Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a peculiar case in Counter-Strike 2, where the data reveals a system heavily constrained by its graphics component. The measured FPS across resolutions indicates a configuration that is dramatically underperforming relative to the CPU’s capabilities, making the Arc B390 the definitive bottleneck. This analysis examines the measured frames, scaling behavior, and component-specific data to understand where this combo stands.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K with this combo is steep and revealing. At Low settings, the system produces 179 FPS at 1920x1080, which falls to 118 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 66 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 63% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a scaling pattern that points directly at the GPU as the limiting factor. The CPU, a 6-core Comet Lake part with a 4.30 GHz boost clock, should not be the constraint at these resolutions, yet the frame rates at 4K are low enough to suggest the graphics processor is overwhelmed.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when examining the High preset. At 1080p, the system achieves 111 FPS, but this drops to 73 FPS at 1440p and then to 41 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K alone costs a 44% performance hit, which is a larger proportional drop than the 1080p to 1440p step. This non-linear degradation is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput, as the Arc B390 has a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, both of which are modest figures for modern gaming.

At Medium settings, the same trend holds: 149 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K with a minimum of 47 FPS. The minimum frame at 4K Medium is particularly telling, as it suggests the experience can dip below 50 FPS even on a mid-range preset. The Ultra preset, meanwhile, shows the most severe scaling, starting at 86 FPS at 1080p and plummeting to 57 FPS at 1440p and 32 FPS at 4K. This last figure is barely playable for a competitive shooter, indicating that Ultra settings are largely impractical for this combo beyond 1080p.

The data implies that the limiting component is unambiguously the GPU. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10283 and a single-core score of 1451, are respectable for a 6-core/12-thread part. The Arc B390, however, sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 and GT 625 OEM, which are ancient parts by comparison. The FPS scaling mirrors what one would expect from a GPU with such low benchmark standing, not a CPU that ranks in the 68th percentile.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s overall rank in Counter-Strike 2 is 2535 out of 2870 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations, which is a poor showing for a game that is typically CPU-bound at high frame rates. The rank reflects the severe GPU limitation, as the Arc B390’s average benchmark score of 1482 is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, a mobile part from over a decade ago.

This ranking is surprising given the CPU’s standing. The Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185, which places it near the Intel Xeon 6756E (deltaPct of 0.2%) and the AMD EPYC 7552 (deltaPct of 0.5%). The CPU’s percentile versus all CPUs is 68%, meaning it outperforms more than two-thirds of all processors in general benchmarks. Yet, in this game, the combo rank is dragged down entirely by the GPU’s inability to keep pace with the CPU’s output.

The data suggests that this combo would be far better served by a different graphics card. The CPU’s 3DMark scores, such as 4748 for 16 threads and 688 for single-thread, indicate it can handle the game’s physics and logic calculations. However, the Arc B390’s performance, which is comparable to the GeForce 800M and GT 625 OEM, means the system is effectively bottlenecked at every resolution and preset. The rank of 2535 out of 2870 is a direct consequence of this mismatch, and it implies that users would see a massive improvement from upgrading the GPU alone.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its clock speeds are listed as a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz, with memory being system shared, meaning bandwidth is system dependent. This is a critical limitation for a game like Counter-Strike 2, which can be sensitive to memory bandwidth at higher resolutions. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, which is low for a modern GPU.

The GPU’s benchmark data is sparse, with only a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This score places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (deltaPct of 1.3%), GeForce 800M (deltaPct of 1.5%), GT 625 OEM (deltaPct of 2.5%), and GT 710 (deltaPct of 2.7%). These are all very low-end parts, and the Arc B390 is barely ahead of them, with a maximum delta of just 2.7%. This confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this combo.

The measured FPS data supports this. At 1080p Low, the system hits 179 FPS, which is respectable, but the GPU’s limits become apparent as resolution increases. The VRAM situation is also a concern, as the GPU uses system shared memory, which means it competes with the CPU for bandwidth. This can cause stuttering or frame drops, and the minimum FPS of 47 at 4K Medium suggests such issues may occur. The GPU’s TDP of 80 W is low, but that does not compensate for its lack of raw compute power.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its best performance. Low settings yield 179 FPS average, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings drop to 149 FPS with a minimum of 126 FPS and a maximum of 171 FPS, still smooth. High settings produce 111 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 86 FPS. This resolution is the only one where the combo approaches playable competitive frame rates, and even then, only at Low or Medium presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 118 FPS, which is still good, but Medium falls to 98 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS. High settings yield 73 FPS, and Ultra drops to 57 FPS. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 30-40% of the frame rate across most presets, which is a heavy penalty. At 1440p, the system is only suitable for Low settings if you want to maintain a high refresh rate experience.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced shooter. Medium settings average 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS, which is borderline. High settings drop to 41 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 32 FPS, which is not viable for competitive play. The 4K data shows that this combo is not suited for high-resolution gaming, as even the lowest preset struggles to maintain 70 FPS.

The differences between presets are consistent. At each resolution, Low is roughly 30-40% faster than High, and Medium sits between the two. Ultra is consistently the slowest, often being 40-50% slower than Low. The gap between Low and Ultra widens with resolution, from 93 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 4K, indicating that the GPU’s fill rate is the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

Settings Recommendations

The data suggests that Low settings at 1080p provide the best experience for this combo, delivering 179 FPS average. This is the only configuration that approaches the 144 Hz or 165 Hz refresh rates common in competitive monitors. Medium settings at 1080p, with 149 FPS and a minimum of 126 FPS, are also viable if you want slightly better visuals without sacrificing too much frame rate. High or Ultra at 1080p are less ideal, as the frame rates drop to 111 FPS and 86 FPS respectively, which may introduce input lag on high-refresh displays.

At 1440p, Low settings are the only reasonable choice, with 118 FPS average. Medium settings at 98 FPS are playable but may feel less responsive, and High or Ultra should be avoided for competitive play. At 4K, no preset is truly recommended, but Low settings at 66 FPS are the most playable. Medium at 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS is risky, as frame dips could affect gameplay.

Given the GPU’s limitations, the best overall recommendation is 1080p with Low or Medium settings. This maximizes the frame rate and minimizes the risk of stutter from the system shared memory. The CPU has enough headroom, as its single-thread score of 1451 in Cinebench R23 suggests it can handle the game’s logic, but the GPU cannot push higher resolutions without significant frame loss. The measured data does not support any preset above Medium at 1080p for a competitive experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 with Low settings provides the highest average FPS at 179. This is the only resolution where the combo exceeds 150 FPS, making it the best choice for competitive play.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710. This indicates it performs at a similar level to these very low-end parts.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The CPU has a 68th percentile ranking versus all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 9th percentile. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a 63% drop at Low settings, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited system.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 47. This indicates the system can dip below 50 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced gameplay.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2535 out of 2870 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the bottom 12% of all configurations, reflecting the GPU’s poor performance.

Q: Can the CPU handle higher frame rates if paired with a better GPU?

A: The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10283 and a PassMark single-thread score of 2541, suggest it has sufficient processing power. However, the data for this specific combo does not include tests with a different GPU, so this remains an inference from the CPU’s general benchmarks.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode, with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. It has 12 MB of shared L3 cache, and its PCIe interface is Gen 3 with 16 lanes. These specifications are modest by modern standards, but the benchmark scores show it is a capable processor for gaming.

The CPU’s single-thread performance is particularly relevant for Counter-Strike 2, which relies heavily on CPU logic. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1451 and the 3DMark single-thread score of 688 indicate that the CPU can handle the game’s physics and AI calculations. The multi-thread scores, such as Cinebench R23 multi-core of 10283 and PassMark multi-thread of 12115, show it can also handle background tasks without impacting game performance.

However, the CPU’s role in this combo is largely irrelevant due to the GPU bottleneck. The measured FPS data shows that the system cannot reach high frame rates at 1080p even with Low settings, which would be the CPU’s best-case scenario. At 4K, the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor, as the frame rates are too low to be attributed to processor performance. The CPU’s 68th percentile ranking versus all CPUs is far higher than the GPU’s 9th percentile, confirming that the graphics card is the primary constraint.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the Intel Xeon 6756E (deltaPct of 0.2%), AMD EPYC 7552 (deltaPct of 0.5%), and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (deltaPct of -0.6%). These deltas are all within 1%, suggesting the i5-10400F is a solid mid-range performer. Yet, in this game, the combo’s rank of 2535 out of 2870 is a direct result of the GPU’s inability to leverage the CPU’s strengths. The data implies that upgrading the GPU would unlock the CPU’s full potential, but with the Arc B390, the system remains firmly GPU-bound.