In the Fall of 2023, Valve officially released Counter-Strike 2, their latest installment in the legendary FPS franchise. With the launch came a significant increase in fidelity, and in turn, players were starving for the high framerates their PCs could once achieve without breaking a sweat. Historically, Counter-Strike has been a CPU-bound title, meaning its performance is closely tied to single-core CPU performance over GPU processing power. CS2 is a little bit more GPU intensive than past titles, but its performance is still closely tied to the CPU. These 5 processors are the best you can buy for CS2, so you can focus on headshots over 1% lows.
5
Intel Core i5-14600K
Not a bad value for CS2
Intel’s 13th and 14th Gen processors were plagued by horrible instability issues, but if you’re willing to roll the dice, the Core i5-14600K provides great value at its current price. You can find it for well below its original MSRP of $319, with sales dropping the price to as low as $220. If you don’t mind a processor that runs hot and one that may or may not degrade over time, the 14600K is a compelling option for pushing out competitive framerates in CS2. Benchmarks place the 1% lows well above the 240 FPS mark, with averages reaching well above 400 FPS.
Intel Core i5-14600K
The Intel Core i5-14600K is the outgoing hexacore Raptor Lake CPU, sporting 6 P-cores, 8 E-cores, and 20 threads, thanks to hyperthreading. It packs solid gaming and productivity performance for the price, and is still viable as a mid-range CPU, despite being a previous-gen CPU.
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4
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
The last-gen GOAT
Source: AMD
Considered to be the best gaming CPU on AMD’s AM4 platform, you really can’t go wrong with the 5800X3D. It is coming from an older platform that lacks compatibility with bleeding-edge standards like DDR5, but for CS2, this doesn’t affect performance to any significant degree. If you can pick one up second-hand or snipe one from a big-box store, you’ll be in great shape when rushing B. 1% lows are competitive, and will fall well above a high-refresh-rate display. The average FPS can be anywhere between 450-500, depending on the in-game scenario.
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
$290 $320 Save
$30
AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D is the company’s first gaming CPU with 3D V-Cache, which adds a ton of L3 cache for even better gaming performance. It’s on the older AM4 platform, but is still a potent gaming chip.
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3
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
A budget powerhouse
As we move into more current-gen CPUs, the Ryzen 5 9600X is well worth a mention. Its compelling price and performance while offering a wide-open upgrade path thanks to its AM5 construction make it an excellent gaming processor. For under $300, it’s hard, nigh impossible, to beat. In Counter-Strike 2, the 9600X packs a great punch, with 1% lows coming in at around 260 FPS. The average FPS comes in at well above 500, making it the best budget option for competitive CS2 players.
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
The 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a powerful processor with an efficient 65W TDP. This Zen 5 CPU has integrated graphics, DDR5 support, and a maximum boost of around 5.4GHz. It’s ideal for systems where the most computing power isn’t required, such as gaming rigs and general PC builds.
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2
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
The best from the Blue Team
On balance, the Core Ultra series is an all-around worse performer than AMD’s latest offerings in gaming workloads. It’s worth a mention simply because it’s Intel’s best current-gen processor on a brand-new platform. Besides having the potential for a diverse upgrade path, it’s not a great value for anyone who’s strictly gaming, but if you have money to burn, and you refuse to go to the Red Team, this is the best you can currently get. The 1% lows will hover around 260 FPS, with averages reaching as high as 510.
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
One of Intel’s more powerful Arrow Lake processors, the Core Ultra 9 285K has 24 cores and threads, DDR5 RAM support, lower power draw than previous generation chips, and impressive specs to keep up with AMD Ryzen.
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1
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
The current gaming king
As far as gaming workloads go, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D currently holds the performance crown, and it’s not even close. For CS2 specifically, it blows everything else out of the water, coming in with 1% lows of well above 350 FPS and averages of 650 or more. That is, if you can even get your hands on one. AMD has been pretty good at pushing out 9800X3D stock as fast as possible, but if you simply can’t wait, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is worth an honorable mention. Make no mistake though, if you want a no-compromises CS2 experience, look no further than the current king of the castle.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the first 9000 series CPU from AMD with its 3D V-Cache technology, offering plenty of cache for storing data on the chip rather than slower RAM. It’s an ideal pick for a high-end gaming PC with the latest and greatest from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia.
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It can only get better from here
If the historical performance numbers of CS:GO are anything to go by, FPS values in Counter-Strike 2 will only continue to rise, largely due to the strides AMD and Intel are taking in their pursuit of higher performance. Game optimizations won’t transform your experience entirely, so if you’re struggling for frames currently, it might be time to consider an upgrade to your rig.
