Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is exceptionally sensitive to resolution, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-12600KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 587 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 388 FPS, a reduction of roughly 34%, and at 3840x2160 it falls further to 217 FPS. This scaling indicates that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames as fast as the processor can feed them. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is significant, but the jump to 4K is where the GPU begins to take on a more dominant role.

The trend becomes even more apparent when examining the High settings preset. Here, the average FPS at 1080p is 364, which drops to 241 at 1440p and then to 135 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 34%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is roughly 44%. That steeper decline at higher resolutions confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER is starting to hit its performance ceiling in this title, though it remains highly capable. For a competitive FPS like Counter-Strike 2, the data suggests that 1080p is the sweet spot for achieving the highest possible frame rates, while 4K is perfectly playable but sacrifices the extreme responsiveness that esports titles often demand.

The Ultra preset further illustrates this dynamic. At 1080p, the combo still manages 283 FPS, dropping to 187 at 1440p and 105 at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 34% reduction, and from 1440p to 4K it is another 44% reduction. This consistent pattern across all presets points to a system that is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, but which will see frame rates dip below the 144Hz threshold at 4K with the highest settings. The data clearly shows that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K, a classic sign of a well-matched mid-range to high-end pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate this combo can achieve in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 587, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This indicates the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU an enormous number of frames when graphical load is minimal.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: Based on the data, no. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 587 FPS, and at 1080p High it still achieves 364 FPS. The fact that frame rates drop significantly when resolution increases suggests the GPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p; the CPU's performance ceiling is what caps the frame rate.

Q: How does the Medium preset compare between 1440p and 4K?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 323, with a minimum of 274 and a maximum of 371. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average drops to 180, with a minimum of 153 and a maximum of 207. The 4K result is still very smooth, but the 1440p result is significantly faster, making it the better choice for high-refresh-rate monitors.

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

A: Yes, it is playable. The average FPS at 4K ranges from 217 on Low settings to 105 on Ultra settings. While 105 FPS is above the standard 60Hz refresh rate, it may not be sufficient for a 144Hz or higher refresh rate 4K monitor. For competitive play, dropping to Medium or Low settings will push frame rates well above 144 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers an average of 241 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 187 FPS. This is a difference of 54 FPS, or about 22% fewer frames when moving from High to Ultra. The visual fidelity gain from Ultra may not justify the performance hit for players who prioritize frame rate.

Q: How does the combo's performance at 1080p Low compare to its performance at 4K Ultra?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p Low, the system produces 587 FPS, which is more than five times higher than the 105 FPS at 4K Ultra. This massive gap highlights how much headroom the CPU has at low resolutions, and how demanding 4K Ultra is on the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

For players using this Intel Core i5-12600KF and RTX 4070 SUPER combination, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. If the goal is maximum competitive performance on a 1080p 240Hz or 360Hz monitor, the Low preset is the clear choice, delivering 587 FPS. This ensures the frame rate stays well above the refresh rate of even the fastest displays, minimizing input lag and ensuring the smoothest possible experience. The High preset at 1080p still offers a very high 364 FPS, which is more than enough for any 144Hz or 240Hz panel and provides better visual clarity for spotting distant enemies.

At 1440p, the data suggests that the Medium preset is the best balance between visual quality and performance. With an average of 323 FPS and a minimum of 274 FPS, it comfortably exceeds the requirements of 240Hz monitors. The High preset at 1440p drops to 241 FPS, which is still excellent for most high-refresh-rate displays, but the Medium preset offers a more substantial safety margin against frame drops in intense firefights. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 187 FPS, is also viable, but the performance hit relative to Medium is noticeable and may not be worth the visual upgrade for a competitive title.

For 4K gaming, the situation is different. The Ultra preset produces 105 FPS, which is playable on a 120Hz TV or monitor but not ideal for competitive play. The High preset at 135 FPS is better, but the Medium preset at 180 FPS is the recommended choice. It provides a high enough frame rate to take advantage of 144Hz 4K displays while maintaining decent visual fidelity. The Low preset at 217 FPS is the fastest option, but it sacrifices too much visual detail for a game where seeing enemies clearly is crucial. In summary, the best experience is found by using Low at 1080p for esports, Medium at 1440p for a balance, and Medium at 4K for a smooth high-resolution experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 628th out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the top 17% of all configurations, which is a strong result for a mid-to-high-end pairing. The ranking reflects the CPU's excellent single-threaded performance, which is critical for a game like Counter-Strike 2 that is heavily reliant on CPU speed for high frame rates. The data shows that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems, making it a very capable choice for this title.

The CPU itself has a percentile rank of 79, meaning it outperforms 79% of all CPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score of 27799 puts it in close competition with several other processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, scores 27872, which is only 0.3% higher. This indicates that the i5-12600KF offers performance nearly identical to a previous-generation flagship, which is impressive. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, a popular gaming CPU, scores 27896, also just 0.3% higher. This shows that the i5-12600KF is not holding the system back in any meaningful way.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070 SUPER has a percentile rank of 83, outperforming 83% of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 43223, which is very close to the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB and the GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile, both of which are within 0.1% of its score. The GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is only 1% faster in synthetic benchmarks, showing that the desktop 4070 SUPER is a very high-performing card. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a top-tier GPU results in a system that is exceptionally well-suited for Counter-Strike 2, as evidenced by its top-17% ranking.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER plays a critical role in this combo, particularly as resolution and settings increase. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for Counter-Strike 2 at all tested resolutions and settings, as the game is not particularly VRAM-hungry. The 12 GB capacity ensures that there is no risk of hitting a memory limit at 4K, allowing the GPU to focus on rendering frames rather than managing assets.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a key factor. With a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, the RTX 4070 SUPER is able to maintain high performance under load. The boost clock is particularly important for maintaining consistent frame rates, as it allows the GPU to dynamically increase its speed when thermal and power headroom permit. This is evident in the measured FPS data, where the combo delivers smooth performance across all presets, with no signs of severe frame drops or stuttering.

The GPU's architecture, Ada Lovelace, and its 7168 shading units provide ample raw compute power. The data shows that at 4K with Low settings, the GPU is able to push 217 FPS, which confirms its efficiency. However, at 4K with Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 105 FPS. This 112 FPS difference is entirely due to the increased graphical workload, demonstrating that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K Ultra. The GPU's 80 ROPs and 224 TMUs are well-utilized in this game, which relies heavily on fill rate and texture processing. Overall, the RTX 4070 SUPER is a strong performer that enables high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, and remains very playable at 4K with adjusted settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-12600KF and RTX 4070 SUPER deliver exceptional performance. The Low preset yields an average of 587 FPS, which is the highest recorded result for this combo. The Medium preset produces 487 FPS, with a minimum of 414 and a maximum of 561. The High preset averages 364 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 283 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system is CPU-bound, as even the most demanding preset stays well above 280 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains very high. The Low preset averages 388 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 323 FPS, with a minimum of 274 and a maximum of 371. The High preset drops to 241 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 187 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all presets, showing a roughly 34% reduction in frame rate, which is expected given the increase in pixel count. The system remains more than capable of driving high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, even with the Ultra preset.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. The Low preset still manages a very playable 217 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 180 FPS, with a minimum of 153 and a maximum of 207. The High preset averages 135 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 105 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more significant, around 44%, which indicates the GPU is now the limiting factor. Despite this, the system is still capable of delivering a smooth experience at 4K on Medium settings, and even the Ultra preset stays above the 60 FPS threshold, making it viable for less competitive, more visually oriented play.