Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 lands at rank 745 out of 1605 tested combos for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. That places this build almost exactly in the middle of the field, which is a curious position for hardware that delivers such high absolute frame rates. The rank suggests that while the combo is far from the top, it sits comfortably above a large portion of the tested configurations.

What makes this ranking intriguing is the delta between the CPU and GPU's individual standings. The processor holds a percentile of 88 against all CPUs, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database. The graphics card, meanwhile, sits at the 72nd percentile against all GPUs. The combined rank of 745 out of 1605 — roughly the 53rd percentile — shows that pairing a strong CPU with a solid GPU does not automatically yield a top-tier combo ranking in this specific title. The data implies that CS:GO's performance ceiling may be influenced by factors beyond raw component strength, possibly the game's older engine and its peculiar scaling behavior.

GPU Role

The RTX 3070 brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, or 14 Gbps effective. These specifications are more than adequate for a game like CS:GO, which is not typically memory-bandwidth intensive at these settings.

The GPU's core clocks are listed at a base of 1500 MHz and a boost of 1725 MHz. With 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines, the RTX 3070 has substantial raw throughput. The measured results confirm this: even at 4K Ultra, the combo maintains an average of 190.7 FPS, which is far beyond what most competitive players would need.

What stands out is the GPU's behavior across settings at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra drops the average from 738.3 FPS to 463 FPS — a massive gap that suggests the GPU's workload is scaling heavily with visual quality settings. Yet at 4K, the same settings swing from 299.4 FPS down to 190.7 FPS. The data shows the RTX 3070 is never the bottleneck in this title; even at 4K Ultra, the frame rates are so high that the CPU's capability becomes the limiting factor earlier than expected.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo's rank compare to its component percentiles?

A: The combo sits at rank 745 out of 1605, while the CPU is in the 88th percentile and the GPU is in the 72nd percentile. This discrepancy suggests the game's performance scaling favors the CPU more heavily.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches an average of 738.3 FPS. This is the peak measured frame rate across all tested resolutions and settings.

Q: Is the RTX 3070's VRAM a concern for CS:GO?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is more than sufficient for CS:GO at any settings. The highest 4K Ultra average is 190.7 FPS, indicating no memory-related performance ceiling.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance relate to the game's results?

A: The i5-14400F scores 3093 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3723 in Passmark single-thread. CS:GO benefits from strong single-thread performance, and the 1080p Low result of 738.3 FPS reflects this advantage.

Q: What happens to performance when moving from Medium to High settings?

A: At 1440p, the average drops from 428.3 FPS to 372.4 FPS, a reduction of roughly 13%. At 1080p, the drop is from 624.6 FPS to 542.7 FPS, a similar proportional decrease.

Q: Does the GPU's boost clock of 1725 MHz tell us anything about sustained performance?

A: The measured averages show the GPU maintains high frame rates across all settings, suggesting the boost clock is sustained effectively under load. No minimum FPS data is available to assess frame pacing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data offers clear guidance on which preset provides the best experience. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 113.7 FPS on average, dropping from 738.3 to 624.6 FPS. Moving to High costs another 81.9 FPS, and Ultra costs another 79.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 275.3 FPS — a staggering 37% reduction.

For competitive play, the Low preset at 1080p yields the highest average of 738.3 FPS. This is the optimal choice for maximizing frame rate, which is critical in a fast-paced FPS. At 1440p, Low still delivers 504.3 FPS, which is more than enough for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1440p produces 428.3 FPS, offering a balance between visual fidelity and performance.

At 4K, the situation changes. Low settings produce 299.4 FPS, while High yields 218.2 FPS. Even Ultra maintains 190.7 FPS, which is playable on most displays. The data indicates that the Low preset at any resolution provides the smoothest experience, but the Medium or High presets at 1440p may be preferable for those wanting improved visuals without sacrificing the high frame rates that CS:GO players expect.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results across all settings. Low averages 738.3 FPS, Medium drops to 624.6 FPS, High reaches 542.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 463 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is significant, representing a 37% performance reduction.

At 2560x1440, the numbers scale down proportionally. Low averages 504.3 FPS, Medium achieves 428.3 FPS, High produces 372.4 FPS, and Ultra maintains 319.5 FPS. This resolution still provides excellent frame rates, with even the lowest setting result comfortably above 300 FPS.

At 3840x2160, performance remains strong but shows a different scaling pattern. Low averages 299.4 FPS, Medium reaches 256.5 FPS, High hits 218.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 190.7 FPS. The 4K results are particularly interesting because they show the combo can handle 4K gaming in CS:GO without dipping below 190 FPS, even at maximum settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process, carries 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor's percentile rank of 88 places it in the upper tier of all tested CPUs.

The CPU's benchmark scores reveal its strengths. In Cinebench R23, it scores 21914 multi-core and 3093 single-core. The Passmark single-thread score of 3723 is particularly relevant for CS:GO, which relies heavily on single-core performance. The processor's average benchmark score of 32508 puts it nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-12800H, which scores 32513 with a 0% delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 trails by 0.2%, while the AMD Ryzen 7 250 is ahead by 0.2%.

The 1080p Low result of 738.3 FPS is a strong indicator that the CPU is not holding back the GPU in this title. Even at 4K Ultra, the 190.7 FPS average suggests the CPU's processing power remains sufficient. The data points to the CPU being capable of feeding the RTX 3070 at any resolution this game offers.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important characteristics about this combo's balance. At Low settings, the average drops from 738.3 FPS at 1080p to 504.3 FPS at 1440p, then to 299.4 FPS at 4K. This represents a 59% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is less severe than typical GPU-bound scenarios.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is different. The average goes from 463 FPS at 1080p to 319.5 FPS at 1440p, then to 190.7 FPS at 4K. This is a 59% reduction as well, showing consistent scaling behavior across settings. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical between Low and Ultra suggests the limiting component remains the same throughout.

The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiter, as the GPU could likely push even higher frame rates if not for the processor's single-thread ceiling. As resolution increases, the GPU workload grows, and the RTX 3070 becomes more of a factor. However, even at 4K Ultra, the frame rates remain so high that the system is never meaningfully constrained. The measured results indicate this combo maintains exceptional performance across the entire resolution spectrum, with neither component becoming a clear bottleneck in CS:GO.