Counter-Strike 2

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions reveal a clear and consistent pattern for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the Intel Arc B390 in Counter-Strike 2. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 179 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 118 FPS, a reduction of 61 FPS or roughly 34%. Pushing further to 4K Low yields 66 FPS, which is another 52 FPS lower, representing a 44% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep decline with each resolution step indicates that the graphics subsystem becomes progressively more of a limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at higher settings. With High settings, the transition from 1080p (111 FPS) to 1440p (73 FPS) costs 38 FPS, and moving from 1440p to 4K (41 FPS) costs another 32 FPS. The 4K High result of 41 FPS is just 37% of the 1080p High number, showing that the Arc B390's capabilities are severely strained at 4K with elevated quality. At Medium settings, the same trajectory holds: 1080p delivers 149 FPS, 1440p drops to 98 FPS, and 4K falls to 55 FPS, with the 4K number being 63% lower than the 1080p baseline.

Ultra settings produce the most dramatic scaling losses. The 1080p Ultra average is 86 FPS, which drops to 57 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 32 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure is less than a quarter of what the system manages at 1080p Ultra, and it falls below the 30 FPS threshold only narrowly staying above it. The data suggests that at 1080p, particularly with lower settings, the CPU has more headroom to feed frames, whereas at 4K the GPU becomes the dominant constraint across all settings. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 93 FPS, but at 4K that same settings gap shrinks to 34 FPS, further evidence that resolution scaling compresses the performance envelope as the GPU saturates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 brings six cores and twelve threads to this Counter-Strike 2 configuration, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. This is a Zen 2 architecture part built on TSMC's 7 nm process, with a 65 W TDP and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark profile shows a single-thread score of 696 in 3DMark and 2124 in Cinebench R23 single-core, with multi-thread results of 4605 in 3DMark max threads and 15045 in Cinebench R23 multicore. These numbers place the processor in the 71st percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17035.

In the context of Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The game's engine typically relies heavily on a few primary threads, and the 3600's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2124 indicates moderate capability. The nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database include the Intel Core i7-1260P (avg score 17007, 0.2% behind) and the Intel Core i5-11400 (avg score 17067, 0.2% ahead), showing that the 3600 sits in a tightly contested performance band. The AMD EPYC 7573X and EPYC 7742 are also within 0.2% of the 3600's average score, though those are server parts unlikely to be in similar gaming systems.

The 1080p Low result of 179 FPS suggests that at this resolution and setting, the CPU is still able to drive high frame rates, but the scaling to 1440p and 4K shows that the GPU cannot sustain those rates. The fact that 1080p Low produces 179 FPS while 1080p Ultra drops to 86 FPS indicates that the settings load shifts more work onto the GPU, but even at 1080p Ultra the CPU is not the binding constraint. The measured data does not show a scenario where the CPU causes frame rate collapses; instead, the GPU's limitations dominate as resolution and quality increase. The 3600's 12 threads and 32 MB L3 cache are adequate for this title, and the processor's 71st percentile standing suggests it is a mid-pack performer that does not bottleneck the Arc B390 at most settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process with the Panther Lake chip. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2500 MHz, producing a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput is 7.680 TFLOPS, and the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Memory is system shared, with bandwidth labeled as system dependent, and the TDP is 80 W.

This GPU's benchmark presence is minimal, with only a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. That places the Arc B390 in the 9th percentile against all GPUs, which is a very low standing. The nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, 1.3% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460, 1.5% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, 2.5% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443, 2.7% behind). These are all legacy entry-level discrete GPUs, indicating that the Arc B390's raw compute performance is comparable to very old, low-end parts.

In Counter-Strike 2, this GPU's limitations are evident from the measured frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages just 32 FPS, which is below the 33 FPS that would be needed for a consistent 30 FPS experience with headroom. The 4K High result of 41 FPS and 4K Medium of 55 FPS show that even at reduced settings, 4K is barely playable. The 1440p results are more reasonable, with Low hitting 118 FPS and Medium at 98 FPS, but Ultra falls to 57 FPS. The 1080p results are the strongest, with Low at 179 FPS and Medium at 149 FPS, though Ultra still only manages 86 FPS. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is relatively high for an integrated part, but the system shared memory and the low percentile ranking underscore that this GPU is not designed for demanding scenarios. The data shows that the Arc B390 is the primary constraint at 4K and at higher settings, while at 1080p Low the CPU and GPU work in better balance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2535 out of 2870 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the bottom 12% of all combinations, a low standing that aligns with the GPU's 9th percentile performance. The CPU alone ranks in the 71st percentile, so the GPU is clearly dragging the overall combo ranking down. The 2870 total combos represent a wide range of hardware pairings, and this particular pairing sits well below the median.

The rank of 2535 means that the vast majority of tested combinations deliver better frame rates in this game. The data suggests that users with a Ryzen 5 3600 would typically pair it with a discrete GPU to get better results, as the integrated Arc B390 is a significant weak link. The CPU's benchmark rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-11400 or i7-1260P, would likely produce similar or better results when paired with the same GPU, but the GPU's low percentile is the dominant factor. The combo's rank relative to its own components shows a mismatch: the CPU is a mid-range part from 2019, while the GPU is an integrated solution from a future generation that nevertheless performs at the level of decade-old discrete GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and frame rate. At 1080p, Low settings produce 179 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on gaming monitors, and even Medium at 149 FPS is very playable. High at 111 FPS is also smooth for most displays. Ultra at 86 FPS is the only 1080p setting that dips below 100 FPS, but it remains playable. For competitive play, 1080p Low or Medium is the best choice, as the higher frame rates provide a responsiveness advantage.

At 1440p, Low settings deliver 118 FPS, which is still strong, and Medium at 98 FPS is acceptable for most users. High at 73 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced shooter action. Ultra at 57 FPS is borderline, and the lack of a measured minimum FPS for that setting adds uncertainty. At 4K, all settings struggle: Low at 66 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, Medium at 55 FPS is marginal, High at 41 FPS is difficult, and Ultra at 32 FPS is barely above the threshold for smooth motion. The recommendation is to use Low settings at 4K if resolution is a priority, Medium at 1440p for a balance, and Low or Medium at 1080p for the best frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured frame rates is as follows. At 3840x2160, High settings yield an average of 41 FPS, Low settings 66 FPS, Medium settings 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS and maximum of 63 FPS, and Ultra settings 32 FPS. At 2560x1440, High averages 73 FPS, Low 118 FPS, Medium 98 FPS (min 84, max 113), and Ultra 57 FPS. At 1920x1080, High averages 111 FPS, Low 179 FPS, Medium 149 FPS (min 126, max 171), and Ultra 86 FPS. Minimum and maximum values are only provided for the Medium setting at each resolution, so those are the only data points with frame time consistency information.

The 1080p Medium range of 126 to 171 FPS shows a variance of 45 FPS, which is a wide spread and indicates some frame pacing inconsistency. The 1440p Medium range is 84 to 113 FPS, a narrower 29 FPS spread, and the 4K Medium range is 47 to 63 FPS, a 16 FPS spread. This pattern suggests that as resolution increases, the frame rate becomes more stable because the GPU is consistently saturated, whereas at 1080p there is more variability as the CPU and GPU trade off responsibilities. The Low setting at 1080p produces the highest average of 179 FPS, and the Ultra setting at 4K produces the lowest at 32 FPS. Across all settings, the average FPS at 1080p ranges from 86 to 179, at 1440p from 57 to 118, and at 4K from 32 to 66, showing that the resolution has a larger impact than the settings at the high end.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Counter-Strike 2?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the best resolution, with Low settings delivering 179 FPS and Medium at 149 FPS. Even Ultra at 1080p reaches 86 FPS, which is playable, whereas 4K Ultra only manages 32 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% behind), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% behind), GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% behind), and GT 710 (1443, 2.7% behind).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 179 FPS, which is the highest measured result. The data suggests the GPU is not fully saturated at this setting, as the frame rate drops significantly when moving to 1440p Low (118 FPS), indicating the GPU becomes the constraint as resolution increases.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested systems?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600 and Arc B390 combination ranks 2535 out of 2870 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the bottom 12% of all pairings.

Q: Which settings provide the most stable frame rates?

A: The Medium setting has the only measured minimum and maximum values. The 4K Medium range is 47 to 63 FPS (16 FPS spread), 1440p Medium is 84 to 113 FPS (29 FPS spread), and 1080p Medium is 126 to 171 FPS (45 FPS spread), showing that stability improves at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 3600's CPU performance compare to its rivals?

A: The 3600 has an average benchmark score of 17035 and sits in the 71st percentile. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1260P (17007, 0.2% behind), Intel Core i5-11400 (17067, 0.2% ahead), AMD EPYC 7573X (17070, 0.2% ahead), and AMD EPYC 7742 (16998, 0.2% behind).