Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 996th out of 1632 tested combinations for Counter-Strike 2. This places the combo in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while it is capable of running the game, it is not positioned among the top-performing configurations. The rank reflects the balanced but dated nature of the GPU, which holds back the otherwise strong processor. The data shows a system that can deliver high frame rates at mainstream resolutions, but the overall standing in the benchmark hierarchy is constrained by the graphics card's generational limitations.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's 996th position out of 1632 tested pairs reveals a configuration that sits just below the median performance tier for Counter-Strike 2. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU, which holds a 65th percentile score versus all GPUs, while the CPU achieves a much stronger 93rd percentile versus all CPUs. The disparity suggests the processor is capable of far more than the graphics card can leverage in this title. Benchmark results indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 22206 is nearly identical to that of the NVIDIA RTX A400, which trails by just 0.5 percent, and the GeForce GTX TITAN Z, which leads by 0.9 percent. This positions the GPU in a tight cluster of mid-range performers, and the combo's overall rank reflects that ceiling.

The i5-14600K, by contrast, posts an average benchmark score of 49166, sitting within 0.2 percent of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and just 0.4 percent behind the Intel Core i5-14600KF. This CPU performance is far above what the GPU can utilize in Counter-Strike 2, meaning the combo's ranking is not a measure of the processor's capability but rather the pairing's balanced output. In practical terms, the 996th rank suggests that many other combinations—particularly those with newer graphics cards—will deliver higher frame rates, even if their CPUs are less powerful. The data does not show this combo being a top contender, but it also does not place it at the bottom, as the GPU still outperforms 65 percent of all GPUs tested.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary limiting factor in this configuration for Counter-Strike 2. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p but becomes a constraint at 4K. The GPU's base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz, combined with 2560 shading units, deliver a pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s. These specifications allow the card to produce high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the data shows a steep performance drop as resolution increases, pointing to the GPU as the bottleneck.

The 12 nm Turing architecture, with 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, offers 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In Counter-Strike 2, a game that is not heavily reliant on ray tracing, the RT cores are largely unused, and the card's raw rasterization power is what matters. The measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 353.3, which is excellent, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 63.8, demonstrating the GPU's struggle with higher pixel counts. The GPU's 65th percentile ranking versus all GPUs confirms that it is a mid-tier part, and the nearest rival data shows it trading blows with the NVIDIA RTX A400 and AMD Radeon RX 5700, the latter trailing by 2.5 percent in average benchmark score.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience in Counter-Strike 2, the data suggests that Medium settings provide the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate. At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 296.5 FPS, which is more than sufficient for competitive play and only a modest drop from the 353.3 FPS seen at Low. At 1440p Medium, the frame rate remains high at 197.3, still well above the 144 Hz refresh rate that many monitors offer. High settings at 1080p deliver 222.2 FPS, but the jump to Medium from Low yields a smaller performance penalty than the jump from Medium to High, making Medium the sweet spot.

Ultra settings are not recommended for this combo. At 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 168.6, which is still playable but represents a 43 percent reduction from Medium. At 1440p Ultra, the frame rate falls to 113.2, and at 4K Ultra it plummets to 63.8, which is below the threshold for smooth competitive play. The data indicates that High settings at 4K, producing 84.5 FPS, are borderline, whereas Medium at 1440p offers a far better experience. For players who prioritize frame rate over fidelity, Low settings at 1440p provide 236.9 FPS, making it a viable option for high-refresh-rate displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce 353.3 FPS, Medium yields 296.5, High drops to 222.2, and Ultra bottoms out at 168.6. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, but even the worst-case 1080p result exceeds 160 FPS, indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU enough data at this resolution. The gap between Low and Medium is 56.8 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 74.3, and the gap between High and Ultra is 53.6, showing a relatively consistent scaling pattern.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the GPU beginning to strain. Low settings hit 236.9 FPS, Medium reaches 197.3, High achieves 144, and Ultra falls to 113.2. The 1440p High result is notable because it exactly matches a 144 Hz refresh rate, making it a target for many users. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low is 116.4 FPS, while at Ultra it is 55.4 FPS, indicating that lower settings are more affected by the resolution increase due to CPU overhead. At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Medium settings produce 107.4 FPS, High drops to 84.5, Low achieves 131.6, and Ultra falls to 63.8. The 4K Low result is surprisingly strong, beating 4K High by 47.1 FPS, but the Ultra result is below 60 FPS for some displays, making it unsuitable for competitive play.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the frame rate falls from 353.3 at 1080p to 236.9 at 1440p, a 32.9 percent reduction, and then to 131.6 at 4K, a 62.7 percent reduction from 1080p. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain performance as pixel count quadruples. At Medium settings, the drop is similar: 296.5 at 1080p to 197.3 at 1440p (33.5 percent less) and then 107.4 at 4K (63.8 percent less).

The scaling at High settings shows a 35.1 percent drop from 1080p to 1440p (222.2 to 144) and a 61.9 percent drop from 1080p to 4K (222.2 to 84.5). At Ultra, the drop is 32.9 percent to 1440p (168.6 to 113.2) and 62.2 percent to 4K (168.6 to 63.8). The consistent pattern across all settings—roughly a one-third reduction at 1440p and a two-thirds reduction at 4K—points squarely at the GPU as the limiting component. The CPU's strong single-thread performance cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to fill pixels at higher resolutions. The data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo, with 4K only viable at Low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process, features a 24 MB shared L3 cache. In Counter-Strike 2, which is known for being CPU-sensitive, this processor provides ample headroom. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and single-core score of 4642 demonstrate strong performance, and the Passmark single-thread score of 4270 confirms its ability to handle the game's physics and logic calculations.

However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 353.3 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game, but the GPU still manages to keep up at this resolution. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking versus all CPUs, compared to the GPU's 65th percentile, indicates a significant imbalance. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with a 0.2 percent higher score, would not yield meaningful FPS gains in this game because the GPU holds the combo back. The processor's 20 threads and 5.30 GHz boost clock ensure that frame rates remain high at lower resolutions, but the data shows diminishing returns as resolution increases, confirming the GPU's dominance in limiting overall performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p as the optimal resolution. At Medium settings, the combo achieves 197.3 FPS, and at High it reaches 144 FPS, both of which are excellent for competitive play. 4K is only viable at Low settings with 131.6 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206, which is 0.5 percent higher than the NVIDIA RTX A400 and 0.9 percent lower than the GeForce GTX TITAN Z. It also leads the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 2.5 percent.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the frame rates?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU holds a 93rd percentile ranking versus all CPUs, while the GPU sits at 65th. The FPS drops by roughly two-thirds from 1080p to 4K across all settings, a pattern that points to GPU limitations.

Q: What settings should be avoided?

A: Ultra settings at 4K should be avoided, as they produce only 63.8 FPS. Even at 1440p, Ultra drops to 113.2 FPS, which is below the Medium setting's 197.3 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU rank in the database?

A: The i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 49166, placing it 0.2 percent behind the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and 0.4 percent behind the Intel Core i5-14600KF. It outperforms the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 1 percent.

Q: Can this combo handle high-refresh-rate monitors?

A: Yes, at 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p Medium, it produces 296.5 FPS, and at 1440p Medium, 197.3 FPS, both exceeding 144 Hz. At 1440p High, it exactly matches 144 FPS.