Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a title where frame rate consistency and high refresh rate support are paramount, and the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B570 combination provides a clear picture of its capabilities across a range of settings. The benchmark results indicate that this pairing is exceptionally strong at standard resolutions, with performance that scales predictably as settings are adjusted. The data suggests that users can prioritize visual fidelity or raw speed depending on their display's capabilities, with the system demonstrating enough headroom to handle the game's most demanding presets comfortably.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data reveals a distinct performance hierarchy across the four settings presets at each resolution, allowing for a clear recommendation on the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers a staggering 465 average FPS, while the Medium preset achieves 396 average FPS, and the High preset produces 343 average FPS. The Ultra preset, while still highly playable at 293 average FPS, represents a significant step down from the High preset. Given that the gap between High and Ultra is 50 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 53 FPS, the High preset emerges as the most efficient choice at this resolution, offering a substantial reduction in graphical load without sacrificing a large portion of the frame rate.

Moving to 1440p, the same pattern holds true, albeit with lower absolute numbers. The Low preset runs at 320 average FPS, Medium at 273 average FPS, High at 236 average FPS, and Ultra at 201 average FPS. The relative differences between presets are consistent with 1080p, with High again providing a robust middle ground. However, for users with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors (e.g., 240Hz), the Medium preset's 273 average FPS is more likely to saturate the display's capabilities than the High preset's 236 average FPS. For those prioritizing a flawless competitive experience, the Low preset provides the maximum frame rate, but the data shows that even the High preset remains well above the 144Hz threshold, making it a viable option for most players.

At 4K, the performance envelope tightens considerably, and the choice of preset becomes more critical. The Low preset still manages a very respectable 189 average FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 161 average FPS, and the High preset falls to 139 average FPS. The Ultra preset, at 119 average FPS, is the only configuration that dips below the 144Hz mark. Given the diminishing returns in visual fidelity at 4K and the significant performance cost, the Low or Medium presets are the most sensible recommendations for 4K gaming. The Medium preset, with its 161 average FPS, offers a better balance than High, which loses over 20 FPS for a marginal visual improvement. Therefore, the data suggests that the High preset provides the best overall experience at 1080p and 1440p, while the Medium preset is the sweet spot for 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, operating at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. In the context of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a game known for being sensitive to single-thread performance, the CPU's capabilities are a critical factor. The benchmark data for the processor shows a single-thread score of 836 in 3dMark, a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2319, and a Passmark single-thread score of 3058. These numbers indicate a solid level of per-core performance that is sufficient to feed the GPU effectively, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor.

The processor's multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16429 and a Passmark multithread score of 19330, is robust for a 6-core part, but the game's engine typically does not scale perfectly with all 12 threads. The data from the measured FPS shows that at 1080p, the system is able to achieve very high frame rates (up to 465 average FPS on Low), which suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios. However, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p (a 1.78x increase in pixel count) results in a performance drop of roughly 31% on the High preset (from 343 to 236 FPS), which is less than the theoretical pixel scaling, indicating that the CPU is still playing a significant role in frame generation.

The Ryzen 5 5500's position in the broader CPU landscape is defined by its average benchmark score of 19593, which places it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, according to the data, are the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (with a score of 19617 and a delta of -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-12500 (19668, -0.4%), and the Intel Core i7-10700F (19499, +0.5%). These figures confirm that the Ryzen 5 5500 is a highly competitive mid-range processor, and its performance in this game is consistent with its general benchmark standing. The 16 MB of L3 cache and 512 KB per-core L2 cache are typical for the architecture and provide adequate bandwidth for the game's data access patterns. Ultimately, the data shows that the CPU provides a strong foundation for high-refresh-rate gaming, with its single-thread performance being the primary driver of the excellent low-resolution results.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The maximum average frame rate recorded is 465 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this combination maintain a 144Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160 resolution, all settings presets except for Ultra (119 average FPS) are above the 144 FPS threshold. The Low preset averages 189 FPS, the Medium preset 161 FPS, and the High preset 139 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from the Low to the Ultra preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 320 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 201 FPS. This represents a performance reduction of 119 FPS, or approximately 37% when moving to the highest quality settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The benchmark results indicate that at 1920x1080, the system can achieve very high frame rates (over 400 FPS on Low), which suggests the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to high output. The performance scales down as resolution increases, indicating that the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-10700F?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 19593, while the Intel Core i7-10700F has an average score of 19499. The delta percentage is +0.5%, indicating the Ryzen 5 5500 is slightly faster in general benchmarks.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium settings preset?

A: The minimum FPS is only recorded for the Medium preset across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 337 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 232 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 137 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the specific context of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and the Intel Arc B570 is ranked 2271 out of 2848 tested combinations. This rank places the pairing in the lower half of all tested systems, which is a surprising result given the high absolute frame rates achieved. The data shows that while this combo produces excellent FPS numbers in isolation, there are many other combinations in the database that perform even better in this particular game engine.

The rank of 2271 out of 2848, which is approximately the 20th percentile, suggests that the system is outclassed by a significant number of other CPU-GPU pairings. This could be due to the fact that many other combinations feature higher-end CPUs with stronger single-thread performance or GPUs with more raw throughput, both of which can contribute to higher frame rates in a game like CS:GO. For instance, while the Intel Arc B570 is a capable GPU, its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A750 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which have similar average scores, but the overall system ranking is influenced by the CPU as well.

Despite its lower rank, it is important to contextualize this number with the actual gameplay experience. The measured FPS data shows that the combo is capable of delivering over 200 average FPS at 1440p on High settings and over 340 average FPS at 1080p on High settings. These are excellent results for competitive gaming. The rank is a relative measure against all other combinations, which include many with more powerful and expensive components. Therefore, while the rank of 2271 might seem low, the actual performance is more than sufficient for a smooth and responsive experience. The data indicates that this is a balanced mid-range setup that is not at the top end of the spectrum but provides a very solid foundation for playing CS:GO at high frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across the three resolutions provides a clear insight into how the system scales with increasing pixel counts and where the bottleneck lies. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 343 FPS at 1080p to 236 FPS at 1440p, and then to 139 FPS at 4K. This represents a 31% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a further 41% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The pixel count increases by 1.78x from 1080p to 1440p and by 2.25x from 1440p to 4K. The fact that the FPS drops are less than proportional to the pixel increase suggests that the system is not purely GPU-limited at the lower resolution.

If the system were entirely GPU-bound, the frame rate would be expected to drop by a factor roughly equal to the pixel count increase, assuming the GPU's throughput scales inversely with resolution. The observed drops are smaller than this, which indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is playing a more significant role in limiting the maximum frame rate. The Ryzen 5 5500's single-thread performance is good, but it cannot push frame rates high enough to fully saturate the GPU's potential at 1080p, where the GPU has more headroom.

As the resolution increases to 1440p and then to 4K, the load on the GPU increases, and the system transitions to being more GPU-limited. This is evidenced by the fact that the FPS drops become more substantial at higher resolutions. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as the CPU has less impact on the overall frame rate. The data for the Low preset shows a similar trend, with FPS dropping from 465 at 1080p to 320 at 1440p and 189 at 4K. The scaling is not linear, but the pattern is consistent. This analysis indicates that for users with 1080p or 1440p high-refresh-rate monitors, the CPU is a crucial component, but for 4K gaming, the Intel Arc B570's capabilities will be the primary determinant of performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS, along with minimum and maximum values where available, for each resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average FPS 465. No minimum or maximum values were recorded.
• Medium: Average FPS 396. The minimum FPS was 337, and the maximum was 456.
• High: Average FPS 343. No minimum or maximum values were recorded.
• Ultra: Average FPS 293. No minimum or maximum values were recorded.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average FPS 320. No minimum or maximum values were recorded.
• Medium: Average FPS 273. The minimum FPS was 232, and the maximum was 314.
• High: Average FPS 236. No minimum or maximum values were recorded.
• Ultra: Average FPS 201. No minimum or maximum values were recorded.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average FPS 189. No minimum or maximum values were recorded.
• Medium: Average FPS 161. The minimum FPS was 137, and the maximum was 185.
• High: Average FPS 139. No minimum or maximum values were recorded.
• Ultra: Average FPS 119. No minimum or maximum values were recorded.

The data shows a consistent and predictable performance scaling. At 1080p, the system delivers extremely high frame rates, with even the Ultra preset exceeding 290 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 337 at 1080p is higher than the average FPS of many other systems at this resolution, demonstrating the strength of this pairing. At 1440p, all presets remain above the 200 FPS mark, making it an excellent resolution for high-refresh-rate gaming. The 4K results are still very good, with the Low and Medium presets providing a smooth experience on 144Hz displays. The minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset, but the data suggests that frame pacing is consistent, as the minimums are not drastically lower than the averages.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a graphics card based on the Xe2-HPG architecture and is part of the Battlemage generation. It features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a consistent clock speed of 2500 MHz for both base and boost, and its 2304 shading units are capable of delivering 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance. These specifications indicate that the card is designed for solid 1080p and 1440p gaming, with enough memory capacity for high-resolution textures.

In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the GPU's role becomes more prominent as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is often not the primary bottleneck, as the CPU is able to generate frames faster than the GPU can render them, leading to the exceptionally high frame rates observed. However, at 1440p and especially at 4K, the GPU's rendering capabilities become the limiting factor, as evidenced by the larger FPS drops. The 10 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, even at 4K with the Ultra preset, as CS:GO is not a particularly VRAM-intensive title.

The Intel Arc B570's overall performance is reflected in its average benchmark score of 20556, which places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (score 20534, delta +0.1%), the Intel Arc A750 (score 20582, delta -0.1%), and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (score 20480, delta +0.4%). These numbers show that the Arc B570 is positioned competitively within its performance class. The GPU's 80 ROPs and 144 TMUs contribute to its pixel and texture fill rates of 200.0 GPixel/s and 360.0 GTexel/s, respectively, which are more than adequate for the relatively simple geometry and effects in CS:GO. The data confirms that the Arc B570 provides a strong level of performance that complements the Ryzen 5 5500 well, particularly at 1440p, where the combination achieves a high average frame rate of 236 FPS on High settings.