Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS that tends to favor high frame rates, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER shows a system that is overwhelmingly capable of delivering them. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the average frame rates never dip below 441 FPS, indicating that this combination is far more likely to be limited by the CPU’s ability to feed frames than by the GPU’s capacity to render them. The data suggests that for most competitive scenarios, the bottleneck will be the processor’s single-thread performance and memory latency rather than the graphics card’s raw throughput. This analysis will break down how the system scales across resolutions, what the settings mean for the experience, and where this specific pairing stands among the broader database of tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic CPU-bound scenario, but with an interesting twist at the highest resolution. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 650.6 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings drops this to 617.3 FPS, a reduction of roughly 5%. The drop from 1440p to 3840x2160 at Low settings is more pronounced, going to 571.9 FPS, which is about 7% lower than the 1440p result. This pattern indicates that even at 4K, the GPU still has substantial headroom, and the primary limiter is the CPU’s frame generation speed.

The scaling behavior changes when looking at higher settings presets. For High settings, the frame rates are 546.2 FPS at 1080p, 516.4 FPS at 1440p, and 463 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 15%, which is larger than the 12% drop seen on Low settings. This suggests that as the graphical load increases, the GPU begins to play a slightly more significant role, though it still does not become the primary bottleneck. The gap between Low and High settings at the same resolution is consistent, with High settings being about 16% slower than Low at 1080p, 16% slower at 1440p, and 19% slower at 4K.

The most telling data point is the difference between the Ultra and Low presets at 4K. Ultra delivers 441 FPS, while Low delivers 571.9 FPS. This 23% difference is the largest spread observed across any single resolution, showing that the Ultra preset introduces enough additional GPU work to start shifting the balance. However, even at this extreme, the system still produces frame rates that are several times higher than the refresh rates of most high-end monitors. The data strongly implies that for those seeking the absolute maximum frame rates, lowering settings provides diminishing returns beyond a certain point, as the CPU-bound nature of the engine caps the potential gains.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this system in Valorant?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 650.6 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K on the High preset?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 546.2 FPS at 1920x1080 to 463 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a loss of roughly 15% of the performance.

Q: Is this system more limited by the CPU or the GPU in Valorant?

A: The data indicates a CPU-bound scenario. The frame rates remain exceptionally high even at 4K, and the scaling between resolutions is modest. The GPU’s utilization is likely not maxed out, leaving the CPU as the primary limiter for frame generation.

Q: What is the difference in frame rate between the Low and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 617.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 509.3 FPS. This is a difference of 108 FPS, or roughly 17.5%.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB of VRAM cause any issues at 4K in this game?

A: No, the measured data shows no indication of VRAM limitations. The average frame rates at 3840x2160 on Ultra settings are still very high at 441 FPS, suggesting that the 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for Valorant’s requirements.

Q: How does the combo’s rank of 111 out of 1650 tested combinations compare to the average performance?

A: A rank of 111 out of 1650 places this system in the top 7% of all tested combinations for Valorant. This indicates that it delivers significantly higher frame rates than the majority of systems in the database.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER’s role in this pairing is to ensure that the GPU never becomes a limiting factor, even at the most demanding settings. The card’s specifications include a boost clock of 2475 MHz and a memory configuration of 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. In the context of Valorant, a game with relatively simple geometry and textures, these specifications are far beyond what is necessary to maintain high frame rates. The data confirms this, as the frame rates are consistently high even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU’s shading units and texture units are more heavily exercised.

The GPU’s performance percentile of 84 places it above the majority of other graphics cards in the database. Its average benchmark score of 42576 is very close to that of the NVIDIA RTX A6000, which scores 42653, a delta of -0.2%. This parity in synthetic benchmarks suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER has similar raw compute capabilities to a professional workstation card, yet it is optimized for gaming workloads. The measured FPS data in Valorant shows that the card is not the bottleneck, as the frame rate differences between Low and High settings are relatively small compared to what would be expected if the GPU were fully saturated.

The VRAM capacity of 12 GB is another factor that contributes to the system’s performance stability. While Valorant does not require a large frame buffer, having a generous amount of VRAM ensures that there are no memory-related stutters or texture pop-ins, even when the game is set to Ultra. The card’s 7168 shading units and 224 texture mapping units provide ample parallel processing power to handle the game’s rendering pipeline without causing a drop in frame rate. In essence, the RTX 4070 SUPER is overqualified for this title, which works in the user’s favor by allowing the CPU to be the sole focus of frame generation.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends entirely on the user’s priorities. For players with a 360Hz or higher refresh rate monitor who are competing in esports, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the clear choice, as it delivers the highest average frame rate of 650.6 FPS. This preset minimizes visual fidelity to maximize responsiveness, and the data shows that the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 94.7 FPS (from 650.6 to 555.9), which is a significant trade-off for visual improvements that may not be noticeable during fast-paced gameplay.

For those using a 1440p monitor with a high refresh rate, the Medium preset appears to be a sensible balance. At 2560x1440, Medium yields 526.4 FPS, which is only slightly lower than the High preset’s 516.4 FPS. The difference between Medium and High is just 10 FPS, making Medium the more efficient choice since it likely offers a similar visual experience with a marginal performance benefit. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 509.3 FPS, which is still excellent, but the performance gain from selecting Medium over Ultra is about 3.4%, which may not justify the reduction in graphical quality for some users.

At 4K, the situation is more nuanced. The Ultra preset still manages 441 FPS, which is above the threshold for most high-refresh-rate displays. However, the data shows that the Low preset at 4K achieves 571.9 FPS, a full 23% higher than Ultra. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, even at 4K, the Low preset is the best option. For a more balanced experience, the High preset at 463 FPS provides a good middle ground, offering a substantial improvement over Low in terms of visuals while still maintaining a frame rate that exceeds the capabilities of the vast majority of monitors on the market.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination has a combo rank of 111 out of 1650 tested systems in Valorant. This places the pairing in the top 6.7% of all combinations in the database, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of systems when running this specific game. The CPU itself has a percentile rank of 93 against all processors, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which has an average score of 49062, a delta of just 0.2% from the i5-14600K’s score. This close margin suggests that the CPU is performing at the expected level for its class.

The GPU’s rank of 84 percent against all GPUs further supports the system’s strong standing. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 42576 is nearly identical to that of the NVIDIA RTX A6000, which scores 42653, a delta of -0.2%. This parity in raw compute power means that the GPU is not holding back the system’s overall performance. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a high-end GPU results in a system that is exceptionally well-suited for Valorant, as evidenced by the high frame rates measured across all settings.

When considering the rank, it is important to note that it is specific to Valorant. The game’s engine is heavily reliant on CPU performance, so the i5-14600K’s strong single-thread capabilities, as shown by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642, are likely the key driver of this high rank. The GPU’s role is secondary, but its ability to render frames without becoming a bottleneck ensures that the CPU’s potential is fully realized. This synergy between components is what allows the combo to achieve such a high position in the rankings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is a direct breakdown of the average frame rates measured for this system in Valorant, organized by resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 650.6 FPS
• Medium: 555.9 FPS
• High: 546.2 FPS
• Ultra: 534.5 FPS

At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound. The spread between Low and Ultra is 116.1 FPS, which is the largest absolute difference at any resolution. The Low preset provides a significant performance advantage, suggesting that the graphical settings have a measurable impact on the CPU’s frame generation time.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 617.3 FPS
• Medium: 526.4 FPS
• High: 516.4 FPS
• Ultra: 509.3 FPS

The 1440p results show a similar pattern to 1080p, but with slightly lower absolute frame rates. The difference between Low and Ultra is 108 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p on the same preset is modest, with Low dropping by 33.3 FPS and Ultra dropping by 25.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU is not yet a limiting factor.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 571.9 FPS
• Medium: 482.2 FPS
• High: 463 FPS
• Ultra: 441 FPS

At 4K, the GPU begins to have a more noticeable influence on performance. The gap between Low and Ultra expands to 130.9 FPS, which is the largest relative difference of any resolution. The drop from 1440p to 4K on the Low preset is 45.4 FPS, while on the Ultra preset it is 68.3 FPS, showing that the higher settings place a greater load on the GPU. Despite this, all frame rates remain exceptionally high, confirming the system’s capability for high-refresh-rate gaming even at 4K.