Counter-Strike 2

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 273rd out of 1632 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the pairing in the top 17% of all configurations tested, a strong result that reflects the combination's high ceiling in a CPU-bound esports title. The ranking is particularly notable because CS2's engine rewards high single-thread throughput, and this processor delivers exactly that, while the GPU provides enough headroom to avoid becoming the bottleneck at most settings.

The combo's position is driven by the CPU's exceptional performance profile. The i5-14600K sits in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 49166. Its nearest rivals in the synthetic suite are the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X at 49062 (the i5-14600K is 0.2% faster) and the Intel Core i5-14600KF at 49367 (the KF variant is 0.4% faster). This grouping shows that the processor's performance is tightly clustered with high-core-count alternatives, but in CS2 specifically, the 14-core/20-thread design with its 5.30 GHz boost clock gives it an edge that pure core counts cannot match.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 84th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A6000 at 42653 (0.2% faster) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE at 42723 (0.3% faster). The tight margins here—all within 1.6%—indicate that in raw compute terms, the GPU is competitive with workstation-class parts, though its gaming-specific features like 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are what matter for CS2.

The combined result is a system that can push well beyond the refresh-rate limits of most displays. The data shows that the CPU is the primary driver of the combo's high rank, as CS2's frame rates scale dramatically with the i5-14600K's single-core performance. At 1080p Low, the system produces 589 FPS on average, a figure that only the fastest processors can approach. The GPU's role becomes more apparent at higher resolutions, where the frame rates drop but remain comfortably playable.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo better suited for high-refresh-rate competitive play or 4K gaming?

A: The data shows it excels at both, but for different reasons. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 589 FPS, ideal for 360Hz+ monitors. At 4K Ultra, it still produces 108 FPS, which is smooth for less competitive, more visually demanding play. The CPU drives the low-resolution performance, while the GPU handles the 4K workload.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14600K scores 49166 on average versus the Ryzen 9 5950X's 49062, a 0.2% advantage. This margin is small, but in CS2, the i5-14600K's higher boost clock of 5.30 GHz versus the Ryzen's lower clock speed gives it a practical edge in frame-rate generation.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile and what does it mean?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs tested. This means it outperforms roughly 84% of all GPUs in the database, placing it in the upper tier for gaming. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 0.2% higher, showing that the 4070 SUPER is effectively workstation-class in compute.

Q: How much FPS does the combo lose from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 361.6. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 238.7 (a 34% reduction), and at 4K High, it falls further to 136.2 (a 62% reduction from 1080p). This indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this combo?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo hits 589 FPS, which is exceptionally CPU-bound. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 108 FPS, showing the GPU is now the constraint. The crossover point is around 1440p Medium at 324 FPS, where neither component is fully saturated.

Q: Does the combo support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. In CS2, which uses a modern renderer, the Vulkan and DirectX 12 paths are fully supported, allowing the hardware to leverage its 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern that shifts the bottleneck from CPU to GPU as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 589 FPS, a figure that is almost entirely CPU-limited. The i5-14600K's 5.30 GHz boost clock and 24 MB of shared L3 cache allow it to feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at this low resolution. The RTX 4070 SUPER is effectively idle, waiting for the CPU to deliver draw calls.

Moving to 1440p Low, the average FPS drops to 389.8, a 34% reduction. This is a significant decline, but the frame rate remains extremely high. At 4K Low, the average falls to 214.4, another 45% drop. These reductions are steeper than what pure pixel-count scaling would predict, indicating that the GPU is now becoming the limiting factor. The 4K Low result is still well above the 136.2 FPS at 4K High, showing that settings have a larger impact than resolution at this tier.

The scaling pattern changes dramatically when moving up the settings presets. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 281.6 FPS, which is 52% lower than the 1080p Low result. At 4K Ultra, the average is 108 FPS, a 82% reduction from 1080p Low. This demonstrates that the GPU's workload scales more with settings than with resolution, as the RTX 4070 SUPER's 1980 MHz base and 2475 MHz boost clocks are pushed harder by the Ultra preset's additional effects.

The data indicates that for competitive play, 1080p or 1440p with Low or Medium settings provides the best frame-rate headroom. For casual play, 4K High at 136.2 FPS is still smooth, but the Ultra preset at 108 FPS approaches the lower limit for high-refresh-rate displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of the combo's performance envelope.

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 589 FPS average
• Medium: 486.5 FPS average
• High: 361.6 FPS average
• Ultra: 281.6 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo is overwhelmingly CPU-bound. The jump from Low to Medium costs 17.4% performance, while High costs a further 25.7%, and Ultra costs another 22.1%. This scaling is characteristic of a CPU-limited scenario, where the GPU's rendering load has minimal impact on overall frame rate.

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 389.8 FPS average
• Medium: 324 FPS average
• High: 238.7 FPS average
• Ultra: 189.9 FPS average

At 1440p, the GPU begins to exert more influence. The Low-to-Medium drop is 16.9%, similar to 1080p, but the High preset costs 26.3% and Ultra costs 20.4% more. The absolute frame rates remain high enough for 240Hz displays at Medium and below.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 214.4 FPS average
• Medium: 180.8 FPS average
• High: 136.2 FPS average
• Ultra: 108 FPS average

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The Low-to-Medium drop is 15.7%, but the High preset costs 24.6% and Ultra costs 20.7% more. The 108 FPS at Ultra is still playable, but it represents a 81.7% reduction from the 1080p Low result, highlighting the GPU's workload scaling.

The data shows that the combo's sweet spot is 1080p High at 361.6 FPS or 1440p Medium at 324 FPS, both of which exceed the refresh rates of all but the most extreme gaming monitors.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the AD104 chip using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 1980 MHz and boosts to 2475 MHz, with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 84th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576, places it in the upper tier of gaming hardware.

In CS2, the GPU's role becomes more prominent as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the GPU is essentially underutilized, with the CPU driving 589 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully saturated, producing 108 FPS. The 198.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 554.4 GTexel/s texture rate are sufficient to handle CS2's geometry and fill-rate demands at 4K, but the Ultra preset's additional post-processing effects push the GPU's 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 compute to its limits.

The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 0.2% higher in average benchmarks, but the 4070 SUPER's gaming-specific features—including its 224 tensor cores and 56 ray-tracing cores—provide better real-world performance in DirectX 12 titles like CS2. The 12 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for CS2's texture requirements, even at 4K Ultra, and the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth ensures no memory-related stuttering.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boosts to 5.30 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 49166, places it in the top 7% of all CPUs tested.

In CS2, the CPU is the primary performance driver. The game's engine relies heavily on single-thread performance, and the i5-14600K's 5.30 GHz boost clock is among the highest available. This is reflected in the 589 FPS at 1080p Low, a figure that only the fastest processors can achieve. The CPU's 24 MB of L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is critical for the game's frame-time consistency.

The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, scores 0.2% lower in average benchmarks, but the i5-14600K's higher clock speed gives it a clear advantage in CS2's CPU-bound scenarios. The 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a straightforward drop-in for existing LGA1700 motherboards. The CPU's single-thread benchmark results—4642 in Cinebench R23—confirm its dominance in the workloads that matter most for CS2.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the CS2 experience with this combo, depending on the user's display and competitive requirements.

For competitive play on a 240Hz or 360Hz monitor, the 1080p Low preset at 589 FPS is the clear choice. This setting maximizes frame rate and minimizes input latency, which is critical for a game like CS2 where reaction time determines outcomes. The 1440p Low preset at 389.8 FPS is also viable for 240Hz displays, offering a slight visual upgrade without sacrificing frame rate.

For balanced play on a standard 144Hz or 165Hz monitor, the 1080p High preset at 361.6 FPS provides excellent visual quality while still exceeding the monitor's refresh rate by a wide margin. The 1440p Medium preset at 324 FPS is also suitable, offering higher resolution with minimal frame-rate loss.

For casual play on a 4K display, the 4K High preset at 136.2 FPS delivers smooth gameplay with good visual fidelity. The 4K Medium preset at 180.8 FPS is better suited for 144Hz 4K monitors, while the 4K Low preset at 214.4 FPS provides the highest frame rate at 4K resolution. The 4K Ultra preset at 108 FPS should be avoided for competitive play but is acceptable for less demanding scenarios.

The data shows that the combo's best overall experience is at 1440p Medium with 324 FPS, which balances visual quality, resolution, and frame rate for most users. For those prioritizing absolute competitive performance, 1080p Low at 589 FPS is unmatched.