Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a formidable Counter-Strike 2 experience, with benchmark data showing extreme frame rates that consistently push far beyond the capabilities of typical high-refresh-rate monitors. The measured results reveal a system that is heavily CPU-limited at lower resolutions, while the GPU’s substantial memory bandwidth and processing power become the primary driver of performance at 4K Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, relative ranking among tested combos, and the specific roles the CPU and GPU play in shaping the final output.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 674, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is more than double the 325 FPS average seen at the same resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested system combinations?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination ranks 237th out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the top 6.4% of all systems tested.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 446 on Low settings to 215 on Ultra settings. This represents a significant 231 FPS decrease, or roughly 51.8% lower performance when switching to the highest preset.

Q: Does the system maintain playable frame rates at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, even at the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the system maintains an average of 120 FPS on Ultra settings. The lowest average FPS recorded across all tested settings at 4K is 120 FPS, which remains well above standard 60 FPS display requirements.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark score compared to its nearest rival?

A: The Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900's score of 46971, showing a negligible 0.2% difference. It also outperforms the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX by 0.5%.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded in the test with the most complete data?

A: The Medium settings preset at 1920x1080 provides the most complete data, with a minimum FPS of 476 and a maximum FPS of 644, alongside an average of 560 FPS. This indicates a very stable frame delivery with a spread of 168 FPS between minimum and maximum.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, is the dominant force in the higher resolution and quality settings. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s, which is critical for feeding the GPU's 9728 shading units at 4K resolution. The GPU's boost clock of 2505 MHz, alongside a base clock of 2205 MHz, allows it to achieve a peak FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS.

The data shows the GPU's impact clearly. At 3840x2160, the frame rate scales almost linearly with the quality preset, dropping from 249 FPS on Low to 207 FPS on Medium, then to 155 FPS on High, and finally to 120 FPS on Ultra. This 129 FPS swing between Low and Ultra at 4K suggests that the RTX 4080's raw compute and memory bandwidth are being heavily utilized as the visual fidelity increases. The GPU's pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are put to work rendering the game's environments and effects at the higher settings. The RTX 4080's percentile ranking of 86th among all GPUs, alongside its average benchmark score of 54247, confirms its high-end positioning, though the data indicates that in this specific game, its capabilities are so extensive that they outstrip the CPU's ability to feed it at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The benchmark data reveals a classic CPU-bound scenario as resolution decreases. When moving from 4K to 1080p, the average FPS on Ultra settings increases from 120 to 325, a 170.8% improvement. However, the scaling is not uniform across all settings, which provides insight into the limiting component.

At Ultra settings, the jump from 1080p (325 FPS) to 1440p (215 FPS) is a 33.8% drop, and then a further 44.2% drop from 1440p to 4K (120 FPS). This consistent and significant drop at each higher resolution suggests the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck, as its workload increases with pixel count. Conversely, at Low settings, the FPS jumps from 249 at 4K to 446 at 1440p (a 79.1% increase) and then to 674 at 1080p (a 51.1% increase). The massive 674 FPS figure at 1080p Low is far beyond what most displays can show, indicating that the CPU is capable of processing frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that the RTX 4080 is powerful enough to keep pace with the i7-13700K at 4K, but at 1080p and to a lesser extent 1440p, the CPU's frame generation limits the overall performance. The 16-core, 24-thread processor with a 5.40 GHz boost clock is able to prepare frames at a rate that the GPU cannot match at lower resolutions, making the combo CPU-limited in those scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Counter-Strike 2, this system sits at rank 237 out of 3719, placing it in the top 6.4% of all configurations. This is a strong showing, but it is not at the absolute pinnacle, indicating that other combos with even more powerful CPUs or GPUs can achieve higher frame rates.

The CPU's own performance metrics support its high standing. The i7-13700K has a percentile rank of 89th among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46881. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, scores 46971, which is a mere 0.2% difference, placing the two processors in a statistical tie. However, the i7-13700K edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX by 0.5% and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 by 0.5%. These close margins in synthetic benchmarks suggest that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the competition is fierce.

The GPU, with its 86th percentile ranking and an average score of 54247, is also a high performer. Its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209, a difference of just 0.1%, which is within the margin of error. The data shows that this combo is well-matched and capable of elite performance in this title, but the rank of 237 indicates that there is a small group of systems that can push even higher frame rates, likely those with more recent flagship CPUs.

Settings Recommendations

For players with a standard 144Hz or 165Hz monitor, the data suggests that even the most demanding settings are overkill. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 215 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end gaming monitors. At 4K, the Ultra preset's 120 FPS is also perfectly playable on a high-refresh 4K display.

If the goal is to maximize competitive advantage with the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p provides a staggering 674 FPS, which is the best measured result. This setting would minimize input lag and provide the smoothest possible experience on a 360Hz or 500Hz esports monitor. However, this comes at the cost of visual fidelity.

The Medium preset at 1440p offers a compelling middle ground, delivering 371 FPS with a minimum of 315 FPS and a maximum of 426 FPS. This provides a massive performance buffer above 240Hz displays while still offering improved visual quality over Low. For 4K users, the Medium preset's 207 FPS average is a strong recommendation, as it nearly doubles the frame rate of the Ultra preset while still looking significantly better than Low. The High preset at 4K, with 155 FPS, is another balanced option for high-refresh 4K displays. The data implies that for most users, the High or Ultra presets at 4K or 1440p provide an excellent experience, while the Low preset is only necessary for those seeking the absolute maximum frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across different configurations. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from a low of 325 on Ultra to a high of 674 on Low. The Medium preset at this resolution yields an average of 560 FPS, with a minimum of 476 and a maximum of 644 FPS. The High preset achieves 418 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down accordingly. The Ultra preset averages 215 FPS, while the High preset achieves 277 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 371 FPS, with a minimum of 315 FPS and a maximum of 426 FPS. The Low preset at this resolution is the fastest, hitting an average of 446 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully engaged. The Ultra preset averages 120 FPS, and the High preset averages 155 FPS. The Medium preset provides a more robust 207 FPS, with a minimum of 176 FPS and a maximum of 238 FPS. The Low preset is the performance king at 4K, with an average of 249 FPS. This data shows a clear performance hierarchy, with the Low preset consistently providing the highest frame rates at every resolution, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K, a Raptor Lake-S architecture processor with 16 cores and 24 threads, is the engine that drives the extremely high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz, combined with a substantial 30 MB of shared L3 cache, allow it to process game logic and draw calls with exceptional speed. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 30745 and single-core score of 2116, demonstrate its immense processing power.

In Counter-Strike 2, the game's engine relies heavily on a few primary threads for simulation and rendering submission. The i7-13700K's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 4333 and 3DMark single-thread score of 1136, is crucial for maintaining high FPS. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 674 FPS, which far exceeds what the GPU would be able to render if it were the limiting factor. This indicates the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU more frames than it can handle, making the CPU the performance ceiling at this resolution.

The 16 cores and 24 threads, while powerful, may not all be fully utilized by Counter-Strike 2, but the high clock speeds and large cache ensure that the active threads are processed as quickly as possible. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking and its competitive standing against rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (a 0.2% difference) and the Ryzen 9 7845HX (a 0.5% lead) confirm that it is a top-tier choice for this game, providing the necessary headroom to support the RTX 4080's capabilities at higher resolutions and settings.