Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a strong showing in Counter-Strike 2, ranking 979th out of 1632 tested combinations. This places the combo in the upper-middle portion of the database, reflecting a system that is more than capable of handling the game’s competitive demands, though it does not sit at the absolute top tier. The data indicates that this pairing is well-balanced for the title, with the CPU’s high single-thread performance and the GPU’s solid rasterization headroom combining to deliver high frame rates across most settings and resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 979 out of 1632 places it in the 60th percentile of all tested configurations. This is a respectable position, but it is important to understand what it represents. The ranking is not a condemnation of the hardware; rather, it reflects that Counter-Strike 2 is highly sensitive to raw CPU speed, and many of the combinations above this one likely feature newer or more expensive processors. The Intel Core i7-14700K sits in the 96th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70074. Its nearest rivals in synthetic tests are the Intel Core i7-14700KF (a near-identical chip with a delta of 0%), the AMD EPYC 9115 (0.3% higher), the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (0.5% lower), and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 (1.4% lower). This shows the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

On the graphics side, the RTX 2070 SUPER holds a 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22206. Its closest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400 (0.5% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (0.9% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (2.3% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (2.5% lower). The GPU’s position is solid, but it is not a top-tier card by modern standards. The combination of a high-end CPU with a mid-range GPU from a previous generation results in a system that excels at high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but begins to show its limits at 4K with heavier settings. The measured FPS data confirms this dynamic, showing that the CPU can push the GPU to its maximum potential at lower resolutions, while the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution and graphical load increase.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve the highest frame rates?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its peak performance, with an average of 354 FPS on Low settings and 296.2 FPS on Medium. This is the resolution where the CPU’s strength is most apparent, as the GPU is not heavily taxed.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF?

A: The i7-14700K and i7-14700KF have essentially identical performance, with a deltaPct of 0% in average benchmark scores. The KF variant lacks integrated graphics, but this does not affect Counter-Strike 2 performance.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER a bottleneck for this CPU in Counter-Strike 2?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is generally not a bottleneck, as the CPU can feed it enough frames. However, at 4K with Ultra settings, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, dropping to 65.1 FPS, which is a significant decline from the CPU-bound lower resolutions.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 238.1 on Low to 115.4 on Ultra. This represents a 51.5% reduction in performance, showing the impact of increased graphical fidelity on the GPU.

Q: Does this combo support high refresh rate monitors?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080, the combo averages over 170 FPS on all settings, including Ultra (172.7 FPS). This comfortably exceeds the 144Hz refresh rate common in competitive gaming monitors, and even approaches 240Hz on lower settings.

Q: How does the GPU’s memory bandwidth affect performance in this game?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. This is sufficient for Counter-Strike 2 at all tested settings, as the game is not particularly memory-hungry, but it contributes to the GPU’s ability to maintain high frame rates at 1440p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture and features a TU104 chip with 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. Its base clock is 1605 MHz, with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and it operates with a 215 W TDP. The card’s memory is 8 GB of GDDR6 running at an effective speed of 14 Gbps, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This configuration gives the card a pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s, with an FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the GPU is rarely the limiting factor, as the CPU’s high core count and clock speeds can generate frames faster than the GPU can render them. This is evident from the 354 FPS average on Low settings, which is far above what most displays can show. However, at 3840x2160, the GPU’s workload increases substantially. The average FPS on High settings drops to 82.7, and on Ultra it falls to 65.1. This indicates that the GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM and compute resources are being fully utilized at 4K, and the card’s performance ceiling is reached.

The GPU also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which are all relevant for modern game engines. The card’s 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are present, though Counter-Strike 2 does not heavily utilize ray tracing or DLSS, so these features have minimal impact on the measured results. In the context of this game, the RTX 2070 SUPER is a capable 1440p card that can also handle 4K with reduced settings, making it a flexible component for a system built around the i7-14700K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo’s performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 354 FPS, Medium produces 296.2 FPS, High produces 221.7 FPS, and Ultra produces 172.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 181.3 FPS, which is a 51.2% drop, indicating that the GPU’s workload increases significantly with graphical quality, but the CPU still provides ample headroom.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 238.1 FPS on Low, 195 FPS on Medium, 146.7 FPS on High, and 115.4 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 122.7 FPS, a 51.5% reduction. This resolution strikes a good balance, as the frame rates remain high enough for competitive play even on Ultra settings.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 133.2 FPS on Low, 110.3 FPS on Medium, 82.7 FPS on High, and 65.1 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 68.1 FPS, a 51.1% reduction. This is where the GPU’s limitations become apparent, as the frame rates on High and Ultra dip below the 100 FPS mark, which may not be ideal for high-refresh-rate 4K monitors.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the percentage drop from Low to Ultra is roughly 51% at every resolution, which suggests that the scaling of settings has a similar relative impact on the GPU regardless of resolution. However, the absolute frame rates at 4K are substantially lower, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at that resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals how the system’s bottleneck shifts from the CPU to the GPU. At 1920x1080 on Low settings, the average FPS is 354. Moving to 2560x1440 on the same settings, the FPS drops to 238.1, which is a 32.7% reduction. Moving further to 3840x2160, the FPS drops to 133.2, a 62.4% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is being tasked with rendering significantly more pixels, and its resources are becoming saturated.

On Ultra settings, the scaling is similar. The FPS drops from 172.7 at 1080p to 115.4 at 1440p (a 33.2% reduction), and then to 65.1 at 4K (a 62.3% reduction from 1080p). The consistency of these percentages across settings suggests that the GPU’s performance scales linearly with pixel count, which is typical for a rasterization-bound title like Counter-Strike 2.

The data also shows that the CPU’s influence diminishes as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU can push the GPU to its limits, as evidenced by the high frame rates on Low settings. At 4K, however, the GPU is the clear limiting component, as the frame rates are much lower and the CPU’s high core count and clock speeds cannot compensate for the GPU’s workload. This indicates that for users targeting 4K, upgrading the GPU would yield significant improvements, while the CPU would remain a constant. Conversely, for 1080p and 1440p gaming, the current combo is well-matched, with the CPU providing sufficient speed to maximize the GPU’s potential.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Even on Ultra, the average FPS is 172.7, which is suitable for 144Hz monitors. For 240Hz displays, Medium settings (296.2 FPS) or Low settings (354 FPS) are recommended to fully utilize the refresh rate. The data shows that High settings (221.7 FPS) also exceed 240Hz, making it a viable option for those who prefer better visuals without sacrificing frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the combo maintains high frame rates. Ultra settings average 115.4 FPS, which is above 100 FPS and suitable for 120Hz or 144Hz monitors. High settings (146.7 FPS) offer a better balance for 144Hz displays, while Low (238.1 FPS) and Medium (195 FPS) provide ample headroom for 240Hz panels. For competitive play, Medium settings are recommended, as they offer a good balance of visual clarity and performance, with an average FPS of 195.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. Low settings (133.2 FPS) are the only option that consistently exceeds 100 FPS, making them ideal for 120Hz 4K monitors. Medium (110.3 FPS) is also playable on 100Hz displays. High (82.7 FPS) and Ultra (65.1 FPS) are better suited for 60Hz monitors, as they do not provide high enough frame rates for smoother displays. For the best experience at 4K, Low or Medium settings are recommended, as they prioritize frame rate over graphical detail, which is often the preference in a fast-paced FPS like Counter-Strike 2.