Valorant

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2534 out of 2883 tested combos in Valorant. This places the combo in the bottom 12th percentile of all tested systems, a surprisingly low position for a game that is traditionally considered highly scalable. The ranking suggests that while the system can produce playable frame rates, it does so from a position that is far from competitive among the broad spectrum of hardware configurations cataloged in the database.

The combo's position becomes more understandable when examining the individual components' benchmark percentiles. The CPU sits at the 68th percentile among all processors, a solid mid-pack showing. The GPU, however, lands at the 9th percentile among all graphics cards, a stark contrast that immediately flags the Arc B390 as the primary constraint. With the GPU scoring so far below average, the overall combo ranking is dragged down despite the CPU's respectable standing. The data indicates a substantial imbalance: a competent six-core processor shackled to a graphics solution that ranks among the weakest in the database.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F brings six cores and twelve threads to the system, operating with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. This Comet Lake architecture chip, built on Intel's 14 nm process, shares a 12 MB L3 cache across its cores. The processor supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications matter for Valorant because the game's engine is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance and memory latency.

Benchmark results for the CPU show a clear strength in multithreaded workloads relative to its single-thread showing. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10283 dramatically outpaces the single-core score of 1451, reflecting the benefit of twelve threads. The 3DMark tests reinforce this pattern: 4,748 points with 16 threads versus 688 points with a single thread. The PassMark multithread score of 12,115 and single-thread score of 2,541 follow the same trend. For Valorant, which can leverage multiple cores but often prioritizes a primary thread for game logic, this means the CPU has headroom to handle background tasks while maintaining frame pacing.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database provide context for its overall compute capability. The Intel Xeon 6756E scores 14,163 on average, a mere 0.2% above the i5-10400F's average of 14,185. The Intel Core 7 160UL sits 0.3% behind, and the AMD EPYC 7552 trails by 0.5%. The AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.6% lower. This clustering shows the i5-10400F is effectively at parity with a diverse set of server and mobile processors in aggregate throughput, which is notable for a desktop part from the 10th generation. In Valorant, this compute headroom means the CPU is unlikely to be the bottleneck at most settings, even when the GPU is struggling to keep pace.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear limiting factor in this configuration. This integrated graphics solution, based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and built on a 3 nm process, features 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Memory is system shared, meaning the GPU draws from the same DDR4 pool as the CPU, with bandwidth described as system dependent. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring modern API compatibility.

The GPU's benchmark presence is minimal, with a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482. This places the Arc B390 at the 9th percentile of all GPUs, a remarkably low position. The nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463 (1.3% behind), the GeForce 800M scores 1,460 (1.5% behind), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1,446 (2.5% behind), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443 (2.7% behind). Being grouped with these ancient, low-end parts paints a clear picture of the Arc B390's raw rasterization capabilities.

Yet the measured FPS in Valorant tells a more nuanced story. At 1080p Low settings, the combo produces 331 FPS average. At 4K High, it still manages 141 FPS. These numbers are far from the GPU's percentile ranking would suggest. This discrepancy arises because Valorant is designed to run on a wide range of hardware, and its visual demands are modest compared to AAA titles. The Arc B390's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while modest, is sufficient for this game's stylized graphics. However, the system shared memory and the GPU's low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s mean that higher resolutions and settings will eventually expose its limits.

# FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-10400F compare to its closest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores?

A: The i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14,185 places it within 0.6% of four rivals. The Intel Xeon 6756E is 0.2% faster, the Intel Core 7 160UL is 0.3% slower, the AMD EPYC 7552 is 0.5% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.6% slower. This indicates the CPU delivers compute performance on par with a mix of enterprise and mobile chips.

Q: What is the Arc B390's performance position relative to other GPUs?

A: The Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1,482 is within 2.7% of four rival GPUs: the GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster), and GeForce GT 710 (2.7% faster). These rivals are all legacy entry-level parts.

Q: What frame rates can this combo achieve at 1080p across settings?

A: At 1080p, the combo delivers 331 FPS on Low, 218 FPS on Medium, 207 FPS on High, and 198 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 185 FPS and a maximum of 250 FPS. All tested settings produce average frame rates well above 144 Hz.

Q: How much does resolution impact average FPS on High settings?

A: Moving from 1080p to 1440p High drops the average from 207 FPS to 177 FPS, a reduction of 30 FPS. Moving further to 4K High drops the average to 141 FPS, another 36 FPS reduction. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 66 FPS.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Arc B390 ranks at the 9th percentile among GPUs, while the CPU ranks at the 68th percentile. The FPS scaling with resolution and settings also points to GPU limitation, as lowering settings from High to Low at 4K increases average FPS from 141 to 225.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system scales across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 331 at 1080p to 282 at 1440p, a 49 FPS reduction. Moving to 4K Low yields 225 FPS, another 57 FPS drop. The total decline from 1080p to 4K Low is 106 FPS, representing a 32% reduction. This scaling pattern is typical for a system where the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count rises.

On Medium settings, the progression is 218 FPS at 1080p, 186 FPS at 1440p, and 149 FPS at 4K. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs 32 FPS, while the step from 1440p to 4K costs 37 FPS. The 4K Medium result includes a minimum of 126 FPS and maximum of 171 FPS, showing some variance but maintaining playability. High settings show a similar pattern: 207 FPS at 1080p, 177 FPS at 1440p, and 141 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings follow with 198 FPS, 169 FPS, and 135 FPS respectively.

The scaling behavior indicates a system that is primarily CPU-limited at lower resolutions and settings, with the GPU taking over as the constraint at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 331 FPS average suggests the CPU is doing most of the heavy lifting, as the Arc B390's modest compute would struggle to push that many frames in a more demanding title. As resolution increases, the GPU's pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor. The 4K Ultra result of 135 FPS, while lower, still exceeds the 120 Hz threshold for many displays. The data shows that this combo can handle Valorant at any resolution with average frame rates above 135 FPS, though the minimums at 4K Medium (126 FPS) suggest some dips in intense scenes.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 331 FPS average, which is ideal for competitive play on high refresh rate monitors. However, the Medium preset at 218 FPS still offers substantial headroom while presumably improving visual fidelity. The High preset at 207 FPS and Ultra at 198 FPS remain above 144 Hz, so players with 144 Hz displays can comfortably use Ultra without sacrificing smoothness. The Medium preset's minimum of 185 FPS ensures consistent frame delivery, making it the safest choice for strict frame time consistency.

At 1440p, the Low preset produces 282 FPS, which is excellent for 240 Hz panels. Medium at 186 FPS and High at 177 FPS both clear 144 Hz thresholds. Ultra at 169 FPS remains above 144 Hz, meaning even maximum settings are viable at this resolution. The Medium preset minimum of 158 FPS keeps the experience smooth, so players prioritizing visual quality can select High or Ultra with confidence. The data suggests 1440p High is the sweet spot, balancing the 177 FPS average with presumably better image quality than Medium.

At 4K, the situation changes. Low settings at 225 FPS remain competitive, but Medium at 149 FPS and High at 141 FPS dip below the 144 Hz mark. Ultra at 135 FPS falls further. For 4K players, the Medium preset at 149 FPS average with a 126 FPS minimum is the highest quality option that maintains near-144 Hz performance. The High and Ultra presets, while playable, sacrifice frame rate headroom. Given that Valorant is a competitive FPS where frame rate consistency matters, the recommendation is to target 1080p Medium for the best balance of visual quality and performance, or 1440p High for players with capable displays. At 4K, stick to Medium or lower to keep frame rates above 144 FPS.