The transition from Global Offensive to Counter-Strike 2 marked the end of the DX9 era for Valve. The new Source 2 engine introduces physically based rendering and dynamic smoke that interacts with lighting, significantly changing the performance profile. While CS:GO was light on the GPU, CS2 requires a competent card to handle these effects without stuttering. It remains CPU-heavy at competitive settings, where the 'sub-tick' server architecture demands strong single-thread performance. CPUs with large L3 caches, like AMD's X3D line, offer a major advantage. 8GB of RAM is now the absolute minimum, though more is recommended to avoid hitches.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, frame rates range from 24 to 80 FPS depending on quality settings. At 1440p, frame rates range from 12 to 51 FPS. At 4K, frame rates range from 6 to 24 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 136% above the recommended GPU (GeForce RTX 2070) for Counter-Strike 2. The Core i5-6300U is 82% below recommended, but 26% above minimum.
At lower resolutions (1080p (low/medium), 1440p low), the Core i5-6300U sets the FPS ceiling. As graphical load increases at (1080p (high/ultra), 1440p (high/ultra), all 4k settings), the GeForce RTX 4090 becomes the FPS-limiting side. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at 1440p medium.
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 4k ultra, the GeForce RTX 4090 sets the ceiling at about 15 FPS, while the Core i5-6300U has headroom up to 71 FPS. In this scenario, the GPU limits the CPU potential by 79% (FPS gap: 56 FPS). Overall distribution: GPU limits 8/12 cells, CPU limits 3/12, balanced 1/12.
Your GeForce RTX 4090 is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the Core i5-6300U frame-generation potential remains unused in those settings.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU Limits GPU 61% | CPU Limits GPU 44% | GPU Limits CPU 23% | GPU Limits CPU 57% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 22% | Balanced | GPU Limits CPU 51% | GPU Limits CPU 70% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | GPU Limits CPU 33% | GPU Limits CPU 49% | GPU Limits CPU 73% | GPU Limits CPU 79% |
We estimate the maximum FPS the processor can sustain and the maximum FPS the graphics card can sustain in each setting, then compare those limits directly.
Limit Factor formula: (stronger - weaker) / stronger. Example: if CPU ceiling is 200 FPS and GPU ceiling is 140 FPS, then GPU limits CPU by 30%.
CPU Limits GPU means the processor ceiling is lower. GPU Limits CPU means the graphics ceiling is lower. Balanced means the FPS ceilings are close enough that the gap is negligible.
A component can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.
See how your processor and graphics card compare against the game official minimum and recommended system specs. The placement of your hardware is calculated using relative synthetic performance scores to help you gauge overall playability.
Your CPU is 82% below recommended and your GPU is 136% below recommended, but both meet minimum specs. Playable at Low/Medium settings, 1080p or below.
-82%vsrecommended
+136%vsrecommended
+26%vsminimum
+843%vsminimum
The Core i5-6300U and GeForce RTX 4090 will struggle to run Counter-Strike 2 at smooth framerates. At 1080p Ultra, you can expect around 24 FPS which is classified as "struggling". Consider lowering settings or upgrading your hardware.
Price data is not currently available for this combination. In general, look for setups where the CPU and GPU are balanced — this ensures you're not overspending on one component that the other can't keep up with.
Your GeForce RTX 4090 is already a top-tier graphics card. While it's technically the limiting factor here (which means you are fully utilizing your GPU's visual horsepower exactly as intended), there is no meaningful upgrade path that would drastically improve your Counter-Strike 2 performance right now. GPU fully utilized at: 1080p high, 1080p ultra, 1440p high, 1440p ultra, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra. CPU-limited at: 1080p low, 1080p medium, 1440p low.
Counter-Strike 2 does not currently support Frame Generation technologies like DLSS 3 or FSR 3. Your performance is based entirely on native rendering. If the game adds support in a future update, newer GPUs will benefit the most.
Counter-Strike 2 requires at minimum a Core i5 750 (CPU) and GeForce GTX 660 (GPU) with 8 GB RAM and 85 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i7-9700K and GeForce RTX 2070 with 16 GB RAM. Your setup meets the minimum requirements but falls short of the recommended specs. You may need to lower some settings for smooth performance.
These Counter-Strike 2 FPS results are not arbitrary numbers. They come from calculations informed by thousands of real gaming benchmarks, and the typical accuracy range is around 10% to 15%. That makes them far more useful than generic FPS calculators that simply invent values without a benchmark foundation. Actual in-game performance can still vary with drivers, updates, RAM configuration, cooling, and the exact scene being rendered.
Performance estimates are based on synthetic benchmarks and hardware capabilities.
Results may vary based on drivers, OS, and background processes.
