Valorant

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (codename Vermeer) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The chip carries 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The CPU's TDP is 65 W, and it uses the AMD Socket AM4.

In Valorant, the 5600F's core and cache configuration proves highly effective. The game is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance and cache latency, and this processor's Zen 3 design delivers strong per-core throughput. Benchmark data supports this: the CPU scores 2872 in Passmark single-thread tests and 59339 in integer math, with floating-point math at 34548. The 32 MB shared L3 cache is particularly relevant for a competitive shooter where map geometry and entity data are frequently accessed.

The processor's multithreaded score of 19236 indicates that while the 5600F is not a heavyweight for heavily threaded workloads, it has ample headroom for Valorant's engine, which rarely scales beyond a few cores. The CPU sits at the 85th percentile among all tested processors, placing it well above average. Its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark score include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (delta 0%), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (delta -0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (delta -0.4%). These are all within a fraction of a percent of the 5600F, meaning the CPU's overall compute capability is essentially a statistical tie with those parts.

For Valorant specifically, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution tested. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 331 FPS on average, which is the highest measured figure in the entire dataset. Even at 4K with Ultra settings, the average remains above 135 FPS. This suggests that the 5600F's single-thread performance is sufficient to feed the GPU even at high frame rates. The boost clock of 4.00 GHz is modest by modern standards, but the IPC gains from Zen 3 are what matter here, and the benchmark results confirm that the processor handles the game's demands without issue.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture (chip: Panther Lake), fabricated on Intel's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Memory is system-shared, meaning the GPU uses the host's RAM rather than dedicated VRAM; bus width and bandwidth are system-dependent. The GPU contains 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines. It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. Performance metrics include a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS.

The Arc B390's system-shared memory approach means that its performance in Valorant is tied to the host's DDR4 memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. This is a significant constraint for a competitive FPS, where frame pacing and consistent memory access are critical. Despite this, the measured FPS data shows the GPU is capable of high frame rates in Valorant. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482, placing it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. This is a low overall standing, but Valorant is a lightweight game by GPU standards. The nearest rivals for the Arc B390 are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (delta 1.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (delta 1.5%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (delta 2.5%). These are all legacy or low-end parts, which indicates that the Arc B390's raw compute is modest.

However, the actual game performance tells a different story. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the combo achieves 218 FPS on average with a minimum of 185 FPS and a maximum of 250 FPS. At 4K with Low settings, it still manages 225 FPS on average. The GPU's boost clock of 2500 MHz helps maintain these frame rates, but the real strength is that Valorant does not demand heavy GPU resources. The system-shared memory is a potential weakness in memory-intensive scenes, but the data shows that at all tested settings and resolutions, the average FPS remains well above 135, which is playable even on high-refresh displays. The 3 nm process node and Xe3-LPG architecture likely contribute to efficiency, but the decisive factor here is the game's low graphical requirements rather than the GPU's absolute power.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Valorant?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 331, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600F compare to its nearest CPU rival in aggregate benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average score of 36938, which is a 0% delta from the Ryzen 5 5600F's average score of 36945. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% behind, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is 0.4% behind.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B390 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The Arc B390 uses system-shared memory, with memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all marked as "System Shared" or "System Dependent."

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo in the measured data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 135, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: At which settings and resolution does the combo provide the best minimum FPS?

A: The best minimum FPS is 185, recorded at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. The next best is 158 at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, and 126 at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combos for Valorant?

A: The combo ranks 2534 out of 2883 tested combos.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern: Lower settings yield disproportionately higher frame rates, while the gap between Medium and High is relatively small. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 331 FPS on average, which is the best performance in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 218 FPS, High to 207 FPS, and Ultra to 198 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium costs 113 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs only 11 FPS, and High to Ultra costs just 9 FPS.

For competitive play, the Low preset is the obvious choice. At 1080p, 331 FPS average provides the smoothest possible experience, and the game's visual simplicity means that Low settings do not significantly hamper visibility in a tactical shooter. However, if the user prefers some visual fidelity without sacrificing too much performance, Medium is the best balance. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 218, with a minimum of 185 and a maximum of 250. This is still well above the refresh rate of most gaming monitors and provides a more detailed image than Low.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds. Low settings yield 282 FPS on average, Medium drops to 186 FPS (min 158, max 214), High to 177 FPS, and Ultra to 169 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 158 is the key metric here; it ensures that even in busy team fights, the frame rate stays above 150 FPS, which is generally considered the threshold for competitive smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Low settings still deliver 225 FPS on average, but Medium drops to 149 FPS (min 126, max 171), High to 141 FPS, and Ultra to 135 FPS. The minimum FPS of 126 at 4K Medium is lower than what most competitive players would accept. For 4K, Low is the recommended preset if frame rate is the priority. However, given that the game is a competitive FPS, most players will target 1080p or 1440p, where Medium is the sweet spot.

The data indicates that the Medium preset at 1080p offers the best overall experience: a high average FPS of 218, a strong minimum of 185 FPS, and a maximum of 250 FPS. This provides both smoothness and sufficient visual detail. The Ultra preset is the least efficient choice at any resolution, offering only marginal visual gains over High while reducing average FPS by 9-10 FPS at each resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2534 out of 2883 tested combos in Valorant, placing it in the bottom 12% of all configurations. This ranking might seem surprising given the high FPS numbers, but it reflects the fact that Valorant is a title where many tested combos feature far more powerful discrete GPUs. The Arc B390's integrated nature and system-shared memory place it at a significant disadvantage compared to dedicated graphics cards, even though the game itself is not graphically demanding.

The CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in this ranking. The Ryzen 5 5600F sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals — the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 — are all within 0.5% of its aggregate score. This indicates that the processor is a solid mid-range part that would not hold back a more capable GPU in Valorant.

The GPU, however, is the bottleneck. The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, both of which are over a decade old. Despite this, the measured FPS in Valorant is still playable because the game's engine is CPU-bound at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 331 FPS, which is higher than many systems with mid-range discrete GPUs can manage in more demanding titles.

The ranking of 2534 out of 2883 is a reflection of the GPU's overall weakness, not its performance in this specific game. For players who already own this combo, the FPS numbers are the practical takeaway. For those considering it as a new build, the ranking suggests that there are many better-performing options, but the data also shows that Valorant is not a title where this combo will struggle at standard competitive settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. All figures are average FPS unless otherwise noted.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 331, which is the highest figure in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 218 FPS on average, with a minimum of 185 FPS and a maximum of 250 FPS. High settings produce 207 FPS on average, and Ultra settings produce 198 FPS on average. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline of roughly 33% from the peak performance.

At 2560x1440, performance drops but remains strong. Low settings average 282 FPS. Medium settings average 186 FPS, with a minimum of 158 FPS and a maximum of 214 FPS. High settings average 177 FPS, and Ultra settings average 169 FPS. The medium preset's minimum FPS of 158 is noteworthy because it indicates that the combo can maintain high frame rates even during demanding scenes at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's system-shared memory becomes a more significant limitation. Low settings still manage 225 FPS on average. Medium settings drop to 149 FPS, with a minimum of 126 FPS and a maximum of 171 FPS. High settings average 141 FPS, and Ultra settings average 135 FPS. The minimum FPS of 126 at 4K Medium is the lowest recorded in the dataset, highlighting the strain that 4K puts on the integrated GPU's memory bandwidth.

Comparing across resolutions, the scaling is roughly linear. At Low settings, dropping from 1080p to 1440p reduces FPS from 331 to 282 (a 15% drop), and dropping from 1440p to 4K reduces it further to 225 (a 20% drop). At Medium settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is from 218 to 186 (a 15% drop), and from 1440p to 4K is from 186 to 149 (a 20% drop). This consistent scaling suggests that the game's GPU load scales predictably with resolution, and the combo's performance is stable without unexpected bottlenecks.

The minimum and maximum FPS data is only available for Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range is 185 to 250 FPS, a spread of 65 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 158 to 214 FPS, a spread of 56 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 126 to 171 FPS, a spread of 45 FPS. This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded as resolution increases, with fewer spikes and dips in performance.

The highest average FPS across all data points is 331 at 1080p Low. The lowest average FPS is 135 at 4K Ultra. The data shows that this combo is capable of delivering competitive frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on any preset, while 4K performance is best suited to Low or Medium settings if frame rates above 150 FPS are desired.