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Counter-Strike Global Offensive Benchmarked

CS reloaded. Over 10 years after the original, Global Offensive is a reboot of the successful multiplayer tactical shooter. Despite its age, the basic game idea is still very popular. The dusty Source Engine is both a curse and a blessing.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Artwork: Valve)

The Counter-Strike series spin-off will surely be discussed in great detail by its fan base. Is the visual update and the addition of a ton of features and game modes make Global Offensive the next step in evolution or is it just Valve trying to line their pockets? Certainly looks like we are talking about a rip-off as CS: GO costs 14 Euro (~$17) on Steam. This article focuses primarily on the technology and performance of different notebook graphics cards.

Description

Counter-Strike has conquered the hearts of so many gamers, not only because of its low hardware requirements, but also because of its team aspect and the tactical components. Thousands of players battle on the servers every day and some LAN parties are unthinkable without CS. Since the last part (CS: Source) has been out for a while, Valve saw that the time was right for a successor. Global Offensive is largely based on the same gaming principles and expands the multiplayer with a couple of new feature like the game modes ’Arms Race’ and ’Demolition’ (you automatically get a better weapon after a kill).

Many textures look blurred up close.
Many textures look blurred up close.
The weapons course is advisable for beginners.
The weapons course is advisable for beginners.
Counter-Strike was never popular among youth advocacy.
Counter-Strike was never popular among the youth.

In order not to fall easily in the heated online battles, beginners should first complete the ’Training camp’. The weapons handling, grenade use, and bomb placement are explained here. The ‘Single Player’ mode is right for those who want to try what they've learned. Global Offensive offers playing against bots whose level of difficulty can be adjusted in several steps. Those who feel ready to face a human player after the dry runs can enter a ’real’ server through the intuitive menus.

Planting a bomb still is one the key elements of the game.
Planting a bomb is still one the key elements of the game.
Global Offensive offers a lot of guns.
Global Offensive offers a lot of guns.
We are already familiar with a similar time course in Call of Duty.
We are already familiar with a similar time course in Call of Duty.

Benchmark

Benchmark route
The route for the benchmark

We had numerous reasons against an online benchmark. Since the threat of virtual death hangs on every second, the choice of an appropriate sequence would be quite hard and we did not want to ruin the round for other players. Due to the typical multi-player problems (lag influences the subjective game quality), we therefore preferred an offline skirmish with bots. At ’Harmless’ level, the AI hardy fights back.

The old mas shine in a new light.
The old maps shine in a new light.
There are many cover possibilities.
There are many possibilities for finding cover.
Money is the reward for success.
Money is the reward for success.

We tested one of the most played maps ’Dust II’. We begin the round as terrorists and more or less circle once around bomb sites A and B (see the screenshot and the video). The entire sequence takes about a minute and is recorded with the help of Fraps. During the run we wanted to ensure high comparability. Because of the less demanding technology, some fluctuations are inevitable.

Settings

Graphics options
Graphics options

The graphics options are typical for a PC game. In the video options one finds basic parameters such as resolution, aspect ratio, brightness and the size of the HUD (Head Up Display). The real thing is under the tab ’Advanced’. Not every title out there offers more than 10 different settings. Some options can ’only’ be turned on or off (Multicore-Rendering, FXAA, VSync & Motion Blur), while others can be adjusted at steps Very Low, Low, Medium, High and Very High. Among these are the shadow quality, the model, texture, effects and shader details as well as the ominous ’Paged Pool Memory’. The MSAA anti-aliasing reaches 8x and the anisotropic filtering about 16x which is something exemplary.

Ultra
Ultra
High
High
Medium
Medium
Low
Low

From a technical point of view, Global Offensive is unfortunately not outstanding. Despite the various improvements, the Source Engine seems rather outdated. In terms of polygon count and texture sharpness, the tactical shooter cannot compete with other FPSs like Max Payne 3Battlefield 3 and Crysis 2. Upon closer inspection, most wallpaper objects seem vague.

Ultra
Ultra
High
High
Medium
Medium
Low
Low

In comparison to CS: Source, this version is certainly an evident progress. Especially when it comes to atmosphere, Global Offensive takes a step forward. Thanks to the rich decorative objects, the levels now seem less dull. The successful lights and shadows help the ’Look and Feel’. Typical of Valve, there is attention for consistency of the look of the game. For next year though, we wish for a modern engine.

Ultra
Ultra
High
High
Medium
Medium
Low
Low

Results

The moderate hardware requirement is one of the strong points of CS: GO. Even with Intel's older HD Graphics 3000, multiplayer mode is possible depending on the resolution at lower or normal settings. Midrange GPUs such as the GeForce GT 630M manage higher details and 2x anti-aliasing without problems. For 1920x1080 pixels, 4x anti-aliasing and maximum details (incl. FXAA), you do not need a high-end GPU at all. These settings are possible with the GeForce GT 640M. For the latest enthusiast-level GPUs like the Radeon HD 7970M  and the GeForce GTX 680M, Counter Strike does not seem to pose a challenge.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive Benchmark

Verdict

Valve seems to have optimized the technical framework perfectly. Global Offensive may not be visually exciting, but it scores points with its surprisingly low hardware requirements which come in handy mainly for weaker systems. The low price of 14 Euro is extremely fair and deserves some praise. 

Some maps are really idyllic.
Some maps are in idyllic settings.
The game has a great atmosphere.
The game has a great atmosphere.
Some level objects can be destroyed.
Some level objects can be destroyed.

Test Systems

Most of the devices come from Schenker Notebooks (mysn.de):

  • XMG P502 (Core i7-3610QM, GeForce GTX 660M, GTX 670M, GTX 675M, GTX 680M & Radeon HD 7970M, 8 GB RAM)
  • XMG A502 (Core i5-3360M, GeForce GT 650M & HD Graphics 4000, 8 GB RAM)
  • Xesia M501 (Core i7-2630QM, GeForce GT 630M & HD Graphics 3000, 8 GB RAM) 

The drivers used were versions: 304.79 Beta (Nvidia), 8.951.6.0 (AMD) and 8.15.10.2761 (Intel).

The Guild Wars 2 benchmark is planned for the end of August.

From left to right: Schenker XMG A502, Xesia M501 & XMG P502
From left to right: Schenker XMG A502, Xesia M501 & XMG P502

Overview

The chart below contains all previous benchmarks and will be expanded in the future.

Show Restrictions
PosModel< PrevNext >Counter-Strike: GO
 Counter-Strike: GO (2012)
low
1024x768
(Very) Low
med.
1366x768
Medium
high
1366x768
High
4xAF 2x MSAA
ultra
1920x1080
(Very) High, FXAA
8xAF 4x MSAA
QHD
2560x1440
(Very) High, FXAA
16xAF 8x MSAA
4K
3820x2160
(Very) High, FXAA
16xAF 8x MSAA
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
516
314
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
270
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop)
272
AMD Radeon R9 Fury
268
158
109
AMD Radeon RX 480 (Desktop)
285
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
248.2
246.2
252.5
221.7
AMD Radeon RX 5500M
191
137
76.3
AMD Radeon Pro 5500M
208
118
71.4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
200.8
182.6
162.1
130
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
309.6
294.4
258.6
166.6
AMD Radeon R9 290X
280
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
230
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
124
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680
228
224
AMD Radeon HD 7970
251.1
233.8
212.6
212.2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (Desktop)
250
AMD Radeon R7 370
80.5
45
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
316
296.3
233.3
143.8
93.5
53.4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti
246.3
220.8
198.9
191.6
PosModel< PrevNext >Counter-Strike: GO
low med. high ultra QHD 4K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M
261.2
243.4
227
190.7n2
AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
209.3
188.2
162
121.7
AMD Radeon HD 8970M
261.3
238.3
219.7
148.1n2
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M
230.8
194.7
169.3
128
AMD Radeon HD 7970M
228.8
200.1
178
121.45n2
AMD Radeon Pro 560X
86n2
57n2
30.25n2
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
268.2
167.2
155.6
95.9
NVIDIA GeForce MX350
252
228.4
204.9
120.1
AMD Radeon Pro 455
145
NVIDIA GeForce MX150
87n2
55
30.3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M
261.8
244.2
224.5
150.9
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX
220.6
193.3
131
AMD Radeon 540X
159.4
142.4
94.1
55.1
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M
98.9
AMD Radeon R9 M280X
66.7
AMD Radeon HD 6870
189
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M
267.2
243.85n2
182.5n2
106.9n3
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
154.7
111.2
71.5
39.2
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
121.2
93.1
65.2
41.8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M
208.3
167.9
153.8
102
PosModel< PrevNext >Counter-Strike: GO
low med. high ultra QHD 4K
AMD Radeon HD 7770
249.9
230.4
199
128.2
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI
246.9
218.7
199.7
138.7
AMD Radeon R9 M370X
265
218
159.3
103.4
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX
244.4
222.9
164.4
95.7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M
230
171
98
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M
225.4
180.3
140.2
90.5
AMD Radeon HD 8870M
183.2
138.4
116.3
87.2
Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs
86.6
71.6
50.6
25.2
NVIDIA GeForce MX230
178.1
127.1
90.7
64.9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
212
135
78.8
47.5
21.3
Apple M1 7-Core GPU
109
69
44.4
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
166.3
125
86.9
57.9
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M
226.5
189.7
142.2
88.5
AMD Radeon HD 8850M
101.9
78.1
AMD Radeon HD 8790M
149
116
73
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
237.3
140.6n2
92.15n2
56.7n2
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
182
156.8
107.2
57.9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
120.7
95.8
67.3
41.9
NVIDIA GeForce 940M
168.1
141.1
112.6
68.1
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU)
134.4
96.6
68.9
37.1
PosModel< PrevNext >Counter-Strike: GO
low med. high ultra QHD 4K
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655
93.7
49.6
12.4
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
161.3
136.8
111.9
72.3
NVIDIA GeForce 840M
79.6
45.5
NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
176.4
124.9
59.8
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200
240.4
181.3
88.4
51.9
NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M
89.2n3
76.7n3
70.2n3
54.1n3
Intel Iris Graphics 550
205.4
172.5
94.15n2
54.45n2
28.4
AMD Radeon 530
145.2
119.8
64.9
35.5
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000)
188.7
150.3
98.5
55.7n2
NVIDIA GeForce MX110
161.4
124.3
84.2
44.9
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
109
86
NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M
149.7
113.25n2
77.25n2
32
NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M
157
128
92
52
NVIDIA GeForce GT 645M
204.7
158.3
103.8
58.2
AMD Radeon HD 8750M
135
100.6
82.3
53.5
NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
129
99
84
49
AMD Radeon R7 (Carrizo)
57.1
42.9
38
23.6
AMD Radeon R7 M360
88.9
87.3
65.8
43.8
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
93.2
91
67.9
31.8
AMD Radeon RX Vega 5
162.7
127.2
84.8
50.2
PosModel< PrevNext >Counter-Strike: GO
low med. high ultra QHD 4K
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
115.3
86.3
54.5
29.8
Intel UHD Graphics 630
146.8
102.4
54.1
28.6
Intel UHD Graphics 620
90
62.1
37.1
Intel HD Graphics 620
166.3
112.8
70.5
42.7
AMD Radeon R6 (Carrizo)
74.7
64
50.2
31.3
AMD Radeon HD 8730M
142.4
105.2
83.4
48.8
NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M
166.9
117.2
81.6
35.9
AMD Radeon HD 7660D
54
AMD Radeon HD 8650G
46.8
42.2
36
42
AMD Radeon HD 7670M
139.65n2
96.9n2
75n2
45.75n2
NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M
139.2n3
97.9n3
65.6n3
35.4n3
AMD Radeon HD 7560D
79
45
AMD Radeon R5 M335
108.7
68.1
48.3
26.4
AMD Radeon R5 M330
125
73.3
50.3
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3
100
69.2
33.9
23.1
NVIDIA GeForce 910M
39.1
36.3
34.2
29.7
NVIDIA GeForce 820M
135
105.8
78.7
Intel HD Graphics 520
115.1n3
76.9n3
56.4n3
29.9n3
Intel Iris Graphics 6100
112.5
81.2
63
32.8
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M
107.2
88.2
56.8
PosModel< PrevNext >Counter-Strike: GO
low med. high ultra QHD 4K
AMD Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge)
39.2
28.5
25
AMD Radeon HD 8550M
38.7
33.6
29.4
Intel Iris Graphics 5100
144.9
80.1
51.7
30.8
Intel HD Graphics 4600
186.9
99.2
52.25n2
27.15n2
Intel HD Graphics 5500
71n3
51.3n3
36.2n3
19.7n3
Intel UHD Graphics 615
100.2
61.4
36
Intel HD Graphics 615
99.9
57.3
39.5
21.9
AMD Radeon HD 7660G
58
39
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650
101.6
87
70.1
39.1
AMD Radeon HD 8550G
39
AMD Radeon HD 7610M
176
99
70
38
Intel HD Graphics 515
76.7
57.3
35.1
20.2
Intel UHD Graphics 610
57.9
42.1
Intel HD Graphics 610
94.2
70.4
42.8
Intel HD Graphics 4400
90n3
56n3
41n3
AMD Radeon HD 7550M
133.3
75
56.9
AMD Radeon HD 7600G
48
31.8
24.8
Intel UHD Graphics (Jasper Lake 16 EU)
57.6
48.1
17.8
Intel UHD Graphics 605
46.4n2
26.95n2
16.75n2
Intel HD Graphics 505
35.85n2
30.95n2
21.2
PosModel< PrevNext >Counter-Strike: GO
low med. high ultra QHD 4K
Intel HD Graphics 5300
62n3
49.7n3
25.1n3
19.8n3
AMD Radeon HD 7480D
82
73
50
27.1
Intel HD Graphics 4000
78.15n6
46.8n6
26.7n6
20.9n3
AMD Radeon R4 (Stoney Ridge)
29.7
21.9
17.8
AMD Radeon R5 (Beema/Carrizo-L)
35.4
35.3
27.6
AMD Radeon R4 (Beema)
48.3
42.2
30.6
21.5
AMD Radeon R4 (Kaveri)
27.9
19.8
16.7
13.2
AMD Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema)
52.8
40.8
28.5
AMD Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge)
26.9
21.7
20
Intel HD Graphics (Broadwell)
43.7
31.5
23.9
Intel HD Graphics 4200
70.7
35.5
18.9
12.5
AMD Radeon HD 6450 GDDR5
134.3
81.2
54.1
29.4
AMD Radeon HD 8450G
45
33.5
26.4
33
AMD Radeon HD 8400
60
47
33.7
19.3
NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX
75
68
38
AMD Radeon HD 7520G
61.4
44.4
37.1
AMD Radeon HD 8330
43.25n2
35.25n2
26.8
Intel UHD Graphics 600
27.4n3
Intel HD Graphics 500
15.3n2
14
Intel HD Graphics 405 (Braswell)
42.6
32
20.4
PosModel< PrevNext >Counter-Strike: GO
low med. high ultra QHD 4K
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell)
12.2
11.5
10.4
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell)
10.5
AMD Radeon HD 7420G
52
39
31
Intel HD Graphics (Haswell)
46.2
34.7
22.5
AMD Radeon R2 (Mullins/Beema/Carrizo-L)
43.6
34.5
AMD Radeon HD 8240
21.1
19.2
AMD Radeon HD 8250
17.4
14.3
11.9
Intel HD Graphics (Cherry Trail)
21.6n3
18.6n3
20.3
11.4
Intel HD Graphics 3000
60.6n2
37.4n2
16.65n2
10.6
NVIDIA GeForce G210M
63
43
29
14
AMD Radeon HD 8210
19.3
Intel HD Graphics 2500
79.5n2
37.5n2
19.3n2
11.7
Intel HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge)
37
20
11
Intel HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)
60
30.3
18.8
9.7
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail)
36.35n2
21.95n2
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD
16.2
9
6.8
(-) * Smaller values are better. / n123 Number of benchmarks for this median value / * Approximate position

 

Legend
5Stutters – This game is very likely to stutter and have poor frame rates. Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, average frame rates are expected to fall below 25fps
May Stutter – This graphics card has not been explicitly tested on this game. Based on interpolated information from surrounding graphics cards of similar performance levels, stutters and poor frame rates are expected.
30Fluent – Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, this game should run at or above 25fps
40Fluent – Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, this game should run at or above 35fps
60Fluent – Based on all known benchmarks using the specified graphical settings, this game should run at or above 58fps
May Run Fluently – This graphics card has not been explicitly tested on this game. Based on interpolated information from surrounding graphics cards of similar performance levels, fluent frame rates are expected.
?Uncertain – This graphics card experienced unexpected performance issues during testing for this game. A slower card may be able to achieve better and more consistent frame rates than this particular GPU running the same benchmark scene.
Uncertain – This graphics card has not been explicitly tested on this game and no reliable interpolation can be made based on the performances of surrounding cards of the same class or family.
The value in the fields displays the average frame rate of all values in the database. Move your cursor over the value to see individual results.
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Florian Glaser, 2012-08-31 (Update: 2021-05-18)