Valorant

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers exceptional performance in Valorant, ranking 638th out of 1650 tested combos in this game. This places the combination in the top 39% of all tested systems, a strong result for a competitive FPS where high frame rates are critical. The data shows that this combo is heavily CPU-bound at lower resolutions, with frame rates exceeding 590 FPS at 1080p Low settings, while the GPU becomes more relevant at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 285.8 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Valorant?

A: The combo ranks 638th out of 1650 tested combinations, placing it in the top 38.7% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest recorded average is 597.5 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average is 285.8 FPS at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27827, which is essentially identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K's score of 27829, showing a 0% delta.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23181, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M's score of 23321.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between 1080p and 4K at Low settings?

A: Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 at Low settings reduces the average FPS from 597.5 to 482.1, a drop of 115.4 FPS or approximately 19.3%.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 638 out of 1650 places it in the upper portion of all tested configurations for Valorant. This is a competitive position, indicating that this specific pairing of CPU and GPU is well-suited for the game's demands. The ranking reflects a system that can deliver high frame rates across all settings, even at 4K resolution. While not in the top tier, the performance is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors, especially at 1080p and 1440p. The data confirms that the combination is balanced enough to avoid severe bottlenecks, though the nature of the bottleneck shifts with resolution and settings, as explored in the sections below.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2460 MHz, and it has a base clock of 1830 MHz. In Valorant, the GPU's role becomes increasingly important as resolution and settings are raised. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 597.5 suggests the GPU is not the primary limiter, as the frame rate is extremely high. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 285.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is now a more significant factor. The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, scoring 19545 in Passmark G3D, places it in the 66th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, scores 23321, which is only 0.6% higher, showing the 4060 is competitive within its class. The transition from Medium to Ultra settings at 4K shows a decrease from 316.7 to 285.8 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU handles the increased graphical load but with diminishing returns at the highest settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 423 at Ultra to 597.5 at Low. Medium settings yield 460.5 FPS, and High settings produce 443.6 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 358.2 at Ultra, 564.4 at Low, 397.4 at Medium, and 374.9 at High. At 3840x2160, the averages are 285.8 at Ultra, 482.1 at Low, 316.7 at Medium, and 298 at High. The data shows a clear trend: lowering settings from Ultra to Low provides a significant FPS boost at every resolution. The largest absolute gain is at 1080p, where the difference between Ultra and Low is 174.5 FPS. At 1440p, this difference is 206.2 FPS, and at 4K, it is 196.3 FPS. These figures indicate that settings have a substantial impact on performance, with the Low preset offering the highest frame rates across the board.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Low settings preset provides the best experience for players seeking the absolute highest frame rates. At 1080p, this yields 597.5 FPS, at 1440p it yields 564.4 FPS, and even at 4K it maintains 482.1 FPS. These numbers are well above the refresh rates of most high-end monitors, making Low the optimal choice for competitive play where response time is paramount. For players who prioritize visual quality over raw FPS, the Medium preset offers a strong balance. It delivers 460.5 FPS at 1080p, 397.4 FPS at 1440p, and 316.7 FPS at 4K, which are still very high figures. The High and Ultra presets provide diminishing returns in visual fidelity while costing significant performance, especially at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average of 285.8 FPS is still playable but is notably lower than the Low preset's 482.1 FPS. Therefore, the data supports Low for maximum performance and Medium for a balanced experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Core 12th Gen series, based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The CPU's strong single-thread performance is evident in its benchmarks, with a Passmark single-thread score of 3925 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1016. In Valorant, which is known to be sensitive to single-core performance, this CPU excels. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 597.5 is likely limited by the CPU's ability to feed frames to the GPU, as the GPU is not heavily taxed at this setting. The CPU's multi-threaded performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23444, but this is less relevant for Valorant's typical workload. The CPU's benchmark score of 27827 places it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, scoring 27829, a 0% difference. This indicates the 12600KF is a top-tier performer for gaming workloads.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component's behavior. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 597.5 at 1080p to 564.4 at 1440p and then to 482.1 at 4K. This represents a 19.3% drop from 1080p to 4K, suggesting that the CPU is still a significant factor even at higher resolutions, as the frame rate remains very high. At Ultra settings, the drop is more pronounced: from 423 at 1080p to 358.2 at 1440p and 285.8 at 4K, a 32.4% decrease. This larger drop indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows a clear trend: at low settings, the CPU limits performance, and the GPU has headroom. As settings and resolution increase, the GPU's workload grows, and it becomes the limiting factor. This is typical for a game like Valorant, where the engine's draw calls are CPU-intensive, but the GPU's rendering load scales with resolution and graphical fidelity. The scaling pattern confirms that this combo is well-balanced, with neither component being an extreme bottleneck at any tested configuration.