Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS that rewards high frame rates, and the data for the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 shows a combination that is thoroughly capable of delivering them. This pairing, ranking 1311 out of 1650 tested combos in this game, demonstrates that a mid-range CPU from the 3000 series and an older-generation GPU can still provide an exceptionally smooth experience. The benchmark results indicate that this system is never the bottleneck at standard resolutions, though the scaling patterns reveal where its limits begin to show.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop is telling. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 407.8 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 384 FPS, a modest decline of roughly 6%. The jump to 4K Low sees a more significant reduction to 355.8 FPS, which is still a 7% drop from 1440p. This pattern indicates that at lower settings, the system is heavily CPU-bound; the GPU has enough headroom that even a significant increase in pixel count doesn't drastically impact the frame rate.

However, the story changes when settings are increased. At High settings, the 1080p average is 341.1 FPS. This falls to 291.3 FPS at 1440p, a 15% decrease, and then to 230 FPS at 4K, a further 21% decline. The Ultra preset shows an even steeper curve: 325.5 FPS at 1080p, 274.3 FPS at 1440p, and 222.6 FPS at 4K. The widening gap between resolution steps at higher settings confirms that the GPU becomes the limiting component as graphical load increases. The largest relative drop is seen when moving from 1440p to 4K on the High preset, where the system loses over 60 FPS, highlighting that the RTX 2060's 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are being pushed hard at 4K with enhanced visuals.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X provides a strong foundation for this game. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 2 architecture, it has far more processing power than Valorant needs. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz are more than sufficient to feed the GPU at high frame rates. This is reflected in the benchmark scores, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19087 and a single-core score of 2694. The PassMark single-thread score of 2656 further reinforces that the CPU's per-core performance is solid, which is critical for a game engine that often relies on a primary thread for game logic.

The data suggests that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck in this pairing. Even at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is highest at 407.8 FPS, the CPU is managing to keep up with the GPU's output. The fact that FPS does not increase dramatically when lowering settings from High to Low at 1080p (341.1 vs. 407.8) suggests a balance between the two components. If the CPU were severely limiting, we would expect the frame rate to be nearly identical regardless of resolution. Instead, the scaling shows the CPU has enough headroom to allow the GPU's performance to be the differentiating factor as resolution climbs. This CPU sits in the 85th percentile of all processors, and its performance is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-12600, which is only 0.1% faster in average benchmark scores.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware, this CPU and GPU pairing ranks 1311 out of 1650 combinations specifically for Valorant. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the field, which is expected given the age of the components. The RTX 2060 is from the GeForce 20-series, and the Ryzen 7 3700X is from the 3000 series, so newer combos will naturally sit higher. However, this rank does not tell the full story of its suitability for the game. The rank is relative to all other tested combos, many of which include top-tier modern hardware that can push frame rates into the 500+ range.

What is more important is the absolute performance, which is exceptional for a competitive title like Valorant. While it may be ranked low, the measured FPS demonstrates that it is more than capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors. The combination of a CPU that is 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT and a GPU that is 0.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S in their respective benchmark averages results in a system that provides a highly competitive experience, even if it doesn't top the charts. The rank is a reflection of the hardware's overall tier, not a judgment on its ability to play this specific game well.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. Starting at 1080p, the system is incredibly fast. The Low preset yields an average of 407.8 FPS, which is the highest score recorded for this combo. The Medium preset drops to 342 FPS, and High is nearly identical at 341.1 FPS. The Ultra preset yields 325.5 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, there is a substantial jump from Low to Medium, but diminishing returns after that.

Moving to 1440p, the averages remain high. Low settings produce 384 FPS, Medium delivers 300.3 FPS, High achieves 291.3 FPS, and Ultra is at 274.3 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is now more pronounced at nearly 110 FPS, showing a greater sensitivity to settings. At 4K, the system still delivers smooth gameplay. The Low preset averages 355.8 FPS, which is impressive. Medium drops to 243.3 FPS, High falls to 230 FPS, and Ultra is the lowest at 222.6 FPS. The most significant performance penalty is seen when moving from Low to Medium at 4K, where the average FPS drops by over 100 points, indicating a sharp increase in GPU load. Every single measured frame rate is above 220 FPS, meaning the system never dips into what would be considered a poor playable range.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the component that defines the graphical capabilities of this system. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. These specs are modest by modern standards but are perfectly adequate for Valorant's art style. The game is not graphically intensive, and the benchmark results confirm that the RTX 2060 has enough power to handle it at high frame rates.

The GPU's role becomes more apparent as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU's workload is significantly heavier. The 222.6 FPS average at 4K Ultra confirms the card's ability, but the scaling suggests that its 6 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game even at 4K. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 14111 puts it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, is only 0.5% faster, showing that the RTX 2060 still holds its own in this specific workload. The data indicates that the GPU is the primary reason for the FPS differences between settings presets at higher resolutions, as its fillrate and memory bandwidth are taxed more heavily.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal setting depends on the player's display and preference for visual fidelity versus raw frame rate. For players with a 1080p 240Hz or 360Hz monitor, the Low preset is not necessary. The High preset, which delivers 341.1 FPS, is a better choice as it provides improved visuals while still offering frame rates well above what most displays can show. The Medium preset at 342 FPS is virtually identical in performance to High, so choosing High is a no-brainer for the better image quality without a performance cost.

For 1440p users, the High preset at 291.3 FPS is the sweet spot. It offers a significant visual upgrade over Low (384 FPS) while maintaining an average frame rate that is still high enough for competitive play. The Ultra preset at 274.3 FPS is also viable, but the performance gain from High to Ultra is not necessary for a competitive edge. At 4K, the Low preset is the only one that allows the system to truly stretch its legs at 355.8 FPS. However, even the Ultra preset at 222.6 FPS is playable. For a game like Valorant, where frame rate consistency is king, the Low preset at 4K offers the most headroom, but the Medium preset at 243.3 FPS is a balanced choice for those wanting better visuals without sacrificing too much performance. The data suggests that the High preset is the best overall balance of visual quality and performance across 1080p and 1440p, while at 4K, Low or Medium is recommended to maximize the competitive advantage.