Valorant

The benchmark data for Valorant, captured with an AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, reveals a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions but exhibits a fascinating shift in bottleneck behavior as pixel count climbs. The measured FPS across all settings and resolutions remains exceptionally high, indicating a system well-suited for competitive play, yet the subtle variations in performance scaling tell a deeper story about the interaction between this specific CPU and GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a consistent, yet non-linear, decline in average frame rates across all settings presets. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 445 at 1080p to 422 at 1440p, a reduction of 23 frames, and then further to 391 at 4K, another 31-frame dip. This pattern suggests that while the resolution increase does add load, the RTX 4060 is so far ahead of the game’s requirements at these settings that the frame rate remains extraordinarily high, even at 4K.

The High and Ultra presets show a more pronounced scaling curve. For High settings, the average FPS goes from 373 at 1080p to 354 at 1440p and then to 302 at 4K. This represents a 19-frame drop from 1080p to 1440p, but a larger 52-frame drop from 1440p to 4K. The Ultra preset follows a similar trajectory: 367 at 1080p, 348 at 1440p, and 288 at 4K. The widening gap between 1440p and 4K results indicates that the GPU is beginning to approach its limits as the pixel count increases, though it still maintains playable, if not exceptional, frame rates.

The Medium preset offers the most complete data, including minimum and maximum FPS. At 1080p, the average is 379 FPS with a minimum of 322 FPS. Moving to 1440p, the average drops to 360 FPS with a minimum of 306 FPS. At 4K, the average is 317 FPS with a minimum of 270 FPS. The minimum FPS figures are crucial here; they show that even in the most demanding moments, the system never drops below 270 FPS at 4K, which is far above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. This data implies that the limiting component at 1080p and 1440p is not the GPU, as the frame rates are so high that the CPU is likely setting the ceiling. The larger performance hit when moving to 4K suggests the GPU finally starts to become the primary constraint.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivers a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. In a game like Valorant, which is not known for demanding high-resolution textures, this memory configuration is more than sufficient. The benchmark results confirm this, as even at the Ultra preset and 4K resolution, the average FPS remains at 288. The GPU’s boost clock of 2460 MHz and its 3072 shading units are clearly capable of handling the game’s rendering load without breaking a sweat.

The GPU’s performance relative to other cards is interesting. Its average benchmark score is 17639, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, according to the data, are the AMD Radeon HD 7790, AMD Radeon 780M, AMD Radeon Pro 560, and AMD Radeon Pro 460, with score deltas of -0.2%, 0.3%, 0.5%, and 0.7% respectively. This clustering suggests that the RTX 4060’s raw compute performance is comparable to these older or integrated solutions, yet its modern architecture and features, such as its 24 RT cores and 96 Tensor Cores, likely provide advantages in games that utilize them. In Valorant, the data suggests the GPU is rarely the bottleneck. The frame rates at Low settings are consistently around 400-445 FPS, which is likely beyond the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU with draw calls.

The role of the GPU becomes more defined at 4K. The difference between Low (391 FPS) and Ultra (288 FPS) at 4K is 103 FPS, the largest spread across any resolution. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU’s shading units and ROPs (48) are being taxed more heavily by the higher quality settings, making the GPU a more significant factor in the final frame rate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. Its most distinctive feature is the large 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a significant asset for gaming. In Valorant, a game that often relies heavily on single-thread performance and cache efficiency, this large L3 cache is likely the key reason why the CPU is able to maintain such high frame rates.

The CPU’s benchmark scores support its gaming prowess. Its Passmark single-thread score is 2941, and its multithread score is 20363. Its average benchmark score is 37018, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, Intel Core Ultra 5 225, and Intel Core i9-12900T, with score deltas of 0.2%, -0.2%, 0.2%, and -0.3% respectively. This places the 5500X3D in a tight performance cluster, where it is essentially on par with those other processors in general benchmarks.

However, the high frame rates observed in the measured FPS data, especially at 1080p, indicate that the CPU is the primary driver of performance. At 1080p Low, the system averages 445 FPS. This is an extremely high frame rate that suggests the CPU is able to process game logic and issue draw calls at a very rapid pace. The 96 MB L3 cache is likely the differentiating factor here, as it allows for more of the game’s working set to be stored on-chip, reducing memory latency and improving frame pacing. The data implies that the CPU is not the bottleneck until the resolution and settings are increased to the point where the GPU’s rendering time exceeds the CPU’s frame production time.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 holds a combo rank of 1729 out of 2883 tested combos in Valorant. This places it in the top 40% of all tested configurations, which is a respectable position given the specific nature of the hardware. This ranking suggests that while this is not an absolute top-tier combo for Valorant, it is a very strong performer that will provide a high-quality experience.

The rank is likely influenced by the fact that the CPU is a high-percentile performer (85th percentile) while the GPU is only in the 61st percentile. In a game like Valorant, where CPU performance is often king, this pairing is logical and effective. The system is clearly capable of delivering frame rates that exceed the refresh rates of most gaming monitors. The rank of 1729 indicates that there are many combos with faster GPUs that can achieve slightly higher frame rates at 4K, but for the vast majority of players using 1080p or 1440p monitors, this combo’s performance is exceptional.

The data suggests that the combo is well-balanced for this specific game. The CPU’s strength allows the system to avoid being bottlenecked at lower resolutions, which is where most competitive play happens. The GPU is sufficient to push frame rates high even at 4K, ensuring that the system is versatile across different display configurations. The 1729 rank is not a reflection of weakness, but rather proof of the specialized requirements of Valorant and the high performance of many other competing configurations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the user’s display resolution and refresh rate. For players with a 1080p or 1440p monitor with a 240Hz or 360Hz refresh rate, the Low preset is the clear winner. At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 445 FPS, and at 1440p Low, it achieves 422 FPS. These frame rates are high enough to fully saturate even the fastest monitors, providing the lowest input latency and smoothest gameplay.

For players with a 1440p monitor with a 165Hz or 240Hz refresh rate, the High preset is an excellent choice. The average FPS of 354 at 1440p High is still well above the refresh rate of such monitors, and the visual improvements over Low are significant. The Medium preset is also a strong option, offering 360 FPS at 1440p with a minimum of 306 FPS, ensuring no dips below the refresh rate.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the High preset is the most balanced choice. At 4K High, the average FPS is 302, which is ideal for a 300Hz monitor. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, drops the average to 288 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K offers 317 FPS, which could be preferable for those with a 320Hz or higher refresh rate display. The Low preset at 4K yields 391 FPS, but the visual quality reduction may be too severe for some players. Overall, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and high frame rates across all resolutions, making it the recommended starting point.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 445, achieved with the Low settings preset at 1920x1080 resolution.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the system delivers an average FPS of 317, with a minimum of 270 FPS and a maximum of 365 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the CPU is the primary limiting factor at lower resolutions like 1080p and 1440p, as frame rates are exceptionally high. The GPU becomes a more significant constraint at 4K, where the performance gap between settings presets widens.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations in Valorant?

A: This combination ranks 1729th out of 2883 tested combos in the game, placing it in the top 40% of all configurations.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS with Low settings is 422, while with Ultra settings it is 348. This represents a 74 FPS difference.

Q: Does the system maintain high minimum frame rates?

A: Based on the Medium preset data, the minimum FPS is 322 at 1080p, 306 at 1440p, and 270 at 4K. This indicates consistent performance without significant drops.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measured for each resolution and settings preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|:--------- |:------- |:------ |:------ |:------ |

| 3840x2160 | High | 302 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 391 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 317 | 270 | 365 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 288 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 354 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 422 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 360 | 306 | 414 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 348 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 373 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 445 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 379 | 322 | 436 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 367 | - | - |

The data clearly shows the system’s capability. At 1080p, even the Ultra preset delivers an average of 367 FPS, which is a phenomenal result. The Medium preset, which is the only one with complete min/max data, shows that the system maintains a minimum FPS above 270 at 4K, ensuring a smooth experience. The overall picture is one of surplus performance, where the hardware is powerful enough to provide high refresh rate gaming at almost any setting. The only caveat is that the gap between Low and Ultra settings becomes more pronounced at 4K, indicating that the GPU is the component that is being pushed harder at that resolution.