Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is a highly competitive FPS that demands high and consistent frame rates. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The data covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a complete picture of this combination's capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo if I want the highest average frame rate?

A: The data shows the highest average frame rates are achieved at 1920x1080. At this resolution, the average FPS ranges from 359 on Ultra settings to 745 on Low settings, which is significantly higher than the frame rates seen at 2560x1440 or 3840x2160.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, scores 36945, resulting in a 0% deltaPct. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018, which is a -0.2% deltaPct, and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112, a -0.5% deltaPct. These differences are negligible, indicating the Ultra 5 225 is statistically tied with these processors in overall benchmark scores.

Q: What is the GPU's raw compute capability in TFLOPS?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This high compute figure is one of the reasons the card is capable of producing the very high frame rates observed in the measured data.

Q: At which resolution does the RTX 4090 start to show a clear performance bottleneck?

A: The data suggests that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at 3840x2160. This is indicated by the frame rate scaling; going from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at High settings drops the average FPS from 306 to 171, a much larger relative drop than moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440.

Q: What is the highest refresh rate display this combo can drive at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 493 FPS on Low, 410 FPS on Medium, and 306 FPS on High settings. These results indicate that the combo can comfortably drive a 360Hz monitor at this resolution, and even a 480Hz monitor when using Low or Medium settings.

Q: Does the combo ever drop below 195 FPS in the tested scenarios?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 on Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 133, which is below the 195 FPS minimum recorded for the Medium preset at the same resolution. The 1440p and 1080p results, however, all maintain average frame rates well above 195 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings balance frame rate with visual fidelity. For this high-end combination, the choice depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate.

At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset achieves an average of 359 FPS, which is sufficient for most high-refresh-rate gaming. However, the Medium preset provides a substantial boost to 619 FPS, a 72% increase over Ultra, while still offering a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset. For competitive play where maximum frame rate is paramount, the Low preset at 745 FPS is the top choice. The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best balance, delivering frame rates high enough to fully utilize the fastest esports displays while maintaining improved visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers an average of 306 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset drops to 238 FPS, still playable but with a noticeable performance cost. The Medium preset is the sweet spot, achieving 410 FPS. This provides a significant frame rate advantage over High and Ultra while maintaining a level of detail that is a clear step up from Low. For a 360Hz monitor, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point.

At 3840x2160, the performance landscape changes. The High preset averages 171 FPS, which is suitable for a 144Hz or 165Hz display. The Ultra preset drops to 133 FPS, which may be preferable for slower-paced scenarios or when maximum visual quality is desired. The Medium preset, with an average of 229 FPS and a minimum of 195 FPS, is the best choice for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. It provides a smooth experience that can keep up with 240Hz displays, which is more demanding than what High or Ultra can offer.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This combination of core count and high boost clock is well-suited for a game like Counter-Strike 2, which is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance.

The CPU's benchmark scores support this. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 3655, which is a strong result. In contrast, its multi-core score is 25891. At lower resolutions like 1920x1080, the game's frame rate is often heavily dependent on the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls. The high single-core performance ensures that the game engine can feed the GPU with enough frames to achieve the observed 745 FPS on Low settings.

The relationship between the CPU and GPU can be inferred from the frame rate scaling across resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rate is likely limited by the CPU. As the resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor. The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache also helps in gaming workloads, as it allows for faster access to frequently used data. Overall, the Ultra 5 225 provides ample performance to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4090 at most settings, though at the very highest frame rates at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting component.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific configuration of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks at position 109 out of 2870 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the top 4% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a very high-performing combo for this title.

The rank confirms the strength of both components. The RTX 4090 is the top consumer GPU, and when paired with a modern, capable CPU, it results in a top-tier gaming experience. The fact that the combo does not rank higher is primarily due to the CPU. While the Core Ultra 5 225 is a solid processor, it is not the absolute fastest for gaming. Other combos with higher-end CPUs (like the Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 series) and the RTX 4090 would likely achieve higher frame rates, especially in CPU-bound scenarios at lower resolutions. This rank of 109 shows that while the GPU is a massive performance driver, the CPU still plays a critical role in determining the final ranking in a competitive FPS like Counter-Strike 2.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed performance leader in this configuration. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth ensure that it can handle the most demanding textures and effects at any resolution. The GPU's core clock is 2235 MHz base and 2520 MHz boost, and it contains 16,384 shading units.

The RTX 4090's role is particularly evident at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the clear bottleneck. The frame rates, while still very high, show a significant drop compared to 1440p. This is because the GPU's computational load increases with the number of pixels.

Its performance in the Passmark G3D benchmark is 38194, and it holds the 88th percentile among all GPUs. Its compute capabilities are exceptional, with an FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS. This raw power translates directly into the high frame rates seen in the measured data. Even at the demanding 4K Ultra preset, it manages an average of 133 FPS, a feat few other cards can match. The GPU's performance is the primary reason this combo can achieve such high frame rates, and it is only at 1080p and low settings where its potential is not fully utilized due to CPU limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the performance envelope of this combo.

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows:

• Low: 745 FPS
• Medium: 619 FPS (min 526, max 712)
• High: 462 FPS
• Ultra: 359 FPS

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are:

• Low: 493 FPS
• Medium: 410 FPS (min 348, max 471)
• High: 306 FPS
• Ultra: 238 FPS

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are:

• Low: 276 FPS
• Medium: 229 FPS (min 195, max 263)
• High: 171 FPS
• Ultra: 133 FPS

The data shows a consistent and expected pattern: frame rates decrease as resolution and visual quality increase. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only scenario with a recorded minimum and maximum, showing a range of 526 to 712 FPS. This suggests that even in the most demanding moments, the frame rate remains exceptionally high.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck in this system. Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the performance cost is significant but variable. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 359 FPS to 238 FPS, a 34% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 745 FPS to 493 FPS, a 34% reduction as well.

However, the scaling from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, especially at lower settings. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 493 FPS to 276 FPS, a 44% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 410 FPS to 229 FPS, a 44% reduction. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is becoming the primary performance limiter.

The pattern suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate gains from lowering settings are substantial, but the GPU still has headroom. As resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and it begins to dominate the performance equation. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate scales almost linearly with the number of pixels, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU, while still important, has enough performance to keep feeding the GPU with frames until the resolution demands become too high for the GPU to handle. This analysis shows a system that is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p, but shifts to being GPU-bound at 4K.