Valorant

# Valorant with AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + Intel Arc B370

This combination of AMD's flagship Ryzen 9 9900X3D processor and Intel's integrated Arc B370 graphics lands at rank 2645 out of 2883 tested combos in Valorant, placing it in the bottom 9% of all system pairings. The data shows a system that is dramatically CPU-dominant, where the processor's 12-core, 24-thread Zen 5 architecture is capable of far more graphical performance than the integrated GPU can deliver. The Arc B370, with its 25W TDP and system-shared memory architecture, becomes the limiting factor across every resolution and setting tier measured, yet the results remain remarkably playable for a competitive FPS title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2645 out of 2883 tested combinations places this pairing in the 91.8th percentile from the bottom, meaning roughly 238 other combos perform worse in Valorant. This is a low ranking, but it must be contextualized by the nature of the components involved. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a desktop-class processor with a 120W TDP, while the Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution with a 25W TDP, designed for portable devices and low-power systems. The pairing is unusual in that the CPU is among the most powerful available, ranking in the 91st percentile versus all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 5th percentile versus all GPUs. This extreme imbalance explains the low combo ranking: the system's performance ceiling is set entirely by the integrated graphics.

Benchmark results for the CPU reinforce this narrative. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and a single-core score of 6739, indicating exceptional processing power that rivals other top-tier desktop chips. In nearestRivals comparisons, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF posts an average score of 55093, which is just 0.6% higher than the 9900X3D's average of 54762. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K trails by 1.3%, and the Intel Xeon 6505P is 2% behind. The Intel Core i7-14700F is 2.1% lower. This places the 9900X3D in a tight competitive band at the top of the desktop CPU market, yet none of that processing headroom translates to Valorant frame rates because the GPU cannot keep pace.

The average FPS data across all measured rows shows a system that produces between 122 and 299 FPS depending on resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the system hits 299 FPS average, which is competitive for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, at 4K Ultra, it drops to 122 FPS. The benchmark results indicate that Valorant is not particularly demanding on the CPU, and the 9900X3D's massive 128MB of L3 cache and 5.50 GHz boost clock are never the bottleneck in this configuration. The combo rank is low because the GPU is the limiting factor, and the data consistently shows that CPU headroom is wasted when paired with an integrated solution of this class.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary constraint in this system. Its specifications are modest by any measure: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, 20 render output units, and 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU runs at a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts to 2400 MHz, with a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput is 6.144 TFLOPS, and the memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width is also system-shared, and bandwidth is system dependent. This architecture relies on the CPU's DDR5 memory, which for the 9900X3D is dual-channel with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

The GPU's benchmark results confirm its low standing. It scores 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 5th percentile versus all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all legacy or low-end parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168. The deltaPct values are all within 1.4% of the Arc B370's score, indicating that this GPU performs in the same class as graphics hardware from over a decade ago. This is not a slight on the architecture — the Xe3-LPG design and 3nm process are modern — but the 25W TDP and integrated nature severely limit performance.

In Valorant, the GPU's role is to render frames as fast as possible, and the data shows it does so adequately at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system averages 299 FPS, which is a strong result. The GPU's boost clock of 2400 MHz and 1280 shading units are sufficient for Valorant's lightweight rendering demands at 1080p. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's lack of dedicated memory bandwidth becomes apparent. The system-shared memory configuration means the GPU competes with the CPU for the same DDR5 bandwidth, and this contention likely explains the significant frame rate drops at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop varies by settings preset. At Low settings, the system delivers 299 FPS at 1080p, 255 FPS at 1440p, and 204 FPS at 4K. This represents a 31.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 20% further drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is steep but not catastrophic, suggesting the GPU is the primary limiting factor at all resolutions, with the CPU providing enough headroom to sustain playable frame rates even at 4K.

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute numbers. The system averages 197 FPS at 1080p, 168 FPS at 1440p, and 134 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 14.7%, and the 1440p to 4K drop is 20.2%. Interestingly, the Medium preset also provides minimum and maximum FPS data: at 1080p Medium, the range is 167 to 226 FPS; at 1440p Medium, 143 to 193 FPS; and at 4K Medium, 114 to 154 FPS. These minimums indicate that the system maintains reasonably consistent frame pacing, with the minimum FPS never falling below 114 FPS even at 4K.

At High settings, the system averages 187 FPS at 1080p, 160 FPS at 1440p, and 128 FPS at 4K. The drops are 14.4% from 1080p to 1440p and 20% from 1440p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the averages are 178 FPS at 1080p, 152 FPS at 1440p, and 122 FPS at 4K, with drops of 14.6% and 19.7% respectively. The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings presets is notable. It suggests that the resolution scaling is driven by the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth limitations, not by any particular setting being more or less demanding. The GPU's 20 ROPs and 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are the likely bottlenecks at higher resolutions, as the number of pixels to fill quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The data shows that the limiting component is unambiguously the GPU. The CPU's performance is essentially constant across resolutions, so any frame rate drop is attributable to the Arc B370's inability to process more pixels at higher resolutions. The system remains playable at 4K with all settings, but the 122 FPS at 4K Ultra is below the 144Hz refresh rate that many competitive players target. At 1080p Low, the 299 FPS average comfortably exceeds 240Hz displays, making this the optimal configuration for high-refresh-rate competitive play.

FAQ

Q: Is this system capable of running Valorant at competitive frame rates?

A: Yes, at 1080p Low the system averages 299 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rates of most competitive gaming monitors. Even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 122 remains above the 60Hz baseline, though it falls short of high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Why is the combo rank so low when the CPU is a top-tier processor?

A: The combo rank of 2645 out of 2883 reflects the GPU's 5th percentile performance. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D ranks in the 91st percentile among CPUs, but the Arc B370's integrated nature and 25W TDP make it the bottleneck, dragging the overall system ranking down.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X3D compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The 9900X3D's average benchmark score of 54762 is within 2.1% of all four nearest rivals. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF is 0.6% faster, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K is 1.3% slower, the Intel Xeon 6505P is 2.0% slower, and the Intel Core i7-14700F is 2.1% slower.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Valorant?

A: The data shows 1080p provides the highest frame rates, with 299 FPS at Low, 197 FPS at Medium, 187 FPS at High, and 178 FPS at Ultra. For maximum competitive performance, 1080p Low delivers the best results.

Q: Does the GPU have dedicated video memory?

A: No, the Intel Arc B370 uses system-shared memory for both size and type, with bandwidth that is system dependent. It relies on the CPU's DDR5 memory, which is dual-channel with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth on the 9900X3D.

Q: How does the GPU's standalone benchmark score compare to its rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is within 1.4% of all four nearest rivals. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings preset for different priorities. For players seeking the absolute highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 299 FPS average, which is the peak performance in the entire dataset. This configuration maximizes the potential of high-refresh-rate monitors, especially 240Hz or 360Hz panels. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 102 FPS, dropping from 299 to 197 FPS, which is a substantial 34.1% reduction. This suggests that the Low preset is significantly lighter on the GPU than Medium, and for competitive play where every frame counts, the Low preset is the clear choice.

However, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a more balanced experience. The average FPS of 197 still comfortably exceeds 144Hz monitors, and the minimum FPS of 167 ensures that frame drops are rare. The minimum FPS data is only available for the Medium preset across all resolutions, with 167 FPS at 1080p, 143 FPS at 1440p, and 114 FPS at 4K. This frame pacing consistency is valuable for competitive play, as it reduces the impact of hitches or stutters. The difference between Medium and High at 1080p is just 10 FPS (197 vs 187), suggesting diminishing returns from increasing settings beyond Medium.

At higher resolutions, the Medium preset remains the best compromise. At 1440p Medium, the average is 168 FPS with a minimum of 143 FPS, which is still above 144Hz. At 4K Medium, the average of 134 FPS and minimum of 114 FPS provides a playable experience, though it falls short of high-refresh-rate targets. The High and Ultra presets at 4K drop to 128 and 122 FPS respectively, which is only marginally lower than Medium. The data indicates that the GPU is so resource-constrained that the difference between Medium and Ultra settings at 4K is minimal, with only 12 FPS separating Medium (134 FPS) from Ultra (122 FPS).

For most players, the Medium preset at 1440p or 1080p offers the best experience. It provides frame rates well above 144Hz at 1080p, maintains a minimum FPS above 140, and the visual quality is a step above Low. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it offers no meaningful frame rate advantage over High and the visual differences in a fast-paced FPS are negligible. The data suggests that the GPU's limited resources are better allocated to resolution and frame rate than to visual fidelity, making Medium the rational choice.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a desktop-class processor built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It features 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The 120W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate a high-performance part designed for enthusiast systems. The CPU is manufactured on a 4nm process by TSMC, with 16,630 million transistors across a dual-die design of 2x 70.6 mm². The cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 128 MB of L3 cache. This large L3 cache is a hallmark of the X3D series, designed to reduce memory latency and improve gaming performance.

In Valorant, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and frame scheduling, while the GPU renders graphics. The benchmark results indicate that the 9900X3D is massively overprovisioned for this task. Its single-thread performance is exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6739 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3041. Multi-threaded performance is equally strong, with Cinebench R23 multi-core at 47737 and PassMark multithread at 56154. These scores place the CPU in the 91st percentile versus all CPUs, and its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are all within 2.1%, as detailed in the nearestRivals data.

The CPU's memory support includes DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, along with ECC memory support. It uses PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes (CPU only), providing ample bandwidth for a discrete GPU if one were added. The integrated Radeon Graphics on the CPU are present, but the system uses the Intel Arc B370 for display output. The CPU's 128 MB of L3 cache is particularly relevant for gaming, as it can store larger portions of game data, reducing the need to access system memory. However, in this configuration, the CPU's capabilities are largely untapped. The measured FPS data shows that the system's frame rates scale with resolution in a way that is characteristic of GPU limitation, not CPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 299 FPS, which is likely near the GPU's maximum output rather than the CPU's maximum frame generation capability.

The CPU's release date of January 2025 and launch MSRP of $599 position it as a premium desktop processor. Its production status is active, and it is available on the AMD Socket AM5 platform. The benchmark results show a processor that excels across all workloads, from data encryption (PassMark score 33282) to floating-point math (119622) and integer math (179727). The 3DMark thread tests show strong scaling from 2 threads (2512) to 16 threads (12490) to max threads (13795), indicating efficient thread management. In Valorant, however, the CPU is never the bottleneck. The data shows that the Arc B370 GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution and settings preset, and the CPU's performance headroom is essentially irrelevant to the frame rates achieved. This is a system where the processor is far more capable than the graphics solution, and the benchmark results reflect this imbalance.