Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

# Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with Intel Core i5-14400F + Intel Arc B370

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, released in 2012, remains a staple of competitive FPS gaming, and this particular pairing of an Intel Core i5-14400F with an Intel Arc B370 produces surprisingly playable results across all tested resolutions. The combination ranks 2615th out of 2848 tested combos for this title, placing it in the lower quartile of systems, yet the measured frame rates tell a more nuanced story—one where the CPU's substantial processing power is consistently held back by the integrated GPU's modest throughput.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU-GPU combo in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?

A: The combination of Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2615th out of 2848 tested combos for this game, placing it in the bottom portion of the database's tested configurations.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279, which is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233), 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900 (32226), and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H (32121). It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS by 0.2%, which scores 32354.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The Intel Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 1184 from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the combo delivers an average of 233 FPS, with minimums of 198 FPS and maximums of 268 FPS, making it highly playable for competitive scenarios.

Q: How does the CPU's memory support affect this configuration?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. This flexibility allows the system to work with different memory types, though the GPU's memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent" since it uses shared system memory.

Q: Is the Arc B370 a discrete graphics card or integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a slot width of "IGP" and no power connectors. It uses "System Shared" memory rather than dedicated VRAM, which directly impacts its performance characteristics in games.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2615 out of 2848 tested configurations places it firmly in the lower percentile of systems tested for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This low ranking might suggest poor performance, but the actual measured FPS numbers reveal that the game remains quite playable at most settings. The discrepancy between the combo's low rank and its acceptable gameplay performance stems from the fact that many other tested systems use high-end discrete graphics cards that push frame rates far beyond what this integrated solution achieves.

The CPU component of this combo, however, is a strong performer. The Intel Core i5-14400F sits in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rivals are all within a narrow band: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233) and Intel Core i9-11900 (32226) are essentially tied with it, while the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354) edges slightly ahead. This places the processor in good company, indicating that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this gaming configuration.

The GPU tells a different story. The Intel Arc B370's 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, places it in the company of legacy mobile and entry-level desktop parts. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% faster), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% faster), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% faster). The AMD FirePro M2000 trails by 1.4% with a score of 1168. This is a GPU that competes with hardware from a much earlier era, which explains the combo's low overall standing.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings but becomes increasingly CPU-capable as resolution drops. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages 70 FPS average, which rises to 82 FPS at High, 95 FPS at Medium, and 111 FPS at Low. Moving to 1440p, these numbers jump significantly: 118 FPS at Ultra, 139 FPS at High, 160 FPS at Medium, and 188 FPS at Low. At 1080p, the performance scales even further: 172 FPS at Ultra, 202 FPS at High, 233 FPS at Medium, and 273 FPS at Low.

The scaling pattern from 4K to 1080p shows a consistent 2.4x to 2.5x improvement in frame rate across all settings. For instance, at Low settings, performance goes from 111 FPS at 4K to 273 FPS at 1080p—a 146% increase. At Ultra settings, the jump is from 70 FPS to 172 FPS, a 145% improvement. This near-uniform scaling factor across settings suggests that the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity are the primary constraints, as pixel count reductions translate almost directly into FPS gains.

The 1080p results, particularly at Low and Medium settings, indicate that the CPU is capable of pushing well over 200 FPS in this title. The 273 FPS at 1080p Low approaches the kind of frame rates competitive players seek, though the minimum frame rates at Medium settings (198 FPS at 1080p) suggest some variance under load. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055 and Geekbench single-core score of 2058, likely contributes to these high frame rates in a game that relies heavily on CPU performance for game logic and entity updates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 4K resolution, the Intel Arc B370 delivers an average of 70 FPS at Ultra settings, which rises to 82 FPS at High, 95 FPS at Medium, and 111 FPS at Low. The Medium preset at 4K is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, showing 80 FPS minimum and 109 FPS maximum.

Moving to 1440p, the performance improves substantially. Ultra settings yield 118 FPS average, High settings produce 139 FPS, Medium settings deliver 160 FPS with minimums of 136 FPS and maximums of 184 FPS, and Low settings reach 188 FPS. The 1440p Medium results show a tighter frame time distribution compared to 4K, with the gap between minimum and average FPS narrowing from 15 FPS at 4K to 24 FPS at 1440p.

At 1080p, the system's performance becomes competitive for esports play. Ultra settings maintain a 172 FPS average, High settings hit 202 FPS, Medium settings achieve 233 FPS with minimums of 198 FPS and maximums of 268 FPS, and Low settings peak at 273 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset shows a 35 FPS spread between minimum and maximum, indicating some frame pacing variability but overall smooth gameplay.

The progression across resolutions shows diminishing returns as resolution drops. The jump from 4K to 1440p at Low settings represents a 69% FPS increase (111 to 188), while the jump from 1440p to 1080p at the same settings represents a 45% increase (188 to 273). This pattern suggests that the CPU begins to play a larger role at lower resolutions, though the GPU remains the primary bottleneck throughout.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process node. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation pipelines, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts to 2400 MHz, delivering a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 12.29 TFLOPS (2:1).

The most significant limitation of this GPU is its memory configuration. The Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory with a "System Dependent" bandwidth, meaning it relies on the host system's RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. This architecture is common for integrated GPUs but creates a performance ceiling in games that require high memory bandwidth. The 25 W TDP and lack of power connectors confirm this is an IGP solution designed for mobile or low-power platforms, not a discrete graphics card.

In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the GPU's role is clearly the limiting factor. The 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with nearest rivals from the ATI Radeon HD 5000 series, indicates this is entry-level graphics performance. However, the game's relatively modest graphics requirements allow the Arc B370 to deliver playable frame rates even at 4K, with the 111 FPS at 4K Low being particularly notable. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility ensure it can handle modern rendering APIs, though CS:GO's older engine may not fully leverage these features.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset at 233 FPS average represents the best balance of visual quality and performance. The minimum of 198 FPS ensures the frame rate rarely drops below the refresh rate of most high-refresh monitors, while the 268 FPS maximum provides headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 273 FPS offers even higher frame rates and may be preferable for competitive play where maximum responsiveness is prioritized, but the visual compromise may not be necessary given the Medium preset's strong performance.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 160 FPS with minimums of 136 FPS is the recommended choice. This delivers smooth gameplay on 144 Hz displays while maintaining acceptable visual fidelity. The High preset at 139 FPS is also viable for those with 120 Hz monitors, though the lower minimum frame rates could cause occasional stutters in intense firefights. The Low preset at 188 FPS provides the highest frame rates at this resolution for competitive players, but the visual downgrade is significant.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 111 FPS is the only setting that approaches high-refresh playability. The Medium preset at 95 FPS is playable for casual gaming, and the High preset at 82 FPS remains acceptable for those prioritizing visual quality over frame rate. The Ultra preset at 70 FPS is marginal, falling below the 75 Hz threshold that many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay, and should be avoided in competitive scenarios.

Across all resolutions, the Medium settings represent the sweet spot for this configuration. The measured data shows that Medium consistently delivers frame rates that are 15-20% higher than High settings while maintaining 80-90% of the visual quality improvements. For players with 144 Hz monitors, the 1080p Medium preset is the clear recommendation, while those with 4K displays should accept the Low preset to maintain competitive frame rates. The system's overall ranking of 2615 out of 2848 combos reflects its integrated GPU limitations, but the measured FPS results demonstrate that this combination can still deliver a satisfying Counter-Strike: Global Offensive experience at appropriate settings.