Counter-Strike 2

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS for this combo at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 produces an average of 327 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival in overall benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scores 83807, which is 0.2% lower. The AMD EPYC 7F72 is 1.3% higher, scoring 85072.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks in the 81st percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 37648, placing it just 0.1% above the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628).

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo in Counter-Strike 2?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 94, which occurs at 3840x2160 (4K) resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the combo's rank in Counter-Strike 2 place it in the top quarter of all tested combinations?

A: Yes. The combo ranks 609th out of 2870 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the top 21% of all combos tested.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 527, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. It operates at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and boosts up to 5.80 GHz, with a 125W TDP. The processor features 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core, along with 192 KB of L1 cache per core. It is built on a 3 nm process node by TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die.

In Counter-Strike 2, the CPU's performance is significant because the game's engine relies heavily on single-threaded performance for frame generation, especially at lower resolutions. The processor's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz is a key factor in achieving high frame rates. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 527 FPS average. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain very high frame rates.

The processor's benchmark results are telling. In Cinebench R23, it scores 51731 in multicore and 7303 in single-core tests. The PassMark single-thread score is 4823, while the multithread score is 60860. These figures indicate a strong balance between single-core and multi-core capabilities. The CPU's percentile ranking of 96 among all CPUs places it in the top tier of processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, has a nearly identical average score (83807 vs 84003, a 0.2% difference), meaning the 290K Plus offers marginal performance improvement over its predecessor.

The CPU's cache hierarchy is worth noting for Counter-Strike 2. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache is substantial, which can help reduce memory latency in game scenarios. The processor supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. This bandwidth is sufficient for feeding the CPU's cores with game data, especially in a fast-paced FPS where frame times are critical.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and uses the AD104 chip. It has 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The GPU features 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. Its base clock is 1920 MHz, with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, with 21 Gbps effective speed.

The GPU comes with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for Counter-Strike 2 at various resolutions, as the game is not particularly VRAM-intensive compared to modern AAA titles. The GPU's FP32 performance is 29.15 TFLOPS, with a texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s.

In Counter-Strike 2, the GPU's role becomes more prominent at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 94, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at this extreme configuration. Conversely, at 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 527, suggesting the GPU is less of a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The RTX 4070's benchmark scores reflect its mid-to-high-end positioning. In PassMark G3D, it scores 26927, with a GPU compute score of 14720. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3854. The GPU ranks in the 81st percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, is 0.1% lower in average score, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 is 0.4% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% higher in score.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 609th out of 2870 tested combos in Counter-Strike 2. This places the combo in the top 21% of all tested configurations. The rank reflects the balance between a high-end CPU and a mid-to-high-end GPU.

Given the CPU's 96th percentile ranking and the GPU's 81st percentile ranking, the combo's overall rank in this game is influenced by how the two components interact. The data suggests that the CPU is strong enough to push the GPU to its limits in most scenarios, but at 4K Ultra settings, the GPU's capabilities are exceeded, resulting in lower frame rates.

Compared to other combos, this configuration sits in a competitive position. The rank of 609 out of 2870 means there are 608 combos that perform better in this game, likely featuring more powerful GPUs or even higher-end CPUs. However, the combination still delivers excellent performance for competitive play, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

At 1920x1080, all settings presets deliver high frame rates. Low settings produce 527 FPS average, Medium produces 438 FPS average, High produces 327 FPS average, and Ultra produces 254 FPS average. For competitive play, Low or Medium settings are recommended to maximize frame rates, though even Ultra settings exceed 240 FPS, which is generally sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high. Low settings produce 349 FPS average, Medium produces 290 FPS average, High produces 216 FPS average, and Ultra produces 168 FPS average. For a balance between visual quality and performance, High settings are recommended, as they maintain an average above 200 FPS. Ultra settings still provide a smooth experience at 168 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly. Low settings produce 195 FPS average, Medium produces 162 FPS average, High produces 121 FPS average, and Ultra produces 94 FPS average. For 4K gaming, Medium settings are the best choice to maintain a frame rate above 160 FPS. High settings are still playable at 121 FPS, but Ultra settings may be too demanding for smooth competitive play.

The data indicates that the combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, with settings flexibility. At 4K, Medium settings provide the best experience in terms of frame rate stability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS varies significantly by settings preset. Low settings yield 527 FPS average. Medium settings produce 438 FPS average, with a minimum of 372 FPS and maximum of 503 FPS. High settings yield 327 FPS average. Ultra settings produce 254 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high. Low settings yield 349 FPS average. Medium settings produce 290 FPS average, with a minimum of 246 FPS and maximum of 333 FPS. High settings yield 216 FPS average. Ultra settings produce 168 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop more noticeably. Low settings yield 195 FPS average. Medium settings produce 162 FPS average, with a minimum of 138 FPS and maximum of 186 FPS. High settings yield 121 FPS average. Ultra settings produce 94 FPS average.

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the frame rate drops, and as settings become more demanding, the frame rate also drops. The Medium settings preset at each resolution provides the only measured min and max FPS values, indicating a stable frame rate range. For example, at 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 372 to 503 FPS, showing a 131 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 246 to 333 FPS, a 87 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 138 to 186 FPS, a 48 FPS spread.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the scaling behavior of this combo. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 527 at 1080p to 349 at 1440p (a 33.8% reduction), and further to 195 at 4K (a further 44.1% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 63.0%.

At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 438 at 1080p to 290 at 1440p (a 33.8% reduction), and to 162 at 4K (a 44.1% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings is 63.0%.

At High settings, the average FPS drops from 327 at 1080p to 216 at 1440p (a 34.0% reduction), and to 121 at 4K (a 44.0% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is 63.0%.

At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 254 at 1080p to 168 at 1440p (a 33.9% reduction), and to 94 at 4K (a 44.0% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is 63.0%.

The consistent 63% drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that the scaling is uniform. This pattern suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance is sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 1080p, but as the resolution increases, the GPU's rendering workload becomes the bottleneck. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical across all settings presets further confirms that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven.

The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver extremely high frame rates. At 4K, the frame rates are playable but not optimal for competitive play, especially at Ultra settings. The GPU's 12 GB of VRAM and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game at 4K, but the overall rendering performance limits the frame rate.