Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS where frame rates often matter more than absolute graphical fidelity, and the data for the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combo reflects that ethos. The measured frames per second (FPS) are exceptionally high across all tested configurations, indicating a system that is heavily optimized for this specific title. The analysis reveals that the performance ceiling is rarely the GPU, but rather how the game's engine scales with the CPU's capabilities and the chosen graphical preset. This combination of a 10-core processor and an 8 GB graphics card produces a dataset that is more nuanced than simple high-score listings, showing distinct scaling patterns that inform how the hardware handles the game's demands.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant but not catastrophic, revealing a mixed dependency on both the CPU and GPU. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 568 FPS at 1920x1080 to 407.7 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 160.3 FPS. This substantial drop indicates that even at the lowest settings, the increased pixel count begins to tax the RTX 2060 SUPER, though the absolute numbers remain incredibly high. In contrast, the High preset sees a drop from 373.9 FPS at 1080p to 255.6 FPS at 4K, a 118.3 FPS decrease. The scaling here is interesting because it suggests that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as resolution climbs, but the CPU is still feeding it enough data to maintain a playable—if not competitive—frame rate.

The data implies a threshold where the system transitions from CPU-bound to GPU-bound. At 1080p Low, the 568 FPS result is likely near the CPU's maximum output for this game, given the Core i5-14400F's boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Moving to 1440p, the Low preset yields 511.2 FPS, showing a smaller drop of 56.8 FPS compared to the 1080p to 1440p jump. However, from 1440p to 4K at Low, the frame rate falls by 103.5 FPS, a steeper decline that points to the GPU's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth becoming a bottleneck. For the Ultra preset, the scaling is more linear, with 351.7 FPS at 1080p, 304.3 FPS at 1440p, and 243.3 FPS at 4K. This pattern suggests that at higher graphical loads, the RTX 2060 SUPER's 7.181 TFLOPS of compute power is more consistently engaged, but the CPU's performance is still high enough to prevent a severe collapse in frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, appears to be a formidable partner for Valorant, as the game is known to favor high single-thread performance. The CPU's boost clock of 4.70 GHz is likely a primary driver behind the triple-digit frame rates observed even at 4K resolution. The benchmark results for this processor show a strong single-core Cinebench R23 score of 3093, which aligns with the game's engine requirements. In comparison, the data shows the i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32508 puts it nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513) and ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446), indicating that its processing power is competitive with other high-end mobile and desktop parts.

The role of the CPU becomes clearer when examining the FPS differences between presets at the same resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset (568 FPS) is 194.1 FPS faster than the Ultra preset (351.7 FPS). This massive gap is not due to the GPU suddenly becoming slower, but rather because the Ultra settings likely introduce additional CPU overhead. The data suggests that the i5-14400F is capable of pushing well over 500 FPS when the graphical load is minimal, but the game's logic and draw calls at higher settings consume some of that headroom. The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory also contribute to its ability to handle the game's data streams without stuttering, making it a strong choice for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset appears to offer the most balanced experience for players seeking both high frame rates and visual quality. At 1080p Medium, the system produces 388.6 FPS, which is 35.1 FPS higher than High (373.9 FPS) and 36.9 FPS higher than Ultra (351.7 FPS), while likely providing a better visual experience than Low. The jump from Low to Medium costs 179.4 FPS at 1080p (from 568 to 388.6), which is a significant sacrifice, but the Medium preset still delivers a frame rate that is far beyond what any current monitor can display, making the visual upgrade worth the performance loss. At 1440p, Medium produces 333.4 FPS, which is still exceptionally high and only 18.2 FPS behind the High preset's 315.2 FPS, making it the sweet spot for that resolution as well.

For players prioritizing maximum responsiveness, the Low preset is the clear winner, with 568 FPS at 1080p and 511.2 FPS at 1440p. These numbers suggest that the i5-14400F is the star of the show at this setting, as the GPU is largely idle. However, the data indicates that the High preset is a reasonable middle ground for 4K gaming, as the 255.6 FPS average at that resolution is still highly competitive and visually superior to Low (407.7 FPS) without the performance penalty of Ultra (243.3 FPS). The Ultra preset offers the best visuals, but the 351.7 FPS at 1080p is 216.3 FPS lower than Low, which may be a noticeable difference for professional players who rely on every millisecond.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1014 out of 1650 tested combinations in Valorant. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all possible pairings, which is surprising given the high absolute FPS numbers. The ranking suggests that while the system performs exceptionally well in isolation, there are many other combos that achieve even higher frame rates, likely featuring newer or higher-end GPUs. The combo's percentile ranking reflects the GPU's overall position in the database, as the RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is at the 88th percentile. This discrepancy suggests that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing, even though it still produces outstanding results for this game.

The data implies that the combo's rank is influenced more by the GPU's raw compute power than the CPU's processing strength. The RTX 2060 SUPER's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (with a 0.3% delta) and the RTX 2070 (with a 0.5% delta), showing that it is closely matched with other mid-range cards. In Valorant, where frame rates are already extremely high, the differences between these GPUs might be minimal, but the ranking system suggests that combos with more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 2070, might edge out this configuration. The 1014 rank out of 1650 is not a condemnation of the hardware, but rather a reflection of the vast number of possible pairings that include higher-tier parts.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit memory bus, plays a crucial role in maintaining high frame rates as resolution increases. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is a key factor in the 4K results, where the Low preset still achieves 407.7 FPS. This suggests that the card's memory subsystem is capable of feeding the shaders efficiently, even when rendering over 8 million pixels. The GPU's boost clock of 1650 MHz and its 2176 shading units provide enough compute power to handle the game's effects at High and Ultra settings, but the data shows that the card is not the primary bottleneck until the resolution reaches 4K.

In comparison to its rivals, the RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 19774 is slightly below the RTX 2070's 19680 (with a 0.5% delta), indicating that the two cards are nearly identical in overall performance. However, in Valorant specifically, the GPU's role is somewhat diminished due to the game's low graphical requirements. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (568 FPS) is likely close to the CPU's limit, meaning the GPU is not fully utilized. At 4K Ultra, the 243.3 FPS result shows the GPU is working harder, but it still maintains a high frame rate. The card's 175 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for its class, but the focus here is on its ability to sustain high performance without thermal throttling, which the data suggests it does well.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are staggering, with the Low preset producing an average of 568 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 388.6 FPS, while High gives 373.9 FPS and Ultra gives 351.7 FPS. This shows a clear trend where the lower presets allow the CPU to stretch its legs, while higher presets introduce additional GPU load. Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset still manages 511.2 FPS, but Medium falls to 333.4 FPS, High to 315.2 FPS, and Ultra to 304.3 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium at 1440p is 177.8 FPS, which is a larger relative decrease than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is starting to feel the pressure of the higher resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains high but the scaling becomes more pronounced. The Low preset yields 407.7 FPS, Medium drops to 265 FPS, High to 255.6 FPS, and Ultra to 243.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 142.7 FPS, which is the largest absolute difference between presets at any resolution. This suggests that the Medium preset introduces a significant graphical effect that heavily taxes the GPU's texture units and ROPs (64 in total). The Ultra preset only costs 12.3 FPS more than High at 4K, implying that the additional effects in Ultra are not as demanding as the jump from Low to Medium. Overall, the data shows that the system is capable of delivering over 240 FPS even at the most demanding settings and resolution, which is a remarkable achievement for this hardware combo.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average is 568 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to the RTX 2070 in overall benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 19774, while the RTX 2070 scores 19680, showing the 2060 SUPER is 0.5% higher.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 511.2 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 304.3 FPS, a difference of 206.9 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 1080p Low?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor, as the 568 FPS result likely approaches the Intel Core i5-14400F's maximum output, given its 4.70 GHz boost clock.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations in Valorant?

A: This combo ranks 1014 out of 1650 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the list.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with the High preset?

A: At 3840x2160 with the High preset, the system achieves an average of 255.6 FPS.