Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS where frame delivery is paramount, and the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination illustrates a system that is exceptionally well-balanced for this title. The benchmark results show a setup that delivers high frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the relationship between CPU and GPU loads shifting predictably as resolution increases. This analysis walks through the performance metrics, scaling behavior, and component roles to provide a clear picture of what this specific hardware pairing offers in Riot Games' tactical shooter.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of scaling as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the highest settings tier, the average frame rate drops from 412.5 FPS at 1080p to 348.9 FPS at 1440p, and further to 279.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 15.4% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a subsequent 20.0% reduction when stepping up to 4K. The scaling is relatively linear, suggesting that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, which is typical for a game like Valorant that is known to be more CPU-bound at lower resolutions.

The Low settings preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with the average frame rate dropping from 562.4 FPS at 1080p to 534.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 450.3 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is notably steeper at 15.7%, which indicates that even with minimal graphical load, the RTX 2070 SUPER's rendering capabilities begin to constrain performance at 4K. Conversely, the gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is only 5.0%, which strongly suggests that at these lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is the bottleneck, as the frame rates are so high that they approach the limits of what the Ryzen 5 8400F can feed.

The Ultra preset shows the smallest absolute frame rates across all resolutions, with 390.3 FPS at 1080p, 335.4 FPS at 1440p, and 262.4 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 14.1% reduction, while the jump to 4K costs another 21.8%. This steeper drop at 4K under Ultra settings confirms that the GPU is the limiting component at this resolution, as the increased graphical fidelity demands more from the Turing-based card. Overall, the data indicates that for competitive play at 1080p, the system has ample headroom, while 4K gaming is clearly GPU-limited.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. With a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, this CPU provides the single-thread performance that Valorant heavily relies upon. The benchmark data shows the processor achieving a 3DMark single-thread score of 951 and a passmark single-thread score of 3684, which are strong indicators of its capability in lightly-threaded workloads. In a game like Valorant, where the main game logic and rendering commands are often handled by a few cores, this CPU's single-core performance is a critical factor in achieving the high frame rates observed.

The multi-threaded performance is also relevant, as the 6-core/12-thread configuration ensures that background tasks and game threads do not starve the main render thread. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20851 and a passmark multithread score of 24530 show a capable processor that can handle the additional load of voice chat, streaming software, or other background applications without causing frame dips. The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with game data access, reducing latency in a fast-paced environment.

Comparing the processor to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 8400F sits at a 0% deltaPct relative to the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, with both having nearly identical average scores. It is also just 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, and only 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340. This indicates that in general compute benchmarks, the 8400F is a solid mid-range performer. However, in the context of Valorant, the high boost clock and modern architecture are what matter most, and the measured FPS data confirms that the CPU is not a limiting factor until frame rates exceed 500 FPS at 1080p with Low settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 562.4 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 412.5 FPS at 1080p to 279.1 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 32.3%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 1440p Medium, the average frame rate is 368.8 FPS. Given the high frame rate and the modest gap to the 1080p Medium result of 430.2 FPS (a 14.3% drop), the GPU is beginning to become more influential, but the CPU is still providing a very strong foundation.

Q: Which preset provides the highest frame rate at 4K?

A: The Low settings preset yields the highest average frame rate at 3840x2160, achieving 450.3 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to the Ryzen 5 7500F in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score that is 0.3% higher than the Ryzen 5 7500F, with a deltaPct of 0.3.

Q: What is the lowest measured frame rate for this system?

A: The lowest average frame rate recorded is 262.4 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play, where maximizing frame rate is often the priority, the Low settings preset at 1920x1080 delivers the highest measured average of 562.4 FPS. This provides a significant margin over even high-refresh-rate monitors (typically 360 Hz or 500 Hz), ensuring that the display is the only limiting factor. The Low preset also sees a minimal drop at 1440p, averaging 534.1 FPS, which makes it an excellent choice for players who prefer a higher resolution while still maintaining extremely high frame rates.

If visual fidelity is more important, the High settings preset at 1440p offers a balanced experience with an average of 348.9 FPS. This is still well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on most high-refresh-rate displays. At 4K, the High preset yields 279.1 FPS, which is playable and smooth, but the Ultra preset drops to 262.4 FPS, showing diminishing returns for the extra graphical load. The Medium preset provides a middle ground, with 430.2 FPS at 1080p and 368.8 FPS at 1440p, but the performance gain over High is marginal (4.1% at 1080p) and may not justify any visual compromises.

The data suggests that for the best overall experience, players should prioritize High settings at 1440p for a balance of visuals and performance, or drop to Low at 1080p for the absolute maximum frame rate. The Ultra preset is only recommended for users with high-refresh-rate 4K displays who are willing to accept a lower average frame rate in exchange for maximum graphical quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 808th out of 1650 tested combos for Valorant. This places the system in the middle of the pack, which is a somewhat surprising result given the high absolute frame rates measured. The ranking is likely influenced by the fact that many other tested combinations include significantly faster GPUs and CPUs that can push frame rates even higher, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU is the bottleneck. The top 50% of combos likely feature newer, more powerful hardware that can sustain frame rates beyond what this pairing achieves.

Despite the mid-pack ranking, the measured data shows that this combo is still highly capable. The ranking includes combos with much higher-end components, so the 808th position should not be interpreted as poor performance, but rather as a reflection of the competitive landscape. For a system with a mid-range CPU and a previous-generation high-end GPU, achieving an average of over 400 FPS at 1080p with High settings is a solid result. The percentileVsAllGpus of 65 for the RTX 2070 SUPER and 82 for the Ryzen 5 8400F further contextualizes that both components are above average compared to all available hardware, even if the combo itself is not in the top tier for this specific game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured frame rates provides a detailed picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 562.4 FPS on Low, 430.2 FPS on Medium, 412.5 FPS on High, and 390.3 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 30.6%, showing that the CPU is robust enough to maintain high frame rates even as the GPU load increases.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 534.1 FPS on Low, 368.8 FPS on Medium, 348.9 FPS on High, and 335.4 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced at the Medium setting, with a 14.3% reduction, while the Low setting only loses 5.0% of its performance. This suggests that at Medium and above, the GPU's pixel throughput becomes more critical.

At 3840x2160, the results are 450.3 FPS on Low, 291.2 FPS on Medium, 279.1 FPS on High, and 262.4 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is significant across all settings, with the Low preset losing 19.9% of its performance, and the Medium preset losing 32.3%. The Ultra preset shows the largest relative drop at 32.8% compared to its 1080p result, confirming that the RTX 2070 SUPER is heavily taxed at 4K with maximum settings. These numbers illustrate a system that is extraordinarily fast at standard competitive resolutions, but one where the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become limiting factors at the highest pixel counts.