Counter-Strike 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. In Counter-Strike 2, a title known for its reliance on single-thread performance, the CPU’s 3dmark_single_thread score of 836 and its Cinebench R23 single-core result of 2319 points indicate a strong foundation for high frame rates. However, the benchmark data reveals a more complex story: the CPU’s average benchmark score of 20875 places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, scoring 20897 (a delta of -0.1%). This suggests that while the processor is capable, it is not a top-tier performer, and its 16 MB of L3 cache may become a limiting factor in a game like Counter-Strike 2 that benefits from rapid data access. The 65 W TDP and the DDR4 memory support with a 51.2 GB/s bandwidth further define the platform’s capabilities, which appear to be sufficient for competitive play but not for pushing the absolute highest refresh rates.

The interaction between the CPU and the GPU is particularly telling when examining the measured FPS across different resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 613.3 FPS, which is a massive number, but it’s also an indicator that the CPU is working near its limit. At 4K with Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 117.7 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is now the primary bottleneck. This shift in bottleneck is typical, but the magnitude of the difference — a drop of over 80% from the 1080p Low result — highlights how the Ryzen 5 5500’s compute capabilities can hold back the RTX 4080 SUPER in less demanding scenarios, while the GPU takes over as the resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS recorded for this CPU and GPU combo in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 613.3 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration that breaks the 600 FPS barrier in the measured data.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, in terms of overall CPU benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 20875, which is essentially tied with the Intel Core i5-12500’s score of 20897, showing a negligible delta of -0.1%. This indicates they are near-identical in general processing power.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the frame rate drop below 120 FPS for the first time?

A: The first configuration to drop below 120 FPS is at 3840x2160 (4K) resolution with Ultra settings, where the average FPS is 117.7. This is the only measured scenario that falls below the 120 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking compared to all other GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53610. This places it ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which has a score of 53489 and a delta of 0.2%.

Q: How much of a performance gap exists between the Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS with Low settings is 444.2, while Ultra settings yield 215 FPS. This represents a significant drop of 229.2 FPS, or roughly 52%, when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance at 1080p Low settings suggest it is a bottleneck?

A: Yes, the data suggests a CPU bottleneck at 1080p Low. The frame rate of 613.3 FPS is exceptionally high, but the CPU’s single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 836) and the fact that the GPU is underutilized at this low resolution point to the processor limiting the maximum achievable FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and dramatic scaling pattern as resolution increases, which reveals the changing roles of the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 613.3 FPS, a figure so high that it almost certainly exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low settings, the average FPS drops to 444.2, a reduction of 169.1 FPS (about 27.6%). At 3840x2160, the Low settings result is 250.1 FPS, which is a further drop of 194.1 FPS (about 43.7%) from the 1440p result. This pattern indicates that the GPU is beginning to take on more work as the pixel count increases, but the CPU is still able to feed it enough data to maintain very high frame rates.

However, the scaling becomes more pronounced when looking at the High and Ultra presets. At High settings, the frame rates are 415.7 FPS at 1080p, 276 FPS at 1440p, and 153.9 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is a substantial 261.8 FPS (about 63%). For Ultra settings, the trend is even steeper: 323.1 FPS at 1080p, 215 FPS at 1440p, and 117.7 FPS at 4K. The data implies that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at lower resolutions to the GPU at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU’s 6-core/12-thread configuration and its 3dmark_16_threads score of 5386 are likely the ceiling. At 4K Ultra, the GPU’s 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory are being taxed to the point where the average FPS falls below the 120 FPS mark, indicating a clear GPU bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is ranked 129th out of 1632 combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the combo in the top 8% of all tested configurations, which is an impressive feat given the CPU’s mid-range positioning. The ranking is likely buoyed by the GPU’s exceptional performance, as the RTX 4080 SUPER sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, while not a top-tier chip, is not a significant drag on the overall result, as its 79th percentile ranking is still respectable.

The delta between the CPU and its nearest rivals is minimal, with the Intel Core i5-12500 (20897 avg score) and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE (20900 avg score) both within 0.1% of the Ryzen 5 5500. This suggests that swapping in a slightly different mid-range CPU would not materially change the combo’s ranking. The bottleneck analysis, however, is more nuanced. At 1080p, the CPU’s performance is the limiting factor, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. This means the combo’s rank of 129 is likely a reflection of its strong performance at higher resolutions, where the GPU can shine, rather than at lower resolutions where the CPU holds it back.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is provided across three resolutions and four settings, offering a comprehensive view of the combo’s capabilities. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 613.3 FPS, Medium averages 554.4 FPS, High averages 415.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 323.1 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 290.2 FPS, which is a significant 47.3% reduction, but all results are far above the 240 Hz refresh rate that many competitive players target.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down as expected: Low averages 444.2 FPS, Medium averages 369.8 FPS, High averages 276 FPS, and Ultra averages 215 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 229.2 FPS, a 51.6% reduction. This resolution still provides excellent performance for high-refresh-rate monitors, with even the Ultra preset exceeding 200 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a more pronounced impact from the GPU’s workload: Low averages 250.1 FPS, Medium averages 204.3 FPS, High averages 153.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 117.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only one that falls below the 120 FPS mark, which is a critical threshold for many gamers. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 132.4 FPS, a 52.9% reduction, showing that the GPU’s 16 GB of memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are being heavily utilized at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p monitor running at 240 Hz or 360 Hz, the High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers 415.7 FPS, which is well above any consumer monitor’s refresh rate, while providing significantly better visual quality than the Low or Medium presets. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 323.1 FPS, which is still excellent, but the marginal visual improvement over High is often not worth the 92.6 FPS performance hit.

For 1440p users with a 240 Hz monitor, the High preset is again the best balance, offering 276 FPS. This is comfortably above the 240 Hz threshold, and the drop to Ultra (215 FPS) might be acceptable for those prioritizing visual fidelity, but it risks dipping below the monitor’s max refresh rate. For 4K users, the situation is more challenging. The High preset averages 153.9 FPS, which is suitable for a 144 Hz monitor, but the Ultra preset’s 117.7 FPS is below the 120 FPS mark. For a smooth 4K experience, the Medium preset at 204.3 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a high frame rate with better visual quality than Low. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for most users across all resolutions, unless they are pushing for the absolute maximum FPS at 1080p, where the Low preset’s 613.3 FPS is the only way to get close to the CPU’s limit.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed in the data. With 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, the GPU is a powerhouse for rasterization. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for handling high-resolution textures and geometry. The GPU’s boost clock of 2550 MHz and its 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are the key drivers behind the 4K results, where the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

The GPU’s role is particularly evident when examining the 4K Ultra result of 117.7 FPS. This is the only measured scenario where the frame rate falls below 120 FPS, showing that even a top-tier GPU like the RTX 4080 SUPER is challenged by the combination of high resolution and maximum settings in Counter-Strike 2. The GPU’s 88th percentile ranking and its average benchmark score of 53610, which is 2.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, confirm its high-end status. However, the data also shows that at lower resolutions, the GPU is often underutilized. At 1080p Low, the 613.3 FPS result confirms the CPU’s limitations rather than the GPU’s capabilities, as the GPU is likely idling while waiting for the CPU to process game logic. This imbalance is a key insight from the benchmark data: the RTX 4080 SUPER is capable of far more than this CPU can deliver at lower resolutions, but at 4K, it is the component that defines the performance envelope.