Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a performance profile in Counter-Strike 2 that is heavily dictated by resolution and settings. At 1080p, the combination produces exceptionally high frame rates that suggest a CPU-bound scenario, while the transition to 4K reveals a more balanced workload where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. The data indicates a system capable of elite-level competitive play at lower resolutions, but with diminishing returns as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured frame rates demonstrate a pronounced scaling curve across the three tested resolutions. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average FPS drops from 313.2 to 209.2, a reduction of approximately 33%. The step from 1440p to 3840x2160 is even more aggressive, with High settings falling from 209.2 to 116.7, another 44% decline. This steepening curve is a classic indicator of the GPU becoming the bottleneck as resolution increases.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern is even more revealing. The 1080p Low result of 508.1 FPS is a staggering figure that strongly suggests the CPU is the ceiling at this configuration. Dropping to 1440p Low yields 332.6 FPS, and 4K Low produces 190.1 FPS. The fact that 4K Low still exceeds 190 FPS indicates that even at the highest resolution, this GPU retains substantial headroom, but the margin between settings narrows as resolution climbs.

The most telling data point is the difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p: 508.1 versus 240.5 FPS. This gap of more than 2x at the same resolution highlights how dramatically settings impact the render workload. Conversely, at 4K, the Low-to-Ultra spread is 190.1 to 88.9 FPS, a similar relative ratio but with far lower absolute values. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is working near its limits regardless of settings, while at 1080p, the CPU's capability to feed frames becomes the constraining factor.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Raptor Lake Refresh generation, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The architecture features 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, which are relevant factors for a game like Counter-Strike 2 that benefits from high single-thread performance. The CPU's benchmark results support this: its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 3093, while its multi-core score is 21914.

In the context of the measured FPS, the CPU's role becomes evident at 1080p Low settings, where the 508.1 FPS result is likely near the practical ceiling for this processor in this engine. The PassMark single-thread score of 3723 and multi-thread score of 25783 indicate strong per-core performance that is essential for maintaining high frame rates in competitive shooters. The CPU's percentile ranking of 88 versus all CPUs places it in the upper tier, but its nearest rivals—the Intel Core i7-12800H, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, AMD Ryzen 7 250, and Intel Core i7-13705H—all have comparable average benchmark scores (32513, 32446, 32584, and 32586 respectively), with delta percentages ranging from -0.2% to 0.2%.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting component, as evidenced by the relatively small FPS gains from Medium (417) to Low (508.1) compared to the larger gains from Ultra to Medium. This indicates that the CPU can supply frames faster than the GPU can render them at lower settings, but the GPU begins to catch up as settings increase.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip, featuring 8704 shading units and 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 1710 MHz, and it delivers 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The GPU's benchmark scores include a PassMark G3D score of 25086 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407.

The GPU's role in these results is most apparent at 4K resolution, where the demand on memory bandwidth and pixel throughput becomes critical. The 10 GB VRAM capacity, while not exhausted at these settings, is adequate for the game's requirements. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a drop from 163.6 to 88.9 FPS, which is a 46% reduction. This aligns with the 2.25x increase in pixel count, indicating that the GPU's raw rendering capability, rather than memory capacity, is the limiting factor.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 80 versus all GPUs is lower than the CPU's 88, which is reflected in the resolution scaling behavior. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (deltaPct -0.2), AMD Radeon 880M (deltaPct 0.4), AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (deltaPct -0.9), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (deltaPct 1), showing that the RTX 3080 sits in a competitive performance band.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 486th out of 1632 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the 70th percentile of all configurations. This rank reflects a system that is above average but not at the absolute top tier of performance, which is consistent with the hardware's individual percentile rankings of 88 for the CPU and 80 for the GPU.

This ranking suggests that while the CPU is notably strong, the GPU holds the combo back from higher placement. Many of the 485 combos ranked higher likely pair stronger GPUs with similar or better CPUs. The combo's position in the broader database indicates that it outperforms the majority of systems tested, but there is significant headroom for improvement if the GPU were upgraded. The data implies that this is a balanced mid-high tier setup, well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p, but not the ultimate combination for 4K ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates. Low settings yield 508.1 FPS, Medium produces 417 FPS, High delivers 313.2 FPS, and Ultra achieves 240.5 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at Ultra, the system exceeds 240 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but declines notably. Low settings produce 332.6 FPS, Medium yields 278.4 FPS, High delivers 209.2 FPS, and Ultra achieves 163.6 FPS. The 1440p results show that the system can comfortably drive high-refresh-rate 1440p panels at High settings, staying above 200 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. Low settings produce 190.1 FPS, Medium yields 152.6 FPS, High delivers 116.7 FPS, and Ultra achieves 88.9 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that dips below 100 FPS, and even 4K High struggles to maintain 120 FPS consistently. These numbers suggest that 4K gaming is viable but requires settings compromises to achieve high refresh rates.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

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

A: The maximum average FPS is 508.1, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system produces an average of 88.9 FPS, which is the lowest measured result across all tested configurations.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low settings?

A: The 508.1 FPS result at 1080p Low strongly suggests the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution and settings combination.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 486th out of 1632 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all systems.

Q: How much FPS is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 313.2 at 1080p High to 209.2 at 1440p High, a reduction of 104 FPS, or approximately 33%.

Q: What are the CPU's Cinebench R23 scores?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F scores 3093 in single-core and 21914 in multi-core tests in Cinebench R23.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For competitive play at 1920x1080, the Low settings preset delivers the highest average FPS at 508.1, which provides the maximum possible frame rate for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the Medium preset at 417 FPS offers a substantial improvement in visual quality with only an 18% performance penalty, making it a strong choice for players who want both responsiveness and clarity.

At 2560x1440, the High settings preset at 209.2 FPS represents the optimal balance, offering excellent visual fidelity while maintaining frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most 1440p 165Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at 163.6 FPS is also viable for 144Hz panels, but the performance cost of Ultra over High is significant at this resolution.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 190.1 FPS is the only configuration that supports high-refresh-rate 4K gaming, though it sacrifices visual quality. The Medium preset at 152.6 FPS remains playable for 144Hz 4K monitors, but the High preset at 116.7 FPS is better suited for 120Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 88.9 FPS is only recommended for 60Hz 4K panels, as the visual gains do not justify the substantial FPS drop.

The data suggests that the most versatile experience is at 2560x1440 with High settings, which yields 209.2 FPS and balances visual quality with performance. For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, 1080p Low is the clear choice, while those with 4K displays should accept Medium settings as the practical ceiling for smooth gameplay.