Valorant

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination delivers remarkably high frame rates in Valorant, positioning the pairing in the 79th percentile of all tested configurations. The data shows a system that is heavily skewed toward GPU capability, with the RTX 3070 Ti providing immense headroom that the six-core processor can feed without becoming a bottleneck at most settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, drawing 65 watts TDP. The processor features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 9 MB L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s.

Valorant is a competitive FPS that relies heavily on single-thread performance for game logic and physics, but the measured frame rates suggest the i5-9400 handles the workload comfortably. The processor's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 935 and multi-core score of 6629 indicate a modest level of performance relative to modern CPUs, yet the game's engine scales well with this configuration. The 4.10 GHz boost clock is sufficient to maintain high frame pacing, as evidenced by the minimum FPS values recorded (235 FPS at 4K Medium, 253 FPS at 1440p Medium, 267 FPS at 1080p Medium).

The processor's 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs places it in the mid-range tier, but this does not translate to poor gaming performance in Valorant. The nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (avg score 2259, delta -0.2%), Intel Core i7-10710U (avg score 2248, delta 0.3%), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (avg score 2246, delta 0.4%), and Intel Core i3-10305 (avg score 2264, delta -0.4%). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that the i5-9400 sits in a tightly clustered performance band. The six physical cores without hyper-threading are adequate for Valorant's thread utilization, which typically spawns fewer than six heavy threads.

The architectural choice of Coffee Lake refresh brings a mature memory controller and PCIe Gen 3 connectivity, which is more than sufficient for this game. The 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth does not appear to constrain frame delivery, as the measured FPS at all resolutions remains well above refresh rate thresholds that most monitors support. The processor's end-of-life production status and 2018 release date are historical facts that contextualize its performance tier, but the benchmark results show it remains viable for this specific esports title.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 368, which is the highest figure recorded across all resolution and settings combinations in the dataset.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945, while the closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, scores 29928 (delta 0.1%). The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095 (delta -0.5%), showing the RTX 3070 Ti is competitive with those cards.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the entire measured dataset?

A: The lowest minimum FPS is 235, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings. This is the only resolution where min FPS is recorded alongside max FPS for all three settings tiers.

Q: Does the i5-9400 bottleneck the RTX 3070 Ti in Valorant?

A: The data suggests minimal bottlenecking, as the frame rate scales consistently across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 368, and at 4K High it drops to 272, indicating the GPU becomes more relevant at higher resolutions but the CPU still delivers high frame rates.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 349 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 288 FPS. This represents a difference of 61 FPS, or approximately 17.5% lower performance at Ultra compared to Low.

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

A: The combo ranks 2939 out of 3708 tested combinations, placing it in the 79th percentile of all configurations. This indicates it outperforms the majority of tested systems.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 2939 out of 3708 tested combos in Valorant, placing it at the 79th percentile. This ranking is notable because it places the system well above the median configuration, but the percentile is not as high as the GPU's individual 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The processor's 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests that the CPU is the weaker link in this pairing, yet the measured frame rates do not reveal a severe bottleneck.

The rank position indicates that 769 other tested combos outperform this setup in Valorant, while 2938 combos are slower. The delta between the i5-9400 and its nearest CPU rivals is minimal, with the largest spread being 0.4% between the i5-9400 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500. This tight clustering suggests that the CPU is not a differentiating factor at this performance tier, and the GPU carries the load. The RTX 3070 Ti's nearest rival, the RTX 5070 Mobile, has a delta of 0.1%, which is within measurement noise.

The rank in the 79th percentile is respectable but not top-tier, which aligns with the benchmark scores. The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254 is nearly identical to its rivals, and the GPU's 29945 average score is competitive with the RTX 5070 Mobile (29928) and RTX 2080 Ti (29783). The combination of a mid-range CPU and high-end GPU produces a balanced system for Valorant, but the 4K results indicate the GPU is not fully saturated at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS ranges from 304 to 368 depending on settings. Low settings produce 368 FPS, Medium yields 314 FPS with a minimum of 267 and maximum of 361, High delivers 309 FPS, and Ultra drops to 304 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 64 FPS, representing a 17.4% reduction in average frame rate when moving from lowest to highest quality settings. The minimum FPS at Medium is 267, which is still well above 240 Hz refresh rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS shows a similar pattern but with lower absolute values. Low settings achieve 349 FPS, Medium produces 298 FPS with a minimum of 253 and maximum of 342, High yields 293 FPS, and Ultra delivers 288 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 61 FPS, approximately 17.5% lower at Ultra. The minimum FPS at Medium drops to 253, which remains above 240 Hz but close to the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS decreases further. Low settings produce 324 FPS, Medium yields 276 FPS with a minimum of 235 and maximum of 318, High delivers 272 FPS, and Ultra drops to 267 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra difference is 57 FPS, about 17.6% lower at Ultra. The minimum FPS at Medium is 235, which is the lowest recorded value in the entire dataset, but still above 144 Hz refresh rate standards.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the FPS penalty from Low to Ultra settings is roughly 17-18% across all resolutions, while the penalty from 1080p to 4K at the same settings is more variable. For instance, at High settings, 1080p produces 309 FPS while 4K produces 272 FPS, a difference of 37 FPS or 12%. At Low settings, 1080p produces 368 FPS while 4K produces 324 FPS, a difference of 44 FPS or 12%.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals the scaling behavior of this combo in Valorant. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 309 at 1080p to 293 at 1440p (a 5.2% decrease), and then to 272 at 4K (a 7.2% further decrease from 1440p, or 12% total from 1080p). At Low settings, the drop is from 368 at 1080p to 349 at 1440p (5.2%) and then to 324 at 4K (7.2% from 1440p, 12% total). At Ultra settings, the pattern holds: 304 at 1080p, 288 at 1440p (5.3%), and 267 at 4K (7.3% from 1440p, 12.2% total).

This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, but the CPU still has headroom. The resolution change from 1080p to 1440p increases pixel count by 78%, yet the FPS only drops by about 5%, which suggests the GPU is not fully utilized at 1080p. The further drop from 1440p to 4K (another 125% pixel increase) results in a 7% FPS reduction, again suggesting the RTX 3070 Ti has significant headroom.

The limiting component analysis points to the CPU being the bottleneck at 1080p, where the GPU could theoretically render more frames but is constrained by the i5-9400's single-thread performance. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz is the ceiling for the CPU's frame delivery, and the data shows that even at 4K, the FPS remains above 267, which is higher than what a slower CPU would allow. The 12% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is relatively small compared to other games, indicating Valorant's engine is not heavily GPU-bound at these settings.

The minimum FPS data at Medium settings provides additional insight. At 1080p, the min FPS is 267, at 1440p it is 253, and at 4K it is 235. The min FPS drops by 12% from 1080p to 4K, matching the average FPS drop, which indicates consistent frame pacing without sudden stutters. The max FPS values (361 at 1080p, 342 at 1440p, 318 at 4K) also scale similarly, confirming that the system delivers stable performance across the resolution range.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides clear guidance on settings selection for this combo. At 1080p, Low settings deliver 368 FPS, which is the highest measured value, but the difference between Low and Ultra is only 64 FPS (17.4%). For competitive play on a 240 Hz monitor, Low settings provide the most headroom above the refresh rate, but Medium settings at 314 FPS also exceed 240 Hz with a minimum of 267 FPS, offering better visual quality without sacrificing fluidity.

At 1440p, Low settings produce 349 FPS and Medium produces 298 FPS with a minimum of 253. For 1440p 240 Hz displays, Low settings are the safe choice, but Medium still maintains a minimum above 240 Hz, making it viable for most players. Ultra at 288 FPS drops below the 240 Hz threshold for minimum frame rates, but the average remains high enough for 144 Hz monitors.

At 4K, the situation changes. Low settings produce 324 FPS, Medium produces 276 FPS with a minimum of 235, and Ultra drops to 267 FPS. For 4K 144 Hz displays, all settings tiers exceed the refresh rate in average FPS, but the minimum FPS at Medium (235) is the only value that remains above 144 Hz. The data suggests Medium settings at 4K provide the best balance, with an average of 276 FPS and a minimum that stays above 144 Hz.

The recommendation based on the measured rows is to use Medium settings across all resolutions. The Medium preset consistently shows the highest minimum FPS values relative to its average (267 min at 1080p, 253 min at 1440p, 235 min at 4K), indicating the most stable frame delivery. The jump from Low to Medium costs about 54 FPS at 1080p (from 368 to 314), but the visual improvement likely justifies this for most users, given the absolute FPS remains above 300.

For players with 144 Hz monitors, Ultra settings are viable at all resolutions, since even the lowest minimum FPS (235 at 4K) exceeds 144 Hz. For 240 Hz monitors, Medium is the highest recommended preset, as it maintains a minimum above 240 Hz at 1080p and 1440p, while at 4K the minimum drops to 235, which is below 240 Hz.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, 96 raster output units, 48 ray tracing cores, and 192 tensor cores. The base clock is 1575 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and memory operates at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The GPU's transistor count is 17,400 million on a 392 mm² die.

In Valorant, the GPU's role is secondary to the CPU at lower resolutions, but the data shows the RTX 3070 Ti still delivers high frame rates. The 8 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, which does not require heavy texture memory. The 608.3 GB/s memory bandwidth provides ample data throughput for the scene complexity in Valorant, but the game's simple geometry and low poly counts mean the GPU is not stressed.

The RTX 3070 Ti's benchmark scores reflect its high-end positioning. The Passmark G3D score is 23356, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3478. The GPU's 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it above the majority of cards, and its nearest rivals include the RTX 5070 Mobile (avg score 29928, delta 0.1%), AMD Radeon RX 6800 (avg score 30095, delta -0.5%), RTX 2080 Ti (avg score 29783, delta 0.5%), and AMD Radeon RX 6700 (avg score 30433, delta -1.6%). These deltas are all within 1.6%, indicating the RTX 3070 Ti sits in a competitive performance band.

The GPU's clock speeds are moderate for a high-end card, with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, but the high shading unit count (6144) compensates. The FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS is substantial, yet Valorant's rendering workload is relatively light. The measured FPS results show the GPU is not the limiting factor until 4K, where the average FPS still exceeds 267 at Ultra settings. The 290 W TDP and 600 W suggested PSU indicate the card requires significant power, but the benchmark data confirms it delivers high frame rates in this game.

The launch MSRP of 599 USD for the RTX 3070 Ti is a historical data point, but the performance metrics show the card remains capable in Valorant despite being end-of-life. The GPU's combination of high memory bandwidth and shading units ensures that even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains an average of 267 FPS, which is well above what most displays can show.