SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

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

97 / 100
ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 3% 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
98%
VS
GPU
96%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus

84,003 Benchmark Score
Top 2% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

43,223 Benchmark Score
Top 4% 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 — cores, clocks, architecture, what the benchmark scores mean for real workloads

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture and manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC. Notably, it does not use Hyper-Threading, so the 24 cores map 1:1 to 24 threads — a design choice that prioritizes raw core count over thread duplication. The base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and the chip carries a 125 W TDP. The cache hierarchy is substantial: 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3, totaling a large aggregate pool that helps feed the high core count.

The benchmark data positions this CPU at the 96th percentile versus all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 96% of processors in the database. Its average benchmark score is 84,003. The nearest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores 83,807 — a delta of only 0.2%. This suggests that the 290K Plus is essentially a minor refresh of the 285K, offering a marginal improvement rather than a generational leap. Against the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83,090, +1.1%) and EPYC 9135 (82,980, +1.2%), the 290K Plus holds a comfortable lead, while the EPYC 7F72 (85,072, -1.3%) actually edges ahead, indicating that in some server-oriented workloads, the AMD part retains an advantage.

In Cinebench R23, the multicore score of 51,731 and single-core score of 7,303 reveal a processor that excels in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded scenarios. The single-core score is particularly strong, suggesting that the 5.80 GHz boost clock is effective in latency-sensitive tasks like gaming and application responsiveness. The R20 scores (21,727 multicore, 3,067 single-core) and R15 scores (5,214 multicore, 736 single-core) follow the same pattern, confirming consistency across benchmark generations.

PassMark results add nuance. The multithread score of 60,860 is strong, but the physics score of 3,315 is relatively modest, suggesting that the CPU's integer-heavy workloads (integer math at 166,194) are better served than floating-point physics simulations (floating point math at 214,760). Data compression (698,346) and encryption (52,563) scores are high, indicating strong performance in file archiving, database operations, and secure communication tasks. The extended instructions score of 52,338 and random string sorting of 79,744 further reinforce that this is a versatile compute engine.

The 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die yield a dense design, and the dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate memory throughput for most workloads, though not exceptional. ECC memory support is present, which is a plus for workstation reliability. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU provides basic display output and acceleration, though the dedicated GPU in this build handles the heavy lifting. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 CPU lanes offers high-bandwidth connectivity for modern SSDs and GPUs, and the unlocked multiplier allows overclocking headroom for enthusiasts.

Benchmark Performance — exact CPU and GPU scores, percentile positions, and what the combined picture is

The combined system, pairing the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, achieves a combined percentile of 90, placing it in the top 10% of all desktop builds in the database. The CPU's average benchmark score of 84,003 is complemented by the GPU's average score of 43,223. The GPU sits at the 83rd percentile versus all GPUs, which is strong but not elite — it trails the very top cards but outperforms the vast majority.

The RTX 4070 SUPER's benchmark results show a balanced profile. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 4,627, which is a modern DirectX 12 test reflecting current gaming workloads. Geekbench OpenCL (172,795) and Vulkan (205,624) scores indicate strong compute performance across APIs, with Vulkan slightly ahead, suggesting good driver optimization for that interface. PassMark results are more varied: DirectX 11 (273) and DirectX 12 (110) scores are low in raw terms, but these are legacy tests that often underrepresent modern architectures. The G3D score of 29,995 and GPU compute score of 17,108 are more indicative of real-world performance, with the compute score showing solid general-purpose GPU compute capability.

The GPU's nearest rivals are interesting: the Quadro M6000 24 GB (43,262, -0.1%), the RTX 5050 Mobile (43,268, -0.1%), and the Quadro M6000 (43,301, -0.2%) are all within 0.2% of the 4070 SUPER, while the RTX 4090 Mobile (43,667, -1%) is slightly ahead. This clustering suggests that the 4070 SUPER's average score is tightly competitive with these other cards, though the desktop 4070 SUPER benefits from a full 220 W TDP compared to mobile parts.

The combined CPU+GPU picture is one of a high-end pairing where the CPU is the stronger component relative to its peers. The CPU at the 96th percentile outpaces the GPU at the 83rd percentile, meaning the system is CPU-saturated in some workloads but GPU-limited in others. The measured FPS data across games, with an average of 179.6 FPS across all tested titles, confirms that this is a capable gaming machine, especially at 1080p and 1440p where the CPU's single-core strength shines.

FAQ

Q: How does the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to its direct predecessor, the 285K?

A: The 290K Plus scores 84,003 on average, while the 285K scores 83,807 — a delta of only 0.2%. This means the 290K Plus is marginally faster, but the difference is within noise for most real-world applications, making it more of a refresh than a major upgrade.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER suitable for 4K gaming?

A: The data shows playable frame rates at 3840x2160 in many titles, such as 141 FPS in Call of Duty: Warzone and 105 FPS in Counter-Strike 2. However, demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 (41 FPS) and Red Dead Redemption 2 (37 FPS) struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K, so the card is better suited for 1080p and 1440p.

Q: What is the CPU's memory bandwidth and does it support ECC?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. It also supports ECC memory, which is beneficial for workstation reliability and data integrity in compute-heavy tasks.

Q: How does the GPU's compute performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER scores 43,223 on average, which is within 0.2% of the Quadro M6000 24 GB (43,262) and RTX 5050 Mobile (43,268). The RTX 4090 Mobile is slightly ahead at 43,667 (-1% delta), indicating the 4070 SUPER is competitive with these cards in compute tasks.

Q: What is the power draw of the CPU and GPU, and what PSU is recommended?

A: The CPU has a TDP of 125 W, and the GPU has a TDP of 220 W. The suggested PSU for the GPU is 550 W, so a quality 550 W or higher unit should suffice for this build, assuming the rest of the system does not exceed typical power draw.

Q: Does the CPU have integrated graphics that can be used if the GPU fails?

A: Yes, the CPU includes Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units. While not suitable for gaming, it provides display output and basic acceleration for troubleshooting or office tasks if the dedicated GPU is unavailable.

Q: How does the system perform in CPU-heavy workloads like data compression?

A: The CPU scores 698,346 in PassMark data compression and 52,563 in data encryption, indicating strong performance in file archiving, database operations, and secure communications. The multi-thread score of 60,860 further supports heavy parallel workloads.

Balance and Bottleneck — which component limits which workload, using percentiles and FPS scaling as evidence

The balance between the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the RTX 4070 SUPER is asymmetric. The CPU's 96th percentile versus all CPUs is significantly higher than the GPU's 83rd percentile, indicating that the GPU is the more likely bottleneck in most gaming scenarios. This is evident in the FPS scaling across resolutions: at 1080p, the CPU's strong single-core performance (7,303 in Cinebench R23) drives high frame rates in esports titles like Counter-Strike 2 (283 FPS) and Valorant (605 FPS), but as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU's workload intensifies, and frame rates drop accordingly.

For example, in Cyberpunk 2077, the frame rate falls from 83 FPS at 1080p to 62 FPS at 1440p and 41 FPS at 4K — a 50% reduction from 1080p to 4K that is primarily GPU-driven. Conversely, in CPU-bound games like Valorant, the drop from 605 FPS at 1080p to 442 FPS at 4K is less steep proportionally, suggesting the CPU maintains its advantage even at higher resolutions. The pair rank by FPS places this build at rank 578 out of 3,732 pairs, with an average FPS of 179.6 across all games, which is strong but shows that there are 577 pairs with higher average frame rates, likely featuring more powerful GPUs.

The bottleneck analysis reveals that in lightly threaded, high-FPS scenarios (esports, older titles), the GPU is the limiting factor even at 1080p, as the CPU can push far more frames than the GPU can render. In heavily threaded workloads (3D rendering, video encoding), the CPU's 24 cores and 60,860 PassMark multithread score ensure it is not the bottleneck, but the GPU's compute (17,108 in PassMark GPU compute) may lag behind in pure compute tasks. For gaming, the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, while the CPU's single-core strength keeps 1080p frame rates high.

Upgrade Path and Platform — socket, memory support, PCIe, PSU headroom from suggestedPsu/tdp, what a sensible next upgrade looks like

The platform is built on Intel Socket 1851, which is specific to the Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake Refresh) processors. The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s and ECC support, so the memory subsystem is modern and upgradeable, though the dual-channel configuration limits bandwidth compared to quad-channel workstation platforms. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 20 CPU lanes provides ample bandwidth for current GPUs and NVMe SSDs, and the unlocked multiplier allows for CPU overclocking.

The GPU, RTX 4070 SUPER, has a TDP of 220 W and suggests a 550 W PSU. The CPU's TDP is 125 W, so the combined power draw of the two primary components is 345 W, leaving headroom for other components (motherboard, RAM, storage, fans) within a 550 W PSU. However, for overclocking or adding high-power peripherals, a higher-wattage PSU would be prudent, though the data does not specify a recommended total system PSU.

A sensible next upgrade path would be to replace the GPU first, as it is the primary bottleneck in gaming workloads. The 4070 SUPER's 83rd percentile leaves room for improvement, and upgrading to a higher-tier GPU (e.g., from the GeForce 50 series, which is listed as the successor) would improve 4K performance and ray tracing capabilities. The CPU, at the 96th percentile, is less likely to need upgrading soon, but the platform's Socket 1851 may limit future CPU upgrades to the same series. Memory upgrades to higher-capacity DDR5 kits are also possible, given the dual-channel support. The PCIe Gen 5 interface future-proofs the build for next-generation storage and GPUs, though the current GPU uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

Who Should Build It — target users and industries tied strictly to the measured performance

This build targets users who need strong multi-core CPU performance and solid GPU acceleration without requiring absolute top-tier graphics. The CPU's 96th percentile and 51,731 Cinebench R23 multicore score make it ideal for content creators who render video, compile code, or run virtual machines — tasks that can utilize all 24 cores. The 698,346 data compression score suggests it handles file archiving and database workloads efficiently, making it suitable for small business workstations that process large datasets.

For gamers, the measured FPS data shows excellent performance at 1080p and 1440p in most titles, with 122 FPS in Allods Online, 167 FPS in Assetto Corsa, and 188 FPS in Call of Duty: Warzone at 1080p. At 1440p, it maintains playable frame rates in demanding games (62 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 57 FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2), making it a strong choice for high-refresh 1440p gaming. At 4K, it is playable but not ideal for competitive or high-refresh gaming, with many titles falling below 60 FPS.

Software developers benefit from the CPU's high single-core (7,303 in R23) and multi-core scores, which speed up compilation and testing. Students and office workers will find the system more than sufficient for productivity tasks, though it is overkill for basic word processing or web browsing. The ECC memory support makes it viable for workstation environments where data integrity is critical, such as financial modeling or scientific computing. The GPU's 12 GB VRAM and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth support moderate 3D rendering and machine learning tasks, though not at the level of professional-grade cards.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1980 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz, and the memory runs at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The card has 7,168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units, along with 56 ray tracing cores and 224 tensor cores.

The tensor cores and RT cores are critical for modern rendering workloads. The 224 tensor cores enable DLSS and AI-accelerated features, while the 56 RT cores handle ray-traced lighting and reflections. The FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS (with FP16 at 35.48 TFLOPS, a 1:1 ratio) indicates strong compute throughput for both gaming and content creation. The pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s suggest the card can handle high-resolution textures and fill rates effectively.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the score of 4,627 reflects modern DirectX 12 gaming performance. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 172,795 and Vulkan score of 205,624 show that the card performs well in compute tasks across different APIs, with Vulkan leading, which is beneficial for games and applications that use Vulkan for rendering. The PassMark G3D score of 29,995 and GPU compute score of 17,108 indicate solid general performance, though the compute score is lower than what the FP32 TFLOPS might suggest, possibly due to driver overhead or thermal constraints.

For rendering tasks, the 12 GB VRAM is adequate for 1080p and 1440p rendering, but may be limiting for 4K or complex scenes with high-resolution textures. The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for most workloads, though not exceptional. The card's 220 W TDP and dual-slot design make it manageable in most mid-tower cases, and the 1x 16-pin power connector requires a compatible PSU (suggested 550 W). The display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a) support multi-monitor setups and high refresh rates.

Build Overview — what this CPU+GPU pairing is, its class from buildClass, and overall tier from the percentiles

This is a desktop build (buildClass: "desktop") pairing the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. The combined percentile of 90 places it in the top 10% of all builds in the database, indicating a high-performance system that is not quite at the absolute flagship tier but is well above average. The CPU's 96th percentile and GPU's 83rd percentile create a system where the CPU is the more dominant component, making it a CPU-first build with solid GPU support.

The pair rank by FPS of 578 out of 3,732 pairs (top 15.5%) confirms that this system delivers strong gaming performance, though there are many faster gaming builds, primarily those with higher-tier GPUs. The average FPS across all tested games of 179.6 is impressive, driven by the CPU's ability to sustain high frame rates in esports and less demanding titles. This pairing is best described as a high-end workstation-class CPU combined with a mid-high-end GPU, making it suitable for users who prioritize CPU-intensive tasks like rendering, compilation, and multi-tasking, while still enjoying excellent 1080p and 1440p gaming.

The measured FPS data (dataIsMeasured: true) means these are actual observed frame rates, not estimates, providing reliable performance expectations. The system's class suggests it is intended for desktop use, with the 125 W CPU and 220 W GPU requiring a standard ATX power supply and case.

Gaming Performance — measured FPS by game and resolution from measuredFpsUltraByGame

The measured FPS at ultra settings reveals a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p, with playable performance at 4K in many titles. At 1080p, the system achieves very high frame rates in esports and competitive games: Counter-Strike 2 hits 283 FPS, Valorant reaches 605 FPS, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tops 624 FPS. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege runs at 336 FPS, and Roblox at 365 FPS. These numbers indicate the CPU's single-core strength (7,303 in Cinebench R23) is fully utilized at this resolution.

At 1440p, performance remains strong but drops as the GPU becomes more involved. Valorant still achieves 553 FPS, Counter-Strike 2 drops to 187 FPS, and Rainbow Six Siege runs at 220 FPS. More demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 (62 FPS), Red Dead Redemption 2 (57 FPS), and Call of Duty: Warzone (167 FPS) are playable, with the latter maintaining high frame rates due to optimization. Microsoft Flight Simulator runs at 82 FPS, which is respectable for a simulator.

At 4K (3840x2160), the GPU's 83rd percentile becomes the limiting factor. Call of Duty: Warzone still achieves 141 FPS, and Valorant hits 442 FPS, but many titles fall below 60 FPS: Cyberpunk 2077 (41 FPS), Red Dead Redemption 2 (37 FPS), and Ark: Survival Ascended (14 FPS). The Medium is barely playable at 39 FPS, and Revolution Idle at 31 FPS. However, some games remain fluid, such as Overpower (86 FPS), Assetto Corsa (71 FPS), and Control (60 FPS). The data shows that 4K gaming is possible but requires adjusting settings or using upscaling technologies for demanding titles.

Usage Scenarios — grounded in the scores: high-refresh gaming, streaming, video editing, 3D rendering, software development, student and office work

High-refresh gaming: The system delivers excellent frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, with 283 FPS in Counter-Strike 2 and 605 FPS in Valorant at 1080p. At 1440p, it maintains 187 FPS in CS2 and 553 FPS in Valorant, making it ideal for 144Hz or 240Hz monitors. The CPU's 96th percentile ensures no bottleneck in CPU-bound esports titles.

Streaming: The CPU's 24 cores and high multi-thread score (60,860 in PassMark) can handle game capture and encoding simultaneously, while the GPU's 224 tensor cores support NVENC-based encoding. The 51,731 Cinebench R23 multicore score ensures smooth streaming performance without impacting game frame rates significantly.

Video editing: The CPU's strong multi-core performance (21,727 in Cinebench R20) accelerates video rendering and export in applications like Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. The GPU's 12 GB VRAM and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth support timeline scrubbing and effects, though the GPU's 83rd percentile is not top-tier for heavy effects work.

3D rendering: The CPU's 51,731 Cinebench R23 score is excellent for CPU-based rendering (Blender Cycles, V-Ray), while the GPU's 35.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance supports GPU-accelerated rendering. The 12 GB VRAM may limit very large scenes, but it is adequate for most projects.

Software development: The CPU's high single-core (7,303 in R23) and multi-core scores speed up code compilation, with the 166,194 integer math score indicating strong performance in logic-heavy workloads. The 115.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and ECC support add reliability for long build processes.

Student and office work: This system is overkill for basic productivity, but the 96th percentile CPU ensures snappy response in multi-tasking, spreadsheets, and web browsing. The GPU's 12 GB VRAM can accelerate some office applications, though most tasks are CPU-bound. The 698,346 data compression score speeds up file archiving and large document processing.