Introduction
CS2 marks the dawn of a new Counter-Strike era, and the game looks newer and fresher than ever. With the switch to the newer Source 2 engine, Counter-Strike 2 is harder to run than its predecessor so if you want to get yourself a new PC for CS2 you’ll have to upgrade some components if your system was barely coping during the CS:GO era.
Of course, skills play a pivotal role in your success and if you’ve been playing CS for some time, you’d probably have developed the right skill sets to help you reach the top charts, but most modern games that are built on newer engines are power-hungry and that is the case with CS2 as well.
Although CS isn’t extremely heavy to run, you will still need to have a decent PC to compete against players who are aiming for uncapped frame rates on 240Hz or even 360Hz displays (see: 60Hz vs 144Hz vs 240Hz for more info) and those are the norm in gaming circles, so you’ll be left in the dust if you can’t keep up.
Today’s round-up focuses on the best PC for CS2 that you can currently get your hands on. We will be offering a complete guide on each component of your dream build. For those who are afraid to get their hands dirty and just want to order a system that’s ready for competing we’ll also list some great prebuilt PCs for CS2.
CS2 System Requirements
| Minimum Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows® 10 |
| Processor | 4 hardware CPU threads – Intel® Core™ i5 750 or higher |
| GPU | Video card must be 1 GB or more and should be a DirectX 11-compatible with support for Shader Model 5.0 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Storage | 85 GB available space |
Counter-Strike 2 can easily run on any PC from the last decade as long as you have a GPU with at least 1GB of VRAM alongside 8GB of RAM. However, that’s the bare minimum that you’ll need for 60FPS on 720p displays. For higher resolutions and in order to reach the framerates that are required to compete against players who will be playing on beastly PCs, you will need a much better PC.
Investing in a decent gaming rig could give you the edge in competitive scenarios, so if you’re even a bit serious about the game we would recommend investing in a proper setup.
The Guide
The CS2 PC guide will consist of three system builds at different price points. The first one will be focused on getting the most FPS in CS2 4K, making it the top-tier system. This doesn’t mean that it’s only for people who are on 4K monitors, but the top system houses today’s best components and focuses on performance over everything else. Budget is not a concern with this PC.
The second PC is a system build that strikes the perfect balance between price and performance and would do well at 1080p and 1440p. Lastly, we’ve also included a budget PC for CS2 that’ll get you reliable performances at 1080p with lower settings.
We’ve also included pre-built gaming PC options for those who are not too interested in building a PC from scratch and want something that’s already assembled with just the right specifications.
Top Tier System
The top-tier system is focused on maximizing the framerates and overall performance of the system. This makes it ideal for 4K resolutions, but also for gamers who have the money to spend on a top tier setup.
Starting with the processor, we decided to go with our friends at Intel and choose their front-runner processor, the Intel Core i9-13900K, one of the fastest CPUs on the planet. Coupled with the RTX 4090, you won’t have any problem getting the desired frame rates. Similarly, we’ve included 32GB of DDR5 memory, a Gen4 SSD, and a few other top-of-the-line components for our top-tier build.
Of course, you can save up a bit by choosing a less expensive GPU and going with 16GB of DDR5 memory, but if you’re after top performances and you want to get yourself a rocketship of a PC for CS2 that will have no issues at all with AAA single player games at maximum settings, this is it. If you’re going to be gaming at 1080p and ‘lower’ (think 240Hz and 144Hz) framerates then this PC is without a doubt overkill, so if you’re a budget-minded individual you’ll want to drop down a tier.
Performance System
The performance system is for those looking to get the most out of their system at 1440p or 1080p. For our performance build, we’ll go with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X coupled with RTX 4070Ti. This build strikes the perfect balance between price and performance, making it ideal for those who don’t want an overkill PC for a game like CS2 that isn’t as demanding as some other AAA installments.
In terms of memory, we went with 32GB RAM to future-proof the build, coupled with a 1TB Samsung M.2 SSD. If you’re short on money you can always go for 16GB DDR4 RAM. For cooling options, you can either use the stock cooler or use something like the Noctua brown CPU cooler that offers superb cooling with little to no noise.
Budget System
Since CS2 will run on a decade-old PC, you won’t have to work hard on a budget build and can go with absolutely anything that adheres to your budget. Of course, with a budget build, we’ll be looking to get the most out of this system at 720p or 1080p resolution. Anything above and you won’t have a satisfying experience with this build.
At the core of this PC, you’ll find a Ryzen CPU, 8 gigs of memory alongside an entry-level graphics card. For a budget build, this should offer more than enough to offer a playable experience in CS2 without breaking a sweat at 1080p and (if necessary) lower settings.
This is a great PC to get if you’re someone who is solely focused on CS2 and you don’t really care about maximizing the flashiest single player games.
Prebuilt PCs for CS2
If you would rather purchase a prebuilt PC, you obviously can. Building your own PC is cheaper, but there’s nothing wrong with buying a prebuilt, so we’ve listed three alternatives for our three PC builds.
iBUYPOWER Gaming PC
The iBUYPOWER Gaming PC is our first choice if you’re after a top-notch system that handles CS2 well on 1440p and 4k setups. This beast comes laden with a long list of high-end components that makes it one of the finest machines on the market.
At the core of this PC, you’ll find an Intel i9-13900KF processor coupled with RTX 4080 alongside a whooping 32GB of DDR5 memory. Safe to say that with such a build, you can expect to hit 150+ FPS even on maxed-out settings at 4K in CS2. All lower resolutions will be handled with ease.
YEYIAN Gaming PC Yari II
Don’t want to break the bank on your new PC? The Yeyian Gaming PC Yari II combines performance and affordability. With a price tag of around a thousand bucks, you can take home a combination of an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X alongside an RTX 3060Ti. This combination is quite capable of handling everything you throw at it.
For 1080p and 1440p at medium to high settings, this PC should easily provide 150+ FPS in CS2. Moving on, this prebuilt PC also boasts a 1TB NVMe SSD alongside 16GB of DDR5 RAM with a blazing fast speed of 5600MHz.
All-in-all, this is a pretty good all-rounded option for anyone who wants to buy a prebuilt PC for CS2.
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme VR
After something that’ll cost you less than $1000? The CyberpowerPC Gamer Extreme VR that boasts a combination of an Intel Core i5-12400F and GeForce RTX 3050 will do the job for you. On 1080p, this PC can handle its own and churn good FPS on high settings in CS2.
Aside from the formidable CPU/GPU duo, the PC also comes laden with 16GB of RAM, 500GB SSD, and a pretty-looking transparent chassis with all the bells and whistles. Overall, a pretty good choice if you don’t want to break the bank and are focused mostly on CS2 when gaming.
Best PC for CS2 – Conclusion
CS2 is just as competitive as its predecessor, and having the proper gear will surely give you an edge over your opponents. Fortunately, Valve has made sure to keep the system requirements quite acceptable so even if you have an old outdated PC, changing just a couple components will do the job for you.
