Valorant

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 presents a curious case in Valorant, a game known for its high frame rates and competitive nature. The measured data reveals a system that is more than capable of delivering playable performance, yet the scaling patterns between resolutions and settings hint at a delicate balance between the CPU and GPU that deserves closer scrutiny. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what the experience truly looks like for this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is the primary indicator of how the workload shifts between the processor and the graphics card. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 286 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 240.3 FPS, a decline of roughly 16%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 195.3 FPS, which is a 32% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This pattern suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is beginning to feel the pressure of higher resolutions, but the CPU is still keeping pace to feed it frames.

However, the story changes dramatically when we look at High settings. At 1080p High, the average is 176.6 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 150.6 FPS, a 15% decrease. At 4K High, the average is 122.5 FPS, which is a 31% drop from 1080p. The percentage drops are similar between Low and High settings, which is interesting. It implies that the GTX 1650 is the limiting factor in both cases, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with the pixel count, regardless of the visual complexity. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, appears to have enough headroom to keep up with the GPU's output at these resolutions.

The data indicates that the GTX 1650 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. The consistent percentage-based FPS drops as resolution increases are a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a much smaller performance gap between 1080p and 1440p, with the frame rate plateauing as the resolution increases. Instead, the steady decline suggests that the graphics card is working at its maximum capacity, and the only way to get more frames is to reduce the rendering resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Valorant?

A: The highest measured average is 286 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How significant is the performance drop when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 286 FPS at 1080p to 195.3 FPS at 4K, representing a performance reduction of over 30%.

Q: Is this system more limited by the CPU or the GPU in Valorant?

A: The benchmark results point to the GPU as the limiting component. The FPS scales down consistently as resolution increases, which is a hallmark of a graphics card reaching its performance ceiling.

Q: What is the performance difference between the lowest and highest settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the average frame rate goes from 286 FPS on Low settings down to 167.1 FPS on Ultra settings, a difference of roughly 119 FPS.

Q: Does the combo perform better at 1440p with High settings or 4K with Medium settings?

A: The 1440p High settings yield an average of 150.6 FPS, while 4K Medium settings produce an average of 128.7 FPS. The 1440p configuration provides a higher frame rate.

Q: How many combos does this specific CPU-GPU pairing rank above in the database?

A: This combo ranks 1603 out of 1650 tested combinations in Valorant, placing it in the lower percentile of tested systems.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is a 4 GB GDDR5 card with a 128-bit memory bus, providing a bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 1665 MHz. The benchmark results show that this card is the deciding factor for frame rates in Valorant, particularly at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows a clear ceiling for the GPU, as increasing the resolution from 1080p to 4K at the same settings leads to a substantial and predictable drop in performance.

Looking at the 4K results, the average FPS ranges from 113 on Ultra to 195.3 on Low. This 82 FPS spread demonstrates that the GPU's workload is heavily influenced by the graphical settings. The card's 4 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for Valorant's textures, but the core processing power of the TU117 chip is what limits high-resolution performance. The GPU's percentile ranking of 43rd among all GPUs, and its proximity to rivals like the AMD Radeon 550X, further confirms its position as a mid-to-low-tier performer in the current landscape.

The GTX 1650's performance in this game is consistent with its specifications. It provides a playable experience at 1080p and even handles 1440p reasonably well, but it struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data suggests that the GPU is the primary component that determines the final FPS, making it the target for any potential upgrades to improve performance in Valorant.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across nine different configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. With Low settings, the average FPS is an exceptional 286. This drops to 186.3 on Medium, 176.6 on High, and 167.1 on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is significant, but even at the highest settings, the frame rate remains well above the threshold for smooth, competitive play.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings yield an average of 240.3 FPS, which is still very high. Medium settings produce 161.7 FPS, while High and Ultra settings result in 150.6 FPS and 146 FPS, respectively. The gap between Medium and Low is more pronounced at this resolution, indicating that the GPU is starting to work harder on the higher-quality textures and effects.

At 3840x2160, the GTX 1650 is clearly under stress. The average FPS on Low settings is 195.3, which is playable. However, the performance drops sharply when settings are increased. Medium settings yield an average of 128.7 FPS, High settings drop to 122.5 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 113 FPS. While these numbers are still technically playable, they represent a significant compromise in visual quality to maintain a high refresh rate experience. The data shows a clear trend: the lower the resolution and settings, the higher the frame rate, with the GTX 1650 being the constraining factor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend entirely on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. For a player with a standard 60Hz monitor, even the most demanding settings at 4K would be sufficient, as the 113 FPS average on Ultra exceeds the 60 FPS target. However, for competitive play on a high-refresh-rate 1080p monitor, the Low preset is the only option that fully takes advantage of the display's capabilities, delivering 286 FPS.

For a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is again the best choice for maximizing frame rate, achieving 240.3 FPS. If a player prefers better visuals and has a 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 161.7 FPS is the sweet spot, providing a good balance between image quality and performance. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p, while playable, do not offer a significant visual improvement over Medium to justify the loss of over 10 FPS.

At 4K, the recommendation is clearer. The Low preset is the only one that provides a frame rate high enough for smooth, responsive gameplay, delivering 195.3 FPS. While this is a solid number, it represents a large compromise in visual fidelity. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where the CPU can push the GPU to its limits without the graphical overhead becoming too heavy.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The data suggests that this CPU is more than capable of handling Valorant's demands, as it does not appear to be the limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios. The consistent FPS drops with increasing resolution imply that the CPU is feeding the GPU with enough data to keep it busy.

This processor's benchmark scores reinforce its capability. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14372, and its single-core score is 2029. Its 3DMark single-thread score is 868, and its 3DMark max-thread score is 5652. These results indicate a strong performer for gaming. The CPU's percentile ranking is 75th among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 17181 places it right alongside rivals such as the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, which has a nearly identical score.

The i5-11400F's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support contribute to its solid gaming performance. In Valorant, which is often cited as a CPU-intensive game, this processor provides a strong foundation. The measured FPS data shows that the system is not CPU-bound, as the frame rates scale with GPU load. This suggests that the i5-11400F has ample headroom to support a more powerful graphics card in the future, should the user choose to upgrade.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 1603 out of 1650 combos for Valorant. This places it in the bottom 3% of all tested systems, which is a low ranking. This is a surprising result given the high frame rates measured in the 1080p tests, but it highlights that the dataset includes many more powerful and modern components.

The low ranking is likely due to the age and tier of the GTX 1650, which holds back the system's overall score. The CPU, however, is a much stronger component. Its average benchmark score of 17181 puts it on par with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, both of which have a similar deltaPct. This indicates that the i5-11400F is a competent processor that is being hamstrung by the graphics card in this particular configuration.

The combo's rank of 1603 is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling. While the measured FPS in Valorant is high, the overall ranking considers the hardware's capabilities across a wider range of scenarios. The GTX 1650's percentile ranking of 43rd among all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 8713 are far below the CPU's corresponding metrics. This discrepancy confirms that the graphics card is the weakest link, and it is the primary reason this combo ranks so low despite delivering a very playable experience in this specific title.