Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is a competitive FPS where frame rate is king, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers an extraordinary level of performance. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions but transitions to a CPU-limited scenario at 1080p, making it a fascinating study in component scaling. This analysis breaks down the measured results across resolutions, settings, and component roles to provide a clear picture of what this duo achieves.

Resolution Scaling

The performance delta between 1080p and 4K in Counter-Strike 2 reveals a classic shift in system bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves a staggering 674 FPS average, but this drops to 249 FPS at 3840x2160 with the same settings. This represents a 63% reduction in frame rate, a massive hit that indicates the GPU is being pushed to its absolute limits at 4K, while at 1080p, the processor is the primary limiting factor.

The scaling becomes more nuanced when looking at higher settings presets. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 418 FPS at 1080p to 277 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 155 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is 44%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34%. This pattern suggests that the RTX 4080's rendering workload increases exponentially with pixel count, and at 4K, the GPU is working at near full capacity, leaving little headroom for additional graphical features without sacrificing the high refresh rate experience.

The scaling from Medium to Ultra settings at each resolution provides further insight into the limiting component. At 1080p, the difference between Low (674 FPS) and Ultra (325 FPS) is 349 FPS, a 51% performance penalty for maxing out visual quality. However, at 4K, the same settings comparison shows a drop from 249 FPS to 120 FPS, a 52% penalty. This consistency in relative scaling across resolutions indicates that while the absolute frame rates are lower at 4K, the GPU is still handling the increased settings load proportionally, confirming that it is the primary bottleneck at that resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a formidable piece of silicon, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 716.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The card's base clock is 2205 MHz, with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, and it contains 9728 shading units. This hardware configuration is clearly designed for high-resolution, high-detail gaming, and the Counter-Strike 2 results reflect that capability.

The data shows that the GPU's role is most critical at 4K resolution. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system manages a 120 FPS average. While this is far from the triple-digit frame rates seen at lower resolutions, it is still exceptionally playable for a competitive title. The GPU's 16 GB VRAM buffer is more than sufficient for this game, as Counter-Strike 2 is not particularly VRAM-hungry at these settings, leaving the card's compute power as the limiting factor rather than its memory capacity.

The RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54247 places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are extremely close. The RTX 4080 SUPER is just 0.1% ahead, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% behind. This tight clustering at the top of the performance stack means that the 4080 is essentially at parity with the best consumer cards available, and its performance in Counter-Strike 2 reflects its raw power. The card's PassMark G3D score of 34457 further underscores its position as a top-tier performer.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor is a strong contender on its own, but in Counter-Strike 2, its role becomes increasingly apparent as resolution drops and frame rates climb past 400 FPS.

At 1080p, the CPU is the clear bottleneck. The 674 FPS average at Low settings is remarkable, but the fact that it doesn't scale higher suggests the processor is maxed out. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and multi-core score of 32924 indicate strong single-thread performance, which is critical for a game like Counter-Strike 2 that is heavily reliant on a single main thread for game logic. The processor's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995, places it in the upper echelon of desktop processors.

The CPU's performance is closely matched by several rivals. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G is just 0.4% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 is 0.5% ahead. However, the Intel Core i5-14600K is 0.8% behind, and the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H is 0.6% behind. This tight grouping means that the Ultra 5 245 is delivering performance that is statistically indistinguishable from its direct competitors, making it a highly capable gaming processor. The 14 threads are more than adequate for this title, and the high boost clock of 5.10 GHz is the key to achieving those massive frame rates at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a system that is capable of delivering a wide range of experiences depending on the chosen resolution and settings. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 155 FPS on High, 207 FPS on Medium, 249 FPS on Low, and 120 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 176 FPS and a maximum of 238 FPS, indicating a stable experience. These numbers show that even at 4K, the system is comfortably above the 100 FPS threshold, making it a viable option for high-refresh-rate 4K monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance becomes even more impressive. The average frame rates are 277 FPS on High, 371 FPS on Medium, 446 FPS on Low, and 215 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset again shows a minimum of 315 FPS and a maximum of 426 FPS. At this resolution, the system is clearly GPU-bound at higher settings, but the frame rates are so high that they are well beyond the refresh rate of most 1440p monitors, which typically top out at 240 Hz or 360 Hz.

At 1920x1080, the system truly flexes its muscles. The average frame rates are 418 FPS on High, 560 FPS on Medium, 674 FPS on Low, and 325 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 476 FPS and a maximum of 644 FPS. These numbers are exceptional, placing the system in the top tier for competitive gaming, where every frame can make a difference. The jump from Ultra to Low at 1080p is 349 FPS, showing that players can more than double their performance by sacrificing visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 237th out of 3719 combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the top 6.4% of all tested systems, a remarkable achievement. The data indicates that this combination is far more powerful than the median system, and its performance is only bested by a small fraction of enthusiast-grade setups that likely feature top-of-the-line CPUs like the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 series paired with the fastest GPUs.

The rank of 237 is particularly notable because it reflects the balance of the two components. While the RTX 4080 is an end-of-life product, it still holds its own against newer cards, and the Core Ultra 5 245, despite being a mid-range processor, is able to keep up without significantly bottlenecking the GPU at the resolutions where most gamers will play. The combination is well-matched, and the data suggests that users with this setup will have a highly competitive system for Counter-Strike 2, regardless of their preferred resolution.

The percentile scores for each component reinforce this conclusion. The CPU's 90th percentile and the GPU's 86th percentile ranking mean that both components are in the top decile of their respective categories. When paired together, they create a system that is greater than the sum of its parts, delivering frame rates that are competitive with systems that cost significantly more.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend heavily on the user's display and performance goals. For players with a 1080p monitor running at 240 Hz or 360 Hz, the Low preset is the clear recommendation, delivering a 674 FPS average that leaves ample headroom to avoid frame drops during intense firefights. However, the Medium preset is a strong compromise, offering a 560 FPS average with better visual clarity, which is still well above any standard refresh rate.

For 1440p users, the High preset is the sweet spot, providing a 277 FPS average that easily saturates a 240 Hz display. The Medium preset at 371 FPS is also viable, but the visual upgrade to High is worth the slight performance dip for most players. The Ultra preset at 215 FPS is still playable, but it sacrifices a significant amount of performance for marginal visual gains in a game where clarity is paramount.

At 4K, the data suggests that the Medium preset is the best choice, delivering a 207 FPS average. This is a substantial improvement over the High preset's 155 FPS and the Ultra preset's 120 FPS, while still offering a visually pleasing experience. The High preset at 155 FPS is also acceptable for 144 Hz 4K monitors, but for players seeking the smoothest possible experience, Medium is the recommended setting. The Low preset at 249 FPS is the performance king, but it strips away too much visual detail for a game that is often viewed at a distance.