Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 with the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is an exceptionally high-performing combination, ranking in the 83rd percentile of all tested hardware pairings for this title. The data shows that this combo delivers playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings and exceeds the refresh rates of most high-end monitors at 1440p. The pairing of the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads with the GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory creates a system that is unlikely to bottleneck in this esports title, shifting the performance ceiling almost entirely to the graphics card at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The combo ranks #628 out of 3719 tested combinations, placing it in the top 17% of all hardware pairings benchmarked for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-13400F compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 25292, putting it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. It performs nearly identically to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (deltaPct: 0) and is only 0.3% behind the Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, while being 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 4070 SUPER and its closest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 43223, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. It trails the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB by 0.1%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile by 0.1%, and the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 by 0.2%, while being 1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile.

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

A: Yes, the measured data shows excellent 4K performance. At 3840x2160, it achieves an average of 135 FPS on High settings and 105 FPS on Ultra, ensuring a smooth experience above 100 FPS even at maximum quality presets.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximizing frame rate with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080 on Low settings, the system achieves an average of 587 FPS. Even at 2560x1440 on High settings, it maintains an average of 241 FPS, making 1440p the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming without sacrificing visual fidelity.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: No, the data suggests a balanced pairing. The i5-13400F's strong single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score of 960) and high multi-thread capabilities (cinebench r23 multicore score of 22604) are sufficient to feed the RTX 4070 SUPER. The performance scales consistently with resolution, indicating the GPU becomes the primary limiter at higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination holds the 628th position out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, which is a robust showing in the 83rd percentile. This ranking places the pairing well above the median, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of systems tested for this specific title. The ranking reflects the synergy between the CPU and GPU, as both components are in the upper quartile of their respective benchmark distributions.

When analyzing the CPU's contribution, its 77th percentile ranking among all processors suggests that it provides a strong foundation for gaming. The nearest rival data shows that the i5-13400F is statistically tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS and only marginally behind the Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D. This means that, from a pure processing standpoint, the system is not leaving significant performance on the table compared to similar-tier alternatives.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070 SUPER's 83rd percentile ranking is slightly higher than the CPU's, indicating that the graphics card is the more dominant component in this pairing. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB and the RTX 5050 Mobile, are all within a 1% delta, showing that the 4070 SUPER sits at the top of its performance tier. The overall combo rank of 628/3719 is therefore driven by the GPU's strength, with the CPU providing ample support to avoid creating a processing bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER plays the pivotal role in determining the frame rate ceiling for Counter-Strike 2, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process and features 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is more than sufficient for the texture and geometry data in this title.

The clock speeds are notably high, with a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. These clocks allow for substantial raw computational throughput, evidenced by the FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS. The memory runs at an effective speed of 21 Gbps, ensuring that data transfer is not a limiting factor. In the measured FPS data, the GPU's capability is most apparent at 4K resolution, where the demand on the graphics card is highest; the system still delivers an average of 135 FPS on High settings.

The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking against all other GPUs underscores its position as a high-end part. The benchmark scores, such as the PassMark G3D score of 29995, reflect its strong directX performance. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is a critical asset, as it prevents memory-related stutters at 4K Ultra settings, where the game can consume a significant amount of video memory. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance scaling from Low to Ultra settings, with FPS dropping as graphical fidelity increases, confirming its central role in this combo.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and refresh rate priorities. For competitive play at 1920x1080, Low settings yield an astronomical average of 587 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of any current monitor. Even Medium settings provide 487 FPS, ensuring that players can benefit from slightly better visuals without sacrificing the raw frame rate needed for ultra-high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, High settings offer an average of 241 FPS, which is ideal for 240 Hz monitors. This is the recommended configuration for most users, as it balances visual quality with a frame rate that exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end displays. Low settings at 1440p push the average to 388 FPS, which is useful for players using 360 Hz panels, but the visual compromise may not be worth it for the marginal competitive advantage. Ultra settings at 1440p still deliver a playable 187 FPS, but the drop from High is significant.

For 4K gaming at 3840x2160, High settings are the best choice, providing an average of 135 FPS. This is smooth enough for most gaming scenarios and is a better balance than Medium, which yields 180 FPS but with a noticeable drop in image quality. Ultra settings at 4K should be avoided for competitive play, as the average FPS drops to 105, which is below the threshold for high-refresh-rate gaming. The data suggests that High settings at 1440p or 4K offer the best overall experience, depending on the monitor's resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system shows its maximum potential, with Low settings producing an average of 587 FPS. Medium settings achieve an average of 487 FPS, with a minimum of 414 and a maximum of 561. High settings average 364 FPS, while Ultra settings average 283 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is linear, with a 304 FPS difference between the lowest and highest quality presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease as expected due to the higher pixel count. Low settings average 388 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. Medium settings average 323 FPS, with a min of 274 and a max of 371, showing good frame time consistency. High settings drop to an average of 241 FPS, and Ultra settings average 187 FPS. The performance gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 201 FPS, indicating that the GPU is still the main bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the system demonstrates its 4K capability. Low settings average 217 FPS, which is impressive for 4K. Medium settings average 180 FPS, with a minimum of 153 and a maximum of 207. High settings average 135 FPS, and Ultra settings average 105 FPS. The data shows a consistent 30-40 FPS drop between each settings tier, except for the jump from Low to Medium, which is 37 FPS. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings at all resolutions are notably high, suggesting that the system maintains stable frame delivery without significant stutters.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F provides the computational backbone for this combo, and its performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4070 SUPER in Counter-Strike 2. The CPU features 10 cores and 16 threads, operating at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This configuration offers a strong balance between multi-threaded capability and high single-thread performance, which is crucial for an esports title like CS2 that relies heavily on CPU-bound physics and game logic.

The processor's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a substantial 20 MB of shared L3 cache. This large L3 cache is beneficial for gaming, as it allows frequently accessed data to be stored closer to the cores, reducing latency. The CPU also supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the specific memory bandwidth is not listed, the dual-channel support ensures adequate data throughput for the game.

Benchmark results indicate that the CPU is competitive with its peers. In Cinebench R23, it scores 22604 in multi-core and 3191 in single-core, placing it in the upper echelon of desktop processors. The 3dmark single-thread score of 960 is particularly relevant for CS2, as the game's engine often relies on a few high-performance cores for main thread processing. The CPU's percentile rank of 77% against all other CPUs confirms that it is well above average, and its nearest rivals show that it is neither a performance outlier nor a weak link in the system.

The data from the measured FPS breakdown shows that the CPU's role is most critical at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 587 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability. As the resolution increases to 4K, the frame rate drops, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor. This transition point demonstrates that the i5-13400F provides ample headroom for the GPU to work at its full potential, making it an ideal match for the RTX 4070 SUPER in this title.