SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

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
97%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus

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

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

60,347 Benchmark Score
Top 3% 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

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 pairing represents a peak desktop configuration, combining a 24-core Arrow Lake Refresh processor with NVIDIA’s flagship Ada Lovelace GPU. The CPU’s benchmark data places it in the 96th percentile of all processors, while the GPU holds the 88th percentile among all graphics cards, resulting in a combined percentile of 92. This is a high-end desktop build designed for maximum performance in both productivity and gaming, though the measured game data reveals a complex relationship between CPU and GPU capabilities at various resolutions.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. The CPU is built on the Intel Socket 1851 platform and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with ECC capability. Its memory bandwidth is rated at 115.2 GB/s. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor is unlocked, allowing for overclocking.

Benchmark scores for the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus indicate exceptional single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 7,303 points in single-core and 51,731 points in multi-core. The single-core score suggests very strong per-thread performance, which is critical for lightly-threaded workloads like gaming and legacy productivity applications. The multi-core score is equally impressive, indicating substantial throughput for heavily parallel tasks such as 3D rendering, video encoding, and scientific simulations.

PassMark results reinforce this picture. The multi-thread score of 60,860 is robust, while the single-thread score of 4,823 is among the highest measured. In specific compute tasks, the CPU scores 214,760 in floating-point math, 166,194 in integer math, and 525,63 in data encryption. The data compression test yields a score of 698,346, and random string sorting produces 79,744. These figures show a processor that handles both integer-heavy and floating-point-heavy workloads with ease. The physics score of 3,315 in PassMark suggests strong performance in simulation tasks, which is relevant for both gaming physics and professional simulation software.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores slightly lower on average at 83,807, a 0.2% difference. This indicates the 290K Plus is a minor refresh over its predecessor. The AMD EPYC 4584PX and EPYC 9135 are also close, with average scores of 83,090 and 82,980, respectively, representing 1.1% and 1.2% lower performance. The AMD EPYC 7F72 scores higher at 85,072, which is 1.3% above the 290K Plus. This positioning suggests that while the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is not the absolute fastest processor in the database, it sits comfortably within the top tier of desktop and server-class CPUs.

Benchmark Performance

The overall benchmark picture for this build is dominated by the CPU’s 96th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 88th percentile ranking. The combined percentile for the pair is 92, placing it well above the vast majority of systems. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 84,003, while the GPU’s average benchmark score is 60,347.

Looking at specific GPU benchmarks, the RTX 4090 scores 9,223 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, a modern DirectX 12 ray-tracing test. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 255,416, and in Vulkan, it scores 271,631. These numbers indicate strong compute performance across different APIs. In PassMark tests, the GPU scores 38,194 in G3D, 26,613 in GPU compute, and 1,299 in G2D. The DirectX 10, 11, and 12 tests yield scores of 224, 326, and 150, respectively, while DirectX 9 produces 397. These legacy DirectX scores are lower, but they are less representative of modern gaming loads.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Arc Pro A60 with an average score of 60,326 (a 0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 with 60,140 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M with 61,896 (2.5% higher). The AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58,657, which is 2.9% lower. This clustering suggests that the RTX 4090’s average benchmark score is competitive with professional workstation GPUs, though its real strength lies in its specific gaming and compute workloads.

The combined picture shows a system that is exceptionally strong in both CPU-bound and GPU-bound tasks. The CPU’s 96th percentile means it outperforms 96% of all processors, while the GPU’s 88th percentile indicates it is in the top 12% of all graphics cards. This balance is rare, as most systems have one component that is significantly weaker than the other. Here, both components are near the top of their respective categories.

Balance and Bottleneck

Analyzing the balance between the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the RTX 4090 requires a look at how the CPU’s high percentile compares to the GPU’s slightly lower percentile. The CPU is in the 96th percentile while the GPU is in the 88th percentile. This suggests that in many workloads, the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU is more likely to be the bottleneck, especially in gaming.

The measured FPS data across games supports this interpretation. At 1920x1080, many games exceed 200 FPS, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at 793 FPS, Valorant at 605 FPS, and Roblox at 464 FPS. These high frame rates indicate that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at high rates. However, at 3840x2160, frame rates drop significantly across all games. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 falls from 106 FPS at 1080p to 52 FPS at 4K. This is a 51% reduction, which is typical of GPU-bound scenarios where the resolution increase demands more from the graphics card.

The pair’s average FPS across all games is 221.9, with a rank of 85 out of 3,861 pairs. This top-3% ranking confirms that this combination is among the best for overall gaming performance. In CPU-intensive games like Counter-Strike 2, the frame rate at 1080p is 359 FPS, but at 4K it drops to 133 FPS. This drop is less severe than in GPU-heavy titles, suggesting that the CPU can still hold up at higher resolutions, but the GPU becomes increasingly stressed.

The bottleneck analysis shows a nuanced picture. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (7,303 in Cinebench R23) allows many games to run at extremely high frame rates, often exceeding 300 FPS. At 1440p, frame rates drop by roughly 30-40% across most titles, which is consistent with an increasing GPU load. At 4K, the drop is more pronounced, often 50-60% from 1080p performance. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions, while the CPU is sufficient to avoid being a major bottleneck even at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the combined performance percentile of this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The combined percentile is 92, placing it in the top 8% of all CPU-GPU pairs in the database.

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

A: The 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is 0.2% higher than the 285K’s average score of 83,807.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

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

Q: What is the average FPS across all measured games for this pairing?

A: The average FPS across all games is 221.9, with a rank of 85 out of 3,861 pairs.

Q: Is this build more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. For example, in Cyberpunk 2077, FPS drops from 106 at 1080p to 52 at 4K, a 51% reduction, indicating GPU limitation.

Q: Does the CPU support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has ECC memory support, which is beneficial for workstation stability.

Gaming Performance

The measured FPS data for this build covers 50 games at three resolutions. This data is measured, not estimated, providing a reliable picture of real-world gaming performance. At 1920x1080, the system delivers extremely high frame rates in most titles. Competitive shooters excel: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive runs at 793 FPS, Valorant at 605 FPS, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege at 427 FPS. These numbers indicate that the CPU is not holding back the GPU in esports titles.

At 2560x1440, frame rates remain high but show a clear scaling downward. For example, Valorant drops to 573 FPS, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to 546 FPS, and Roblox to 310 FPS. More demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 run at 79 FPS, Red Dead Redemption 2 at 72 FPS, and Call of Duty: Warzone at 167 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this pairing, offering high refresh rates in most games while allowing for full graphical fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the system is still powerful but shows its limits. The Medium runs at 50 FPS, Cyberpunk 2077 at 52 FPS, and Red Dead Redemption 2 at 48 FPS. Lighter titles like Valorant still run at 532 FPS, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at 322 FPS. Heavily demanding games like Ark: Survival Ascended run at only 17 FPS at 4K, which is the lowest measured score. This suggests that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4090 is the limiting factor, and even this flagship GPU cannot maintain high frame rates in the most demanding titles without resolution scaling or upscaling techniques.

The pair’s rank of 85 out of 3,861 pairs, with an average FPS of 221.9, confirms that this system is in the top 2.2% of all measured configurations for gaming. This is a result of the CPU’s high single-thread performance and the GPU’s massive compute capabilities.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is based on the AD102 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process at 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 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, 176 raster output units, 128 ray-tracing cores, and 512 tensor cores. Its base clock is 2235 MHz, with a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and memory runs at an effective 21 Gbps.

The memory subsystem is substantial: 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This bandwidth is critical for high-resolution textures and large datasets. The pixel rate is 443.5 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 1,290.2 GTexel/s. The GPU’s FP32 compute performance is 82.58 TFLOPS, with FP16 at the same rate due to a 1:1 ratio. This makes it extremely capable for both gaming and compute workloads.

In rendering tasks, the RTX 4090’s 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for ray tracing and AI-based features like DLSS. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 indicates strong performance in modern DirectX 12 workloads with ray tracing enabled. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 271,631 is also very high, showing excellent API efficiency.

The GPU’s power requirements are significant: its TDP is 450 W, with a suggested PSU of 850 W. It uses a single 16-pin power connector and is a triple-slot card, measuring 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 61 mm in width. It is currently marked as end-of-life, with a launch MSRP of 1,599 USD. Its display outputs include one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports.

The GPU’s percentile ranking of 88 is slightly lower than the CPU’s 96, but its average benchmark score of 60,347 places it in the same ballpark as professional workstation GPUs like the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M. This indicates that the RTX 4090 is not just a gaming card but also a capable compute accelerator for professional use.

Who Should Build It

This build targets users who require top-tier performance in both CPU and GPU-bound tasks. For gamers, the measured FPS data shows it excels at 1440p and 4K in most titles. At 2560x1440, it achieves over 100 FPS in most games, including 167 FPS in Call of Duty: Warzone and 149 FPS in Assetto Corsa. At 4K, it maintains playable frame rates in most games, though very demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 hover around 50 FPS.

Content creators will benefit from the CPU’s 24 cores and strong multi-threaded scores. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 is suitable for video editing, 3D rendering, and software compilation. The GPU’s 24 GB of VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are ample for large 3D scenes and high-resolution video processing. The PassMark data encryption score of 52,563 suggests capability in secure data handling.

Software developers and researchers will find the ECC memory support valuable for data integrity. The CPU’s high single-thread score of 4,823 in PassMark makes it responsive for compilation tasks, while the multi-thread score of 60,860 accelerates parallel builds. The GPU’s compute performance, with 82.58 TFLOPS FP32, is useful for scientific simulations and AI workloads.

Students and small business workstations may find this build overkill, but its performance headroom ensures longevity. The high percentile rankings mean that this system will remain relevant for many years, avoiding the need for frequent upgrades. The combination of a 96th percentile CPU and 88th percentile GPU makes it a top-tier investment for professionals who cannot afford downtime.

Build Overview

This is a desktop build pairing the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The combined percentile of 92 places it in the top 8% of all systems in the database. The CPU is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, using the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture on a 3 nm process. It supports DDR5 memory with ECC and has 36 MB of L3 cache. The GPU is an Ada Lovelace architecture card with 16,384 CUDA cores and 24 GB of GDDR6X memory.

This pairing is designed for maximum performance. The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking means it outperforms the vast majority of processors, while the GPU’s 88th percentile places it among the top graphics cards. The measured average FPS of 221.9 across 50 games, with a rank of 85 out of 3,861 pairs, confirms that this is one of the fastest gaming configurations available. The system is well-suited for high-resolution gaming, professional content creation, and compute-intensive tasks.

The build class is desktop, meaning it is intended for stationary use with a dedicated power supply and cooling solution. The GPU’s triple-slot design and 450 W TDP require a capable case and cooling system. The suggested PSU is 850 W, which provides ample headroom for the CPU’s 125 W TDP and the GPU’s power draw.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus uses the Intel Socket 1851 platform, which supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The CPU provides 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which are available for high-speed storage and expansion cards. The GPU uses PCIe 4.0 x16, which is backward-compatible with the CPU’s PCIe 5.0 controller.

The platform supports ECC memory, which is a key feature for workstations and servers. This makes the build suitable for tasks where data integrity is critical. The CPU is unlocked, allowing for overclocking to extract additional performance, though the boost clock of 5.80 GHz is already high.

The suggested PSU is 850 W, which is sufficient for the CPU’s 125 W TDP and the GPU’s 450 W TDP. This leaves headroom for additional components like storage drives, fans, and RGB lighting. The GPU uses a single 16-pin power connector, which is standard for modern high-end cards.

For a sensible next upgrade, users could consider adding more DDR5 memory. The CPU supports dual-channel memory, and increasing capacity from a typical 32 GB to 64 GB or more would benefit memory-intensive workloads like video editing and virtual machines. Another upgrade path is storage: the CPU’s 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes allow for Gen 5 NVMe SSDs, which offer significantly higher sequential read and write speeds than Gen 4 drives.

The GPU is marked as end-of-life, with a successor in the GeForce 50 series. However, the RTX 4090’s 24 GB of VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth remain substantial. Upgrading to a next-generation GPU would require a new power supply only if the new card exceeds the 450 W TDP. The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking suggests it will not be a bottleneck for several generations of GPU upgrades.

Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming: At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional frame rates, with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at 793 FPS and Valorant at 605 FPS. At 1440p, it still achieves over 200 FPS in many esports titles, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures that the GPU is not held back in competitive titles.

Streaming: The CPU’s 24 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for encoding video while gaming. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 indicates that the CPU can handle simultaneous gaming and streaming workloads. The GPU’s 512 tensor cores provide hardware-accelerated encoding features that reduce the CPU load further.

Video editing: The CPU’s multi-threaded performance, with a PassMark multi-thread score of 60,860, accelerates video rendering and export tasks. The GPU’s 24 GB of VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth allow for smooth scrubbing through high-resolution timelines. The combination of CPU and GPU compute power is well-suited for 4K and 8K video editing.

3D rendering: The CPU scores 51,731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is a strong result for CPU-based rendering engines. The GPU’s 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance provides massive acceleration for GPU-based renderers. The 128 RT cores also accelerate ray-traced rendering, making this build suitable for professional 3D artists.

Software development: The CPU’s high single-thread score of 4,823 in PassMark ensures fast compilation times for individual files, while the multi-thread score of 60,860 accelerates parallel builds. The ECC memory support provides data integrity for long-running build processes. The 24 cores handle virtual machines and container workloads effectively.

Student and office work: This build is overpowered for typical office tasks, but its performance ensures that it will not become obsolete quickly. The CPU’s high single-thread performance makes applications feel responsive, and the GPU’s 24 GB of VRAM can handle large spreadsheets or data visualization tasks. The system is also quiet under light loads, making it suitable for office environments, though the GPU’s triple-slot design may be excessive for some desks.