Best gaming PC for Counter-Strike 2 (2026)
For Counter-Strike 2, we'd build the CREATE TRINITY at £2,453 (RTX 5060 Ti 16GB) for high-refresh 1080p, up to the CREATE ORACLE at £3,405 with RTX 5070 Ti 16GB for 4K with everything on. Prefer to build it yourself? The component tiers are further down, where RTX 5050 8GB is the sensible floor.
The PCs we'd actually build for Counter-Strike 2
These are real machines from Create PCs, the UK builder we run, ordered cheapest first, £2,453 to £3,405 depending on the resolution and frame rate you're targeting. Specifications and prices are live, and each link lands on that exact build.
CREATE TRINITY
Mid
- CPU
- Intel 14 Core Ultra 5 245K Unlocked Desktop CPU/Processor
- GPU
- Palit NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti INFINITY 3 16GB Blackwell Graphics Card
- RAM
- Corsair Vengeance Grey 32GB 6000MHz DDR5 Dual Profile Memory Kit
- Storage
- WD Black SN850X 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD PC/PS5
CREATE NR200P
Mid-high
- CPU
- Intel 20 Core Ultra 7 265 Desktop CPU/Processor
- GPU
- PALIT NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB GamingPro-S Blackwell Graphics Card
- RAM
- Corsair Vengeance Grey 32GB 6000MHz DDR5 Dual Profile Memory Kit
- Storage
- Sandisk Black SN850X 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD PC/PS5
CREATE ZION
Mid-high
- CPU
- Intel 14 Core Ultra 5 245K Unlocked Desktop CPU/Processor
- GPU
- ASUS ROG STRIX NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti OC Blackwell Graphics Card
- RAM
- Corsair Vengeance Grey 32GB 6000MHz DDR5 Dual Profile Memory Kit
- Storage
- Sandisk Black SN850X 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD PC/PS5
CREATE ORACLE
High-end
- CPU
- AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 8 Core AM5 Zen4 3D V-Cache PCIe 5.0 CPU/Processor
- GPU
- PALIT NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB GamingPro-S Blackwell Graphics Card
- RAM
- Corsair Vengeance Grey 32GB 6000MHz DDR5 Dual Profile Memory Kit
- Storage
- WD Black SN8100 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD / Solid State Drive
Prices from Create PCs, the UK builder we run, and include VAT. They're the price shown on arrival, not a teaser, but components get repriced, so treat them as current rather than fixed. Custom-built machines start around £2,400; below that a self-build is usually the better answer, and we say so on our budget guides.
What to expect at each resolution
- 1080p Ultra
- 300+ FPS
- RTX 5060 Ti or RX 9070
- 1440p Ultra
- 240+ FPS
- RTX 5070 Ti or RX 9070 XT
- 4K Ultra
- 144+ FPS
- RTX 5080 or RTX 5090
Building it yourself: the four tiers for Counter-Strike 2
Custom-built machines start around £2,400. Below that, a self-build is the better answer, so here are the component tiers we'd put together at each level, no assembly service, but far more performance per pound.
Budget
1080p · 240fps
- CPU
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600
- GPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 8GB
- RAM
- 16 GB
- Storage
- 1TB NVMe SSD
CS2 is the most-tested esports title on the planet, and the budget tier still pushes 240fps at 1080p on competitive settings. The Ryzen 7600's single-thread performance matters more than the GPU here.
Build this at Create PCs →Mid-tier
1080p · 360fps
- CPU
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- GPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB
- RAM
- 32 GB
- Storage
- 1TB NVMe SSD
For high-refresh 1080p competitive play. The 9800X3D is the meaningful upgrade. CS2 is CPU-bound at high refresh rates and the X3D cache adds 20%+ in 1% lows. Pair with a 360Hz monitor.
Build this at Create PCs →High-end
1440p · 240fps
- CPU
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- GPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB
- RAM
- 32 GB
- Storage
- 2TB NVMe SSD
1440p competitive at 240Hz with smoke and grenade visuals untouched. The high tier is more about input-to-display latency than raw framerate, pair this with a fast 1440p OLED for the best result.
Build this at Create PCs →Enthusiast
1440p · 540fps
- CPU
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- GPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB
- RAM
- 32 GB
- Storage
- 2TB NVMe SSD
Pro-level: 1440p at the limits of 540Hz monitors. CS2 doesn't need the 5090, there's no GPU work left to do. Save the difference and buy a 540Hz panel.
Build this at Create PCs →What Counter-Strike 2 actually demands from your PC
Counter-Strike 2 isn't sold on Steam, so there's no Steam-published requirements table to quote. The picks above are based on real-world performance and comparison with similar titles rather than a publisher spec sheet.
GPU-bound title: Framerate scales directly with GPU power. If you have a fixed budget, prioritise the graphics card and accept a mid-range CPU.
What you can skip vs what matters
- Worth spending on: GPU first, then a fast NVMe SSD (most modern games benefit from sub-3000MB/s sustained reads), then RAM at the tier amount.
- Worth skipping at this budget: RGB lighting, exotic cooling, brand-name PSUs above 850W (unless you're building enthusiast tier), and motherboards with more than 4 M.2 slots.
- Don't compromise on: The PSU. A reliable 750W gold-rated unit will outlast two GPU upgrades.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the minimum gaming PC for Counter-Strike 2?
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600 paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 8GB and 16GB of RAM hits 1080p/60 on high settings.
- Is Counter-Strike 2 CPU-heavy or GPU-heavy?
- Counter-Strike 2 is primarily GPU-bound. Prioritise the graphics card; a mid-range CPU like the Ryzen 5 7600 will keep up at 1080p/60.
- Do I need ray tracing for Counter-Strike 2?
- Counter-Strike 2 does not require ray tracing. Any current-generation GPU will deliver the intended visual experience.
- How much RAM do I need?
- For Counter-Strike 2, 32GB is the sensible answer in 2026. 16GB still works for the budget tier but limits future-proofing.