Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 secures the 241st position out of 3,719 tested combinations for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This places the combo in the top 6.5% of all tested systems, a noteworthy achievement for a hardware pairing that skews toward mid-range CPU performance with a flagship-tier GPU. The rank reflects the game's ability to leverage the RTX 4080's substantial compute resources, though the i5-12400F's six-core architecture becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions where frame rates climb into four-digit territory.

The CPU's overall benchmark percentile stands at 73, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of all processors in the database. Its average benchmark score of 19,039 sits nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19,047, a 0% delta) and the Intel Core 3 201E (19,056, a -0.1% delta). This tight clustering indicates that the i5-12400F delivers performance squarely within the mainstream desktop and high-end mobile laptop segment. The GPU, by contrast, holds an 86th percentile ranking with an average score of 54,247, placing it just above the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209, a 0.1% delta) but slightly below the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, a -1.1% delta). This suggests the RTX 4080 is operating at the upper echelon of graphics hardware, with only marginal separation from its closest competitors.

In CS:GO, the combo's overall rank of 241 is respectable but not elite, reflecting a system that can drive competitive frame rates across all settings but may not top leaderboards for absolute maximum performance. The data indicates that the RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing, contributing far more to the measured FPS than the CPU. However, the i5-12400F's single-thread capabilities, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and a PassMark single-thread score of 3,481, provide the foundation for CS:GO's relatively lightweight engine to achieve high frame rates. The result is a system that ranks well above the median but falls short of the top 100 combinations, which typically feature higher-core-count CPUs with faster boost clocks.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 241st out of 3,719 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.5% of all systems benchmarked for this game.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19,039 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19,047, 0% delta) and the Intel Core 3 201E (19,056, -0.1% delta). It also marginally outperforms the Intel Core i5-1335U (18,982, 0.3% delta) and AMD EPYC 7773X (18,979, 0.3% delta).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking and how does it compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 holds an 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 54,247. It is nearly identical to the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209, a 0.1% delta), indicating negligible performance difference between the two cards.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in CS:GO?

A: The highest average FPS is 1,141, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This drops to 717 FPS at the same resolution with Ultra settings, showing a substantial impact from graphical presets.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4080 have and what memory type does it use?

A: The RTX 4080 features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. This capacity is more than sufficient for CS:GO, which is not a VRAM-intensive title.

Q: Does the CPU support overclocking?

A: No, the Intel Core i5-12400F has a locked multiplier, meaning it is not unlocked for overclocking. Its boost clock is fixed at 4.40 GHz, and the base clock operates at 2.50 GHz.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 serves as the primary performance driver in this CS:GO configuration, providing the vast majority of the rendering power. Its boost clock of 2505 MHz and base clock of 2205 MHz enable the card to process frames rapidly, while the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory ensures that no VRAM capacity constraints arise even at 4K resolution. The memory operates at 1400 MHz with 22.4 Gbps effective throughput, yielding a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s across the 256-bit bus. These specifications allow the GPU to maintain high frame rates across all tested settings, with the lowest average FPS recorded at 292 for 4K Ultra.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output processors. Its FP32 throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s indicate that the card can handle complex shader workloads and texture-heavy scenes without bottlenecking. In CS:GO, which relies on relatively simple DirectX 9-era rendering techniques, these resources are only partially utilized, but the headroom ensures consistent performance even in chaotic multiplayer firefights. The card's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are largely idle in this title, as CS:GO does not implement ray tracing or DLSS features, but their presence contributes to the card's overall market positioning.

The RTX 4080's 320 W TDP and suggested 700 W PSU requirement reflect its high power draw, though the measured FPS data suggests the card operates efficiently within its thermal envelope. The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is tight, with the RTX 4080 SUPER just 0.1% ahead and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X 1.1% behind. This indicates that within the benchmark database, the RTX 4080 is a well-balanced card that does not significantly deviate from its direct competitors. In CS:GO specifically, the GPU demonstrates its strength by scaling from 292 FPS at 4K Ultra to 1,141 FPS at 1080p Low, showing that it can adapt to both high-fidelity and competitive settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest performance, with average FPS ranging from 717 at Ultra to 1,141 at Low. The Medium preset yields 971 FPS with a minimum of 825 and maximum of 1,117, while High achieves 841 FPS. These figures demonstrate that at 1080p, the CPU becomes the limiting factor, as the RTX 4080 is capable of far higher frame rates than the i5-12400F can feed. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is 424 FPS, representing a 37.1% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS remains high but shows a noticeable drop compared to 1080p. Low settings produce 785 FPS, Medium 668 FPS, High 578 FPS, and Ultra 494 FPS. The Medium preset records a minimum of 568 and maximum of 768 FPS, indicating some frame variance but overall stability. The reduction from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 356 FPS (31.2% decrease), while the Ultra preset drops by 223 FPS (31.1% decrease). This consistency suggests that the GPU is now becoming more involved, though the CPU still maintains a significant role in frame generation.

At 3840x2160, the GPU takes on a more dominant role, with average FPS declining to 464 at Low, 395 at Medium (minimum 335, maximum 454), 342 at High, and 292 at Ultra. The transition from 1440p to 4K results in a 40.9% reduction at Low settings (321 FPS drop) and a 40.9% reduction at Ultra (202 FPS drop). This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4080 is now the primary bottleneck, as the increased pixel count demands more from the GPU while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant. The 4K Ultra result of 292 FPS remains well above the 240 Hz refresh rate of many gaming monitors, ensuring a smooth experience even at maximum graphical settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights into the system's bottleneck characteristics. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS across all settings decreases by approximately 31%, which is roughly proportional to the 77.8% increase in pixel count. This suggests that the system is partially CPU-limited at 1080p, as a purely GPU-bound scenario would show a larger frame rate drop relative to the pixel increase. The fact that the FPS reduction is smaller than the pixel count increase indicates that the CPU is still able to generate frames at a rate that exceeds the GPU's 1440p capability.

The transition from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 produces a more substantial 40.9% FPS reduction, which more closely aligns with the 125% increase in pixel count. This suggests that at 4K, the RTX 4080 becomes the dominant limiting factor, as the GPU's rendering workload scales more directly with pixel count. The diminishing returns in FPS per pixel indicate that the CPU is no longer the primary constraint at this resolution, and the system transitions from a CPU-bound to a GPU-bound configuration. This is further evidenced by the fact that the absolute FPS drop from 1440p Low (785 FPS) to 4K Low (464 FPS) is 321 FPS, while the drop from 1440p Ultra (494 FPS) to 4K Ultra (292 FPS) is 202 FPS — the latter being smaller in absolute terms but similar in percentage.

The scaling data suggests that for competitive play at high refresh rates, 1080p is the optimal resolution, as it allows the system to exceed 1,000 FPS on Low settings. For a more balanced experience, 1440p offers a significant visual improvement over 1080p while still maintaining frame rates above 490 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the system remains capable of delivering over 292 FPS on Ultra, which is impressive for a game like CS:GO but represents a clear step down from the lower resolutions. The bottleneck analysis indicates that the i5-12400F's six cores and 12 threads are sufficient to drive the RTX 4080 at 1080p, but the GPU's full potential is only realized at higher resolutions where its compute resources are more fully engaged.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the CS:GO experience with this combo. For players prioritizing maximum competitive performance, the Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers 1,141 FPS, which is more than sufficient for even the highest refresh rate monitors available. This setting minimizes graphical effects to reduce input latency and maximize frame pacing, which is critical for competitive play. The Low preset also eliminates potential frame drops in intense firefights, as the system maintains a substantial margin above any display refresh rate.

For players seeking a balance between visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers 668 FPS with a minimum of 568 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay while providing improved textures and effects over Low. This configuration is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, as the frame rate comfortably exceeds the 240 Hz standard. The Medium preset at 1440p also demonstrates better frame consistency than the Low preset at the same resolution, as the minimum FPS of 568 is proportionally closer to the average than the Low preset's unspecified minimum.

At 4K resolution, the High preset yields 342 FPS, which is the recommended choice for players with 4K displays who want to experience CS:GO with enhanced graphical fidelity. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 292 FPS, which remains acceptable for 240 Hz monitors but does not provide the same margin for FPS drops during intense action. The data suggests that the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best overall experience, as it balances the GPU's capabilities with the CPU's frame generation limits, delivering 668 FPS with a minimum of 568 FPS. This configuration avoids the CPU bottleneck seen at 1080p while not overburdening the GPU as much as 4K Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F plays a critical role in this CS:GO configuration, providing six cores and 12 threads based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz enable it to handle the game's relatively light CPU workload with ease, though its performance ceiling becomes apparent at lower resolutions. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for CS:GO's frequent cache accesses. The processor's 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and PassMark single-thread score of 3,481 indicate strong per-core performance, which is essential for a game that relies heavily on a single main thread for game logic and physics.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12,380 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 9,472. These results place the i5-12400F comfortably in the mid-range desktop segment, though its 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests that higher-end processors with more cores can offer additional headroom. In CS:GO specifically, the CPU's performance is adequate for maintaining high frame rates, but the data indicates that it becomes a limiting factor at 1080p where the RTX 4080 could otherwise deliver even higher FPS. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5,895 and max-thread score of 5,912 show that the processor scales well with additional threads, though CS:GO does not fully utilize this capability.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 10 nm process node contribute to efficient operation, while its support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory provides flexibility in system configuration. The processor's socket is Intel Socket 1700, and it uses a 163 mm² die size. In terms of nearest rivals, the i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19,039 is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19,047, 0% delta) and the Intel Core 3 201E (19,056, -0.1% delta), indicating that these processors offer comparable performance in general-purpose workloads. The CPU's locked multiplier prevents overclocking, meaning its 4.40 GHz boost clock is the maximum achievable frequency. For CS:GO, this limits the system's ability to push beyond the measured frame rates, but the combination remains highly capable for competitive gaming.