Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is remarkably forgiving on the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combo, with the data showing that even at 4K Ultra the system remains playable. The measured results place this pairing at rank 917 out of 1632 tested combos for this title, which is a solidly mid-pack finish that belies the strong raw frame rates. This is a configuration where the user is far more likely to be limited by monitor refresh rate than by the hardware itself, particularly at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep but not catastrophic, indicating a balanced system where neither component is an extreme bottleneck. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate falls from 235.1 FPS to 159.4 FPS, a decline of roughly 32%. The jump from 1440p to 2160p at High is more severe, dropping from 159.4 FPS to 90.5 FPS, another 43% reduction. This scaling pattern is typical for a GPU with 8 GB of VRAM and a 128-bit memory bus, as the pixel throughput demand at 4K becomes the limiting factor.

The most telling data point for identifying the limiting component comes from the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 384.2 FPS, but this drops to 253.7 FPS at 1440p and further to 140.1 FPS at 4K. The fact that even at the lowest visual fidelity the 4K result is less than half of the 1080p result shows that the RTX 4060's raw rendering capability, rather than the CPU, governs the upper frame rate ceiling at high resolutions. The i5-14400F with its 10 cores and 16 threads is clearly capable of feeding the GPU enough data at 1080p, evidenced by the 384 FPS figure, but the GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance simply cannot sustain that throughput when pixel count quadruples.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations for Counter-Strike 2, this pairing sits at rank 917 out of 1632, placing it in the 56th percentile of all configs. This rank is surprisingly low given the raw frame rates achieved, which suggests that many other combinations — likely those with higher-tier GPUs or more aggressive CPU overclocks — are achieving even higher scores in this esports title. The rank of 917 indicates that while this system is comfortably above the median, it is not a top-tier performer for competitive play at the highest refresh rates.

The deltaPct values from the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU individually provide context for why this combo ranks where it does. The i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32508 is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-12800H, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, and AMD Ryzen 7 250, all within 0.2% of each other. This means the processor is not the differentiator. Meanwhile, the RTX 4060's average score of 23181 is within 0.8% of the Intel Arc B580 and AMD Radeon 760M, indicating that the GPU is also performing exactly as its silicon would suggest. The mid-pack rank is therefore a direct reflection of the mid-range hardware pairing, not a sign of any inefficiency in the system.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the AD107 chip with 18,900 million transistors and 3072 shading units. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a constraint at 4K Ultra. The measured data shows exactly this: at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 65.4, which is the lowest result across all tested settings. The boost clock of 2460 MHz helps maintain performance, but the 48 ROPs and 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate are the physical limits that bound high-resolution output.

The RTX 4060's percentile rank of 66 among all GPUs is a strong indicator of its capability in this game. The GPU's measured results in Counter-Strike 2 align with its synthetic benchmark scores — a Passmark G3D score of 19545 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2302. The VRAM usage at 4K Ultra is likely the primary pressure point; the data shows a 41.7% drop from 4K High (90.5 FPS) to 4K Ultra (65.4 FPS), a much steeper penalty than the 23.4% drop seen from 1080p High (235.1 FPS) to 1080p Ultra (187.1 FPS). This disproportionate loss at 4K Ultra indicates that the combination of high texture detail and high pixel count is exhausting the 8 GB frame buffer, forcing the memory controller to work harder and reducing effective throughput. Counter-Strike 2 is not a demanding title by modern standards, but this data confirms that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance at 4K, while the CPU takes on a larger role at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset yields 384.2 FPS, Medium drops to 318.7 FPS, High produces 235.1 FPS, and Ultra still manages 187.1 FPS. Every setting at 1080p exceeds the 144 Hz refresh rate that most competitive monitors offer, making this resolution the sweet spot for maximum frame pacing. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 197.1 FPS, which shows that even the most demanding preset leaves substantial headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU's workload. Low produces 253.7 FPS, Medium drops to 212 FPS, High holds at 159.4 FPS, and Ultra falls to 122.7 FPS. The 1440p results are still excellent for high-refresh gaming, with only the Ultra preset dipping below the 144 FPS threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is a 131 FPS drop, a narrower range than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the performance is playable but not ideal for high-refresh displays. Low produces 140.1 FPS, Medium yields 116.4 FPS, High drops to 90.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 65.4 FPS. The 4K results show a clear hierarchy where each preset step costs roughly 20-25 FPS, except for the jump from Medium to High which costs 25.9 FPS and from High to Ultra which costs 25.1 FPS. The data shows that 4K is viable only at Low or Medium settings for a consistently smooth experience, while 1440p and 1080p offer far more flexibility across all presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 80 KB of L1 cache per core provide the low-latency access that Counter-Strike 2's engine favors. The CPU's percentile rank of 88 among all processors, alongside a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914 and single-core score of 3093, positions it as a strong mid-range chip that will not hold back the GPU in most scenarios.

The measured FPS data confirms that the CPU is sufficient for this game. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 384.2 FPS, which is likely near the engine's own frame rate ceiling or the CPU's single-thread limit. The fact that the 1440p Low result of 253.7 FPS is still very high, and that the 4K Low result of 140.1 FPS shows a clear GPU-bound performance, indicates that the i5-14400F is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 3723 and Geekbench single-core score of 2333 are modest, but they are more than adequate for a game that is optimized for high frame rates. The data suggests that upgrading the CPU would yield little benefit in Counter-Strike 2, as the GPU is the deciding factor above 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal setting depends entirely on the target resolution and refresh rate, but the measured data provides clear guidance. For 1080p users with a 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitor, the High preset at 235.1 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it stays well above the refresh rate while offering improved textures and effects over Medium. The Ultra preset at 187.1 FPS is also viable for 144 Hz displays, but the 48 FPS loss from High to Ultra is not worth the marginal visual gain in a fast-paced esports title.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 212 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it delivers frame rates that satisfy even 165 Hz monitors. The High preset at 159.4 FPS is also excellent, though it drops below the 165 Hz threshold, making Medium the safer choice for competitive play. At 4K, the Low preset at 140.1 FPS is the only viable option for high-refresh gaming, while Medium at 116.4 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 65.4 FPS is not recommended for any scenario, as the 25.1 FPS drop from High to Ultra is a significant cost in fluidity with minimal visual benefit in a game where reaction time matters more than shadow quality.

FAQ

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

A: The 1920x1080 resolution at High settings yields 235.1 FPS, which is the best balance of frame rate and visual quality. The Low preset at 1080p achieves 384.2 FPS, but the High preset is the highest setting that remains above the 144 Hz threshold.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower presets. The 4K Low setting produces 140.1 FPS and 4K Medium produces 116.4 FPS, both of which are playable. The 4K High (90.5 FPS) and Ultra (65.4 FPS) settings are playable on 60 Hz displays, but not competitive.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p?

A: The data shows the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p. The frame rate drops from 253.7 FPS at Low to 122.7 FPS at Ultra, a decline of 131 FPS, which indicates that the RTX 4060's rendering limits, rather than the i5-14400F's processing power, are restricting performance.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 917 out of 1632 tested combos for Counter-Strike 2. This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the hardware's individual benchmark positions, where the CPU ranks in the 88th percentile and the GPU in the 66th percentile.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The difference is 197.1 FPS, with Low achieving 384.2 FPS and Ultra achieving 187.1 FPS. This is the widest relative gap across all tested resolutions, indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU at all settings at 1080p.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause problems at 4K?

A: The data indicates a disproportionately large performance drop from 4K High (90.5 FPS) to 4K Ultra (65.4 FPS), a 25.1 FPS loss. This steep decline suggests the 8 GB frame buffer and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are stressed by the combination of high resolution and Ultra textures, making High settings the recommended ceiling at 4K.