Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2, a competitive FPS released in late September 2023, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical presets. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER across a matrix of settings and resolutions. The data indicates a system capable of exceptional frame rates, but the balance between CPU and GPU shifts dramatically depending on the configuration chosen. The following sections break down the measured FPS data to provide a methodical look at how this specific hardware combination behaves in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the performance bottleneck transitions from the CPU to the GPU as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound. With Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 508 FPS, while High settings still produce 364 FPS. The gap between Low and High at this resolution is 144 FPS, which is substantial but indicates that the CPU is the primary limiter. The RTX 4070 SUPER is capable of rendering these frames far faster than the Core i5-10400F can feed it draw calls and game logic.

Moving to 1440p, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility. The Low preset average drops to 388 FPS, a 23.6% reduction from the 1080p result. High settings at 1440p yield 241 FPS, down 33.8% from 1080p. This more pronounced drop for High settings shows that the increased pixel count is starting to engage the GPU more heavily. The spread between Low and High at 1440p is 147 FPS, nearly identical to the 1080p spread, suggesting that while the GPU is working harder, the CPU-bound nature of the Low preset still allows for a massive frame rate ceiling.

At 4K (3840x2160), the GPU becomes the definitive limiting component. The Low preset average falls to 217 FPS, which is a 44.1% drop from 1440p and a 57.3% drop from 1080p. High settings at 4K produce 135 FPS, a 44.0% drop from 1440p. The scaling between Low and High at 4K is now only 82 FPS, compared to 144 FPS at 1080p. This compression of the performance delta indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER's rendering throughput is the primary constraint at this resolution. The CPU has enough headroom to push higher frames, but the GPU cannot keep up with the pixel shading workload.

The data shows a clear inflection point between 1440p and 4K. While the system maintains triple-digit averages at 4K, the low preset's 217 FPS average versus the 508 FPS at 1080p demonstrates the significant cost of the 4K resolution. For players targeting the highest refresh rate displays, 1080p or 1440p is essential, as the 4K results, while high, are less consistent with the extreme frame rates achievable at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience based on the trade-off between visual quality and frame rate. At 1080p, the High preset's 364 FPS average is already far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. The jump to Ultra reduces the average to 283 FPS, a 22.3% performance penalty. Given that the High preset is visually superior to Medium (476 FPS) and Low (508 FPS) while still maintaining an astronomically high frame rate, High is the rational choice for 1080p users. The Ultra preset at 283 FPS might be preferable for those with specific visual preferences, but the data shows a significant cost with diminishing returns.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 241 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. The Medium preset provides 323 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss is likely not worth the extra 82 FPS for most players. The Ultra preset drops to 187 FPS, which is still smooth but represents a 22.4% reduction from High. The data suggests that High at 1440p is the sweet spot, offering a balance that leverages the RTX 4070 SUPER's capabilities without pushing into the less efficient Ultra tier.

At 4K, the situation changes due to the GPU becoming the limiter. The High preset's 135 FPS is playable and smooth, but the Medium preset offers 180 FPS, a 33.3% improvement. The Low preset's 217 FPS is the only option that approaches the frame rates seen at lower resolutions. For 4K users, the choice depends on whether visual fidelity or raw frame rate is prioritized. The data shows that Medium provides a substantial 45 FPS advantage over High, making it a compelling option for those who want a smoother experience without dropping to the lowest visual settings. The Ultra preset at 105 FPS is the only configuration that dips below the 144 FPS threshold commonly associated with high-refresh gaming.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Counter-Strike 2 at 4K with high refresh rates?

A: Yes, the High preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 135 FPS. This is above the standard 120Hz refresh rate, though it falls short of 144Hz and 240Hz targets. The Medium preset at 4K achieves 180 FPS, which is more suitable for 144Hz displays.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 508, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates the system can push beyond 500 FPS at the lowest resolution and preset, likely limited by the CPU's single-thread performance.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 364 at 1080p to 135 at 4K, a 62.9% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 508 to 217, a 57.3% reduction. The GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at 4K.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using in this game?

A: The data shows a significant performance penalty for Ultra across all resolutions. At 1080p, it is 22.3% slower than High (283 vs 364 FPS). At 1440p, it is 22.4% slower (187 vs 241 FPS). At 4K, it is 22.2% slower (105 vs 135 FPS). The visual gains are not quantified in the data.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests a CPU bottleneck at 1080p. The frame rate difference between Low (508 FPS) and High (364 FPS) at 1080p is only 144 FPS, while at 4K the same preset comparison shows an 82 FPS gap, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best preset for competitive play?

A: For maximum competitive advantage, the Low preset at 1080p offers the highest average FPS at 508. However, the High preset at 1080p (364 FPS) and the Medium preset at 1440p (323 FPS) also provide frame rates well above typical monitor refresh rates, offering better visual clarity without a meaningful competitive disadvantage.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 675th out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the top 18.2% of all configurations. This percentile ranking indicates a strong performer, particularly for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank reflects the system's ability to maintain high frame rates, though the CPU's age is a limiting factor at lower resolutions.

In the context of the GPU's overall performance, the RTX 4070 SUPER sits at the 83rd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 43223. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (deltaPct -0.1), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (deltaPct -0.1), and the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (deltaPct -0.2). These are all extremely close in average score, indicating that the RTX 4070 SUPER is well-positioned in the GPU hierarchy.

The CPU, however, is less impressive relative to its peers. The Core i5-10400F sits at the 68th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (deltaPct 0.2), the Intel Core 7 160UL (deltaPct -0.3), and the AMD EPYC 7552 (deltaPct 0.5). The combo's rank of 675 is strong, but the data suggests that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting. A more modern CPU would likely push this combo higher in the rankings, particularly at 1080p where the CPU bottleneck is most evident.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for Counter-Strike 2 at higher resolutions. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is rated at 2475 MHz, with a base clock of 1980 MHz. The memory operates at 1313 MHz, or 21 Gbps effective. These specifications underpin the GPU's ability to handle the 4K workload, where it becomes the primary bottleneck.

The GPU's measured FPS results show a clear scaling pattern with resolution. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 135, which is 44.0% lower than the 1440p High result of 241 FPS. This drop is consistent with the GPU's rendering load increasing by roughly 2.25x from 1440p to 4K. The VRAM usage at 4K is not directly measured, but the 12 GB capacity is likely sufficient for Counter-Strike 2 at these settings, as the game is not known for extreme VRAM consumption.

The RTX 4070 SUPER's compute capabilities, including 7168 shading units and 224 texture mapping units, are reflected in its ability to maintain 180 FPS at 4K Medium settings. The GPU's 35.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 554.4 GTexel/s texture rate support the high frame rates observed. However, the data shows that even this powerful GPU cannot sustain the 500+ FPS figures seen at 1080p, confirming that the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The GPU's role becomes more critical as resolution increases, with the 4K results directly correlating to its rendering throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 508 FPS, Medium delivers 476 FPS (with a range of 405 to 548 FPS), High produces 364 FPS, and Ultra drops to 283 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 225 FPS, indicating significant scaling with visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 388 FPS for Low, 323 FPS for Medium (range 274 to 371 FPS), 241 FPS for High, and 187 FPS for Ultra. The spread narrows to 201 FPS, showing that the GPU is beginning to exert more influence on performance. The Medium preset's range of 274 to 371 FPS shows more variability than the 1080p Medium range, indicating the GPU is working harder.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 217 FPS for Low, 180 FPS for Medium (range 153 to 207 FPS), 135 FPS for High, and 105 FPS for Ultra. The spread is now only 112 FPS, a significant compression compared to 1080p. The Medium preset's minimum of 153 FPS is notable, as it represents the only sub-200 FPS minimum in the entire dataset. The 4K results clearly show the GPU as the limiting component, with the frame rate differences between presets shrinking as the pixel shading workload dominates.

The data also reveals that the Medium preset is the only one with measured minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions. This suggests that the Medium preset provides a more consistent performance envelope, potentially due to a balance between CPU and GPU load. The High and Ultra presets at 4K do not have min/max data, but their averages of 135 and 105 FPS respectively suggest they are more demanding.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration, providing 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications place it as a solid mid-range processor from 2020, but its age is evident in the benchmark scores.

In the context of Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is most pronounced at 1080p. The difference between Low and High settings at 1080p is 144 FPS (508 vs 364), which is primarily driven by the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls. The CPU's 3dmark single-thread score is 688, and its passmark single-thread score is 2541, indicating moderate single-core performance. Counter-Strike 2 is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance, and this is reflected in the high frame rates at low settings.

At 1440p, the CPU continues to influence performance, but the GPU starts to share the load. The Low preset's 388 FPS is still very high, suggesting the CPU can push beyond 400 FPS. The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are less critical here, as the game's engine does not scale linearly with core count. The 12 threads are more than sufficient for this title, with the cinebench r23 multicore score of 10283 indicating ample processing power.

At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes significantly. The frame rate differences between presets shrink to 82 FPS (Low vs High), and the average FPS is limited by the GPU. The CPU is no longer the bottleneck, as evidenced by the fact that the 4K High average of 135 FPS is far below the CPU's potential. The data shows that while the Core i5-10400F is capable of driving very high frame rates in Counter-Strike 2, it becomes a limiting factor only at lower resolutions. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking versus all CPUs suggests it is an average performer, but in this specific game, its single-thread speed is sufficient to avoid being a major constraint at 1440p and above.