Counter-Strike 2

# How This Combo Ranks

This combination of an AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 65th out of 1632 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations tested. This is a strong result that reflects the synergy between a modern 6-core Zen 4 processor and a high-end Blackwell GPU. The ranking indicates that this pairing is well-balanced for this particular FPS title, where high frame rates are the primary objective. The data shows that this combo outperforms the vast majority of tested systems, though it is not at the absolute top tier, where more powerful CPUs paired with the same GPU would likely sit.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 provides the graphical muscle for this pairing. It carries 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2295 MHz, with a boost clock of 2617 MHz. In the context of Counter-Strike 2, this memory capacity is more than sufficient; the game is not particularly VRAM-hungry at the tested settings. However, the sheer compute power of the RTX 5080, with its 10752 shading units and 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is what enables the extremely high frame rates observed. The GPU's 89th percentile ranking among all GPUs shows it is a top-tier part, and its PassMark G3D score of 36565 confirms its position. Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 5080 is 1.6% ahead of the Intel Arc A570M and 2.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A580, while trailing the Intel Arc Pro A60 by 1.9% in average benchmark score, though those are not direct performance peers in this game.

# Resolution Scaling

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern of CPU limitation at lower resolutions, transitioning to GPU limitation at 4K. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 711 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 470.9 FPS, a 33.8% decrease. At 4K Low, the average falls to 263.9 FPS, which is a 62.9% reduction from 1080p. This steep drop-off as resolution increases indicates that the CPU is holding back performance at 1080p, where the GPU has headroom, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises. For High settings, the pattern is similar: 444.7 FPS at 1080p, 296.3 FPS at 1440p (a 33.4% drop), and 164.7 FPS at 4K (a 63% drop from 1080p). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest a predictable scaling behavior, with the CPU bottleneck being most pronounced at 1080p Low where the GPU is least stressed.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across four resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 711 FPS, Medium yields 590.8 FPS, High delivers 444.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 347.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 363.9 FPS, which shows that even at the most demanding preset, the combo remains well above the refresh rates of typical high-end monitors.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 470.9 FPS for Low, 393.4 FPS for Medium, 296.3 FPS for High, and 225.6 FPS for Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by roughly one-third across all settings, which is a substantial but expected hit.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 263.9 FPS for Low, 221.9 FPS for Medium, 164.7 FPS for High, and 128 FPS for Ultra. At 4K, even the Low preset stays above 240 FPS, while Ultra still manages a playable 128 FPS average. This indicates that the combo can handle 4K gaming comfortably, though competitive players will likely prefer lower settings for maximum frame rates.

# FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 offers the highest frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 711 FPS. However, even at 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo maintains a 128 FPS average, so the choice depends on whether you prioritize frame rate or visual fidelity.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its closest rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 5080's average benchmark score of 59188 puts it 1.6% ahead of the Intel Arc A570M and 2.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A580, while being 1.9% behind the Intel Arc Pro A60. These deltas are from overall benchmarks, not specific Counter-Strike 2 results.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 8400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5080?

A: The data suggests the CPU does limit performance at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is 711 FPS. The drop to 470.9 FPS at 1440p Low (a 33.8% decrease) indicates the GPU becomes more relevant at higher resolutions, but the CPU's single-thread score of 2943 in Cinebench R23 suggests it is capable for this title.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, the difference is 363.9 FPS (711 vs 347.1). At 1440p, it is 245.3 FPS (470.9 vs 225.6). At 4K, it is 135.9 FPS (263.9 vs 128). The gap narrows as resolution increases, showing the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: Does the game run well at 4K with this combo?

A: Yes. The lowest 4K result is 128 FPS at Ultra settings, which is above the 120 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh displays. At 4K High, the average is 164.7 FPS, and at 4K Low it reaches 263.9 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 65th out of 1632 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the top 4% of all systems tested. This is a strong result, though not the absolute best, as there are 64 other combos with higher measured performance.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows that the Low preset at 1080p delivers the highest frame rate at 711 FPS, but this comes at the cost of visual quality. For competitive play, where frame rate is king, the Low preset at 1080p or 1440p is the optimal choice, delivering 711 FPS and 470.9 FPS respectively. The Medium preset offers a substantial visual improvement with only a moderate frame rate penalty: 590.8 FPS at 1080p and 393.4 FPS at 1440p. This represents the best balance for most players. The High preset is still excellent, with 444.7 FPS at 1080p and 296.3 FPS at 1440p, providing good visuals without dropping below 240 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding 347.1 FPS at 1080p and 225.6 FPS at 1440p, which remains playable but is overkill for a competitive FPS. At 4K, the Medium preset at 221.9 FPS is the recommended choice, as it offers a strong visual experience while staying above 200 FPS. The data indicates that the Medium preset at 1440p provides the best overall experience, balancing visual fidelity with a 393.4 FPS average that exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. It has a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are adequate for gaming workloads. In the context of Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's performance is critical, as the game is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance. The 8400F's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2943 and PassMark single-thread score of 3684 indicate strong per-core performance. Its multi-threaded capabilities are also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851. The CPU ranks in the 82nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25064. Compared to its nearest rivals, it is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 (-0.1%), while being 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F. The data shows that the CPU is capable of driving the RTX 5080 to very high frame rates, though the scaling from 1080p to 1440p suggests that the GPU begins to take over as the primary limiter at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 711 FPS result indicates that the CPU is still able to keep up with the GPU's demands, though the significant drop to 470.9 FPS at 1440p Low implies that the GPU is being utilized more fully as resolution increases.