Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 on the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested settings and resolutions. The measured data shows this pairing is positioned for competitive and high-refresh-rate play, with the most balanced experience appearing at Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the combo produces 460 FPS average with a minimum of 391 FPS and a maximum of 529 FPS, indicating strong consistency. Moving to 1440p Medium yields 305 FPS average with a 259 FPS minimum and 350 FPS maximum, which remains well above typical high-refresh display thresholds. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 170 FPS, still maintaining a 145 FPS minimum and 196 FPS maximum. The Low preset pushes performance dramatically higher, reaching 554 FPS at 1080p, 367 FPS at 1440p, and 205 FPS at 4K, but the lack of min/max data for Low makes consistency harder to assess. High settings provide a middle ground, with 344 FPS at 1080p, 228 FPS at 1440p, and 127 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most demanding, yielding 267 FPS at 1080p, 177 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K. Given that Medium is the only preset with min and max FPS recorded across all three resolutions, it offers the clearest picture of frame pacing, and its averages remain high enough for any competitive scenario. Therefore, Medium is the recommended preset for the best balance of visual quality and performance consistency.

Settings Recommendations

The data supports Medium as the optimal preset for this CPU-GPU pairing in Counter-Strike 2. The reasoning is straightforward: Medium is the only settings tier where minimum and maximum FPS values are provided for every resolution, allowing a reliable assessment of frame stability. At 1080p Medium, the 460 FPS average sits far above the 267 FPS average of Ultra, while the 391 FPS minimum still exceeds the average of Ultra at the same resolution. This means Medium not only delivers higher peak performance but also keeps the lowest frames well above what Ultra can sustain on average. At 1440p, the pattern repeats: Medium averages 305 FPS with a 259 FPS floor, while Ultra averages 177 FPS with no reported minimum, suggesting potential dips below that level. At 4K, Medium’s 170 FPS average and 145 FPS minimum remain playable, whereas Ultra’s 99 FPS average falls below the 100 FPS threshold that many competitive players consider a baseline for smooth motion.

High settings offer a compromise for those prioritizing visual fidelity over raw frame rates. At 1080p High, the 344 FPS average is still substantial, and at 1440p High, 228 FPS remains high. However, at 4K High, the 127 FPS average drops noticeably compared to Medium’s 170 FPS, and no min/max data exists to confirm stability. Low settings maximize performance, with the 554 FPS average at 1080p standing as the highest measured value in the entire dataset, but the absence of min/max figures means frame-time spikes cannot be ruled out. For a game like Counter-Strike 2, where consistent frame delivery matters more than peak numbers, Medium’s documented 391 FPS minimum at 1080p and 259 FPS minimum at 1440p provide the strongest evidence of dependable performance. Ultra, while visually the most demanding, sacrifices too much frame rate for a competitive shooter, especially considering the 99 FPS average at 4K.

The recommendation is not about maximizing any single metric but about selecting the preset where the measured data shows the best combination of high averages and acceptable lows. Medium delivers that across all resolutions, making it the default choice for this configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 plays a decisive role in Counter-Strike 2’s performance at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the game’s needs, even at 4K Ultra. The data shows that as resolution increases, the frame rate drops substantially, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the 554 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them, but at 4K Ultra, the 99 FPS average indicates the GPU is working at its limit. The GPU’s boost clock of 2407 MHz and base clock of 2017 MHz, combined with 21,760 shading units, allow it to handle the game’s rendering workload efficiently. The RTX 5090’s 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is a key factor in sustaining high frame rates at 1440p and 4K, where the difference between Low and Ultra settings becomes more pronounced.

The memory configuration is particularly relevant for Counter-Strike 2, as the game can benefit from large frame buffers at high resolutions and texture settings. The 32 GB capacity ensures that even at 4K Ultra, there is no risk of VRAM limitations affecting performance. The measured FPS drops from 205 FPS at 4K Low to 99 FPS at 4K Ultra, a reduction that aligns with the increased shading and texture work demanded by higher settings. The GPU’s 680 texture mapping units and 176 render output units contribute to the pixel and texture rates of 423.6 GPixel/s and 1,636.8 GTexel/s, respectively. These specifications explain why the RTX 5090 can maintain 170 FPS at 4K Medium, which is a demanding workload for most GPUs. The GPU’s percentile ranking of 92 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842, places it in the upper tier of graphics hardware, and the measured game data confirms this standing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 557 out of 2,870 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the top 19.4% of all configurations. This rank reflects the overall performance across all settings and resolutions, weighted by the measured FPS data. The rank is notable because it places this mobile CPU and high-end GPU pairing above the vast majority of systems, though not at the absolute top. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 76,212 places it at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU’s average score of 79,842 places it at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs. When combined, these strong individual performances translate into a competitive gaming result, but the 557th rank suggests that some combinations with desktop-class CPUs or even more optimized pairings achieve higher frame rates.

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX scores 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX in average benchmark score, and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. However, it trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by 0.4%. These small percentage differences indicate that the CPU’s performance is in a tight cluster with other high-end processors, and the game’s rank is more likely influenced by the GPU and overall system configuration. For the GPU, the RTX 5090 scores 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 0.6% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, but it is 1.1% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and 1.4% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X. These rival deltas are minimal, suggesting that the RTX 5090’s performance in synthetic benchmarks is comparable to several other high-end GPUs, yet in Counter-Strike 2, the measured FPS indicates strong real-world results. The combo rank of 557 out of 2,870 is a meaningful metric because it situates this specific pairing within the broader database, showing that it outperforms roughly 80% of all tested combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Counter-Strike 2 reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves the highest average at 554 FPS, followed by Medium at 460 FPS, High at 344 FPS, and Ultra at 267 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p also reports a minimum of 391 FPS and a maximum of 529 FPS, providing a 138 FPS range between the lowest and highest frames. At 2560x1440, Low averages 367 FPS, Medium averages 305 FPS with a 259 FPS minimum and 350 FPS maximum, High averages 228 FPS, and Ultra averages 177 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces frame rates by 33.7% on Low, 33.7% on Medium, 33.7% on High, and 33.7% on Ultra, showing a consistent proportional drop. At 3840x2160, Low averages 205 FPS, Medium averages 170 FPS with a 145 FPS minimum and 196 FPS maximum, High averages 127 FPS, and Ultra averages 99 FPS. Comparing 1080p to 4K, the frame rates drop by 63.0% on Low, 63.0% on Medium, 63.1% on High, and 62.9% on Ultra, indicating that the performance scaling is nearly uniform across settings.

The Medium preset stands out because it is the only one with complete min/max data. At 1080p, the 391 FPS minimum is 85% of the 460 FPS average, suggesting good frame pacing. At 1440p, the 259 FPS minimum is 85% of the 305 FPS average, maintaining a similar ratio. At 4K, the 145 FPS minimum is 85% of the 170 FPS average, again consistent. This 85% ratio across all resolutions indicates that the RTX 5090 maintains a stable frame delivery under Medium settings, with no evidence of severe dips. In contrast, Low settings at 1080p produce 554 FPS, which is 20.4% higher than Medium’s 460 FPS, but without min/max data, it is impossible to know if the frame rate fluctuates more. High settings at 4K produce 127 FPS, which is 25.3% lower than Medium’s 170 FPS, and Ultra at 4K drops to 99 FPS, which is 41.8% lower than Medium. These numbers highlight that Medium offers the most balanced performance profile, with high averages and documented stability.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combo in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The highest average FPS is 554, recorded at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Does the Medium preset provide stable frame rates at all resolutions?

A: Yes, the Medium preset includes min and max FPS data for all three resolutions: at 1080p, the range is 391 to 529 FPS; at 1440p, it is 259 to 350 FPS; and at 4K, it is 145 to 196 FPS.

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

A: The combo ranks 557 out of 2,870 tested combinations, placing it in the top 19.4% of all systems.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra at 4K?

A: At 4K, Low averages 205 FPS while Ultra averages 99 FPS, meaning Low delivers 106 FPS more, which is a 107.1% increase over Ultra.

Q: Are there any settings where the average FPS falls below 100?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 99, which is the only measured configuration below 100 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory size and bandwidth for this configuration?

A: The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory with a 512-bit bus width and a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its 64 MB of L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core are substantial for a mobile CPU, and the 5 nm process node from TSMC helps maintain efficiency. In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU’s role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 554 FPS average indicates that the CPU can feed frames at an extremely high rate, and the GPU is likely not limiting performance at this point. The CPU’s single-thread performance, as measured by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,030, is critical for a game that relies heavily on a few primary threads for game logic and input processing. The multi-core score of 42,713 in Cinebench R23 shows that the CPU has ample headroom for background tasks, but Counter-Strike 2 typically does not scale well beyond a handful of cores.

The CPU’s benchmark scores place it at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 76,212. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, is 0.1% lower in average score, indicating that the Ryzen 9 8945HX is at the leading edge of mobile CPU performance. The 32 threads and 16 cores are more than sufficient for any game, and the high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded workloads, which are common in Counter-Strike 2, receive the necessary clock speed. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface is adequate for feeding the GPU, and the PCIe Gen 5 interface with 28 lanes provides ample bandwidth for the RTX 5090. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the primary limiter, as evidenced by the FPS drops, but the CPU still needs to maintain a high frame submission rate. The measured data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the 99 FPS average is likely CPU-limited in some scenes, but the overall performance suggests that the Ryzen 9 8945HX is not a bottleneck for this game at any tested setting.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K provides insight into which component limits performance in Counter-Strike 2. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 554; at 1440p Low, it drops to 367, a 33.7% decrease; and at 4K Low, it falls to 205, a 44.1% decrease from 1440p. This steep drop from 1440p to 4K indicates that the GPU is becoming increasingly stressed as pixel count rises. The same pattern holds for Medium settings: 460 FPS at 1080p, 305 FPS at 1440p (a 33.7% drop), and 170 FPS at 4K (a 44.3% drop). High settings show 344 FPS at 1080p, 228 FPS at 1440p (a 33.7% drop), and 127 FPS at 4K (a 44.3% drop). Ultra settings follow with 267 FPS at 1080p, 177 FPS at 1440p (a 33.7% drop), and 99 FPS at 4K (a 44.1% drop). The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is striking: the 1080p-to-1440p reduction is always 33.7%, and the 1440p-to-4K reduction is always between 44.1% and 44.3%. This uniformity suggests a single dominant factor, which is the GPU’s rendering workload scaling with resolution.

The fact that the FPS drops are identical regardless of settings points to a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU may still play a role, especially at Low settings where 554 FPS requires rapid frame generation. However, the GPU’s 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth and 104.8 TFLOPS of compute power are the likely constraints when moving to 4K. The 4K Ultra average of 99 FPS is exactly 17.9% of the 1080p Low average of 554 FPS, which shows the cumulative effect of both higher resolution and higher settings. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between 1440p and 4K, as the CPU work does not scale with resolution. Instead, the large and consistent drops indicate that the RTX 5090 is the primary bottleneck at 4K, while the Ryzen 9 8945HX has enough headroom to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. This analysis suggests that for competitive play at 1080p or 1440p, the CPU and GPU are well balanced, but at 4K, the GPU’s limits define the experience.