Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a dominant performance profile in Counter-Strike 2, characterized by extreme frame rates at lower resolutions that progressively yield to GPU limitations at 4K. The data shows a clear transition: at 1080p, the system is almost entirely CPU-bound, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, though the combination still maintains highly playable frame rates across all tested settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a textbook shift in system bottleneck. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 406.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 267.5 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 34%. The scaling continues to 4K, where the Low preset yields 147.3 FPS — a 64% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that while the CPU can push frame rates well beyond 400 FPS at lower resolutions, the RTX 5060's rendering workload at higher pixel counts begins to dominate.

The High preset tells a similar story with different absolute numbers. At 1080p High, the system produces 251 FPS, which falls to 165.6 FPS at 1440p and further to 93.7 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 63%, nearly identical to the Low preset's scaling. This consistency across presets suggests that resolution, rather than graphical complexity, is the primary factor determining frame rate at higher pixel counts.

Most telling is the comparison between Low and Ultra presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (406.9 FPS) and Ultra (193.7 FPS) is 213.2 FPS. At 1440p, that gap narrows to 138.8 FPS (267.5 vs 128.7). By 4K, the gap shrinks further to 74.3 FPS (147.3 vs 73). The converging frame rates at 4K strongly indicate that the GPU's pixel throughput, not the CPU's geometry processing or the preset's shading complexity, is the limiting factor at that resolution.

CPU Role

The Core i7-13700K's specifications directly explain the exceptional low-resolution performance. With 16 cores and 24 threads operating at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz, the processor provides substantial headroom for Counter-Strike 2's engine. The CPU's benchmark results reinforce this capability: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and a single-core score of 5505 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is critical for a game that typically relies on a few heavily loaded threads.

The processor's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB L2 cache per core contribute to low-latency access to game data, supporting the high frame rates observed at 1080p. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and 2-thread score of 2262 demonstrate that even with limited thread utilization, the CPU maintains excellent throughput. The PassMark single-thread score of 4333 places the CPU in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, confirming its elite status for gaming workloads.

At 1080p Low, the 406.9 FPS average suggests the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them, even at this modest settings level. The data indicates that the i7-13700K is not the bottleneck at any tested resolution or preset; rather, it provides ample performance to keep the RTX 5060 saturated, particularly at higher resolutions where GPU load increases.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 813 out of 1632 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the pairing in the top half of all combinations tested, with a percentile position that reflects the GPU's mid-range status rather than the CPU's high-end capabilities. The rank is somewhat surprising given the CPU's strength, but the RTX 5060's position in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs anchors the overall combo ranking.

The CPU itself performs near the top of its class, with an average benchmark score of 47282 and a percentile of 93 against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700KF (deltaPct -0.1), AMD EPYC 4364P (deltaPct 0.3), and Intel Core i9-12900F (deltaPct 0.4), showing the i7-13700K is within 0.5% of these alternatives. The GPU, meanwhile, scores 20891 in PassMark G3D and 120785 in Geekbench OpenCL, with nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (deltaPct 0) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (deltaPct 0.6).

The combination's rank of 813 out of 1632 indicates that while this system is not at the absolute top tier for Counter-Strike 2, it outperforms half of all tested configurations. The disparity between the CPU's elite ranking and the combo's mid-pack position highlights the GPU as the performance ceiling for this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset covers three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 406.9 FPS on Low, 333.8 FPS on Medium, 251 FPS on High, and 193.7 FPS on Ultra. These figures show that even the most demanding 1080p preset delivers frame rates well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p demonstrates a 52% performance penalty for maximum graphical quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 267.5 FPS on Low, 220.2 FPS on Medium, 165.6 FPS on High, and 128.7 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p results maintain fluid gameplay across all presets, with the Low preset still exceeding 240 FPS for competitive play. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 139.4 FPS, while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 65 FPS, indicating that higher presets scale more gracefully with resolution.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are 147.3 FPS on Low, 125.6 FPS on Medium, 93.7 FPS on High, and 73 FPS on Ultra. The 4K results remain playable, but the Ultra preset at 73 FPS approaches the threshold where competitive players might notice reduced responsiveness. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 74.3 FPS, the smallest absolute difference across all resolutions, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of 4K rendering.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, provides the rendering muscle for this combination. Its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus delivers 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for Counter-Strike 2's requirements across all tested configurations. The GPU's boost clock of 2497 MHz and base clock of 2280 MHz drive its 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 20891 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 116626 place it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 30109 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (30097, deltaPct 0) and the AMD Radeon RX 570 (30158, deltaPct -0.2), indicating that the RTX 5060 sits at a specific performance tier that directly influences the 4K results.

At 4K Ultra, the 73 FPS average is the clearest indicator of the GPU's role as the limiting component. The fact that the 4K Low preset (147.3 FPS) is only slightly above the 1440p High preset (165.6 FPS) suggests that the GPU's pixel fill rate is the constraining factor. The GPU's pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s provide the theoretical basis for the observed performance, with the 4K results aligning closely with what these specifications would predict.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play where frame rate is paramount, the Low preset at 1080p delivers the highest measured average at 406.9 FPS. This configuration prioritizes responsiveness over visual fidelity, making it the optimal choice for players seeking maximum performance. At 1440p, the Low preset still achieves 267.5 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most high-refresh monitors.

For players who value visual quality without sacrificing competitive viability, the Medium preset offers the best balance. At 1080p Medium, the system produces 333.8 FPS, while 1440p Medium maintains 220.2 FPS. These figures remain well above the 144 Hz threshold that most competitive players target, while providing improved visual clarity over the Low preset. The 4K Medium setting at 125.6 FPS is also viable for players with capable 4K displays.

The Ultra preset at 4K, yielding 73 FPS, is the only configuration that falls below the 100 FPS mark, and it is recommended only for players prioritizing visual quality over frame rate. The High preset at 4K (93.7 FPS) offers a better compromise, though players with 144 Hz or higher refresh rate displays should consider the Medium preset at 4K for its 125.6 FPS average. For the majority of users, the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p provides the best combination of visual quality and performance headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 406.9, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Can this system maintain 144 FPS at 4K?

A: No. The highest 4K average is 147.3 FPS on the Low preset, but the Medium preset drops to 125.6 FPS, and the High preset falls to 93.7 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i7-13700KF (47334) and 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 4364P (47131).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 30109.

Q: Is the system CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the system is CPU-bound, as evidenced by the 406.9 FPS on Low settings, which indicates the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking?

A: This combination ranks 813 out of 1632 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the top half of all tested configurations.