Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 pairing. The measured data reveals a system that is exceptionally capable at standard resolutions, but whose performance characteristics change dramatically as the resolution increases. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across the board, examining what the numbers say about the balance between the CPU and GPU in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 exposes a clear shift in system bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers an average of 324.6 FPS. Moving up to 1440p Low, the average drops to 213.9 FPS, a reduction of approximately 34%. The jump to 4K Low yields 118.1 FPS, which is roughly 45% lower than the 1440p result and 64% lower than the 1080p figure.

This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rate is so high that the Core i5-11400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads boosting up to 4.40 GHz, is likely the limiting factor, keeping the GPU from reaching even higher numbers. As the resolution increases, the rendering load on the Radeon RX 7600 grows, and the frame rate drops proportionally to the pixel count increase, suggesting the GPU becomes the primary constraint.

The gap between settings also widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 167 FPS (324.6 vs 157.6). At 4K, that same Low-to-Ultra gap shrinks to 57.2 FPS (118.1 vs 60.9). This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is working near its limits regardless of the preset, with even the Low settings unable to push frame rates much higher due to the sheer pixel throughput required.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand database of tested combinations for Counter-Strike 2, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 holds a rank of 1087 out of 1632 combos. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, which is a surprising position given the high frame rates measured.

This ranking suggests that while this combo produces very playable numbers, there are many other pairings that achieve even higher frame rates in this esports title. The rank reflects the combination's performance relative to all other CPU-GPU pairings, including those with top-tier processors and graphics cards. The Core i5-11400F's percentile of 75 versus all CPUs indicates it outperforms a majority of processors in general benchmarks, but in a game like Counter-Strike 2, which is known for being CPU-sensitive, the 11th Gen processor's standing may not be as strong as its general benchmark suggests.

The data indicates that this combo is not at the bleeding edge of performance for this game, but rather a solid mid-pack performer. Its rank of 1087 out of 1632 implies that while it can deliver high frame rates, a significant number of other hardware combinations can deliver even higher ones, likely due to more powerful CPUs that can feed frames even faster at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600's role in this combo becomes more defined as resolution increases. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has the resources for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The GPU's boost clock of 2655 MHz and game clock of 2250 MHz are the key drivers behind its performance.

The measured FPS suggests that Counter-Strike 2 is not particularly demanding on VRAM, as even at 4K High settings, the combo achieves 77.2 FPS. This indicates that the 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for this title across all tested settings. The RX 7600's performance relative to its nearest rivals is interesting; it sits just 0.6% behind the Radeon RX 7600 XT in average benchmark score, but is 1.3% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile.

The GPU's compute capabilities, measured at 21.75 TFLOPS FP32, are more than adequate for Counter-Strike 2's Source 2 engine. The data shows that the GPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, as evidenced by the 324.6 FPS on Low settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 60.9 FPS, which indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput (169.9 GPixel/s) and texture rate (339.8 GTexel/s) are being fully utilized at that extreme resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full dataset provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional frame rates: 324.6 FPS on Low, 268.6 FPS on Medium, 203.6 FPS on High, and 157.6 FPS on Ultra. These numbers are all far above the refresh rates of most monitors, making the system ideal for competitive play at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but drops noticeably. The Low preset yields 213.9 FPS, which is still very high. Medium produces 179.2 FPS, High delivers 133.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 102.8 FPS. These figures indicate that 1440p is a sweet spot for this combo, offering a balance between visual fidelity and high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the system starts to show its limits. Low settings produce 118.1 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 102.3 FPS. High settings yield 77.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 60.9 FPS. The 4K results are interesting because they show that even Low settings cannot maintain the triple-digit frame rates seen at lower resolutions, confirming that the RX 7600 is the bottleneck here. The performance scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is 57.2 FPS, which is the smallest absolute difference across all resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 324.6, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Counter-Strike 2?

A: Yes, it can. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, it averages 60.9 FPS, which is playable. Lower settings yield higher frame rates, with Low settings reaching 118.1 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7600 compare to its closest rival in general benchmarks?

A: The Radeon RX 7600's average benchmark score is 20258, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT's score of 20146.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average FPS is 203.6. At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 133.4, representing a significant drop of 70.2 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: Given the extremely high frame rates at 1080p (324.6 FPS on Low), the data suggests the Intel Core i5-11400F is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU appears to have headroom to render frames faster if the CPU could feed it data more quickly.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 ranks 1087 out of 1632 total tested combos for Counter-Strike 2.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F plays a crucial role in this combo's performance, particularly at lower resolutions. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Rocket Lake architecture, this CPU has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2029 and Geekbench single-core score of 1979.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's job is to process game logic, physics, and draw calls before sending render commands to the GPU. The high frame rates at 1080p (up to 324.6 FPS) demonstrate that the i5-11400F can handle this workload efficiently. However, its performance relative to other CPUs is telling. The i5-11400F's average benchmark score of 17181 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (17189) and the Intel Core i7-1260P (17212), with delta percentages of 0% and -0.2% respectively.

This positioning suggests that while the CPU is capable, it is not a top-tier performer in this game's context. The 12 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide adequate bandwidth, but the data implies that a more powerful CPU could potentially unlock higher frame rates at 1080p. The CPU's 75th percentile standing among all CPUs indicates it outperforms three-quarters of tested processors, yet in a game where every frame counts, the rank of 1087 out of 1632 combos suggests there is room for improvement.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience depending on the user's resolution and performance priorities. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver exceptional frame rates, but the Low preset at 324.6 FPS is the clear choice for competitive players seeking maximum responsiveness. For those wanting better visuals without sacrificing much performance, the Medium preset at 268.6 FPS offers an excellent balance.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 133.4 FPS is the recommended choice for most users. It provides a good visual upgrade over Medium (179.2 FPS) while still maintaining frame rates well above 120 FPS. For players with 144Hz monitors, the Medium preset ensures the frame rate stays above the refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 102.8 FPS is acceptable but may cause noticeable drops below 100 FPS in intense moments.

At 3840x2160, the choices become more constrained. The Low preset at 118.1 FPS is the best option for maintaining high frame rates at 4K. The Medium preset at 102.3 FPS is still playable and offers improved visuals. The High preset at 77.2 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 60.9 FPS should only be used if visual fidelity is the absolute priority over smoothness. For 4K gaming, the data suggests that Medium settings provide the best compromise between image quality and playable frame rates.