Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers exceptional performance in Counter-Strike 2, placing this pairing in the 237th position out of 3,719 tested combos. This puts the system in the top 6.4% of all configurations tested, a ranking that reflects the synergy between a high-core-count CPU and a flagship-tier GPU. The measured frame rates are remarkably high across all settings and resolutions, with even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset producing an average of 120 FPS. The data indicates that the RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and the i7-14700F's 20 cores create a platform capable of pushing Counter-Strike 2 far beyond the refresh rates of typical gaming monitors, making this a benchmark result that defines the upper echelon of competitive performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 237th out of 3,719 tested combinations, placing it in the top tier of configurations for this game.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in the measured data?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 674, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings, demonstrating the system's ability to deliver extremely high frame rates at lower graphical loads.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4080 have, and does it appear to be a limiting factor?

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory. Given that even the Ultra preset at 4K produces a playable 120 FPS average, the VRAM capacity does not appear to be a bottleneck in any of the measured scenarios.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate in the dataset for this combination?

A: The lowest average frame rate recorded is 120 FPS, which occurs at the most demanding configuration tested: 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: What are the core and thread counts of the Intel Core i7-14700F?

A: The CPU features 20 cores and 28 threads, a configuration that provides substantial multi-threaded processing capability relevant for modern game engines and background tasks.

Q: How does the RTX 4080's benchmark score compare to its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54,247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER's score of 54,209, indicating they perform nearly identically in synthetic tests.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the primary driver of graphical fidelity in these Counter-Strike 2 benchmarks. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s, ample for the game's textures and geometry at all tested resolutions. The GPU's 9,728 shading units and 112 ROPs handle the rendering pipeline, with a boost clock of 2505 MHz ensuring high throughput. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1080p, the GPU is powerful enough to push frame rates to an average of 674 FPS on Low settings, indicating that it is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. Moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces the average FPS on High settings from 418 to 277, a 33.7% drop. The transition to 4K is even more demanding, with High settings at 3840x2160 yielding 155 FPS. This scaling demonstrates the GPU's workload increasing with pixel count. At 4K Ultra, the combination produces an average of 120 FPS, a figure that remains smooth but shows the limits of the GPU when paired with the highest graphical preset. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6,567 and a Passmark G3D score of 34,457 place the RTX 4080 in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, reinforcing its position as a high-end part that leads to these strong in-game results.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 237 out of 3,719 tested configurations places this system in the 93.6th percentile for Counter-Strike 2 performance. This ranking is not arbitrary; it is derived from the measured FPS data across all 12 tested scenarios. The system outpaces the vast majority of tested hardware, with only 236 combinations delivering higher average frame rates. This position is consistent with the individual hardware's standings: the CPU's average benchmark score of 53,620 puts it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU's score of 54,247 places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs.

The i7-14700F's nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which scores 53,288 and is 0.6% behind, and the Intel Xeon 6505P, which is 0.2% behind with a score of 53,701. These minor differences in synthetic CPU tests do not translate into large gaps in game performance, as the measured FPS data shows this combo achieving top-tier results. The RTX 4080's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54,209, a mere 0.1% difference, yet the in-game ranking for this specific pairing is still within the top 237. This suggests that the combination's high rank is a result of balanced performance, where neither component holds the other back to a significant degree in Counter-Strike 2's engine.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display refresh rate and resolution preference. For 1920x1080, all presets yield very high frame rates. The Low preset produces 674 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 560 FPS. Even the Ultra preset at 1080p achieves 325 FPS, which is more than sufficient for the highest refresh rate monitors available. The data suggests that at 1080p, players can comfortably use the High or Ultra preset to improve visual quality without sacrificing competitive frame rates, as even Ultra remains well above the 240 Hz threshold.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 277 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh gaming. The Medium preset provides 371 FPS, but the Ultra preset drops to 215 FPS. For a 240 Hz monitor, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining an average FPS above 240. The Ultra preset at 1440p is still playable but may show dips below 240 FPS. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 155 FPS, which is suitable for 144 Hz displays. The Medium preset at 4K offers 207 FPS, but the Ultra preset drops to 120 FPS, making it the most demanding configuration tested. For 4K users, High settings offer the best balance, providing a high frame rate that remains smooth on most high-refresh 4K monitors, while Ultra is reserved for those prioritizing visual fidelity over maximum frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from a minimum of 325 on Ultra to a maximum of 674 on Low. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 560 FPS with a minimum of 476 and a maximum of 644, showing minor frame time variance. The High preset at 1080p averages 418 FPS. These figures indicate a system that is heavily CPU-bound at this resolution, as the GPU's full potential is not being utilized given the enormous frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS decreases proportionally. Low settings yield 446 FPS, while Medium produces 371 FPS with a minimum of 315 and a maximum of 426. High settings at 1440p average 277 FPS, and Ultra drops to 215 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction of approximately 33-35% for most presets, indicating that the GPU is beginning to take on a more significant workload. At 3840x2160, the pattern continues with Low averaging 249 FPS, Medium averaging 207 FPS with a minimum of 176 and a maximum of 238, High averaging 155 FPS, and Ultra averaging 120 FPS. The 4K data reveals the GPU's limits, as the Ultra preset's 120 FPS average is the only measured result that falls below the 144 FPS threshold commonly associated with high-refresh gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F plays a crucial role in achieving the high frame rates seen in this benchmark. With 20 cores and 28 threads, the CPU provides substantial processing power for game logic, physics, and the many background processes that run during gameplay. Its boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is critical for Counter-Strike 2's engine. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,122 and single-core score of 4,958 highlight its capability, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully saturated. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 674 FPS, a figure that is likely limited by the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with draw calls. The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce latency in data-intensive scenarios. The i7-14700F's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, scores 53,288 in average benchmarks, just 0.6% lower, suggesting that Intel's offering is competitive in this space. The data shows that the CPU's high single-thread performance is sufficient to drive the RTX 4080 to its limits at 1080p, as the GPU's utilization is likely near maximum in the 674 FPS scenario.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear shift in the system's bottleneck. At 1920x1080, the average FPS for the High preset is 418. When resolution increases to 2560x1440, the average drops to 277, a reduction of 33.7%. This indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor, as the increased pixel count demands more from the rendering hardware. The jump from 1440p to 4K shows a further significant drop, with High settings at 3840x2160 averaging 155 FPS, a 44.0% reduction from the 1440p figure.

This scaling pattern is typical for a balanced system, but the data suggests the CPU remains a factor even at 4K. The Low preset at 4K achieves 249 FPS, which is a 63.1% drop from the 674 FPS seen at 1080p Low. This larger percentage drop for the Low preset compared to High indicates that at lower graphical settings, the CPU's frame generation limit is still being approached. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 120 FPS, which is a 63.1% reduction from the 1080p Ultra's 325 FPS. The consistent pattern across presets shows that the RTX 4080's performance scales with resolution, but the i7-14700F's strong single-thread performance ensures that the system does not become entirely CPU-bound even at 4K, as evidenced by the still-high 249 FPS at Low settings. The data indicates a system where the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at higher resolutions, but the CPU's capabilities prevent it from being a limiting factor at any tested configuration.