Valorant

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. In the context of Valorant, a game that heavily favors high-frequency single-core performance, this CPU’s architecture determines the ceiling for frame pacing. The data shows that the processor’s single-thread benchmark scores, such as 726 in 3dmark_single_thread and 2653 in passmark_single_thread, are modest by current standards. This suggests that while the CPU can handle the game’s logic and physics, its lower single-core throughput relative to newer designs will be a limiting factor at very high frame rates. The processor’s 8 MB of shared L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth are adequate for the game’s data stream, but they do not compensate for the raw clock-speed advantage that newer rivals possess.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities, demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13593, are more than sufficient for Valorant’s thread utilization, which rarely scales beyond a few cores. This means the 12 threads are largely underutilized, as the game’s engine is not designed to leverage such parallelism. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU’s performance is consistent across various workloads, but its real-world gaming impact is dictated by its ability to feed the GPU quickly. With a percentile rank of 75 against all CPUs, the 4600G sits in the upper quartile, but its nearest rivals in average benchmark score, such as the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE and Intel Core i3-13100F, show that its position is precarious. The deltaPct values of 0.1% and -1% against these rivals indicate that the performance difference is negligible, meaning any of these processors could deliver similar frame rates in a CPU-bound scenario. For Valorant specifically, this implies that the 4600G will not be the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions, but it will prevent the system from reaching the absolute highest possible FPS numbers.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The six cores and 12 threads of the Ryzen 5 4600G are not the primary drivers of Valorant’s performance; instead, the clock speed and IPC (instructions per clock) are what matter. The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the FPS gap between settings narrows, which is a classic sign of the CPU becoming less of a bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 402.2 FPS, while at 3840x2160 with the same settings, it drops to 356.6 FPS. This 45.6 FPS drop indicates that the CPU is still keeping up with the GPU’s demand at 4K, but the frame rate ceiling is being pushed by the GPU’s limits.

The processor’s boost clock of 4.20 GHz is the maximum speed it can sustain under load, but its ability to maintain that on all cores is limited. In Valorant, which is lightly threaded, the CPU can often reach its boost clock on one or two cores, which is beneficial. However, the single-core 3dmark score of 726 is relatively low, suggesting that the CPU’s per-core performance is not exceptional. This is reflected in the measured FPS: at 1080p Ultra, the system hits 331.5 FPS, which is high, but not as high as a system with a newer CPU might achieve. The data suggests that the CPU is adequate for a smooth experience, but it is not the component that allows for the maximum possible frame rates in the game.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a high-end GPU with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock of 2512 MHz and 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute make it exceptionally powerful for a game like Valorant, which is not graphically demanding. The GPU’s role in this pairing is to render frames at high speed, and the data shows that it is heavily underutilized at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the FPS ranges from 331.5 at Ultra to 402.2 at Low, which are very high numbers, but they are not limited by the GPU’s raw power. Instead, the GPU is likely waiting for the CPU to send draw calls, which is why the FPS does not scale perfectly with resolution.

The GPU’s memory capacity of 12 GB is far more than Valorant needs, as the game’s textures and assets are light. The 192-bit memory bus and high bandwidth are irrelevant at these frame rates, as the GPU is not bandwidth-starved. The RTX 5070’s percentile rank of 83 against all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 41687 place it in the top tier. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 with a deltaPct of 0.6%, show that it performs similarly to the previous generation’s flagship. In this game, the GPU’s role is to provide a massive headroom, ensuring that it is never the bottleneck. The measured FPS data confirms this: the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is only 66 FPS (356.6 vs 290.6), which shows that even at the highest settings, the GPU has plenty of spare capacity.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how settings affect performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields the highest average FPS at 402.2, while the Ultra preset drops to 331.5, a difference of 70.7 FPS. For competitive play, the Low preset is often preferred to maximize frame rates, but the data shows that the Medium preset at 345.1 FPS offers a good balance between visual quality and performance. The difference between Medium and Ultra is only 13.6 FPS, which is negligible in real-world terms. At 2560x1440, the pattern is similar: Low gives 384.7 FPS, Medium gives 324.2 FPS, and Ultra gives 315.9 FPS. The gap between Medium and Ultra narrows to 8.3 FPS, suggesting that the visual improvements of Ultra are not worth the small frame rate cost.

At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers 298.3 FPS, which is only 7.7 FPS less than Medium’s 301.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 290.6 FPS is the lowest, but it is still extremely high for 4K gaming. The data indicates that the High preset is the optimal choice across all resolutions, as it provides a substantial visual upgrade over Medium with a minimal FPS penalty. For instance, at 1440p, High (319.7 FPS) is only 4.5 FPS slower than Medium (324.2 FPS), but it offers better texture and shadow quality. At 4K, High (298.3 FPS) is nearly identical to Medium (301.4 FPS), making High the best value in terms of visual fidelity per frame. The recommendation is to use High settings for a balanced experience, as the FPS drop from Low to High is acceptable given the visual benefits.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Ryzen 5 4600G and RTX 5070 ranks 1170 out of 1650 tested combos in Valorant. This places it in the lower third of all combos, which is surprising given the GPU’s high performance. The rank indicates that while the GPU is powerful, the CPU is holding back the overall system’s potential in this game. The data shows that the combo’s FPS numbers are high, but they are not as high as other pairings with stronger CPUs. For example, a combo with a newer, faster CPU would likely achieve higher FPS at 1080p, even with the same GPU. The rank of 1170 suggests that this pairing is not optimal for Valorant, as the CPU is the limiting factor.

The GPU’s high percentile rank (83) and the CPU’s lower rank (75) highlight the imbalance. The combo’s performance is closer to what a mid-range CPU would deliver, rather than the GPU’s potential. This is evident in the FPS scaling: at 1080p, the FPS exceeds 400, but it does not reach the 500+ FPS that a top-tier CPU could produce. The rank of 1170 out of 1650 means that 480 other combos perform better in this game, which is a significant number. The data indicates that users with this combo will enjoy high frame rates, but they will not be at the absolute top of the leaderboard in terms of performance. The system is not poorly performing, but it is not taking full advantage of the RTX 5070’s capabilities.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is a critical indicator of which component is the bottleneck. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 402.2 at 1080p to 384.7 at 1440p and then to 356.6 at 4K. This is a total drop of 45.6 FPS from 1080p to 4K, which is a decrease of 11.3%. This relatively small drop suggests that the GPU is not being stressed by the resolution increase, meaning the CPU is the primary limiter. If the GPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would drop much more significantly, as the GPU would struggle to render more pixels. The data shows that even at 4K, the FPS remains above 290 for all settings, which confirms the GPU’s power.

At High settings, the FPS drops from 336.1 at 1080p to 319.7 at 1440p and then to 298.3 at 4K, a total drop of 37.8 FPS. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 331.5 at 1080p to 315.9 at 1440p and then to 290.6 at 4K, a drop of 40.9 FPS. The consistency of these drops across settings indicates that the resolution scaling is uniform, which points to a CPU bottleneck. If the GPU were the limit, the drop would be more pronounced at higher settings, as the GPU would have to do more work per pixel. The fact that the FPS drop is similar across all settings suggests that the CPU’s frame rate ceiling is being reached, and the GPU is simply waiting for the CPU to provide the next frame. This is a clear sign that the Ryzen 5 4600G is the limiting component in this system for Valorant.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 402.2 FPS, which is the maximum measured. The Medium preset follows at 345.1 FPS, while the High preset delivers 336.1 FPS. The Ultra preset is the slowest at 331.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 70.7 FPS, which is significant for competitive play. The data shows that the CPU is able to push frame rates above 400 FPS, but only at the lowest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the CPU’s influence. The Low preset yields 384.7 FPS, while the Medium preset delivers 324.2 FPS. The High preset is close behind at 319.7 FPS, and the Ultra preset is at 315.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 68.8 FPS, which is slightly less than at 1080p. The FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p is modest, with the Low preset dropping by 17.5 FPS and the Ultra preset dropping by 15.6 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is handling the extra pixels without issue.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are still very high, but the CPU bottleneck becomes more apparent. The Low preset achieves 356.6 FPS, while the Medium preset delivers 301.4 FPS. The High preset is at 298.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset is at 290.6 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 66.0 FPS, which is similar to the other resolutions. However, the FPS drop from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced: the Low preset drops by 28.1 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops by 25.3 FPS. This larger drop indicates that the GPU is starting to feel the load, but it is still not the primary bottleneck. The data shows that the system is capable of maintaining high frame rates at 4K, but the CPU’s limitations prevent it from exceeding 360 FPS even at the lowest settings.