Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is a highly competitive FPS where frame rate directly impacts responsiveness and aiming precision. The data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 shows a powerful combination that excels at high refresh rates, though it faces limitations at maximum settings and 4K resolution. The measured results indicate this combo is positioned in the 1542nd spot out of 2870 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of the database, which is a solid standing for a mobile CPU paired with a desktop-class GPU. The benchmark results clearly show that while the system can push very high frame rates at lower settings, the Ultra preset imposes a significant performance penalty across all resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Counter-Strike 2?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution for maximizing frame rates. At Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 376 FPS, which is significantly higher than the 249 FPS at 2560x1440 and the 139 FPS at 3840x2160 with the same settings.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High settings at 2560x1440?

A: The Ultra preset yields an average of 120 FPS, which is 34 FPS lower than the High preset's 154 FPS at the same resolution. This indicates that the jump to Ultra settings carries a substantial performance cost of about 22%, making High a more balanced choice for competitive play.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 139, which is playable. However, at Ultra settings, the average drops to 67 FPS, which may not be ideal for fast-paced competitive play where higher frame rates are preferred.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest minimum FPS at 1080p?

A: The data only includes minimum FPS for the Medium preset, which records a minimum of 266 FPS at 1920x1080. This suggests that even the most demanding moments in the game will stay well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its direct rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H has an average benchmark score of 32697. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T, scores 32707, a negligible 0% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 scores 32662, placing the Ultra 7 155H a marginal 0.1% ahead, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F scores 32750, putting the Ultra 7 155H 0.2% behind.

Q: What is the GPU's relative standing among all tested graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 achieves an 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 40377, placing it 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, but 1.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5300.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, which are crucial for Counter-Strike 2's engine, which often relies on high single-core performance. The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 112 KB of L1 cache per core help reduce memory latency, which can be beneficial for the game's frequent and rapid data access patterns. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 3468 indicates strong per-core capability, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios like those often found in Counter-Strike 2.

In the measured results, the CPU's influence is most apparent at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is not the bottleneck. For instance, at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 376 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach this level, and the 83rd percentile ranking of the CPU among all processors supports its strong performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 and single-core score of 1743 further highlight its balanced capabilities, which are sufficient for modern gaming workloads.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the Ultra 7 155H shows a nearly identical performance profile. Its average benchmark score of 32697 is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F, which scores 32750, and within 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, which scores 32662. This indicates that in CPU-intensive tasks, the Ultra 7 155H is on par with these competitors, and its performance in Counter-Strike 2 will likely be similar to what these other processors would achieve when paired with the same GPU. The processor's 28 W TDP and mobile segment classification suggest it is designed for laptops, yet its performance in this game is substantial enough to support high refresh rate displays.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a powerful graphics card based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. This memory capacity and bandwidth are important for handling high-resolution textures and maintaining smooth performance in Counter-Strike 2, which can be sensitive to memory throughput. The GPU's boost clock of 2512 MHz and its 6144 shading units contribute to its raw compute power, which is reflected in its Passmark G3D score of 29137 and its 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The GPU's role in the measured FPS data is evident in the scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the transition from Low to Ultra settings reduces the average FPS from 376 to 181, a drop of 195 FPS. This large performance delta at the same resolution indicates that the game is heavily GPU-bound when settings are increased, as the card must render more complex effects and higher-quality textures. At 3840x2160, the GPU's limits are more apparent, with the average FPS ranging from 139 at Low to just 67 at Ultra. This shows that while the RTX 5070 is capable of 4K gaming, it cannot maintain high frame rates at the highest settings.

The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is closely matched, with a 0.1% lead over the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and a 2% lead over the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile. However, it trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2% in average benchmark score. These differences are minimal in synthetic benchmarks, but in a game like Counter-Strike 2, the RTX 5070's specific architecture and features, such as its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, may provide advantages in real-world scenarios. The card's 250 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for its class, and its PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensures it can communicate efficiently with the CPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is ranked 1542nd out of 2870 tested combinations for Counter-Strike 2. This places the combo in the 54th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms more than half of the configurations in the database. This ranking is respectable, but it does not place the combo among the top-tier systems, which are likely dominated by more powerful desktop CPUs and higher-end GPUs.

The ranking suggests that while this combo provides a strong gaming experience, it is not the absolute best for Counter-Strike 2. The CPU's mobile nature and the GPU's mid-to-high-end positioning contribute to this standing. In practical terms, the combo's performance is sufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, but it may struggle to compete with systems featuring top-of-the-line desktop processors and flagship GPUs. The measured FPS data supports this, as the combo achieves excellent frame rates at lower settings but falls behind at Ultra settings, particularly at 4K.

When considering the combo's rank, it's important to note that this is a specific pairing in a large database. The rank of 1542 out of 2870 indicates that there are 1328 combinations that perform better, likely including those with more powerful CPUs and GPUs. However, given the mobile CPU's integrated nature and the GPU's performance class, this combo still delivers a highly playable experience in Counter-Strike 2, especially for competitive play where frame rates above 144 FPS are often desired. The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves 154 FPS, which is a solid result for a system of this type.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's resolution and performance goals. For competitive play at 1920x1080, the Low settings preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 376 FPS. This high frame rate provides a significant advantage in a fast-paced game like Counter-Strike 2, where smoothness and responsiveness are critical. The Medium preset at 1080p still offers a very high 312 FPS average with a minimum of 266 FPS, making it a good option if visual quality is slightly more important than raw frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the High settings preset provides a balanced experience with an average of 154 FPS. This is likely sufficient for most high-refresh-rate monitors, which typically top out at 144 Hz or 165 Hz. The Medium preset at 1440p offers a higher average of 207 FPS, but the High preset's visual improvements may be worth the 53 FPS reduction for some players. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with an average of 120 FPS, is less desirable for competitive play due to the lower frame rate, but it can still be used for a more visually immersive experience.

For 4K gaming at 3840x2160, the Low settings preset is the only viable option for high frame rates, with an average of 139 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 116 FPS, which is still playable, but the High preset falls to 86 FPS and the Ultra preset to 67 FPS. Given the competitive nature of Counter-Strike 2, the Low or Medium presets at 4K are recommended, as they provide smoother gameplay. Overall, the data suggests that the Low or Medium presets at 1080p and 1440p are the best choices for players prioritizing performance, while the High preset is a strong alternative at 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 376, which is the fastest result in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p records an average of 312 FPS, with a minimum of 266 FPS and a maximum of 359 FPS. High settings at 1080p yield an average of 233 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops significantly to an average of 181 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset achieves an average of 249 FPS, which is still very high and suitable for competitive play. The Medium preset at 1440p records an average of 207 FPS, with a minimum of 176 FPS and a maximum of 238 FPS. High settings at 1440p produce an average of 154 FPS, which aligns with the needs of a 144 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls to an average of 120 FPS, showing a significant drop from the High preset.

At the highest resolution, 3840x2160, the combo's performance is more limited. The Low preset at 4K achieves an average of 139 FPS, which is the only setting that breaks the 100 FPS barrier. The Medium preset at 4K records an average of 116 FPS, with a minimum of 98 FPS and a maximum of 133 FPS. High settings at 4K drop to an average of 86 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to an average of 67 FPS. This breakdown clearly shows a consistent pattern: the Ultra preset carries a heavy performance penalty at every resolution, while the Low and Medium presets offer the best frame rates for competitive gaming, particularly at 1080p and 1440p.