Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces an unusual bottleneck profile in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The CPU is a modern 10-core Arrow Lake part, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution that ranks in the 9th percentile of all tested GPUs. Benchmark results show that this combination ranks 2510th out of 2848 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 12% of systems. The data indicates that the integrated Arc B390 is the primary performance limiter, but the CPU’s strong single-thread capability ensures playable frame rates at lower resolutions and settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-S architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The CPU features a 20 MB shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core. Its 65 W TDP classifies it as a mainstream desktop part, and it supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth.

Benchmark results for the CPU show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25,891 and a single-core score of 3,655. In Passmark tests, the CPU achieves a multi-thread score of 30,459 and a single-thread score of 4,412. The CPU’s percentile vs all CPUs is 85, meaning it outperforms the majority of tested processors. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (average score 36,945, 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018, -0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37,093, -0.4% delta). The performance parity with these rivals indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 sits in a well-established mid-range tier.

In the context of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the CPU’s role is significant because the game is known to be sensitive to single-core performance. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 303 FPS average. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames well above typical display refresh rates. The single-thread Passmark score of 4,412 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,655 indicate that the processor has ample headroom for the game’s physics and game logic calculations. The 10 cores and 10 threads provide sufficient parallelism for background tasks without starving the game’s primary thread.

However, the data also shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. When moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K, the FPS drops significantly at all settings, which points to GPU limitation rather than CPU bottleneck. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 77, which is a substantial drop from the 190 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This pattern indicates that the CPU is capable of sustaining higher frame rates, but the integrated GPU cannot keep up as resolution increases. The CPU’s 85th percentile ranking and its parity with rivals like the Ryzen 5 5600F suggest that it would not be the weak link in a system with a discrete GPU. In this specific combo, the CPU’s performance is largely untapped due to the GPU’s constraints.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, with the chip codenamed Panther Lake. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU features 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1). The GPU has a TDP of 80 W and is classified as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors required.

The GPU’s memory configuration is listed as "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system’s DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width and bandwidth are also listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively. This is a critical limitation for gaming performance, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which means it is feature-complete for modern APIs but lacks dedicated memory bandwidth.

Benchmark data for the Arc B390 is sparse, with only one 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482. This places the GPU in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating very low performance relative to the broader market. Its nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (score 1,463, delta 1.3%), the GeForce 800M (1,460, delta 1.5%), the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446, delta 2.5%), and the GeForce GT 710 (1,443, delta 2.7%). The Arc B390 outperforms these by a small margin, but all of these GPUs are entry-level or legacy parts.

In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the GPU’s role is paramount because even though the game is CPU-light, the integrated GPU’s low throughput becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 303 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 123 FPS. This scaling suggests that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K rendering. The 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are modest numbers, and the shared memory bandwidth limits texture streaming and frame buffer operations. The GPU’s 9th percentile ranking confirms that it is a very weak performer, and in this combo, it holds back the otherwise capable CPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in CS:GO?

A: The highest average FPS is 303, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1,460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1,443).

Q: What is the CPU’s performance ranking relative to all tested CPUs?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36,938.

Q: Does the combination support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the Intel Arc B390 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The minimum FPS is recorded only for Medium settings: 89 FPS at 4K, 151 FPS at 1440p, and 219 FPS at 1080p.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-core performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score of 36,938 is essentially identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36,945, 0% delta), and slightly higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37,093, -0.4% delta).

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2510th out of 2848 tested combos in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This places the system in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations, which is a poor result for a CPU that ranks in the 85th percentile. The discrepancy between the CPU’s high ranking and the combo’s low ranking highlights the severity of the GPU bottleneck.

The combo’s ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU’s performance, as the Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 303 FPS, which is competitive with many mid-range discrete GPUs. However, at 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 77, which is below playable thresholds for competitive gaming. The combo’s rank of 2510 suggests that most other tested configurations, even those with older or lower-end CPUs, outperform this system when paired with a discrete GPU.

The data indicates that this combo is not well-suited for CS:GO beyond 1080p or medium settings. The CPU has the headroom to push higher frame rates, but the GPU’s limited fill rate and shared memory bandwidth cap performance. For a game like CS:GO, where high and consistent frame rates are critical, this combo would struggle to maintain competitive performance at higher resolutions. The 4K Medium setting shows an average of 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS, which may be acceptable for casual play but is not ideal for esports.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 303 at 1080p to 208 at 1440p, and then to 123 at 4K. This represents a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 59% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is similar at High settings, where FPS drops from 223 at 1080p to 154 at 1440p, and then to 91 at 4K.

The resolution scaling pattern suggests that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the FPS drops proportionally to the increase in pixel count, indicating that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are saturated. The Arc B390’s shared memory configuration exacerbates this issue, as the GPU must share the same DDR5 bandwidth with the CPU, limiting its ability to handle higher resolutions.

The data also shows that the difference between Low and Ultra settings becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the FPS drops from 303 at Low to 190 at Ultra, a 37% decrease. At 4K, the FPS drops from 123 at Low to 77 at Ultra, a 37% decrease as well. This consistent percentage drop suggests that the GPU’s performance scaling with settings is uniform across resolutions, but the absolute frame rates at 4K are too low for smooth gameplay. The 4K Ultra setting, with an average of 77 FPS, is the worst-case scenario for this combo.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 303 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 258 FPS, with a minimum of 219 and a maximum of 296. High settings average 223 FPS. Ultra settings produce 190 FPS on average. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the combo is capable of high refresh rate gaming, particularly at Low and Medium settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 208 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 177 FPS, with a minimum of 151 and a maximum of 204. High settings average 154 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 131 FPS on average. The 1440p results are still playable for most users, but the margin for high refresh rate monitors narrows significantly at Ultra settings.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 123 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 and a maximum of 120. High settings average 91 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 77 FPS on average. The 4K results are below the 144 FPS threshold that competitive players often target, and even the Low setting’s 123 FPS may feel inconsistent during intense firefights.

The data reveals that the combo’s optimal operating point is at 1080p with Medium or Low settings, where it can maintain frame rates above 250 FPS. At 1440p, the combo is still viable at Low and Medium settings, but at 4K, it falls below the performance level required for a smooth competitive experience. The minimum FPS values, which are only reported for Medium settings, show that the combo can dip to 89 FPS at 4K, which would be noticeable in a fast-paced shooter. The maximum FPS values at each resolution for Medium settings (296 at 1080p, 204 at 1440p, 120 at 4K) further illustrate the GPU’s limitations at higher pixel counts.