Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS where frame rates matter more than absolute visual fidelity, and this pairing of a Ryzen 5 2600 with an RTX 3070 delivers exceptionally high performance across all tested settings. The data shows a combination that is heavily GPU-limited at lower resolutions and progressively more balanced as resolution increases, yet it never drops below the range of high-refresh-rate playability. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, ranking, and component roles to give a clear picture of what this setup offers.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trend: performance degrades as resolution increases, but the drop is surprisingly modest given the jump in pixel count. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 338.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p on the same settings drops the average to 325.3 FPS, a reduction of roughly 4%. At 4K with Low settings, the average falls to 298 FPS, which is still only about 12% below the 1080p figure. This pattern indicates that the RTX 3070 has substantial headroom in this game, and the CPU is not a bottleneck even at the lowest resolution.

The scaling from Medium to High settings at each resolution shows a similar pattern. At 1080p, the difference between Low and High is about 52 FPS (338.4 to 286.4). At 1440p, that gap narrows to about 54 FPS (325.3 to 271.6). At 4K, the spread between Low and High is 44.7 FPS (298 to 253.3). The smallest gap between Low and Ultra is at 4K, where the difference is 52.3 FPS (298 to 245.7). This suggests that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes a more significant factor, but the overall performance ceiling remains high enough that even the most demanding settings at 4K produce frame rates well above 240 FPS.

Notably, the difference between Medium and High settings is minimal across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium yields 289.1 FPS while High yields 286.4 FPS, a difference of just 2.7 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 0.8 FPS (272.4 vs 271.6). At 4K, the gap is 2.8 FPS (256.1 vs 253.3). This indicates that High settings offer essentially the same performance as Medium, making them a free visual upgrade in practical terms. The Ultra preset is the only setting that shows a more noticeable penalty, typically 7-10 FPS below High at each resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 1403 out of 1650 tested combos for Valorant. While that rank might sound low at first glance, it is important to consider the context. The database includes many pairings with much newer and more expensive components. The fact that this older Ryzen 5 2600 paired with an RTX 3070 still achieves frame rates above 245 FPS at 4K Ultra places it in a competitive position for this game. The rank reflects the absolute hierarchy of all tested systems, not a lack of playable performance.

The CPU itself sits at the 77th percentile among all processors tested, with an average benchmark score of 19616. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark hierarchy include the Intel Core i5-1345U (scoring 19691, which is 0.4% higher), the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (scoring 19508, 0.6% lower), the Intel Core i5-11600KF (scoring 19740, 0.6% higher), and the Intel Core i7-10700F (scoring 19485, 0.7% lower). This places the Ryzen 5 2600 squarely in the middle of a cluster of capable mid-range processors, with deltas of less than 1% against all four rivals. The GPU, meanwhile, ranks at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro S7150 (scoring 28409, which is 0.6% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (scoring 27985, 0.9% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (scoring 27956, 1% lower), and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X (scoring 28541, 1.1% higher).

The combination of a 77th-percentile CPU and a 72nd-percentile GPU results in a system that is well-matched for Valorant. The rank of 1403 out of 1650 suggests that many combos in the database are built around newer or higher-end parts. However, the measured FPS numbers indicate that this pairing is far from obsolete for this specific title, delivering performance that exceeds the needs of most competitive players.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the primary driver of the high frame rates seen in these results. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz. Its memory operates at 1750 MHz, with an effective data rate of 14 Gbps. These specifications are more than sufficient for Valorant, a game that is not particularly demanding on VRAM or memory bandwidth.

The benchmark results for the GPU show a PassMark G3D score of 22214, which places it at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its compute performance is strong, as evidenced by a PassMark GPU compute score of 11195. In DirectX 11, the GPU scores 182, while in DirectX 12 it scores 85. These scores suggest that the GPU has robust raw compute capability, which translates into the high frame rates observed in the measured FPS data.

The RTX 3070's role in this pairing is to provide enough headroom that the CPU becomes the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 338.4 FPS average is likely close to what the Ryzen 5 2600 can feed to the GPU. As resolution increases, the GPU takes on more work, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The fact that 4K Ultra still produces 245.7 FPS demonstrates that the GPU has significant reserve capacity. For a game like Valorant, this means the GPU is never a source of concern; it will handle any settings combination without issue.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience for competitive play is achieved with Low settings. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 338.4 FPS, which is the highest average across all tested configurations. This provides the maximum frame rate headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. The difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is 49.3 FPS (338.4 vs 289.1), which is substantial for players who prioritize smoothness over visuals. However, the jump from Low to High at 1080p costs 52 FPS (338.4 vs 286.4), which is a larger penalty.

For players who want a balance between visual quality and performance, High settings are the recommended choice. At every resolution, High delivers nearly identical performance to Medium, with a difference of less than 3 FPS. This means you can enable High settings without sacrificing measurable frame rate. At 1080p High, the average is 286.4 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rate of most gaming monitors. At 1440p High, the average is 271.6 FPS, and at 4K High, it is 253.3 FPS. These numbers indicate that High is a "free" upgrade over Medium in this game.

The Ultra preset is not recommended unless you are playing at 4K and want the best visuals possible. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 279.4 FPS, which is 7 FPS lower than High. At 1440p Ultra, it is 268.9 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it is 245.7 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra over High is modest, but the visual difference in a fast-paced FPS is often negligible. For most players, High settings at 1080p or 1440p will provide the best combination of smoothness and appearance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 338.4 FPS, Medium achieves 289.1 FPS, High achieves 286.4 FPS, and Ultra achieves 279.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 59 FPS, with the largest single drop occurring between Low and Medium (49.3 FPS). The difference between Medium and High is minimal at 2.7 FPS, and the difference between High and Ultra is 7 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 325.3 FPS, Medium achieves 272.4 FPS, High achieves 271.6 FPS, and Ultra achieves 268.9 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 56.4 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 52.9 FPS, while the drop from Medium to High is only 0.8 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 2.7 FPS. This resolution shows the smallest differences between Medium, High, and Ultra, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom to handle these settings without significant frame rate variation.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 298 FPS, Medium achieves 256.1 FPS, High achieves 253.3 FPS, and Ultra achieves 245.7 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 52.3 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 41.9 FPS, while the drop from Medium to High is 2.8 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 7.6 FPS. Even at 4K, the lowest average is 245.7 FPS, which is still exceptionally high for any game. The data shows a consistent pattern: Low settings provide the highest frame rates, but High settings offer nearly the same performance as Medium, making them the most practical choice for most users.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. It has 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 512 KB of L2 cache per core. The CPU supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s. In Valorant, this processor is sufficient to feed the RTX 3070 at all tested resolutions, as evidenced by the high frame rates. However, its performance ceiling is visible in the scaling patterns.

The CPU's benchmark scores show a multicore performance of 11186 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 1579. In Cinebench R20, it scores 4698 multicore and 663 single-core. These scores place the CPU at the 77th percentile of all processors, which is respectable for a 2018 release. The PassMark multithread score is 13160, with a single-thread score of 2239. The data compression score is 187062, and the encryption score is 12429.

In the context of Valorant, the CPU's single-core performance is more relevant than its multicore capability, as the game is not heavily threaded. The single-core score of 1579 in Cinebench R23 is modest by modern standards, but it is enough to maintain high frame rates. The fact that the 1080p Low preset produces 338.4 FPS suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at these settings. The frame rate drops more significantly when moving from Low to Medium at 1080p (49.3 FPS), which indicates that the GPU is handling the increased workload, while the CPU maintains a steady output. The CPU's role here is to keep up with the GPU's output, and it does so without becoming a limiting factor until the very highest frame rates.