Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is a competitive FPS released on 2023-09-26, and the data shows that pairing the Intel Core i3-12100F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti produces a combination that ranks 385th out of 3719 tested combos. The RTX 5070 Ti, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node, sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, while the i3-12100F, an Alder Lake-S part on a 10 nm node, sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. The measured FPS data across three resolutions and four settings presets reveals a system where the CPU becomes a significant bottleneck at lower resolutions, while the GPU's immense power—with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus and 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth—ensures that even at 4K, the frame rates remain exceptionally high.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and dramatic scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At the Low settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 635 FPS at 1920x1080 to 420 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 235 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 63% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial drop that indicates the GPU is being increasingly taxed as pixel count rises. The RTX 5070 Ti's raw compute power, rated at 43.94 TFLOPS FP32, is sufficient to handle the load, but the scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p, the system is not GPU-limited.

At the Medium preset, the same trend holds: 527 FPS at 1080p, 349 FPS at 1440p, and 195 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33.8%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 44.1%. This non-linear scaling is typical of a system transitioning from a CPU-bound state at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound state at higher resolutions. The i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, has a boost clock of 4.30 GHz and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860, which is respectable, but it becomes the limiting factor when the GPU can render frames faster than the CPU can feed it.

The High preset shows similar behavior: 394 FPS at 1080p, 261 FPS at 1440p, and 146 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is a 44.1% reduction, which closely mirrors the Medium preset's drop. This consistency suggests that the GPU's workload scales predictably with resolution, and the 4K results are likely close to the GPU's true performance ceiling in this game. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 306 FPS at 1080p, 202 FPS at 1440p, and 113 FPS at 4K, with the 1080p to 1440p drop being 34% and the 1440p to 4K drop being 44.1%.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound. The i3-12100F's single-thread performance, as measured by a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1932, is not sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5070 Ti's frame generation capability. The 4-core processor's PassMark single-thread score of 3444 further confirms this limitation. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting component, and the frame rates stabilize at levels that still exceed the refresh rates of most high-end monitors.

Settings Recommendations

Examining the measured rows, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 349 FPS and a minimum of 297 FPS. This is the only preset at 1440p that has reported minimum FPS data, and the 297 FPS minimum ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above the threshold for competitive play. The Medium preset at 1920x1080, with an average of 527 FPS and a minimum of 448 FPS, is also an excellent choice for players prioritizing maximum frame rates, as the 448 FPS minimum is exceptionally high.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 195 FPS with a minimum of 166 FPS and a maximum of 224 FPS. This is the only 4K preset with min/max data, and the 166 FPS minimum is still far above the 144 Hz refresh rate that many high-end monitors offer. The High preset at 4K, with an average of 146 FPS, is also viable, but the lack of min/max data makes it harder to assess frame time consistency. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 113 FPS average, is the most demanding option, and while it is playable, the drop from Medium is significant.

The Low preset, while offering the highest frame rates (635 FPS at 1080p, 420 FPS at 1440p, 235 FPS at 4K), sacrifices visual fidelity for performance. In a competitive FPS like Counter-Strike 2, lower settings often reduce visual clutter and can provide a competitive advantage, but the data shows that even at Medium settings, the frame rates are so high that the visual trade-off may not be necessary. The Ultra preset, with 306 FPS at 1080p, 202 FPS at 1440p, and 113 FPS at 4K, represents the highest visual quality, and the fact that it still exceeds 100 FPS at 4K reflects the RTX 5070 Ti's capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for Counter-Strike 2, which is not a memory-intensive game, and it ensures that the GPU never becomes memory-bandwidth-limited. The GPU's 8960 shading units, 280 TMUs, and 96 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 686.6 GTexel/s, which are the key metrics for rasterization performance.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2452 MHz, are relatively high, and the 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die allow for efficient processing. The RTX 5070 Ti's PassMark G3D score of 32974 places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals according to average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, which is essentially tied (-0.1% delta), and the Intel Arc A550M, which is 0.4% behind. The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is 2% ahead, and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is 3.1% behind, indicating that the RTX 5070 Ti sits in a competitive performance bracket.

The GPU's role in this system becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU is often idling, waiting for the CPU to deliver draw calls, but at 4K, the GPU is fully utilized. The 4K Medium preset, with an average of 195 FPS, is a result of the GPU's raw horsepower. The RTX 5070 Ti's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6604 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 225122 further confirm its DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 API support, which are relevant for a modern game like Counter-Strike 2. The GPU's 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores are not heavily utilized in this game, but they ensure that the card is future-proof for other titles.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 385th out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the combo in the top 10.4% of all tested configurations, which is a strong result given the CPU's modest specifications. The i3-12100F is a budget-oriented processor with a launch MSRP of $97, and its 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs reflects its position as a mid-range part. In contrast, the RTX 5070 Ti, with a launch MSRP of $749, is a high-end GPU in the 86th percentile.

The ranking disparity between the CPU and GPU is significant. The CPU's average benchmark score of 13494 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals: the Intel Core 3 N355 at 13492 (0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 at 13452 (0.3% ahead), and the Intel Core 5 120UL at 13594 (0.7% behind). This indicates that the i3-12100F's performance is well within the expected range for its class. The GPU's average benchmark score of 49957, however, is much higher, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 at 50001 (-0.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT at 50951 (-2%), showing that the RTX 5070 Ti is a top-tier performer.

The combo rank of 385 suggests that in Counter-Strike 2, the system's overall performance is limited by the CPU. If the GPU were the bottleneck, the combo would rank higher, closer to the top. The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high (635 FPS at Low), which indicates that the GPU is not being fully utilized. The fact that the combo still ranks in the top 10.4% is a credit to the GPU's ability to maintain high frame rates even when paired with a lower-end CPU. The ranking also implies that upgrading the CPU would yield significant performance gains, particularly at 1080p and 1440p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core are sufficient for gaming workloads, but its 4-core configuration is the primary limitation in Counter-Strike 2. The game's engine is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance, and the i3-12100F's 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674 indicate that its per-core performance is decent but not exceptional.

The CPU's multithreaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860 and a Geekbench multicore score of 7252, is adequate for the game's background tasks, but Counter-Strike 2 primarily relies on a few threads for game logic and rendering. The PassMark multithread score of 14015 and the 3DMark 4-thread score of 2859 show that the CPU can handle 4 threads reasonably well, but the 8-thread scores (3DMark 8-thread at 4026) are not much higher, indicating diminishing returns from the Hyper-Threading.

The CPU's role in this system is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game state updates. At 1080p Low settings, the CPU becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 635 FPS average. This is a CPU-bound scenario where the GPU is waiting for the CPU to process each frame. At 4K, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor, and the CPU's slower performance is masked by the GPU's longer render times. The CPU's power consumption, with a TDP of 58 W and a die size of 163 mm², is relatively low, which means it does not generate excessive heat, but its performance ceiling is reached in this game.

The CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Core i5-9500, which is 0.3% faster, and the Intel Core i7-1250U, which is 1.1% faster. These comparisons show that the i3-12100F is competitive with older i5 parts, but it lacks the core count of modern mid-range processors. In Counter-Strike 2, the data suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p and 1440p, and users seeking higher frame rates at these resolutions would benefit from a CPU with more cores and higher single-thread performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings?

A: The data shows an average of 527 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 448 FPS and a maximum of 606 FPS.

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

A: The combo ranks 385th out of 3719 tested combos, placing it in the top 10.4% of all configurations tested in Counter-Strike 2.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s and a memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective).

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a TDP of 58 W.

Q: What is the average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings?

A: The data shows an average of 113 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the lowest average FPS recorded across all measured settings and resolutions.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-9500?

A: The Intel Core i5-9500 has an average benchmark score of 13452, which is 0.3% higher than the i3-12100F's average of 13494, indicating nearly identical performance. The Intel Core 3 N355 matches the i3-12100F with a 0% delta.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: 635 FPS average
• Medium: 527 FPS average, 448 FPS minimum, 606 FPS maximum
• High: 394 FPS average
• Ultra: 306 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 420 FPS average
• Medium: 349 FPS average, 297 FPS minimum, 401 FPS maximum
• High: 261 FPS average
• Ultra: 202 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 235 FPS average
• Medium: 195 FPS average, 166 FPS minimum, 224 FPS maximum
• High: 146 FPS average
• Ultra: 113 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the Medium preset provides a substantial performance boost over High and Ultra, while still maintaining high visual quality. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings, which are the only ones recorded, are all above 166 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in the most demanding scenes. The Low preset offers the highest frame rates, but the Medium preset's combination of performance and quality makes it the optimal choice for this system. The Ultra preset, while visually impressive, incurs a significant performance cost, particularly at 4K where the average drops to 113 FPS.