Is the Core Ultra 9 285K fast enough for modern games?

At index 90 it ranks 5 of the 39 processors we track. Paired with the fastest card in our catalogue it still becomes the limiting part in 2 of 19 games, and clears every tier defined in 17.

What graphics card should go with a Core Ultra 9 285K?

Roughly index 100: the GeForce RTX 5090 is the closest match we track. A much faster card would spend most of its time waiting for this processor.

Intel processor

Core Ultra 9 285K

24 cores and 24 threads, released in 2024, at index 90 on our scale - 5 of 39 processors tracked here. Paired with the fastest card we track and 32 GB of memory, it is still the part that runs out first in 2 of 19 games.

estimated

Performance index

90 of 100

Cores / threads

24/24

Limits the rig in

2 of 19 games

With the ceiling removed

Every row below pairs the Core Ultra 9 285K with the GeForce RTX 5090 and 32 GB of memory. Where the verdict still stops short, this processor is the reason.

Game	Verdict	Held back by	Game page
Grand Theft Auto VI	Runs at high (of ultra)	processor	open ↗
Cyberpunk 2077	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Baldur's Gate 3	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Elden Ring	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Counter-Strike 2	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Alan Wake 2	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Starfield	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Black Myth: Wukong	Runs at high (of ultra)	processor	open ↗
Hogwarts Legacy	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Fortnite	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Helldivers 2	Runs well	nothing	open ↗
Grand Theft Auto V	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Red Dead Redemption 2	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Monster Hunter Wilds	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Marvel Rivals	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Apex Legends	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Forza Horizon 5	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Palworld	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗
Destiny 2	Runs at ultra	nothing	open ↗

What to pair it with

The GeForce RTX 5090 at index 100 is the closest match in our catalogue. Anything much faster spends its time waiting for this processor in the games above.

Where to look: GeForce RTX 5090 (no store links yet)

Questions

Is the Core Ultra 9 285K fast enough for modern games?: At index 90 it ranks 5 of the 39 processors we track. Paired with the fastest card in our catalogue it still becomes the limiting part in 2 of 19 games, and clears every tier defined in 17.
What graphics card should go with a Core Ultra 9 285K?: Roughly index 100: the GeForce RTX 5090 is the closest match we track. A much faster card would spend most of its time waiting for this processor.