Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination delivers exceptional performance in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with results that are firmly in the top tier of tested system configurations. The data confirms this pairing is overkill for achieving maximum frame rates at any resolution, though the specific balance between CPU and GPU capabilities reveals distinct bottlenecks depending on the settings chosen.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and can boost up to 4.40 GHz, which provides the single-thread performance that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive heavily relies upon. The CPU's L3 cache is 12 MB shared across all cores, and it supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The processor's benchmark results indicate strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,340 and a single-core score of 2,024, alongside a Geekbench multi-core score of 7,737 and single-core score of 1,777.

In the context of CS:GO, the game's engine is traditionally sensitive to CPU frequency and per-core performance. The i5-11400F's boost clock of 4.40 GHz is directly relevant here, as the measured frame rates at lower resolutions and settings show the CPU becoming the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combination achieves 574 FPS average, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. This suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to sustain frame rates well beyond what most displays can show. The processor's 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and 2-thread score of 1,691 indicate that even lightly-threaded workloads are handled efficiently, which is typical for an older competitive FPS title.

The CPU's overall benchmark percentile of 71 places it above average compared to all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17,177. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 with an average score of 17,120 (0.3% lower) and the Intel Core i5-12450H at 17,239 (0.4% higher). This positioning suggests the i5-11400F sits in a competitive performance band where small deltas separate it from other processors. For CS:GO specifically, the 6-core/12-thread configuration is more than sufficient, as the game rarely scales beyond a few threads. The Passmark multi-thread score of 16,908 and single-thread score of 2,981 reinforce that this CPU delivers balanced performance across both lightly and heavily threaded workloads, which translates to consistent frame delivery in this title.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, featuring 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die. It comes equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, while memory operates at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective). The card has 2,560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units, along with 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores. Its compute capabilities include 13.17 TFLOPS for FP32 and FP16 operations.

For CS:GO, the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM is far beyond what the game requires, as the title's textures and geometry are modest by modern standards. The GPU's benchmark percentile of 66 and average score of 21,035 place it in the mid-to-upper range of tested GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL with a score of 21,153 (0.6% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT at 20,713 (1.6% lower). The measured performance in CS:GO shows the GPU is capable of delivering 172 FPS at 4K Ultra settings, which demonstrates that even at the highest resolution and quality preset, the RTX 5050 remains well above playable thresholds.

The GPU's role in this pairing becomes more prominent at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, dropping from Ultra to Low settings increases average FPS from 147 to 233, a 58.5% improvement that reflects the GPU's ability to handle lower pixel shading loads. However, at 1920x1080, the same settings change only improves FPS from 361 to 574, a 59% increase that suggests both CPU and GPU are contributing to the scaling. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s and 128-bit bus are adequate for the game's data requirements, though the measured results indicate that the RTX 5050 is not the primary constraint in most configurations tested.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-11400F compare to its closest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17,177, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 7H12's 17,120 and 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-12450H's 17,239. This places it in a tight performance cluster where differences are minimal.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in CS:GO, and at what settings?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 574, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the peak performance point in the dataset across all tested configurations.

Q: How much does lowering settings from Ultra to Low affect FPS at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS increases from 249 on Ultra to 395 on Low, representing a 58.6% improvement. Medium settings yield 336 FPS, and High settings produce 291 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average FPS is 147, measured at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. Even at this demanding configuration, the frame rate remains well above typical competitive play requirements.

Q: Does the RTX 5050's performance close to the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21,035, which is 1.6% higher than the Radeon RX 5600 XT's 20,713. The RTX 5050 also trails the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL by 0.6% and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile by 1.6%.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among all tested system configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1,732 out of 2,848 tested combinations, placing it in the top 60.8% of all systems benchmarked in the database.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination holds a rank of 1,732 out of 2,848 tested combos in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This places the system in the upper third of all configurations, though the ranking may seem modest given the high frame rates achieved. The rank reflects a composite of all measured scenarios, including the CPU's 71st percentile standing among processors and the GPU's 66th percentile among graphics cards. In practice, the measured FPS data shows that this combo exceeds 147 FPS in the worst-case scenario (4K Ultra) and reaches up to 574 FPS at 1080p Low, which are excellent results for a competitive FPS title.

The ranking suggests that while the hardware is capable of outstanding performance in CS:GO, there are many other system combinations in the database that deliver even higher frame rates, likely featuring more powerful CPUs or GPUs. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 7H12 and Intel Core i5-12450H, show similar average scores, indicating that this processor is not the top performer in its class. Similarly, the GPU's rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile, which are close in average score but may differ in specific game workloads. The combo's position at 1,732 of 2,848 confirms the balance between the two components, where neither significantly bottlenecks the other across the tested resolution and settings range.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play where maximum frame rates are prioritized, the data supports using Low settings at 1920x1080, which yields 574 FPS average. This is the highest measured performance and provides the lowest input latency potential for competitive advantage. However, for players who prefer visual fidelity without sacrificing playability, Medium settings at 2560x1440 deliver 336 FPS average with a minimum of 286 FPS, which remains well above the 240 Hz refresh rate common in competitive monitors. At 4K resolution, High settings produce 172 FPS, which is suitable for 144 Hz displays, while Medium settings at 4K yield 199 FPS with a minimum of 169 FPS, making it a viable option for high-refresh 4K panels.

The optimal balance between visual quality and performance appears to be Medium settings at 2560x1440. This configuration provides a 336 FPS average with a measured minimum of 286 FPS and maximum of 387 FPS, ensuring consistent frame delivery without dipping below competitive thresholds. For users with 1080p 240 Hz monitors, High settings at 1920x1080 (423 FPS average) offer a substantial visual upgrade over Low while still exceeding the display's refresh rate by nearly double. Ultra settings are only recommended for 4K displays with 144 Hz refresh rates, as the 147 FPS average at 3840x2160 Ultra is still playable but leaves less headroom for frame time spikes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are 574 on Low settings, 489 on Medium, 423 on High, and 361 on Ultra. The Medium setting includes a minimum FPS of 416 and maximum of 562, indicating a tight frame delivery window. Low settings produce the highest overall performance, while Ultra settings reduce frame rates by 37.1% compared to Low. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a consistent degradation: Medium drops 14.8% from Low, High drops 26.3% from Low, and Ultra drops 37.1% from Low.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 395 on Low, 336 on Medium, 291 on High, and 249 on Ultra. The Medium setting records a minimum of 286 FPS and maximum of 387 FPS. Compared to 1080p, the resolution increase reduces performance by 31.2% on Low, 31.3% on Medium, 31.2% on High, and 31.0% on Ultra, showing remarkably consistent scaling across settings. The 1440p results remain above 240 FPS for Low and Medium settings, while High and Ultra stay above 249 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 233 on Low, 199 on Medium, 172 on High, and 147 on Ultra. The Medium setting includes a minimum of 169 FPS and maximum of 229 FPS. Moving from Low to Ultra at 4K reduces performance by 36.9%, which is similar to the percentage drop seen at 1080p. The 4K Low setting still delivers 233 FPS, making it suitable for 144 Hz 4K displays, while 4K Ultra at 147 FPS is the only configuration in the dataset that falls below 150 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 5050 provides playable frame rates even at the most demanding resolution and quality combination tested, reinforcing that this combo is well-matched for CS:GO's engine requirements.