Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a notoriously CPU-bound title, and the measured FPS data for the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the Intel Arc B370 strongly reinforces this reputation. The benchmark results show a significant drop in average frame rates as resolution increases, but the shape of that drop reveals more about the engine's reliance on the processor than it does about the graphics card's raw capabilities. At 1920x1080, the combination produces a very high 273 FPS on Low settings, but this plummets to 202 FPS on High, illustrating that even at lower resolutions, the game is demanding substantial work from the system. Moving to 2560x1440, the same settings yield 188 FPS on Low and 139 FPS on High, while at the demanding 3840x2160, the figures fall to 111 FPS and 82 FPS respectively. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a performance reduction of roughly 59% on Low settings (from 273 to 111 FPS) and about 59% on High settings (from 202 to 82 FPS). This proportional drop suggests that while the GPU is becoming a factor at higher resolutions, the game's performance ceiling is still heavily influenced by the processor's ability to feed frames.

Resolution Scaling

The data indicates that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scales with resolution in a way that points to a balanced, yet CPU-leaning, workload. When comparing the 1920x1080 Low preset result of 273 FPS to the 3840x2160 Low preset result of 111 FPS, the frame rate is reduced by 162 FPS. This is a substantial decline, but the fact that the 4K result still exceeds 100 FPS suggests the system is not completely overwhelmed by pixel throughput. The gap between 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 on Low settings is 77 FPS (188 to 111), which is a steeper relative drop than the 85 FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p (273 to 188). This non-linear scaling implies that as the resolution increases, the Intel Arc B370's workload grows, and its limitations start to emerge. However, the game's engine is still clearly extracting high frame rates from the Core i5-12600KF's ten cores and sixteen threads. The Ultra preset shows a similar pattern, with 172 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 118 FPS at 1440p, and finally 70 FPS at 4K. The 48 FPS loss from 1080p to 1440p on Ultra is notable, but the further 48 FPS loss from 1440p to 4K demonstrates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck at the highest resolution and quality settings. The data suggests that for competitive play at lower resolutions, the CPU is the star, but for cinematic 4K experiences, the Arc B370 is the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is a component with a unique profile, featuring 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 render output units. Its boost clock is listed at 2400 MHz, with a base clock of 300 MHz, and it has a TDP of just 25 W. This is an integrated graphics part (IGP) with system-shared memory, meaning its performance is highly dependent on the rest of the system. In this game, the GPU's role is evident in the frame rate differences between settings presets at the same resolution. At 1920x1080, the jump from Low (273 FPS) to Medium (233 FPS) is a 40 FPS decrease, while the jump from Medium to High (202 FPS) is a further 31 FPS decrease. This shows that the GPU is being tasked with more work as settings increase, but the engine is still able to maintain high frame rates due to the CPU's strength. The Arc B370's performance percentile is 5, indicating it is a low-tier part relative to all other tested GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in a specific performance bracket, but the game results show it can handle CS:GO's demands surprisingly well at 1080p and 1440p. The system-shared memory and system-dependent bandwidth mean that the GPU's performance can vary, but the data shows it is sufficient for frame rates well above 100 FPS at most settings below 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Arc B370 achieves a rank of 2615 out of 2848 tested combos in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This places it in the lower 8% of all tested system configurations, which is a surprising result given the high frame rates recorded. The discrepancy between the rank and the actual FPS numbers highlights the competitive nature of the benchmark database, where many other combinations likely feature much more powerful discrete graphics cards. The CPU itself is a strong performer, with an average benchmark score of 27799 and a percentile rank of 79 against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, which has a deltaPct of -0.3, meaning the i5-12600KF is slightly ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which is also 0.3% behind. This suggests the processor is punching above its weight in general compute tasks. However, the GPU's low percentile rank of 5 drags the overall combo ranking down. The data implies that while the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates in this game, the GPU is the weak link when compared to other systems in the database. For a player looking at this combo, the rank suggests that other users with similar CPUs but faster graphics cards are achieving much higher performance, but the absolute numbers show a playable experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 273 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate competitive monitors. The Medium preset at 233 FPS is also excellent, offering a balance between visual fidelity and performance, with a minimum FPS of 198 and a maximum of 268. The High preset drops to 202 FPS, which is still very smooth, but the Ultra preset at 172 FPS may be less desirable for players seeking maximum responsiveness. For 2560x1440, the Low preset at 188 FPS is recommended for competitive play, while the Medium preset at 160 FPS (min 136, max 184) is a solid choice for a better visual experience without sacrificing too much speed. The High preset at 139 FPS is playable, but the Ultra preset at 118 FPS might feel less fluid. At 3840x2160, the data shows that only the Low preset (111 FPS) and Medium preset (95 FPS, min 80, max 109) are viable for a smooth experience. The High preset at 82 FPS and Ultra at 70 FPS are below the threshold many players would consider ideal for a fast-paced shooter. The data suggests that for the best experience, players should stick to Low or Medium settings at 1440p or below to ensure frame rates stay above 150 FPS, as the game's competitive nature favors high refresh rates over graphical detail.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 273, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B370 support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, the GPU's API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), as well as OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: How does the Core i5-12600KF compare to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D in average benchmark score?

A: The Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D has an average score of 27896, resulting in a deltaPct of -0.3, meaning the AMD processor is slightly ahead by 0.3%.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 on Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 on Medium settings is 136.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B370 a discrete graphics card?

A: No, the Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a slot width of "IGP" and uses system-shared memory.

Q: What is the TDP of the Intel Core i5-12600KF?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has a TDP of 125 watts.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302. In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the CPU's role is critical, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves 273 FPS, which is likely close to the game's engine limit for this CPU, as the GPU is not heavily taxed at this resolution. The processor's strong single-thread performance, indicated by the Geekbench single-core score of 2157, is particularly important for CS:GO, which is known to rely on a few fast cores. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with game data access. The CPU's performance percentile of 79 shows it is better than most processors, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, both of which are within 0.3% of its average score. This suggests that the i5-12600KF is a very capable gaming CPU. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is the bottleneck, the CPU is still able to push 70 FPS, indicating that it is not holding the system back. For players with this CPU, upgrading the GPU would likely yield significant performance gains in this title at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 273 FPS, the Medium preset yields 233 FPS with a minimum of 198 and a maximum of 268, the High preset yields 202 FPS, and the Ultra preset yields 172 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset produces 188 FPS, the Medium preset produces 160 FPS (min 136, max 184), the High preset produces 139 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 118 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 111 FPS, the Medium preset achieves 95 FPS (min 80, max 109), the High preset achieves 82 FPS, and the Ultra preset achieves 70 FPS. The data shows a consistent trend: as resolution increases, the frame rate decreases, and as settings increase, the frame rate also decreases. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, providing a frame time variance window. At 1080p Medium, the variance is 70 FPS (from 198 to 268), while at 1440p Medium, it is 48 FPS (from 136 to 184), and at 4K Medium, it is 29 FPS (from 80 to 109). This shrinking variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's workload becomes more consistent as it becomes the bottleneck, whereas at lower resolutions, the CPU's frame delivery can cause more fluctuation. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding configuration, with an average of just 70 FPS, which is below the 82 FPS of the High preset at the same resolution, highlighting the cost of the highest quality settings.