Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 with an AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and Intel Arc B390 presents a unique hardware pairing, as the integrated GPU relies on system memory. The measured data provides a clear picture of what players can expect across various settings and resolutions, with the combo ranking in the 2535th position out of 2870 tested configurations. This analysis breaks down the performance characteristics, focusing on the interplay between the CPU's Zen 2 architecture and the GPU's shared-memory design.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for achieving a high frame rate in Counter-Strike 2 with this combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution for high frame rates. At Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 179 FPS, while Medium settings yield 149 FPS, both significantly higher than any 2560x1440 or 3840x2160 results.

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 17507, placing it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE and 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core 7 150U, but it trails the AMD Ryzen 3 8300GE by 0.6% and the Intel Core i3-14100T by 0.8%.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded for this combo at 1080p?

A: The lowest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 86 FPS, which occurs at Ultra settings. The Medium preset provides a measured minimum FPS of 126, while the Low and High presets do not have min FPS data listed in the provided metrics.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390 a discrete GPU or an integrated solution?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), as indicated by its slot width and bus interface. Its memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," meaning it relies on the system's RAM rather than dedicated VRAM.

Q: How does the Arc B390's raw compute performance rank against other GPUs?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. It outperforms its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, by 1.3%, but the deltaPct values show it is only 2.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710.

Q: What is the impact of raising settings from Low to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 118 FPS on Low settings to 57 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a significant performance cost, with the Low preset offering more than double the average FPS of the Ultra preset.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data indicates that the optimal experience balances frame rate with visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers a strong 149 average FPS with a minimum of 126 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive experience for competitive play. While the Low preset achieves a higher 179 average FPS, the Medium settings offer a substantial visual upgrade for a 30 FPS reduction, which is a reasonable trade-off for most players.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 118 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 98 average FPS, and while still playable, it shows a 20 FPS decrease for the same visual uplift seen at 1080p. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p fall to 73 and 57 average FPS respectively, which may be too low for fast-paced gameplay where high frame rates are critical.

For 3840x2160, only the Low preset, with an average of 66 FPS, provides a frame rate that approaches playability. The Medium preset averages 55 FPS, while High and Ultra drop to 41 and 32 FPS respectively. Given that Counter-Strike 2 is a competitive FPS, prioritizing frame rate is paramount, making 1080p Medium the best overall recommendation, with 1080p Low as the choice for maximum performance.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a clear pattern of frame rate scaling as resolution increases. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 111 at 1920x1080 to 73 at 2560x1440 and further to 41 at 3840x2160. This represents a 34% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a 63% decrease from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B390, with its system-shared memory, is the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises.

The scaling pattern persists across other settings. At Medium, the average FPS goes from 149 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p and 55 at 4K. Even at Low settings, where the CPU has more headroom, the average FPS falls from 179 at 1080p to 118 at 1440p and 66 at 4K. The consistent and substantial drop at each resolution step suggests that the integrated GPU's memory bandwidth, which is "System Dependent," struggles to keep up with the increasing data demands of higher resolutions.

The performance delta between 1080p and 1440p is larger than the delta between 1440p and 4K in percentage terms for most settings. For example, at High, the drop from 111 to 73 is a 38 FPS difference, while the drop from 73 to 41 is a 32 FPS difference. This indicates that while the GPU is the bottleneck, the impact is most pronounced when moving away from the native 1080p resolution that the system is clearly best suited for.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2535th out of 2870 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the system in the lower percentile of all configurations, reflecting the limitations of the integrated graphics solution. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's 9th percentile standing among all GPUs, which severely constrains the overall gaming performance despite the CPU's more respectable 71st percentile ranking.

The data shows a significant mismatch between the CPU and GPU capabilities. The Ryzen 5 4600G, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is capable of handling the game's logic and physics, as evidenced by its 3DMark scores of 4889 for max threads and 726 for single thread. However, the Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is the lowest among its nearest rivals, indicating that it lacks the raw pixel-pushing power for demanding resolutions and settings.

This ranking means that the combo will struggle to deliver high frame rates at higher resolutions. In a game like Counter-Strike 2, where competitive play often demands 144Hz or higher refresh rates, the 2535th rank out of 2870 combos suggests that users will need to use lower settings and resolutions to achieve a playable experience. The combination is better suited for casual play at 1080p rather than high-refresh-rate competitive scenarios.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, which are the primary determinants of its processing speed. The GPU's memory is "System Shared," with a bandwidth that is "System Dependent," meaning its performance is directly tied to the speed and configuration of the system's DDR4 RAM.

With 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, the GPU's theoretical peak performance is 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. The measured data shows this is insufficient for high-end gaming, as the GPU sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, has a score of 1463, which is 1.3% lower, but this does not change the fact that the Arc B390 is a low-performance part.

The GPU's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s provide a theoretical basis for its performance, but the real-world results are more telling. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 86, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 32 FPS. The reliance on shared system memory is a major bottleneck, as the GPU must contend with the CPU for memory bandwidth, severely limiting its ability to handle high-resolution textures and large frame buffers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo performs best. The Low preset delivers an average of 179 FPS. The Medium preset averages 149 FPS, with a minimum of 126 FPS and a maximum of 171 FPS. High settings average 111 FPS, while Ultra drops to 86 FPS. This shows a clear linear progression of performance cost as settings increase, with the difference between Low and Ultra being a substantial 93 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance drops notably. Low settings average 118 FPS, which is the only preset to exceed 100 FPS. Medium averages 98 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS. High settings average 73 FPS, and Ultra drops to 57 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 61 FPS, showing that resolution has a compounding effect on the performance hit from higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the results are the weakest. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is the only playable option. Medium averages 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS. High settings drop to 41 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo, as even the lowest settings struggle to maintain a stable 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with a 65W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, with a shared 8 MB L3 cache, which is relatively modest for modern gaming.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The Ryzen 5 4600G's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13593 and a single-core score of 1919, indicate it has sufficient processing power for these tasks. The CPU's 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17507, shows it is a mid-range performer, but it is not the primary bottleneck in this system.

The measured FPS data supports this, as the frame rates scale dramatically with resolution, which is a GPU-bound characteristic. At 1080p Low, the CPU can feed the GPU with 179 FPS, but as the resolution increases, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The CPU's performance is adequate for this game, and its 12 threads ensure that it can handle background tasks without impacting frame times, making it a balanced partner for the low-power Arc B390 at 1080p.