Counter-Strike 2

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 secures the 237th position out of 3,719 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the top 6.4% of all recorded configurations. This is a strong result that reflects the synergy between a high-end GPU and a recent 8-core processor, though the ranking also shows that more extreme combos exist above it. The percentile data for the individual components reinforces this: the CPU sits at the 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, meaning the CPU is relatively stronger than the GPU within their respective pools. In the context of this game, which is known for favoring high CPU clock speeds, the 9700F’s positioning appears to boost the overall combo more than the RTX 4080’s raw graphics power alone would suggest. The measured FPS at every resolution and setting is well above playable thresholds, so the ranking understates the practical experience; the combo is not just functional but exceptionally responsive. Compared to other pairs in the database, this rank indicates that only 236 combinations deliver higher average frame rates in CS2, a title where high refresh rates are the primary competitive advantage. The data shows a configuration that leaves little on the table for the vast majority of users, with the only potential gains coming from even more expensive CPUs or newer GPU architectures. The delta between this combo and the top of the list is not quantified here, but the absolute FPS figures in the following sections will clarify just how much headroom remains.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using the AD103 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. Its memory subsystem consists of 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Counter-Strike 2’s relatively modest texture and asset requirements. The GPU’s clocks are set to a base of 2205 MHz and a boost of 2505 MHz, with memory running at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective). These specifications, combined with 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, translate to a pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s. In Counter-Strike 2, the RTX 4080’s role is less about brute force and more about maintaining high frame rates at high resolutions without breaking a sweat. The measured data indicates that even at 4K Ultra, the combo averages 120 FPS, which is far above the 60 FPS standard and close to the 144 Hz sweet spot for many monitors. The GPU’s compute capabilities, including 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 304 tensor cores, are far beyond what this game uses, but they ensure that any future updates or more demanding titles will still be handled competently. The PassMark G3D score of 34,457 and a GPU compute score of 20,671 place it at the 86th percentile, with nearest rivals like the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% higher average score) and the Radeon Pro W5700X (1.1% lower) indicating that the 4080 is at the top of its immediate performance tier. For CS2 specifically, the 16 GB VRAM is never a limiting factor, as the game’s engine does not require large frame buffers, and the high bandwidth ensures that even at 4K with Ultra settings, there is no stutter from memory pressure.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling across resolutions, with the most significant drops occurring at 4K. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 674 FPS, which drops to 446 FPS at 1440p Low (a 33.8% reduction) and further to 249 FPS at 4K Low (a 63.1% reduction from 1080p). This scaling is expected but noteworthy: the CPU becomes less of a bottleneck as resolution increases, and the GPU takes over the workload. The fact that 4K Low still produces 249 FPS indicates that the RTX 4080 is not the limiting factor even at the highest resolution; rather, the engine’s draw call overhead and the CPU’s single-thread performance are what cap the frame rate. This is confirmed by the High settings, where 1080p yields 418 FPS, 1440p yields 277 FPS, and 4K yields 155 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is 62.9%, almost identical to the Low setting drop, suggesting that the GPU is not struggling with the increased pixel count but rather that the whole pipeline is scaling linearly with resolution. The Medium settings show a similar trend: 560 FPS at 1080p, 371 FPS at 1440p, and 207 FPS at 4K, with the 4K figure being 63.0% lower than 1080p. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, shows 325 FPS at 1080p, 215 FPS at 1440p, and 120 FPS at 4K, a 63.1% drop from 1080p to 4K. This consistency across all settings—roughly a 63% reduction from 1080p to 4K—strongly indicates that the limiting component is not the GPU but the CPU’s ability to feed it. At 1080p, the CPU is the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the 674 FPS ceiling on Low settings; at 4K, the GPU is more engaged, but the FPS does not collapse as it would if the GPU were the sole constraint. The data supports a conclusion that this combo is balanced, with the Ryzen 7 9700F’s 5.50 GHz boost clock being the key enabler for high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, while the RTX 4080 ensures that 4K remains highly playable.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target display refresh rate, but the data overwhelmingly favors Medium and High presets for the best balance of visual quality and frame rate. At 4K, the Medium preset delivers an average of 207 FPS with a minimum of 176 FPS and a maximum of 238 FPS, which is the only 4K setting with a recorded minimum FPS, indicating that it maintains consistent performance without major dips. The High preset at 4K averages 155 FPS, which is still excellent but below the 207 FPS of Medium; the Ultra preset drops to 120 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. For users with 1440p monitors, the Medium preset again stands out with 371 FPS (min 315, max 426), providing a massive headroom above 240 Hz displays. The High preset at 1440p yields 277 FPS, which is also suitable, but Medium offers a 34% improvement in average FPS with minimal visual downgrade in a fast-paced game like CS2. At 1080p, the Medium preset produces 560 FPS (min 476, max 644), which is more than any current 500 Hz monitor can display, making High (418 FPS) or even Ultra (325 FPS) more sensible choices for those seeking maximum image quality. The Low preset at 1080p produces 674 FPS, but this will not be visible on any consumer display, so it is not recommended. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for all resolutions, as it provides the highest average FPS with a recorded minimum that ensures smoothness, while the visual fidelity loss from High is minimal in CS2’s art style. For 4K users, the jump from Medium (207 FPS) to High (155 FPS) is a 25% reduction, but both are above 144 Hz, so the choice depends on whether the user prioritizes frame rate or visual detail. The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K, as the 120 FPS average is below the threshold for high-refresh competitive play. Overall, the recommended preset is Medium, with High as a viable alternative for those who prefer sharper textures and shadows.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates, with the Low preset averaging 674 FPS, Medium averaging 560 FPS (minimum 476, maximum 644), High averaging 418 FPS, and Ultra averaging 325 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 349 FPS, indicating that the CPU and GPU both have significant headroom, but the CPU’s single-thread performance is the primary limiter at this resolution. The Medium preset’s minimum of 476 FPS shows that even in heavy scenes, the frame rate stays well above 400 FPS, making it ideal for 360 Hz monitors. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 446 FPS, Medium averages 371 FPS (minimum 315, maximum 426), High averages 277 FPS, and Ultra averages 215 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 34% across all settings, which is consistent with the increased pixel workload. The Medium preset at 1440p is particularly strong, with a minimum of 315 FPS that guarantees smooth gameplay on 240 Hz displays. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 249 FPS, Medium averages 207 FPS (minimum 176, maximum 238), High averages 155 FPS, and Ultra averages 120 FPS. The 4K Medium preset is the standout, as it is the only 4K row with a recorded minimum (176 FPS), suggesting that the frame pacing is consistent and there are no sudden drops below 144 Hz. The High preset at 4K drops to 155 FPS, which is still above 144 Hz, but the Ultra preset at 120 FPS is the first row to fall below the 144 Hz threshold, making it less suitable for competitive play. Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently offers the best combination of average FPS and minimum FPS, with the 4K Medium row being the only one at that resolution with a recorded minimum, indicating superior stability. The data shows that this combo can handle any resolution, but the frame rate ceiling is highest at 1080p, where the CPU is the bottleneck, and lowest at 4K, where the GPU becomes more relevant but still does not cap performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC with 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W, and it supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. In Counter-Strike 2, which is heavily dependent on single-thread performance, the 9700F’s 5.50 GHz boost clock is the most critical specification, as it allows the game’s main thread to execute as fast as possible. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,691 is high, and the multithread score of 36,470 shows that the CPU is also capable of handling background tasks without affecting game performance. The CPU’s percentile rank of 94 among all CPUs places it just above the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% higher average score) and just below the Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% lower), with the Ryzen 9 7950X (0.7% higher) and i7-14700K (0.9% higher) also in close contention. This tight grouping indicates that the 9700F is at the top tier of consumer CPUs for gaming, and its performance in CS2 is directly reflected in the high frame rates, particularly at 1080p. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (674 FPS) is a direct result of the CPU’s ability to process game logic and render commands quickly, while the GPU is still waiting for instructions. At higher resolutions, the CPU’s role diminishes, but the 9700F still ensures that the RTX 4080 is never starved of data, as evidenced by the 4K Low FPS of 249, which is still far above what most other CPUs could deliver. The 65 W TDP is notable because it shows that this level of performance is achieved with remarkable power efficiency, although the database does not provide power consumption figures for the combo. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking and its close rival deltas confirm that it is a top-choice processor for this game, and its 16 threads provide future-proofing for games that utilize more cores.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo’s rank in Counter-Strike 2, and how many combinations are there?

A: The combo ranks 237th out of 3,719 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.4% of all configurations.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved at 1080p, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS at 1080p is 674, achieved with the Low preset. The Medium preset yields 560 FPS, High yields 418 FPS, and Ultra yields 325 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM become a limiting factor in CS2?

A: No, the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is never a limiting factor in this game. The data shows consistent frame rates even at 4K Ultra, indicating no memory pressure issues.

Q: At which resolution does the CPU become more of a bottleneck than the GPU?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is the primary bottleneck, as shown by the 674 FPS ceiling on Low settings. At 4K, the GPU takes on more work, but the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is consistently around 63%, indicating the CPU still plays a significant role.

Q: What is the recommended settings preset for the best experience?

A: The Medium preset is recommended across all resolutions, as it provides the highest average FPS with a recorded minimum FPS (e.g., 207 FPS avg and 176 FPS min at 4K), ensuring smooth and stable performance.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F compare to its nearest rival CPUs in average benchmark score?

A: The 9700F’s average benchmark score is 69,996. It is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875), 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163), 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515), and 0.9% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700K (69,355).