Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS where frame delivery directly impacts input latency and smoothness. The dataset for the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER shows exceptionally high performance across all tested configurations, with the lowest average frame rate recorded at 267 FPS in 4K Ultra settings. This combination of a 14-core, 20-thread CPU and an 8 GB Turing-generation GPU delivers results that are consistently far beyond the refresh rates of standard high-end monitors, indicating that the primary bottleneck in this pairing will shift depending on resolution and graphical preset.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide four distinct settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—across three resolutions. For competitive play, where maximizing frame rate is the priority, the Low preset at 1080p yields the highest measured average of 649 FPS. This is a 50% improvement over the High preset at the same resolution, which averages 412 FPS. The data suggests that the Low preset minimizes GPU load, allowing the CPU’s strong single-thread performance to push frame rates to their ceiling.

However, the Medium preset offers a more balanced experience. At 1080p, Medium averages 432 FPS, which is only 4.8% lower than High but provides a measurable minimum FPS of 367. This minimum FPS figure, which is absent for the Low and High presets, indicates a frame pacing profile that could be more consistent under load. For users with 144Hz or 240Hz monitors, both Low and Medium at 1080p are acceptable, but the Medium preset’s min FPS suggests it may maintain stability better during intense combat scenarios.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again stands out as the most robust option. It averages 369 FPS with a minimum of 313 FPS, while the High preset averages 351 FPS without a reported minimum. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to an average of 334 FPS. For 4K resolution, the High preset averages 281 FPS, which is still a playable frame rate for most displays, but the Medium preset provides a higher average of 295 FPS with a minimum of 251 FPS. Given that the jump from High to Ultra at 4K only reduces the average from 281 to 267 FPS, the visual gains from Ultra are likely marginal compared to the performance cost. The recommended preset for general use is Medium, as it consistently provides the best combination of high average FPS and a guaranteed minimum FPS across all resolutions in the dataset.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination holds a rank of 1729 out of 3708 tested combos in Valorant. This places it in the 53rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the configurations in the database. While this ranking might seem modest, it is crucial to contextualize it with the absolute frame rates achieved. The rank is determined by comparing performance across a wide spectrum of hardware, many of which include newer, higher-tier GPUs and CPUs.

The benchmark data reveals that this combo is not limited by the game’s demands at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low preset result of 649 FPS is a top-tier score, suggesting that the components are capable of driving frame rates that rival much more expensive setups. The ranking likely suffers at higher resolutions and settings where the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and its position in the performance hierarchy become more significant. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and the Intel Arc B570, with the RTX 2070 SUPER scoring about 1.3% to 1.5% lower in synthetic benchmarks. This indicates that the GPU is a mid-to-high-tier part, and its performance in Valorant is sufficient to maintain high frame rates, but it is not the primary driver of extreme performance at lower settings.

In comparison to other combos, this pairing is a balanced mid-range setup. The CPU’s percentile rank versus all CPUs is 90, showing it is a top-tier processor. The GPU’s percentile rank versus all GPUs is 65, showing it is a solid mid-range performer. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-to-high-tier GPU creates a system where the CPU is rarely the bottleneck, which is ideal for a CPU-bound game like Valorant.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a 12 nm process node. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz. These specifications are moderate by modern standards, but they are sufficient for Valorant’s stylized, low-polygon environment. The GPU’s 2560 shading units and 160 texture mapping units handle the game’s rendering efficiently.

The data shows that the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 649 FPS versus 392 FPS, a 65% drop in performance. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 447 FPS versus 267 FPS, a 67% drop. This similar percentage drop indicates that the GPU is consistently taxed by the higher settings, but it does not suddenly become a hard bottleneck at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in these tests, as Valorant’s texture requirements are modest. The GPU’s memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) and the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the data throughput required at 4K High settings, which still delivers 281 FPS.

The GPU’s synthetic benchmark scores place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 20282. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, scores 20480, which is a 1% difference. This suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER is a capable performer, but it is not a high-end card by today’s standards. In Valorant, this translates to a GPU that can easily handle the game at high frame rates, but the CPU is doing the heavy lifting to reach the extreme frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 649 FPS on Low to 392 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset averages 432 FPS with a minimum of 367 FPS and a maximum of 497 FPS. The High preset averages 412 FPS. The difference between Low and High is a significant 237 FPS, highlighting how much headroom exists when graphical load is reduced.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates decrease. The Low preset averages 560 FPS, which is still an extremely high score. The Medium preset averages 369 FPS with a minimum of 313 FPS and a maximum of 424 FPS. The High preset averages 351 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 334 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with Low decreasing by 89 FPS, Medium by 63 FPS, High by 61 FPS, and Ultra by 58 FPS. This shows that the GPU is beginning to handle more pixels, but the CPU is still capable of maintaining high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains impressive. The Low preset averages 447 FPS, which is higher than the 1440p High preset. The Medium preset averages 295 FPS with a minimum of 251 FPS and a maximum of 339 FPS. The High preset averages 281 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 267 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, with Low decreasing by 113 FPS, Medium by 74 FPS, High by 70 FPS, and Ultra by 67 FPS. This indicates a growing GPU bottleneck at 4K, but the absolute frame rates are still well above 240 FPS for all settings except Ultra, which is still above 250 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 14% to 15% across all settings. From 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops by roughly 20% to 21% across all settings. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is likely the primary limiter, as the frame rates are so high that the GPU has ample headroom. At 4K, the GPU is working much harder, but it still manages to deliver over 260 FPS in all cases.

The data shows that the CPU is the dominant force in this pairing. The i5-14600K has a boost clock of 5.30 GHz and a strong single-thread performance, which is critical for Valorant’s game logic and rendering pipeline. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 649 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame output. At 4K Ultra, the system achieves 267 FPS, which is a 59% reduction from the 1080p Low score. This reduction is entirely attributed to the GPU’s inability to render the higher resolution at the same speed as the CPU can prepare the frames.

The implication is that for users with high refresh rate monitors, playing at 1080p with lower settings will yield the best results. For those with 4K displays, the GPU will be the limiting factor, but the frame rates are still high enough for a smooth experience. The system is well-balanced, but the CPU has more headroom than the GPU in this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This high boost clock is a key factor in Valorant’s performance, as the game heavily relies on single-threaded performance. The CPU’s L3 cache is 24 MB (shared), and it supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The CPU’s benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064.

The CPU’s performance in Valorant is exceptional. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system averages 649 FPS, which confirms the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU with frames. The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with the i5-14600K scoring within 0.8% of these parts. This places the CPU in the top tier of processors available.

The CPU’s 90th percentile rank versus all CPUs confirms its high performance level. In Valorant, this translates to a system that can maintain high frame rates even when the GPU is not fully utilized. The CPU’s 14 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for the game’s workload, and the high boost clock ensures that single-threaded tasks are completed quickly. The CPU’s TDP of 125 W is a manageable power draw for a desktop system, and its support for DDR5 memory allows for fast data access.

The data indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any of the tested settings. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, the CPU is still able to provide the necessary instructions to achieve 267 FPS. This suggests that the i5-14600K is a future-proof choice for competitive gaming, as it has significant headroom for more demanding titles or higher refresh rates.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 649 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the Medium preset compare to High at 1440p in terms of average and minimum FPS?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 369 FPS with a minimum of 313 FPS, while the High preset averages 351 FPS with no reported minimum FPS.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems in Valorant?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combo ranks 1729 out of 3708 tested combinations.

Q: Does the GPU become a bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data shows a more significant FPS drop from 1440p to 4K (roughly 20-21%) compared to the drop from 1080p to 1440p (roughly 14-15%), indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 367 FPS, with a maximum of 497 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance contribute to the results?

A: The CPU's high boost clock of 5.30 GHz and strong single-thread scores (e.g., 2064 in Cinebench R23) are critical for Valorant's CPU-bound nature, enabling high frame rates like 649 FPS at 1080p Low.