I'm considering an upgrade for my PC to improve my FPS in Counter-Strike 2. I currently have an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and an RTX 3070, and I play competitively on a 180Hz monitor with a resolution of 1280x960. I'm happy with my current settings since I can fully utilize my monitor, but I'd like to boost my performance a bit more and play at higher resolutions like 1680x1050 or 1920x1080. I'm leaning towards upgrading my GPU to a 9070XT since prices are likely to rise, but I'm aware that a CPU upgrade to the 5700X3D would give a bigger performance boost. However, I can't bring myself to buy an old CPU for the same price as a brand new 7800X3D. My main question is whether moving from a 3070 to a 9070XT would increase my FPS by 20-30% at lower resolutions, or would my 5700X bottleneck the performance in CS2?
4 Answers
You might want to check your GPU usage through an overlay like Steam’s. Upgrading to a 5700X3D would definitely boost your FPS, but that’s a bit pricier and tougher to find sometimes.
You should check out some optimization guides for CS2. With your setup, playing at 1280x960 should be giving you over 300 FPS, and around 200-250 at 1080p. If you want a different experience, try 1440x1080 for stretched resolution; it can give better visuals while keeping your FPS up. If you're still looking to upgrade, keep in mind that CS2 is more CPU intensive, so a CPU change will have a larger impact. But if you’re also interested in other AAA games at higher resolutions, a GPU upgrade might be the way to go since it's crucial for those games.
I get where you're coming from! I've optimized every setting I can think of too. My motherboard limits my CPU usage, making it hard to get the most out of CS2. In terms of resolution, I enjoy 1440x1080 for better visuals too, but I can't maintain a solid FPS either. I'm totally with you on needing a boost!
I totally understand the frustrations. If you aren’t playing many other games right now, upgrading your GPU is a solid move for better performance in the future too.
Switching from a 5700X to 5700X3D is more of a side grade than an upgrade. What's your motherboard model? Some B450 boards can support PBO with the right BIOS updates.
I'm on an ASUS TUF Gaming A520M Plus 2. Google says it should support PBO, but I can't find it in the BIOS even after updating it.
If you’re playing at max settings, you probably need both upgrades. If you're on lower settings, then a better CPU will likely suffice.
Right now I’m playing on 1280x960 to keep my FPS above 200, but I want to move up to 1920x1080. 2K or 4K isn't in the cards for me.
I’ll check the GPU usage later! I know the X3D would give a better FPS, but finding one used is tricky and a bit far away to buy safely.