Valorant

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 is a combination built for high-refresh-rate esports, and the measured data for Valorant confirms this is a very strong setup for the game. The data shows a system capable of pushing well beyond the refresh rates of most monitors, even at 4K resolution. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, examining how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the final frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic pattern where the system transitions from being heavily CPU-bound at lower resolutions to becoming more GPU-dependent at higher ones, though the Arc B570 holds up remarkably well.

At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 445 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 422 FPS, a reduction of roughly 5%. The scaling to 4K Low is more pronounced, with the average falling to 347 FPS. This 22% drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, but the absolute number remains exceptionally high. The relatively small penalty from 1080p to 1440p suggests that at these lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is the primary limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D, with its 96 MB of shared L3 cache and peak boost clock of 4.00 GHz, is clearly feeding the frames fast enough that the GPU isn't yet saturated.

As we move to higher settings, the GPU's role becomes more apparent. At 1080p High, the average is 319 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 272 FPS, a 15% decrease. At 4K High, the average falls to 217 FPS, a 32% reduction from the 1080p figure. This steeper drop-off at higher settings indicates that the GPU is starting to work harder as the pixel count and graphical load increase. The pattern is consistent across Medium and Ultra presets, where the 4K results show a more substantial dip from their 1080p counterparts than the 1440p results do.

The most telling data point for the limiting component is the difference between the 1080p Low (445 FPS) and the 1440p Low (422 FPS) results. This small 5% delta strongly suggests that the CPU is the bottleneck in this scenario, as the GPU has plenty of headroom at such low graphical demands. However, the larger drop to 4K Low (347 FPS) shows the GPU starting to take on a more significant role. The Intel Arc B570, with its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus and 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is clearly capable of handling Valorant's demands at 4K, but the scaling shows it is a more limiting factor as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570's specifications provide context for its performance in Valorant. The GPU features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output pipelines. Its base and boost clocks are both fixed at 2500 MHz, which is a straightforward, consistent clock profile. The memory runs at 2375 MHz, providing 19 Gbps effective speed. This configuration results in a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s, which are healthy figures for a card in this class.

The VRAM configuration is more than sufficient for Valorant. With 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s, the card has ample resources for a competitive FPS title. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the card maintains an average of 207 FPS, indicating that it is not running out of memory or bandwidth. The 160-bit bus width, while narrower than some higher-end cards, is not a hindrance here, as the game's textures and geometry are not overly demanding.

The GPU's benchmark scores paint a picture of a mid-range performer. Its Passmark G3D score is 14195, and it has a percentile rank of 65 among all GPUs. Its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score is the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20582, a delta of -0.1% from the B570's average benchmark score of 20556. This indicates the B570 is a slight upgrade over its predecessor. The card's performance in Valorant, however, far exceeds what its raw compute benchmarks might suggest, thanks to the game's efficient engine and the strong CPU pairing.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 support ensure it is fully compatible with modern rendering APIs. While Valorant is not a graphically intensive title, the card's architecture, built on the Xe2-HPG design at a 5 nm process node, is efficient enough to deliver high frame rates without issue. The 150 W TDP and suggested 450 W PSU are modest for the performance on offer, but the focus here is on the measured results, which show a GPU that handles the game's demands with ease across all tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings?

A: The measured average FPS drops from 445 at 1920x1080 to 347 at 3840x2160. This is a 22% reduction, showing that while the system is very fast at 4K, the higher pixel count still takes a measurable toll.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p Low. The average FPS of 445 is extremely high, and the minimal drop to 422 FPS at 1440p Low indicates the GPU has ample headroom to handle the increased resolution, leaving the CPU as the constraining factor.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750?

A: In overall average benchmark scores, the Arc B570 scores 20556, which is effectively a tie with the Arc A750's 20582, representing a negligible 0.1% difference. In Valorant, the B570's performance is clearly sufficient for high refresh rates.

Q: Can this combo handle a 240Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 272 FPS. Even at Ultra settings, the average is 259 FPS. This is well above the 240 FPS threshold needed to fully utilize a 240Hz display.

Q: What is the best settings preset for maximizing frame rate at 4K?

A: For the absolute highest frame rate at 3840x2160, the Low preset provides an average of 347 FPS. The Medium preset yields 228 FPS, while High and Ultra provide 217 FPS and 207 FPS, respectively.

Q: Does the GPU's 10GB of VRAM cause any issues in Valorant?

A: No. The measured data shows no indication of VRAM limitations. The card maintains high average FPS even at 4K Ultra settings, suggesting that 10 GB is more than sufficient for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and Intel Arc B570 ranks at 2301 out of 2883 tested combos for Valorant. This places it in the 20th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it performs better than roughly 80% of the other combinations in the database. While a rank of 2301 might sound low, it is important to consider the context. The database contains many high-end systems with more powerful components, so being in the top 20% is a solid result.

This ranking is particularly impressive when considering the individual components' percentile ranks. The CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, has a percentile rank of 85 against all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performing processor. Its average benchmark score is 37018, which places it in a statistical tie with its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, +0.2%) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938, +0.2%). The GPU, the Intel Arc B570, has a percentile rank of 65 against all GPUs, showing it is a solid mid-range performer.

The fact that the combo ranks higher than the GPU's individual percentile suggests that the CPU is doing a significant amount of work to push frame rates in this CPU-bound title. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D's 6 cores and 12 threads, combined with its large 96 MB L3 cache, are ideal for a game like Valorant that benefits from strong single-thread and cache performance. This pairing ensures that the GPU is consistently fed with data, allowing it to operate at its full potential. The result is a system that performs well above the sum of its parts in Valorant, making the 2301 rank a sign of a well-balanced and effective combination for this specific game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured FPS data for Valorant with this hardware combination.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 445 FPS average
• Medium: 335 FPS average, with a minimum of 285 FPS and a maximum of 385 FPS
• High: 319 FPS average
• Ultra: 304 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 422 FPS average
• Medium: 286 FPS average, with a minimum of 243 FPS and a maximum of 329 FPS
• High: 272 FPS average
• Ultra: 259 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 347 FPS average
• Medium: 228 FPS average, with a minimum of 194 FPS and a maximum of 263 FPS
• High: 217 FPS average
• Ultra: 207 FPS average

The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy across all resolutions. The Low preset always delivers the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra being the most demanding. The step between Low and Medium is the largest performance gap, particularly at 1080p where it drops from 445 to 335 FPS. The differences between Medium, High, and Ultra are smaller, suggesting diminishing returns in performance cost as you move up the settings ladder. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium settings also provides a useful baseline for potential frame drops, with the 4K Medium setting showing a minimum of 194 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rate of standard 60Hz monitors.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play where high and consistent frame rates are paramount, the Low preset is the clear choice. At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 445 FPS, and even at 4K Low, it maintains 347 FPS. This preset minimizes graphical load to ensure the absolute highest frame rates, giving the player the most responsive experience possible. The gap between Low and Medium is significant, so for pure performance, Low is the best option.

If a player prefers a balance between visual fidelity and performance, the Medium preset is a strong contender. At 1080p, it provides an average of 335 FPS, which is still incredibly high. The medium preset also offers a minimum FPS of 285 at 1080p, ensuring that even in intense moments, the frame rate does not dip below a playable threshold. The visual upgrade from Low to Medium is noticeable, and the performance penalty is acceptable for most users.

The High and Ultra presets are more suited for players who prioritize image quality over maximum frame rate. At 1080p High, the average is 319 FPS, and at Ultra it is 304 FPS. These are still excellent numbers, but they come at the cost of a noticeable reduction in FPS compared to the lower presets. The data suggests that for a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor, the High preset is perfectly adequate, as it provides more than double the required frame rate. However, for a 360Hz or higher refresh rate display, sticking to Low or Medium is advisable to keep the average FPS as high as possible and minimize any potential input lag. Given the game's nature, the Low preset at any resolution is the recommended starting point for competitive integrity and maximum responsiveness.