Counter-Strike 2

The data for Counter-Strike 2, measured with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, reveals a system with a stark contrast between its raw GPU potential and the practical limits imposed by its CPU. The following analysis breaks down the measured frame rates to illustrate how this combination behaves across resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured average FPS demonstrates a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 415 FPS. When the resolution is increased to 2560x1440, that average drops to 362 FPS, representing a 12.8% decrease. Moving up to 3840x2160 yields an average of 229 FPS, which is a further 36.7% drop from the 1440p figure.

This scaling pattern suggests that at lower resolutions, the frame rate is not solely dictated by the GPU. The jump from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings costs 53 FPS, but the jump from 1440p to 4K costs 133 FPS. The larger absolute drop at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU begins to take on a more significant role as the pixel count increases, while at 1080p, the CPU is likely a limiting factor, preventing the system from achieving even higher frame rates.

The High settings row reinforces this narrative. At 1080p High, the average is 349 FPS. At 1440p High, it is 254 FPS, a 27.2% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 142 FPS, a 44.1% reduction from the 1440p result. The diminishing returns of lowering resolution are evident; the data shows that the difference between 1440p and 4K is substantial, but the difference between 1080p and 1440p is more moderate, again pointing to a CPU bottleneck at the lowest resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is a high-end GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. Its benchmark scores place it at the 84th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44795. This places it in close competition with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, which scores 45152, a mere 0.8% difference. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2610 MHz.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's role is defined by the measured frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 110 FPS. This is the most demanding configuration tested, and the GPU is clearly working hard to maintain this level of performance. The difference between 4K High (142 FPS) and 4K Ultra (110 FPS) is a 22.5% reduction in performance for the highest visual quality preset.

However, the GPU's capability is constrained by the CPU in many scenarios. The fact that the 1080p Low setting (415 FPS) is only 14.5% faster than the 1080p High setting (349 FPS) suggests that the CPU is preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs. If the GPU were the sole bottleneck, the difference between Low and High settings at the same resolution would typically be more pronounced. The data indicates that the RTX 4070 Ti has the headroom to render far more frames than the i5-9400 can feed it at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for maximizing frame rate with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest average frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, the system achieves 415 FPS, and even with Ultra settings, it maintains an average of 298 FPS.

Q: How much performance is gained by switching from Ultra to Low settings at 1440p?

A: The measured results show a significant gain. At 2560x1440, the average FPS increases from 197 on Ultra to 362 on Low, which is an 83.8% improvement in average frame rate.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti being fully utilized at 1080p?

A: The benchmark data suggests it is not. The relatively small performance delta between Low (415 FPS) and High (349 FPS) settings at 1080p indicates that the Intel Core i5-9400 is likely the limiting component, preventing the GPU from achieving even higher frame rates.

Q: Does the system maintain a playable frame rate at 4K?

A: Yes, it does. Even at the most demanding preset, 4K Ultra, the system maintains an average of 110 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 190 FPS, and at 4K High, it is 142 FPS.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the average FPS is 389. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average FPS is 190. This represents a 51.2% reduction in average frame rate when moving to 4K.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this system?

A: The highest average frame rate in the data set is 415 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is ranked 817th out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the top 22% of all configurations tested for this game. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU.

While the GPU is a top-tier component, ranking at the 84th percentile of all GPUs, the CPU is far less distinguished, sitting at the 47th percentile of all CPUs. The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259 with a delta of -0.2%, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, which scores 2246 with a delta of 0.4%. This average performance level is the constraining factor in the combo's overall rank, preventing it from climbing higher despite the GPU's strength. The data suggests that this combo's position is more heavily influenced by the CPU's modest capability than by the GPU's high-end performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 415 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 389 | 330 | 447 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 349 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 298 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 362 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 339 | 288 | 390 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 254 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 197 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 229 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 190 | 161 | 218 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 142 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 110 | - | - |

The data shows a consistent hierarchy, with Low settings always producing the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. The margin between settings varies by resolution, highlighting the changing bottleneck dynamics.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for different performance goals. For users with high refresh rate monitors (240Hz or above), the 1920x1080 Low preset, which delivers 415 FPS, is the only configuration in the data set that can fully saturate such a display in all scenarios. The 1920x1080 Medium preset, with an average of 389 FPS and a max of 447 FPS, also remains above the 240Hz threshold and offers a better visual experience. The 2560x1440 Low setting, at 362 FPS, also exceeds 240Hz and is a strong option for those wanting a higher resolution without sacrificing the highest frame rates.

For a balance of visual fidelity and high performance, the 2560x1440 Medium preset is a strong candidate, providing an average of 339 FPS. This is a 6.8% reduction in average FPS compared to 1440p Low, but it adds the visual improvements of Medium settings. At 4K, the Medium preset offers a very playable 190 FPS, which is a 17.1% improvement over the High preset's 142 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset, which delivers 110 FPS, is only advisable for users who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rate, as it is the only configuration tested that drops below the 144Hz threshold.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores are modest, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935. This performance level places it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs, directly between rivals like the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (which has a delta of -0.2%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (which has a delta of 0.4%).

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is critical. The data strongly indicates that the i5-9400 becomes the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. Evidence for this can be seen when comparing the average FPS between Low and High settings at 1080p; the difference is only 66 FPS (415 vs 349). If the GPU were the sole limiting factor, the difference would be expected to be larger. The CPU's 6 threads are likely being fully utilized, and its single-core performance is not sufficient to feed the RTX 4070 Ti with enough draw calls to reach its maximum potential.

The situation changes at higher resolutions. At 4K, the GPU's rendering workload increases significantly, and the CPU has more time to prepare frames. This is why the difference between Low and High settings at 4K is 87 FPS (229 vs 142). The GPU is now the more dominant limiting factor, allowing the CPU to catch up. The data reveals that the i5-9400 is a capable processor for this game, but its performance ceiling is clearly lower than that of the RTX 4070 Ti, creating an imbalance that is most pronounced at 1080p.