Valorant

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptional frame rates in Valorant, ranking 2016th out of 3708 tested combinations in this game. This places the combo in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems, a position driven largely by the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, while the GPU’s massive resources remain underutilized at competitive settings. The measured data shows average frame rates ranging from 329 fps at 4K Ultra to 453 fps at 1080p Low, indicating that the system is not only playable but far beyond the refresh rate capabilities of most monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 in Valorant ranks 2016th out of 3708 tested combinations. This percentile position, roughly the 54th percentile, reflects a system that is capable but not at the very top of the leaderboard. The ranking is driven by the CPU’s single-thread score of 868 in 3DMark, which is a key factor in a game like Valorant that relies heavily on CPU-bound rendering at high frame rates. The GPU’s own percentile rank is 92nd among all GPUs, but in this title, the game’s engine scales primarily with the processor. The combo’s position suggests that while the GPU is a top-tier performer, the CPU limits the overall result, particularly at lower resolutions where the processor becomes the bottleneck. In comparison, the CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 with a delta of 0.3%, the Intel Core i5-12450H with a delta of -0.4%, and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G with a delta of -0.6%, which indicates that the 11400F is within a very narrow performance band of these competitors. The average benchmark score for the CPU is 17177, with a percentile rank of 71 among all CPUs, suggesting it is solidly above average but not outstanding.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a powerhouse GPU with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and it operates with a memory clock of 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective. In Valorant, this GPU’s role is primarily to ensure that frame rates are never limited by rendering, even at 4K resolution. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160 with High settings, the average fps is 334, while at Low settings it is 398. This indicates that the GPU is capable of producing high frame rates even at the highest resolution, but the differences between settings are relatively small, suggesting that the CPU is the limiting factor in many scenarios. The RTX 5090’s 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power and 21760 shading units are far beyond what Valorant requires, as the game is not graphically intensive. The GPU’s performance in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 18355, and its Passmark G3D score is 39650, which are high scores but not directly indicative of Valorant performance. The GPU’s percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs indicates it is a top-tier product, but in this title, the data suggests that the CPU’s performance is more relevant. The RTX 5090’s 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs contribute to high fill rates, which help at higher resolutions, but the game’s frame rates are still well above 300 fps at all settings, indicating that the GPU is not a bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-11400F compare to its nearest rivals based on benchmark data?

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177, with a percentile rank of 71 among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, has an average score of 17120, which is 0.3% lower, while the Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 17278, a 0.6% difference, indicating the i5-11400F is within a small performance band of these competitors.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile and what does it signify?

A: The RTX 5090 ranks in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79842. In comparison, its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, has a score of 79605, which is a 0.3% difference, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT has a score of 78940, a 1.1% difference. This indicates the RTX 5090 is a top-tier GPU, but in Valorant, the CPU’s performance is the limiting factor.

Q: At what settings and resolution does the combo achieve the highest average frame rate?

A:** The highest average frame rate is 453 fps, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At 2560x1440 Low, the average is 429 fps, and at 3840x2160 Low, it is 398 fps. These results show that lower settings and lower resolutions produce the highest frame rates, but even at 4K Ultra, the average is 329 fps.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance influence Valorant’s frame rates?

A:** The i5-11400F has a 3DMark single-thread score of 868, which is a key indicator for Valorant’s performance. The game is CPU-bound at high frame rates, so the single-thread capability directly affects the average fps. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz and 6 cores with 12 threads support the game’s rendering, allowing frame rates to exceed 400 fps at lower settings.

Q: What is the difference in average fps between 4K and 1080p?

A:** At 4K (3840x2160), the average fps ranges from 329 fps at Ultra to 398 fps at Low. At 1080p (1920x1080), the average fps ranges from 373 fps at Ultra to 453 fps at Low. This shows a 30% increase in frame rates from 4K to 1080p, indicating that the CPU is more stressed at lower resolutions.

Q: Is the combo’s performance consistent with the GPU’s capabilities?

A:** The combo ranks 2016th out of 3708, which is slightly above average. The GPU’s 92nd percentile rank indicates it is a top-tier GPU, but the CPU’s 71st percentile rank is more modest. The data suggests that the CPU is not powerful enough to fully utilize the GPU in Valorant, as the frame rates are likely CPU-limited, especially at lower resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for the Intel Core i5-11400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 in Valorant vary by resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the average frame rates are 453 fps on Low, 386 fps on Medium (with a minimum of 328 fps and maximum of 444 fps), 380 fps on High, and 373 fps on Ultra. This shows a clear trend: lowering settings increases the average frame rate, with the Low preset providing over 450 fps. At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 429 fps on Low, 366 fps on Medium (min 311 fps, max 421 fps), 360 fps on High, and 354 fps on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is 75 fps, a 21% increase when using the lowest settings. At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the average frame rates are 398 fps on Low, 340 fps on Medium (min 289 fps, max 391 fps), 334 fps on High, and 329 fps on Ultra. The frame rate at 4K Low is 20% higher than at 4K Ultra, but still remains very high. The data shows that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rates drop significantly when resolution increases, but the GPU’s capabilities are not fully used. The minimum frame rates recorded at Medium settings are 329 fps at 1080p, 311 fps at 1440p, and 289 fps at 4K, each with corresponding maximums of 444, 421, and 391 fps. These results highlight that the combo is able to maintain above 300 fps even at 4K, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most monitors.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.6 GHz and a boost of 4.4 GHz. It is a Rocket Lake processor, with a TDP of 65W, and it supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The CPU’s cache is 80 KB per core for L1, 512 KB per core for L2, and 12 MB shared L3. In Valorant, the CPU’s single-thread performance is critical, and the 3DMark single-thread score is 868, which is a strong score. The CPU’s benchmark scores include a Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 6022, a single-core score of 850, and a Geekbench multi-core score of 7737 with a single-core of 1777. The Passmark single-thread score is 2981, and the multi-thread score is 16908. The CPU’s performance in Valorant is reflected in the frame rates, which are consistently above 300 fps at all settings and resolutions. The data suggests that the CPU is more than capable of running Valorant at high frame rates, but the RTX 5090’s performance is not fully utilized. The combo’s rank of 2016th suggests that the CPU’s 6 cores are sufficient for this game, but the GPU’s power is not a differentiator. The CPU’s 71st percentile rank among all CPUs indicates it is above average, and the frame rates are consistent with that. The boost clock of 4.4 GHz provides good single-thread performance, which is important in Valorant’s competitive environment. The CPU’s 12 threads are not heavily utilized in Valorant, as the game is not optimized for multi-threading, but the 6 cores allow for background tasks without affecting frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the best experience is achieved by using Low settings at any resolution. At 1920x1080 Low, the average frame rate is 453 fps, which is the highest of all measured data. At 2560x1440 Low, the average is 429 fps, and at 3840x2160 Low, it is 398 fps. For players with a 240 Hz or 360 Hz monitor, Low settings at 1080p or 1440p will ensure that the frame rate is consistently above the refresh rate. However, the differences between Low and Ultra are relatively small, with a 17% variance at 1080p (380 to 453 fps) and a 17% variance at 4K (329 to 398 fps). Therefore, if a player prefers higher graphical fidelity, the Ultra preset at 1080p still provides an average of 373 fps, which is well above the refresh rate of any monitor. The data shows that the GPU is not a limiting factor, so the choice of settings is a matter of personal preference. For a competitive edge, Low settings at 1080p are recommended, as the frame rate is the highest. For a balance, Medium settings at 1440p (366 fps) or High at 1440p (360 fps) are still excellent. At 4K, the Low setting provides 398 fps, which is also above the threshold. The measured minimum frame rates at Medium are 289 fps at 4K, 311 fps at 1440p, and 329 fps at 1080p, which are all above the typical monitor refresh, so the experience is smooth. The combo is overkill for Valorant, as even the most demanding settings at 4K produce frame rates above 320 fps. It is recommended to prioritize a high refresh monitor and use Low settings for the best frame rates, or Medium settings for the best balance of frame and visual quality. The data indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at the highest frame rates, so players should ensure their system is optimized for CPU performance.