Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 pairing delivers a highly capable Counter-Strike 2 experience, with the data showing a clear performance hierarchy that favors high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p and 1440p. The CPU, a 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake part with a 2.90 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost clock, provides a solid foundation for the game’s engine, which relies heavily on single-thread performance. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are adequate for feeding the GPU, though the 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth is a potential bottleneck in CPU-intensive scenarios. The processor’s benchmark scores reinforce this, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1451 and a multi-core score of 10283, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. In contrast, the GPU is the clear star for this title. The Radeon RX 9060, based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and Navi 44 chip, features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2990 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz, combined with 1792 shading units, provide ample raw throughput for a competitive FPS. The data shows this CPU-GPU balance is sufficient to push frame rates far beyond the 144 Hz threshold at lower resolutions, while the 4K results reveal the GPU’s limitations when pixel count scales up.

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

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the 14 nm Comet Lake architecture, operating on the Intel Socket 1200 platform. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz can boost up to 4.30 GHz, and it carries a 65 W TDP. For a game like Counter-Strike 2, which is notoriously sensitive to single-thread performance, this CPU’s capabilities are directly reflected in the measured frames. The processor’s PassMark single-thread score of 2541 and Geekbench single-core score of 1420 indicate solid per-core throughput. However, the game’s engine can also utilize multiple threads, and the i5-10400F’s 12 threads handle this adequately, as shown by its Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 4318 and PassMark multi-thread score of 12115. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache is a key asset, as it reduces latency when the CPU is feeding the GPU with draw calls and game state updates.

The data suggests that at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is not the limiting factor, the CPU manages to drive the frame rate to an average of 355 FPS. This high ceiling indicates that the processor is not a significant bottleneck for this title, even at competitive settings. When moving to 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 63, but this is primarily a GPU limit, as the CPU has ample headroom at that resolution. The 3DMark scores for the CPU—4748 for 16 threads and 688 for a single thread—paint a picture of a balanced mid-range processor that can keep pace with the RX 9060 in a fast-paced esports title. The processor’s boost clock is crucial here; the ability to hit 4.30 GHz on a couple of cores ensures that the game’s main simulation thread runs efficiently, preventing stutters and frame dips. While the CPU’s overall average benchmark score of 14185 places it near rivals like the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163, 0.2% delta) and AMD EPYC 7552 (14115, 0.5% delta), its real-world impact in Counter-Strike 2 is defined by how those single-thread capabilities translate to frame pacing. The data confirms that this is a competent pairing, but it is the GPU that ultimately defines the upper limits of performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 achieves a combo rank of 1640 out of 2870 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all possible pairings, meaning that while it outperforms a significant portion of the field, there are many stronger configurations that produce higher frame rates. The rank is not a measure of playability—it indicates that this specific pairing sits in the 57th percentile of all combos, which is respectable given the CPU’s age. The data shows that the performance is heavily skewed by the GPU’s capabilities, as the RX 9060 is a modern part, but the CPU’s relative weakness in multi-threaded synthetic tests (3DMark max threads score of 4735) pulls the overall rank down when compared to combos with newer processors.

Looking at the GPU’s nearest rivals, the Radeon RX 9060 scores an average benchmark of 16014, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti being 0.7% faster at 16129. This close margin suggests that the RX 9060 is competitive with that card, and in Counter-Strike 2, the combo rank reflects this GPU’s standing. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15852, 1% delta) and AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862, 1% delta) are slightly behind, indicating that the RX 9060 is a solid performer. However, the combo rank is also influenced by the CPU, which is in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. This means that while the GPU can push high frame rates, the CPU’s capabilities limit the combo’s overall ranking relative to systems with faster processors like newer Core i7 or Ryzen 7 parts. The data suggests that for a 1080p competitive setup, this combo is more than sufficient, but for 4K or ultra-high refresh rate esports, higher-tier CPUs would move the rank up. The 2870 combos tested include many with newer, faster CPUs, so a rank of 1640 is a fair reflection of this mid-range pairing’s standing.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a classic scaling pattern that shifts the bottleneck between the CPU and GPU as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the average frame rate is 355 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the CPU is doing most of the heavy lifting, feeding the GPU as fast as it can. When the resolution jumps to 1440p Low, the average drops to 235 FPS, a reduction of 120 FPS or roughly 34%. This significant drop suggests that the GPU is starting to become more involved, but the CPU is still capable of keeping up. Moving to 4K Low, the average plummets to 131 FPS, which is a further 104 FPS reduction. This 44% drop from 1440p highlights that the GPU is now the primary limiting factor, as the pixel fill rate demands of 4K outpace the RX 9060’s 191.4 GPixel/s pixel rate and 288.0 GB/s memory bandwidth.

The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows a total reduction of 224 FPS, or 63%, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario in a game like Counter-Strike 2. The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops are entirely attributable to the GPU’s rendering capabilities. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 171 FPS, while at 4K Ultra, it falls to 63 FPS. This 108 FPS difference (63% reduction) further confirms that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K. Conversely, the smaller drop from 1080p Low (355 FPS) to 1080p High (220 FPS) shows that when settings are lowered, the CPU can still push high frame rates, but the GPU’s fill rate becomes the constraint. The data suggests that for competitive play at 1080p, users will see diminishing returns on frame rate as they lower settings, because the CPU is already hitting its limits at around 355 FPS. At 1440p, the balance shifts, and the GPU becomes more dominant, while at 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with the CPU having significant headroom.

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

At 1920x1080, the resolution most favored by competitive players, the data shows a wide spread of performance across settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 355 FPS, which is the highest measured in this dataset, and it reflects the CPU’s ability to drive the game engine at its most efficient. The Medium preset averages 295 FPS, with a minimum of 250 FPS and a maximum of 339 FPS, providing a stable experience with a 45 FPS margin over the minimum. High settings reduce the average to 220 FPS, which is still well above the 144 Hz refresh rate target for most monitors. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 171 FPS, which remains playable but shows a 184 FPS gap from Low, indicating the GPU’s workload increases significantly with visual effects. The minimum FPS is only recorded for Medium settings, where it sits at 250 FPS, suggesting that the other presets either maintain higher lows or the data was not captured.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected due to the increased pixel count. Low settings average 235 FPS, which is a 120 FPS drop from 1080p Low, but still high enough for 144 Hz gaming. Medium settings average 195 FPS, with a minimum of 166 FPS and a maximum of 224 FPS, showing that the 1% lows are still above 144 FPS. High settings average 146 FPS, while Ultra drops to 113 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 122 FPS, which is narrower than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the performance is markedly lower. Low settings average 131 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium averages 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. High settings drop to 81 FPS, and Ultra falls to 63 FPS, which is below the 144 Hz threshold and only suitable for slower-paced play. The data shows a clear trend: at 1080p, the CPU is the primary driver, at 1440p the balance is even, and at 4K the GPU is the clear bottleneck, with the RX 9060’s 8 GB of VRAM and 288 GB/s bandwidth struggling to maintain high frame rates.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a 4 nm process at TSMC, featuring the Navi 44 chip and a die size of 199 mm². Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, which is a critical resource for Counter-Strike 2’s texture streaming and level geometry. The GPU’s boost clock of 2990 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz are high for this class, and combined with 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output processors, it delivers a texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s. These specifications directly influence the measured FPS, especially at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 21.43 TFLOPS is substantial for a mid-range card, and its 28 ray tracing cores, while not critical for this esports title, add future-proofing.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU’s role becomes more apparent as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the GPU is not fully utilized, as the CPU drives the frame rate to 355 FPS. However, at 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 171 FPS, showing that the GPU’s rendering pipeline is saturated by the increased visual fidelity. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game at all measured settings, as Counter-Strike 2 is not a VRAM-heavy title, and the 288.0 GB/s bandwidth prevents any memory bottlenecks. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 17631 places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, is 0.7% faster in synthetic benchmarks, which aligns with the observed 4K performance where the RX 9060 still manages 131 FPS at Low settings. The GPU’s memory clock of 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) is a key factor in maintaining high frame rates at 4K, where the data shows a 63% drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low, but the card still delivers playable results. The Radeon RX 9060 is clearly the stronger component in this pairing, and its capabilities dictate the upper limits of performance in this game.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of which settings preset offers the best experience for different display refresh rates and resolutions. For players with a 1080p 144 Hz monitor, the High preset is the optimal choice, as it delivers an average of 220 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold, while providing better visual quality than Low or Medium. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 171 FPS, which is still above 144 Hz, but the 49 FPS gap between High and Ultra suggests that the visual improvements are not worth the performance cost. For 1440p 144 Hz displays, the Medium preset is the sweet spot, with an average of 195 FPS and a minimum of 166 FPS, ensuring that the frame rate never dips below the refresh rate. The High preset at 1440p averages 146 FPS, which is just above 144 Hz, but the minimum FPS is not recorded, making it a riskier choice for competitive play where frame drops are detrimental. The Low preset at 1440p averages 235 FPS, which is overkill for 144 Hz and sacrifices too much visual fidelity.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that only the Low preset is viable for competitive play, with an average of 131 FPS, which is suitable for 120 Hz panels but not 144 Hz. The Medium preset at 4K averages 109 FPS, with a minimum of 93 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutters on high-refresh displays. The High and Ultra presets at 4K, averaging 81 FPS and 63 FPS respectively, are only suitable for casual play, as they fall below the 100 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that the best balance of performance and visual quality is achieved at 1080p High, where the frame rate is high enough to take advantage of fast refresh rates without sacrificing too much detail. For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, 1080p Low at 355 FPS is the clear winner, but it comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 295 FPS and a minimum of 250 FPS, is a strong alternative for those who want a competitive edge with better graphics than Low. Ultimately, the recommendation is to target 1080p or 1440p with Medium or High settings to balance frame rate and visuals, as the GPU’s performance at 4K is not sufficient for high-refresh competitive play.