Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 presents an interesting case study when paired with the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. This combination sits at rank 121 out of 1632 tested combos in the database, placing it in the top 7.4% of all configurations. The data reveals a system where the CPU, not the GPU, is the primary constraint at lower resolutions, while the GPU takes over only at the most demanding settings. The benchmark results show that this pairing delivers extremely high frame rates across the board, but the scaling patterns tell a story about where each component's limits lie.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, but the degree of the drop varies dramatically based on the selected settings preset. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 506.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 442.1 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 64 FPS. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 276.5 FPS, which represents a 229.6 FPS loss from the 1080p baseline.

The High preset tells a similar story with slightly different numbers. From 425.7 FPS at 1080p, the average falls to 307.9 FPS at 1440p, and then to 174.8 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4090 is being increasingly utilized as resolution climbs, but the i5-10400F is still able to feed it adequately at 1080p where the CPU is the limiting factor.

Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic resolution scaling. The 1080p result of 358.5 FPS drops to 238.3 FPS at 1440p, and then falls sharply to 131.4 FPS at 4K. This 227.1 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K Ultra suggests that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck at higher resolutions with maximum settings, whereas the CPU limits performance at 1080p regardless of preset.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the i5-10400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are the primary constraint, as evidenced by the relatively small FPS differences between Low (506.1) and High (425.7) settings. At 4K, the GPU workload increases enough that the RTX 4090's compute capabilities become the deciding factor, shown by the wider spread between Low (276.5) and Ultra (131.4).

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combination in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot for balancing frame rate and visual fidelity. At this resolution, High settings deliver 307.9 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rates of most gaming monitors, while providing significantly better image quality than 1080p.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 bottleneck the i5-10400F?

A: At 1080p, yes. The 506.1 FPS Low setting result versus 425.7 FPS at High shows only a 15.9% difference, suggesting the CPU is limiting performance. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 145.1 FPS gap between Low and Ultra settings.

Q: How does the i5-10400F compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14168, placing it 0.4% above the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115) and 0.8% below the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277). It trails the Intel Core i5-8500 by 1.1% and the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 by 1.2%.

Q: What is the expected performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 442.1 FPS while Ultra produces 238.3 FPS. This represents a 203.8 FPS difference, or approximately 46% lower performance at Ultra compared to Low.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's performance in this game representative of its overall standing?

A: The RTX 4090 holds the 91st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 66473. In the Passmark G3D test, it scores 38194, which is substantially higher than its nearest rivals in the database.

Q: Can this system maintain high refresh rates at 4K?

A: At 4K with High settings, the system averages 174.8 FPS, which exceeds 144Hz refresh rates. However, at Ultra settings, the 131.4 FPS average falls below 144Hz, so users seeking maximum refresh rates at 4K should stick to High settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 brings substantial hardware to this pairing. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for feeding the 16384 shading units at high resolutions. The GPU's boost clock of 2520 MHz, combined with its 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, allows it to process the geometry and lighting calculations that Counter-Strike 2's Source 2 engine demands.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 66473. In the Passmark G3D test, it achieves 38194 points, and its DirectX 11 score of 326 further illustrates its computational strength. The RTX 4090's nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla T4, scores 66733 (0.4% higher), while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 trails at 67097 (0.9% lower).

In actual game measurements, the RTX 4090's role becomes evident when comparing 4K results across settings. The difference between Low (276.5 FPS) and Ultra (131.4 FPS) at 4K is 145.1 FPS, showing that the GPU's workload increases significantly with higher presets. At 1080p, the same Low-to-Ultra gap is only 147.6 FPS (506.1 to 358.5), indicating that the CPU is masking the GPU's potential at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the i5-10400F and RTX 4090 combination produces its highest frame rates. Low settings yield 506.1 FPS, Medium produces 479.2 FPS, High settings reach 425.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 358.5 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 147.6 FPS, with each settings tier costing approximately 40-50 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages shift downward but remain exceptionally high. Low settings deliver 442.1 FPS, Medium achieves 411.7 FPS, High produces 307.9 FPS, and Ultra reaches 238.3 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap widens to 203.8 FPS, showing that the GPU is beginning to take on more of the rendering load.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4090's capabilities are more fully tested. Low settings sustain 276.5 FPS, Medium generates 229.4 FPS, High produces 174.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 131.4 FPS. The 145.1 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K, compared to the 203.8 FPS difference at 1440p, suggests that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck at the highest resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 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. Its synthetic benchmarks show a single-thread score of 2541 in Passmark and 1453 in Cinebench R23, while multi-threaded results reach 12115 in Passmark and 10297 in Cinebench R23.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 73 places it above 73% of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 14168. Among its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277 (0.8% higher), while the Intel Core i5-8500 achieves 14332 (1.1% higher). This puts the i5-10400F in a competitive position within its performance class.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p, where the frame rates across settings are compressed relative to higher resolutions. The 506.1 FPS at Low settings versus 425.7 FPS at High represents only a 15.9% drop, whereas at 4K the same settings comparison shows a 36.7% drop (276.5 to 174.8 FPS). This indicates that the i5-10400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to keep the RTX 4090 fed at 1080p, but the CPU becomes less relevant as the GPU workload increases.

Settings Recommendations

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates at 1920x1080, Low settings provide the best experience at 506.1 FPS, though even Ultra settings at 358.5 FPS far exceed any current monitor's refresh rate. At this resolution, the CPU is the limiting factor, so users can select higher presets without significant performance penalties relative to the GPU's potential.

At 2560x1440, High settings offer the best balance, producing 307.9 FPS while maintaining visual quality. This preset provides a 69.6 FPS improvement over Ultra (238.3 FPS) while still delivering frame rates that exceed 240Hz displays. Users with higher refresh rate monitors may prefer Medium settings at 411.7 FPS, which offers a 103.8 FPS advantage over High.

For 3840x2160, High settings are recommended as they deliver 174.8 FPS, which comfortably exceeds 144Hz refresh rates. Ultra settings drop to 131.4 FPS, which may cause stuttering on 144Hz displays and is not worth the visual gain over High. Medium settings at 229.4 FPS provide a significant margin for users with 240Hz 4K displays, though these remain rare in the market.