Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

How This Combo Ranks

This Intel Core i5-14600K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination sits at rank 2010 out of 3719 tested combos in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. That places it in the 54th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 46% of tested combinations deliver higher average frame rates in this specific title. The ranking is not a reflection of absolute weakness — the measured frame rates are extremely high across all settings — but rather a consequence of the fact that CS:GO is a highly scalable esports title where many older, lower-cost CPUs paired with top-tier GPUs can also produce very high frame rates.

Benchmark results indicate that this combo is firmly in the upper-middle tier for CS:GO performance. The CPU alone scores in the 90th percentile against all CPUs in general benchmark suites, with an average benchmark score of 48618. That is a very strong processor position. The GPU, however, sits at the 61st percentile against all GPUs with an average score of 17639. Since CS:GO at lower resolutions tends to lean heavily on CPU performance, the combo's rank is likely held back more by the GPU's relative position than by the processor.

The data shows a clear pattern: this system produces playable, indeed excellent, frame rates at every resolution tested, but the competition at the top of the 3719-combo list includes systems with faster GPUs that push even higher in the most demanding settings. The rank of 2010 should be read as "solidly above average" rather than "elite," and for a competitive FPS title where frame rate consistency matters more than raw maximums, this is a comfortable position.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, using the AD107 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 2125 MHz, which translates to 17 Gbps effective. The GPU's base clock is 1830 MHz, with a boost clock of 2460 MHz.

In CS:GO, the GPU's role is secondary at lower resolutions but becomes more significant as resolution increases. The measured data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 646 FPS average — a number so high that the GPU is clearly not the bottleneck. At 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 407 FPS, still far beyond any display refresh rate. The GPU's shading units (3072), TMUs (96), and ROPs (48) are sufficient to handle CS:GO's relatively modest visual load without breaking a sweat.

The RTX 4060's benchmark scores place it in a peculiar neighborhood. Its average benchmark score of 17639 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, deltaPct -0.2), the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, deltaPct 0.3), the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, deltaPct 0.5), and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17509, deltaPct 0.7). This clustering suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4060 is closely matched with older and integrated solutions, although real-world gaming performance in CS:GO — as shown by the measured FPS — is far ahead of what those older parts could deliver in this title.

The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is more than adequate for CS:GO, which was released in 2012 and does not demand large texture pools. The 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's data throughput needs, even at 4K resolution where the measured FPS remains above 165 at Ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. From 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops consistently, but the shape of the curve reveals that the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions, with the GPU taking over as resolution climbs.

At Low settings, the progression is: 646 FPS at 1080p, 445 FPS at 1440p, and 263 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 201 FPS (31%), and from 1440p to 4K is 182 FPS (41%). At High settings: 476 FPS at 1080p, 328 FPS at 1440p, and 194 FPS at 4K — drops of 148 FPS (31%) and 134 FPS (41%), respectively. The percentage drops are remarkably consistent across settings, which indicates that the scaling behavior is resolution-driven rather than setting-driven.

At 1080p, the frame rates are so high (646 FPS at Low, 476 FPS at High) that the CPU is clearly the primary limiter. The i5-14600K, with 14 cores and 20 threads, is doing the heavy lifting. The fact that 1080p Low only produces 646 FPS — while theoretically the GPU could push far more — suggests that the CPU's single-thread performance, while excellent, is still the ceiling.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The 4K Ultra result of 165 FPS is still very high for a competitive FPS, but it represents a 74% drop from the 1080p Ultra result of 407 FPS. This is a GPU-bound scenario where the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are being exercised more fully. The 4K Low result of 263 FPS is still far above 144 Hz, but the gap between 1080p Low (646 FPS) and 4K Low (263 FPS) shows that even at Low settings, resolution scaling taxes the GPU significantly.

The data indicates that for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo is CPU-bound, and the i5-14600K delivers exceptional performance. At 4K, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor, but the RTX 4060 still provides highly playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo overkill for CS:GO at 1080p?

A: The data suggests yes. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 646 FPS average, and at 1080p Ultra, it still manages 407 FPS. These numbers far exceed typical 144 Hz or 240 Hz display refresh rates, meaning the system has substantial headroom.

Q: How does the CPU's general performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, scores 48698 (deltaPct -0.2), meaning the i5 is essentially tied. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470 (deltaPct 0.3), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995 (deltaPct -0.8), all within 1% of each other.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile, and what does it mean for CS:GO?

A: The RTX 4060 sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17639. In CS:GO specifically, this translates to frame rates above 165 FPS at 4K Ultra and above 646 FPS at 1080p Low, showing that even a mid-tier GPU percentile is more than sufficient for this game.

Q: Which settings give the best balance of FPS and visual quality at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium setting produces 379 FPS average with a minimum of 322 FPS and a maximum of 436 FPS. The High setting yields 328 FPS, and Ultra drops to 280 FPS. Medium offers a significant visual improvement over Low (445 FPS) while still maintaining frame rates well above any competitive requirement.

Q: How much FPS is lost going from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The 1080p Ultra average is 407 FPS, while the 4K Ultra average is 165 FPS — a drop of 242 FPS, or approximately 59%. This is the largest percentage drop among all settings, confirming that Ultra at 4K is the most GPU-intensive scenario tested.

Q: Does the CPU's 14-core, 20-thread configuration help in CS:GO?

A: The i5-14600K has 14 cores and 20 threads with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. CS:GO is not a heavily threaded game, but the high boost clock and strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064) contribute to the exceptionally high frame rates seen at 1080p, where the CPU is the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). All results are average FPS unless otherwise noted, with Medium settings also providing minimum and maximum values.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 646 FPS average. Medium settings yield 550 FPS average, with a minimum of 468 FPS and a maximum of 633 FPS. High settings drop to 476 FPS average. Ultra settings produce 407 FPS average. The spread from Low to Ultra is 239 FPS, indicating that even at the highest quality preset, the system maintains frame rates far beyond typical competitive requirements.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low settings produce 445 FPS average. Medium settings yield 379 FPS average, with a minimum of 322 FPS and a maximum of 436 FPS. High settings produce 328 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 280 FPS average. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, ranging from 201 FPS at Low to 127 FPS at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits, though results remain highly playable. Low settings produce 263 FPS average. Medium settings yield 224 FPS average, with a minimum of 190 FPS and a maximum of 257 FPS. High settings produce 194 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 165 FPS average. Even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains an average above 144 FPS, which is sufficient for high-refresh-rate 4K monitors.

The Medium settings data across all resolutions provides insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 468, which is 85% of the 550 average. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 322, which is 85% of the 379 average. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 190, which is 85% of the 224 average. This consistent ratio suggests stable frame pacing without significant stutter or drops.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture (specifically Raptor Lake-R) on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 24 MB shared L3. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, with ECC memory support. The CPU's TDP is 125 W, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700.

In CS:GO, the CPU's role is critical. The game was released in 2012 and is known for being CPU-bound at lower resolutions. The measured data supports this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 646 FPS, which is likely near the practical limit for this CPU's single-thread performance in this engine. The i5-14600K's boost clock of 5.30 GHz is a key factor here, as CS:GO's main thread benefits enormously from high clock speeds.

The CPU's general benchmark scores place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 24491, and its single-core score is 2064. The Geekbench scores are 16673 multicore and 2491 single-core. PassMark results show a single-thread score of 4270 and a multithread score of 38682. These numbers indicate a processor that excels in both lightly threaded and heavily threaded workloads, though CS:GO primarily leverages the former.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, deltaPct -0.2), the AMD EPYC 4345P (48470, deltaPct 0.3), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (48287, deltaPct 0.7), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (48995, deltaPct -0.8). All of these are within 1% of the i5-14600K's score of 48618, showing that in general compute tasks, this CPU is competitive with a range of enterprise and newer consumer parts.

In CS:GO specifically, the CPU's performance is the primary driver of the high frame rates observed at 1080p and 1440p. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache likely helps with the game's map data and entity management, while the 5.30 GHz boost clock ensures that the main game thread runs as fast as possible. The fact that the combo still achieves 165 FPS at 4K Ultra — where the GPU is the bottleneck — demonstrates that the CPU is not holding back the system in any scenario tested.