Counter-Strike 2

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination lands at rank 1731 out of 2870 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the pairing in the lower-middle portion of the database, meaning that while it is far from the slowest configuration, a substantial number of other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average frame rates in this specific title. The percentile data reinforces this positioning, as the CPU sits at the 90th percentile of all processors while the GPU rests at the 66th percentile, suggesting the graphics card is the more limiting component in this pairing. The measured results indicate that the combo is capable of producing playable frame rates at most settings, but the rank reflects that many competing configurations with stronger GPUs will pull ahead in raw FPS output.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1731 out of 2870 represents a position in the 60th percentile of tested configurations. This is a middling result for a modern pairing, and the data shows a clear pattern: the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a high-performing CPU that sits well above the GPU in relative benchmark standing. The processor's 90th percentile ranking across all CPUs contrasts sharply with the RTX 5050's 66th percentile ranking, creating an imbalance where the CPU has headroom that the GPU cannot fully exploit in Counter-Strike 2's engine. In practical terms, this means the combo's FPS ceiling is dictated by the RTX 5050, not the Core Ultra 5 245.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the combo's performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches 339 FPS, which is a strong result, but at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, it falls to 60 FPS. The spread of results suggests that the combination is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum quality settings. The rank of 1731 indicates that there are 1139 other tested combinations that perform better, and most of those will feature more powerful GPUs such as higher-tier RTX 50-series cards or AMD equivalents, even if their CPUs are slower than the Core Ultra 5 245.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G at -0.4 percent, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 at -0.5 percent, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H at 0.6 percent, and the Intel Core i5-14600K at 0.8 percent. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, showing that the Core Ultra 5 245 delivers performance nearly identical to a range of other strong desktop processors. The GPU's nearest rivals show a similar clustering, with the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL at -0.6 percent, the AMD Radeon HD 8970M at -1 percent, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT at 1.6 percent, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile at -1.6 percent. This tight grouping indicates that the RTX 5050's raw compute performance is comparable to several older or mobile-oriented graphics solutions, which explains why the combo does not rank higher in a game that benefits strongly from GPU throughput.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using the GB207 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The GPU contains 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 113.4 million per square millimeter. The memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The clock speeds are set at a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz, with memory running at 2500 MHz or 20 Gbps effective. These specifications position the card as an entry-level offering in the GeForce 50-series, and the Counter-Strike 2 results reflect that positioning.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's role is substantial at higher resolutions and settings, but the game's engine also shows sensitivity to memory bandwidth. The 320.0 GB/s bandwidth is moderate by modern standards, and the measured FPS drops at 4K resolution suggest that the memory subsystem becomes a bottleneck when pixel throughput demands increase. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the combo produces 78 FPS, but dropping to Low settings raises this to 126 FPS, a 62 percent improvement. This indicates that reducing shader and texture loads allows the GPU to compensate for its bandwidth limitations, but the card still cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K with Ultra settings, where it falls to 60 FPS.

The GPU's compute capabilities are defined by 2,560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, 32 raster output units, 20 ray tracing cores, and 80 tensor cores. The FP32 performance is rated at 13.17 TFLOPS, with FP16 also at 13.17 TFLOPS in a 1:1 ratio. The pixel rate is 82.30 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 205.8 GTexel/s. These figures are modest for a desktop GPU in 2025, and the PassMark G3D score of 17,326 places the card at the 66th percentile of all GPUs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,502 further confirms that the card is not designed for high-end rasterization workloads, which is consistent with its performance in Counter-Strike 2 where the game's competitive settings favor lower graphical loads.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's rank in Counter-Strike 2, and how many total combinations were tested?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1731 out of 2870 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 48,995, which is 0.4 percent lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G at 49,196, 0.5 percent lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 at 49,228, 0.6 percent higher than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H at 48,698, and 0.8 percent higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K at 48,618.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved by this combo at 1920x1080?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 339, achieved with Low settings. Medium settings produce 282 FPS, High settings produce 211 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 163 FPS.

Q: What are the GPU's memory specifications?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The memory clock is 2500 MHz, or 20 Gbps effective.

Q: How does the GPU's average benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 21,035, which is 0.6 percent lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL at 21,153, 1 percent lower than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M at 21,237, 1.6 percent higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT at 20,713, and 1.6 percent lower than the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile at 21,379.

Q: What is the measured FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 187, with a minimum of 159 and a maximum of 215.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system delivers its strongest results. Low settings yield an average of 339 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Medium settings produce 282 FPS with a minimum of 240 and a maximum of 324, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings drop the average to 211 FPS, while Ultra settings reduce it to 163 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a total decrease of 176 FPS, or approximately 52 percent, which is a substantial hit but still leaves the combo in playable territory at the two lower presets.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings yield an average of 225 FPS, which remains suitable for competitive play. Medium settings produce 187 FPS with a minimum of 159 and a maximum of 215, showing that the frame rate stays above 144 FPS even in dips. High settings reduce the average to 139 FPS, which is borderline for high-refresh-rate displays, and Ultra settings drop it to 108 FPS. The step from Low to Ultra at this resolution represents a decrease of 117 FPS, or about 52 percent, mirroring the percentage drop seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the combo's limitations become apparent. Low settings produce an average of 126 FPS, which is still respectable for 4K gaming. Medium settings yield 104 FPS with a minimum of 89 and a maximum of 120, keeping the frame rate above 60 FPS but below the threshold for smooth high-refresh-rate play. High settings drop the average to 78 FPS, and Ultra settings reduce it to 60 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 66 FPS, or approximately 52 percent, showing a consistent scaling pattern across all resolutions. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings provide insight into frame stability: at 1080p the minimum is 240, at 1440p it is 159, and at 4K it is 89, all of which indicate that the combo avoids severe stuttering even under load.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 163 FPS is still above 144 Hz, making it a viable choice for gamers with standard high-refresh monitors. However, the High preset at 211 FPS provides additional headroom for 240 Hz displays, and the Low preset at 339 FPS is the only option that approaches 360 Hz territory. For most users at 1080p, the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it stays well above 200 FPS while preserving some graphical fidelity. The Medium preset at 282 FPS is also strong, but the jump to High costs only 71 FPS, which is a reasonable trade for improved visuals.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts toward lower presets. The Ultra preset at 108 FPS is sufficient for 60 Hz displays but falls short of 144 Hz requirements. The High preset at 139 FPS is close to 144 Hz but may dip below in demanding scenes, as suggested by the Medium preset's minimum of 159 FPS. The Medium preset at 187 FPS with a minimum of 159 FPS is the safest choice for 144 Hz monitors, as it maintains frame rates above the refresh rate even in dips. The Low preset at 225 FPS is the best option for 240 Hz displays, though it sacrifices most visual quality. For users prioritizing smoothness, Medium is recommended, while those with lower refresh rate monitors can comfortably use High.

At 3840x2160, the combo is best suited for 60 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 60 FPS exactly matches the refresh rate, but it leaves no headroom for frame time spikes. The High preset at 78 FPS provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and is the recommended choice for 4K gaming. The Medium preset at 104 FPS is overkill for 60 Hz but could benefit users with variable refresh rate monitors that support higher ranges. The Low preset at 126 FPS is the only option that approaches 120 Hz territory, but the visual compromises are significant. For 4K, High settings deliver the best experience per the measured rows, balancing a 30 percent FPS increase over Ultra with acceptable image quality.

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 at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, and it uses the Intel Socket 1851 interface with 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. The integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units, though this is likely unused when a discrete GPU is present.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's role is significant at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The PassMark multithread score of 38,706 and the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32,924 indicate strong multi-threaded performance, but the game itself is known to favor single-thread performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,648 and the PassMark single-thread score of 4,394 show that the processor excels in this area, which helps maintain high frame rates when the GPU can keep up. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking across all processors confirms that it is a top-tier performer, and its nearest rivals all score within one percentage point, suggesting that the Core Ultra 5 245 is not the bottleneck in this combo.

The data shows that the CPU's performance headroom is not fully utilized in Counter-Strike 2 beyond 1080p. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo hits 339 FPS, which is close to the practical limit for many CPUs in this engine. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the FPS drops at 1440p and 4K regardless of settings. The processor's 14 cores and 14 threads are more than sufficient for the game's workload, and the 24 MB of L3 cache helps reduce memory latency. The launch MSRP of $270 positions this CPU as a mid-range desktop part, but its benchmark scores place it in the top 10 percent of all processors, making it a strong pairing for the RTX 5050 despite the GPU's lower relative standing.