Counter-Strike 2

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three resolutions reveal a clear picture of how Counter-Strike 2 scales with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 408 FPS, which drops to 270 FPS at 2560x1440 and then to 151 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 63% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU becomes progressively more stressed as pixel count increases. However, the scaling is not uniform across all settings presets.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern: 339 FPS at 1080p, 224 FPS at 1440p, and 125 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 44%. This steeper decline at higher resolutions suggests that the RTX 5060's 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus begin to limit performance as the resolution increases. The High preset follows suit with 253 FPS at 1080p, 167 FPS at 1440p, and 94 FPS at 4K, showing a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 44% drop from 1440p to 4K.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most dramatic scaling: 196 FPS at 1080p, 130 FPS at 1440p, and just 73 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is less than half of the 1080p figure, demonstrating that Ultra settings at 4K push the GPU to its limits. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is likely the primary limiting factor, especially at Low settings where 408 FPS approaches the practical ceiling for the Core Ultra 5 225's single-thread performance. As resolution climbs to 1440p and 4K, the GPU takes over as the bottleneck, with frame rates scaling more predictably with pixel count.

The medium preset at 4K shows a minimum FPS of 106 and maximum of 144, giving a 38 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 68 FPS (190 to 258), and at 1080p Medium, it is 101 FPS (288 to 389). This widening range at lower resolutions suggests that CPU-driven frame time variance becomes more pronounced when the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 4K, the narrower spread indicates more consistent GPU-bound performance. The data collectively suggests that this combo delivers playable frame rates at all tested resolutions, but the experience at 4K Ultra (73 FPS) is markedly less fluid than at 1440p Ultra (130 FPS) or 1080p Ultra (196 FPS).

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 with Low settings produces 408 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Even at 1080p High, the combo delivers 253 FPS, comfortably above typical high-refresh displays. For maximum competitive advantage, 1080p Low provides the largest margin above display refresh rates.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 125 with a minimum of 106 and maximum of 144, which is playable on 120 Hz displays. At 4K Low, it reaches 151 FPS. However, 4K Ultra drops to 73 FPS, which may feel less responsive for fast-paced play.

Q: How does the RTX 5060's 8 GB VRAM affect performance?

A: The 8 GB GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The measured frame rates show that at 4K Ultra, performance drops to 73 FPS, likely due to memory capacity and bandwidth constraints. At lower resolutions and settings, the VRAM is sufficient, as evidenced by the strong 1080p results.

Q: What is the CPU's role in this game's performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has 10 cores and 10 threads with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its single-thread performance is strong, as shown by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655. This matters for Counter-Strike 2, which is known to be CPU-sensitive. The 408 FPS result at 1080p Low suggests the CPU can feed the GPU effectively at high frame rates.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using?

A: The Ultra preset delivers 196 FPS at 1080p, 130 FPS at 1440p, and 73 FPS at 4K. Compared to High settings, Ultra reduces frame rates by 23% at 1080p (253 to 196), 22% at 1440p (167 to 130), and 22% at 4K (94 to 73). The visual uplift from High to Ultra may not justify the frame rate cost for competitive play.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1211 out of 2870 tested combinations in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the upper-middle range of all tested systems, indicating solid but not top-tier performance for this specific title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's priority between visual fidelity and frame rate. For competitive play at 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 408 FPS, which provides the maximum headroom above any current display refresh rate. This is the recommended choice for players who prioritize responsiveness and minimal input lag. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 339 FPS, still exceptionally high, and may be preferable for those who want slightly better visuals without sacrificing competitive performance.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides 224 FPS with a minimum of 190 FPS, ensuring that even the most demanding scenes stay well above 144 Hz displays. High settings at 1440p yield 167 FPS, which remains suitable for high-refresh monitors. For users with 1440p 165 Hz or 240 Hz displays, Medium is the balanced choice. Low at 1440p reaches 270 FPS, which is excessive for most displays but useful for esports scenarios where every frame counts.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset stands out as the best compromise. It delivers 125 FPS average with a minimum of 106 FPS, which is smooth on 120 Hz displays. The Low preset at 4K produces 151 FPS, which is excellent for 144 Hz 4K monitors, though visual quality is significantly reduced. High at 4K drops to 94 FPS, which is acceptable but may show occasional dips below 90 FPS in busy scenes. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as 73 FPS falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced FPS.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot across all resolutions. At 1080p, it retains 83% of the Low preset's frame rate while offering better visuals. At 1440p, Medium's 224 FPS is 83% of Low's 270 FPS. At 4K, Medium's 125 FPS is 83% of Low's 151 FPS. This consistent 83% ratio indicates that Medium scales predictably across resolutions, making it the most predictable and balanced choice. For users with adaptive sync displays, the Medium preset's frame rates at 1440p and 4K fall within VRR ranges, providing tear-free experiences.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060 and Core Ultra 5 225 combination produces its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings yield 408 FPS average, the single highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce 339 FPS with a minimum of 288 FPS and maximum of 389 FPS, showing a 101 FPS variance. High settings deliver 253 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 196 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 52% reduction in frame rate, from 408 to 196 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes significant additional GPU load at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected decline from 1080p. Low settings produce 270 FPS, which is 66% of the 1080p Low result. Medium settings yield 224 FPS with a minimum of 190 FPS and maximum of 258 FPS, representing a 68 FPS variance. High settings deliver 167 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 130 FPS. The transition from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 52% reduction, from 270 to 130 FPS, mirroring the percentage drop observed at 1080p. This consistency suggests that the settings presets scale similarly regardless of resolution.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates show the most pronounced impact of pixel count. Low settings produce 151 FPS, which is 37% of the 1080p Low result. Medium settings yield 125 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS and maximum of 144 FPS, a 38 FPS variance that is notably tighter than at lower resolutions. High settings deliver 94 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 73 FPS. The Low to Ultra transition at 4K shows a 52% reduction, from 151 to 73 FPS, maintaining the same proportional drop seen at other resolutions.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the variance is 101 FPS, at 1440p it is 68 FPS, and at 4K it is 38 FPS. This narrowing variance at higher resolutions indicates that GPU-bound scenarios produce more consistent frame pacing, while CPU-bound scenarios at lower resolutions introduce larger frame time fluctuations. The data suggests that users seeking the most consistent frame pacing should consider higher resolutions or accept the variance inherent at 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2280 MHz and boosts to 2497 MHz. Its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory runs at 1750 MHz with a 28 Gbps effective rate across a 128-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications place the RTX 5060 at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 26331.

The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 5060's performance in Counter-Strike 2 scales predictably with settings and resolution. The GPU's FP32 performance of 19.18 TFLOPS and texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s contribute to its ability to maintain high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s becomes more relevant at 4K, where the GPU must fill four times the pixels of 1080p. The 4K Ultra result of 73 FPS suggests that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are stressed at this extreme configuration.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for Counter-Strike 2 at all tested settings, as the game is not known for extreme memory consumption. However, the 128-bit memory bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth may contribute to the performance drop at 4K Ultra. The data shows that the RTX 5060 handles 1080p and 1440p with ease, producing frame rates above 130 FPS even at Ultra settings. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628 and Passmark G3D score of 20891 provide additional context for its overall compute capabilities.

The RTX 5060's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon 860M with a delta of -0.3%, the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at -0.3%, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at -0.8%, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT at +1.2%. These comparisons show that the RTX 5060 sits in a competitive performance tier, with the RX 6750 XT holding a slight edge in average benchmark score. In Counter-Strike 2 specifically, the combo ranking of 1211 out of 2870 suggests that the GPU performs adequately but is not at the top of the chart.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture using TSMC's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU features 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel configuration, providing 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The processor is manufactured with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die.

The CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant for Counter-Strike 2, which relies heavily on strong per-core performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and Passmark single-thread score of 4412 indicate robust single-thread capabilities. The Passmark multithread score of 30459 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 show that the CPU also handles multi-threaded workloads well, though Counter-Strike 2 typically does not scale perfectly across many cores. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs and average benchmark score of 36938 place it in the upper tier of processors.

The nearest CPU rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with a 0% delta, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D at -0.2%, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at -0.4%, and the Intel Core i9-12900T at -0.5%. These rivals show that the Core Ultra 5 225 performs nearly identically to the Ryzen 5 5600F and slightly better than the other listed alternatives. In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's boost clock of 4.90 GHz and strong single-core performance enable the high frame rates observed at 1080p Low (408 FPS).

The CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads may seem modest for modern games, but Counter-Strike 2's engine benefits more from high clock speeds and efficient instruction execution than from core count. The Passmark data compression score of 302811 and encryption score of 22285 indicate strong integer and data processing capabilities. The CPU's integrated graphics, Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU, are not relevant for this discrete GPU configuration but demonstrate the processor's versatility. The Core Ultra 5 225's 3 nm process node contributes to its efficiency, allowing the 65 W TDP to deliver competitive performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination ranks 1211 out of 2870 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the system in the 42nd percentile of all tested configurations, meaning approximately 42% of tested combos perform worse and 58% perform better in this specific game. The ranking reflects the combined capabilities of the CPU and GPU working together, and the data shows that this is a mid-to-upper tier setup for Counter-Strike 2.

The combo's ranking is influenced by both components. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it is a strong processor, while the GPU's 72nd percentile ranking indicates it is slightly less exceptional relative to its peers. The combination of a strong CPU with a solid mid-range GPU produces good but not outstanding results in a game that favors CPU performance. The 408 FPS at 1080p Low demonstrates that the CPU can drive very high frame rates, but the GPU's limitations at 4K Ultra (73 FPS) hold the combo back from higher rankings.

Compared to the combo's position in the overall database, the individual components perform somewhat differently. The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, but the combo ranks in the 42nd percentile of all combos for this game. This discrepancy suggests that while the CPU is individually strong, its pairing with the RTX 5060 does not boost the combo to the top tier of Counter-Strike 2 systems. Other combos with higher-ranked GPUs or CPUs likely occupy the upper portion of the ranking.

The data shows that the RTX 5060's nearest GPU rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, which has a 1.2% higher average benchmark score. This indicates that the GPU is competitive with mid-range options but not at the top of the performance stack. The combo's rank of 1211 out of 2870 suggests that users seeking top-tier Counter-Strike 2 performance would need a more powerful GPU or a higher-end CPU to significantly improve their position. However, the measured frame rates show that this combo delivers excellent playable performance at 1080p and 1440p across all settings, making it a viable choice for competitive and casual play alike.