Counter-Strike 2

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

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake-R architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. Its base clock runs at 3.40 GHz, with a boost clock reaching 5.60 GHz, which is particularly relevant for Counter-Strike 2's engine that tends to favor high single-thread performance. The chip carries a 33 MB shared L3 cache, while each core has 80 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 cache, providing substantial on-die storage for frequently accessed game data.

Benchmark data positions this CPU in the 94th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 69355. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X with an average score of 69515 (0.2% ahead), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX at 69875 (0.7% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F at 69996 (0.9% ahead). The only rival it edges out is the AMD EPYC 9115 at 69288, with the i7-14700K leading by a marginal 0.1%.

In single-threaded workloads, which often dictate frame pacing in esports titles like Counter-Strike 2, the i7-14700K scores 2160 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4472 in Passmark single-thread. These figures suggest the processor can handle the game's simulation and input processing without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions, where the GPU has more headroom. The multi-threaded results are equally strong: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 33440.5, and Passmark multithread reaches 52392, though Counter-Strike 2 rarely leverages all 28 threads simultaneously.

The processor's 125 W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory (dual-channel) mean it can be paired with a wide range of system configurations. Its PCIe Gen 5 interface with 16 CPU lanes provides ample bandwidth for the GPU. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but irrelevant for gaming performance when a discrete GPU is installed. The launch MSRP was $409.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 uses the GA102 chip on Samsung's 8 nm process, packing 28,300 million transistors into a 628 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 1440 MHz and boosts to 1710 MHz, with memory clocked at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 10 GB of GDDR6X memory runs across a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth — more than sufficient for Counter-Strike 2's relatively modest texture and geometry demands.

The GPU's compute specifications include 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, along with 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. Pixel rate stands at 164.2 GPixel/s, texture rate at 465.1 GTexel/s, and FP32 throughput at 29.77 TFLOPS. These figures place the RTX 3080 in the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172.

In synthetic tests, the RTX 3080 scores 25086 in Passmark G3D and 14397 in GPU compute. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA P106-100 at 23249 (0.3% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 at 23250 (0.3% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M at 23273 (0.4% ahead), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X at 23276 (0.4% ahead). These deltas are negligible, indicating the RTX 3080 sits at a performance plateau shared by several other cards in the database.

The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it fully compatible with Counter-Strike 2's rendering requirements. Its 320 W TDP and suggested 700 W PSU requirement mean it needs a robust power supply, though the dual-slot cooler design keeps installation straightforward. The 12-pin power connector is a consideration for older power supplies. The launch MSRP was 699 USD.

For Counter-Strike 2, the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM is ample for all tested settings, as the game does not appear to exceed this capacity even at 4K Ultra. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s helps maintain consistent frame delivery across resolution changes, as evidenced by the measured FPS data showing smooth scaling rather than abrupt drops.

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

The measured FPS data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU shifts across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 505 FPS average, which drops to 334 FPS at 1440p Low (a 33.9% reduction) and further to 187 FPS at 4K Low (a 44.0% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, even at the lowest settings where the CPU has the least work.

At Medium settings, the pattern repeats: 420 FPS at 1080p, 278 FPS at 1440p (a 33.8% drop), and 155 FPS at 4K (a 44.2% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium settings indicates a predictable GPU-bound scaling curve. The minimum FPS values at Medium (357 at 1080p, 236 at 1440p, 132 at 4K) show the same proportional relationship, with the 4K minimum dropping to just 34.0% of the 1080p minimum.

High settings show a slightly different scaling pattern: 313 FPS at 1080p, 207 FPS at 1440p (a 33.9% drop), and 116 FPS at 4K (a 44.0% drop from 1440p). The percentages are nearly identical to Low and Medium, confirming that resolution scaling is independent of the quality preset. This uniformity indicates the RTX 3080's rendering pipeline handles all settings with similar efficiency, and the bottleneck shifts predictably to the GPU as pixel count increases.

Ultra settings exhibit the largest absolute drops: 243 FPS at 1080p, 161 FPS at 1440p (a 33.7% drop), and 90 FPS at 4K (a 44.1% drop from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result of 90 FPS is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset, yet it remains above the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered playable. The proportional drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra (from 243 to 90 FPS, a 63.0% reduction) is slightly larger than at other settings, suggesting the added graphical effects at Ultra place proportionally more strain on the GPU.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiter, as evidenced by the 505 FPS ceiling at Low settings — a figure that likely approaches the game engine's or CPU's maximum frame output. As resolution climbs, the GPU's fill rate and shader throughput become the dominant constraint. The RTX 3080's 164.2 GPixel/s pixel rate and 465.1 GTexel/s texture rate directly influence how quickly frames can be rendered at higher pixel counts.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Across all three resolutions, the measured data shows a clear hierarchy: Low settings deliver the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra producing the lowest averages. The gap between presets is substantial. At 1080p, Low achieves 505 FPS versus 420 FPS at Medium (an 85 FPS difference), 313 FPS at High (a 107 FPS difference from Medium), and 243 FPS at Ultra (a 70 FPS difference from High).

For competitive play where maximum frame rates matter, Low settings at 1080p provide the headroom needed for high-refresh-rate monitors. The 505 FPS average at 1080p Low is the highest measured value in the dataset, and even at 1440p Low, the 334 FPS average remains well above what most displays can show. At 4K Low, 187 FPS still offers a fluid experience for most players.

Medium settings offer a balanced trade-off. At 1080p, the 420 FPS average with a 357 FPS minimum ensures consistent frame delivery without visual compromises that might affect target acquisition. The 1440p Medium result of 278 FPS (236 FPS minimum) exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors, while 4K Medium at 155 FPS (132 FPS minimum) maintains smooth gameplay even on 144Hz 4K displays.

High settings provide diminishing returns in a fast-paced esports title. At 1080p, 313 FPS average is still excellent, but the drop to 116 FPS at 4K High approaches the threshold where some players might notice reduced responsiveness. Ultra settings push the GPU hardest: 243 FPS at 1080p is playable, but the 90 FPS at 4K Ultra represents a significant compromise for visual fidelity that may not benefit gameplay in a competitive shooter.

The measured data suggests that Medium is the optimal preset for most scenarios. It offers a 33-35% improvement over High settings at every resolution while maintaining visual quality that is nearly indistinguishable from High in fast-moving scenes. For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, Low settings at 1440p provide the best balance of high FPS (334 average) and reasonable image clarity. Ultra should be reserved for players with 1080p or 1440p displays who value visual polish over competitive advantage.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1050 out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the top 28.2% of all configurations in the database. This position reflects a strong but not elite pairing, consistent with the RTX 3080's 68th percentile GPU ranking and the CPU's 94th percentile standing.

The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile (94) and the combo's overall rank (1050 out of 3719) suggests that the GPU acts as the limiting factor in this pairing. A processor that outperforms 94% of all CPUs cannot fully express its capability when paired with a GPU that only outperforms 68% of all GPUs. The data indicates that this combination is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck.

Compared to other combos in the database, this ranking places the i7-14700K + RTX 3080 in the upper third of all tested configurations. The CPU's synthetic benchmark average of 69355 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with deltas of only 0.1-0.9% separating it from the AMD EPYC 9115, Ryzen 9 7950X, Ryzen 9 7940HX, and Ryzen 7 9700F. This tight clustering means the choice of CPU among these options would have minimal impact on Counter-Strike 2 performance.

The GPU's benchmark position likewise shows a cluster of near-identical scores at the RTX 3080's level, with the P106-100, Radeon Pro Vega 16, RX 6600M, and R9 M290X all within 0.4% of its average score. This suggests the RTX 3080's performance tier is well-populated, and the combo rank could shift significantly with small changes in game optimization or driver updates.

The measured FPS data confirms the combo's mid-to-upper tier positioning. At 1080p Low, the 505 FPS average is competitive with top-tier configurations, while at 4K Ultra, the 90 FPS result, while playable, lags behind what higher-end GPUs might achieve. The rank of 1050 out of 3719 represents a solid mid-range-to-high-end position, appropriate for a system targeting 1440p high-refresh gaming or 4K at medium settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 505 FPS. Medium settings yield 420 FPS average, with a minimum of 357 FPS and a maximum of 482 FPS. High settings average 313 FPS. Ultra settings average 243 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 262 FPS, with each step down in quality providing a significant boost: Medium is 34.2% faster than High, and Low is 20.2% faster than Medium.

At 2560x1440, frame rates remain high but show the expected reduction. Low settings average 334 FPS. Medium settings average 278 FPS, with a minimum of 236 FPS and a maximum of 319 FPS. High settings average 207 FPS. Ultra settings average 161 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 173 FPS, with Medium delivering 34.3% higher FPS than High. The 1440p results are approximately 66-69% of the corresponding 1080p values, indicating the GPU's scaling efficiency at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload increases substantially. Low settings average 187 FPS. Medium settings average 155 FPS, with a minimum of 132 FPS and a maximum of 178 FPS. High settings average 116 FPS. Ultra settings average 90 FPS. The 4K results are approximately 55-58% of the corresponding 1440p values, showing the expected drop as pixel count quadruples from 1440p. The Medium setting at 4K maintains a 132 FPS minimum, which is still playable on most displays.

Across all settings, the pattern is consistent: each resolution step (1080p → 1440p → 4K) reduces frame rates by roughly 33-44%, regardless of the quality preset. This uniformity suggests the RTX 3080's rendering pipeline scales linearly with pixel count, and the CPU's contribution remains constant across resolutions. The maximum FPS values at Medium settings (482 at 1080p, 319 at 1440p, 178 at 4K) show the same proportional relationship as the averages.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 505, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the i7-14700K compare to its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X?

A: The i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69355, which is 0.2% lower than the Ryzen 9 7950X's score of 69515. This difference is negligible in practical terms.

Q: Is the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM sufficient for Counter-Strike 2 at 4K?

A: Based on the measured data, the RTX 3080 runs 4K Ultra at 90 FPS average without any reported issues, indicating 10 GB of GDDR6X is adequate for this game's requirements.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play with this combo?

A: The data shows 1440p Low settings deliver 334 FPS average, which provides a strong balance between image clarity and frame rate. At 1080p Low, the 505 FPS average exceeds the refresh rate of nearly all monitors, making it the absolute maximum frame rate option.

Q: How does the combo's ranking compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1050 out of 3719 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the top 28.2% of all configurations in the database.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings average 278 FPS while High settings average 207 FPS, a difference of 71 FPS. Medium is 34.3% faster than High at this resolution.