Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS where frame rates often dictate the outcome. The pairing of an Intel Core i5-12400 with an AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT produces a dataset that reveals a system heavily skewed toward GPU performance, with the CPU acting as a capable but secondary component. This analysis examines the measured results across three resolutions and four settings presets, interpreting the numbers to understand where the bottleneck lies and what the experience will be like for players.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values show a clear trend: the performance cost of moving to higher resolutions is relatively modest, which is a strong indicator that the system is not GPU-bound in the traditional sense. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 526 FPS at 1080p to 499 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 27 FPS or roughly 5%. The jump to 2160p yields 463 FPS, which is 63 FPS less than the 1080p figure. This is a gentle slope that suggests the graphics card is barely being stressed at these settings. The RX 7900 XT is capable of massive frame output, and even at 4K, it is producing nearly 500 FPS on Low, leaving headroom on the table.

At High settings, the scaling is similar in character. The 1080p result of 441 FPS drops to 419 FPS at 1440p, and then to 388 FPS at 4K. The total loss from 1080p to 4K is 53 FPS, which is about 12%. This is quite low when compared to how a game typically scales with resolution when GPU-bound. The fact that the 4K result is still above 380 FPS emphasizes that the limiting factor is not the GPU's pixel throughput. The Ultra preset tells a similar story, with 434 FPS at 1080p, 412 FPS at 1440p, and 382 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K is 52 FPS, again about 12%.

The Medium preset shows the same pattern, with 449 FPS at 1080p, 425 FPS at 1440p, and 395 FPS at 4K. The min FPS values for Medium settings also scale predictably, with 381 at 1080p, 362 at 1440p, and 336 at 4K. The delta between the average and the minimum is around 50-70 FPS, which is a consistent amount of variance regardless of resolution. This indicates that the GPU is not introducing additional frame pacing issues as the load increases. The data implies that the CPU's single-thread performance and the game's engine are the primary arbitrators of the final frame rate, not the GPU's fill rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The benchmark results show a peak single-thread score of 3456 in Passmark, and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257. For a game like Valorant, which is known to be sensitive to single-core performance, these metrics are crucial. The 3DMark single-thread score of 910 is a direct measure of the CPU's ability to handle a single logical processor's workload. The 4-thread score of 3012 from the same suite shows that the CPU can handle a handful of threads with good scaling, which is relevant for a game engine that may only use a few threads.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also present, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 8564. However, the data suggests that Valorant is not heavily multi-threaded. The FPS results show very minimal scaling from the 1080p Low to 1080p Ultra, with a difference of only 92 FPS (526 vs 434). If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would be more consistent across all settings, as the CPU doesn't care about graphics quality. This is what the data shows: the CPU is the limiting factor, but the GPU is so powerful that it's still hitting extremely high frame rates.

The CPU's performance percentile of 72 vs all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 18683 places it in the upper tier, but its nearest rivals are a mixed bag. The AMD EPYC 7643 is a server chip with a score of 18697, a delta of -0.1%, and the Intel Core i7-1355U is a mobile chip at 18730, a delta of -0.3%. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 is a laptop APU at 18811, a delta of -0.7%. The Intel Core i3-14100F, a lower-end desktop part, scores 18519, which is 0.9% higher. This shows that the i5-12400 is in a competitive position, but the differences are small. The Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 6715 and the 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 both highlight that the CPU's strength scales with thread count, but it's the single-core performance that makes it shine in a game like this.

How This Combo Ranks

In this specific game, the combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is ranked 1167 out of the 3708 tested combinations. This places it in the 68th percentile of all combos, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the systems tested in the database. The rank is notable because the GPU is a high-end card, but the CPU is a mid-range part. The data suggests that in a game with such a strong CPU dependency, the CPU is holding the system back from reaching the top tiers.

The rank of 1167 is a clear indication that the results are not at the absolute top. The top combos would likely pair the RX 7900 XT with a higher-tier CPU, such as a high-end Ryzen or a Core i9. The fact that this combo places at 1167 is a sign that the game is sensitive to CPU performance. The FPS numbers, while high, are not the absolute peak. For instance, the 1080p Low average of 526 FPS is strong, but a system with a top-tier CPU could potentially reach higher. The ranking also shows that the combo is not severely hampered, as it is still in the top third of all tested builds. The data indicates that the RX 7900 XT is not the limiting factor, and the i5-12400 is not a weak link, but rather a balanced enough to produce high FPS. The rank of 1167, when considered with the FPS numbers, shows that the combo is a solid performer, but the CPU's position in the rankings (72nd percentile) and the high FPS numbers suggest the game is more lenient on CPU than a pure benchmark would indicate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four settings presets. Starting with 1080p, the lowest preset, Low, yields an average of 526 FPS. This is the highest average in the entire dataset, highlighting that the GPU is far from being stressed at this resolution. The Medium preset drops to 449 FPS, with min and max values of 381 and 516 FPS respectively. High and Ultra presets produce 441 and 434 FPS, with Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is 92 FPS, which is a significant gap and shows how the GPU's load increases with settings, but the CPU's output remains the same.

At 1440p, the Low preset yields an average of 499 FPS, a drop of 27 FPS from 1080p. Medium preset is 425 FPS, High is 419 FPS, and Ultra is 412 FPS. The scaling between presets is consistent, with Ultra being about 87 FPS lower than Low at this resolution.

At 4K, the Low preset averages 463 FPS, Medium is 395 FPS, High is 388 FPS, and Ultra is 382 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K for Low is 63 FPS, for Medium is 54 FPS, for High is 53 FPS, and for Ultra is 52 FPS. This shows that the GPU is able to handle the load increase with a relatively small FPS hit, reinforcing the idea that the CPU is the bottleneck. The min FPS at Medium settings also follows the pattern, with 381, 362, and 336 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively.

For the competitive player, the High and Ultra presets at 1440p and 4K still provide over 400 FPS, which is far above the refresh rate of most monitors. The Low preset at 4K, at 463 FPS, is also above the 360 Hz refresh rate of the best monitors. The data shows that the system is capable of delivering the highest possible frame rates, with the only caveat being that the CPU's performance ceiling is the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is a flagship GPU with 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 800 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1387 MHz, with a boost clock of 2394 MHz, and a game clock of 2025 MHz. The GPU has 5376 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 192 ROPs, along with 84 RT cores. The GPU is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and the Navi 31 chip, with a 5 nm process. It has a TDP of 300W and is powered by dual 8-pin connectors, with a suggested PSU of 700W.

The benchmark results show the GPU's raw power. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 5623, and the Geekbench Vulkan score is 71068. The PassMark G3D score is 29009, which is a high mark. The GPU's performance percentile is 55, with an average benchmark score of 13745. The nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon 660M, with a score of 13812 and a delta of -0.5%, the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13821, -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX 570X (13871, -0.9%). The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT has a score of 13543, which is a delta of 1.5%. These numbers show that the GPU is in a close race with some mid-range parts in the synthetic benchmarks, but the actual gaming performance is far superior.

The GPU's role in Valorant is to provide high frame rates with minimal stutter. The data shows that the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p, the FPS difference between Low and Ultra is 92 FPS, which is a 17% drop. This is a typical GPU-bound scaling. However, the FPS values are so high that the GPU is still the easier component. The GPU's bandwidth and compute power are more than enough for the game's simple graphics. The GPU is held back by the CPU, and the potential of the RX 7900 XT is not fully realized.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of the settings that yield the best experience. For a player with a 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor, the Low preset at 1080p is the obvious choice, achieving 526 FPS. This is far above the rate, and the lower settings can reduce input latency. For 1440p, the Low preset at 499 FPS is the best, with the Medium preset at 425 FPS also being a good option. For 4K, the Low preset at 463 FPS is the only option that maintains a high frame rate, as the other presets drop below 400 FPS.

The data shows that the High and Ultra presets are not worth the FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is only 92 FPS at 1080p, but the visual difference in a fast-paced game is minimal. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are both below the 400 FPS mark, which is a significant drop for a game that rewards high frame rates. The Medium preset at 1080p, with a min FPS of 381, is a good compromise for those who want better visuals without a massive FPS drop. The data indicates that the Low preset is the best for raw performance, but the Medium settings provide a good balance of FPS and visual quality. For a 360Hz monitor, the Low preset at 1080p is the only one that can hit it, while at 1440p, even the Low preset falls short. The 240Hz monitor user can use the Low preset at 1080p and 1440p, and the Medium preset at 1080p.

FAQ

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

A: The measured average FPS is 526.

Q: How much does the FPS drop when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The FPS drops from 441 at 1080p to 388 at 4K, a difference of 53 FPS.

Q: Does the RX 7900 XT bottleneck the i5-12400 in this game?

A: The data shows that the GPU is not the bottleneck, as the FPS scaling with resolution is minimal. The FPS at 4K is still over 380 FPS, indicating the CPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the rank of this CPU+GPU combo in Valorant?

A: The combo ranks 1167 out of 3708 tested combinations.

Q: What are the min and max FPS for Medium settings at 1440p?

A: The min FPS is 362 and the max FPS is 489, with an average of 425.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12400 compare to its nearest rival in average score?

A: The nearest rival with a higher score is the Intel Core i3-14100F, with a delta of 0.9%.

Q: What is the boost clock of the CPU?

A: The boost clock is 4.40 GHz.