Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 lands at rank 1629 out of 3719 tested combinations in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, placing it in the 56th percentile of all tested combos. This mid-pack positioning reflects a system that is firmly capable of running the game at competitive frame rates, though it does not top the charts. The data indicates a combination where the CPU's 4-core, 8-thread configuration provides a solid foundation, while the GPU’s substantial memory bandwidth and high clock speeds handle the rendering load across all tested resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1629 out of 3719 tested combinations places it in the upper-middle tier of the benchmark database. This is a notable achievement given the hardware configuration, as it outperforms the majority of tested systems while falling short of the top-tier high-end builds. The ranking suggests that the i3-12100F and RTX 5060 work well together in this specific title, which is known for being less demanding on graphics hardware than many modern AAA releases.

Looking at the individual component standings, the RTX 5060 GPU sits at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M (deltaPct -0.3), NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (deltaPct -0.3), AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (deltaPct -0.8), and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (deltaPct 1.2). The RTX 5060's performance is tightly clustered with these alternatives, showing it is competitive with a range of other graphics cards.

The CPU, meanwhile, holds the 68th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 13494. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core 3 N355 (deltaPct 0), Intel Core i5-9500 (deltaPct 0.3), Intel Core 5 120UL (deltaPct -0.7), and Intel Core i7-1250U (deltaPct 1.1). The near-zero delta percentages indicate that the i3-12100F's processing power is essentially equivalent to these other chips in general benchmark workloads.

When combined, the system's rank suggests that the RTX 5060's strong GPU performance is the primary driver of the high frame rates measured, while the CPU provides adequate support without becoming a bottleneck at most settings. The 4-core i3-12100F with its boost clock of 4.30 GHz demonstrates sufficient single-thread performance for CS:GO, which relies heavily on CPU speed for game logic and draw calls.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this combo in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination ranks 1629 out of 3719 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle portion of the benchmark database.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331, which is within 1.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT and within 0.8% of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary. It also sits within 0.3% of both the AMD Radeon 860M and NVIDIA GeForce MX550.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 690 FPS. The Medium preset yields 587 FPS average, High produces 508 FPS, and Ultra drops to 434 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded in the data?

A: The lowest average is 176 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 (4K) resolution with Ultra settings. This is still well above the refresh rate of most displays.

Q: What memory configuration does the GPU use?

A: The RTX 5060 features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded scores?

A: The i3-12100F's Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 11860, while single-core is 1674. The multi-core advantage comes from its 4 cores and 8 threads, allowing it to scale across workloads, though CS:GO primarily benefits from the strong single-core performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 plays a critical role in delivering the high frame rates observed in this dataset. With 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, the card provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for a game like CS:GO that does not require massive texture loads. The GPU's base clock of 2280 MHz and boost clock of 2497 MHz ensure that the rendering pipeline operates at high throughput, directly contributing to the average FPS numbers across all resolutions.

The GPU's architecture, Blackwell 2.0, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, includes 3840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s, both of which are relevant for maintaining smooth frame delivery in fast-paced FPS gameplay. The FP32 performance of 19.18 TFLOPS provides ample compute capability for the game's shader workloads.

The RTX 5060's benchmark results show a Passmark G3D score of 20891 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 113321, indicating strong DirectX and Vulkan performance. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with CS:GO's rendering API. The average benchmark score of 26331 places it in the 72nd percentile, with rivals like the RX 6750 XT just 1.2% higher and the RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary just 0.8% lower.

In CS:GO specifically, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. The data shows that the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is 104 FPS (from 280 to 176), while at 1080p the difference is 256 FPS (from 690 to 434). This scaling behavior indicates that the GPU is fully utilized at 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance begins to limit the maximum achievable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its highest frame rates, with Low settings producing an average of 690 FPS. The Medium preset yields 587 FPS on average, with a minimum of 499 FPS and a maximum of 675 FPS, showing some frame variance but maintaining excellent playability. High settings at 1080p produce 508 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 434 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low settings deliver 475 FPS average, Medium produces 404 FPS with a minimum of 343 FPS and maximum of 465 FPS, High yields 350 FPS, and Ultra produces 299 FPS. The 1440p results show a 176 FPS gap between Low and Ultra settings, indicating that the GPU is still capable of handling the increased pixel count without significant performance degradation.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system continues to deliver competitive performance. Low settings achieve 280 FPS average, Medium produces 239 FPS with a minimum of 203 FPS and maximum of 274 FPS, High yields 207 FPS, and Ultra produces 176 FPS. Even at the most demanding settings and resolution, the combo maintains frame rates well above the 144 Hz refresh rate commonly used by competitive gamers.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions, showing consistent scaling: from 499-675 FPS at 1080p, to 343-465 FPS at 1440p, and 203-274 FPS at 4K. This data suggests that the system's minimum frame rates never dip below 203 FPS at any tested configuration, ensuring a smooth experience without stutters or hitches.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the bottleneck in this system. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 690 at 1080p to 475 at 1440p (a 31% reduction) and then to 280 at 4K (a 41% reduction from 1440p). This steep decline indicates that the GPU is being increasingly taxed as pixel count rises, even at the lowest settings preset.

For Medium settings, the progression shows 587 FPS at 1080p, 404 FPS at 1440p, and 239 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 31% from 1080p to 1440p and 41% from 1440p to 4K, mirroring the Low settings pattern. High settings follow a similar trajectory: 508 FPS at 1080p, 350 FPS at 1440p (31% drop), and 207 FPS at 4K (41% drop). Ultra settings show 434 FPS at 1080p, 299 FPS at 1440p (31% drop), and 176 FPS at 4K (41% drop).

The consistent 31% and 41% drops across all settings presets indicate that resolution scaling is the dominant factor, and the GPU's rendering capability is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The RTX 5060's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 19.18 TFLOPS FP32 performance are sufficient to maintain high frame rates, but the pixel throughput requirements at 4K inevitably reduce performance compared to 1080p.

At 1080p, the relatively small difference between Low (690 FPS) and Ultra (434 FPS) settings—only 256 FPS—suggests that the CPU's 4-core, 8-thread configuration with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz is beginning to cap performance. The i3-12100F's single-thread score of 1674 in Cinebench R23 and 893 in 3DMark single-thread test indicates strong per-core performance, but the game's engine likely requires more headroom to push beyond 690 FPS at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 587 FPS average with a minimum of 499 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above any high-refresh-rate display. The minimum of 499 FPS ensures that even in intense firefights, the frame rate never dips below a level that would cause perceptible stuttering.

At 1440p, Medium produces 404 FPS average with a 343 FPS minimum, which is still well above the 240 Hz refresh rate common in competitive gaming monitors. The 4K Medium preset yields 239 FPS average with a 203 FPS minimum, making it viable for players using 4K displays with high refresh rates. The Medium preset's complete min/max data across all resolutions demonstrates consistent frame delivery without significant drops.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates at 1080p, the Low preset at 690 FPS average provides the highest possible performance, though the visual quality reduction may not be necessary given the High preset's 508 FPS average. Ultra settings are not recommended for competitive play, as the 434 FPS at 1080p and 176 FPS at 4K represent the lowest measured averages, though they remain playable.

The data suggests that High settings provide a good middle ground for players who want enhanced visuals without sacrificing performance. At 1440p, High yields 350 FPS average, and at 4K, it produces 207 FPS average—both well above the 144 Hz threshold. The choice between Medium and High ultimately depends on whether the player prioritizes the 32% performance gain from High to Medium at 1080p or the visual improvements offered by High settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F serves as the central processing unit in this combo, providing 4 cores and 8 threads based on the Alder Lake architecture. With a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, the CPU demonstrates strong single-thread performance that is critical for CS:GO's game logic and frame rendering. The 12 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, contributing to the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions.

The CPU's benchmark scores show a clear strength in single-threaded workloads: Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674 and 3DMark single-thread score of 893. Multi-threaded performance is also respectable, with Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 and Passmark multithread score of 14015. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 4026 and max-thread score of 4023 indicate that the 8 threads are efficiently utilized, though the 4-core limitation becomes apparent in heavily threaded workloads.

In CS:GO specifically, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p resolution, where the frame rates are highest. The 690 FPS average at Low settings approaches the practical limit of what the game engine can deliver with this processor, and the scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p (from 690 to 434 FPS) suggests that the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution. The CPU's boost clock of 4.30 GHz provides the raw speed needed to process game state updates and render commands quickly.

The i3-12100F's nearest rivals include the Intel Core 3 N355 (deltaPct 0), Intel Core i5-9500 (deltaPct 0.3), Intel Core 5 120UL (deltaPct -0.7), and Intel Core i7-1250U (deltaPct 1.1). These near-identical average scores indicate that the i3-12100F's performance in general benchmarks is comparable to these other processors, though its specific combination of clock speed and cache configuration may give it an edge in CS:GO's specific workload.

The CPU's 58 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a power-efficient choice, though the benchmark data does not include power consumption measurements for this game. The dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provides flexibility, and the PCIe Gen 5 interface with 16 lanes ensures sufficient bandwidth for the RTX 5060's PCIe 5.0 x8 connection. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all processors and its 13494 average benchmark score confirm that it is a capable mid-range option for this game.