Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a highly capable, if uneven, experience in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The data places this combination at rank 2510 out of 2848 tested combos, placing it in the lower half of the database (roughly the 12th percentile). This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's modest compute capabilities, which sit at the 9th percentile of all tested graphics cards. However, the pairing demonstrates that in a CPU-bound title like CS:GO, the processor can pull the experience to respectable playability, as the measured FPS figures are far more competitive than the combo's overall rank might suggest. The combination of a top-tier 16-core processor and a low-power integrated graphics solution creates a bottleneck profile that is distinctly processor-dominant.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2510 out of 2848 (88.1% of tested combinations perform better) might initially seem discouraging, but the context of the game matters significantly. This ranking is a composite of the CPU's and GPU's individual standings, and in this case, the pairing produces a mixed bag. The Intel Core i7-13700K is a high-end desktop processor with an average benchmark score of 46881, placing it at the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3% delta), show that the CPU is statistically in a dead heat with these competitors. On the other hand, the Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU with an average score of just 1482, placing it at the 9th percentile. Its nearest rivals, like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% delta), illustrate that the GPU is performing at a level comparable to decade-old entry-level discrete parts.

The result is a combo that ranks poorly due to the GPU's absolute performance ceiling, yet the actual gameplay data reveals a different story. In CS:GO, the measured FPS at 1080p with Low settings is 303, which is a very playable number. This suggests that the combo rank is a broader metric of raw computational power, not a direct measure of playability in this specific title. The CPU's strength, evidenced by a Passmark multithread score of 45887 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 30745, provides the necessary headroom to drive the game's simulation and logic, while the GPU handles the relatively light rendering load of CS:GO. Therefore, while the rank places this combo in the lower echelon, it understates the playable nature of the experience in this specific game.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor built on Intel's 3 nm process, featuring the Xe3-LPG architecture. Its most defining characteristic is its memory configuration: "System Shared." This means the GPU does not have dedicated VRAM; instead, it utilizes a portion of the system's main memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a critical factor for performance, as the GPU's ability to fetch textures and geometry is limited by the speed and bandwidth of the system RAM, which in turn is dependent on the rest of the platform. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, and it contains 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units.

In the context of CS:GO, this shared memory setup is a significant constraint. The game's engine, while dated, still requires a certain amount of memory bandwidth for frame buffer operations, especially at higher resolutions. The measured data shows that the GPU can achieve an average of 303 FPS at 1080p Low, but this falls to 91 FPS at 4K High. This scaling indicates that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors at higher resolutions. The GPU's raw compute is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, and its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s. These figures, while modest, are sufficient for CS:GO's low polygon counts and simple shaders. However, the "System Shared" memory bandwidth is a bottleneck that becomes more pronounced as resolution and settings increase, explaining the steep FPS drop under heavier loads.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 303 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 208 FPS, a 31.4% decrease. At 4K Low, the average further drops to 123 FPS, a 40.9% decrease from 1440p and a 59.4% decrease from 1080p. This scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For example, at High settings, the FPS drops from 223 at 1080p, to 154 at 1440p (a 30.9% decrease), and then to 91 at 4K (a 40.9% decrease from 1440p).

This steep drop-off, particularly the significant 4K penalty, indicates that the system is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is powerful enough to maintain high frame rates even in complex scenarios. The bottleneck is the Intel Arc B390's fillrate and memory bandwidth. As the resolution increases, the GPU must process more pixels, requiring more texture reads and more bandwidth to the shared system memory. When transitioning from 1080p to 1440p, the pixel count increases by 77.8%, and from 1440p to 4K, it increases by another 125%. The FPS drops are roughly proportional to these increases, confirming that the GPU's pixel processing capability is the primary constraint. The data indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor until the GPU is forced to work at its absolute ceiling, which occurs at the 4K resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear guide for optimizing the balance between visual quality and performance. For players prioritizing the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p (303 FPS) is the optimal choice, offering a massive advantage over the next tier. However, this comes with a significant visual compromise. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 258 FPS, which is a 14.9% reduction from Low but still provides a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1080p offers 223 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 190 FPS.

At 1440p, the situation is similar. The Low preset gives 208 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium provides 177 FPS, and High offers 154 FPS. Ultra is still playable at 131 FPS. For a balanced experience at this resolution, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, offering a 14.9% FPS reduction from Low but with a substantial improvement in visual fidelity, as the data shows a minimum FPS of 151, indicating stable performance. At 4K, the options are more constrained. Low provides 123 FPS, which is comfortably playable. Medium drops to 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS, which is at the edge of playability for some. High and Ultra drop to 91 and 77 FPS, respectively. For 4K, the Low or Medium presets are the only viable choices for maintaining competitive frame rates. The data suggests that the Medium preset provides the best compromise across all resolutions, as it offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while keeping FPS well above the 100 FPS threshold at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

1920x1080

• Low: 303 FPS
• Medium: 258 FPS (min 219, max 296)
• High: 223 FPS
• Ultra: 190 FPS

2560x1440

• Low: 208 FPS
• Medium: 177 FPS (min 151, max 204)
• High: 154 FPS
• Ultra: 131 FPS

3840x2160

• Low: 123 FPS
• Medium: 105 FPS (min 89, max 120)
• High: 91 FPS
• Ultra: 77 FPS

The data shows a consistent hierarchy: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra. The performance gaps are relatively consistent across resolutions, with the difference between Low and Ultra being approximately 37% at 1080p (303 to 190), 37% at 1440p (208 to 131), and 37% at 4K (123 to 77). This consistency suggests that the settings are scaling the GPU workload in a linear fashion, likely affecting texture detail and shadow quality, which load the shading units and texture units of the Intel Arc B390.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run CS:GO at 4K?

A: Yes, it is playable. The data shows an average of 123 FPS on Low settings and 105 FPS on Medium settings at 3840x2160. High and Ultra settings drop to 91 and 77 FPS, respectively.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play?

A: The 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings provides the highest average FPS at 303, making it the most competitive option. The Low preset at 2560x1440 also offers a high refresh rate experience at 208 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The GPU uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system's main RAM with "System Dependent" bandwidth. This setup is a bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions, causing significant FPS drops when the workload increases.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. It is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3% delta), and it is slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654, 0.5% delta).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The difference is 77 FPS. Low settings yield 208 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 131 FPS, representing a 37% decrease in performance.

Q: Is the performance measured or estimated?

A: The data is measured. The "dataIsMeasured" field in the fact pack is set to true, indicating these are direct benchmark results rather than projections.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications are crucial to the system's ability to maintain high frame rates in CS:GO. The CPU features 16 cores and 24 threads, running at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high core count and substantial clock speed ensure that the game's main thread and secondary simulation threads have ample processing power. The CPU's cache hierarchy, with 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache, further aids in reducing latency and keeping frequently accessed game data close to the cores.

The CPU's benchmark scores underscore its strength. Its 3DMark max-thread score is 12412, and its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 30745. These figures demonstrate a high level of multi-threaded performance, which is increasingly relevant for modern game engines. While CS:GO is known to be more dependent on single-core performance, the i7-13700K excels here as well, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2529 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1136. The Passmark single-thread score of 4333 further confirms its strength. This combination of robust multi-core and leading single-core performance means the CPU is never the bottleneck in the tested scenarios. The steep FPS drops at higher resolutions are attributable to the GPU's limits, as the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the Intel Arc B390 with draw calls and physics calculations. The CPU's 125 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory also indicate it is a full-featured desktop part, but in this context, it is held back by the integrated graphics.