Counter-Strike 2

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features a 16 MB L3 cache, with 512 KB of L2 and 64 KB of L1 per core. Memory support is DDR4 in a dual-channel configuration, providing a theoretical memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

For Counter-Strike 2, a competitive FPS, the CPU's single-thread performance is critical for game logic, physics, and frame pacing. In synthetic testing, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 836 points in 3dmark_single_thread and 2319 points in cinebench_r23_singlecore. Its multi-threaded capabilities are demonstrated by a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 16429 and a passmark_multithread score of 19330. The processor ranks in the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20875.

Looking at the nearest rivals, the Intel Core i5-12500 posts an average score of 20897, which is 0.1% higher than the Ryzen 5 5500. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE averages 20900, also 0.1% higher. The AMD EPYC 7J13 scores 20845, putting the Ryzen 5 5500 0.1% ahead. The Intel Core i5-12600T averages 20917, making the Ryzen 5 5500 0.2% slower. These deltas are negligible, indicating the Ryzen 5 5500's compute performance is essentially on par with these alternatives.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU without bottlenecking at lower resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 432.8 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rates of most monitors. The CPU's boost clock of 4.20 GHz ensures that per-frame draw calls and game simulation are handled promptly, which is essential for responsive gameplay in a fast-paced shooter.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is based on the Ampere architecture, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. The GA104 chip contains 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz. It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is listed as 1750 MHz, with 14 Gbps effective data rate.

The RTX 3070 has 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation pipelines. It also includes 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. The pixel rate is 165.6 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 317.4 GTexel/s. The GPU achieves 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is also the FP16 rate with a 1:1 ratio. The card has a 220 W TDP and uses a single 12-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 550 W.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 3070 scores 3162. Its Passmark G3D score is 22214, with a GPU compute score of 11195. The GPU ranks in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Compared to its nearest rivals, the AMD FirePro S7150 scores 28409, which is 0.6% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT averages 27985, making the RTX 3070 0.9% faster. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 27956, so the RTX 3070 is 1.0% ahead. The AMD Radeon R9 M295X averages 28541, putting the RTX 3070 1.1% behind.

For Counter-Strike 2, the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM is adequate for the game's texture and geometry demands at the tested settings. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s ensures that texture streaming and frame buffer operations at 4K resolution are handled without excessive stalls. The 5888 shading units provide substantial compute throughput, which is evident in the high average FPS figures across all tested resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 432.8 FPS. Moving to 1440p at Low settings, the average FPS drops to 290, representing a 33.0% decrease. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS falls to 159.4, which is 63.2% lower than the 1080p result.

For High settings, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute numbers. At 1080p, the average is 272.6 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 181.3 FPS, a 33.5% reduction. At 4K, the average is 102.2 FPS, which is 62.5% lower than 1080p.

The Medium preset shows 360.9 FPS at 1080p, 239.6 FPS at 1440p, and 135.8 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 33.6% from 1080p to 1440p, and 62.4% from 1080p to 4K. The Ultra preset yields 210.3 FPS at 1080p, 140.6 FPS at 1440p, and 75.1 FPS at 4K, representing a 33.1% drop to 1440p and a 64.3% drop to 4K.

The consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that resolution scaling affects the GPU more than the CPU. The CPU's performance ceiling is not the primary limiter, as even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 75.1 is still playable. The GPU's workload increases with pixel count, and the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, though the Ultra preset at 4K dips below 80 FPS. The data suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU becomes relatively more important, but the Ryzen 5 5500's strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates high.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 721st out of 1632 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the 55.8th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning that roughly 44% of tested combos perform better, while 56% perform worse.

The rank of 721 out of 1632 reflects a balanced pairing where neither component severely bottlenecks the other. The Ryzen 5 5500's compute capabilities, as shown by its 79th percentile CPU rank, are complemented by the RTX 3070's 72nd percentile GPU rank. However, the combo rank of 721 is lower than either individual component's percentile, which suggests that the pairing may not extract the full potential of both parts in this specific game.

The measured FPS data indicates that at 1080p Low settings, the combo delivers 432.8 FPS, which is exceptionally high. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 75.1 FPS. These results are consistent with a mid-to-high-tier setup that can handle competitive play at high refresh rates but may require settings adjustments for 4K or Ultra quality. The combination's rank of 721 implies that there are many more powerful combos in the database, but this pairing still provides strong performance for the majority of players.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured rows provide clear guidance on which preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, all presets deliver playable frame rates, but the differences are substantial. The Low preset yields 432.8 FPS, while the Medium preset gives 360.9 FPS. The High preset produces 272.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 210.3 FPS.

For competitive play, where higher frame rates are prioritized, the Low preset at 1080p offers the highest refresh rate potential, exceeding 400 FPS. However, the Medium preset at 360.9 FPS still provides a significant competitive advantage and likely includes better visual fidelity. The High preset at 272.6 FPS is suitable for players with 240 Hz monitors, while the Ultra preset at 210.3 FPS is adequate for 144 Hz displays.

At 1440p, the Low preset delivers 290 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming. The Medium preset at 239.6 FPS is also strong, while the High preset at 181.3 FPS remains playable. The Ultra preset at 140.6 FPS is still smooth but may not maximize high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Low preset achieves 159.4 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for 240 Hz displays. The Medium preset at 135.8 FPS is also acceptable. The High preset drops to 102.2 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 75.1 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth competitive play on high-refresh-rate monitors.

The data suggests that the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p provides the best combination of visual quality and frame rate for most players. At 4K, the Low preset is recommended for those prioritizing frame rate, while the Medium preset is a viable alternative for better visuals without sacrificing playability.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The maximum average FPS is 432.8, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its nearest CPU rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500 has an average score of 20897, which is 0.1% higher than the Ryzen 5 5500's average score of 20875.

Q: What is the RTX 3070's ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 3070 ranks in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with High settings, the average FPS is 102.2.

Q: How much does the average FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 432.8 at 1080p to 159.4 at 4K, a reduction of 63.2%.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 721st out of 1632 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2.