Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2, paired with the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, demonstrates a configuration where the CPU’s exceptional processing power ensures high frame rates, but the GPU becomes the decisive factor as resolution climbs. The data shows that this combo ranks in the 1731st position out of 2870 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-mid tier of the database for this title. While the i9-14900K delivers peak single-thread performance, the RTX 5050’s 8 GB of VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth cap the system’s ability to maintain high refresh rates at 4K, resulting in a significant performance cliff between 1080p and 2160p.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average frame rate is 339 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the system is heavily CPU-bound, allowing the i9-14900K to push frame rates well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1731st out of 2870 tested combinations. This places it in the 40th percentile of all tested systems, suggesting that while it is not a top-tier performer for this game, it still provides a playable experience at most settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded, and at what settings?

A: The lowest average FPS is 60, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is precisely at the threshold for smooth gameplay, but the lack of min FPS data suggests potential dips below this level, which could impact competitive play.

Q: Is the RTX 5050 more comparable to a mobile GPU or a desktop GPU in benchmarks?

A: Based on the nearest rivals data, the RTX 5050’s average benchmark score of 21035 is most closely matched by the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, -0.6%) and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, -1.6%). This suggests its raw compute performance aligns more with high-end mobile parts than modern desktop discrete GPUs.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at any tested resolution. The i9-14900K’s benchmark scores, including a 2262.5 single-core score in Cinebench R23, are sufficient to feed the RTX 5050. The frame rate drops from 339 FPS at 1080p Low to 126 FPS at 4K Low (a 63% decrease) indicate the GPU is the limiting factor as resolution increases.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded in the Medium settings tests?

A: For Medium settings, the data provides min and max FPS values. At 1920x1080, the range is 240 to 324 FPS with an average of 282. At 2560x1440, it ranges from 159 to 215 FPS with an average of 187. At 3840x2160, it ranges from 89 to 120 FPS with an average of 104.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050’s specifications define its role in Counter-Strike 2 performance. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the GPU has a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The data indicates that this memory configuration is a critical factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU’s 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is sufficient to render frames quickly, allowing the CPU to drive frame rates up to 339 FPS on Low settings. However, as resolution increases, the demand on the GPU’s memory subsystem and shading units (2560) grows exponentially.

The RTX 5050 operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 20 RT cores and 80 Tensor cores, provide the raw throughput needed for the game’s rendering tasks. The performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K highlights the GPU’s limits. The frame rate drops from 126 FPS at Low to 60 FPS at Ultra, a 52% reduction. This shows that while the GPU can handle the geometry and shading at lower presets, the added effects and texture detail at Ultra overwhelm its 8 GB VRAM capacity and 32 ROPs, causing a severe bottleneck. The GPU’s 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035, confirms it is a mid-range part that excels at esports titles at 1080p but struggles with high-fidelity 4K rendering.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which points to the GPU as the primary limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 339 at 1080p to 225 at 1440p (a 34% decrease), and then to 126 at 4K (a 44% decrease from 1440p). This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, where the number of pixels to fill quadruples from 1080p to 4K, requiring four times the pixel shading and memory bandwidth. The RTX 5050’s 320.0 GB/s bandwidth and 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient to maintain the same frame throughput at 4K.

The scaling is even more pronounced at higher settings. For High settings, the average FPS drops from 211 at 1080p to 139 at 1440p (a 34% decrease) and then to 78 at 4K (a 44% decrease). At Ultra settings, the drop is from 163 at 1080p to 108 at 1440p (a 34% decrease) and then to 60 at 4K (a 44% decrease). The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings indicates that resolution, not graphical complexity, is the dominant factor limiting performance. This behavior confirms that the Intel Core i9-14900K, with its high clock speeds and 36 MB of L3 cache, is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload (draw calls and physics) does not scale with pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1731 out of 2870 places this system in the 40th percentile of all tested combinations for Counter-Strike 2. This ranking is surprisingly low given the CPU’s strength, but it is dragged down by the GPU’s modest performance. The i9-14900K’s benchmark scores are exceptional, with a 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 79097. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79371, -0.3%) and the AMD EPYC 7413 (80041, -1.2%), showing it is within 1% of the top-performing desktop CPUs. However, the RTX 5050’s 66th percentile ranking among GPUs, with an average score of 21035, places it near the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, 1.6%) in performance.

This disparity between CPU and GPU performance creates an imbalanced system for Counter-Strike 2. The data shows that at 1080p, the combo performs admirably, achieving 339 FPS on Low settings, which would place it in a higher percentile. But at 4K Ultra, the 60 FPS average is below the 144Hz refresh rate that many competitive players target. The rank of 1731 reflects a system that is optimized for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming but falls short at higher resolutions. When compared to the 2870 total combos, this system sits ahead of 1139 other configurations but behind 1730, indicating that many systems with slower CPUs but faster GPUs achieve better overall scores in this title at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired refresh rate. For 1920x1080, all settings provide playable frame rates, but the Medium preset offers the best balance. It averages 282 FPS with a minimum of 240 FPS, ensuring that even in intense firefights, the frame rate stays above the 240Hz refresh rate of high-end monitors. While Low settings achieve 339 FPS, the visual fidelity loss is not worth the extra frames, as the game is already well above any competitive threshold. High settings at 211 FPS are also viable, but Medium provides a 34% performance increase over High with minimal visual differences.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is again the recommended choice. It averages 187 FPS with a minimum of 159 FPS, keeping the experience smooth on 144Hz to 165Hz monitors. Low settings achieve 225 FPS, but this is only necessary for players with 240Hz displays who prioritize maximum responsiveness over visual quality. High settings at 139 FPS are playable but leave little headroom for frame drops below 120 FPS, which can be noticeable in a fast-paced shooter. Ultra settings at 108 FPS should be avoided for competitive play, as the minimum FPS is not recorded but the average is too close to the 100 FPS threshold for consistent aim.

For 3840x2160, the data shows that this combo is not well-suited for high refresh rates. Ultra settings average 60 FPS, which is the bare minimum for playability but lacks the smoothness required for competitive advantage. Medium settings average 104 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS, making it the only viable preset for 4K gaming, though it will still feel less responsive than 1080p. Low settings achieve 126 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant. The recommendation is to use Medium settings for 4K if the player has a 60Hz to 100Hz monitor, but to prioritize 1080p or 1440p for the best experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 163 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 211 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 282 FPS, with a minimum of 240 FPS and a maximum of 324 FPS. The Low preset delivers an average of 339 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each step down in settings yields a substantial increase in frame rate, with the jump from High to Medium (71 FPS) being the largest single-step increase.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 108 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 139 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 187 FPS, with a minimum of 159 FPS and a maximum of 215 FPS. The Low preset delivers an average of 225 FPS. The performance scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows an average reduction of 34% across all settings, which aligns with the increase in pixel count from 2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 60 FPS. The High preset delivers an average of 78 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 104 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. The Low preset delivers an average of 126 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe, averaging a 44% reduction across all settings, as the pixel count increases from 3.69 million to 8.29 million pixels. The RTX 5050’s memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s and 8 GB VRAM capacity are the primary constraints at this resolution, as the data shows the GPU cannot maintain the same frame delivery as at lower resolutions. The minimum FPS data is only provided for Medium settings, which shows the frame time consistency is best at this preset, but even so, the 4K experience is limited to a maximum of 120 FPS.