Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 with the Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Arc B390 presents a stark picture of system bottlenecking. The measured FPS data reveals a configuration where a strong processor is paired with a graphics solution that severely limits frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions and quality settings. This analysis walks through the measured rows to show exactly where the Arc B390 becomes the decisive factor.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and dramatic drop in performance as resolution increases, which points directly at the GPU as the limiting component. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 179 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low, that figure falls to 118 FPS, a reduction of 61 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, the average drops further to 66 FPS. This scaling pattern—a 34% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a further 44% decrease from 1440p to 4K—is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput, not a CPU that is struggling with game logic.

The gap narrows at higher settings, but the trend remains. At High settings, the averages are 111 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are consistent, indicating that the Arc B390’s rendering capabilities are the primary constraint across all quality presets. If the Core i7-12700K were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less variation between resolutions, as the CPU workload would remain relatively static. Instead, the FPS scales almost linearly with the number of pixels being pushed, confirming that the Intel Arc B390’s 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 24 ROPs are being saturated.

Interestingly, the Medium preset at each resolution provides the only complete data set with min and max FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average is 149 FPS with a minimum of 126 and maximum of 171. At 1440p Medium, the average is 98 FPS with a range of 84 to 113. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 55 FPS with a range of 47 to 63. The consistency of the min-to-max spread suggests the frame times are relatively stable, but the absolute numbers show that even the lowest resolution tested is not enough to fully relieve the GPU pressure.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 179, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 32, which is the lowest measured result in the data set.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K or the Intel Arc B390 the primary bottleneck?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. FPS scales inversely with resolution, dropping from 179 FPS at 1080p Low to 66 FPS at 4K Low, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings yield 118 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 57 FPS, a difference of 61 FPS.

Q: Does the Medium preset show any frame pacing issues?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with min and max FPS data. At 1080p, the range is 126 to 171 FPS; at 1440p, it is 84 to 113 FPS; and at 4K, it is 47 to 63 FPS. The spread is relatively consistent, suggesting stable frame pacing.

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

A: The combo ranks 2535 out of 2870 tested combinations, placing it in the lower percentile of systems for Counter-Strike 2.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience balances frame rate against visual fidelity. For competitive play, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the clear choice, delivering a 179 FPS average. This is the only configuration that approaches the high refresh rates typically desired for a fast-paced FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low still provides a respectable 118 FPS, but the 61 FPS penalty for the resolution increase may not be worth it unless the display demands it.

For a more visually rich experience without sacrificing too much performance, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the best compromise. It offers a 149 FPS average with a minimum of 126 FPS, which remains fluid. The jump to High at 1080p costs 38 FPS compared to Medium, bringing the average down to 111 FPS. Ultra settings at any resolution are not recommended, as they produce averages below 86 FPS even at 1080p, and a 32 FPS average at 4K makes the game unplayable. The data suggests that users should stick to Low or Medium presets at 1080p to maintain a playable frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2535 out of 2870 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the bottom percentile of systems, which aligns with the measured FPS data. The GPU’s percentile rank among all GPUs is 9, indicating that the Arc B390 sits at the very low end of performance. The CPU’s percentile rank is 84, showing that the Core i7-12700K is a high-performing processor. The massive gap between the CPU’s strong relative standing and the GPU’s weak standing explains the overall poor combo rank.

The nearest rivals to the GPU in synthetic benchmarks are NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, with score deltas of 1.3%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 2.7% respectively. These are all extremely low-end parts, and the Arc B390 is only slightly ahead of them. This confirms that the GPU is not just weak relative to modern standards, but is in a class of hardware that is fundamentally unsuited for demanding 3D workloads like Counter-Strike 2 at high settings. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU results in a system that is heavily imbalanced, wasting the processor’s potential.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It has a 25 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 19,784 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1,850.5 in single-core. Its average benchmark score is 35,287, putting it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Counter-Strike 2, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 179 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would require a capable processor. If the CPU were insufficient, we would see lower FPS even at low resolutions and settings. However, the fact that FPS drops significantly as resolution increases—from 179 FPS at 1080p Low to 66 FPS at 4K Low—indicates that the GPU is being saturated, not the CPU. The Core i7-12700K’s high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 1,850.5 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is more than sufficient for the game’s logic and draw call processing.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core i5-13600T, Core i7-12700KF, Core i7-13700T, and Core 5 213PE, with score deltas of -0.1%, -0.2%, -0.3%, and -0.4% respectively. These are all closely matched processors, indicating that the i7-12700K is a solid performer. However, its potential is largely unrealized in this system because the GPU cannot keep up.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the averages are 179 FPS (Low), 149 FPS (Medium), 111 FPS (High), and 86 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset has measured min and max values of 126 and 171 FPS, respectively. At 2560x1440, the averages are 118 FPS (Low), 98 FPS (Medium), 73 FPS (High), and 57 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset at this resolution shows a min of 84 and max of 113 FPS. At 3840x2160, the averages are 66 FPS (Low), 55 FPS (Medium), 41 FPS (High), and 32 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset here shows a min of 47 and max of 63 FPS.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution costs approximately 40-50% of the frame rate, and each step up in settings from Low to Ultra costs approximately 50-60% of the frame rate. The only preset with full data is Medium, which shows that the frame rate range is relatively tight, with the minimum being about 85% of the average. This suggests that the Arc B390 delivers consistent performance without major frame time spikes, but the absolute numbers are too low for a smooth competitive experience at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is barely interactive, and even 1440p Ultra at 57 FPS is far from ideal.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6. The GPU has system-shared memory, with bandwidth that is system dependent. Its TDP is 80 W.

In synthetic testing, the Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which puts it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, with score deltas of 1.3%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 2.7%. These are all ancient or entry-level discrete GPUs, and the Arc B390 is only marginally faster. This benchmark data aligns perfectly with the game’s measured FPS, which shows the GPU struggling to maintain playable frame rates.

The GPU’s role in Counter-Strike 2 is to render the 3D scene, and the data shows that it is the primary bottleneck. The 24 ROPs and 7.680 TFLOPS are insufficient for high-resolution rendering, as evidenced by the 41 FPS average at 4K High and 32 FPS at 4K Ultra. Even at 1080p, the Ultra preset only achieves 86 FPS, which is below the 144 Hz refresh rate that many competitive players target. The system-shared memory architecture also means that the GPU is competing with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which could further impact performance in scenes with high texture loads. The data is clear: the Arc B390 is a low-end integrated GPU that cannot deliver the frame rates that the Core i7-12700K is capable of supporting.