Computer for CS: GO

In 2012, Valve introduced the world to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the latest in the CS series. The game started its journey back in dusty computer clubs in 2007. Then contra was just a modification of the famous Half-Life. It quickly ousted its rival Quake and became the main esports discipline among shooters at the time.

After the release of CS: GO, developers began to actively promote it in the world of esports. The first big tournament was DreamHack Winter 2013, where $250 was played. The huge crowd attracted 16 teams from around the world to the championship. A year earlier, the prize pool was only $45. Before that, the championship was held in Counter-Strike 000.

Where does this popularity come from?

Nothing has changed in the game when switching to the modern version. It remains as simple as Frrigother It can be compared to Counter-Strike: Source, but the graphics have been improved and the balance has changed.

The so-called "entry threshold" remained low - the amount of skills and knowledge without which it is impossible to play. For example, if you want to learn how to play Dota 2 at least at the initial level, you will have to spend a couple of years. In StarCraft 2 - a year, World of Tanks will be understandable in a few months. To learn how to play at an initial level in CS, you just need to understand how to aim the mouse at the enemy and shoot.

CS: GO system requirements

Valve games are always a very well optimized product. Esports should be accessible to everyone. Therefore, CS: GO can be run even on a calculator with a fixed resolution of 30 FPS and HD. However, this is not enough for a comfortable game.

 

For comfortable play

In CS:GO, it is important to react quickly to what is happening around you. You need at least 60 FPS for the computer to show you in time a flying grenade that appears from around the corner of the enemy.

Stability is also important. Many effects are played on the map during active actions. The graphics card is heavier. For example, the simultaneous explosion of two grenades and the firing of a machine gun can cause you to see a film strip.

There are two main card manufacturers competing in the market: NVIDIA and ATI Radeon. They are not the most stable, the range between the minimum and maximum frame rate is slightly higher than the competition. That's why esports players use NVIDIA for training and tournaments.

For training

If you are serious about this game and expect to play on the pro scene, you need to achieve 120 FPS or higher. All major league teams play with this configuration. This requires a dedicated monitor that will support the high frequency (Hz) and a powerful graphics card to support it.

How to choose a graphics card for CS: GO?

Comfortable FPS depends directly on the resolution of the monitor you want to play on. For shooters, it is better to use UltraHD (4K) or QuatroHD (2K) screens. On them, you can see the enemy in a sniper at a great distance.

The graphics card also depends on the screen selection. The table shows the average FPS on different graphics cards from NVIDIA.

How much graphics memory do you need?

This game requires very few resources. The maximum memory size at high graphics settings is as follows:

• UHD - 2 GB
• QHD – 2GB
• FHD - 1,5GB
• HD - 1 GB

Frames per second	1920×1080 (Full HD)	3840×2160 (UltraHD)
1080 GTX Ti	300+	280
GTX 1080	300+	260
GTX 1070	300+	220
GTX 1060	200	160
1050 GTX Ti	150	95
GTX 1050	120	50

How to choose a processor for CS: GO?

The game is very CPU intensive. If you want to play with high graphics settings with FullHD + resolution, you need a powerful processor. The minimum option is Intel® Core ™ i5-8400. Such a processor has enough power so that frames do not drop even when recording video (at some points, gaming on the I7-7700k can load 79% across all 8 cores).

If you want to play at 60 FPS and not share your achievements on the Internet, you can safely take a machine with Intel® Core ™ i3-8100 or better.

How to choose RAM for CS: GO?

The old DDR3 memory has long since lost its meaning. Why build a new computer on an outdated platform? The choice of esports players - DDR4 with maximum frequency.

Interesting: the frequency of RAM determines the speed of writing and reading. Good RAM does not increase FPS, but increases its stability.

How much RAM do you need?

The game itself takes up to 6 GB at maximum graphics settings and UHD resolution. Therefore, the optimal amount of memory in the computer should be at least 8 GB. It makes no sense to put less into a modern gaming PC.

What is better for CS: GO: SSD or HDD?

The definitive answer is SSD. Such a disk writes and reads information faster. For long-term data storage, it is desirable to have a large hard disk in the computer. But games, system and programs are better recorded on SSD.

This way you speed up your computer and don't lose the necessary disk space.

What is the difference between SSD and HDD?

Dry numbers tell us that an SSD is orders of magnitude faster, but has less capacity and is more expensive. It is best to combine them.

HDD	SSD
Memory size	from 512Гб to 12Тб	from 64Гб to 4Тб
Speed ​​(Mbps)	160-210	550 (SATA3)
Power consumption (W)	≈8	≈3
Price (USD per GB)	≈0,07	≈0,18
Noise (dB)	20-30	ne

How much memory do you need?

If you are only a fan of CS: GO and will not play anything else, then a 120 GB SSD will be enough for you, a system with an average set of office programs and a few games will fit on it. For a small collection of games, 240 GB is enough. If you want to download half of Steam's products, it's worth buying a 500GB or larger SSD.

Can you build your own gaming PC?

A powerful computer requires good cooling. The more productive the processor and graphics card are, the more power they need. The entire load falls on the motherboard. It must be cooled, just like the other parts.

To build a computer you must be able to:

• select components for power and compatibility;
• set a sufficiently strong air flow;
• place the wires in the case so that they do not spoil the appearance and do not interfere with the movement of air;
• minimize noise during operation.

Computers built by amateurs are usually not very nice. But that's a matter of taste.

Gaming computers for CS: GO