Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 915th out of 1632 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This percentile position, roughly the 56th percentile, indicates that while this combo is far from the top tier, it sits above a substantial number of older or lower-powered systems. The ranking is a composite result, reflecting the balance struck between the CPU's 6-core, 12-thread configuration and the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The data suggests that in a game like Counter-Strike 2, which is known for its reliance on processor performance, the 11th Gen chip is the primary anchor for this pairing's overall standing, preventing it from climbing higher despite the RTX 4060's capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 915 out of 1632 places it in the 56th percentile of all tested systems for Counter-Strike 2. This is a middling result, indicating that many combinations deliver higher average frame rates. The data shows a significant spread in performance between the lowest and highest settings at any given resolution, which means the combo's rank is highly sensitive to the user's chosen configuration. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 381.2 FPS, a figure that would likely place it in a much higher percentile than the 4K Ultra result of 70.3 FPS. Therefore, the composite rank of 915 is a compromise, reflecting an average of all these possible configurations. The i5-11400F's processor benchmarks, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14372, show it is a competent mid-range part, but it is not a high-end performer. This is the ceiling for the combo; the RTX 4060 is capable of producing much higher frame rates, but it is frequently held back by the CPU's processing limits, especially at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock is 2460 MHz, and it features 3072 shading units. In the context of Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 70.3 FPS, a figure that is heavily influenced by the GPU's raw fillrate and memory bandwidth. The data indicates that the RTX 4060's 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for this title, as no settings combination shows a catastrophic performance cliff that would indicate memory capacity issues. The GPU's overall average benchmark score is 23181, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs. This suggests that while the GPU is decently capable, it is not a top-tier part. In this game, the RTX 4060 is the secondary limiter; it only becomes the bottleneck at the highest resolution and settings, where its 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is taxed by the rendering load.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 381.2 FPS, which drops to 250.5 FPS at 1440p Low, and further to 143.3 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 62% drop in performance from 1080p to 4K at the Low preset. The pattern is similar for other settings. At High settings, the frame rate goes from 239 FPS at 1080p to 159.5 FPS at 1440p, and then to 87.5 FPS at 4K, a 63% reduction. This scaling behavior indicates that the system is not purely CPU-bound or GPU-bound across the board. At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the FPS figures are extremely high but the GPU has headroom. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, evidenced by the frame rate dropping to levels that are more consistent with the RTX 4060's raw performance. The transition point appears to be at 1440p, where the balance between the two components is most equal, delivering a still-playable 159.5 FPS at High settings.

Settings Recommendations

For this combo, the data suggests that the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience, delivering a high frame rate without excessive strain on the system. At 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 210.1 FPS, which is significantly higher than the 123.7 FPS at Ultra. Since Counter-Strike 2 is a competitive shooter where frame rate is often prioritized over visual fidelity, the Medium preset provides a strong advantage. Moving to 4K, the Medium preset yields 120.2 FPS, which is still smooth for most players, whereas the Ultra preset drops to 70.3 FPS, which may feel less responsive. At 1080p, the High preset at 239 FPS is also an excellent choice, offering a near-240Hz experience for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset at 1080p, with 381.2 FPS, is the maximum performance option but may sacrifice too much visual clarity for the average user. The data indicates that avoiding the Ultra preset is crucial for this combo, as it represents the steepest performance penalty for marginal visual gains.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 144Hz+ experience?

A: The data shows that at 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 210.1 FPS, which comfortably exceeds a 144Hz refresh rate. At 1440p High, it still delivers 159.5 FPS, so both settings are viable for high-refresh-rate gaming.

Q: Is the RTX 4060's 8 GB of VRAM a limiting factor in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The benchmark results do not show any anomalous performance drops that would indicate VRAM capacity issues. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution, suggesting that 8 GB is sufficient for this game's texture and geometry demands at the tested settings.

Q: How much performance is lost by moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: Using the High preset as a reference, the system drops from 239 FPS at 1080p to 87.5 FPS at 4K. This is a 63% reduction in average frame rate, highlighting the significant load increase on the GPU at the higher resolution.

Q: How does this combo compare to a system with the AMD Radeon RX 6600M?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23181, which is 0.6% lower than the RX 6600M's score of 23321. This indicates the two GPUs have nearly identical overall performance levels, though the data does not provide a direct game-specific comparison for Counter-Strike 2.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4060?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p, where frame rates exceed 380 FPS on Low settings, indicating the CPU is working at its maximum capacity. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, as frame rates drop significantly, showing the CPU has more headroom at higher resolutions.

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

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 381.2 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. This is the peak performance point in the dataset, with all other configurations producing lower frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 12 MB of shared L3 cache, and it supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. These specifications are central to its performance in Counter-Strike 2. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14372, and its single-core score is 2029, which are solid mid-range results. The data shows that this CPU is capable of pushing the RTX 4060 to very high frame rates at 1080p, achieving 381.2 FPS on Low settings. However, this is likely the CPU's ceiling, as the frame rates do not increase dramatically when the resolution is lowered further. The CPU's 65W TDP suggests it is power-efficient, but its performance is limited by its 14 nm process node. In the context of Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's single-thread performance is crucial, and its PassMark single-thread score of 2981 is respectable. The benchmark results indicate that the i5-11400F is a balanced mid-range processor that can handle competitive gaming, but it will not match the frame rates of newer, higher-end CPUs in this title.