Counter-Strike 2

Resolution Scaling

Counter-Strike 2 shows a steep and consistent performance curve as resolution increases with this Intel Core i5-9400 + Intel Arc B370 pairing. At 1080p Low settings, the combo produces 162 FPS average, which drops to 107 FPS at 1440p Low and further to 60 FPS at 4K Low. That represents a 34% reduction moving from 1080p to 1440p and a 44% reduction moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p Low, the system is approaching a ceiling that is not purely GPU-bound; the 162 FPS figure at 1080p Low versus 107 FPS at 1440p Low shows that pixel count is still a major factor, but the gap between Low and Medium settings at each resolution tells a more nuanced story.

At 1080p, the drop from Low to Medium is 28 FPS (162 to 134), while at 1440p the same settings step costs 18 FPS (107 to 89), and at 4K it costs 10 FPS (60 to 50). This narrowing delta as resolution increases suggests the GPU becomes progressively more dominant at higher pixel counts, while at 1080p the CPU has more room to influence frame rates. The Ultra preset at each resolution shows the largest relative penalties: 78 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 29 FPS is barely playable, while 1080p Ultra at 78 FPS remains smooth. The data indicates that the limiting component shifts with resolution; at 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, given that even Low settings only reach 60 FPS, whereas at 1080p the system can exceed 160 FPS on Low, pointing to a more balanced load.

The Medium preset at 4K shows a min FPS of 42 and max of 57, which brackets the average of 50 tightly. This narrow spread suggests consistent frame pacing under medium load at 4K, unlike the wider 1080p Medium range of 114 to 154. Higher resolutions compress the frame time variance, which aligns with the GPU being heavily utilized. Overall, the scaling behavior indicates that users targeting 4K will need to accept Low settings for a 60 FPS experience, while 1440p offers a wider operating window between 52 and 107 FPS depending on preset.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with a TDP of only 25 W. The memory configuration is System Shared, meaning it draws from main system memory rather than dedicated VRAM; bandwidth is listed as System Dependent. This shared memory architecture is a critical factor in the measured results, particularly at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth pressure increases.

The GPU's shading units number 1280, with 40 texture mapping units and 20 render output units. It also includes 10 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 6.144 TFLOPS and FP16 at 12.29 TFLOPS (2:1). These specifications place the Arc B370 in a low-power integrated segment, which is reflected in its 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, and its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, delta -0.5%), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, delta -0.7%), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, delta 1.4%). These deltas are all within 1.5% of the Arc B370's score, indicating that it sits in a performance tier populated by older discrete and mobile parts.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's shared memory and low bandwidth ceiling manifest clearly in the 4K results. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 60, which is exactly half of the 1080p Low result of 162 FPS. This halving aligns with a fourfold increase in pixel count, suggesting that memory bandwidth is a limiting factor at 4K. The boost clock of 2400 MHz is relatively high for an integrated part, but the system-dependent memory bandwidth constrains how effectively that clock can translate into frame rate at high resolutions. The 25 W TDP also indicates a power envelope that prioritizes efficiency over peak performance, which is consistent with the GPU's 5th percentile ranking.

The Arc B370 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which means it can run modern APIs used by Counter-Strike 2. However, the measured FPS data shows that even with API support, the raw throughput is limited. The 3DMark score of 1184 places it far below dedicated gaming GPUs, and the nearest rivals are all over a decade old. This context explains why the 4K Ultra preset only achieves 29 FPS average — the GPU simply lacks the fill rate and bandwidth for that workload. For competitive play at low settings, the integrated nature of the Arc B370 is less of a hindrance, but for high-fidelity gaming, it is a clear bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings based on resolution and target frame rate. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 162 FPS average, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold for high-refresh monitors. The Medium preset at 134 FPS is still suitable for 120 Hz displays, while High at 100 FPS and Ultra at 78 FPS cater to 60-100 Hz panels. For competitive play in Counter-Strike 2, where high frame rates are prioritized over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1080p is the strongest choice based on the data.

At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 107 FPS, which is still smooth for 100 Hz displays. Medium drops to 89 FPS, High to 66 FPS, and Ultra to 52 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a min FPS of 76 and max of 102, which indicates that frame pacing remains stable even during demanding scenes. For users with 1440p monitors, Low is recommended for maximum frame rate, while Medium offers a balance between visual quality and playability. The High preset at 66 FPS is borderline for fast-paced FPS gameplay, and Ultra at 52 FPS may feel sluggish.

At 4K, the options are severely constrained. Low settings produce 60 FPS average, which is exactly at the standard 60 Hz refresh rate. Medium drops to 50 FPS with a min of 42 and max of 57, which will introduce visible stutter in fast action sequences. High at 37 FPS and Ultra at 29 FPS are below playable thresholds for a competitive FPS. The data strongly suggests that 4K is only viable with Low settings on this combo, and even then, the 60 FPS average leaves no headroom for frame drops. For the best experience per the measured rows, 1080p Low or Medium provides the highest frame rates, while 1440p Low is the highest resolution that maintains triple-digit FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 162, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only with Low settings, which produce a 60 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 50 FPS average with a minimum of 42 FPS, while High and Ultra fall to 37 FPS and 29 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rival is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 with a score of 1186, a delta of -0.2%. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (delta -0.5%), AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (delta -0.7%), and AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (delta 1.4%).

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 + Intel Arc B370 combo ranks 2642 out of 2870 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2.

Q: What are the core and thread counts of the Intel Core i5-9400?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The minimum FPS for the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is 76, with a maximum of 102 and an average of 89.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 9 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 in dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The CPU uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes and integrates UHD 630 graphics. It was released in October 2018 and is now end-of-life.

In benchmark tests, the i5-9400 scores 668 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 94 in single-core. Cinebench R20 results are 2784 multi-core and 392 single-core. Cinebench R23 shows 6629 multi-core and 935 single-core. Geekbench scores are 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core. The average benchmark score across all tests is 2254, placing it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (avg score 2259, delta -0.2%), Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, delta 0.3%), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, delta 0.4%), and Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, delta -0.4%). These rivals are within 0.5% of the i5-9400's average score, indicating that the CPU is positioned in a tightly contested mid-range tier.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where the GPU is less burdened. At 1080p Low, the 162 FPS result is likely CPU-bound, as the Arc B370 is not powerful enough to be the sole limiting factor at such a low graphical load. The 6-core, 6-thread configuration without hyper-threading means the CPU can handle the game's primary thread plus additional worker threads, but the 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth may constrain performance in scenes with many entities or complex physics. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz is adequate for single-threaded performance, as reflected in the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935, which is modest by modern standards but sufficient for Counter-Strike 2's engine.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 60 FPS at 4K Low is far below the 162 FPS at 1080p Low, and this drop is attributable to the GPU's shared memory and limited fill rate rather than CPU capability. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking suggests it is an average performer, but in a game like Counter-Strike 2 that is heavily optimized and CPU-friendly at high frame rates, the i5-9400 can still deliver playable results at lower resolutions. The 9 MB L3 cache is shared across all cores, which helps with data reuse in game logic, but the lack of additional threads may cause occasional frame hitches in busy firefights, though the measured data does not capture min FPS for Low settings to confirm this.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for this combo covers three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average of 162 FPS with no min or max recorded. Medium averages 134 FPS with a min of 114 and max of 154. High averages 100 FPS, and Ultra averages 78 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a total reduction of 84 FPS, which is a 52% drop. The Medium preset's range of 114 to 154 FPS indicates that frame times are consistent, with a spread of 40 FPS between min and max.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 107 FPS, Medium averages 89 FPS with a min of 76 and max of 102, High averages 66 FPS, and Ultra averages 52 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p has a narrower range of 26 FPS between min and max compared to 1080p Medium's 40 FPS spread. This tighter distribution suggests that at higher resolution, the GPU's workload is more uniform, reducing frame time spikes. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 55 FPS, representing a 51% reduction, which is proportionally similar to the 1080p scaling.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 60 FPS, Medium averages 50 FPS with a min of 42 and max of 57, High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a range of only 15 FPS between min and max, which is the tightest of any resolution/setting combination. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that frame rates are consistently low regardless of scene complexity. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 31 FPS, a 52% reduction, matching the pattern seen at other resolutions. The 4K Low result of 60 FPS is exactly double the 4K Ultra result of 29 FPS, showing that the Low preset roughly halves the GPU's workload compared to Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 + Intel Arc B370 combo ranks 2642 out of 2870 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems. This rank reflects the combined limitations of a mid-range 2018 CPU and a low-power integrated GPU that sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking is relatively stronger than the GPU's 5th percentile, indicating that the GPU is the primary drag on this combo's overall position.

In the context of Counter-Strike 2, which is known to be CPU-intensive at high frame rates, the i5-9400's 6-core configuration is sufficient to push frame rates above 100 at 1080p Low, but the Arc B370's shared memory and limited throughput cap the system at 162 FPS even at the lowest settings. The combo's rank of 2642 suggests that most other tested combinations achieve higher average frame rates, likely due to more powerful dedicated GPUs or newer CPUs with higher single-thread performance. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, which means the CPU is not the differentiator; the GPU's 1184 3DMark score relative to modern parts explains the low overall rank.

For users considering this combo, the data indicates that it is best suited for 1080p gaming at Low to Medium settings, where it can achieve 134-162 FPS. At higher resolutions, the rank would likely be even lower if measured separately, as the 4K results fall below 60 FPS except on Low settings. The 2870 total combos in the database include many with discrete GPUs, so a rank of 2642 is expected for an integrated graphics solution. The Arc B370's nearest GPU rivals are all over a decade old, which underscores how far behind modern dedicated parts this integrated solution is. In competitive Counter-Strike 2 play, where high and consistent frame rates are critical, this combo sits near the bottom of the tested field, and users should expect to sacrifice visual quality significantly to maintain playable performance.