Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is a competitive FPS built around fast reaction times and precise aim, where frame rate often matters more than absolute visual fidelity. The data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination shows a system capable of delivering extremely high frame rates across most settings, with the GPU becoming the primary constraint only at the most demanding resolutions and presets. The measured results reveal a clear hierarchy: Low and Medium settings push the RTX 4060 hard, while High and Ultra presets trade away significant performance for diminishing visual returns in a game where every millisecond counts.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for the RTX 4060 in Counter-Strike 2?

A: 1080p is the standout choice for competitive play, with the Low preset averaging 382 FPS and Medium at 317 FPS. Even at 1440p, the data shows strong performance, with Low averaging 253 FPS and Medium at 210 FPS, making both viable depending on your monitor's refresh rate.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p and 4K?

A: At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 317 FPS at 1080p to 210 FPS at 1440p, a 34% reduction, and further to 117 FPS at 4K, a 63% reduction from the 1080p baseline. The scaling is consistent across presets, but the impact is most severe on Ultra, where 4K drops to 68 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 a bottleneck for the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: Benchmark data indicates the CPU sits at the 90th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 48995. In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's 14 cores and 24 MB of L3 cache appear sufficient to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the massive frame rate headroom at 1080p Low, where the system reaches 382 FPS.

Q: What is the most balanced preset for 4K gaming?

A: Medium is the only 4K preset with a recorded minimum frame rate, averaging 117 FPS with a 100 FPS minimum and 135 FPS maximum. High averages 88 FPS, while Ultra drops to 68 FPS, so Medium provides the best combination of smoothness and visual quality at 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639, placing it at the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, which is a 0.2% difference, while the AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% behind with a score of 17588.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 capable of 144Hz gaming at 1440p?

A: Yes, for most presets. At 1440p, Low averages 253 FPS and Medium averages 210 FPS, both exceeding 144Hz. High averages 157 FPS, just above the threshold, while Ultra averages 122 FPS, falling short of 144Hz.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, featuring 3072 shading units and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. The memory operates at 2125 MHz, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a critical factor for a fast-paced game like Counter-Strike 2 where textures and geometry load quickly as players move through maps. The GPU's boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz provide the raw compute headroom needed to sustain high frame rates, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 reflects its modern feature set.

In the measured data, the RTX 4060 demonstrates a clear performance ceiling that scales with resolution. At 1080p, the GPU is rarely the limiting factor, as even the Ultra preset averages 184 FPS. However, at 4K, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become more stressed, with the Ultra preset dropping to 68 FPS. The GPU's 115 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is a mainstream part, but the benchmark results show it punches well above its class in Counter-Strike 2, which is known for being relatively light on GPU demands compared to AAA titles.

The PassMark G3D score of 19545 places the RTX 4060 at the 61st percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all within a fraction of a percent in average score. The AMD Radeon 780M, a integrated GPU, scores 17588, just 0.3% behind, which highlights how close the midrange discrete market is. However, in actual gameplay, the RTX 4060's dedicated 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth provide a distinct advantage, as the measured FPS numbers show no signs of memory-related stuttering even at 4K. The GPU's 48 ROPs and 96 TMUs handle pixel and texture throughput efficiently, and the 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate ensures that even at 4K, the frame pacing remains consistent enough for competitive play.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable but steep decline as resolution increases, with the RTX 4060 showing its strengths at lower resolutions and struggling at 4K. At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound in many presets, as the frame rates are extraordinarily high—382 FPS on Low and 317 FPS on Medium. This suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is doing the heavy lifting, keeping the GPU fed with data. Moving to 1440p, the frame rates drop by roughly 34% across the board, which is expected given the 78% increase in pixel count. The GPU begins to take on a larger role, but the system still delivers competitive frame rates.

At 4K, the scaling becomes more punishing. The 1080p to 4K transition represents a 4x increase in pixels, and the data shows the RTX 4060 struggling to maintain high frame rates. At Medium settings, 4K averages 117 FPS, which is 37% of the 1080p Medium score. The Ultra preset is the worst offender, dropping to 68 FPS at 4K, a 63% reduction from the 184 FPS at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus become bottlenecks at higher resolutions and more demanding presets.

The resolution scaling also reveals the nature of the limiting component. At 1080p, the differences between presets are relatively modest—Low to Ultra spans from 382 FPS to 184 FPS—suggesting the CPU is the primary constraint. At 4K, the spread widens significantly, with Low at 141 FPS and Ultra at 68 FPS, showing that the GPU is now the bottleneck. The 4K Low result of 141 FPS is particularly telling, as it shows that even with reduced settings, the GPU cannot push beyond a certain threshold due to pixel throughput limits. This is consistent with the RTX 4060's 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate, which places a hard ceiling on how many pixels can be processed per second.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the RTX 4060 delivers exceptional performance across all presets. The Low preset averages 382 FPS, which is the highest recorded number in the entire dataset and indicates a system that is overwhelmingly CPU-limited. Medium averages 317 FPS with a minimum of 270 FPS and a maximum of 365 FPS, showing a tight frame time distribution. High drops to 237 FPS, while Ultra settles at 184 FPS. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, players have the freedom to choose any preset and still maintain frame rates well above the 144Hz refresh rate that is standard for competitive monitors. The 382 FPS Low result is particularly notable, as it demonstrates the Intel Core Ultra 5 245's ability to push the RTX 4060 to its absolute limits in a CPU-bound scenario.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain impressive but show the GPU starting to assert its influence. Low averages 253 FPS, a 34% drop from 1080p, while Medium averages 210 FPS with a minimum of 179 FPS and a maximum of 242 FPS. High averages 157 FPS, which is just above the 144Hz threshold, making it a viable option for high-refresh-rate monitors. Ultra drops to 122 FPS, which is below 144Hz but still smooth for most players. The 1440p results indicate that the RTX 4060 is well-suited for this resolution, with even the most demanding preset remaining playable. The Medium preset's minimum of 179 FPS is reassuring, as it shows that frame dips are rare and the experience is consistent.

At 4K, the performance landscape changes dramatically. Low averages 141 FPS, which is still respectable but represents a 44% drop from 1440p Low. Medium averages 117 FPS with a minimum of 100 FPS and a maximum of 135 FPS, making it the only 4K preset with recorded minimum and maximum values. High averages 88 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play, while Ultra drops to 68 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. The 4K results show that the RTX 4060 is not a 4K gaming card for this title, at least not at high settings. However, the Low preset's 141 FPS is impressive, suggesting that players who prioritize frame rate over visuals can still enjoy 4K gaming, albeit with reduced fidelity.

The Medium preset's minimum FPS values across all resolutions provide insight into frame pacing. At 1080p, the minimum is 270 FPS, at 1440p it is 179 FPS, and at 4K it is 100 FPS. These figures show a consistent pattern of the minimum staying roughly 15% below the average, indicating that the RTX 4060 maintains stable performance without sudden drops. This is crucial for a competitive shooter where stutters can cost rounds. The lack of recorded minimums for other presets suggests that the data collection focused on Medium as a representative setting, but the averages for Low, High, and Ultra are consistent with expectations based on the GPU's specifications.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide the memory subsystem needed for high-frame-rate gaming. The CPU's benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, placing it at the 90th percentile of all CPUs. The PassMark multithread score of 38706 and single-thread score of 4394 further confirm its capabilities.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is critical, as the game is known for being CPU-intensive at high frame rates. The measured data supports this, as the 1080p Low preset's 382 FPS average is far beyond what the GPU alone could achieve, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution. The Core Ultra 5 245's 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock are well-suited for the game's physics and AI calculations, which rely on single-thread performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 is in line with other high-end desktop processors, and the data shows that this CPU can sustain the frame rates needed for competitive play.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 245's average benchmark score of 48995 puts it in a tight grouping. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, just 0.4% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, 0.5% higher. On the other side, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, 0.6% lower, and the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618, 0.8% lower. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, and the Core Ultra 5 245's performance in Counter-Strike 2 is likely to be similar to these CPUs. The PassMark data compression score of 400942 and integer math score of 91187 indicate strong all-around performance, which helps in maintaining consistent frame times.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 3 nm process node suggest it is energy-efficient, but more importantly, its 14 cores ensure that background tasks do not interfere with gaming performance. The L1 cache of 192 KB per core and L2 cache of 3 MB per core provide fast access to frequently used data, which is essential for the rapid decision-making required in Counter-Strike 2. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is sufficient for the game's demands, and the data shows no signs of memory-related bottlenecks. Overall, the Core Ultra 5 245 is a capable partner for the RTX 4060, and the measured FPS numbers reflect a well-balanced system that is only limited by the GPU at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play at 1080p, the Low preset is the clear winner, with an average of 382 FPS. This not only provides the highest frame rate but also minimizes input latency, which is critical in a game where landing headshots requires pixel-perfect precision. The Medium preset at 317 FPS is a close second, offering slightly better visuals with only a 17% performance penalty. For players with 144Hz monitors, both presets are overkill, and the High preset at 237 FPS still provides enough headroom for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 184 FPS is the least recommended at 1080p, as the visual improvements are marginal in a fast-paced shooter, and the 52% frame rate drop from Low is not worth it.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 210 FPS is the best balance of performance and visual quality. The minimum of 179 FPS ensures that even during intense firefights, the frame rate stays above 144Hz, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset at 253 FPS is also excellent for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, but the Medium preset's additional visual fidelity comes at a cost of only 17% performance. The High preset at 157 FPS is acceptable for 144Hz displays, but it is on the edge, and any demanding scene could push it below the refresh threshold. The Ultra preset at 122 FPS is not recommended for competitive play, as it falls below 144Hz and introduces noticeable input lag compared to lower presets.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 117 FPS is the only viable option for smooth gameplay, with a minimum of 100 FPS that keeps the experience consistent. The Low preset at 141 FPS is better for frame rate purists, but it sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that is not graphically demanding. The High preset at 88 FPS is playable but not recommended for competitive play, and the Ultra preset at 68 FPS should be avoided entirely, as it is likely to cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced scenarios. For most players, the best experience at 4K is the Medium preset, which delivers a smooth 100+ FPS experience with acceptable visual quality. However, given the game's focus on competitive play, the data strongly suggests that 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings provides the best overall experience, with frame rates that exceed the refresh rates of most gaming monitors and ensure that the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and RTX 4060 combination is fully utilized.