Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three resolutions reveal a clear and consistent scaling pattern. At 1920x1080, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B570 combination produces exceptionally high frame rates, ranging from 293 FPS at Ultra settings to 465 FPS at Low settings. Moving to 2560x1440, these figures drop noticeably: the Ultra preset falls to 201 FPS (a 31% reduction), while the Low preset declines to 320 FPS (a 31% reduction as well). This proportional drop suggests that the system is still operating with ample headroom at 1440p, as the percentage decrease is nearly identical across all presets, indicating that neither the CPU nor the GPU is being pushed to its absolute limit.

The transition from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 tells a different story. At 4K, the High preset yields 139 FPS, down from 236 FPS at 1440p—a 41% decrease. The Low preset drops from 320 FPS to 189 FPS, a 41% reduction, while Medium falls from 273 FPS to 161 FPS (41% lower) and Ultra from 201 FPS to 119 FPS (41% lower). The fact that the scaling penalty is so uniform across all settings at this resolution step is telling. It indicates that the limiting factor is becoming the GPU's raw rendering throughput, as the workload at 4K quadruples the pixel count relative to 1080p, and the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus are being taxed more heavily.

What is particularly informative is the comparison between the 1080p-to-1440p and 1440p-to-4K transitions. The former shows a moderate 31% drop, while the latter shows a steeper 41% drop. This asymmetry suggests that at 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound or at least balanced, with the Ryzen 7 9700F's 8 cores and 16 threads capable of feeding frames at a rate the GPU can process. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, as evidenced by the larger percentage decline. The data shows that the Arc B570's performance scales with resolution in a predictable manner, but the absolute frame rates at 4K remain comfortably above 100 FPS even at Ultra settings, which is respectable for a competitive shooter.

Another observation is the relationship between settings and resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (465 FPS) and Ultra (293 FPS) is 172 FPS, a 59% difference. At 1440p, the gap narrows slightly to 119 FPS (320 vs. 201, a 59% difference), and at 4K, the gap is 70 FPS (189 vs. 119, again a 59% difference). This consistency indicates that the settings presets impose a relatively fixed overhead regardless of resolution, which is a sign of efficient scaling in the game engine. The limiting component at 4K is clearly the GPU, as the CPU's workload does not increase proportionally with pixel count, and the Ryzen 7 9700F's high single-thread performance (PassMark single-thread score of 4691) appears sufficient to avoid becoming a constraint.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of how each preset performs at each resolution, allowing for data-driven recommendations. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver frame rates well above the 300 FPS threshold that competitive players often target. The Low preset hits 465 FPS, Medium reaches 396 FPS, High delivers 343 FPS, and Ultra still manages 293 FPS. Given that the difference between Low and High is 122 FPS, players with high-refresh-rate monitors (e.g., 360 Hz or 500 Hz) might prefer Low or Medium to maximize smoothness, but the game remains perfectly playable at High or Ultra. The data shows that at 1080p, the system has enough headroom that even the most demanding preset leaves performance on the table.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts. The Low preset delivers 320 FPS, which is excellent, but the Medium preset at 273 FPS and High at 236 FPS are still very strong. Ultra at 201 FPS is the only preset that dips below the 240 FPS mark, which could matter for players using 240 Hz monitors. For a balanced experience at 1440p, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot: it offers 273 FPS, which is 17% higher than High and 36% higher than Ultra, while presumably providing better visual fidelity than Low. The minimum FPS recorded for Medium at 1440p is 232 FPS, which is still above the 144 Hz refresh rate that most gaming monitors use, indicating no noticeable stutter.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more nuanced. The Low preset yields 189 FPS, Medium 161 FPS, High 139 FPS, and Ultra 119 FPS. For a 4K display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, the Ultra preset is borderline, with an average of 119 FPS that could occasionally drop below the refresh rate. The Medium preset, with an average of 161 FPS and a minimum of 137 FPS, provides a safer margin above 120 Hz while still offering improved visuals over Low. The High preset at 139 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset's minimum FPS of 137 is more reassuring than High's unspecified minimum, suggesting better frame pacing. Therefore, the data recommends Medium as the optimal preset for 4K gaming, as it balances visual quality with a comfortable performance buffer.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, codenamed Battlemage, and fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. These specifications translate to a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 14195 places it in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556.

In the context of this game, the Arc B570's memory configuration plays a notable role. The 10 GB frame buffer is generous for a game like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which is not known for using excessive VRAM at 1080p or 1440p. Even at 4K Ultra, the game likely does not exhaust the 10 GB allocation, meaning memory capacity is not a limiting factor. The memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s is more relevant; at 4K, the GPU must move large amounts of texture and geometry data, and the 160-bit bus could constrain performance in scenes with high complexity. However, the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (119 FPS) indicates that the bandwidth is adequate for the game's needs.

The boost clock of 2500 MHz is consistent across base and boost, meaning the GPU runs at a fixed frequency under load. This stability is reflected in the frame times, as the Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 137 FPS and a maximum of 185 FPS, a range of 48 FPS, which is relatively tight for a 4K workload. The GPU's 18 ray tracing cores are irrelevant for this title, as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive does not utilize ray tracing. The Arc B570's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) ensures compatibility with the game's rendering pipeline, but the game's age (released in 2012) means it relies on older APIs, which the GPU handles efficiently, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Arc B570 delivers an average benchmark score of 20556, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750 (20582). This parity suggests that the B570 is a mid-range performer, and the game's results reflect that positioning: it is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, it requires settings compromises to maintain smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this CPU and GPU combination in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?

A: The highest average FPS is 465, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra preset compare to the 1080p Low preset in terms of frame rate?

A: The 4K Ultra preset delivers an average of 119 FPS, which is 346 FPS lower than the 1080p Low preset's 465 FPS. This represents a 74% reduction in performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows a minimum FPS of 232, with an average of 273 FPS and a maximum of 314 FPS.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 9700F have integrated graphics?

A: No, the Ryzen 7 9700F has no integrated graphics (N/A), meaning a discrete GPU is required for display output.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the Intel Arc B570?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has a memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s, provided by 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus.

Q: How does the Arc B570's average benchmark score compare to the Intel Arc A750?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20556, which is 0.1% lower than the Arc A750's score of 20582.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F combined with the Intel Arc B570 achieves a combo rank of 2271 out of 2848 tested combinations in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This places the combo in the 20th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 80% of other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates in this game. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual components' performance levels. The Ryzen 7 9700F has a PassMark multi-thread score of 36470 and a single-thread score of 4691, placing it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs. The Arc B570, meanwhile, sits in the 65th percentile among GPUs with an average benchmark score of 20556.

The discrepancy between the CPU's strong percentile and the combo's lower rank suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. The Arc B570's performance, while respectable, is not in the top tier of GPUs, and for a game that is heavily CPU-dependent at lower resolutions, the GPU's mid-range position holds back the system's overall frame rates. The combo's rank of 2271 indicates that many other systems with faster GPUs, even if paired with slower CPUs, achieve higher FPS in this title. For example, a system with a CPU that has a lower PassMark score but a higher-end GPU would likely outperform this combo, as the game's frame rates at 1080p are already so high that the CPU's headroom is not fully utilized.

The data shows that the combo's performance is more competitive at higher resolutions, where the GPU's workload increases. At 4K, the combo's frame rates (119-189 FPS depending on settings) are still strong, and the rank relative to other combos might improve in that scenario. However, the overall rank of 2271 reflects the average across all resolutions and settings, and it suggests that this combo is better suited for 1440p or 4K gaming rather than 1080p esports, where the GPU's limitations become more apparent relative to top-tier competitors.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the codename Granite Ridge. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU has a 65 W TDP and is fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC, with 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. Its PassMark multi-thread score is 36470, and its single-thread score is 4691, placing it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs.

In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the CPU's role is critical, as the game engine is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance. The Ryzen 7 9700F's boost clock of 5.50 GHz is exceptionally high, and its single-thread score of 4691 reflects that. This strength is evident in the 1080p results: at Low settings, the combo achieves 465 FPS, which suggests that the CPU is able to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates faster than the GPU can render them. The high frame rates at 1080p are proof of the CPU's capability, as many other CPUs would struggle to reach such numbers.

However, the CPU's multi-thread performance, while strong (36470), is not fully utilized in this game, as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive typically scales well with single-thread speed but less so with additional cores. The 8 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for background processes and streaming, but the game's primary workload remains on a few threads. The CPU's 32 MB of L3 cache is beneficial for reducing memory latency, which is crucial for maintaining consistent frame times in fast-paced scenarios. The data shows that the CPU does not become a bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rate drops are proportional to the GPU's workload increase, indicating that the Ryzen 7 9700F has sufficient compute power to keep up with the Arc B570 even at higher resolutions.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875) and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163). This places it in the same performance tier as those CPUs, and in this game, the differences in frame rates would likely be minimal, as the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1440p or 4K. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking underscores its capability, and the measured FPS data confirms that it delivers the performance expected of a high-end desktop processor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 465 FPS
• Medium: Average 396 FPS, Minimum 337 FPS, Maximum 456 FPS
• High: Average 343 FPS
• Ultra: Average 293 FPS

At 1080p, the Low preset delivers the highest frame rate, with the Medium preset trailing by 69 FPS. The High preset is 122 FPS lower than Low, and Ultra is 172 FPS lower. The Medium preset's minimum of 337 FPS and maximum of 456 FPS indicate a variance of 119 FPS, which is relatively tight given the high average.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 320 FPS
• Medium: Average 273 FPS, Minimum 232 FPS, Maximum 314 FPS
• High: Average 236 FPS
• Ultra: Average 201 FPS

At 1440p, the Low preset drops to 320 FPS, a 31% reduction from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 273 FPS with a minimum of 232 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay on 144 Hz monitors. The High preset at 236 FPS and Ultra at 201 FPS follow the expected scaling pattern.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 189 FPS
• Medium: Average 161 FPS, Minimum 137 FPS, Maximum 185 FPS
• High: Average 139 FPS
• Ultra: Average 119 FPS

At 4K, the Low preset yields 189 FPS, which is a 41% drop from 1440p. The Medium preset averages 161 FPS, with a minimum of 137 FPS and a maximum of 185 FPS, representing a variance of 48 FPS. The High preset at 139 FPS and Ultra at 119 FPS round out the results, with Ultra being the only preset that dips below 120 FPS on average.

The data across all resolutions and settings shows a consistent performance hierarchy, with Low being the fastest and Ultra the slowest. The Medium preset consistently provides a good balance, with minimum FPS values that are within 10-15% of the average, indicating stable frame delivery. The measured FPS values confirm that this combo is capable of high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, and smooth 60+ FPS gameplay at 4K, with the caveat that Ultra settings at 4K are borderline for 120 Hz displays.