Counter-Strike 2

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 places at rank 318 out of 1632 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2. This puts the combo in the top 19.5% of all tested systems for this title, a strong showing given the game's emphasis on high frame rates and CPU-bound scenarios. The ranking reflects the balanced nature of this pairing, where neither component becomes a severe bottleneck at the resolutions tested.

The CPU itself sits in the 94th percentile against all processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 54097. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, scores 54450, a delta of -0.6%, meaning the i7-14700F trails by less than one percent. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 is 1.2% behind, while the AMD EPYC 7313P is 1.7% behind. These margins are negligible in real-world gaming, and the data suggests the i7-14700F comfortably holds its own against these alternatives.

For the GPU, the RTX 5070 sits in the 83rd percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 41687. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, scores 41610, a delta of 0.2%, meaning the RTX 5070 edges ahead by a fraction. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 is 0.5% ahead, and the GeForce RTX 3090 is 0.6% behind. These deltas indicate that the RTX 5070 performs in a tight cluster with these cards in synthetic benchmarks, though Counter-Strike 2's actual frame rates will tell a more specific story.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070 brings 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, with an effective 28 Gbps data rate. The GPU's base clock is 2325 MHz, boosting to 2512 MHz, and it operates with a 250 W TDP. The card uses the GB205 chip on TSMC's 5 nm process, with 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's role shifts dramatically depending on resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the RTX 5070 pushes 569.7 FPS on average, indicating that the GPU is not the limiting factor at this setting — the CPU's single-thread performance and the game's engine take over. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 100.2 FPS, a figure that shows the GPU's rendering load increasing substantially. The 12 GB VRAM is ample for this title, as Counter-Strike 2 does not heavily stress memory capacity at any tested setting.

The boost clock of 2512 MHz is relevant at higher resolutions where the GPU works harder. The data shows a clear progression: at 4K, the difference between Low (209.3 FPS) and Ultra (100.2 FPS) is over 109 FPS, indicating that the GPU's shading units, texture units, and ROPs (6144, 192, and 80 respectively) are being fully utilized at Ultra settings. The FP32 throughput of 30.87 TFLOPS supports these frame rates, though the game's competitive nature means players often prioritize lower settings for maximum FPS.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 318th out of 1632 tested combos, placing it in the top 19.5% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 354.7 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings. For reference, Low settings yield 569.7 FPS, Medium 472.5 FPS, and Ultra 273.6 FPS at the same resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: At lower resolutions and settings, the CPU dominates. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 569.7 FPS, a figure that relies heavily on the i7-14700F's 5.40 GHz boost clock and 20 cores. At 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the constraint, with the frame rate dropping to 100.2 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 41687, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 41610, a delta of 0.2%. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 is 0.5% ahead, and the GeForce RTX 3090 is 0.6% behind.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The i7-14700F ranks in the 94th percentile against all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 54097. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, is just 0.6% ahead.

Q: Does the GPU's memory bandwidth affect performance in this game?

A: The RTX 5070's 672.0 GB/s bandwidth over a 192-bit bus is sufficient for Counter-Strike 2 at all tested settings. The data shows no indications of bandwidth limitations, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings changes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 569.7 FPS, while Medium reaches 472.5 FPS. High settings drop to 354.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 273.6 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 296.1 FPS, indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently even at the highest settings, but the GPU's workload increases substantially.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease across the board. Low settings yield 377.1 FPS, a drop of 192.6 FPS from 1080p. Medium achieves 312.7 FPS, High reaches 233.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 183.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 193.4 FPS, smaller than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is beginning to take on more of the load.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates compress further. Low settings produce 209.3 FPS, Medium 172.8 FPS, High 131.5 FPS, and Ultra 100.2 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra spread is 109.1 FPS, the smallest of the three resolutions. This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU's rendering capabilities are the primary determinant of performance, with the CPU's role diminished.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings reduces FPS by a meaningful margin, and each resolution increase compounds that effect. At 1080p, even Ultra settings exceed 270 FPS, which is well above the refresh rates of most monitors. At 4K, Ultra dips below 120 FPS, making High or Medium settings more viable for smooth competitive play.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a significant FPS drop across all settings. At Low, the average falls from 569.7 to 377.1 FPS, a reduction of 33.8%. At High, the drop is from 354.7 to 233.5 FPS, a 34.2% decrease. Medium sees a 33.8% drop, and Ultra a 32.9% drop. These consistent percentages indicate that the scaling is primarily GPU-driven, as the CPU has ample headroom at these resolutions.

From 1440p to 4K, the drops are even more pronounced. Low settings fall from 377.1 to 209.3 FPS, a 44.5% reduction. Medium drops from 312.7 to 172.8 FPS, a 44.7% decrease. High falls from 233.5 to 131.5 FPS, a 43.7% drop, and Ultra from 183.7 to 100.2 FPS, a 45.5% reduction. The near-uniform scaling between 1440p and 4K, regardless of settings, strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component at these resolutions.

The overall scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low is a 63.3% reduction (569.7 to 209.3 FPS). At Ultra, the same resolution jump yields a 63.4% reduction (273.6 to 100.2 FPS). This consistency across settings is notable — it means the RTX 5070's performance is scaling predictably with pixel count, and the i7-14700F is not introducing additional bottlenecks at higher resolutions. The data indicates that for this game, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint starting at 1440p, while at 1080p the CPU's single-thread performance plays a larger role in achieving the highest frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, running on a 10 nm process. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz, boosting to 5.40 GHz. The CPU has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's performance is critical at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 569.7 FPS, a figure that would be impossible without the high boost clock and strong single-thread performance. The CPU's single-core benchmark scores support this: a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5003 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2711. These numbers place the i7-14700F in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, indicating strong per-core throughput.

The 20 cores and 28 threads are less relevant for Counter-Strike 2, which typically uses fewer threads. However, the multi-core performance is still notable: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 35443, and Geekbench multicore reaches 16571. These scores mean the CPU can handle background tasks and streaming without affecting game performance, though the data does not directly measure that scenario.

As resolution increases, the CPU's role diminishes. At 4K, the frame rate differences between Low and Ultra are smaller than at 1080p, and the GPU's workload dominates. The i7-14700F's 5.40 GHz boost clock ensures it can keep up with the RTX 5070 even at 1080p Ultra, where the combo still delivers 273.6 FPS. The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, is just 0.6% ahead in average benchmark score, a margin that would not meaningfully change frame rates in this title. The data shows the i7-14700F provides ample headroom for Counter-Strike 2's CPU demands across all tested configurations.