Valorant

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon 890M delivers a compelling, if not class-leading, Valorant experience. Benchmark data shows this combination is fully capable of producing high frame rates, though its overall ranking among tested systems is surprisingly low. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and optimal settings based strictly on the provided data.

FAQ

Q: What is the top average frame rate this combo achieves in Valorant?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 294, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is significantly higher than the 200 FPS average seen at 4K with Low settings, indicating resolution plays a major role in performance scaling.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2704 out of 2883 total tested combinations. This places it in the bottom percentile of systems tested, despite delivering playable frame rates, suggesting that the competition includes many high-end discrete GPUs.

Q: Does the Radeon 890M perform better with DX11 or DX12 in synthetic tests?

A: In PassMark synthetic benchmarks, the GPU scores 73 in DirectX 11 and only 37 in DirectX 12. Its DirectX 9 score is the highest of the legacy APIs at 97, while its DirectX 10 score is the lowest at 33.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the more likely bottleneck in this configuration?

A: Given that the CPU has a 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU sits at the 45th percentile, the data suggests the Radeon 890M is the performance limiter. The CPU's high single-thread and multi-thread scores are more than sufficient for this FPS title.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded across all tested settings?

A: The lowest average FPS is 120, which occurs at 3840x2160 (4K) resolution with Ultra settings. This is the only tested configuration that dips below the 126 FPS average seen at 4K High settings.

Q: Does the combo support modern graphics APIs for future compatibility?

A: Yes, the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. This ensures compatibility with modern rendering features, even if the IGP's raw compute power is limited.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture. Its performance in Valorant is directly tied to its clock speeds and memory configuration. The GPU has a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz. This boost clock is crucial, as Valorant is a fast-paced esports title where sustained high clocks translate directly to higher frame rates. The data shows that even at 4K, the GPU can push an average of 126 FPS on High settings, demonstrating that its compute units are being utilized effectively.

Memory is a critical factor for an IGP. The 890M uses "System Shared" memory, meaning its bandwidth is "System Dependent." This is a significant limitation compared to dedicated VRAM. The system's CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a maximum bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. While this shared bandwidth is sufficient for the frame rates observed, it means that system memory speed and configuration directly impact GPU performance. The benchmark results show a clear scaling pattern: at 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 119 FPS (294 vs 175). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the GPU is less memory-bandwidth constrained, allowing its shading units to work at full capacity.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities, while modest, are adequate for Valorant. It features 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output pipelines. Its FP32 performance is rated at 5.939 TFLOPS. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 8076 in PassMark G3D and 40808 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it at the 45th percentile of all GPUs. Interestingly, its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (deltaPct -0.1) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (deltaPct -0.7), indicating that its raw compute power is in line with older entry-level discrete graphics cards. In Valorant, this translates to playable frame rates, but the lack of dedicated memory prevents it from competing with modern discrete solutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame data places this configuration at rank 2704 out of 2883 tested combos. This is a remarkably low ranking, placing it in the bottom 6% of all systems tested for Valorant. This ranking is surprising given the playable frame rates observed. However, it is important to note that this ranking is against all tested combos, which likely includes a vast array of systems with high-end discrete graphics cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40-series and AMD Radeon RX 7000-series.

The low rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's position in the market. The Radeon 890M's average benchmark score is 9210, which is only 0.1% lower than the AMD Radeon Vega 8 and 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960. These are not GPUs known for high-refresh-rate competitive gaming at high resolutions. While the combo produces an average of 294 FPS at 1080p Low, the data shows that many other combos likely achieve much higher frame rates, pushing this configuration down the ranking. The high CPU percentile (95th) does not compensate for the GPU's lower percentile (45th) for final game ranking, as the GPU is the primary determinant of raw rendering speed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's performance across different resolutions and settings. The data consistently shows that lowering settings and resolution yields higher average frame rates.

At 1920x1080:

• Low settings produce an average of 294 FPS, the highest in the entire dataset.
• Medium settings yield an average of 193 FPS, with a minimum of 164 and a maximum of 222.
• High settings produce an average of 184 FPS.
• Ultra settings produce an average of 175 FPS.

This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this combo, with even Ultra settings providing a high refresh rate experience. The 119 FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings highlights the GPU's sensitivity to graphical fidelity.

At 2560x1440:

• Low settings produce an average of 250 FPS.
• Medium settings yield an average of 165 FPS, with a minimum of 140 and a maximum of 190.
• High settings produce an average of 157 FPS.
• Ultra settings produce an average of 150 FPS.

At 1440p, the performance remains strong, particularly on Low settings. The scaling is similar to 1080p, with a 100 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium (140 FPS) is still well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on a 144Hz monitor.

At 3840x2160 (4K):

• Low settings produce an average of 200 FPS.
• Medium settings yield an average of 132 FPS, with a minimum of 112 and a maximum of 152.
• High settings produce an average of 126 FPS.
• Ultra settings produce an average of 120 FPS.

At 4K, the combo starts to show its limitations. While Low settings still provide a high frame rate, the drop from 200 FPS to 132 FPS when moving to Medium is significant. Ultra settings at 4K, with an average of 120 FPS, is the lowest performance tier in the dataset, though it remains playable.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high boost clock is critical for Valorant, which relies heavily on single-thread performance for game logic and draw calls. The CPU's benchmark scores confirm its strength: it scores 6030 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 42713 in multi-core. Its PassMark single-thread score is 3907, and its multithread score is 51405. This places the CPU at the 95th percentile of all CPUs, demonstrating that it is a top-tier mobile processor.

In the context of Valorant, the CPU is not the bottleneck. The measured frame rates are more likely limited by the Radeon 890M's rendering capabilities. The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and high core count ensure that it can feed the GPU with data quickly and handle any background tasks without impacting frame times. The CPU's memory controller supports DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, which is the data path for the GPU's "System Shared" memory. The CPU's high single-core performance is what allows the combo to achieve frame rates in the hundreds, as Valorant's engine is well-optimized for high-frequency CPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (deltaPct 0.1), AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (deltaPct -0.4), and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (deltaPct -0.4). These comparisons show that the 8945HX is essentially on par with other flagship processors in terms of average benchmark score, with a delta of less than 1% in either direction. This reinforces the idea that the CPU is providing a solid foundation for the system, and any performance shortcomings in Valorant are attributable to the integrated GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. The data provides a clear hierarchy: Low settings offer the highest frame rates at all resolutions, while Ultra offers the lowest.

For users with a 1080p monitor with a high refresh rate (144Hz or above), the Low preset is the clear choice. The average of 294 FPS provides significant headroom above the monitor's refresh rate, ensuring that frame times are consistently low and the experience is as smooth as possible. Even the Medium preset, with an average of 193 FPS, is suitable for a 144Hz display, offering a balance between visual quality and performance. The High and Ultra presets, with averages of 184 and 175 FPS respectively, are also viable for a 144Hz display, though they provide less headroom for demanding in-game moments.

For 1440p users, the Low preset is the most effective way to maintain high frame rates, yielding an average of 250 FPS. This is ideal for a 240Hz monitor. The Medium preset, with an average of 165 FPS, is a good choice for a 144Hz display, providing a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining smooth gameplay. The High and Ultra presets, with averages of 157 and 150 FPS, are also suitable for 144Hz, but the reduced frame rate may be noticeable in fast-paced firefights.

For 4K users, the Low preset is the only option that provides a truly high-refresh-rate experience, with an average of 200 FPS. The Medium preset, at 132 FPS, is playable on a 120Hz display but will not fully utilize a 144Hz panel. The High and Ultra presets, at 126 and 120 FPS, are best reserved for users with a 60Hz or 120Hz display who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum frame rate. The data suggests that for competitive play, sticking to Low or Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p offers the best balance of responsiveness and visual clarity, while 4K is best reserved for less competitive, more visually-oriented modes.