Valorant

Valorant, as a competitive FPS, is typically associated with high refresh rates and CPU-bound performance. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and the Intel Arc B370 presents a unique data point, as the GPU is an integrated-class part with a very low benchmark percentile. The measured FPS data for this combo shows a range of performance that is heavily influenced by both resolution and settings, revealing a system that is capable of high frame rates but with distinct scaling characteristics. This analysis breaks down the measured results to understand the role each component plays in this specific configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Arc B370 combo for the highest frame rates?

A: Based on the measured data, the highest average FPS is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, reaching 299 FPS. This is significantly higher than the 255 FPS average seen at 2560x1440 with the same Low settings.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B370 a powerful GPU compared to other tested parts?

A: No. The GPU's benchmark data indicates it sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rivals include older parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770, from which it lags behind by -0.5%.

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X compare to its closest rivals in overall CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 5900X has an average benchmark score of 41376, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. It is nearly identical in performance to its closest rivals, with a deltaPct of 0.3% against the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H and 0.4% against the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H, and it is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14650HX.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the measured data shows an average FPS of 197, with a minimum FPS of 167 and a maximum FPS of 226.

Q: Does the CPU support overclocking?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has an unlocked multiplier, indicating it is designed for overclocking. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz.

Q: What is the memory configuration for this CPU?

A: The Ryzen 9 5900X supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. It also supports ECC memory.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience, depending on the target resolution. The primary goal for a competitive title like Valorant is to maximize frame rate, and the data shows a clear hierarchy. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 299, which is a 112 FPS advantage over the High preset's 187 FPS. This significant jump makes Low the optimal choice for players with high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset, at 197 FPS, offers a less substantial increase over Low but still falls short of the maximum achievable frame rate.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the pattern remains consistent, with the Low preset providing the best performance at 255 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at this resolution yield 160 and 152 FPS, respectively, which are still playable but represent a considerable drop from the Low setting. At 3840x2160, the Low preset still leads with 204 FPS, but the gap narrows, and the High preset drops to 128 FPS. For a game where frame rate is paramount, the Low preset is the clear recommendation across all resolutions, as it consistently provides the highest average FPS.

However, the data also shows that the Medium preset provides a balanced option. At 1080p, it offers 197 FPS, which is only 2 FPS less than High, but it also includes a recorded minimum FPS of 167. This makes the Medium preset a viable choice for those who want a slight visual upgrade without a massive performance penalty. The Ultra preset, while offering the highest visual fidelity, consistently produces the lowest average FPS at each resolution (178 at 1080p, 152 at 1440p, and 122 at 4K). For players prioritizing smoothness and competitive edge, the Low preset is the best experience, with Medium as a secondary option for those who want a balance.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals the performance bottleneck characteristics of this combo. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, there is a clear and consistent drop in performance. For instance, at Low settings, the frame rate falls from 299 FPS to 255 FPS, a decrease of 44 FPS. This trend continues from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, where the frame rate drops from 255 FPS to 204 FPS. This pattern indicates that as the pixel count increases, the system's ability to render frames decreases.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a total reduction of 95 FPS at Low settings (from 299 to 204 FPS) and 59 FPS at High settings (from 187 to 128 FPS). The fact that the frame rate does not scale linearly with the massive increase in pixel count (4K has 4 times the pixels of 1080p) suggests that the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, is a significant limiting factor. Even when the resolution is increased, the CPU's ability to process the game logic and draw calls caps the maximum frame rate.

While the Intel Arc B370 is a low-performance part (5th percentile), the game's engine is likely not heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions. The data shows that the CPU is able to push out high frame rates at 1080p, but as the GPU load increases with resolution, the system becomes more balanced. The relatively small performance drop from 1440p to 4K (from 255 to 204 FPS at Low) compared to the drop from 1080p to 1440p (from 299 to 255 FPS) suggests that the GPU is starting to become a co-limiting factor at 4K, but the CPU remains the primary constraint throughout.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested system combinations for Valorant, this particular pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Arc B370 is positioned in the lower tier of performance. The combo ranks 2645 out of 2883 total combinations, placing it in the bottom portion of the database. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's very low benchmark standing, as the CPU is a high-performing part.

The CPU's 87th percentile ranking against all CPUs suggests that it is capable of delivering high performance in CPU-bound scenarios. However, the GPU's 5th percentile ranking significantly drags down the overall system capability. The combo's overall rank of 2645 indicates that while it can run the game, the experience is not competitive with the majority of other systems that have been tested. The data suggests that the GPU is the primary reason for the low ranking, as the CPU alone would likely rank much higher in a system with a more powerful graphics card.

This low combo rank is reflected in the measured FPS, which, while playable, does not reach the extreme heights that a top-tier system might achieve. For example, the 299 FPS at 1080p Low is a solid result, but it is likely that many other combos in the database achieve much higher numbers, which is why this combo sits in the 2645th position. The combination of a strong CPU with a weak GPU creates a significant imbalance that limits the system's overall potential in this title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is a unique component in this configuration, functioning as an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 25 W TDP. Its performance data is stark, with an average benchmark score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This places it in direct competition with legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, from which it is 0.2% and 0.5% slower, respectively. This indicates that the GPU is not a high-performance part by any modern standard.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory, and its bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent." This is a critical limitation, as it shares the memory bus with the CPU and can lead to performance bottlenecks. The GPU's clocks are set at a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz. Its compute capabilities are modest, with 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, delivering an FP32 throughput of 6.144 TFLOPS.

Despite its low raw performance, the measured FPS in Valorant shows that the GPU is capable of rendering the game at playable frame rates. The difference between the Low and High settings at each resolution shows the impact of the GPU's workload. At 1080p, the difference between Low and High is 112 FPS (299 vs 187), which shows that the GPU must work significantly harder at higher settings. This gap narrows at 4K, where the difference is 76 FPS (204 vs 128), suggesting that at higher resolutions, the GPU's limits are more pronounced, but the CPU still plays a role in limiting the final output.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the highest average is 299 FPS on Low, followed by 197 FPS on Medium, 187 FPS on High, and 178 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset also recorded a minimum of 167 FPS and a maximum of 226 FPS, showing some variability. The 1080p Low setting is clearly the performance leader.

For 2560x1440, the Low preset again leads with 255 FPS. The Medium preset averages 168 FPS, with a min of 143 FPS and a max of 193 FPS. The High and Ultra presets produce 160 and 152 FPS, respectively. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable, but the Low preset still delivers a very high frame rate. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 204 FPS. The Medium preset averages 134 FPS, with a min of 114 and a max of 154 FPS. High and Ultra settings yield 128 and 122 FPS, respectively.

The data shows a clear trend: the Low preset consistently offers the best average FPS at every resolution. The Medium preset is consistently the second-best, with the High and Ultra presets trailing. The difference between Medium and High is relatively small at each resolution (10 FPS at 1080p, 8 FPS at 1440p, and 6 FPS at 4K), suggesting that the High setting does not offer a significant performance improvement over Medium. The Ultra preset, however, shows a more notable drop from High (9 FPS at 1080p, 8 FPS at 1440p, and 6 FPS at 4K).

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a high-end desktop processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. With 12 cores and 24 threads, it is a powerful multi-threaded part. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16262 and a single-core score of 1527. It also achieves a Geekbench multi-core score of 14118 and a single-core score of 2083. These results place the CPU in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41376.

In the context of Valorant, the CPU's role is critical. The game is known for being CPU-bound, and the data supports this. Even with a very weak GPU, the system is able to achieve high frame rates, particularly at 1080p. The 299 FPS at 1080p Low suggests that the CPU is able to process the game's instructions and issue draw calls faster than the GPU can render them at that resolution. The CPU's high single-core performance, as evidenced by the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 250 and the 3DMark single-thread score of 941, is likely the key factor in this ability.

The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads provide ample multi-threaded capability, which is reflected in its high multi-core scores. However, for a game like Valorant, the single-thread performance is often more critical. The data shows that the CPU is not the primary limiting factor in this combo, as the frame rates are still high even at lower resolutions. The CPU's strong performance is what allows this system to achieve playable frame rates despite the GPU's low ranking, demonstrating that a powerful CPU can mitigate some of the weaknesses of a very weak GPU in this specific title.