Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 with the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 1719th out of 2870 tested combos in this database, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the field. That rank reflects a pairing where the CPU is a top-tier mobile part but the GPU sits near the middle of the pack in overall benchmark standings. The combo’s position is not an indictment of raw capability—the measured frame rates are consistently high—but rather a function of the database containing many desktop-class and higher-end mobile configurations that outpace this laptop-oriented pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo occupies the 1719th position out of 2870 possible combinations, which translates to approximately the 40th percentile of all tested pairings. This is a middling rank for a setup that delivers playable frame rates at every tested resolution, but the ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU’s relative standing. The RTX 4060 sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is at the 95th percentile among all processors. That asymmetry—a top-tier CPU paired with a mid-tier GPU—explains why the combo does not break into the upper echelons of the rankings.

Benchmark results indicate the CPU is the dominant component in this pairing. The Ryzen 9 8945HX posts an average benchmark score of 76212, sitting within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 0.1% of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX. In practical terms, the CPU is effectively tied with those rivals in synthetic tests. The GPU, by contrast, posts an average benchmark score of 17639, which places it just 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M and 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7790. That is not a flattering comparison for the RTX 4060, as it suggests the GPU’s synthetic performance is comparable to integrated graphics on some modern chips.

GPU Role

The RTX 4060 comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clocks at 2125 MHz, which translates to 17 Gbps effective. These specifications are modest for a discrete GPU, and the 128-bit bus width is a limiting factor for bandwidth-heavy workloads. The GPU’s boost clock reaches 2460 MHz, which helps offset some of the memory constraints in lighter titles like Counter-Strike 2.

For this specific game, the GPU is rarely the bottleneck. The measured frame rates show that even at 4K Ultra settings, the combo maintains an average of 61 FPS, which is playable but not smooth for competitive play. Drop to 4K Low and the average jumps to 126 FPS, indicating that the GPU has headroom when settings are reduced. The GPU’s 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is sufficient for CS2’s engine, which is not particularly demanding by modern standards.

The GPU’s percentile ranking of 61st among all GPUs suggests it is a competent but not exceptional performer. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include integrated graphics like the Radeon 780M, which underscores that the RTX 4060’s strength lies more in consistent real-world performance than in raw compute numbers. In CS2, the measured data shows the GPU delivers smooth results at 1080p and 1440p, with the 4K Ultra preset being the only configuration that dips toward the edge of playability.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 341 FPS, which is far beyond what any display can show, making it a waste of potential. The Medium preset at 1080p produces 283 FPS average with a minimum of 240 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. The High preset at 1080p averages 211 FPS, and Ultra averages 164 FPS. For competitive play, where frame rate consistency matters more than visual fidelity, Medium at 1080p is the optimal balance—it provides 283 FPS average with a minimum of 240 FPS, ensuring the frame rate never dips below the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 187 FPS with a minimum of 159 FPS, which remains highly playable. The High preset at 1440p averages 140 FPS, which is also acceptable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 1440p averages 225 FPS, but the visual compromise is unnecessary given that Medium provides a much better image with only a 38 FPS average reduction.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that maintains a consistent experience above the 60 FPS threshold. High at 4K averages 78 FPS, while Ultra drops to 61 FPS average. The data indicates that Medium is the sweet spot across all resolutions, providing the best combination of frame rate and visual quality without pushing the GPU to its limits.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Counter-Strike 2 at 4K?

A: Yes. At 4K Medium, the combo averages 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 61 FPS, which is still technically playable but leaves minimal headroom for frame time spikes.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. It is effectively tied with both in synthetic performance.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Low averages 341 FPS while Ultra averages 164 FPS. That is a 177 FPS difference, or roughly 52% lower performance when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Does the GPU bottleneck the system in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at higher settings. At 4K Ultra, the combo only reaches 61 FPS average, while at 4K Low it hits 126 FPS. This 65 FPS swing with identical CPU indicates the GPU is responsible for the performance ceiling.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 89 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This is still above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 1719th out of 2870 tested combos, placing it in the 40th percentile. The ranking is dragged down by the GPU’s mid-tier standing despite the CPU being in the 95th percentile.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows a clear pattern of performance scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo averages 341 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 225 FPS, a 34% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 126 FPS, which is a 63% reduction from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is increasingly stressed as resolution climbs, but the CPU remains capable of feeding it frames throughout.

For Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 283 FPS at 1080p, 187 FPS at 1440p, and 105 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 4K drop is 63%, nearly identical to the Low preset drop. This consistency suggests that the GPU’s fillrate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints at higher resolutions, rather than any CPU limitation.

The High preset shows 211 FPS at 1080p, 140 FPS at 1440p, and 78 FPS at 4K—a 63% reduction from 1080p to 4K as well. Ultra follows the same pattern: 164 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K, a 63% drop. The uniform scaling across all presets points to the GPU being the limiting component at every resolution above 1080p, with the CPU providing consistent frame delivery throughout.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, running on the Dragon Range codename. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with 64 MB of L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores are impressive: it posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030. These numbers place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, reflecting its position as a high-end mobile part.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU’s role is to maintain high frame rates by feeding the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates. The measured data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 341 FPS average, which is far beyond what the GPU can render at higher settings. This suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck even at the lowest settings, where frame rates are highest. The CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads provide ample headroom for CS2’s single-threaded engine, and the 5.40 GHz boost clock ensures that single-core performance is maximized.

The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, posts an average score of 76155, which is just 0.1% lower than the Ryzen 9 8945HX. This near-tie in synthetic benchmarks translates to similar real-world performance in CPU-bound scenarios. However, in CS2, the measured frame rates are consistently high regardless of settings, indicating that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. The GPU’s mid-tier status is what prevents the combo from achieving even higher frame rates at 4K Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 341 FPS, with Medium at 283 FPS (minimum 240, maximum 325). High settings average 211 FPS, and Ultra drops to 164 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 177 FPS, showing that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution even with the most demanding preset.

At 2560x1440, performance scales downward. Low averages 225 FPS, Medium averages 187 FPS (minimum 159, maximum 215), High averages 140 FPS, and Ultra averages 109 FPS. The minimum FPS of 159 at Medium settings is still well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on 1440p monitors, making this a viable configuration for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low averages 126 FPS, Medium averages 105 FPS (minimum 89, maximum 120), High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 61 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only tested configuration that dips to the edge of playability, with the average sitting just above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 4K provides the best balance, with a minimum of 89 FPS ensuring consistent frame delivery even in demanding scenes.

The data across all resolutions shows that the combo is capable of high frame rates in CS2, but the GPU’s 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus become increasingly taxed at higher resolutions. The measured FPS breakdown confirms that 1080p Medium is the most balanced configuration, offering 283 FPS average with a 240 FPS minimum, while 4K Ultra is the only setting that approaches the limits of playability.