Valorant

Valorant, a competitive FPS released in 2020, is known for its low system requirements and high frame rates. When paired with the Intel Core i5-10400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, the data reveals a combination that delivers exceptional performance across all tested resolutions and settings. The benchmark results indicate that this setup rarely dips below 246 FPS, even at 4K with Medium settings, making it a formidable option for high-refresh-rate gaming.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings is 386 FPS, the highest recorded in the measured data.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185. It trails the Intel Core 7 160UL by 0.3% and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C by 0.6%, but it leads the Intel Xeon 6756E by 0.2% and the AMD EPYC 7552 by 0.5%.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of tested graphics cards.

Q: Which resolution and settings combo yields the lowest average FPS?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 280 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 (4K) with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the data include any minimum FPS figures?

A: Yes, minimum FPS is only provided for the Medium settings preset at each resolution. At 1080p, the minimum is 280 FPS; at 1440p, it is 265 FPS; and at 4K, it is 246 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080's average benchmark score compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER's score of 54209.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end graphics card built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This substantial memory capacity and bandwidth are far beyond what a competitive FPS like Valorant typically requires, ensuring that the GPU is never the bottleneck in these tests. The card's base clock is 2205 MHz, boosting to 2505 MHz, with 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs.

In Valorant, the GPU's role is to render frames quickly to keep up with the CPU's frame generation. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS is 280, which is still exceptionally high. This suggests that the RTX 4080's raw compute power, measured at 48.74 TFLOPS FP32, is more than sufficient for this game. The GPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is noteworthy; it scores 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, though it lags behind the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6% and the AMD Radeon 8060S by 2.7% in average benchmark score.

The high pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s further underscore the GPU's capability. In a game like Valorant, where draw calls and simple geometry dominate, the RTX 4080's strengths are somewhat underutilized, but this ensures that frame rates remain consistently high. The 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms that this is a top-tier component, and its performance in Valorant reflects that, as it never dips below 246 FPS in any measured scenario.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system's performance scales with resolution, providing insight into which component is the limiting factor. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drop is relatively modest. For instance, at Low settings, the average FPS goes from 386 at 1080p to 366 at 1440p, a reduction of 20 FPS or roughly 5.2%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the drop is more pronounced: at Low settings, the average FPS falls from 366 to 340, a decrease of 26 FPS or about 7.1%.

The scaling pattern indicates that the CPU is the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU's frame generation limit is likely being reached, as the GPU has ample headroom. This is evidenced by the small FPS differences between 1080p and 1440p at the same settings. For example, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 324 at 1080p to 307 at 1440p, a mere 17 FPS difference. If the GPU were the limiting factor, we would expect a more significant drop when increasing the pixel count.

At 4K, the GPU begins to play a larger role, but the data still shows high frame rates. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is 60 FPS (340 vs 280), which suggests that even at the highest resolution, the GPU can handle the extra load without severe performance degradation. The fact that the system maintains an average of 280 FPS at 4K Ultra indicates that neither component is being pushed to its absolute limit in this game. The data suggests that the RTX 4080 is overkill for Valorant, as even the most demanding settings at 4K result in frame rates well above what most monitors can display.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 319 at Ultra settings to 386 at Low settings. The Medium preset yields an average of 329 FPS, with a minimum of 280 and a maximum of 379. High settings produce an average of 324 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is capable of pushing well beyond 300 FPS in all scenarios, with the Low preset breaking the 380 FPS barrier.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally high. Low settings average 366 FPS, while High settings average 307 FPS. The Medium preset averages 312 FPS, with a minimum of 265 and a maximum of 359. Ultra settings produce an average of 302 FPS. The data shows a clear trend: as settings increase, the average FPS decreases, but the differences are relatively small, ranging from 302 to 366 FPS. This suggests that the system is well-balanced at this resolution, with the CPU still providing sufficient frame generation to keep the GPU fed.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops further but remains impressive. Low settings average 340 FPS, Medium averages 290 FPS (with a minimum of 246 and a maximum of 333), High averages 285 FPS, and Ultra averages 280 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 60 FPS, which is larger than the 67 FPS gap at 1080p (386 vs 319) and the 64 FPS gap at 1440p (366 vs 302). This indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a factor at 4K, but the system still delivers playable frame rates far beyond the standard 60 FPS target. The minimum FPS recorded across all measurements is 246 FPS at 4K Medium, which is still exceptionally high for any game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is ranked 2813 out of 3708 tested combos in Valorant, placing it in the 76th percentile of all tested configurations. This ranking is somewhat surprising given the high-end nature of the GPU, but it reflects the fact that Valorant is a CPU-bound game, and the i5-10400F, while capable, is not a top-tier processor by modern standards. The CPU has an average benchmark score of 14185, which places it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, and it is outperformed by the Intel Core 7 160UL and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C by 0.3% and 0.6%, respectively.

The GPU, on the other hand, is in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. The ranking of 2813 out of 3708 suggests that many combos with more powerful CPUs achieve higher frame rates in Valorant, even if their GPUs are less capable. This is because the game's performance is heavily dependent on single-threaded CPU performance, which the i5-10400F provides in abundance through its 6 cores and 12 threads, boosting up to 4.30 GHz. However, combos with CPUs that have higher single-thread scores, such as those with better IPC or higher boost clocks, would likely rank higher.

The data indicates that this combo is well above average, but not in the top tier for Valorant. The 76th percentile ranking means that 75% of tested combos perform worse, which is a solid result. However, for players seeking the absolute highest frame rates, a more powerful CPU would be beneficial. The RTX 4080's performance is not the limiting factor here; instead, the CPU's frame generation capability is what holds the combo back from reaching the top ranks.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. In Valorant, the CPU's role is critical, as the game is known to be CPU-bound, particularly at lower resolutions.

The benchmark data shows that the i5-10400F has a single-thread score of 1451 in Cinebench R23, which is a key indicator of gaming performance. Its multi-thread score of 10283 in the same test demonstrates its capability in less demanding workloads. The CPU's 3DMark scores are also relevant: it achieves 688 in the single-thread test and 4748 in the 16-thread test. These numbers suggest that the CPU can handle the game's physics and game logic calculations without becoming a significant bottleneck.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence is most apparent at 1080p, where the average FPS varies from 319 to 386 depending on settings. The fact that the FPS does not increase dramatically when going from High to Low settings (324 to 386 FPS) indicates that the CPU is already near its maximum frame generation capacity at this resolution. At 4K, the GPU becomes more of a factor, as evidenced by the larger FPS drop from Low to Ultra (340 to 280 FPS), but the CPU still needs to keep up with the GPU's output. The i5-10400F's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for Valorant, which is not heavily multi-threaded, but its 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs shows that there is room for improvement with more powerful processors.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best settings preset depends on the player's monitor refresh rate and resolution. At 1920x1080, all settings presets deliver average FPS above 300, with Low settings reaching 386 FPS. For players with a 360 Hz monitor, the Low preset is the only one that consistently stays above 360 FPS on average, while the Medium preset's minimum of 280 FPS might occasionally dip below that threshold. For 240 Hz monitors, the High preset (324 FPS average) and Medium preset (329 FPS average) are both suitable, with the Medium preset offering a balance between visual quality and performance.

At 2560x1440, the data shows that the Low preset averages 366 FPS, which is ideal for 360 Hz displays. The Medium preset averages 312 FPS, making it suitable for 300 Hz monitors, but its minimum of 265 FPS could be a concern for players who want to maintain a consistent frame rate above 300. The High and Ultra presets, averaging 307 and 302 FPS respectively, are both viable for 240 Hz monitors, offering better visual fidelity without significant performance losses.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the clear choice for high-refresh-rate gaming, with an average of 340 FPS, suitable for 300 Hz monitors. The Medium preset, with an average of 290 FPS and a minimum of 246 FPS, is best for 240 Hz displays, as it provides a good balance of visual quality and performance. The High and Ultra presets, averaging 285 and 280 FPS, are also capable of driving 240 Hz monitors, but the lower minimum FPS at Medium (246) suggests that Ultra might have even lower minima, making Medium the safer choice for consistent frame times. For players with standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitors, any preset at any resolution will provide more than enough performance, allowing them to prioritize visual quality without worrying about frame rate drops.