Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, despite its 2012 release, remains a benchmark staple due to its unique engine and competitive nature. The data for the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at lower resolutions but demonstrates surprising headroom at 4K. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings tell a clear story of a combo that prioritizes raw speed, with the CPU's architecture playing a pivotal role in extracting maximum performance from the graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and highly informative. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an astronomical 952 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 655 FPS, a reduction of 31%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 387 FPS, which is another 41% drop from 1440p. This steep decline indicates that as resolution increases, the rendering load on the GPU becomes the dominant factor, pulling the frame rate down from the CPU-bound stratosphere.

Analyzing the High settings preset provides a clearer picture of the GPU's scaling curve. The 1080p High average is 702 FPS, which drops to 483 FPS at 1440p (a 31% decrease) and then to 285 FPS at 4K (a 41% decrease from 1440p). This pattern is nearly identical to the Low preset, confirming that the relative performance hit from increasing resolution is consistent regardless of the graphical load. The consistent percentage drops suggest a well-balanced interaction between the CPU's ability to feed frames and the GPU's capacity to render them at higher pixel counts.

The most telling data point for identifying the limiting component comes from the 4K results. The gap between 4K Low (387 FPS) and 4K High (285 FPS) is 102 FPS, while the gap between 4K High and 4K Ultra (243 FPS) is only 42 FPS. This non-linear scaling implies that the GPU is not the sole bottleneck at 4K; otherwise, the difference between settings would be more uniform. The CPU's frame generation limit is likely being approached, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs even at lower settings. The data suggests that at 4K, the system is transitioning from a GPU-bound state at Low settings to a more balanced, co-limited state at Ultra, where both components are working near their maximum capacity for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. In a game like CS:GO, which historically relies heavily on single-core performance, the high boost clock is critical. The benchmark results show a single-core score of 3055 in Cinebench R23, placing it in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs. This strong single-thread capability is what allows the system to hit frame rates exceeding 900 at 1080p Low, where the GPU is largely idle and the CPU's processing speed dictates the output.

The CPU's role becomes more nuanced at higher resolutions. While the GPU takes on more work, the CPU must still maintain a high frame "budget." The 14400F's multi-core performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645, ensures that it can keep up with the GPU's demands. The data shows that the FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p is substantial, but the absolute numbers remain incredibly high (e.g., 655 FPS at 1440p Low). This indicates that the CPU is not a hard bottleneck at these settings; it is simply that the GPU's rendering time increases, limiting the total output.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals provides context. The 14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233) and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i9-11900 (32226). It also outperforms the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354) by -0.2%. These minuscule differences in average scores suggest that in a CPU-heavy scenario like CS:GO at low settings, the performance of these chips would be nearly indistinguishable. However, the 14400F's specific architecture and boost clock appear well-suited to the game's engine, enabling the high frame rates observed in the measured data. The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 10 cores (likely 6 performance and 4 efficient) provide ample capacity for the game's logic and asset streaming, preventing stutters even when frame rates are at their peak.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in CS:GO?

A: The highest measured average is 952 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How much of a performance drop is seen when moving from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 702 at 1080p to 285 at 4K, a reduction of 417 FPS or approximately 59%.

Q: Is this system more CPU-limited or GPU-limited at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data suggests a balanced co-limitation. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 243, and the relatively small gap compared to 4K High (285 FPS) indicates that the CPU is beginning to limit the GPU's ability to render more frames.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded in the entire data set?

A: The lowest average is 243 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U's score of 32233.

Q: Are there any frame rate minimums recorded for the Medium settings preset?

A: Yes, the data includes minimum FPS for Medium settings. At 1080p, the minimum is 689 FPS, at 1440p it is 474 FPS, and at 4K it is 280 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are exceptionally high across the board. The Low preset leads with 952 FPS, followed by Medium at 811 FPS, High at 702 FPS, and Ultra at 599 FPS. The Medium preset also provides a minimum FPS of 689 and a maximum of 932, showing a tight frame time distribution even at these extreme speeds.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages remain high but show a clear step down. Low settings produce an average of 655 FPS, Medium drops to 558 FPS, High to 483 FPS, and Ultra to 412 FPS. The Medium preset again shows its variance, with a minimum of 474 and a maximum of 642 FPS. This resolution is likely the sweet spot for competitive play, offering a significant increase in visual fidelity over 1080p while still maintaining frame rates well above the refresh rates of most high-end monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still impressive but the scaling becomes evident. Low settings yield 387 FPS, Medium 330 FPS, High 285 FPS, and Ultra 243 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 280 FPS and a maximum of 379 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: for every preset, the drop from 1440p to 4K is larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p. This reinforces the idea that the GPU's pixel throughput is the primary constraint at 4K, while the CPU's capabilities are more fully utilized at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 holds a rank of 774 out of 3719 combinations. This places it in the top 20.8% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing given the game's age and the vast number of hardware configurations available. The rank is a composite measure that reflects the system's performance across all tested resolutions and settings, not just its peak frame rate.

The rank of 774 is particularly interesting when considering the GPU's performance metrics. The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40318) and 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40063). However, it lags behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870) by -1.2%. These rival GPUs are professional workstation cards, not gaming-focused products, yet their raw compute scores are comparable. This suggests that the RTX 5070's gaming performance in CS:GO is not solely dependent on its raw compute power but also on its driver optimization and architecture.

The fact that this combo ranks 774th, despite having a GPU that performs on par with some professional cards, implies that the CPU is a more significant contributor to the overall rank than the GPU. The 14400F's 83rd percentile standing among all CPUs likely boosts the combo's position, as CS:GO's engine is notoriously CPU-sensitive. A system with a weaker CPU but a stronger GPU might not achieve a higher rank because the CPU would bottleneck the frame rate at lower resolutions, dragging down the average scores.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the choice of settings depends heavily on the user's display and performance goals. For 1080p displays, the Low preset offers the highest average FPS at 952, but even the Ultra preset delivers a staggering 599 FPS average. Given that most 1080p monitors have refresh rates of 240Hz or 360Hz, the Ultra preset is recommended for the best visual experience without sacrificing competitive performance, as the 599 FPS average is far above any monitor's refresh rate.

For 1440p, the situation is similar. The Low preset achieves 655 FPS, but the High preset at 483 FPS is more than sufficient for any 240Hz or 360Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 412 FPS also provides a comfortable margin above typical high-refresh-rate displays. The data suggests that at 1440p, users can safely enable High or Ultra settings to improve image quality, as the frame rate impact is minimal in absolute terms. The Medium preset, with its recorded minimum of 474 FPS, offers a good balance for those who prioritize frame time consistency.

At 4K, the recommendations become more nuanced. The Ultra preset dips to 243 FPS, which is still playable but might be a limiting factor for 240Hz monitors. The High preset at 285 FPS offers a better balance for high-refresh-rate 4K displays. However, for competitive play where maximum frame rate is paramount, the Low preset at 387 FPS is the clear choice. The data indicates that 4K is the only resolution where the user must make a conscious trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate, as the GPU's rendering load begins to meaningfully impact the output.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a formidable graphics card with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2512 MHz and 6144 shading units give it substantial raw compute power. In CS:GO, the GPU's role is primarily to handle the game's rendering, which becomes more demanding at higher resolutions and quality settings. The data shows that the RTX 5070 is incredibly capable, never dropping below 243 FPS even at 4K Ultra, which confirms its performance.

The GPU's memory configuration is likely not a bottleneck in this game. CS:GO is not known for requiring large amounts of VRAM, and the 12 GB on this card is more than sufficient for the textures and assets used at all tested settings. The high memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s ensures that texture streaming and data transfer are not limiting factors, even at 4K resolution. The card's architecture, Blackwell 2.0, and its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 suggest it is well-optimized for modern gaming APIs, although CS:GO's older engine may not fully utilize these features.

The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 and a Passmark G3D score of 29137, place it in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs. This high percentile confirms that the RTX 5070 is a top-tier performer. In the context of CS:GO, the GPU's role becomes more critical as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is often idle, waiting for the CPU to send draw calls. At 4K, the GPU's pixel fill rate and shading power become the primary drivers of performance, as seen in the 41% FPS drop from 1440p to 4K. The data suggests that the RTX 5070 is well-matched with the i5-14400F, providing a balanced system where neither component is severely underutilized at any common resolution.