Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers exceptional performance in Counter-Strike 2, with the data showing a system that excels at high refresh rates across all tested resolutions. The measured frame rates indicate that this pairing is well-balanced for the game, with the CPU and GPU each taking on distinct roles depending on the settings and resolution chosen. This analysis breaks down the measured results to identify where each component contributes most and how the pairing ranks among other tested configurations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and its 33 MB of shared L3 cache is a substantial resource for gaming workloads. In Counter-Strike 2, a title that is notoriously sensitive to single-thread performance, the processor's high boost clock and robust cache hierarchy are critical. The benchmark results confirm the CPU's strength: it achieves a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6287 and a multi-core score of 44534. Its percentileVsAllCpus of 96 indicates that it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market in general compute tasks.

The impact of the CPU on this game's results is most evident at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches an average of 584.2 FPS, a figure that is only achievable with a processor capable of feeding the GPU with data at an extremely high rate. The difference between the 1080p High (364.9 FPS) and 1080p Low (584.2 FPS) results, a gap of 219.3 FPS, indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor even at these high frame rates; rather, the GPU's workload changes with the settings. The processor's single-threaded capabilities are further highlighted by its Passmark single-thread score of 4472, which places it in the top tier for gaming. Compared to its closest rivals, the i7-14700K scores nearly identically to the Intel Core i7-14700KF, with a deltaPct of 0, and is only 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. This suggests that the CPU's performance is at the very top of the current desktop market, making it a capable partner for any high-end GPU in this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is 2475 MHz, and it has a substantial 7168 shading units. In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's role becomes more prominent as resolution and graphical settings increase. Its 12 GB VRAM is ample for this game at all tested settings, preventing any memory-related performance dips. The GPU's compute capabilities are strong, with a Passmark G3D score of 29995 and a percentileVsAllGpus of 84, placing it well above average.

The data shows the GPU's influence clearly at 4K resolution. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 102.8, which is a significant reduction from the 281.8 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra. This scaling demonstrates that at higher resolutions and maximum settings, the RTX 4070 SUPER becomes the primary limiting component, as the rendering load increases substantially. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the GPU can produce 584.2 FPS, showing that it is not a bottleneck at lower settings and that the CPU is capable of driving it to its limits. The GPU's performance is within 1% of its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (deltaPct -0.2) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (deltaPct -0.3), indicating that its raw compute power is competitive in its class. The 220 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for a card of this performance level, and the 16-pin power connector is the modern standard.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of performance scaling from 1080p to 4K, which reveals the dynamic between the CPU and GPU. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 364.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 241.2 FPS, a reduction of 123.7 FPS. At 4K High, the average falls further to 132.3 FPS. This progressive decline is expected, but the rate of decline provides insight into the bottleneck. The FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 34%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is roughly 45%. This suggests that the GPU is taking on more work as resolution increases, and its performance ceiling is being approached.

The scaling with Low settings is even more telling. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 584.2 FPS. This is an exceptionally high frame rate, indicating that the CPU is not the limiting factor. At 1440p Low, the average is 385.7 FPS, and at 4K Low, it is 220.2 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 34%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 43%. This shows that even at Low settings, the 4K resolution puts a substantial load on the GPU, confirming that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary constraint at that resolution. In contrast, the CPU's role is most critical at 1080p, where the high frame rates demand exceptional per-core performance. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 102.8 FPS, which is still a playable frame rate for most users, but it is a far cry from the 584.2 FPS achievable at 1080p Low. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the CPU's strength and the GPU's speed combine to deliver very high frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use for maximum frame rate with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings produces the highest average frame rate at 584.2 FPS. At 1440p Low, the average is 385.7 FPS, and at 4K Low, it is 220.2 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 70074, which is nearly identical to the i7-14700KF's score of 70104, resulting in a deltaPct of 0. Their performance is effectively equivalent.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER a bottleneck for this CPU at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 584.2 FPS, and at High settings, it achieves 364.9 FPS. These high frame rates suggest the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution, and the CPU is capable of driving it well.

Q: What is the largest performance difference between resolution tiers?

A: The largest relative drop is from 1080p Low (584.2 FPS) to 1440p Low (385.7 FPS), a decrease of 198.5 FPS. This indicates a significant increase in GPU load when moving to a higher resolution.

Q: How does the GPU compare in performance to the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 42576, which is 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE's score of 42723. The performance difference is minimal.

Q: At 4K Ultra settings, what is the average frame rate, and is it playable?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 102.8 FPS. This is above the standard 60 FPS threshold and is considered a playable and smooth experience for most players.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER holds the rank of 285 out of 1632 tested combos for Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the top 17.5% of all tested configurations. The rank is a strong indicator of the overall balance and performance of this pairing for this specific game. The fact that it ranks this high despite the RTX 4070 SUPER being a mid-to-high-end GPU, not a flagship, suggests that the CPU's top-tier performance is a major contributor to the system's ability to maintain high frame rates. A rank of 285 means that there are 284 other combinations of CPUs and GPUs that perform better, which likely include higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer generation cards. However, this combo's position in the top quintile demonstrates that it is a very capable pairing for competitive play, where high and consistent frame rates are more valuable than absolute maximum visual fidelity. The data confirms that this is a high-performing combination that will not be a limiting factor for most users in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the average frame rates recorded for the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination in Counter-Strike 2, broken down by resolution and settings.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | ----------: |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 220.2 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 178.7 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 132.3 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 102.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 385.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 324.0 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 241.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 189.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 584.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 489.2 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 364.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 281.8 |

The data shows a consistent hierarchy across all resolutions. Lower settings always produce higher frame rates, and lower resolutions also produce higher frame rates. The most notable result is the 584.2 FPS at 1080p Low, which is an exceptional figure that highlights the synergy between the CPU's high clock speed and the GPU's processing power. At 4K Ultra, the system still maintains an average of 102.8 FPS, which is respectable for the highest fidelity settings. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution is substantial, with the gap being 364.0 FPS at 1080p, 196.3 FPS at 1440p, and 117.4 FPS at 4K. This scaling shows that the game is highly responsive to both CPU and GPU performance, and that this combo provides a wide range of playable configurations for different user preferences.