Valorant

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Valorant, a competitive FPS. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the measured average frame rates never dip below 488 FPS. This places the combo in the 213th position out of 3708 tested combinations, placing it in the top percentile of all systems tested. The data suggests a pairing that is overwhelmingly powerful for this game, moving most bottlenecks to the CPU and revealing interesting scaling characteristics.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture. It features a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The L3 cache is 96 MB shared, a key asset for gaming. The benchmark data shows that the CPU is a significant performance driver in Valorant. Multi-core scores are strong (Cinebench R23 multi-core 23230, Geekbench multi-core 18696, passmark multi-thread 40009), but single-thread performance is also strong (Cinebench R23 single-core 2080, passmark single-thread 4430).

The game is highly CPU-sensitive. The measured FPS jumps from 672 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings to 592 FPS at 3840x2160 with Low settings. The fact that FPS drops by a noticeable margin when resolution increases proves that the CPU is the primary limiter in this configuration. The CPU's 8-core/16-thread layout, backed by the extensive 96 MB L3 cache, is well-suited to Valorant's engine which benefits from high-frequency single-core performance. The chip also has an integrated Radeon Graphics, but the discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is used for all rendering. The high scores in single-threaded and multi-threaded 3DMark results (single 1212, max_threads 10067) align with the observed high FPS in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined configuration of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves rank 213 out of 3708 tested combos in Valorant. This places it in the top 5.8% of all data. This rank is impressive, but the raw data reveals that the system is not being fully utilized in a resolution-limited scenario.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database show a tight group. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS averages a score of 39603 (0.4% lower), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 is 40048 (0.7% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 is 39485 (0.7% higher). The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is 40081 (0.8% higher). These deltas are small, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's average score of 39768 sits in the middle of these rivals. This shows that the CPU alone is not the sole deciding factor for the final rank; the GPU pairing and other factors matter.

When looking at the GPU side, the RTX 4090 is similarly positioned with an average score of 60347 and a percentile of 88. The nearest GPU rivals have near-identical average scores: Intel Arc Pro A60 at 60326 (0% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 at 60140 (0.3% delta), and AMD Radeon Pro W6600M at 61896 (-2.5% delta). The RTX 4090's high percentile and the CPU's 87th percentile are well-matched. The fact that this combo ranks 213rd, not in the top 10, suggests that the game's engine is the ultimate bottleneck, not the hardware. The data shows that the 9800X3D is a top-tier gaming CPU, but it is not alone in the top tier.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of decreasing performance as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 672 at 1920x1080 to 638 at 2560x1440 (a 5.3% drop) and further to 592 at 3840x2160 (a 11.9% drop from 1440p). This pattern holds across all settings. For High settings, the numbers go from 564 at 1080p to 535 at 1440p (5.1% drop) to 496 at 4K (7.3% drop). Medium: 573 at 1080p, 544 at 1440p, 505 at 4K. Ultra: 555 at 1080p, 526 at 1440p, 488 at 4K.

The absolute FPS is still extremely high, but the relative drops indicate a CPU limit. If the RTX 4090 were the primary limiter, the FPS would drop much more precipitously from 1080p to 4K due to the pixel fill rate demands. Instead, the game is lightly threaded and the CPU can't push beyond a certain point. For instance, at 4K Low, the FPS is 592, which is only 12% lower than the 1080p Low result. This suggests that the CPU is the sole bottleneck at all resolutions, and the RTX 4090 has headroom to spare.

The medium settings show the most detailed data with min and max FPS. At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 487 and max is 659, giving a range of 172 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the min is 462 and max is 625 (range 163). At 4K Medium, the min is 429 and max is 580 (range 151). The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the system is more consistently hitting the CPU ceiling at higher resolutions, with less variance. The average FPS at 4K Medium (505) is only 11% lower than 1080p Medium (538), again highlighting the CPU limit.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080 (Full HD):

• Low: 672 FPS average (highest in the entire dataset).
• Medium: 538 FPS average, with a minimum of 487 and maximum of 659.
• High: 564 FPS average.
• Ultra: 555 FPS average.

2560x1440 (Quad HD):

• Low: 638 FPS average.
• Medium: 544 FPS average, with a minimum of 462 and maximum of 625.
• High: 535 FPS average.
• Ultra: 526 FPS average.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 592 FPS average.
• Medium: 505 FPS average, with a minimum of 429 and maximum of 580.
• High: 496 FPS average.
• Ultra: 488 FPS average.

Low settings at 1080p deliver the highest FPS, but not by a huge margin. The difference between Low (672) at 1080p and Ultra (555) at 1080p is 117 FPS, or about 21%. At 4K, the spread from Low (592) to Ultra (488) is 104 FPS, or 21%. This consistent delta indicates that the settings have a similar impact across resolutions. The highest FPS is 672 (1080p Low), and the lowest is 488 (4K Ultra). The median across all 12 measured points is approximately 535 FPS.

The Medium settings provide the only min/max data for each resolution. The min FPS figures are important for competitive play, ensuring that frame pacing doesn't suffer. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 487 FPS, which is still far above standard 60Hz and 144Hz displays. The maximum FPS at 4K Medium is 580, which shows that even at 4K, the system can push beyond 500 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest measured FPS for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 672, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest measured FPS for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 488, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the 9800X3D's CPU performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 39768. It is 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39603), 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048), and 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (39485). It is 0.8% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (40081).

Q: Which resolution offers the highest FPS?

A: 1920x1080 offers the highest FPS across all settings, with the peak at 672 FPS on Low.

Q: What are the min and max FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: The average is 544 FPS, with a minimum of 462 and maximum of 625.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data shows the CPU is the limiting factor. The FPS drops only slightly from 1080p to 4K (e.g., 672 to 592 on Low), indicating the RTX 4090 has headroom and the CPU is the primary limiter.

Q: What is the combo rank in the database?

A: This specific combo ranks 213 out of 3708 tested combinations.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows that Low settings consistently deliver the highest average FPS across all resolutions. The gap between Low and Ultra is roughly 21% regardless of resolution. For competitive players, the Low preset is the clear choice: it yields the highest frames (672 FPS at 1080p Low) and minimizes any potential input lag. At 1440p Low, the 638 FPS is still extremely high, and at 4K Low, 592 FPS is sufficient for any display.

Ultra settings, while only 21% slower, still deliver 555 FPS at 1080p and 488 at 4K. For players who prioritize visual quality over raw performance, the Ultra preset is a viable option. The Medium preset offers a balanced middle ground, with the highest variance in min/max FPS but still above 500 FPS on average. The High preset is nearly identical to Medium (with 564 vs 538 at 1080p), but the High preset lacks the detailed min/max data.

The best choice depends on the player's monitor refresh rate. For a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, any setting is overkill. For a 360Hz monitor, Low settings at 1080p or 1440p provide the headroom. For a 500Hz monitor, only 1080p Low (672 FPS) can consistently stay above that threshold. The data suggests that for competitive integrity, Low settings are optimal, but the system has so much performance that even Ultra is a viable option for those who prefer visual polish.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a powerhouse with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2520 MHz, and it has 16384 shading units. The GPU's role in Valorant is secondary to the CPU, but it still contributes to the overall frame rate. Valorant is not a graphically demanding title, so the RTX 4090's compute power (82.58 TFLOPS FP32) is massively underutilized.

The GPU's high memory bandwidth (1.01 TB/s) and large VRAM (24 GB) are irrelevant for this game. Valorant's textures and geometry are lightweight, and the RTX 4090's 24 GB buffer is never stressed. The GPU's 5 nm process (TSMC) and 450 W TDP are also overkill. The nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark (Intel Arc Pro A60, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, AMD Radeon Pro W6600M) are all within 2.9% of the RTX 4090's average score, indicating that even mid-range GPUs can keep pace in this specific game.

The data shows that the RTX 4090 is not the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the FPS is 488, and the CPU is the bottleneck. The GPU's clock speeds (base 2235 MHz, boost 2520 MHz) and 450 W TDP are not a factor; the GPU is effectively running well below its limits. For this game, the RTX 4090 is a luxury pairing that allows the CPU to be the sole bottleneck. The GPU's high pixel rate (443.5 GPixel/s) and texture rate (1,290.2 GTexel/s) are never fully exercised. In summary, the RTX 4090's role is to ensure that the GPU never limits the frame rate, leaving the CPU (the 9800X3D) as the performance ceiling.