Counter-Strike 2

The data for Counter-Strike 2 with the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Intel Arc B390 shows a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings reveal a clear pattern where the integrated GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, limiting the otherwise high-end CPU's potential.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating that the Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics are saturated early. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 179 at 1920x1080 to 118 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 61 FPS, and then further to 66 at 3840x2160. This represents a 63% decrease in average FPS from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, showing that the GPU's rendering capacity is quickly overwhelmed as pixel count increases.

At Medium settings, the scaling pattern is similar but with a slightly different curve. The average FPS drops from 149 at 1920x1080 to 98 at 2560x1440, and then to 55 at 3840x2160. The 4K result here shows a minimum FPS of 47 and a maximum of 63, which indicates some frame time variance, but the overall trend is a linear decline tied directly to resolution. High settings follow this same trajectory, with averages of 111, 73, and 41 FPS across the three resolutions.

Ultra settings produce the most dramatic scaling drop, starting at 86 FPS at 1080p, falling to 57 at 1440p, and collapsing to 32 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half of the 1080p High result, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor. The data suggests that the CPU is not the constraint here; if it were, the FPS would remain more stable across resolutions. Instead, the consistent decline with resolution points directly to the integrated GPU's fill rate and shading capacity being exhausted.

The delta between Low and Ultra at the same resolution also widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 93 FPS, while at 4K it is only 34 FPS. This compression of the settings gap at higher resolutions further proves that the GPU becomes the absolute bottleneck, as the additional workload from Ultra settings cannot be compensated for when the pixel throughput is already maxed out.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, using a 3 nm process node from Intel. Its clock speeds range from a base of 300 MHz to a boost of 2500 MHz, and it relies on system shared memory for both its frame buffer and bandwidth. This shared memory configuration means that the GPU's performance is inherently tied to the system's memory bandwidth, which is listed as system dependent, and the data shows this dependency clearly in the measured results.

The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its peak theoretical performance is 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, with a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s. These figures, while present in the spec sheet, translate into a percentile ranking of 9 among all tested GPUs, placing it in the bottom tier of performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score of 1482 confirms this positioning, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 and is 1.3% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which scores 1443 and is 2.7% behind.

The boost clock of 2500 MHz is relatively high for an integrated part, but it cannot compensate for the limited memory bandwidth and the low pixel rate. In Counter-Strike 2, this results in average FPS figures that are playable at lower resolutions and settings but fall well short of competitive standards at higher loads. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is particularly telling, as it shows the GPU struggling to maintain even a basic level of fluidity. The fact that the GPU's memory is system shared means that the CPU's dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is being shared between the two, which likely contributes to the performance degradation at higher resolutions where memory pressure increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver an average of 179 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. This is the only setting at 1080p that exceeds the 170 FPS threshold, making it the best choice for players prioritizing maximum frame rate. Medium settings at 1080p produce 149 FPS, which is still high but represents a 30 FPS penalty for the visual upgrade.

At 2560x1440, Low settings yield 118 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution that maintains a triple-digit average. High settings drop to 73 FPS, and Ultra falls to 57 FPS, making Low the only reasonable choice for smooth gameplay at 1440p. The 4K resolution is the most challenging, with Low settings producing 66 FPS and Medium dropping to 55 FPS. While these are technically playable, the 4K High result of 41 FPS and the Ultra result of 32 FPS are below the threshold for comfortable play.

The data suggests that Low settings are the default recommendation for any resolution above 1080p. The jump from Low to Medium at 4K costs 11 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 14 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 9 FPS. The relative cost of each settings tier is consistent, but the base performance at Low is already low enough that any reduction is significant. For 1080p, Medium settings offer a good balance, as the 149 FPS average is still well above the refresh rate of most monitors, and the 126 FPS minimum ensures no major dips.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset provides a comprehensive view of this combo's capabilities. At 1920x1080, Low settings achieve an average of 179 FPS, Medium settings achieve 149 FPS with a minimum of 126 and maximum of 171, High settings achieve 111 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 86 FPS. This shows a steady decline of roughly 30 FPS per settings tier, with the low-to-medium gap being the largest at 30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 118 FPS, Medium settings average 98 FPS with a minimum of 84 and maximum of 113, High settings average 73 FPS, and Ultra settings average 57 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 20 FPS, from Medium to High is 25 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 16 FPS. The Medium setting at 1440p has a tighter frame time distribution than at 1080p, with a 29 FPS spread between minimum and maximum, compared to a 45 FPS spread at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, Low settings average 66 FPS, Medium settings average 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 and maximum of 63, High settings average 41 FPS, and Ultra settings average 32 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is a 52 FPS drop, which is the largest single resolution step in the dataset. The 4K Medium setting shows a 16 FPS spread between minimum and maximum, indicating some stability, but the overall performance is marginal. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is the lowest measured value, and it is less than half of the 1080p High result.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global ranking for Counter-Strike 2, this combo sits at position 2535 out of 2870 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems, which is a poor result for a CPU that ranks in the 92nd percentile among all processors. The combo's rank is clearly dragged down by the GPU, as the CPU alone would suggest a much higher placement.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 58386, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M with a score of 58323 and a delta of 0.1%, the Intel Xeon w5-2545 with a score of 58504 and a delta of -0.2%, the Intel Core i9-14900 with a score of 58115 and a delta of 0.5%, and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 with a score of 58826 and a delta of -0.7%. These deltas are all within 1% of the 9850X3D, showing that the CPU is in a tightly contested performance tier.

The GPU, on the other hand, is in the 9th percentile overall, with its nearest rivals being the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, NVIDIA GeForce 800M, NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. All of these are older or entry-level parts, and the Arc B390's deltaPct against them ranges from 1.3% to 2.7%. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU results in the low 2535 rank, and the data shows that the GPU is the sole reason for this poor placement.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a 9000 series processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a large 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is a key feature for gaming performance.

The CPU's benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and a single-core score of 2228. The PassMark multi-thread score is 41318, and the single-thread score is 4704. These figures place the CPU in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 58386 is within 0.5% of the Intel Core i9-14900, which scores 58115. The CPU also supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and it has 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game logic. Given the GPU's low performance, the CPU is likely underutilized in most scenarios. The fact that the FPS scales down with resolution and settings, rather than staying flat, confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would be most stressed, the 179 FPS average is well below what this CPU could deliver with a stronger GPU. The 96 MB L3 cache is advantageous for gaming, but it cannot overcome the GPU's limitations in this specific configuration. The launch MSRP of $499 for this CPU underscores its high-end positioning, which makes the overall combo's low rank even more stark when compared to the GPU's entry-level performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings delivers the highest average FPS at 179, while 2560x1440 with Low settings is the only 1440p option above 100 FPS at 118. For 4K, Low settings are the only viable option, producing 66 FPS.

Q: Why does the FPS drop so much from 1080p to 4K?

A: The average FPS drops from 179 to 66 at Low settings, a 63% reduction. This is due to the Intel Arc B390's limited pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and its reliance on system shared memory, which becomes a bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2535 out of 2870 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2. This puts it in the bottom 12% of all systems, which is directly attributable to the GPU's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

Q: What is the CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an average benchmark score of 58386. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M, 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon w5-2545, 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-14900, and 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. The FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU, which ranks in the 92nd percentile, is not being fully utilized, as evidenced by the low frame rates even at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the maximum FPS measured for this combo?

A: The maximum average FPS is 179, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The highest minimum FPS recorded is 126, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, where the maximum FPS is 171.