Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 places this combination of an Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 at rank 858 out of 3719 tested combos. This puts the pairing in the top quarter of all configurations tested for this title, indicating that the hardware is well matched to the game's demands. The combination sits comfortably above the median tested setup, though it does not approach the very top tier of performance rankings. The rank reflects a system that should deliver a consistently fluid experience in most scenarios, with the headroom to handle competitive play at high frame rates.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-14700KF compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163. This places it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. It trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%, which has an average score of 70879.

Q: What is the performance percentile of the RTX 4070 relative to all other GPUs?

A: The RTX 4070 ranks in the 81st percentile among all GPUs tested. Its average benchmark score is 37648, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P4 and 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56. It sits 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6400.

Q: What kind of frame rates can this combo achieve at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 254 FPS at Ultra settings to 527 FPS at Low settings. Medium settings deliver 438 FPS on average, while High settings produce 327 FPS. The Medium preset also shows a minimum of 372 FPS and a maximum of 503 FPS.

Q: Is there a significant performance drop when moving from 1440p to 4K?

A: Yes, the data shows a substantial drop. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 216 FPS at 2560x1440 to 121 FPS at 3840x2160. Similarly, at Low settings, the average drops from 349 FPS at 1440p to 195 FPS at 4K, indicating a heavier load on the GPU at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the components in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has a launch MSRP of $384. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has a launch MSRP of 599 USD. These figures represent the original pricing at their respective release dates.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its single-core performance?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 44167, while its single-core score is 6235. This indicates strong scaling across its 20 cores and 28 threads. In Geekbench, the multi-core score is 21462 versus 2578 for single-core, reinforcing the processor's capability in heavily threaded workloads.

Resolution Scaling

Examining the frame rate data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 327 FPS on average. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 216 FPS, a reduction of approximately 34%. At 3840x2160, the average further falls to 121 FPS, which is about 63% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline as resolution increases is characteristic of a system where the graphics card becomes the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The trend is even more pronounced at Low settings. At 1080p Low, the average frame rate reaches 527 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 349 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 195 FPS. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is approximately 63%, nearly identical to the High settings scenario. This consistency suggests that even with reduced graphical load, the GPU still dictates performance at higher resolutions.

The Medium settings data provides additional insight with its min and max FPS readings. At 1080p Medium, the average is 438 FPS with a range of 372 to 503 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 290 FPS with a range of 246 to 333 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 162 FPS with a range of 138 to 186 FPS. The narrowing of the FPS range at higher resolutions indicates that frame time consistency improves as the GPU becomes more saturated, reducing the impact of CPU-side fluctuations.

The scaling behavior suggests that at 1080p, the CPU still has some influence on peak frame rates, particularly at Low and Medium settings where the GPU has less work to do. However, the consistent percentage drops across settings point to the RTX 4070 being the dominant factor in determining overall performance as resolution increases. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to handle the data throughput required at 4K, but the GPU's compute capacity limits the final frame output.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance envelope is wide, catering to both competitive and visually demanding preferences. Low settings yield an average of 527 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the dataset. Medium settings provide 438 FPS on average, with a minimum of 372 FPS and a maximum of 503 FPS. High settings deliver 327 FPS on average, while Ultra settings drop to 254 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 273 FPS, indicating that the CPU and GPU combination has significant headroom at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear step down. Low settings average 349 FPS, Medium settings average 290 FPS with a range of 246 to 333 FPS, High settings average 216 FPS, and Ultra settings average 168 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 181 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is beginning to feel the load of the higher pixel count. The Medium settings range of 87 FPS indicates some variability, but the average remains well above the refresh rates of most high-end monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops are more pronounced. Low settings average 195 FPS, Medium settings average 162 FPS with a range of 138 to 186 FPS, High settings average 121 FPS, and Ultra settings average 94 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is now only 101 FPS, showing that the GPU is nearing its limits at this resolution. The Medium settings minimum of 138 FPS is still respectable, but the Ultra preset's average of 94 FPS suggests that users seeking maximum visual fidelity at 4K will need to accept frame rates closer to the 100 FPS mark.

The measured data shows a consistent hierarchy across all resolutions: Low provides the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the most demanding. The Medium preset consistently offers a balanced point, with its minimum FPS values at each resolution staying above 138 FPS, which is a playable threshold for most users. The High and Ultra presets at 4K fall below the 144 FPS threshold that competitive players often target, making them more suitable for slower-paced or single-player scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, providing substantial single-thread headroom that is critical for Counter-Strike 2's engine. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235 and multi-core score of 44167 illustrate its capability in both lightly and heavily threaded scenarios. In Geekbench, it scores 2578 single-core and 21462 multi-core, reinforcing its strong all-around performance.

In this game, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 527 FPS on average, a figure that is likely constrained by the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates. The high boost clock of 5.60 GHz helps maintain these elevated frame rates, as Counter-Strike 2 tends to be sensitive to single-core performance. The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache also aids in keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency.

The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads may not be fully utilized by Counter-Strike 2, which typically scales with fewer threads. However, the high single-core performance ensures that the game's main thread does not become a bottleneck. The PassMark single-thread score of 4480 and multi-thread score of 52425 further confirm that the processor excels in both domains. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of driving frame rates that exceed what most displays can show, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor only when resolution increases.

The processor's architecture, Raptor Lake-R, is built on a 10 nm process from Intel. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, which provides flexibility for system builders. The 125 W TDP indicates that this is a high-power part requiring adequate cooling, but the benchmark results show that the performance is commensurate with the power draw. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking among all tested processors places it near the top of the stack, ensuring that it will not be the weak link in most gaming scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 438, with a minimum of 372 FPS, ensuring that frame drops are rare and unlikely to be noticeable. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 290 FPS, still well above the threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors. Even at 4K Medium, the average of 162 FPS with a minimum of 138 FPS provides a smooth experience that maintains competitive viability.

For users with 1080p displays, the Low preset at 527 FPS average is the best choice for maximizing frame rates in competitive play. The extra frames may provide a slight advantage in input latency, which is critical in a fast-paced FPS. However, the visual quality difference between Low and Medium is often minimal, and the Medium preset's 438 FPS average still offers headroom above any current monitor's refresh rate. Users prioritizing visual fidelity over raw frame rate can opt for High at 327 FPS, which remains fluid.

At 1440p, the Medium preset's 290 FPS average is the recommended starting point. It provides a significant frame rate advantage over High (216 FPS) while maintaining better visual quality than Low (349 FPS). The Ultra preset at 168 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for users with 240 Hz monitors. The data indicates that the step from Medium to High costs 74 FPS on average, a notable drop that may not justify the visual improvements for all players.

At 4K, the Medium preset's 162 FPS average is the only option that consistently stays above 144 FPS. Low settings achieve 195 FPS, but the reduction in visual quality is substantial. High settings drop to 121 FPS, and Ultra falls to 94 FPS, both of which may introduce noticeable stutter on high-refresh-rate displays. For 4K users, Medium is the clear recommendation, as it balances visual fidelity with a frame rate that remains responsive. The 4K Medium minimum of 138 FPS ensures that even the heaviest scenes stay within a playable range.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, with 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs. Its FP32 performance is rated at 29.15 TFLOPS, which provides ample compute power for modern game rendering. The GPU's 81st percentile ranking among all tested GPUs indicates that it is a strong performer, though not at the absolute top tier.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p, the GPU is often underutilized, with the CPU capable of driving frame rates beyond what the GPU can render in some scenarios. However, the data shows that even at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 254, suggesting that the GPU is doing meaningful work. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with the average FPS dropping to 121 at High settings and 94 at Ultra settings.

The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for Counter-Strike 2 at all tested settings, as the game does not typically require more than 8 GB even at 4K. The GDDR6X memory's 504.2 GB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and data transfer do not become bottlenecks. The GPU's 35,800 million transistors and 294 mm² die size reflect a substantial investment in compute resources, which is evidenced by the PassMark G3D score of 26927 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3854.

The RTX 4070's performance relative to its nearest rivals shows a tight grouping. It is 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P4 and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 in average benchmark score. It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile by 1.3% and leads the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 by 1.3%. This indicates that the RTX 4070 sits in a competitive segment where small differences in synthetic benchmarks translate to similar real-world gaming performance. The GPU's 5 nm process from TSMC and 200 W TDP allow it to deliver this performance in a dual-slot form factor, making it a versatile option for a range of system builds.