekbench shows 26,702 multi-core and 2,870 single-core. The Passmark suite includes a multi-thread score of 67,260, single-thread score of 5,087, and various specialized tests: data compression at 790,052, data encryption at 57,745, extended instructions at 62,277, find prime numbers at 541, floating-point math at 224,324, integer math at 172,379, physics at 3,938, and random string sorting at 94,927.

The GPU's benchmark results include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,587, Geekbench OpenCL score of 278,621, and Geekbench Vulkan score of 246,941. These scores place the RTX 4090 D at the 98th percentile, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell, which scores 182,109, putting the 4090 D 2.2% behind. The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB scores 183,725, a 3.1% lead, and the RTX 5000 Ada Generation scores 184,664, a 3.6% lead. The A100 SXM4 40 GB scores 187,147, a 4.9% lead. These deltas are all within 5%, meaning the 4090 D is competitive with professional-grade compute cards despite being a gaming-oriented product.

The combined picture is a system that excels in both CPU-bound and GPU-bound tasks. The 285K's strong multi-threaded performance pairs well with the 4090 D's massive compute throughput, resulting in a machine that is suitable for any workload except the most extreme server-class parallel processing.

# Gaming Performance

No measured FPS rows exist for this exact CPU and GPU combination, so all frame-rate discussions are estimated from the benchmark scores. The data shows that the RTX 4090 D is in the 98th percentile of all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,587, which is a strong indicator of DX12 gaming performance at 4K resolution. The CPU's single-core performance, as measured by the Geekbench single-core score of 2,870 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,377, is sufficient to feed the GPU at high frame rates.

At 1080p, the 285K's single-thread performance is adequate to drive the 4090 D to its limits in most games, though CPU-bound titles may see frame rates capped by the processor. The 5,087 Passmark single-thread score suggests that the CPU is competitive with other top-tier desktop chips. At 1440p, the balance shifts more toward the GPU, and the 4090 D's 24 GB of VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensure that high-resolution textures and ray tracing effects do not cause stuttering. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck in most scenarios, which is expected given that the 4090 D is the highest-performing consumer GPU in the database.

The absence of measured FPS data means that specific frame rates cannot be cited. However, the percentiles indicate that this pairing will deliver playable frame rates at all resolutions with ultra settings, and the 97th combined percentile suggests that only a handful of configurations would outperform it in gaming scenarios.

# FAQ

Q: What is the CPU's core and thread count?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has 24 cores and 24 threads, with no hyper-threading enabled.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average score of 84,003, which is 0.2% higher than the 285K's score of 83,807.

Q: Does the CPU support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the 285K supports ECC memory, which is listed as a feature in the specifications.

Q: What is the combined performance percentile of this build?

A: The combined percentile is 97, meaning it outperforms 97% of all tracked desktop configurations.

Q: What is the GPU's process node and transistor count?

A: The RTX 4090 D is fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC, with 76,300 million transistors.

Q: What is the suggested power supply wattage for this build?

A: The suggested PSU is 800 W, based on the GPU's TDP of 425 W and the CPU's TDP of 125 W.

# Build Overview

This build pairs the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D in a desktop-class configuration. The CPU is the flagship of the Core Ultra Series 2, with a 96th percentile ranking, while the GPU is the top-tier consumer card from the GeForce 40-series, with a 98th percentile ranking. The combined percentile is 97, placing this system in the top 3% of all tracked builds.

The CPU's architecture is Arrow Lake, a 3 nm design with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The GPU is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, a 5 nm design with 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die. The CPU has 24 cores and 24 threads, a base clock of 3.70 GHz, a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, and a TDP of 125 W. The GPU has 14,592 shading units, 456 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 114 RT cores, and 456 tensor cores, with a boost clock of 2,520 MHz and a TDP of 425 W.

This is a high-end desktop build, positioned at the top of the performance curve for consumer hardware. It is not a workstation in the server sense, but rather a powerful single-socket system that can handle both gaming and professional content creation workloads with ease.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The balance between the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D is skewed toward the GPU in most gaming scenarios. The GPU's 98th percentile ranking versus the CPU's 96th percentile means that in GPU-bound tasks like 4K gaming with ray tracing, the GPU will be the limiting factor, which is the desired behavior for maximizing frame rates. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck at standard resolutions.

In CPU-bound workloads, such as 3D rendering in Cinebench or video encoding, the CPU will be the primary constraint. The 285K's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,522 is high, but the RTX 4090 D's FP32 throughput of 73.54 TFLOPS means that GPU-accelerated rendering will far outpace the CPU in tasks that support it. For example, in Blender Cycles, the GPU would render scenes much faster than the CPU, making the GPU the preferred compute engine.

The FPS scaling evidence is indirect, as no measured FPS data exists for this pairing. However, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,587 for the GPU suggests that it will deliver high frame rates at 4K, with the CPU's single-thread performance being sufficient to avoid frame pacing issues. The 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth of the CPU is lower than the GPU's 1.01 TB/s, but this is expected, as the CPU memory bus is not the limiting factor for gaming.

Overall, the system is well-balanced, with the GPU leading in graphics and compute-heavy tasks, and the CPU providing a strong foundation for general-purpose and multi-threaded workloads. For users who prioritize gaming, the GPU is the star; for users who prioritize rendering or compilation, the CPU holds its own.

# GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, using the AD102 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It contains 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, with a transistor density of 125.3 million per mm². The GPU has 14,592 shading units, 456 texture mapping units, and 176 raster operation processors. It also features 114 RT cores and 456 tensor cores, which are dedicated to ray tracing and AI workloads, respectively.

The memory subsystem is robust: 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The memory clock runs at 1,313 MHz, with an effective data rate of 21 Gbps. This high bandwidth is critical for 4K gaming with high-resolution textures and for professional workloads like video editing with multiple streams of 8K footage.

The clock speeds are a base of 2,280 MHz and a boost of 2,520 MHz. The pixel rate is 443.5 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 1,149.1 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput is 73.54 TFLOPS, with FP16 also at 73.54 TFLOPS, indicating a 1:1 ratio, which is common for consumer GPUs. The board power is 425 W, with a suggested PSU of 800 W, and the card requires a single 16-pin power connector. It is a triple-slot card, measuring 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 61 mm in width.

The benchmark results for the GPU include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,587, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 278,621, and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 246,941. The 98th percentile ranking indicates that this GPU is in the top 2% of all GPUs tracked. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell, scores 182,109, which is 2.2% higher. The RTX 4090 D is behind the A100 SXM4 80 GB by 3.1% and behind the RTX 5000 Ada Generation by 3.6%. These deltas are small, showing that the 4090 D is competitive with professional-grade compute cards.

The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate with feature level 12_2, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. It has display outputs of 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The production status is end-of-life, with a successor in the GeForce 50 series, but no data is available for that part. The launch MSRP is $1,599, but pricing details are not discussed further per guidelines.

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D

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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