Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is a competitive FPS that places heavy demands on both the processor and the graphics card, and the measured data for the Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 shows a system capable of very high frame rates across all tested resolutions. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, provides a strong foundation for the game's simulation and netcode, while the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and Blackwell architecture handle the rendering pipeline. The benchmark results, collected across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, reveal a component that scales predictably with settings, but the performance curve also exposes where each component becomes the limiting factor. This analysis walks through those measured frames to explain what they mean for a player building around this specific configuration.

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

The Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake-R architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and it features 33 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44534 and a single-core score of 6287, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2932. These numbers place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is one of the more capable processors available for demanding workloads.

For Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is critical because the game engine relies heavily on single-thread performance for frame rendering and game logic. The high boost clock of 5.60 GHz directly contributes to the strong 1080p Low preset result of 406.8 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the dataset. At this resolution, the GPU has less rendering work per frame, allowing the CPU to push frames as fast as it can process them. The measured data shows that at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial—406.8 FPS versus 196.4 FPS—which indicates that while the CPU can handle the raw simulation speed, the GPU becomes more involved as visual fidelity increases.

The 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient for Counter-Strike 2, which typically scales well with a few cores but benefits from the high single-core boost. The Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2640 and the Passmark single-thread score of 4472 both point to a processor that excels at the kind of rapid, single-threaded tasks the game presents. The data also shows that the CPU's performance is close to its nearest rivals—the Core i7-14700KF scores 70104 on average, a 0% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is 0.5% ahead—meaning this chip is well-positioned in its performance class.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB206 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process. It has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock is 2497 MHz, and it comes with 3840 shading units, 30 RT cores, and 120 tensor cores. Its Passmark G3D score is 20891, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. The average benchmark score of 30109 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, which scores 30097, a 0% delta, while the NVIDIA Tesla M60 is 0.5% behind.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and settings. The measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 70.1 FPS, while at 1080p Low it reaches 406.8 FPS. This 336.7 FPS spread highlights how the GPU's rendering load scales with resolution and visual quality. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures at the tested settings, as the data does not indicate any memory-related stuttering or frame drops. The GPU's 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 compute provides enough horsepower for the game's shader work, but the frame rates at 4K Ultra suggest that the GPU is the limiting factor at that resolution, as the CPU alone cannot compensate for the increased pixel count.

The RTX 5060's memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) and the 128-bit bus are adequate for a game like Counter-Strike 2, which is not particularly bandwidth-intensive compared to AAA titles. The data shows that at 1440p Medium, the system achieves 221.3 FPS, indicating that the GPU can handle moderate settings at a high refresh rate, making it a balanced match for the Core i7-14700K in this title.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the system performs across different settings presets. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 406.8 FPS, which is far above the refresh rate of any standard monitor, making it ideal for competitive play where maximum frame rates are desirable. The Medium preset at 336.3 FPS still offers an excellent experience, while High at 249.3 FPS and Ultra at 196.4 FPS are both well above the 144 Hz threshold. For players using a 240 Hz monitor, the Low preset is the only one that guarantees frame rates above that mark, but Medium and High are close enough for most practical purposes.

At 1440p, the Low preset produces 269.1 FPS, which is still very high, while Medium drops to 221.3 FPS and High to 164.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 127.7 FPS is the first setting that falls below the 144 Hz mark, so for 1440p users, High is the recommended preset to balance visual quality with high refresh rates. The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 40-50 FPS at this resolution, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 141.4 FPS.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Low preset at 147.8 FPS is the only setting that breaks the 144 Hz barrier, while Medium at 122.5 FPS and High at 93.4 FPS are still playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset at 70.1 FPS is the weakest result, and for 4K gaming, the Low preset is the recommended choice to maintain a competitive frame rate. Overall, the data suggests that for most players, the High preset at 1440p or the Medium preset at 1080p offers the best combination of visual quality and performance, as these settings stay well above 200 FPS while providing better image fidelity than Low.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest measured frame rate for this system in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The highest measured frame rate is 406.8 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 70.1 FPS, which is the lowest measured result in the dataset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 406.8 FPS suggests the CPU is the primary driver, as the GPU has minimal rendering work at this low resolution and preset.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 269.1 FPS while the Ultra preset delivers 127.7 FPS, a difference of 141.4 FPS.

Q: How does this system compare to the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT in GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 30109, while the RX 7700 XT scores 30097, showing a 0% delta between the two.

Q: What is the system's rank among all tested CPU+GPU combinations in this game?

A: The combo is ranked 820 out of 1632 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of all systems tested for Counter-Strike 2.

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

The measured data shows a clear pattern of frame rate decline as resolution increases, which reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 406.8 FPS, and dropping to 1440p Low reduces that to 269.1 FPS, a 33.8% decrease. Moving to 4K Low further reduces the frame rate to 147.8 FPS, a 45.1% drop from 1440p and a 63.7% drop from 1080p. This large decline indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance is constant across resolutions while the GPU's rendering load increases with pixel count.

At the High settings preset, the scaling is less dramatic but still significant. The 1080p High result of 249.3 FPS drops to 164.4 FPS at 1440p (a 34.0% decrease) and then to 93.4 FPS at 4K (a 43.2% decrease from 1440p). The Ultra preset shows similar behavior, with 196.4 FPS at 1080p, 127.7 FPS at 1440p, and 70.1 FPS at 4K. The fact that the frame rate drops by roughly 40-50% at each resolution step, regardless of settings, suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, while the CPU is better utilized at 1080p. The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at lower resolutions—at 1080p, the difference is 210.4 FPS, while at 4K it is 77.7 FPS—which further supports the conclusion that the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution increases.

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

The complete measured FPS dataset for the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 in Counter-Strike 2 is as follows. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 406.8 FPS on Low settings, 336.3 FPS on Medium, 249.3 FPS on High, and 196.4 FPS on Ultra. These results show that the system is capable of exceeding 400 FPS at the lowest settings, which is beneficial for esports players using high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium and High presets remain above 240 FPS, making them suitable for 240 Hz displays, while Ultra still clears 144 Hz.

At 2560x1440, the measured frame rates are 269.1 FPS on Low, 221.3 FPS on Medium, 164.4 FPS on High, and 127.7 FPS on Ultra. The Low and Medium presets are both above 200 FPS, which is excellent for 1440p gaming, while High stays above 144 Hz. The Ultra preset is the only one that falls below 144 Hz, indicating that players targeting 144 Hz at 1440p should stick to High or lower settings. The 1440p results show a consistent reduction of roughly 40-45 FPS for each settings tier, with the exception of the jump from High to Ultra, which costs 36.7 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system delivers 147.8 FPS on Low, 122.5 FPS on Medium, 93.4 FPS on High, and 70.1 FPS on Ultra. The Low preset is the only one that exceeds 144 Hz, making it the recommended choice for 4K players who prioritize frame rate. Medium is still above 120 FPS, which is smooth for most displays, but High and Ultra are better suited for 60 Hz monitors or slower-paced gameplay. The 4K data shows that the system can handle the resolution at lower settings, but it is not a 4K Ultra-capable configuration for this title. The overall trend across all resolutions is that the system scales well with settings, providing a wide range of frame rates to match different display capabilities and player preferences.