Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS where frame rates often dictate success, and the combination of an Intel Core i5-11400F with an Intel Arc B390 produces a fascinating dataset. The measured results show a system that is heavily CPU-bound, with the Arc B390’s integrated nature creating a unique bottleneck profile. The data reveals that this combo, while ranking in the lower tier of tested configurations, still delivers playable frame rates at 1080p, but the scaling across resolutions and settings tells a story of a processor straining at its limits while the graphics component remains relatively idle.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combo among all tested combos in Valorant?

A: The combo ranks 2534 out of 2883 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 12th percentile of all systems evaluated for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-11400F compare to its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 7H12's score of 17120, indicating they are statistically tied in overall synthetic performance.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS recorded for this combo at 1920x1080 resolution?

A: The highest average FPS at 1080p is 331, achieved with the Low settings preset. The Medium preset follows at 218 FPS, High at 207 FPS, and Ultra at 198 FPS.

Q: Does the Arc B390 have dedicated VRAM, and what are its clock speeds?

A: No, the Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory for both its memory size and type, making its bandwidth "System Dependent." Its base clock is 300 MHz, and its boost clock is 2500 MHz.

Q: What is the pixel rate and texture rate of the Intel Arc B390?

A: The Arc B390 has a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. These figures are derived from its 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs respectively.

Q: What is the core configuration of the Intel Core i5-11400F?

A: The CPU features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It has 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific pairing in a clear performance tier. With a combo rank of 2534 out of 2883, the i5-11400F and Arc B390 combination sits near the bottom of the performance hierarchy for Valorant. This ranking is not a reflection of a single weak component but rather a synergistic limitation. The CPU, while a capable desktop part, is paired with an integrated GPU that is architecturally designed for efficiency rather than raw gaming throughput. The Arc B390’s own percentile rank of 9 against all GPUs underscores this point, placing it in the bottom 10% of graphics processors. This is a system that will not be pushing high refresh rate monitors at maximum fidelity, but the data suggests it can handle competitive play at lower settings.

The delta between this combo and others is stark. While the CPU’s nearest rivals are all within a 0.6% performance margin, the GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GT 710, are ancient, low-end parts. This contrast is the defining characteristic of the system. The CPU is a modern, mid-range processor from 2021, but the GPU is an integrated solution from a 2026 mobile chip. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary constraint in this pairing, preventing the CPU from fully expressing its potential. The system's overall rank is a direct consequence of this GPU bottleneck, particularly in a game like Valorant which is known to be sensitive to CPU performance but still requires a baseline level of graphics throughput.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a complex scaling pattern that clarifies the system's bottleneck. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 331 to 282, a 14.8% decrease. However, the drop from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at the same settings is more severe, falling from 282 to 225, a 20.2% decrease. This suggests that while the CPU is the primary limiter at lower resolutions, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility as pixel count increases. The fact that the system can still produce 225 FPS at 4K Low is remarkable and indicates that even at high resolutions, the workload is not overwhelming the graphics processor.

The scaling at higher settings tells a different story. At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 218 at 1080p to 186 at 1440p (a 14.7% drop) and then to 149 at 4K (a 19.9% drop). This pattern is almost identical to the Low settings scaling. The consistency of these percentage drops across different settings presets is a strong indicator that the scaling is resolution-driven, not settings-driven. The limiting component appears to be the memory bandwidth or the system's overall throughput when dealing with larger frame buffers. The Intel Arc B390's "System Shared" memory and "System Dependent" bandwidth are likely the culprits here, as the CPU and GPU are competing for the same memory resources. This creates a scenario where the performance penalty for increasing resolution is steep and predictable, regardless of the graphical complexity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a clear picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak capability. The Low preset yields an average of 331 FPS, which is exceptionally high. The Medium preset averages 218 FPS with a minimum of 185 and a maximum of 250. The High preset averages 207 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 198 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 133 FPS, showing that settings have a significant impact on the final frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops accordingly. The Low preset averages 282 FPS, Medium averages 186 FPS (min 158, max 214), High averages 177 FPS, and Ultra averages 169 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 113 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become more apparent. The Low preset still manages an average of 225 FPS, but the Medium preset falls to 149 FPS (min 126, max 171). The High preset averages 141 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 135 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 90 FPS, demonstrating a compression of the settings' impact at higher resolutions.

The data also shows that the minimum FPS values, where available, follow the average trends. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 185 FPS is still well above the 144Hz threshold. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 158 FPS is still competitive. However, at 4K Medium, the minimum drops to 126 FPS, which could cause noticeable hitches on a high refresh rate display. This breakdown suggests that for a smooth competitive experience, 1080p is the sweet spot, with 1440p being acceptable for most players, and 4K being viable only at Low settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is a curious component. It is an integrated GPU (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its performance data shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This score is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, a GPU from over a decade ago. The B390's specifications, such as 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, are modest, but its clock speeds of 300 MHz base and 2500 MHz boost are interesting. The boost clock is high, suggesting the GPU can perform well when given enough power and cooling headroom.

However, the most defining feature is its memory configuration: "System Shared" with "System Dependent" bandwidth. This means the GPU has no dedicated VRAM and relies on the system's DDR4 memory. The CPU in this combo supports dual-channel memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. This shared bandwidth is a significant bottleneck for the GPU, as it must compete with the CPU for memory access. This explains the resolution scaling pattern seen in the data. At 1080p, the amount of data being transferred is manageable, allowing the GPU to keep up. At 4K, the memory traffic increases significantly, and the shared bandwidth becomes a limiting factor, causing a more pronounced performance drop. The GPU's role here is to provide a baseline level of rendering capability, but it is severely constrained by its lack of dedicated memory and the system's memory architecture.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings preset is dependent on the user's display and performance goals. For a 1080p monitor with a 144Hz or 165Hz refresh rate, the Medium preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 218 FPS with a minimum of 185 FPS, ensuring the frame rate stays well above the display's refresh rate for a smooth experience. The High and Ultra presets also provide playable frame rates above 198 FPS, but the marginal visual improvement may not be worth the slight reduction in performance headroom. The Low preset, while producing 331 FPS, sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a frame rate that exceeds most monitors' capabilities.

For 1440p users, the Low preset is the only option that provides a frame rate high enough for competitive play, averaging 282 FPS. The Medium preset, at 186 FPS average and 158 FPS minimum, is still viable for 144Hz displays, but it is on the edge. The High and Ultra presets, at 177 and 169 FPS respectively, are acceptable but offer less margin for error. At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset is the clear recommendation, as it provides an average of 225 FPS. The Medium preset's average of 149 FPS is playable on a 120Hz display, but the minimum of 126 FPS could be problematic. The High and Ultra presets at 141 and 135 FPS are best avoided for competitive play. The data indicates that the best experience for this combo is to prioritize frame rate over visual quality, especially at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture. Its benchmark scores are respectable for a mid-range part. For example, it scores 14340 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2024 in single-core, and 1777 in Geekbench single-core. Its average benchmark score of 17177 places it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, making it a solid performer for general tasks and gaming. The CPU's high single-thread performance is crucial for Valorant, a game that often relies on a single primary thread for game logic. The boost clock of 4.40 GHz provides the necessary speed for this workload.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 331 FPS, which confirms the CPU's ability to feed frames to the GPU. However, the CPU's role becomes more complex at higher resolutions and settings. The fact that the FPS scales down consistently with resolution, regardless of settings, suggests that the CPU's performance is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiter, we would see less FPS variation between Low and Ultra settings at a given resolution. Instead, the data shows a consistent drop when moving between presets, which indicates the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU is likely providing all the frames the GPU can handle, but the GPU's shared memory bandwidth limits its throughput. The i5-11400F is a capable processor that is being held back by its integrated graphics counterpart. The system's overall rank of 2534 is a direct result of this imbalance, not a reflection of the CPU's individual capabilities.