Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a functional, if not spectacular, configuration for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The data places this specific combo at rank 3294 out of 3719 tested combinations, which puts it in the lower percentile of all possible system pairings. This positioning is heavily influenced by the GPU component, which ranks in the 9th percentile against all other graphics cards, while the CPU sits comfortably in the 90th percentile against all processors. The disparity between the two components is stark, and the benchmark results reflect this imbalance, showing that the i5-14600K is capable of far more than the Arc B390 can deliver in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 3294 out of 3719 total tested combinations places this system in the bottom 11 percent of all pairings tested for CS:GO. This low standing is almost entirely attributable to the graphics card. The Intel Arc B390, with an average benchmark score of 1482, sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463, and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M with a score of 1460. The Arc B390 leads these by 1.3 percent and 1.5 percent respectively. In gaming terms, these are entry-level or legacy parts, not modern gaming GPUs.

The CPU tells a different story. The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618, placing it in the 90th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with a score of 48995. The i5-14600K trails these by 0.2 percent and 0.8 percent respectively. Conversely, it leads the AMD EPYC 4345P (48470) by 0.3 percent and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (48287) by 0.7 percent. The processor is operating at the upper end of performance, but the system's overall ranking is dragged down by the GPU.

The result is a pairing where the CPU is effectively idling in CS:GO while the GPU is saturated. The measured FPS data confirms this, showing that the frame rate scales dramatically with resolution and settings, which is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The combo rank is a reflection of the whole system, and in this case, the whole system is held back by the weakest link. Benchmarks show the CPU is performing at a level comparable to server and high-end desktop parts, yet the system's in-game rank is near the bottom, proving that raw CPU power cannot compensate for a GPU that ranks in the single digits.

FAQ

Q: Why is the combo rank so low when the CPU is ranked in the 90th percentile?

A: The combo rank of 3294 out of 3719 is determined by the combined system performance. The Intel Arc B390 GPU ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 1482 is close to legacy parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463). The CPU's high percentile cannot overcome the GPU's low standing, making the system GPU-limited.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between 1080p Low and 4K Ultra?

A: The measured data shows a dramatic difference. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system averages 303 FPS. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average drops to 77 FPS. This represents a decline of 226 FPS, or roughly 74.6 percent, when moving from the lightest to the heaviest configuration.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in CS:GO?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The Arc B390 has a boost clock of 2500 MHz and a TDP of 80 W. The FPS drops significantly when resolution increases, from 303 FPS at 1080p Low to 123 FPS at 4K Low. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU bottleneck, where the CPU has enough headroom to render frames but the GPU cannot process them fast enough.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. It leads the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) by 1.3 percent, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460) by 1.5 percent, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446) by 2.5 percent, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443) by 2.7 percent. These are all extremely close scores, indicating the Arc B390 is in the same performance tier as these older parts.

Q: What are the best settings to achieve a 4K experience above 90 FPS?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, only the High preset averages above 90 FPS, hitting 91 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 105 FPS, and the Low preset achieves 123 FPS, but the High preset is the only one that meets the 90 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset falls below this, averaging 77 FPS.

Q: Is there a significant FPS difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 154 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 131 FPS. This is a difference of 23 FPS, or approximately 14.9 percent, showing that the Ultra preset imposes a measurable performance penalty over High at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, pointing squarely at the GPU as the bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 303 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low, the average drops to 208 FPS, a reduction of 95 FPS or 31.4 percent. Jumping to 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 123 FPS, another 85 FPS drop, representing a 40.9 percent decline from the 1440p figure. The total drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 180 FPS, which is a 59.4 percent reduction in frame rate.

This scaling behavior is a textbook example of a GPU-bound system. The Intel Core i5-14600K has 14 cores, 20 threads, and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. At 1080p, the processor is able to feed the GPU enough data to achieve 303 FPS. As the resolution increases, the pixel count grows, and the GPU workload becomes more demanding. The Arc B390, with its 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs, simply cannot maintain the same level of output. The on-paper performance of the CPU, which scores 2064 in Cinebench R23 single-core, suggests it has ample headroom for CS:GO, a game that relies heavily on single-thread performance.

The data shows that the FPS does not scale linearly with resolution. The drop from 1080p to 1440p Low is 95 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K Low is 85 FPS. The percentage drop is larger in the second step, indicating that the GPU is becoming progressively more saturated. The same pattern holds for the High preset, where the system goes from 223 FPS at 1080p to 154 FPS at 1440p, then to 91 FPS at 4K. The CPU's high single-core score of 297 in Cinebench R15 and 4270 in Passmark single-thread suggest it is not the limiting factor; the GPU's 9th percentile ranking is the primary constraint on frame rate at all resolutions above 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system shows its highest frame rates. The Low preset produces an average of 303 FPS. The Medium preset averages 258 FPS, with a minimum of 219 FPS and a maximum of 296 FPS. The High preset delivers 223 FPS, and the Ultra preset comes in at 190 FPS. The spread between the lowest and highest settings at 1080p is 113 FPS, which demonstrates a significant performance range.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop across all presets. The Low preset averages 208 FPS. The Medium preset averages 177 FPS, with a minimum of 151 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS. The High preset averages 154 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 131 FPS. At this resolution, the gap between Low and Ultra is 77 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 151 FPS suggests that even at this mid-range setting, there are moments of lower performance, though the average remains above 170 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. The Low preset averages 123 FPS, which is still playable. The Medium preset averages 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. The High preset averages 91 FPS, just above the 90 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset drops to 77 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 46 FPS, a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p, but the percentages are similar. The data shows that the Medium preset at 4K has a minimum FPS of 89, which is below the average of the High preset, indicating some frame time inconsistency at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this system's CS:GO performance. With a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, the GPU has a wide clock range, but its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's memory bandwidth, which is listed as "System Dependent." The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS.

The benchmark data places the Arc B390 in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463. The deltaPct values show the Arc B390 is only 1.3 percent faster than the GT 520MX and 2.7 percent faster than the GT 710. These are very old, low-end parts, and the Arc B390 is performing in that same tier. The 80 W TDP and IGP slot width suggest this is not a discrete gaming card but an integrated solution, likely for mobile or low-power systems.

The GPU's clock behavior is notable. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is high, but the base clock is only 300 MHz. This indicates that the GPU is designed to idle at very low power and ramp up only when under load. In CS:GO, the data shows the GPU is consistently the limiting factor. The FPS drops from 303 at 1080p Low to 123 at 4K Low, a 59.4 percent reduction, which is entirely due to the GPU's inability to handle the increased pixel count. The 12 RT cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support suggest the GPU has modern features, but the raw rasterization performance, as evidenced by the 9th percentile ranking, is insufficient for high-resolution gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a high-end desktop processor that is vastly more capable than the GPU in this system. It features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The CPU has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and a 2 MB per-core L2 cache. It is built on a 10 nm process with a die size of 257 mm². The TDP is 125 W, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14600K scores 24491 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2064 in single-core. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4270, and its Geekbench single-core score is 2491. These numbers indicate a very strong processor for gaming, particularly for a title like CS:GO, which benefits from high single-core performance. The CPU's percentile ranking of 90 confirms that it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market.

In this specific game, however, the CPU's role is limited by the GPU. The measured FPS at 1080p Low is 303, which is high, but the CPU is capable of much more. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the frame rate scales with resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions. Instead, the FPS drops by 59.4 percent from 1080p to 4K, confirming that the GPU is the constraint. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.30 GHz and 20 threads allow it to handle the game's physics and logic easily, but the Arc B390 cannot keep up with the frame generation. The CPU's nearest rivals in average score include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, both of which are server or high-end desktop parts, further underscoring the CPU's strength relative to the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, but the Low preset offers the highest average FPS at 303. The Medium preset at 258 FPS is also excellent, and its minimum of 219 FPS is well above any playability threshold. The High preset at 223 FPS and the Ultra preset at 190 FPS are also smooth. For competitive play at 1080p, the Low preset provides the maximum frame rate, which is often preferred for reduced input lag.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 208 FPS, which is still very high. The Medium preset averages 177 FPS with a minimum of 151 FPS, which is a solid option for those who want better visuals without sacrificing too much performance. The High preset at 154 FPS is also viable, but the Ultra preset at 131 FPS may be less desirable for players who prioritize a high refresh rate. The data suggests that at 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as its minimum FPS of 151 is still well above 144 Hz.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. The Low preset averages 123 FPS, which is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 120 FPS. The Medium preset averages 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS, which means it will dip below 90 FPS at times. The High preset averages 91 FPS, just barely above the 90 FPS mark, but its minimum is not listed. The Ultra preset at 77 FPS is the weakest performance. For 4K, the Low preset is recommended if frame rate is the priority, as it is the only setting that maintains an average above 120 FPS. The Medium preset is the highest setting that keeps the average above 100 FPS, but users should be aware of the potential for drops to 89 FPS. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, so lowering settings provides the most reliable path to higher frame rates.