Counter-Strike 2

CPU Role - cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-13700K uses the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process, with 16 cores and 24 threads. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz and boost clock is 5.40 GHz. The CPU has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration places the processor in the 89th percentile versus all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 46881.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's influence is most visible at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 745 FPS average, which is the highest recorded value in the entire measured set. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 619 FPS, and at 1080p High it sits at 462 FPS. These figures suggest that at 1080p, the Core i7-13700K has enough headroom to feed the RTX 4090, but the scaling pattern across settings indicates that both components share the load.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 with an average score of 46971, which is 0.2% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 at 47022, which is 0.3% ahead. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both sit 0.5% behind with average scores of 46654 and 46653 respectively. These deltas are small, meaning the Core i7-13700K is tightly clustered with other high-end processors in general compute performance.

In terms of multi-threaded workloads, the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 30745 and the Geekbench multicore score of 19429 show strong parallel capability. The single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2116 is critical for Counter-Strike 2, which relies heavily on per-core performance for game logic and physics. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and the PassMark single-thread score of 4333 both indicate that the CPU's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz translates directly into responsive frame pacing in this FPS title.

The CPU's memory support includes both DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel access, and it carries 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes from the CPU. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but irrelevant for gaming with a discrete RTX 4090 installed. The 125 W TDP and the unlocked multiplier allow for overclocking, though the measured FPS data here reflects stock operation.

GPU Role - VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 uses the AD102 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process, with 76,300 million transistors and a die size of 609 mm². The GPU has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 2235 MHz, boost clock is 2520 MHz, and memory runs at 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed.

The GPU's shading units total 16384, with 512 TMUs and 176 ROPs. It has 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores. The pixel rate is 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate is 1,290.2 GTexel/s. Floating point performance is 82.58 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16. The RTX 4090 sits in the 88th percentile versus all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 60347.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's role becomes dominant at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages 133 FPS average, while at 4K High it reaches 171 FPS. These numbers show that even the RTX 4090, with its massive 24 GB frame buffer, faces a significant workload when rendering Counter-Strike 2 at 4K with maximum settings. The GPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60 with an average score of 60326 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 at 60140 (0.3% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M at 61896 (2.5% behind), and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 at 58657 (2.9% ahead).

The RTX 4090's memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s is particularly relevant for Counter-Strike 2, which can be sensitive to texture streaming and scene complexity. The 24 GB VRAM is far more than this game requires at any tested resolution, meaning VRAM capacity does not constrain performance in the measured rows. Instead, the GPU's raw compute throughput, as reflected in the 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 figure, drives the frame rates observed.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility align with Counter-Strike 2's modern rendering pipeline. The PassMark G3D score of 38194 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9223 indicate strong direct performance in GPU-bound scenarios. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 255416 and Vulkan score of 271631 further confirm the card's compute capabilities.

Resolution Scaling - how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured data shows a clear pattern of FPS decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that decline varies by settings preset. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 745 at 1080p to 493 at 1440p, then to 276 at 4K. That is a 63% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the figures are 619, 410, and 229 FPS respectively, a 63% drop from 1080p to 4K as well. At High settings, the values are 462, 306, and 171 FPS, which is a 63% reduction. At Ultra settings, the numbers are 359, 238, and 133 FPS, a 63% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The consistency of the 63% reduction across all four settings presets indicates that the RTX 4090 is the primary scaling factor. If the CPU were the limiting component, the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K would be much smaller, because the CPU work stays roughly constant while the GPU workload grows with pixel count. Instead, the proportional decline across all presets points to the GPU being the bottleneck at higher resolutions, while at 1080p the CPU still provides enough performance to push frame rates well beyond what most displays can show.

At 1080p Low, the 745 FPS average is likely near the practical limit of what this CPU and GPU combination can produce in Counter-Strike 2. The CPU's single-thread performance, as measured by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2116, becomes relevant here because the game's render thread and main thread often bottleneck at very high frame rates. The fact that 1080p Low produces 745 FPS while 1080p Ultra produces 359 FPS shows a 52% reduction from the lowest to highest preset at the same resolution, which is a more moderate drop than the resolution scaling.

The 4K Ultra result of 133 FPS average is the lowest recorded figure in the entire set, yet it remains comfortably above 60 FPS. This indicates that even at the most demanding settings, the RTX 4090 has sufficient headroom for a smooth competitive experience. The 4K Medium result of 229 FPS with a minimum of 195 FPS and maximum of 263 FPS shows that the GPU can sustain high frame rates even when settings are increased.

How This Combo Ranks - use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 124th out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the combo in the top 3.3% of all tested configurations in the database. The rank of 124 means there are 123 other CPU and GPU pairings that deliver higher average FPS in this game, but the vast majority of tested combos, 3595 of them, fall below this pairing.

The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's strong single-core performance and the GPU's massive compute throughput. A combo ranked higher would need either a faster CPU for the 1080p scenarios or a faster GPU for the 4K scenarios. Given that the RTX 4090 is already the top card in its generation and the Core i7-13700K sits in the 89th CPU percentile, the 124th rank out of 3719 indicates that this pairing is near the upper echelon of what is possible in Counter-Strike 2.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database show that the Core i7-13700K is not the absolute fastest processor available, with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 both edging it out by fractions of a percent. However, those differences are within 0.3%, meaning the CPU choice has a negligible effect on the combo's rank. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a 0% delta, indicate that the RTX 4090's position is not unique; other GPUs with similar average benchmark scores could produce comparable results in this game.

The data indicates that the combo's rank of 124 is driven more by the GPU than the CPU. At 4K Ultra, the 133 FPS average is a strong result, but GPUs with slightly higher benchmark scores, like the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M with a 2.5% higher average score, could theoretically push frame rates higher. The CPU's contribution is more evident at 1080p Low, where the 745 FPS average shows that the processor can keep up with the GPU's output.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 745, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

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

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 619 at 1080p to 410 at 1440p, then to 229 at 4K. That is a 63% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Does the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM limit performance in Counter-Strike 2?

A: No. The measured data shows no VRAM-related constraints. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s and 24 GB capacity exceed the requirements of this game at all tested resolutions and settings.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The combo ranks 124th out of 3719 tested combos, placing it in the top 3.3% of all configurations in the database.

Q: Which settings preset produces the lowest average FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Ultra settings produce the lowest average FPS at 4K, with a measured average of 133 FPS.

Q: How does the Core i7-13700K compare to its nearest CPU rival in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 has an average score of 46971, which is 0.2% higher than the Core i7-13700K's 46881. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is 0.3% higher at 47022.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear view of how settings presets affect performance for this combo in Counter-Strike 2. At 1080p, all presets deliver well above 300 FPS average, with Low at 745, Medium at 619, High at 462, and Ultra at 359. For competitive play where frame rate is paramount, the Low preset at 1080p offers the highest possible FPS, but even Ultra at 1080p remains far above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

At 1440p, the data shows 493 FPS at Low, 410 at Medium, 306 at High, and 238 at Ultra. All of these are above 200 FPS, meaning this resolution and preset combination provides a strong balance between visual fidelity and speed. The Medium preset at 1440p, with a minimum of 348 FPS and maximum of 471, shows consistent frame delivery without major dips.

At 4K, the choices narrow. Low gives 276 FPS, Medium gives 229 FPS, High gives 171 FPS, and Ultra gives 133 FPS. For a game like Counter-Strike 2, where competitive integrity favors high frame rates, the Low or Medium presets at 4K are the most sensible, as they maintain frame rates above 270 FPS and 220 FPS respectively. The High preset at 4K drops to 171 FPS, which is still smooth but below the threshold many competitive players prefer. Ultra at 4K, at 133 FPS, is the only tested configuration that approaches the lower bound of high-refresh gaming.

The measured minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings: 195 at 4K, 348 at 1440p, and 526 at 1080p. These minimums are substantially higher than the averages of other presets, indicating that Medium is the most consistent preset in terms of frame pacing. The gap between average and minimum at Medium settings is 34 FPS at 4K, 62 FPS at 1440p, and 93 FPS at 1080p, showing that frame variance increases with resolution.

For the best overall experience based on the recorded data, the Medium preset at 1440p delivers 410 FPS average with a 348 FPS minimum, which combines high speed with good consistency. At 4K, Medium at 229 FPS average with a 195 FPS minimum is the strongest balance, since it keeps frame rates above 190 FPS at all times. The Low preset at 1080p offers the absolute maximum FPS of 745, but the Medium preset provides 619 FPS with better visual quality and still exceeds the refresh rate of virtually any display.