Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is an old game by modern standards, but it remains one of the most competitive and widely played FPS titles. The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly unusual pairing: a top-tier desktop processor with a mobile-class integrated GPU. The benchmark data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly CPU-bound at lower resolutions but becomes progressively GPU-limited as resolution scales up. The i7-14700KF provides massive headroom, while the Arc B390 acts as the primary constraint in this setup. This analysis breaks down the measured performance figures, explains what they mean in the context of other tested combos, and offers practical settings advice based strictly on the provided data.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a high-performing CPU compared to other processors?

A: Yes. It sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70,163. It is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.2% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.4% faster), and it is 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. It is also 1% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390's raw compute performance compare to its GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 is a low-tier performer. It scores 1,482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are similarly weak, with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX being 1.3% faster, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M being 1.5% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM being 2.5% faster. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 is 2.7% faster.

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU+GPU combo for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive?

A: The combo ranks 2,510 out of 2,848 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems for this specific game, which is a surprisingly low rank given the high-end CPU, highlighting the severe bottleneck created by the GPU.

Q: Does the Arc B390 have its own dedicated video memory?

A: No. The memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared." This means it relies on the system's main RAM for graphics memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a significant factor in its low performance, as it lacks the dedicated high-speed VRAM of a discrete GPU.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF overclockable?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked, which allows for overclocking. The CPU has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its power draw is rated at a 125 W TDP.

Q: What are the key architectural specs of the Intel Arc B390?

A: It is built on Intel's 3 nm process and uses the Xe3-LPG architecture, part of the Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) generation. It has 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation pipelines. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data places this specific combination of Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B390 at a rank of 2,510 out of 2,848 tested combos for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This is a critical data point, as it demonstrates that despite the CPU's strong absolute performance, the system as a whole fails to deliver a competitive frame rate in the upper echelons of the ranking. The high rank number indicates a low position, with only 338 combos performing worse.

This ranking is a direct consequence of the massive imbalance between the two components. The CPU is a top-tier product, scoring in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. It outperforms its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, by a marginal 0.2% and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X by 0.9%. However, the GPU is in the 9th percentile, scoring just 1,482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark. This score is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, a legacy mobile part.

In the context of all tested combos, this pairing is a severe mismatch. The data suggests that for CS:GO, the GPU is the limiting factor, dragging down the potential of the processor. A more balanced system, even with a significantly weaker CPU, would likely rank higher if paired with a more powerful discrete GPU. The 2,510 rank is a clear indicator that this configuration is not optimized for gaming performance, despite the CPU's raw power. The system's performance is effectively capped by the Arc B390's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the "Low" settings preset, the average FPS drops from 303 at 1080p to 208 at 1440p, and finally to 123 at 4K. This represents a 59% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline is the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario; the CPU has ample headroom, but the GPU is overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count.

For the "High" preset, the scaling is similar: 223 FPS at 1080p, 154 FPS at 1440p, and 91 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is again around 59%, showing that the relative performance penalty for increasing resolution is consistent across different settings. This reinforces the conclusion that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the frame rate is scaling almost inversely with the number of pixels.

The "Ultra" preset shows the same pattern, with 190 FPS at 1080p, 131 FPS at 1440p, and 77 FPS at 4K. The consistent proportional drops across all presets indicate that the Intel Arc B390's rendering pipeline is saturated at every resolution, and the i7-14700KF's powerful single-core performance (as evidenced by its 6,235 Cinebench R23 single-core score) cannot compensate. The limiting component is definitively the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less of a difference between 1080p and 1440p, and a more significant drop at 4K, but the data shows a steady, linear decline that is characteristic of a pure pixel-fill rate limit.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets.

1920x1080:

• Low: The average FPS is 303. This is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo.
• Medium: The average FPS is 258, with a minimum of 219 and a maximum of 296.
• High: The average FPS drops to 223.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 190. This is the lowest at 1080p.

2560x1440:

• Low: The average FPS is 208.
• Medium: The average FPS is 177, with a minimum of 151 and a maximum of 204.
• High: The average FPS is 154.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 131.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: The average FPS is 123.
• Medium: The average FPS is 105, with a minimum of 89 and a maximum of 120.
• High: The average FPS is 91.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 77. This is the lowest frame rate recorded for this combo.

The data shows a consistent hierarchy: Lower settings always yield higher FPS, and lower resolutions always yield higher FPS. There are no anomalies or inversions. The delta between Low and Ultra settings is substantial. At 1080p, the difference is 113 FPS (303 vs 190). At 1440p, it's 77 FPS (208 vs 131). At 4K, it's 46 FPS (123 vs 77). This shrinking delta at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck; the settings have less impact on performance when the GPU is already saturated with pixel work.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this system's gaming performance, and its specifications explain why. It is a mobile-class integrated GPU (IGP) with a 80 W TDP, operating on the Xe3-LPG architecture. Its most significant limitation is its memory configuration: the memory size, type, and bus width are all marked as "System Shared," with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This means it has no dedicated VRAM and must share the system's memory bus, which severely hampers its ability to feed its 1,536 shading units and 48 TMUs efficiently.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. While the boost clock is high for an iGPU, the lack of dedicated memory bandwidth is a fundamental bottleneck. In a game like CS:GO, which is known for being sensitive to memory bandwidth and CPU performance, this shared memory setup is particularly problematic. The GPU's raw compute performance is also low, as evidenced by its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, is a legacy product from over a decade ago, illustrating the Arc B390's entry-level standing.

The data shows that even at 1080p Low settings, the GPU cannot push past 303 FPS. While this is a high number, it is the lowest 1080p Low result one would expect from a system with this CPU. The i7-14700KF has a Passmark single-thread score of 4,480 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,235, indicating it is more than capable of feeding a much faster GPU. The Arc B390's pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. These figures, combined with the shared memory, are what cap the performance in this pairing.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's resolution and priority for frame rate. The data clearly shows that the "Low" preset provides the best performance at every resolution.

For competitive play at 1920x1080, the "Low" preset is the only sensible choice. It delivers an average of 303 FPS, which is 45 FPS higher than the "Medium" preset (258 FPS) and a massive 113 FPS higher than "Ultra" (190 FPS). The high frame rate is critical for smoothness and reduced input lag in a fast-paced shooter like CS:GO. The drop to "Medium" is significant, and the "High" and "Ultra" presets offer no competitive advantage if they cannot sustain the highest possible refresh rate.

At 2560x1440, the "Low" preset again provides the best experience, with an average of 208 FPS. This is a playable frame rate for most high-refresh monitors. The "Medium" preset drops to 177 FPS, which is still acceptable, but the margin is smaller. For users with a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor, "Low" is recommended to maintain a frame rate above the display's refresh rate. The "Ultra" preset at 131 FPS is on the edge of being playable for competitive play but is not ideal.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the situation is more challenging. The "Low" preset yields an average of 123 FPS, which is the only preset that breaks the 100 FPS barrier. The "Medium" preset drops to 105 FPS, and the "High" and "Ultra" presets fall to 91 FPS and 77 FPS, respectively. While 4K is not the standard for competitive CS:GO, if one were to play at this resolution, the "Low" preset is the only viable option for a smooth experience. However, the data suggests that 4K is not a practical resolution for this GPU in this game. The "Medium" preset at 4K is the only one with min/max data (89-120 FPS), but its average is still lower than the "Low" preset. The recommendation is clear: prioritize the "Low" preset regardless of resolution to achieve the highest possible frame rate, as the GPU's performance deficit is too large to afford any visual quality settings.