Valorant

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers exceptional performance in Valorant, with frame rates that far exceed the requirements of competitive play. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the combo maintains average FPS well above 200, indicating that this pairing is far more than sufficient for this title. The data reveals a system that is heavily CPU-limited at lower resolutions, with the GPU only becoming a more significant factor as resolution increases. Benchmark results indicate that this configuration is a top-tier performer for Valorant, placing in the top portion of all tested combos.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend: average frame rates decrease as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop reveals important insights into the system's bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 508 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 434 FPS, a 14.6% decrease. Pushing further to 4K Low results in 347 FPS, which is a 31.7% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly.

The scaling behavior changes more dramatically when the graphics load is increased. With High settings, the frame rate drops from 319 FPS at 1080p to 272 FPS at 1440p (a 14.7% reduction) and then to 217 FPS at 4K (a 32% reduction from 1080p). This pattern is similar to Low settings, suggesting the CPU remains a significant constraint even as GPU load increases. The Ultra preset shows a similar trend, with 304 FPS at 1080p, 259 FPS at 1440p, and 207 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the CPU is the dominant bottleneck throughout the resolution range tested.

The data indicates that the GPU's role becomes more prominent at 4K. At this resolution, the difference between Low and High settings is 130 FPS (347 vs 217), whereas at 1080p, the same settings gap is 189 FPS (508 vs 319). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is beginning to work harder, though it still has significant headroom. The Arc B570's 380.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are clearly sufficient for this game, as even the most demanding preset at 4K maintains an average of 207 FPS. The limiting component in this configuration is the CPU, which caps performance at lower resolutions before the GPU can reach its full potential.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2227 out of 2883 tested combos in Valorant, placing it in the 77th percentile of all configurations. This is a strong result, indicating that this pairing outperforms the majority of systems tested in this game. However, the raw FPS numbers suggest that this ranking might be conservative, as the measured frame rates are extremely high across all settings. The ranking reflects the overall performance of the combo, but the data shows that this system is capable of delivering competitive-level frame rates in nearly any scenario.

The CPU's benchmark performance supports this high ranking. The i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292, which places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, scores 25284, a negligible 0% difference. The Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D both score 25362 and 25365 respectively, showing a -0.3% difference, meaning the i5-13400F is essentially tied with these processors. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201, a 0.4% difference. This tight grouping indicates that the i5-13400F's performance is well within the expected range for a high-end desktop CPU.

The GPU's ranking is also solid. The Arc B570 has a percentile rank of 65 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, a -0.1% difference. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and AMD Radeon R9 M390X score 20480 and 20662 respectively, showing 0.4% and -0.5% differences. This data places the Arc B570 in the same performance class as mid-range to upper-mid-range GPUs, which is consistent with its strong showing in Valorant.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The CPU's cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 cache. These specifications indicate a processor designed for high single-threaded performance, which is critical for Valorant's game engine.

Benchmark results confirm the CPU's strength in both single and multi-threaded workloads. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 3191 in single-core and 22604 in multi-core tests. The 3DMark benchmarks show a score of 960 in single-thread, 1880 in 2-thread, 3459 in 4-thread, 5591 in 8-thread, and 7307 in max-thread tests. These scores demonstrate that the CPU scales well with additional threads, but its single-thread performance is particularly notable. The PassMark single-thread score of 3634 and multi-thread score of 25032 further reinforce this profile.

In Valorant, the CPU's role is paramount. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 508 FPS, which is likely near the practical limit for the game's engine. The fact that increasing resolution to 1440p only drops this to 434 FPS suggests that the CPU is the bottleneck, as the GPU has enough power to render frames at lower resolutions without being the limiting factor. The CPU's high boost clock of 4.60 GHz and substantial L3 cache of 20 MB are well-suited for the game's physics and logic calculations, which are often single-threaded. The data indicates that this processor is more than capable of driving high frame rates in Valorant, with the GPU only becoming a limiting factor at 4K resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved by this combo in Valorant?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 508 at 1080p with Low settings. This represents the peak performance of the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B570 combination in the tested configurations.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 4K, the combo maintains high frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, it averages 347 FPS. Medium settings yield 228 FPS, High settings produce 217 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 207 FPS. Even at the most demanding preset, the average FPS remains above 200.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the primary limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and High settings is only 189 FPS, indicating the CPU caps performance. At 4K, the gap narrows to 130 FPS, showing the GPU begins to play a larger role, but the CPU still constrains overall performance.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2227 out of 2883 tested combos, placing it in the 77th percentile. This indicates it outperforms the majority of systems in Valorant. The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, has a nearly identical average score, showing the i5-13400F is competitively positioned.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The only minimum FPS values recorded are for Medium settings. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 194 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 243 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 285 FPS. These values indicate smooth performance even during demanding scenes.

Q: Can this combo handle a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor?

A: Yes. At 1080p, all settings average above 300 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Even at 1440p High, the average is 272 FPS. At 4K, the lowest average is 207 FPS, which still exceeds 144Hz but falls short of 240Hz.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. The GPU has 18 ray tracing cores and operates at a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz. Memory is 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's compute capabilities include 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 23.04 TFLOPS of FP16 performance.

Benchmark results for the Arc B570 show a PassMark G3D score of 14195 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 83514. In DirectX 12 tests, the GPU scores 72 in PassMark and 2649 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. The Vulkan score in Geekbench is 96844. These scores place the GPU in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534, showing a 0.1% difference.

In Valorant, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 140 FPS (347 vs 207), showing that the GPU is being utilized more heavily. The Arc B570's 10 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, as Valorant is not a VRAM-intensive title. The GPU's high pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s contribute to its ability to maintain high frame rates at 4K. However, the data shows that the GPU is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions, as the CPU limits performance before the GPU reaches its maximum capacity.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play, the Low preset at 1080p is the optimal choice, delivering the highest average FPS of 508. This setting minimizes visual effects to maximize frame rate, which is critical for competitive advantage. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a balanced experience with 335 FPS average and a minimum of 285 FPS, providing better visuals while still maintaining extremely high frame rates. For players who prefer a balance between visual quality and performance, Medium at 1080p is recommended.

At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 434 FPS average, which is still exceptionally high. The High preset at 1440p delivers 272 FPS, which is sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors. For players with 1440p displays, Low or Medium settings are recommended to maintain frame rates above 300 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p has a minimum FPS of 243, ensuring smooth gameplay even in intense situations.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the best option, achieving 347 FPS average. The Medium preset at 4K provides 228 FPS with a minimum of 194 FPS, which is still playable on high-refresh-rate displays. The High and Ultra presets at 4K, at 217 and 207 FPS respectively, are also viable for players prioritizing visual quality over maximum frame rates. The data indicates that this combo can handle 4K at competitive frame rates with the right settings, making it a versatile option for various display configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers its highest performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 508. Medium settings produce an average of 335 FPS, with a minimum of 285 and maximum of 385. High settings yield 319 FPS average. Ultra settings result in 304 FPS average. These numbers show that even at the highest preset, the frame rate exceeds 300 FPS, making this resolution ideal for competitive play.

At 1440p, performance remains strong. Low settings achieve 434 FPS average. Medium settings produce 286 FPS average, with a minimum of 243 and maximum of 329. High settings deliver 272 FPS average. Ultra settings result in 259 FPS average. The data shows that 1440p is still well within the capabilities of this combo, with even the most demanding preset staying above 250 FPS.

At 4K, the combo continues to impress. Low settings achieve 347 FPS average. Medium settings produce 228 FPS average, with a minimum of 194 and maximum of 263. High settings deliver 217 FPS average. Ultra settings result in 207 FPS average. While frame rates drop significantly from 1080p, the performance remains more than adequate for smooth gameplay, with all presets exceeding 200 FPS average. The minimum FPS of 194 at 4K Medium indicates that even the most demanding scenes maintain high frame rates, ensuring a consistent experience.