Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 scales in a very revealing way across the three tested resolutions with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060. At 1080p, the combo is clearly CPU-bound in the lower presets, delivering 330 FPS on Low and 275 FPS on Medium. Moving to 1440p, those figures drop to 219 FPS and 182 FPS respectively, which still indicates a strong frame rate but shows the GPU beginning to take on more work. At 4K, the scaling becomes steep: Low settings yield 122 FPS, Medium drops to 102 FPS, and High falls to 76 FPS. The jump from 1080p Low to 4K Low represents a 63% reduction in average frame rate, which is a substantial hit. This pattern suggests that at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance is the primary limiter, while at 4K, the GPU's rendering load becomes the dominant constraint. The data implies that for competitive play at high refresh rates, staying at 1080p or 1440p is essential, as the 4K results, while playable, do not offer the headroom needed for the smoothest experience.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling curve, but the shape of that curve tells a specific story about where the bottleneck lies in this system. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates across presets are 330 (Low), 275 (Medium), 205 (High), and 159 (Ultra). These numbers are exceptionally high, indicating that the RTX 5060 is not being fully utilized at this resolution; the CPU is likely the limiting factor, especially on Low and Medium where the frame rate exceeds 270 FPS. The Core Ultra 7 155H, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, appears to have strong enough per-core performance to feed the GPU efficiently at these settings.

When the resolution increases to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop to 219 (Low), 182 (Medium), 136 (High), and 105 (Ultra). This represents a 34% decrease in FPS from 1080p to 1440p on Low settings, which is a significant shift. This drop indicates that the GPU is now starting to become a more active participant in the performance equation, as the number of pixels to render has increased by roughly 1.8 times. The fact that Low settings at 1440p still hits 219 FPS suggests the CPU can still keep up, but the GPU is no longer idle. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p (219 vs 105 FPS) is a 52% difference, showing that the GPU is increasingly sensitive to graphical load.

At 3840x2160, the scaling becomes more aggressive. The average frame rates are 122 (Low), 102 (Medium), 76 (High), and 59 (Ultra). The drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low is 44%, and from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 63%. This steep decline confirms that at 4K, the RTX 5060 is the definitive bottleneck. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and its compute capabilities are being pushed hard at this resolution. The fact that Ultra at 4K dips to 59 FPS average indicates that this combo is not designed for maxed-out 4K gaming in this title, but rather for high-refresh 1080p or 1440p play. The data suggests that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K, with a balanced transition happening around 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific hardware pairing, the Core Ultra 7 155H and RTX 5060, holds a rank of 1875 out of 2870 tested combos for Counter-Strike 2. This places it in the 65th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the other configurations in the database. While this is not a top-tier ranking, it is a respectable position for a mobile-oriented CPU paired with a mid-range desktop GPU. The rank suggests that while this combo can run the game very well at lower resolutions, it is not among the elite setups capable of maintaining extreme frame rates at 4K with maximum settings.

The combo's rank is likely dragged down by the 4K results, where the GPU's limitations become apparent. Many other tested combos in the database likely feature more powerful GPUs that can sustain higher frame rates at 4K Ultra. However, the rank also reflects the strength of the CPU, as the 1080p results are exceptionally strong. A system with a weaker CPU but a similar GPU might rank lower due to CPU bottlenecks at high frame rates. The 1875th position indicates a balanced system that excels in esports scenarios at 1080p but falls behind in more demanding 4K scenarios. For a user prioritizing competitive performance at standard resolutions, this rank is favorable; for a user seeking 4K cinematic quality, the rank is less impressive.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the central component when analyzing the higher-resolution results. Its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU's base clock is 2280 MHz, boosting to 2497 MHz, and it has 3840 shading units. These specifications drive the FP32 performance of 19.18 TFLOPS, which is the raw compute power available for rendering. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 59 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is saturated and cannot maintain higher output.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is a critical point. In Counter-Strike 2, at 4K with Ultra settings, the texture and geometry data likely approach the limits of the VRAM buffer. This can lead to performance dips or stuttering, although the measured average of 59 FPS does not show a catastrophic failure. The memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) is fast, but the 128-bit bus width limits the total bandwidth to 448.0 GB/s, which is modest for 4K workloads. The GPU's pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s are also factors; at 4K, these must process significantly more data than at 1080p. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 5060 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, but its 4K performance is constrained by its memory subsystem and compute throughput.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved with this combo, and at what settings?

A: The highest average frame rate is 330 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: At 4K resolution, what is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings produce an average of 122 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 59 FPS, representing a 63 FPS difference.

Q: Does the combo rank higher or lower than average in the benchmark database for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1875th out of 2870 tested configurations, placing it above the median performance level for Counter-Strike 2.

Q: What is the frame rate range for Medium settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 182, with a minimum of 154 FPS and a maximum of 209 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H has an average benchmark score of 32697, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H at 32812, a difference of -0.4%.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5060 has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory with a 128-bit bus width, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are: Low 330 FPS average, Medium 275 FPS average (with a min of 233 and max of 316), High 205 FPS average, and Ultra 159 FPS average. These numbers show a clear degradation as settings increase, with a 51.8% drop from Low to Ultra. The variation between min and max FPS on Medium (233-316) indicates some frame time inconsistency, likely due to CPU load spikes during complex scenes.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low 219, Medium 182 (min 154, max 209), High 136, and Ultra 105. The drop from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 52.1%, similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower. The gap between High and Ultra (136 vs 105 FPS) is 31 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset adds significant rendering complexity. The min FPS on Medium at 1440p is 154, which is still above the refresh rate of many standard monitors, suggesting a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low 122, Medium 102 (min 86, max 117), High 76, and Ultra 59. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 51.6% reduction, consistent with the other resolutions. However, the absolute numbers are much lower. The min FPS of 86 on Medium at 4K is notable, as it suggests that even mid-range settings can cause frame drops below 90 FPS, which may be noticeable on high-refresh displays. The Ultra preset at 4K, with a 59 FPS average, is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating it is not suitable for smooth competitive play.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its L3 cache is 24 MB shared, and it has a TDP of 28 W, indicating a mobile-focused design. In Counter-Strike 2, which is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance, the CPU's boost clock of 4.80 GHz is critical for achieving high frame rates. The benchmark scores support this: the Cinebench R23 single-core score is 1743, which is a strong result for a mobile chip.

The CPU's multi-core performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028. This is relevant for Counter-Strike 2, which can utilize multiple cores for physics, audio, and game logic. The PassMark multi-thread score of 24873 further confirms its capability. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU can drive the GPU to 330 FPS on Low settings, indicating that it is not a bottleneck at this resolution. The CPU's 22 threads allow for efficient handling of background tasks and game processes, which helps maintain consistent frame times, as evidenced by the min FPS values at Medium settings (233 at 1080p, 154 at 1440p).

However, the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, and the CPU's high clock speed is less impactful. The fact that the CPU is a mobile part (with a 28 W TDP) means it may throttle under sustained loads, but the benchmark data suggests it performs admirably in this title. The CPU's percentile rank of 83rd among all CPUs indicates it is a high-performing processor, which aligns with its ability to deliver high frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios like 1080p Low.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance depends on the target resolution. For 1080p, the High preset is the best choice, delivering 205 FPS average. This is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common in competitive monitors, and it offers better visual fidelity than Low or Medium. While Ultra at 1080p hits 159 FPS, it still provides a smooth experience, but the jump from High to Ultra is not worth the 46 FPS loss for most players. For maximum competitive advantage, Low at 330 FPS is the go-to, but for a balance of visuals and speed, High is recommended.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the sweet spot, providing 182 FPS average with a minimum of 154 FPS. This ensures that frame rates never drop below the 144 Hz threshold, making it ideal for high-refresh 1440p monitors. High at 136 FPS is also acceptable, but it may dip below 144 Hz in demanding scenes. Ultra at 105 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. At 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option for competitive play, with 122 FPS average. Medium at 102 FPS is acceptable for casual play, but the min FPS of 86 suggests potential stutters. High and Ultra at 76 and 59 FPS respectively are not recommended for this game, as they fall below the threshold for smooth gameplay. For a single player experience, Medium at 4K offers a balance, but for ranked matches, 1080p High is the best overall experience.