Not all computers are created equal. You know this to be the case if you’ve ever tried to game on a subpar PC, and in the case of Counter-Strike 2, processing power is king. You could “brute force” good performance by sorting your desired online retailer by highest price and shelling out thousands for bleeding-edge components, but this is a scattershot approach. Why are some processors, like the X3D-series from AMD, especially adept at running CS2, while others in a similar price point struggle mightily?
In this blog post, we’ll discuss why processor cache should be a primary consideration of your next PC build, and why processors with a plethora of high-speed cache perform well under CS2’s load.
More cache, hold the “de_”
First, we need a little background on what processor cache actually is.
Your processor is performing a high number of calculations every second, and while it’s performing these calculations, it needs somewhere to store data for very rapid access. CPU cache is a small area on your CPU that’s used as lightning fast memory. Every time your CPU has to fetch data, there’s a time cost associated, so modern processors have a small amount of built-in memory to reduce delays in retrieving frequently used instructions or data. The purpose of CPU cache is to reduce the amount of times your processor has to fetch data from your RAM, a memory pool that is much slower than cache.
There are three main types of CPU cache, or levels, as they’re referred to. L1, or Level 1 cache is reserved only for the most frequently used instructions, and it’s the smallest in size, usually under 100 kilobytes. L2 cache is similar, but a little larger and is given to less commonly used instructions. L3 cache is the largest in size and is shared between all the processing cores. L3 cache is the kind we, as gamers, care a lot about.
CPU-bound games like Counter-Strike 2 love L3 cache and will utilize it in a way that most other workflows simply can’t.
Why does CPU cache matter for CS2?
Modern games don’t often take full advantage of the hardware in your system because of the way they’re optimized, and CS2 is no exception. CS2 thrives on fast CPU cache because of the way the game engine has been built, and how the game relies on the CPU for a lot of very quick, small calculations. More cores and cranking clock speeds won’t necessarily help, but having a lot of cache on the CPU means less time spent fetching data from RAM, which means higher FPS values for you.
Which CPUs are best for CS2?
When chasing high frame rates, processors with high amounts of L3 cache are what you want. In early 2022, AMD released the 5800X3D, their first chip in the X3D lineup. The processor features 96MB of cache on its own dedicated part of the CPU, which they’re calling V-Cache. To give perspective, the bog standard 5800X has 32MB of L3 cache. A 64MB increase might not sound like a lot, but for games it can net a huge performance boost. This increase in cache doesn’t come without a cost, though. Workstation application workloads take a bit of a performance hit, because with higher cache comes slightly lower overall clock speeds.
This makes little difference to the average CS2 player, however. X3D chips have been rapidly adopted by competitive CS2 players, with the most popular option being the 7800X3D. The recently released 9800X3D has brought even further performance improvements, quickly becoming the unanimously crowned king of gaming CPUs.
Intel has also increased L3 cache across the board in their processors, but hasn’t gone as far to make a gaming-focused chip like AMD. Modern 13th and 14th Gen Intel i7 processors were a good choice for higher frame rates at first glance, but the degradation and instability issues that plagued them throughout 2024 have made them a dubious choice for builders. While Intel’s new Core Ultra offerings have been significantly more stable, they’ve still been a cut below AMD’s offerings in both performance and efficiency.
Higher FPS is a competitive advantage
Having a high average FPS as well as maximizing the 1% lows gives you a tangible advantage over someone who might be struggling to match their monitor’s refresh rate, for example. However, this means nothing if you don’t put in the time to practice.
Refrag can’t improve your FPS, but it can certainly improve your CS2 skills. Make sure that new hardware doesn’t go to waste by maximizing your competitive potential.
