Valorant

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a peculiar performance profile in Valorant, one that defies typical expectations for a discrete GPU setup. The data, drawn from measured frames per second across three resolutions and four quality presets, reveals a configuration where the integrated-class graphics solution, with its shared memory architecture and low percentile ranking, still manages to produce playable results largely due to the game's forgiving engine and the CPU's strong single-threaded foundation. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what settings offer the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the pattern is not linear. At Low settings, the transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 reduces the average frame rate from 331 FPS to 282 FPS, a decline of 49 frames. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings brings the average down further to 225 FPS, representing another drop of 57 frames. This scaling suggests that at the lowest preset, the system is still capable of high throughput, but the load on the graphics subsystem becomes more pronounced as pixel count increases.

The High and Ultra presets show a more compressed range. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 207 at 1080p to 177 at 1440p, and finally to 141 at 4K. The Ultra preset follows a similar trajectory, starting at 198 FPS at 1080p, falling to 169 FPS at 1440p, and settling at 135 FPS at 4K. The relatively small delta between High and Ultra at each resolution, typically around 9 FPS, indicates that the additional graphical features in Ultra are not the primary stressor. The limiting component appears to be the rendering pipeline itself, as the Arc B390 uses System Shared memory, making bandwidth a potential constraint as resolution increases.

The Medium preset provides the clearest window into this behavior. At 1080p, Medium averages 218 FPS, which drops to 186 FPS at 1440p, and then to 149 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium is roughly 32%, which is significant but not catastrophic. This suggests that while the GPU is being pushed harder at higher resolutions, the CPU is still able to feed it enough data to maintain a playable frame rate. The measured data indicates that the scaling is primarily a GPU-bound phenomenon, with the Arc B390's limited pixel rate and texture rate becoming more evident as the workload grows.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is built on the Xe3-LPG architecture and operates as an integrated graphics processor (IGP). Its benchmark percentile is remarkably low, sitting at just 9% of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 1482 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 and is only 1.3% slower. This context is crucial; the B390 is not a high-performance part by any stretch, yet it manages to run Valorant at 4K Ultra with an average of 135 FPS. The GPU's boost clock is listed at 2500 MHz, and it features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units.

The memory configuration is the most defining aspect of this GPU. With System Shared memory, the bandwidth is system dependent, which in this case pairs with the CPU's dual-channel memory bus. The GPU's memory clock is also listed as System Shared, meaning the effective bandwidth is tied to the DDR4 memory speed rather than a dedicated VRAM pool. This setup can lead to performance variability, but the benchmark results show consistency, suggesting that the game's memory footprint is manageable within this shared pool. The 12 ray tracing cores are present, but Valorant does not utilize them, so their impact is negligible for this title.

The GPU's FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, which is sufficient for a game like Valorant that relies more on efficient draw calls than heavy shader work. The data shows that the GPU's role becomes more critical as settings increase. At 1080p Low, the system hits 331 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 135 FPS. This 196 FPS difference is largely attributable to the GPU's fill rate limits. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are modest, and at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as the CPU is likely not bottlenecked at these frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Cezanne. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. In terms of raw compute, it scores 913 in 3dMark single-thread and 5554 in 3dMark max-threads, indicating a strong single-threaded presence. This is beneficial for Valorant, which is known to be sensitive to single-core performance. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2438 further corroborates this strength.

The CPU's percentile ranking is 74% of all CPUs, placing it above the median but not at the top tier. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12490F, which is only 0.3% slower in average benchmark score, and the Intel Xeon 6325P, which is 0.4% slower. This indicates that the 5600GT is competitive with mainstream mid-range parts, offering a solid foundation for gaming. The L3 cache is 16 MB, which is adequate for the game's data access patterns.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU's role is evident at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 331 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's ceiling for frame generation in this game. The fact that 4K Low still achieves 225 FPS suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck until the resolution is dropped significantly. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, paired with the GPU's shared memory, creates a cohesive system where the CPU can quickly feed frames to the GPU. The 65 W TDP and 7 nm process node ensure that thermal throttling is not a concern, allowing the boost clock to be sustained during extended sessions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 5600GT and the Arc B390 ranks 2534 out of 2883 tested combos in Valorant, placing it in the bottom 13% of all systems tested. This low ranking is primarily driven by the GPU's weak relative performance, as the CPU is reasonably capable. The data shows that this combo is not optimized for high-end competitive play, but it is functional. The rank indicates that there are many other configurations that offer higher frame rates, but it also suggests that for a lower-tier setup, the performance is not a complete write-off.

The GPU's percentile of 9% is the anchor for this ranking. When compared to the nearest rivals, the B390 is 1.3% faster than the GT 520MX, 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M, and 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM. These are all older, low-end parts, so the B390 is effectively competing with hardware from a previous era. The CPU's percentile of 74% helps to mitigate the GPU's shortcomings, allowing the system to maintain playable frame rates despite the graphics bottleneck. The combo rank of 2534 suggests that users with this setup should have realistic expectations; it is not a high-refresh-rate machine for 4K, but it can handle the game at moderate settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's capabilities across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 331 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. The Medium preset averages 218 FPS with a minimum of 185 and a maximum of 250, offering a smooth experience with better visual fidelity. The High preset averages 207 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 198 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 133 FPS, showing that the GPU is heavily taxed by the higher settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease but remain respectable. The Low preset averages 282 FPS, which is still above the threshold for high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset averages 186 FPS with a minimum of 158 and a maximum of 214, ensuring consistent frame pacing. The High preset averages 177 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 169 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low is 49 FPS, while at Ultra it is 29 FPS, indicating that the GPU is less able to keep up with the lower setting's high frame demand.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show its limitations. The Low preset averages 225 FPS, which is still playable, but the Medium preset drops to 149 FPS with a minimum of 126 and a maximum of 171. The High preset averages 141 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 135 FPS. The minimum frame rates at 4K Medium are concerning, as they dip below the average of the High preset, suggesting potential stuttering in intense scenes. The data shows that 4K is viable only at Low settings for a consistently smooth experience, while Medium and above are borderline.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance between frame rate and visual quality is achieved at the Medium preset at 1920x1080. This setting delivers an average of 218 FPS with a minimum of 185 FPS, ensuring that the frame rate never drops below the refresh rate of most standard monitors. The minimum FPS of 185 is crucial for avoiding hitches, and it is significantly higher than the minimums at other presets. For users with 144Hz monitors, this setting provides ample headroom.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is also the recommended choice, averaging 186 FPS with a minimum of 158 FPS. This provides a smooth experience on 1440p displays, though the minimum is lower than at 1080p, so there is a slight risk of noticeable frame drops. The Low preset at 1440p averages 282 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play with a high refresh rate monitor, but the visual quality is reduced. For 4K resolution, the Low preset is the only viable option for competitive play, averaging 225 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K, with its 126 FPS minimum, may feel inconsistent.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution. At 1080p, it averages 198 FPS, which is only 20 FPS lower than High, but the visual difference is minimal in a fast-paced game like Valorant. The performance cost is not justified. The High preset offers a middle ground, but the Medium preset consistently provides a better minimum FPS, which is more important for maintaining a steady frame rate in competitive scenarios. The data suggests prioritizing frame rate stability over maximum visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 331 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. This is the only setting that surpasses the 300 FPS mark.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Valorant?

A: Yes, the system can run the game at 3840x2160, but only the Low preset achieves a high average FPS of 225. The Medium preset averages 149 FPS with a minimum of 126 FPS, while High and Ultra average 141 and 135 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT has an average benchmark score of 20733. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12490F, has an average score of 20802, which is 0.3% faster. The difference is negligible in real-world terms.

Q: What is the GPU's benchmark percentile?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a percentile rank of 9% against all GPUs. This indicates that it performs better than only 9% of all GPUs in the benchmark database, making it a low-end part.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 185. At 2560x1440, the minimum is 158 FPS, and at 3840x2160, the minimum drops to 126 FPS.

Q: Does the system use dedicated VRAM for the GPU?

A: No, the Intel Arc B390 uses System Shared memory for both its memory size and type. The memory bandwidth is system dependent, meaning it relies on the CPU's memory bandwidth for data transfer.