Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with an Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B570 presents a dataset that is unusually clear in its bottleneck behavior. The measured frames per second (FPS) across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that scales aggressively with resolution but remains largely untroubled by the game's CPU demands. The data shows a combo that shifts from a high-refresh-rate 1080p powerhouse to a still-very-capable 4K performer, with the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, the combo's standing among tested systems, and the specific roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping these results.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is substantial, but the pattern is consistent across all settings, indicating a predictable scaling curve. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 465 FPS at 1080p to 320 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 145 FPS, and then further to 189 FPS at 4K, a total decrease of 276 FPS from the starting point. This represents a drop of roughly 59% from 1080p to 4K, which is a significant but expected decline for a GPU-bound scenario.

The High settings tell a similar story, with averages of 343 FPS at 1080p, 236 FPS at 1440p, and 139 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K here is 204 FPS, a 59% reduction that mirrors the Low settings percentage. Medium settings show the same trend: 396 FPS at 1080p, 273 FPS at 1440p, and 161 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset follows with 293 FPS, 201 FPS, and 119 FPS at the respective resolutions.

What this scaling indicates is that the limiting component is definitively the GPU. If the CPU were the primary bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau at lower resolutions where the frame rate stops increasing. Instead, the data shows consistent, large gains as resolution drops, from 119 FPS at 4K Ultra to 293 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at high rates, and it is the Arc B570's rendering throughput that dictates the performance ceiling. The scaling is linear and smooth, with no signs of a CPU-imposed wall even at the highest frame rates recorded, such as the 465 FPS at 1080p Low. This suggests that at 1080p, the system is almost entirely GPU-bound, and the CPU has ample headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2271 out of 2848 tested combos in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This places the system in the 20th percentile of all tested pairings, meaning roughly 80% of the combinations in the database achieve higher average frame rates in this specific title. This rank is somewhat surprising given the high absolute FPS numbers, but it reflects the nature of CS:GO, where many high-end CPUs paired with fast GPUs can push frame rates into the hundreds or thousands.

The rank of 2271 is a relative measure, not an absolute indictment of performance. The data shows that this combo delivers triple-digit FPS at 4K and quadruple-digit potential at 1080p, but the database includes many other combos that achieve even higher scores. The percentile position is a function of the total distribution; a rank of 2271 out of 2848 indicates that the majority of better-performing combos likely feature more powerful CPUs or GPUs that can push frame rates beyond what this pair achieves. The fact that the system is not in the top quartile does not diminish its playability, as the measured FPS are well above the refresh rates of most monitors, but it does place it behind many other tested configurations in raw output.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores provide context for its capabilities. In Cinebench R23, it scores 14,340 points in multi-core and 2,024 points in single-core, while in Geekbench it achieves 7,737 multi-core and 1,777 single-core. These numbers are strong for a mainstream desktop chip, and they explain why the CPU is not a limiting factor in CS:GO.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a title known for being more dependent on single-thread performance than multi-core scaling. The i5-11400F's single-core Cinebench R20 score of 850 and Passmark single-thread score of 2,981 indicate a high level of per-core efficiency. The game's engine, which has roots in an older design, typically does not scale perfectly across many cores, but the 6-core, 12-thread configuration provides enough parallelism to handle background tasks and the game's main thread simultaneously.

The data suggests that the CPU is never the primary constraint in this combo. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work to do, the system achieves 465 FPS without hitting a CPU-imposed ceiling. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth are more than sufficient for the game's data demands. The processor's 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17,177, places it as a competent mid-range part, but its performance in this specific game is clearly adequate for driving the Arc B570 to its limits at lower resolutions. The CPU's boost clock of 4.40 GHz is likely the key factor, as it allows for high single-threaded performance that the game can leverage effectively.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Examining the measured FPS data in detail across all resolutions and settings provides a complete picture of the combo's behavior. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 465 FPS, which is the highest average in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce this to 396 FPS, with a minimum FPS of 337 and a maximum of 456. High settings average 343 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 293 FPS. All of these figures are exceptionally high and would be well-suited for a 240Hz or even 360Hz monitor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages remain very strong. Low settings produce 320 FPS, Medium averages 273 FPS with a minimum of 232 and a maximum of 314, High settings achieve 236 FPS, and Ultra falls to 201 FPS. Even at 1440p Ultra, the system maintains an average above 200 FPS, which is competitive for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming. The minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium is 232, which is still comfortably above the 144Hz refresh rate that many 1440p monitors offer.

At 3840x2160, the system remains playable but the frame rates drop into a range that is more typical for 4K gaming. Low settings average 189 FPS, Medium averages 161 FPS with a minimum of 137 and a maximum of 185, High settings average 139 FPS, and Ultra drops to 119 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest average in the dataset, but at 119 FPS it is still above the 60Hz baseline and close to 120Hz, making it a viable option for smooth 4K gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K, with a minimum of 137 FPS, ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not dip below the 120Hz threshold.

The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (465 FPS) and Ultra (293 FPS) is 172 FPS. At 1440p, the difference is 119 FPS (320 vs 201). At 4K, the difference shrinks to 70 FPS (189 vs 119). This is a classic sign of GPU saturation; at higher resolutions, the pixel shading workload dominates, and the settings-driven performance differential becomes less pronounced.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the clear performance driver in this combo, and its specifications align well with the observed results. It features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The GPU's base and boost clocks are both 2,500 MHz, which is a high frequency that contributes to its compute throughput. The card has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, providing a solid foundation for rasterization-heavy games like CS:GO.

The GPU's benchmark scores contextualize its performance. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2,649 points, and in Geekbench Vulkan it achieves 96,844 points. Its Passmark G3D score is 14,195, and the GPU compute score is 7,281. These numbers place the Arc B570 in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20,556. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (with a delta of 0.1%), the Intel Arc A750 (delta of -0.1%), and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (delta of 0.4%), indicating that it performs in a similar tier to these cards.

The GPU's 10 GB of VRAM is more than enough for CS:GO, even at 4K Ultra settings, as the game is not memory-heavy. The 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and buffer updates do not become a bottleneck. The FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS and the texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are the key metrics that drive the frame rates seen in the data. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as evidenced by the FPS scaling with resolution. The 80 ROPs handle the pixel fill rate, and the data shows the card can sustain 139 FPS at 4K High and 119 FPS at 4K Ultra, which are respectable figures for a mid-range GPU in a competitive shooter. The GPU's 150 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is a power-efficient part, but the performance data is the primary focus here.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p 240Hz or 360Hz monitor, the Low preset is the best choice, as it provides the highest average FPS at 465, which is well above the refresh rate of even the fastest displays. The Medium preset, at 396 FPS, is also a strong option for those who prefer a balance between visual quality and frame rate, as it maintains a minimum FPS of 337, ensuring smooth gameplay even in intense firefights.

For 1440p, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 236 FPS, which is high enough for a 240Hz monitor, while offering better visual fidelity than Low or Medium. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 201 FPS, which is still excellent, but the marginal visual improvement over High may not justify the 35 FPS loss. The Medium preset at 1440p, with a minimum of 232 FPS, is another viable option for those who want to ensure the frame rate never drops below 200 FPS.

At 4K, the Medium preset is recommended for the best experience. It averages 161 FPS with a minimum of 137 FPS, which ensures that the frame rate stays above 120Hz, providing a smooth and responsive experience. The High preset at 4K averages 139 FPS, but the minimum FPS is not recorded, and the lower average suggests it may dip below the 120Hz threshold in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 119 FPS, is just below the 120Hz mark, and while it is playable, the Medium preset offers a better safety margin for frame time consistency. The Low preset at 4K, at 189 FPS, is the highest performing, but the visual quality reduction is significant, making Medium the best compromise between fidelity and frame rate at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for maximum frame rate in CS:GO with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings produces the highest average FPS at 465. This is the only resolution and setting combination that exceeds 400 FPS in the dataset.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in CS:GO?

A: Yes, benchmark results indicate it can. At 3840x2160, the system averages 189 FPS on Low, 161 FPS on Medium, 139 FPS on High, and 119 FPS on Ultra. All of these are above 60 FPS, and the Medium preset keeps the minimum FPS at 137.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system hits 465 FPS, and the frame rate scales consistently with resolution, indicating the CPU is not hitting a performance ceiling. The i5-11400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to keep up with the Arc B570.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems in CS:GO?

A: The combo ranks 2271 out of 2848 tested combinations. This places it in the lower 20% of all combos in the database, but the absolute FPS numbers are still very high, indicating that many other systems simply achieve even higher frame rates.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the dataset?

A: The highest average FPS is 465, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset. The next highest is 396 FPS at the same resolution with Medium settings.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a significant performance penalty over High?

A: Yes, the performance penalty is consistent across all resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra is 50 FPS lower than High (293 vs 343 FPS). At 1440p, the difference is 35 FPS (201 vs 236 FPS). At 4K, the difference is 20 FPS (119 vs 139 FPS).