Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a highly unusual combination for Counter-Strike 2, and the measured data confirms it is a severely unbalanced setup that lands near the very bottom of the database, ranking 2642 out of 2870 tested combos. With the CPU sitting in the 90th percentile among all processors and the GPU in the 5th percentile, the performance ceiling is dictated entirely by the graphics component. This pairing produces playable frame rates at lower settings, but the data shows a hard limit that no amount of CPU horsepower can overcome.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2642 out of 2870 tested combinations places it in the bottom 8% of all tested pairings for Counter-Strike 2. This is a striking result given the CPU's strength; the Core i5-14600K alone holds a percentile rank of 90 against all CPUs, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of processors in general computing benchmarks. The bottleneck is unambiguous: the Arc B370's 5th percentile GPU rank drags the entire system down to near the bottom of the leaderboard.

Looking at the GPU's nearest rivals explains why this rank is so low. The Arc B370 scores 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, and its closest competitors are all older or lower-end parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the Arc B370 is essentially tied with it. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (delta -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (delta -0.7%). Even the AMD FirePro M2000, which scores 1168, is only 1.4% behind. These are not modern gaming GPUs; they are legacy parts from over a decade ago. The Arc B370 is competing in that performance class, which explains its low percentile and the combo's poor rank.

The CPU's nearest rivals tell a different story. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698 (delta -0.2%), the AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470 (delta 0.3%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48287 (delta 0.7%), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995 (delta -0.8%). The i5-14600K's average benchmark score is 48618, placing it right in the middle of a group of high-end server and desktop processors. This is a processor that belongs in a system with a far more capable graphics card. The measured FPS data in Counter-Strike 2 reinforces this, showing that no matter how fast the CPU can calculate game logic, the GPU simply cannot render frames quickly enough to use it.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process node and a chip codenamed Panther Lake. Its transistor count and die size are listed as unknown, which is consistent with its status as an integrated graphics processor (IGP). The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM; the GPU uses the system's main memory, and the bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent." This is a fundamental limitation for gaming, as dedicated VRAM provides predictable and high-bandwidth access, whereas shared memory competes with the CPU for the same resources.

The clock speeds are modest: a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The memory clock is also listed as "System Shared," which means the effective memory speed is tied to whatever DDR4 or DDR5 memory is installed in the system, and it is not a fixed figure. The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation units. It also includes 10 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, which is a measure of raw compute power but does not always translate directly to gaming frame rates.

In Counter-Strike 2, these specifications produce the following results: at 1080p High settings, the average FPS is 100; at 1080p Low, it jumps to 162; at 1080p Medium, it is 134; and at 1080p Ultra, it falls to 78. The pattern shows that the GPU is the primary constraint. When settings are lowered, the frame rate increases significantly, which is typical of a GPU-limited scenario. The Arc B370's 5th percentile rank among all GPUs, combined with its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, indicates that it is not designed for high-end gaming. The nearest rival, the ATI Radeon HD 5770, was a mid-range GPU from 2009, and the Arc B370 performs at a similar level. This is a component that can handle esports titles at low to medium settings, but it will struggle with higher presets or higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The L3 cache is 24 MB shared, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. It uses the Intel Socket 1700 and has a TDP of 125 watts. The process node is 10 nm, and the die size is 257 mm². It also includes integrated graphics in the form of UHD Graphics 770, which is irrelevant here since the system is using the discrete Arc B370.

The CPU's benchmark scores are strong. In Cinebench R23, it scores 24491 in multi-core and 2064 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 16673 multi-core and 2491 single-core. The Passmark multithread score is 38682, and the single-thread score is 4270. These numbers place the i5-14600K in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score is 48618. The nearest rivals are all high-end server or desktop processors, with deltas ranging from -0.8% to +0.7%. This is a CPU that can handle any modern game's logic, physics, and AI without breaking a sweat.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is to manage the game engine, process player positions, calculate hit registration, and handle the netcode. The measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution or setting. For example, at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 162 FPS, but this is still limited by the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across all settings at a given resolution, since the CPU workload does not change drastically with graphics settings. Instead, we see FPS drop from 162 at Low to 78 at Ultra, which indicates the GPU is doing all the heavy lifting in terms of frame rate variation. The CPU has ample headroom, with its 14 cores and 20 threads ready to handle even the most demanding scenarios, but it is waiting on the GPU to deliver frames.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 162 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. This is playable for competitive Counter-Strike 2, where high refresh rates matter. The Medium preset drops to 134 FPS, with a minimum of 114 and a maximum of 154. The High preset averages 100 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 78 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 28 FPS drop, from Medium to High is a 34 FPS drop, and from High to Ultra is a 22 FPS drop. These are significant decreases, showing that each step up in quality costs a substantial number of frames.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 107 FPS, which is still respectable but 55 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 89 FPS, with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 102. The High preset averages 66 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 52 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 18 FPS, between Medium and High is 23 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 14 FPS. The frame rates are lower across the board, but the pattern of diminishing returns with higher settings remains.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 60 FPS, which is the bare minimum for playable frame rates in a competitive shooter. The Medium preset averages 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 and a maximum of 57. The High preset averages 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 29 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. Even the Low preset only manages 60 FPS, and anything above that dips below the threshold where the game feels responsive. The Medium preset's minimum of 42 FPS is particularly concerning, as it indicates stutter and inconsistency.

The data shows that this combo is only viable for serious play at 1080p Low or Medium, and possibly 1440p Low. At 1080p High, the 100 FPS average is acceptable for casual play but not ideal for high-level competitive matches. At 1440p and above, the frame rates become too inconsistent for reliable performance.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior is a textbook example of a GPU-limited system. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K causes large, predictable drops in FPS, which is exactly what happens when the GPU cannot keep up with the increasing pixel count.

At Low settings, the frame rates are 162 FPS at 1080p, 107 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K. This represents a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 44% drop from 1440p to 4K. The absolute drop from 1080p to 4K is 102 FPS, which is a 63% reduction. This is a massive scaling penalty, and it is entirely due to the GPU's limited pixel throughput and shared memory bandwidth.

At High settings, the frame rates are 100 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34 FPS (34%), and from 1440p to 4K is 29 FPS (44%). At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 78 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 29 FPS is essentially unplayable, and it shows that the GPU is completely saturated at that resolution.

The fact that the FPS drops are roughly proportional at each settings tier confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, we would see smaller FPS differences between resolutions, because the CPU workload is relatively constant regardless of resolution. Instead, the FPS scales almost linearly with the number of pixels, which is the signature of a GPU that is rendering each pixel as fast as it can and no faster.

The implication for the limiting component is clear: the Intel Arc B370 is the sole constraint. The i5-14600K has more than enough processing power to feed the GPU at any resolution, but the GPU cannot translate that into higher frame rates. The shared memory configuration is likely a major factor, as it limits bandwidth and adds latency compared to dedicated VRAM.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience for this combo in Counter-Strike 2 is achieved at 1080p with the Low preset, which delivers an average of 162 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches the high refresh rates preferred by competitive players, and it is the clear recommendation for anyone prioritizing performance over visual fidelity. The Low preset eliminates most shadows, reflections, and other visual effects, which reduces the GPU's workload and allows it to produce frames as fast as possible.

At 1080p Medium, the average of 134 FPS is still strong, with a minimum of 114 and a maximum of 154. This preset adds some visual polish without a catastrophic frame rate hit, and it is a reasonable choice for players who want a better-looking image while still maintaining high FPS. The 114 FPS minimum is above the 100 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay, so this is a viable alternative to Low.

At 1440p Low, the average of 107 FPS is playable, but the 55 FPS drop from 1080p Low is significant. This is a workable option for players with a 1440p monitor who cannot or do not want to drop to 1080p, but it requires accepting a lower frame rate. The 1440p Medium preset, at 89 FPS average with a 76 FPS minimum, is borderline; the minimum is below what most competitive players would consider acceptable, so it is not recommended for serious play.

The High and Ultra presets at any resolution above 1080p are not recommended. At 1440p High, the 66 FPS average is too low for a fast-paced shooter, and at 4K, all presets other than Low fall below 50 FPS, which is unplayable for Counter-Strike 2. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 29 FPS, is a slideshow and should be avoided entirely.

For players with a 1080p monitor, the recommendation is to use the Low preset for maximum competitiveness, or Medium if visual quality is more important than hitting the highest possible FPS. For players with a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only option that provides a consistently playable experience, and even then, the 107 FPS average is lower than what a more balanced system would achieve. At 4K, this combo is not viable for serious play, and the data suggests that users should lower the resolution to 1080p or 1440p to get acceptable performance.

The measured data shows that this is a pairing that should be avoided if high frame rates in Counter-Strike 2 are the goal. The CPU is excellent, but the GPU's 5th percentile rank and its performance level, on par with the ATI Radeon HD 5770 from 2009, make it a poor match for a competitive FPS. The system works, but it leaves a massive amount of CPU performance on the table. The i5-14600K is capable of supporting hundreds of FPS in this game, but the Arc B370 simply cannot deliver them.