Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers extraordinary frame rates in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a game known for its high refresh rate demands. The measured data shows that this pairing is firmly in the upper echelon of tested configurations, ranking 856th out of 3719 combos. The results indicate a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at lower resolutions, but which transitions to a more balanced profile as resolution increases. Across all settings and resolutions, the average frame rates never dip below the 200 FPS threshold, making this an exceptionally strong contender for competitive play.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic pattern of bottleneck shifting. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 657 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average drops to 452 FPS, a reduction of roughly 31%. The jump to 3840x2160 brings the average down to 267 FPS, which is a further 41% decrease from the 1440p result. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4070's rendering workload is becoming the primary constraint as pixel count increases, while the i5-10400F is likely leaving performance on the table at lower resolutions.

The trend is consistent across all quality presets. With Low settings, the system achieves 892 FPS at 1080p, 614 FPS at 1440p, and 362 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K is a massive 530 FPS, underscoring how resolution scaling heavily taxes the GPU. Interestingly, the relative drop from 1440p to 4K is less severe than from 1080p to 1440p on Low settings, with a 41% reduction versus a 31% reduction. This suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is near its ceiling, unable to feed the GPU enough frames to fully saturate its capabilities.

At the Ultra preset, the pattern holds, with 561 FPS at 1080p, 386 FPS at 1440p, and 228 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is still remarkably high, demonstrating that even at maximum graphical load, the combination of the i5-10400F and RTX 4070 maintains a fluid experience well above the standard 144Hz refresh rate. The data suggests that for users targeting 4K, the GPU is the definitive limiting component, while those at 1080p are more likely to be constrained by the CPU's single-threaded performance in this CPU-intensive title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the star of the show in this configuration, particularly at higher resolutions. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process, the GPU features 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units. Its boost clock of 2475 MHz allows it to achieve a substantial pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s. The data confirms that this hardware is more than capable of handling CS:GO's relatively modest visual demands, as evidenced by the 267 FPS average at 4K High settings.

The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory subsystem is likely not a bottleneck in CS:GO, which is not known for requiring large frame buffers. The benchmark results support this, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution, indicating that the GPU's compute and rasterization capabilities are the primary factors, rather than memory capacity. The RTX 4070's performance percentile of 81 versus all GPUs places it comfortably in the high-end tier, a position reflected in its 4K performance.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the aggregated benchmark database, the RTX 4070 holds a slim lead over the NVIDIA Tesla P4, with a deltaPct of 0.1. It also edges out the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 by 0.4%. The margin over the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 is a more substantial 1.3%. These small deltas in synthetic benchmarks translate to the real-world dominance seen in CS:GO, where the 4070's raw shader throughput and clock speeds ensure that it is rarely the limiting factor until the resolution is pushed to 4K. The GPU's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is more than sufficient for a game of this era.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F plays a crucial supporting role, and its influence on the results is most apparent at 1080p. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the Comet Lake processor has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. In a game like CS:GO, which is heavily dependent on single-core performance, the i5-10400F's 1451 score in Cinebench R23 single-core is a key indicator of its capability. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system hits 892 FPS, a figure that is likely close to the CPU's maximum frame output in this scenario.

The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for feeding the GPU. The data reveals a clear CPU limitation when comparing the 1080p and 1440p results on Low settings. The drop from 892 FPS to 614 FPS is a 31% decrease, which is less than the drop seen when moving to 4K, suggesting that the CPU is struggling to maintain higher frame rates as the GPU becomes less burdened. This is a classic sign of a processor that is nearing its performance ceiling in a high-FPS scenario.

The i5-10400F's percentile rank versus all CPUs is 68, indicating it is a solid mid-range performer. Its nearest rivals in the database, such as the Intel Xeon 6756E and AMD EPYC 7552, show a deltaPct of 0.2 and 0.5 respectively, meaning the i5-10400F performs on par with these server-class chips in aggregated benchmarks. However, in the specific context of CS:GO, the CPU's 4.30 GHz boost clock is the most critical specification, ensuring that the system can deliver over 500 FPS at 1080p High. The PassMark single-thread score of 2541 further validates the processor's ability to handle the game's primary thread.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of 3719 tested CPU and GPU combinations for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, this pairing secures the 856th position. This ranking places it in the top 23% of all tested configurations, which is a strong performance given the CPU's mid-range status. The high rank is primarily driven by the GPU's exceptional strength, which compensates for the CPU's relatively modest standing in the broader CPU hierarchy. The combination of a 68th percentile CPU with an 81st percentile GPU results in a synergy that is greater than the sum of its parts in this specific title.

The rank of 856 out of 3719 indicates that there are 855 combinations that deliver higher average frame rates in CS:GO. These are likely to include newer, higher-clocked CPUs paired with top-tier GPUs like the RTX 4090. However, the data shows that this combo is not far behind, particularly when considering the 4K results. At 4K High, the 267 FPS average is a figure that many high-end systems would struggle to match, and it highlights how the RTX 4070's architecture is particularly well-suited for this game's engine.

This ranking reflects the balance of the system. While a more powerful CPU could push the 1080p frame rates higher, the GPU's dominance at higher resolutions means the overall experience remains excellent. The data suggests that for users prioritizing 1440p or 4K gaming, this combo is a highly effective choice. The gap between this combo's performance and the top-ranked systems is likely to shrink as resolution increases, where the GPU becomes the sole determinant of performance, and the RTX 4070 is a formidable contender.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data offers clear guidance on the optimal settings for different refresh rate targets. For users with a 1080p 144Hz monitor, the Low preset provides a massive 892 FPS average, which is overkill but ensures maximum responsiveness and minimal input lag. The High preset at 657 FPS is still far beyond the display's capability, allowing for better visual fidelity without any performance concerns. Even the Ultra preset at 561 FPS is more than sufficient for a 144Hz display, making it the recommended choice for those who prioritize image quality over raw frame rates.

At 1440p, the scenario is similar. The Low preset yields 614 FPS, while High delivers 452 FPS. For a 144Hz monitor, the High preset is an excellent balance, offering a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a comfortable margin above the refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 386 FPS is also viable for 144Hz gaming, and its 4K counterpart at 228 FPS is still above the 144Hz threshold, though with less headroom for demanding scenes.

For 4K gaming, the recommendations become more nuanced. The Low preset at 362 FPS is the best option for competitive play on a high-refresh-rate 4K monitor, as it maximizes frame rate. The Medium preset at 309 FPS is a strong alternative, offering better visuals while remaining well above 240 FPS. The High preset at 267 FPS is ideal for a 240Hz panel, providing a good mix of quality and speed. The Ultra preset at 228 FPS is best suited for a 144Hz 4K display, where it delivers a buttery-smooth experience with all settings maxed out. Based on the data, the Medium preset at 1440p, with its 522 FPS average and 444 FPS minimum, offers the best blend of performance and visual quality for most users.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 657 FPS at 1920x1080 with the High preset.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rival in the database?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P4 and 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU is the primary limiting component, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 892 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Does the i5-10400F have a higher average benchmark score than the AMD EPYC 7552?

A: No, the i5-10400F's average score is 14185, which is 0.5% lower than the AMD EPYC 7552's score of 14115.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: The minimum frame rate at 2560x1440 with the Medium preset is 444 FPS, with a maximum of 601 FPS.