Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is a fast-paced competitive FPS where frame rate matters more than visual fidelity. The benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination shows a system that excels at high refresh rates, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. The i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads, boosting to 4.40 GHz, pair well with the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The measured FPS across all resolutions indicates that this combo is well-suited for competitive play, offering triple-digit frame rates in most scenarios that will satisfy players with high-refresh-rate monitors.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the strongest. At Low settings, the combo achieves 322.5 FPS, and even at Ultra it maintains 158 FPS. For 2560x1440, expect 211.4 FPS at Low and 104.3 FPS at Ultra.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The i5-12400's average benchmark score is 19850. It is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-9700, which scores 19831 (a delta of 0.1%). It is slightly behind the Intel Core i7-8700, which scores 19894 (a delta of -0.2%).

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER a good match for this CPU, or is one a bottleneck?

A: The benchmark results show a balanced pairing. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (910 in 3dmark_single_thread) and the GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 power work together. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 55.9 FPS, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at that extreme resolution.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The difference is significant. At Low settings, the combo produces 211.4 FPS. At Ultra settings, it drops to 104.3 FPS. This represents a drop of roughly 107 FPS, or about a 50% reduction, when maxing out the settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER's benchmark performance rank among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 19774, which puts it ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, which scores 19680, a delta of 0.5%.

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

A: It can, but with caveats. At 4K High settings, it averages 71.5 FPS, which is playable. At 4K Low settings, it jumps to 121.2 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 55.9 FPS, which is below the ideal for competitive play.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which is crucial for Counter-Strike 2's engine that often relies on high single-thread performance. The benchmark data supports this, with the CPU scoring 910 in the 3dmark_single_thread test and 3456 in passmark_single_thread. The processor's L3 cache is 18 MB (shared), and its 10 nm process node from Intel helps keep the 65 W TDP manageable.

In this game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 5873 and cinebench_r23_multicore score of 15935 suggest that while multi-threaded performance is solid, the single-core strength is what drives high FPS in CS2. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 322.5 FPS, a number that is unlikely to be limited by the CPU's 6 cores given the game's scalability. The i5-12400's performance is effectively tied with the Intel Core i7-9700 (deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core i7-8700 (deltaPct -0.2), indicating that it provides comparable processing power to those older high-end chips.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for Counter-Strike 2, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1198 out of 1632 tested combos. This puts it in the lower-middle tier of all possible pairings. While the rank might seem low, it is important to contextualize this with the actual FPS numbers. The combo is likely ranked lower because many other users test with much more powerful and expensive GPUs. However, for a mainstream pairing, the performance is solid.

The rank of 1198 suggests that about 73% of other tested combos are faster. This is expected, given that the RTX 2060 SUPER sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, in contrast, is in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates the CPU is relatively stronger than the GPU in the context of the entire database. The combo's performance is not about being the fastest on the leaderboard; it is about delivering a consistent, high-frame-rate experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold for most competitive players, especially at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. With Low settings, the average FPS is 322.5. Moving to Medium settings yields 264.5 FPS. High settings produce 197.7 FPS, and Ultra settings still maintain a very high 158 FPS. These numbers indicate that a 144Hz or even 240Hz monitor can be fully utilized at 1080p, even with the highest graphical presets.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong for competitive gaming. Low settings deliver 211.4 FPS, while Medium settings drop to 177.8 FPS. High settings average 129.4 FPS, which is still excellent. Ultra settings bring the frame rate down to 104.3 FPS, which is still playable but begins to approach the threshold where a high-refresh-rate monitor might not be fully saturated in all scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor. Low settings yield 121.2 FPS, and Medium settings drop to 99.2 FPS. High settings average 71.5 FPS, which is smooth but not ideal for esports. Ultra settings drop to 55.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS mark and not recommended for competitive play. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows, indicating a GPU bottleneck at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU has 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz. The GPU's compute power is rated at 7.181 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, and it includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, though these are not heavily utilized in Counter-Strike 2.

The GPU's role in Counter-Strike 2 becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and settings. The benchmark scores show the RTX 2060 SUPER performing well, with a passmark_g3d score of 16462 and a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 2011. Its performance is superior to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (deltaPct 0.3) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (deltaPct 0.5), which is notable given the 2070 is a higher-tier product. At 1080p, the GPU is not the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 322.5 FPS at Low settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate of 55.9 FPS suggests the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and processing power are fully taxed.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience in Counter-Strike 2 with this combo, the data suggests prioritizing frame rate over visual quality, especially for competitive play. At 1920x1080, the High preset (197.7 FPS) offers an excellent balance, providing enough visual detail while maintaining frame rates that will saturate most high-refresh-rate monitors. If you have a 240Hz monitor, the Low preset (322.5 FPS) is the best choice to maximize smoothness and minimize input lag.

At 2560x1440, the High preset (129.4 FPS) is the recommended sweet spot. It provides a high enough frame rate for smooth gameplay while offering better visual fidelity than Medium (177.8 FPS) or Low (211.4 FPS). The Ultra preset (104.3 FPS) is usable but may feel less responsive in fast-paced situations. For 3840x2160, the data suggests using the Medium preset (99.2 FPS) to stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset (71.5 FPS) is playable, but Ultra (55.9 FPS) should be avoided for competitive integrity. Overall, the best experience is likely at 1080p with the High preset, balancing visual clarity with the high frame rates that Counter-Strike 2 demands.