Valorant

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a top-tier competitive experience in Valorant, landing in the 1292nd position out of 2883 tested combos. This places the configuration in the 55th percentile of all tested hardware pairings, a solidly above-average result that reflects the game's modest hardware demands. The data confirms that this combo is not merely playable but exceptionally responsive, with average frame rates that far exceed the refresh rate capabilities of most high-end monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 1292 out of 2883 tested combinations places this pairing firmly in the upper half of all systems evaluated for Valorant. Benchmark results indicate a configuration that sits in a competitive sweet spot, neither at the bleeding edge nor struggling to keep pace. The ranking is particularly impressive given the age of the GPU component; the RTX 2070 SUPER is an end-of-life product, yet the overall system performance remains highly relevant for this specific title.

In percentile terms, this combination outperforms roughly 55% of all tested combos in the database for Valorant. This suggests that while there are faster systems available, the vast majority of players using this hardware will experience frame rates that are massively higher than what the game requires for smooth competitive play. The 2883 total combos represent a wide spectrum of hardware, from entry-level integrated graphics to flagship multi-thousand-dollar builds, making the top-half placement a meaningful indicator of this combo's capability.

The ranking also contextualizes the balance between CPU and GPU. Valorant is known to be a CPU-sensitive title, and the Ryzen 7 9700F's strong single-thread performance appears to be the primary driver of this above-average placement. The GPU, while competent, is not the limiting factor at most settings. This synergy explains why the combo ranks higher than the GPU's individual percentile ranking of 65 would suggest, as the processor compensates for any potential GPU bottlenecks in this specific workload.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for Valorant, a game with relatively modest texture and geometry requirements. The GPU's memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, translating to 14 Gbps effective, which contributes to the high bandwidth figure. This ample memory subsystem ensures that even at 4K resolution, the card does not run into VRAM capacity or bandwidth limitations.

The GPU's core clocks are set at a base of 1605 MHz and a boost of 1770 MHz. These clock speeds, combined with 2560 shading units, allow the card to produce a pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s. For a game like Valorant, which features relatively low polygon counts and simple shaders compared to modern AAA titles, these specifications are overkill. The card also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring full compatibility with the game's rendering API.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its capability. A Passmark G3D score of 18169 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, which scores 20480 (a 1% difference), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534 (1.2% higher). These numbers indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER is a mid-to-upper-tier card that, while not the fastest available, provides more than enough raw power for Valorant's engine.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system's performance scales as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 656 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average drops to 560 FPS, a decrease of roughly 15%. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average further declines to 447 FPS, representing a 32% drop from the 1440p figure and a 32% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the CPU remains the dominant performance driver even at higher resolutions, as the frame rates remain extraordinarily high.

The scaling behavior at Medium settings shows a similar trend. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops from 432 to 369, a 15% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, the average drops from 369 to 295, a 20% reduction. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 32%, nearly identical to the Low settings scaling. This consistency suggests that the GPU is not becoming the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as a GPU-bound scenario would typically show a steeper drop-off when pixel count quadruples.

The data points to a system where the CPU's performance ceiling is reached before the GPU's. Even at 4K Ultra settings, the system still produces an average of 267 FPS, which is far beyond the 144Hz or 240Hz refresh rates common on competitive gaming monitors. The limiting component in this configuration is the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with draw calls, not the GPU's ability to render frames. This is the ideal scenario for Valorant, where high and consistent frame rates are critical for competitive advantage.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings yield an average of 656 FPS, the highest recorded in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce an average of 432 FPS, with a minimum of 367 and a maximum of 497, indicating smooth frame pacing. High settings reduce the average to 412 FPS, while Ultra settings bring it down to 392 FPS. Even at the most demanding preset, the system maintains an average well above 300 FPS, ensuring a buttery-smooth experience on any high-refresh-rate monitor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains excellent. Low settings produce an average of 560 FPS, which is still extraordinarily high. Medium settings yield an average of 369 FPS, with a minimum of 313 and a maximum of 424. High settings deliver 351 FPS on average, while Ultra settings drop to 334 FPS. The minimum frame rate at Medium settings (313 FPS) is still above the refresh rate of most gaming monitors, indicating that the system rarely stutters or dips below playable thresholds.

At 3840x2160, the system continues to perform admirably. Low settings produce an average of 447 FPS, which is higher than what most systems can achieve at 1080p. Medium settings yield an average of 295 FPS, with a minimum of 251 and a maximum of 339. High settings deliver 281 FPS on average, while Ultra settings drop to 267 FPS. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (251 FPS) is still high enough for competitive play, though players with 360Hz monitors would need to lower settings or resolution to fully utilize their display's potential.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This combination of high core count and high boost clock is ideal for Valorant, which benefits significantly from strong single-thread performance. The processor's 4 nm process node, manufactured by TSMC, allows for efficient power delivery within a 65 W TDP.

The CPU's cache hierarchy is generous: 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. This large cache pool helps reduce memory latency, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in fast-paced shooters. The processor supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. This memory bandwidth is more than sufficient to feed the CPU's cores with data, preventing any potential memory bottlenecks.

Benchmark data shows the Ryzen 7 9700F scores 4691 in Passmark's single-thread test and 36470 in the multithread test. Its average benchmark score is 69996, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (avg score 69875, delta 0.2%), Intel Core i7-14700KF (avg score 70163, delta -0.2%), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (avg score 69515, delta 0.7%), and Intel Core i7-14700K (avg score 69355, delta 0.9%). These results show that the 9700F is competitive with some of the best processors available, making it an excellent pairing for Valorant.

Settings Recommendations

For players seeking the absolute highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers an average of 656 FPS, which is ideal for 360Hz or 500Hz monitors. However, the visual quality reduction may be unnecessary for most users. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a better balance, with an average of 432 FPS and a minimum of 367 FPS, ensuring consistent performance without significant visual compromises. This is the recommended setting for competitive play at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 369 FPS with a minimum of 313 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. This configuration offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, making it suitable for players with 240Hz or 300Hz monitors. The High preset at 1440p, with an average of 351 FPS, is also viable, though the slight visual improvement over Medium may not justify the 5% performance drop for most competitive players.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset produces an average of 447 FPS, which is remarkable for such a high resolution. The Medium preset at 4K, with an average of 295 FPS and a minimum of 251 FPS, is the best choice for players who prioritize visual quality while maintaining high frame rates. The Ultra preset at 4K, averaging 267 FPS, is acceptable but offers diminishing returns over Medium. Based on the data, Medium settings provide the best overall experience across all resolutions, delivering high average FPS with respectable minimum frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking for Valorant?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + RTX 2070 SUPER combo ranks 1292nd out of 2883 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of all systems tested.

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

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 656, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its rivals?

A: The CPU scores 4691 in Passmark's single-thread test, with an average benchmark score of 69996, placing it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700K.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and a memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

Q: Does the system maintain high frame rates at 4K?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the combo averages 295 FPS with a minimum of 251 FPS, and even at Ultra settings it averages 267 FPS.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best performance-to-quality balance?

A: Medium settings provide the best balance, offering an average of 432 FPS at 1080p, 369 FPS at 1440p, and 295 FPS at 4K, with consistent minimum frame rates.