Counter-Strike 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers exceptional performance in Counter-Strike 2, ranking in the 83rd percentile of all tested combinations for this title. The data shows a configuration that excels at high refresh rate gaming, with the CPU and GPU balancing each other well across all tested resolutions and settings, though the scaling patterns reveal that Counter-Strike 2 remains highly CPU-sensitive even at 4K Ultra.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 4 architecture, using the Phoenix codename on a 4 nm TSMC process node. Its base clock runs at 4.20 GHz with a boost clock reaching 4.70 GHz, and it carries a 65 W TDP. The processor features a 16 MB shared L3 cache with 1 MB L2 per core and 64 KB L1 per core. This CPU's benchmark profile places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 25005.

The nearest rival comparisons show this chip is tightly clustered with several other processors. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F scores 24964, which is 0.2% lower than the 8400F. The Intel Core i7-11850H scores 24935, 0.3% behind, while the Intel Core i7-13620H scores 24911, 0.4% behind. On the higher end, the AMD EPYC 9474F scores 25103, which is 0.4% ahead. This clustering indicates the 8400F's computational power is essentially on par with these rivals, making its performance in Counter-Strike 2 more about how the game utilizes its specific architecture rather than raw compute dominance.

In single-threaded workloads, which are critical for Counter-Strike 2's engine, the 8400F scores 951 in 3dmark_single_thread and 3685 in passmark_single_thread. The multi-threaded scores show a 3dmark_max_threads result of 6165 and a passmark_multithread score of 24389. The Cinebench R23 results reinforce this profile, with a single-core score of 2943 and multi-core of 20851. These numbers indicate strong per-core performance that matters for the game's primary thread, while the 6-core/12-thread configuration provides enough parallel capacity for background tasks and any multi-threaded game systems.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining the 1080p Low settings result, which achieves 587 average FPS. This extremely high frame rate at low resolution and settings suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with more frames than most displays can show. The spread between the Low settings 587 FPS and the High settings 364 FPS at 1080p shows a 223 FPS drop, indicating that while the CPU is strong, the game's draw calls and rendering overhead at higher settings begin to create a bottleneck. At 1080p Medium, the average sits at 487 FPS, while Ultra drops to 283 FPS, showing the CPU handles the additional rendering work but with diminishing returns as settings increase.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm TSMC process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock runs at 1980 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz, and memory operates at 1313 MHz for 21 Gbps effective speed. The card has 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, 80 ROPs, 56 ray tracing cores, and 224 tensor cores. Its pixel rate is 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate is 554.4 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance rated at 35.48 TFLOPS. The TDP is 220 W, and it uses a single 16-pin power connector with a suggested 550 W power supply.

In the GPU benchmark hierarchy, the RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 43223. The nearest rivals show it performing nearly identically to several other cards. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB scores 43262, just 0.1% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43268, also 0.1% higher. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 scores 43301, 0.2% higher, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 43667, which is 1% higher. This tight clustering means the 4070 SUPER's gaming performance in Counter-Strike 2 is representative of a broad class of high-end GPUs.

The GPU's 12 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for Counter-Strike 2, a game known for its modest texture and geometry requirements. The measured FPS data confirms this, as even at 4K Ultra settings, the configuration achieves 105 FPS average, which suggests the GPU is not running into memory limitations that would cause severe frame drops or stuttering. The 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provides ample headroom for the game's asset streaming, and the 21 Gbps effective memory speed ensures high throughput for the rendering pipeline.

The GPU's role in this game becomes more apparent at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 135, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 105. This 30 FPS difference between High and Ultra at 4K indicates the GPU is handling the increased shading and post-processing load, but the game remains playable at both settings. The 4K Low result of 217 FPS shows that when the GPU's workload is reduced, the CPU becomes the limiting factor, as the frame rate cannot scale proportionally with the reduced rendering demands.

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

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear pattern of CPU limitation at lower resolutions and GPU limitation at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the configuration achieves 587 FPS, which drops to 388 FPS at 1440p Low and 217 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 63% drop from 1080p to 4K. The substantial drop at 1440p suggests the GPU is becoming more involved, but the 4K Low result still shows very high frame rates, indicating the CPU can maintain a strong frame delivery even when the GPU has more pixels to process.

The High settings row shows a different scaling pattern. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 364, dropping to 241 at 1440p High and 135 at 4K High. This represents a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 63% drop from 1080p to 4K, mirroring the Low settings percentages. The consistency in these percentage drops across settings suggests the resolution scaling is primarily GPU-bound, as the rendering load increases proportionally with pixel count.

The Medium settings row provides additional detail with minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 487 FPS with a minimum of 414 and maximum of 561. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 323 FPS with minimum 274 and maximum 371. At 4K Medium, the average is 180 FPS with minimum 153 and maximum 207. The frame time consistency, as indicated by the spread between min and max, remains stable across resolutions, suggesting neither component is causing severe stuttering or frame pacing issues.

The Ultra settings row shows the most significant GPU influence. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 283, dropping to 187 at 1440p Ultra and 105 at 4K Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 105 FPS is still perfectly playable for competitive gaming, but the scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a 63% reduction, consistent with the other settings. This uniformity across all four settings presets indicates that the Ryzen 5 8400F maintains consistent frame delivery, and the RTX 4070 SUPER's performance scales predictably with resolution, with the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this configuration achieves in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 587, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the CPU and GPU combination can push frame rates far beyond typical display refresh rates at lower settings.

Q: Does this system maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the configuration achieves an average of 105 FPS. While this is the lowest measured result, it remains above the 100 FPS threshold that competitive players generally consider acceptable.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The 8400F scores 25005 on average, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F at 24964, 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-11850H at 24935, and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-13620H at 24911. It trails the AMD EPYC 9474F by 0.4%, which scores 25103.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 587 FPS while Ultra settings produce 283 FPS, a difference of 304 FPS. This shows the significant rendering overhead of Ultra settings, which the GPU handles but at the cost of raw frame rate.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM on the RTX 4070 SUPER cause any issues in this game?

A: No, the measured data shows no signs of VRAM-related stuttering or frame drops. Even at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS of 105 with no reported minimum FPS data suggests the 12 GB capacity is sufficient for Counter-Strike 2's requirements.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER significantly faster than its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER scores 43223 on average, which is 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB at 43262 and 0.1% lower than the RTX 5050 Mobile at 43268. It trails the Quadro M6000 by 0.2% and the RTX 4090 Mobile by 1%, meaning performance is essentially equivalent across these cards.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 628th out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the configuration in the top 17% of all tested systems, which is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank of 628 out of 3719 means that approximately 3091 combinations perform worse in this game, while 627 perform better.

This ranking position reflects the balance between the two components. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking and the GPU's 83rd percentile ranking combine to produce a system that is more capable than the majority of tested hardware. The 628th rank suggests that systems with higher-end CPUs, such as those with more cores or higher single-thread performance, may achieve better results, but the 8400F's performance is sufficient to avoid being a significant bottleneck.

The data indicates that this combo is particularly well-suited for Counter-Strike 2's demanding frame rate requirements. The 83rd percentile GPU performance combined with the 77th percentile CPU performance creates a system that can handle the game's competitive settings at high refresh rates. The 4K Ultra result of 105 FPS shows that even at maximum settings and resolution, the system remains above the threshold for smooth gameplay, while the 1080p Low result of 587 FPS demonstrates the ceiling of this configuration's capability.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's display and performance priorities. For competitive play on 1080p displays, the Low settings preset at 587 FPS provides the highest frame rates, which is ideal for players using high refresh rate monitors that can take advantage of such extreme frame counts. The Medium preset at 487 FPS also offers excellent performance with improved visual quality, and the minimum FPS of 414 ensures no significant drops during intense action.

For 1440p users, the High settings preset at 241 FPS offers the best balance between visual fidelity and performance. This frame rate exceeds the refresh rate of most 1440p monitors, and the visual improvements over Medium are noticeable. The Medium preset at 323 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize maximum frame rates, while the Ultra preset at 187 FPS still provides smooth gameplay for those who want the best visuals.

At 4K resolution, the High settings preset at 135 FPS is the recommended choice for most players, as it provides a smooth experience that exceeds the 120 Hz refresh rate common on many 4K displays. The Medium preset at 180 FPS offers even higher performance, but the visual reduction may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 105 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for competitive play where higher frame rates provide an advantage. The Low preset at 217 FPS is suitable for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, but the visual quality reduction is significant.

The data shows that the Medium settings preset provides the most consistent frame delivery across all resolutions, with the minimum FPS values remaining within 15% of the average. For users who want a stable experience without frame drops, Medium settings is the safest choice. For those who want maximum visual quality, High settings at 1440p or 4K provides an excellent compromise between visuals and performance.