Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is a competitive FPS that scales dramatically with resolution and settings, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combo shows a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but capable of extreme frame rates at 1080p. The measured results indicate a clear hierarchy: at 1080p, the system is capable of delivering competitive esports-tier performance, but as resolution increases, the RTX 4060 becomes the primary bottleneck, pulling average frame rates down to levels that may not satisfy high-refresh-rate display owners.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 237 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 157 FPS, a 34% reduction. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 88 FPS, which is a 63% decrease from the 1080p result. This steep curve indicates that the RTX 4060’s rendering throughput is the limiting factor as pixel count rises; the CPU has ample headroom at these settings.

The pattern is even more pronounced at Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system pushes an impressive 382 FPS average. At 1440p Low, it still maintains a very high 253 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 141 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 4K at Low is 241 FPS, or a 63% loss, which is identical to the percentage loss seen at High settings. This consistency suggests that resolution scaling is purely a function of GPU fill rate and shading capacity, not a CPU limitation.

Medium settings tell a similar story with more granular data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 317 FPS with a minimum of 270 FPS and a maximum of 365 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 210 FPS (min 179, max 242), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 117 FPS (min 100, max 135). The minimum frame rates at 4K are particularly telling: 100 FPS at Medium settings indicates that the GPU is fully saturated, and any demanding scene will cause noticeable frame pacing issues on a 144Hz or higher display.

What this scaling data suggests is that for competitive play, 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo. The 237 FPS average at High settings is well above the refresh rate of most gaming monitors, and the 382 FPS at Low settings provides a massive buffer for 360Hz displays. At 1440p, the system is still very capable for high-refresh gaming, but the 4K results are best suited for slower-paced or single-player experiences, not fast-twitch competitive matches.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the resolution scaling behavior. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the limited bus width and bandwidth become a constraint, particularly in a game like Counter-Strike 2 which can have complex smoke and lighting effects that stress memory throughput.

The GPU’s clock speeds are respectable, with a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz. This boost clock is what allows the card to hit the high frame rates seen at 1080p, as the Ada Lovelace architecture can sustain high frequencies under load. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 and the PassMark G3D score of 19545 place this GPU in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, indicating solid mid-range performance. However, its nearest rivals in the database are notably older or integrated parts, such as the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (deltaPct -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon 780M (deltaPct 0.3%), which underscores that the RTX 4060 is a modern entry-level discrete option, not a high-end part.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is sufficient for Counter-Strike 2 at the settings tested. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the game runs (at 68 FPS average), which implies the 8 GB frame buffer is not being exhausted. If VRAM were a hard limit, the game would likely fail to load or stutter severely. Instead, the performance drop from Medium to Ultra at 4K (117 FPS to 68 FPS) is a linear progression, suggesting that the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth, not capacity, are the limiting factors.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience for this combo depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p competitive play, Low settings at 382 FPS average is the optimal choice for maximum frame rate, but High settings at 237 FPS is a more balanced option that still exceeds the refresh rate of most 240Hz monitors. The jump from Low to High at 1080p costs 145 FPS but provides significantly better visual fidelity for spotting enemies at distance.

For 1440p, Medium settings at 210 FPS average is the recommended starting point. This provides a high enough frame rate for 144Hz and 165Hz displays while maintaining decent visual quality. High settings at 1440p drop to 157 FPS, which is still playable but may dip below the refresh rate of some high-end monitors. Low settings at 1440p (253 FPS) is viable for pure competitive play, but the visual downgrade is noticeable.

At 4K, the data suggests that Medium settings at 117 FPS average is the only reasonable option. High settings at 88 FPS and Ultra at 68 FPS are too low for a competitive shooter, where frame time consistency is critical. The minimum frame rate of 100 FPS at 4K Medium is the only 4K row with a recorded minimum, and it indicates that even this settings level will experience occasional dips. Low settings at 4K (141 FPS) is a viable alternative for those who prioritize frame rate over resolution, but the game will look noticeably softer.

In summary, the optimal preset is 1080p High for most users, as it balances visual quality and performance. For those with 1440p displays, Medium is the sweet spot. 4K is not recommended for competitive play with this combo.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 382 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Counter-Strike 2?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K Medium, the average is 117 FPS, while 4K High drops to 88 FPS and 4K Ultra to 68 FPS. The minimum frame rate at 4K Medium is 100 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average is 237 FPS. At 1440p High, it is 157 FPS. This represents an 80 FPS drop, or approximately a 34% reduction in average frame rate.

Q: Is the RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM a limiting factor in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a VRAM capacity issue. The game runs at all settings and resolutions tested, including 4K Ultra, which suggests that the 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for Counter-Strike 2. The performance scaling is more consistent with bandwidth and compute limitations.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 1440p, Medium settings (210 FPS average) provides a comfortable margin above 144Hz. At 1080p, High settings (237 FPS average) is the recommended choice. Both options provide average frame rates well above 144 FPS.

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

A: This combo ranks 1510 out of 2870 tested combos for Counter-Strike 2, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all configurations in the database.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1510 out of 2870 tested configurations in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all tested combos, which is a solid result for a mid-range pairing. The rank reflects the fact that the RTX 4060 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, but it is not a high-end part by any means. The 61st percentile GPU ranking and the 85th percentile CPU ranking contribute to this overall position.

The combo’s ranking is likely held back by its 4K performance. While it can achieve playable frame rates at 4K Medium, the results are not competitive with higher-tier GPUs that can maintain 144+ FPS at that resolution. The data shows that this combo is best positioned as a 1080p high-refresh-rate machine, or a 1440p high-refresh machine at Medium settings. In the context of all 2870 combos, this places it in the middle of the pack, as many higher-end configurations will achieve significantly higher frame rates at 1440p and 4K.

However, the ranking is not a negative indictment. For a 1080p esports setup, this combo delivers exceptional performance, with average frame rates well above 200 FPS at most settings. The 1510 rank reflects the fact that many tested combos include much more powerful (and expensive) GPUs, but for the target use case of competitive Counter-Strike 2 at 1080p, this combination is well-suited.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s performance metrics are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. This places the CPU in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game logic. The data suggests that the Core Ultra 5 225 is not a bottleneck at any resolution tested. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with GPU limitations, not CPU limitations. For example, at 1080p Low, the frame rate is 382 FPS, which is extremely high and indicates that the CPU can handle the game’s single-threaded load at high frame rates. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would see frame rates plateau or fail to scale with lower graphics settings.

The processor’s 10 cores and 10 threads are more than sufficient for Counter-Strike 2, which is not a heavily multithreaded game. The high boost clock of 4.90 GHz is particularly beneficial for single-threaded performance, which is critical for maintaining high frame rates in competitive shooters. The 20 MB of L3 cache helps with game data locality, reducing memory latency.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the database, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (deltaPct -0.2%), have nearly identical average benchmark scores, indicating that this CPU is on par with other solid mid-range options. While the 5500X3D has 3D V-Cache, which can benefit some games, the data shows that in synthetic benchmarks, the Core Ultra 5 225 is competitive. For Counter-Strike 2, the measured frame rates confirm that the CPU provides ample performance headroom, allowing the RTX 4060 to operate at its full potential. There is no indication from the data that a faster CPU would yield significantly higher frame rates with this GPU in this game.