Counter-Strike 2

# Counter-Strike 2 — Intel Core i7-14700KF + Intel Arc B370

The combination of Intel's 20-core Core i7-14700KF and the integrated Intel Arc B370 produces a highly unbalanced experience in Counter-Strike 2, where the CPU is dramatically more capable than the GPU. Benchmark data reveals a system that can deliver high frame rates at 1080p Low settings but struggles severely at 4K, with the Arc B370 acting as the clear bottleneck across all tested configurations. The measured results place this combo at rank 2642 out of 2870 tested combinations, indicating performance in the bottom 8% of all tested systems for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate degradation from 1080p to 4K is severe and reveals a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 162 at 1920x1080 to 107 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 55 FPS or approximately 34%. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings brings the average down further to 60 FPS, another 44% decrease. The total scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low shows the frame rate falling by 102 FPS, meaning 4K performance is only 37% of what the system achieves at 1080p.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At High settings, the drop from 1080p (100 FPS) to 1440p (66 FPS) represents a 34% reduction, and then to 4K (37 FPS) another 44% cut. Medium settings follow the same trajectory: 134 FPS at 1080p, 89 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling, with 78 FPS at 1080p falling to 52 FPS at 1440p and finally to 29 FPS at 4K — a total reduction of 63% from the starting point.

These scaling patterns indicate that the limiting component changes with resolution. At 1080p, the system still manages respectable frame rates, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower pixel counts. However, the steep drop-offs at 1440p and especially 4K point to the Arc B370's limited fill rate and compute capabilities becoming the dominant constraint. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are simply insufficient for 4K rendering in this title, regardless of the CPU's capacity.

The fact that even Low settings at 4K only reach 60 FPS average — barely playable — while 1080p Low reaches 162 FPS confirms that resolution scaling is the primary determinant of performance here. The system's 4K performance is universally poor, with no settings preset achieving even 60 FPS average at Ultra (29 FPS), High (37 FPS), or Medium (50 FPS).

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, featuring 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. The GPU includes 10 ray tracing cores and delivers 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance.

The GPU's memory configuration is notable for its limitations: the memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the Arc B370 relies entirely on the host system's memory rather than having dedicated VRAM. In Counter-Strike 2, a game that benefits from fast, dedicated graphics memory, this shared memory arrangement likely contributes to the performance ceiling observed at higher resolutions.

The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, indicating extremely low performance relative to the broader GPU market. Its nearest rivals in benchmark scores are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% ahead), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% ahead), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% ahead), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% behind). These comparisons place the Arc B370 in territory occupied by decade-old discrete GPUs and low-end mobile parts.

The GPU's TDP of 25 W and IGP slot width (with no power connectors) indicate this is not designed for demanding gaming workloads. The observed frame rates align with this positioning: at 4K Ultra, the system manages only 29 FPS average, which is well below playable thresholds for a competitive FPS title. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 78 FPS average is marginal for competitive play, though it does cross the 60 FPS threshold.

The 3DMark score of 1184 correlates strongly with the in-game results. A GPU in the 5th percentile of all GPUs will inherently struggle with modern titles at high resolutions, and Counter-Strike 2 is no exception. The data shows that the GPU's 2.4 GHz boost clock cannot compensate for the limited shading units and memory bandwidth constraints.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake-R architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache.

This CPU is exceptionally powerful relative to the GPU paired with it. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44167 and single-core score of 6235 demonstrate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities. Geekbench results show 21462 multicore and 2578 single-core scores. The PassMark multi-thread score of 52425 and single-thread score of 4480 further confirm the CPU's capability.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 94 among all CPUs places it in the top 6% of processors, a stark contrast to the GPU's 5th percentile ranking. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69996, 0.2% behind), AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875, 0.4% behind), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, 0.9% behind), and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (70879, 1% ahead). The i7-14700KF's average benchmark score of 70163 demonstrates it is a top-tier processor.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates. The high boost clock of 5.60 GHz and the substantial L3 cache of 33 MB are beneficial for this task. However, the data shows that the CPU's capabilities are largely wasted at higher resolutions, where the GPU becomes the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 162 FPS average suggests the CPU can sustain high frame rates when the GPU is less stressed, but the GPU still limits performance to 162 FPS rather than allowing the CPU to reach its full potential.

The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient for Counter-Strike 2, which is not heavily multi-threaded. The single-core performance, as indicated by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235, is what matters most for this game's engine. The 5.60 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded performance is excellent, but the GPU cannot take advantage of this at resolutions above 1080p.

FAQ

Q: Why does the system perform so much better at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: The Intel Arc B370 GPU has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its limited pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s cannot handle 4K rendering, resulting in average FPS dropping from 162 at 1080p Low to 60 at 4K Low — a 63% reduction.

Q: Is the Core i7-14700KF bottlenecking the system in this game?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU is not the limiting factor. The i7-14700KF ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235. The GPU's 5th percentile ranking shows it is the bottleneck, especially at 1440p and 4K resolutions.

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

A: The measured data shows that 1080p Low produces the highest average FPS at 162, followed by 1080p Medium at 134 FPS. These are the only configurations where the system approaches competitive frame rates, as 1440p Low drops to 107 FPS and 4K Low to 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, putting it within 1.4% of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168) and within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192). It trails the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190) by 0.5% and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) by 0.2%.

Q: Does the shared system memory affect gaming performance?

A: The Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the host system's memory rather than dedicated VRAM, which likely contributes to the low frame rates observed at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth becomes critical.

Q: What frame rate can players expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows 89 FPS average at 2560x1440 Medium, with minimum FPS of 76 and maximum of 102. This is playable but below the 107 FPS achieved at 1440p Low and well below the 134 FPS at 1080p Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i7-14700KF and Arc B370 ranks 2642 out of 2870 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the severe imbalance between the CPU and GPU components.

The CPU alone ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This 89-percentile-point gap is among the largest possible in tested systems, and the overall combo ranking of 2642 out of 2870 reflects the GPU's dominance as the limiting factor.

The average benchmark scores illustrate the disparity: the CPU's average benchmark score is 70163, while the GPU's average is 1184. This means the CPU is approximately 59 times more powerful than the GPU in raw benchmark terms, yet in gaming the system can only perform as well as its weakest link.

The combo rank of 2642 indicates that most tested systems, even those with weaker CPUs, outperform this combination due to having more capable GPUs. The data suggests that Counter-Strike 2 performance is heavily GPU-dependent at most settings, and the Arc B370's 5th percentile performance drags down the entire system's ranking despite the top-tier CPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and performance priorities. At 1920x1080, Low settings provide the highest average FPS at 162, which is ideal for competitive play where frame rate is paramount. Medium settings at 1080p offer 134 FPS average with a minimum of 114 FPS, providing a balance between visual quality and performance that remains playable.

For users at 2560x1440, Low settings produce 107 FPS average, which is the only settings preset that achieves triple-digit frame rates at this resolution. Medium settings at 1440p drop to 89 FPS average with a minimum of 76 FPS, which is still within a playable range but noticeably less smooth than 1080p. High settings at 1440p fall to 66 FPS average, and Ultra settings to 52 FPS, both of which are marginal for a competitive FPS.

At 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves consistently playable frame rates. Low settings produce 60 FPS average, which is technically playable but below the 144+ FPS typically desired for competitive play. Medium settings at 4K average 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS, and High settings average 37 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K average only 29 FPS, which is unplayable for any serious gaming.

The data clearly indicates that 1080p Low settings offer the best competitive experience, with 1080p Medium as a viable alternative for improved visuals at a 28 FPS cost. Users prioritizing visual quality over frame rate could consider 1080p High at 100 FPS or 1080p Ultra at 78 FPS, but these come with diminishing returns given the GPU's limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured frame rate data for Counter-Strike 2 with the Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B370 is as follows:

At 3840x2160, the system achieves 37 FPS average on High settings, 60 FPS average on Low settings, 50 FPS average on Medium settings (with minimum 42 FPS and maximum 57 FPS), and 29 FPS average on Ultra settings.

At 2560x1440, the system achieves 66 FPS average on High settings, 107 FPS average on Low settings, 89 FPS average on Medium settings (with minimum 76 FPS and maximum 102 FPS), and 52 FPS average on Ultra settings.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves 100 FPS average on High settings, 162 FPS average on Low settings, 134 FPS average on Medium settings (with minimum 114 FPS and maximum 154 FPS), and 78 FPS average on Ultra settings.

The progression across resolutions shows consistent scaling: Medium settings at 1080p (134 FPS) drop to 89 FPS at 1440p (a 34% reduction) and then to 50 FPS at 4K (a 44% further reduction). Low settings follow the same pattern with 162 FPS at 1080p, 107 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows the system maintains reasonably consistent frame pacing: at 1080p Medium, the minimum of 114 FPS is 85% of the average, while at 1440p Medium, the minimum of 76 FPS is 85% of the average, and at 4K Medium, the minimum of 42 FPS is 84% of the average. This consistency suggests the frame time variance is relatively stable across resolutions, with no severe stuttering issues observed.

The maximum FPS values for Medium settings also scale predictably: 154 FPS at 1080p, 102 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. The gap between minimum and maximum FPS widens with resolution, from 40 FPS at 1080p to 26 FPS at 1440p and 15 FPS at 4K, indicating that frame rate volatility increases at higher resolutions where the GPU is more stressed.