Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS that scales dramatically with hardware, and the combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a dataset that clearly separates CPU-bound and GPU-bound operating points. The measured frames per second across resolutions and presets show a system that is never truly stressed at lower settings, but which begins to show its GPU limits at 4K. This analysis interprets those measured figures, contextualizes the component pair within the benchmark database, and provides actionable settings guidance based strictly on the observed data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a stark contrast in scaling behavior between 1080p and 4K, indicating a fundamental shift in which component serves as the performance limiter. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combination achieves 599.5 FPS average, which is the highest recorded figure in the entire dataset. Dropping to 2560x1440 Low reduces that to 507.6 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low the average falls to 405.7 FPS. This progression shows that even at the most demanding resolution with the least demanding preset, the system still delivers well over 400 FPS, suggesting that the CPU’s 12 cores and 24 threads are providing ample headroom for frame generation.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p on Low settings represents a 15.3% reduction in average FPS, while the step from 1440p to 4K at Low settings incurs a 20.1% drop. However, the more telling comparison lies in the High preset row. At 1080p High, the average is 371.6 FPS; at 1440p High, it falls to 320 FPS; and at 4K High, it drops to 255.4 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 13.9%, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 20.2%. This accelerating decline as resolution increases points directly at the GPU becoming the primary constraint, as the rendering load on the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 2176 shading units grows faster than the CPU can compensate.

The Ultra settings row reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p Ultra, the system delivers 353.1 FPS, which is only 5.2% lower than High at the same resolution. At 1440p Ultra, the figure is 301.8 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 243.6 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows as resolution rises: at 1080p the difference is 18.5 FPS, at 1440p it is 18.2 FPS, and at 4K it is 11.8 FPS. This convergence suggests that at 4K, both presets are pushing the GPU to its limits, and the extra rendering work from Ultra settings yields diminishing returns in frame rate. The data indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus, is the binding constraint at 4K, while the Ryzen 9 7900X remains underutilized.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimizing the experience in Valorant, with the Low preset standing out as the standout choice for competitive play. At 1080p Low, the system produces 599.5 FPS, which is 36.8% higher than the next best preset at the same resolution, Medium, which delivers 388.3 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 211.2 FPS, a substantial penalty that most competitive players would find unacceptable. High at 1080p yields 371.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 353.1 FPS, but neither approaches the headroom offered by Low.

For users targeting 1440p, the Low preset again leads with 507.6 FPS, while Medium delivers 334.5 FPS, High provides 320 FPS, and Ultra falls to 301.8 FPS. The margin between Low and the next best preset is 173.1 FPS, which is slightly smaller than at 1080p but still decisive. At 4K, the Low preset maintains a commanding lead with 405.7 FPS, while Medium drops to 263.9 FPS, High to 255.4 FPS, and Ultra to 243.6 FPS. The Low preset’s advantage at 4K is 141.8 FPS over Medium, confirming that the quality settings have a massive impact on frame rate regardless of resolution.

The data suggests that Low is the only preset that fully exploits the CPU’s potential, keeping frame rates high enough to saturate any high-refresh-rate monitor. Medium offers a marginal visual upgrade over Low but sacrifices more than 200 FPS at 1080p, making it a poor trade-off for a competitive FPS. High and Ultra provide diminishing returns, with the difference between them shrinking from 18.5 FPS at 1080p to just 11.8 FPS at 4K. Based on the measured averages, the Low preset at 1080p delivers the best experience, as it maximizes frame rate while minimizing the GPU bottleneck that appears at higher settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER operates with a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, built on the TU106 chip with 2176 shading units. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 1750 MHz with a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. These specifications place the GPU in the 63rd percentile of all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19774. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, scores 19706, a delta of 0.3%, placing the RTX 2060 SUPER essentially at parity with that older flagship. The RTX 2070 trails by 0.5%, and the Quadro K5200 sits 0.8% behind, showing that this GPU punches near the top of its class.

In the context of Valorant, the GPU’s role becomes evident only at higher resolutions and presets. At 1080p Low, the GPU is likely idling relative to the CPU, with the Ryzen 9 7900X’s massive multi-threaded throughput driving frame generation. The 7900X, scoring 50556 in average benchmarks and ranking in the 93rd percentile of CPUs, has a 3dmark_max_threads score of 12536 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4238, indicating strong single-core performance that is critical for Valorant’s engine. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute becomes the limiting factor, with the 4K Ultra row showing 243.6 FPS, which is 59.3% lower than the 1080p Low peak.

The measured data shows that the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is not a constraint in this game, as even at 4K Ultra the system maintains over 240 FPS. Instead, the GPU’s raw throughput, represented by its 64 ROPs and 224.4 GTexel/s texture rate, dictates the performance ceiling at high resolutions. The boost clock of 1650 MHz is modest by modern standards, but it is sufficient to handle Valorant’s relatively light graphical load. The GPU’s production status is end-of-life, and its launch MSRP was 399 USD, but the benchmark results indicate that it remains capable of delivering competitive frame rates in this title, provided the CPU is strong enough to feed it.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Valorant?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 599.5, recorded at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its closest rival in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER scores 19774 on average, which is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, its nearest rival with a score of 19706.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 243.6, which is 59.3% lower than the 1080p Low peak, indicating the GPU becomes the primary limiter at this resolution and preset.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Medium presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 507.6 FPS, while Medium delivers 334.5 FPS, a difference of 173.1 FPS in favor of Low.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 7900X rank among all tested CPUs?

A: The Ryzen 9 7900X ranks in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 50556, placing it just 0.1% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 235.

Q: What is the best preset for maximizing frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 produces 599.5 FPS, which is the highest recorded average in the dataset and the recommended choice for competitive play.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER achieves a rank of 966 out of 1650 tested combos in Valorant. This placement indicates that while the system is capable of producing exceptional frame rates, it is not among the top-performing configurations in the database for this game. The rank of 966 puts it in the lower half of all tested combinations, which is surprising given the measured FPS figures. This discrepancy suggests that many other combos, likely featuring more powerful GPUs, achieve even higher averages at the same settings.

The CPU’s strong benchmark performance, with a 3dmark_max_threads score of 12536 and a cinebench r23 multicore score of 43695, provides a solid foundation, but the GPU’s 63rd percentile ranking holds the combo back in the overall standings. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s average score of 19774 is respectable, but it sits just 0.3% above the GTX TITAN and 0.5% above the RTX 2070, indicating that the GPU is a mid-tier contender. In a game like Valorant, where high frame rates are paramount, the combo’s rank of 966 out of 1650 suggests that many systems with newer or higher-tier GPUs can exceed the 599.5 FPS ceiling observed here.

The data shows that the combo’s performance is heavily dependent on the preset and resolution chosen. At 1080p Low, the 599.5 FPS average would likely rank much higher, but the database ranking reflects a broader set of conditions. The 7900X’s 93rd percentile CPU ranking ensures that the processor is not the bottleneck, but the RTX 2060 SUPER’s limitations at 4K Ultra, where it delivers 243.6 FPS, drag the overall combo ranking down. For users seeking a top-tier ranking in the database, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, but for practical play, this combo delivers outstanding results at competitive settings.