Valorant

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B370 sits at rank 3411 out of 3708 tested combos in the database for Valorant. That places it in the lower portion of the ranking table, around the 92nd percentile from the bottom. The ranking reflects the Arc B370's modest 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, which puts the GPU at the 5th percentile among all tested GPUs. The CPU, by contrast, is a much stronger component: the i3-12100F holds the 68th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13494. This mismatch between a mid-pack processor and a low-tier graphics solution defines the combo's overall standing.

In practical terms, the combo rank means that most other CPU-GPU pairings in the database produce higher average frame rates in Valorant. However, the ranking alone does not tell the full story. Valorant is a lightweight competitive shooter, and even a GPU at the 5th percentile can deliver playable frame rates when paired with a capable processor. The measured data confirms this: the combo clears the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution and preset tested. The rank of 3411 therefore understates the playability of this specific combination for this specific game.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear pattern across resolutions and presets: the CPU is doing the heavy lifting, and the GPU becomes a bottleneck only at the highest settings. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo reaches 299 FPS average. Dropping to 1440p Low reduces that to 255 FPS, and 4K Low yields 204 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is a 31.8% reduction in average frame rate. This relatively modest drop indicates that the CPU is still able to feed the GPU efficiently even as pixel count quadruples.

At Ultra settings, the picture changes. The 1080p Ultra average is 178 FPS, 1440p Ultra is 152 FPS, and 4K Ultra is 122 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is a 31.5% reduction, nearly identical to the Low setting scaling. This suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at Ultra presets, while the CPU remains the dominant component at lower settings. The i3-12100F's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1932, is well suited to Valorant's CPU-bound nature. The Arc B370's 1280 shading units and 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are enough to keep up at lower presets but become the constraint as graphical load increases.

The delta between Low and Ultra at each resolution is telling. At 1080p, Low to Ultra costs 121 FPS (299 down to 178). At 1440p, the same settings change costs 103 FPS (255 down to 152). At 4K, it costs 82 FPS (204 down to 122). The shrinking delta at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is increasingly the bottleneck: raising resolution taxes the GPU more than raising settings does, but the CPU headroom at low settings allows the GPU to stretch its legs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 299 FPS, which is the single fastest result in the entire measurement set. Medium settings average 197 FPS with a minimum of 167 FPS and a maximum of 226 FPS. High settings average 187 FPS, and Ultra settings average 178 FPS. All four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin, with even the most demanding preset (Ultra) running at nearly three times the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected resolution penalty. Low settings average 255 FPS, a 14.7% drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 168 FPS with a minimum of 143 FPS and a maximum of 193 FPS. High settings average 160 FPS, and Ultra settings average 152 FPS. The minimum recorded frame rate at 1440p Medium, 143 FPS, still sits well above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating consistent performance without severe dips.

At 3840x2160, the combo remains playable across all presets. Low settings average 204 FPS. Medium settings average 134 FPS with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 154 FPS. High settings average 128 FPS, and Ultra settings average 122 FPS. Even at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is more than double the playability threshold. The minimum recorded value across the entire dataset is 114 FPS at 4K Medium, which is still nearly double the 60 FPS minimum required for smooth gameplay. No measured preset at any resolution falls below the playable threshold.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Valorant at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 178 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the fastest preset measured at 1440p?

A: Low settings at 2560x1440 produce the highest average frame rate for that resolution, at 255 FPS.

Q: Is the Arc B370 strong enough for 4K gaming in Valorant?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 the combo averages 122 FPS on Ultra settings and 204 FPS on Low settings, so all presets clear the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 299 FPS at 1080p to 204 FPS at 4K, a 31.8% reduction. At Ultra settings, it drops from 178 FPS to 122 FPS, a 31.5% reduction.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The data indicates the CPU is the primary driver at lower presets, while the GPU becomes the limiting factor at Ultra settings, especially at higher resolutions. The i3-12100F ranks at the 68th percentile among CPUs, while the Arc B370 ranks at the 5th percentile among GPUs.

Q: Are there any settings where the combo drops below 60 FPS?

A: No. Across all three resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4K) and all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), the lowest recorded average is 122 FPS at 4K Ultra, and the lowest recorded minimum is 114 FPS at 4K Medium.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. The nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13492 (a 0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 with a score of 13452 (0.3% slower), the Intel Core 5 120UL with a score of 13594 (0.7% faster), and the Intel Core i7-1250U with a score of 13351 (1.1% slower). Any of these processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Valorant, since their average benchmark scores fall within roughly 1% of the i3-12100F's score. The i5-9500 and i7-1250U are slightly slower, while the Core 5 120UL is marginally faster, but the differences are small enough to be negligible in real-world gameplay.

For the GPU, the Arc B370 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184. The nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 with a score of 1186 (0.2% faster), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with a score of 1190 (0.5% faster), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M with a score of 1192 (0.7% faster), and the AMD FirePro M2000 with a score of 1168 (1.4% slower). These GPUs all cluster within a narrow performance band, meaning a system built with any of these graphics solutions would produce frame rates very close to those measured with the Arc B370. The Radeon HD 5770 and HD 7650M are slightly ahead, while the FirePro M2000 trails by a bit more than a percentage point. None of these alternatives would meaningfully change the playability picture in Valorant.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 178 FPS. All four presets at this resolution clear the threshold easily, so players can choose the highest quality setting without concern.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, with an average of 152 FPS. Again, every preset at this resolution exceeds the playability threshold, so the choice comes down to visual preference rather than performance necessity.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 122 FPS. Even at 4K with maximum settings, the combo maintains more than double the required frame rate. The minimum recorded frame rate at 4K Medium is 114 FPS, which confirms that even the heaviest load does not cause drops below the playable threshold.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this PC can run Valorant at every resolution and preset tested. At 1920x1080, the combo averages between 178 FPS (Ultra) and 299 FPS (Low), all well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, averages range from 152 FPS (Ultra) to 255 FPS (Low). At 3840x2160, averages range from 122 FPS (Ultra) to 204 FPS (Low). The verdict by resolution is clear: all three resolutions are fully playable at all four presets, with Ultra settings delivering 178 FPS at 1080p, 152 FPS at 1440p, and 122 FPS at 4K.

The i3-12100F proves to be the stronger half of this pairing, with a 68th percentile CPU ranking and single-thread scores that suit a competitive FPS. The Arc B370, despite its 5th percentile GPU ranking, is sufficient for Valorant's modest graphical demands. The combination ranks low in the overall database (3411 out of 3708), but the ranking is misleading for this specific game. Valorant is unusually forgiving of weak GPUs, and the measured frame rates confirm that this combo delivers smooth, responsive gameplay at any settings players choose. For competitive play, the 1440p Medium preset at 168 FPS average with a 143 FPS minimum offers a good balance of visual clarity and high refresh rate headroom. For maximum visual quality, 4K Ultra at 122 FPS average remains comfortably above the threshold.