Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 pairs a high-end desktop processor with a mid-range, older-generation graphics card in this tested configuration. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread Zen 5 part based on the Granite Ridge architecture, running on the AMD Socket AM5 platform with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This processor sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating that its raw compute potential is well above the majority of the database. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, by contrast, is a Turing-architecture GPU (chip TU106) that has reached end-of-life status and sits in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. This pairing creates a significant performance asymmetry that is clearly visible in the measured frame rates, where the CPU’s capacity to generate frames is frequently throttled by the GPU’s rendering limits, particularly at lower resolutions and settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 9 9900X is a formidable processor on paper. It features 12 cores and 24 threads, a configuration that excels in heavily threaded workloads like rendering and encoding, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 46438 and Geekbench multi-core score of 19827. Its single-thread performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6555 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3341, which is critical for a game like Counter-Strike 2 where the main game logic and physics simulation often rely on a limited number of threads. The processor’s high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that these primary threads have access to substantial frequency headroom.

However, the data from this specific combination suggests that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. Even at 1080p with Low settings, where the demand on the GPU is minimal, the average frame rate reaches 296.8 FPS. This is a very high number, but it is not the absolute ceiling of what the Ryzen 9 9900X could theoretically produce. Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, it trails the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D by a negligible 0.4% in average benchmark score, but leads the Intel Core i7-14700F by 0.7%. The delta between these parts is so small that the processor choice is unlikely to be the primary differentiator in frame rates between these systems in Counter-Strike 2. The CPU is also ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K and 245KF by 1.5% and 1.8%, respectively. These results indicate that the 9900X is providing a robust foundation, but its full potential is not being utilized because the GPU is unable to keep pace with the frame requests at lower settings, a conclusion supported by the FPS scaling across different graphical loads.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the limiting component in this pairing. It has a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus. This memory configuration provides a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. While this was a capable specification for its launch period, the GPU’s overall compute performance, measured at 6.451 TFLOPS FP32, is modest by modern standards, and its 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it squarely in the mid-range of the database.

The GPU’s influence on the game’s performance is most apparent when examining the frame rate drops from Low to Ultra settings. At 1440p, the RTX 2060 produces 192.7 FPS on Low settings but only 95.5 FPS on Ultra, representing a 50% reduction in performance. This pattern holds at other resolutions, showing that the GPU’s rendering workload scales heavily with image quality. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, which it trails by 0.5% in average score, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Radeon Pro 5700, which are 1.7% ahead. The RTX 2060 leads the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 by 1.8%. These tight margins confirm that the RTX 2060 is performing as expected for its class. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is a potential concern for higher resolutions and texture quality settings, but the measured FPS data suggests that the core compute limits are hit first in this game, as even at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 53.9 FPS, which is still playable but not limited by memory capacity in this specific test scenario.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The progression of frame rates across resolutions clearly illustrates a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves 183.8 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 121.3 FPS, a 34% decrease. At 4K, the average FPS falls further to 66.4, which is a 64% drop from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is a classic indication that the GPU is the primary constraint. As the pixel count increases, the RTX 2060 must work harder to fill the frame buffer, and its performance degrades proportionally.

The data at Low settings reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p Low, the system hits 296.8 FPS, a number so high that it suggests the CPU is still not fully saturated. However, at 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 192.7 FPS, and at 4K Low, it is 111.8 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35%, and from 1080p to 4K is 62%. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a much smaller performance delta between resolutions, as the CPU’s work (game logic, draw calls) remains relatively constant while the GPU’s workload increases. The fact that the FPS drops so sharply with resolution indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck across all tested settings. The CPU, with its high single-thread score, is providing a high upper limit, but the RTX 2060 cannot sustain those frame rates as the rendering resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the overall database of tested combinations for Counter-Strike 2, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 1319 out of 1632 total combos. This places it in the bottom 20% of all tested systems for this game. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU’s mid-range standing (58th percentile) dragging down the potential of the top-tier CPU (94th percentile). The high rank number (1319) indicates that while this system is capable of delivering playable frame rates, especially at 1080p, the vast majority of other tested hardware combinations achieve higher average FPS.

The ranking highlights that the overall system performance is capped by its weakest link. The CPU’s compute headroom is not translated into higher frame rates in this game because the GPU is saturated before the CPU can be pushed to its limits. The rank of 1319 out of 1632 demonstrates that for a competitive FPS title like Counter-Strike 2, where high and consistent frame rates are paramount, the RTX 2060 is a significant hindrance to achieving top-tier performance. Users seeking to maximize their position in the benchmark hierarchy would need to consider a more powerful GPU to unlock the full potential of the Ryzen 9 9900X in this specific game.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for this combination at 1920x1080 with High settings is 183.8.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases (e.g., from 296.8 FPS at 1080p Low to 111.8 FPS at 4K Low), which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, while the CPU has a high single-thread score of 6555 in Cinebench R23.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1319th out of 1632 tested combinations for Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the lower percentile of system performances.

Q: What are the FPS results at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 159.2.

Q: Does the RTX 2060 perform better than its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Radeon Pro 5700 by 1.7%, but leads the AMD Radeon RX 7600S by 0.5% and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 by 1.8% in average benchmark scores.

Q: What is the peak FPS achieved in this test?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 296.8, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for all tested resolution and settings combinations. All values are from the measured data.

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• High: 66.4 FPS
• Low: 111.8 FPS
• Medium: 90.4 FPS
• Ultra: 53.9 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• High: 121.3 FPS
• Low: 192.7 FPS
• Medium: 159.2 FPS
• Ultra: 95.5 FPS

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• High: 183.8 FPS
• Low: 296.8 FPS
• Medium: 245.3 FPS
• Ultra: 142.4 FPS

The data shows a clear and consistent pattern. For any given setting, the FPS decreases as resolution increases. For example, at High settings, the system goes from 183.8 FPS at 1080p, to 121.3 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 66.4 FPS at 4K. The Ultra setting produces the lowest frame rates at every resolution, while Low produces the highest. At 1080p Low, the system achieves a near-300 FPS average, which is the only configuration to break that threshold. At 4K Ultra, the system drops below 60 FPS, averaging 53.9 FPS. This breakdown confirms that the RTX 2060’s performance is heavily dependent on both resolution and graphical fidelity, and that users will need to sacrifice settings to maintain high refresh rates on higher-resolution displays.