Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS that scales heavily with CPU performance, and the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces a distinct bottleneck profile. The i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake generation, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This processor carries a 65 W TDP and sits on the Intel Socket 1151 platform, using a 14 nm process node. Its cache layout includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a 9 MB shared L3 cache. In synthetic testing, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, which places it at the 47th percentile among all CPUs.

The data indicates that the i5-9400’s single-core performance is a critical factor for Valorant, as the game's engine relies heavily on a few primary threads. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz provides a reasonable ceiling, but the lack of hyper-threading means the CPU must manage all six threads without additional logical cores. In the measured FPS data, the impact of this CPU is visible when comparing resolutions; as the resolution drops, the frame rate rises, but the gains are constrained by the processor’s throughput. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 2254, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (average score 2259, delta -0.2%) and the Intel Core i7-10710U (average score 2248, delta 0.3%). This grouping shows that the i5-9400 sits in a tight performance band with other mid-range parts, suggesting that its role in Valorant is to provide a stable baseline rather than a high-frequency edge.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a combo rank of 2939 out of 3708 total combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the rankings, which is notable given the high-end nature of the GPU. The rank indicates that, while the RTX 4080 is capable of massive frame rates, the i5-9400 prevents the combo from reaching the upper echelons of the database. For context, the RTX 4080 alone sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247. The nearest GPU rivals are the RTX 4080 SUPER (average score 54209, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (average score 54828, delta -1.1%), showing that the GPU is competitive at its tier.

The discrepancy between the GPU’s high percentile and the combo’s lower rank highlights the CPU bottleneck. In Valorant, the combo rank of 2939 suggests that many other processor and GPU pairings achieve higher sustained FPS, likely due to having stronger single-core performance. The i5-9400’s nearest CPU rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (average score 2246, delta 0.4%) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (average score 2264, delta -0.4%), have similar average scores, meaning they would likely produce comparable bottleneck behavior. The data shows that this combo is not optimized for competitive play at the highest refresh rates, but it still delivers playable performance, as the measured FPS remains well above typical monitor refresh rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, with average frame rates declining across all settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 368 FPS, which drops to 349 FPS at 2560x1440 (a decrease of 19 FPS) and further to 324 FPS at 3840x2160 (a total decrease of 44 FPS from 1080p). This pattern indicates that the CPU is the primary limiter at lower resolutions, as the RTX 4080 has ample headroom to render frames faster if the CPU can feed it. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is 19 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 25 FPS, showing that the GPU starts to take on more responsibility as resolution climbs.

At High settings, the scaling is similar: 309 FPS at 1080p, 293 FPS at 1440p (down 16 FPS), and 272 FPS at 4K (down 21 FPS from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 37 FPS, which is smaller than the Low settings drop of 44 FPS. This suggests that at higher settings, the GPU workload increases, partially masking the CPU bottleneck. For Medium settings, the combo produces 314 FPS at 1080p, 298 FPS at 1440p, and 276 FPS at 4K, with the total drop being 38 FPS. Ultra settings show the smallest absolute drop: 304 FPS at 1080p, 288 FPS at 1440p, and 267 FPS at 4K, a 37 FPS decline. The consistent ~37-44 FPS drop across settings indicates that the CPU bottleneck is persistent, but the GPU’s performance scaling is gradual, meaning the limiting component shifts from CPU to GPU only at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 368 FPS, which is the highest recorded for this combo. The Medium preset at 1080p produces 314 FPS, with a minimum of 267 FPS and a maximum of 361 FPS, showing some variance in frame pacing. High settings at 1080p average 309 FPS, while Ultra averages 304 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 64 FPS, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU can handle the extra load from higher settings without a significant drop.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 349 FPS, which is 19 FPS lower than at 1080p. Medium at 1440p averages 298 FPS, with a minimum of 253 FPS and a maximum of 342 FPS. High settings average 293 FPS, and Ultra averages 288 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 61 FPS, a similar spread to 1080p, confirming that the CPU remains the dominant constraint. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 324 FPS, Medium averages 276 FPS (min 235, max 318), High averages 272 FPS, and Ultra averages 267 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K narrows to 57 FPS, suggesting that the GPU begins to play a larger role, but the CPU still prevents the Low preset from exceeding 324 FPS.

The data reveals that the minimum FPS values are only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution, with 267 FPS at 1080p, 253 FPS at 1440p, and 235 FPS at 4K. These minimums are still well above 200 FPS, indicating that the combo never dips into unplayable territory, even in demanding scenes. The maximum FPS values for Medium are 361 FPS at 1080p, 342 FPS at 1440p, and 318 FPS at 4K, showing that the combo can spike higher when the CPU is not saturated. Overall, the measured results show that this combo is capable of high frame rates, but the i5-9400 caps the performance ceiling, particularly at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 plays a supporting role in this combo, as its immense power is largely underutilized in Valorant. The GPU features the AD103 chip on a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 45,900 million transistors and a die size of 379 mm². It operates at a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, with memory running at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective). The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s, which is far more than Valorant requires at any resolution. The RTX 4080’s benchmark scores include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 and a Passmark G3D score of 34457, placing it at the 86th percentile among all GPUs.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU’s role becomes more apparent at 4K, where the frame rate drops are slightly larger, but even then, the RTX 4080 is not the primary limiter. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the RTX 4080 SUPER (average score 54209, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (average score 55698, delta -2.6%), show that the RTX 4080 is competitive, but this does not translate to a high combo rank due to the CPU. The GPU’s 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Valorant, which is a low-VRAM game, and its 9728 shading units provide massive compute throughput that goes unused in a CPU-bound scenario. The data suggests that the RTX 4080 is effectively waiting for the i5-9400 to deliver frames, which is why the combo rank is lower than the GPU’s percentile would imply.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target refresh rate and resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 368 FPS, which is the highest average in the dataset, but the Medium preset at 314 FPS still provides a comfortable margin above 300 FPS. The Medium preset also has recorded minimum and maximum values (267 FPS min, 361 FPS max), which indicate a stable frame delivery. For competitive play, the Low preset offers the highest FPS, but the Medium preset provides a better balance of visual quality and performance, as the 54 FPS difference between Low and Medium is modest given the CPU bottleneck. Ultra at 1080p averages 304 FPS, which is still high, but the 64 FPS gap from Low suggests diminishing returns.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 349 FPS, while Medium averages 298 FPS, and Ultra averages 288 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 253 FPS is the lowest recorded at this resolution, but it remains above 240 FPS, making it viable for high-refresh-rate monitors. For 1440p, the Low preset is the best choice for maximum FPS, but the Medium preset is recommended for users who want a balance, as the 51 FPS drop from Low to Medium is acceptable. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 324 FPS, Medium averages 276 FPS, and Ultra averages 267 FPS. The 4K Medium preset’s minimum of 235 FPS is the lowest in the entire dataset, but it still exceeds 200 FPS, which is playable. For 4K, the Low preset is the clear recommendation for competitive play, as the 48 FPS gain over Medium is significant, and the visual difference in Valorant is minimal.

Overall, the data indicates that the Low preset is the best choice for maximizing FPS across all resolutions, but the Medium preset is a reasonable alternative if visual fidelity is desired. The Ultra preset provides the lowest FPS in every resolution, and the gains in visual quality are not worth the performance cost given the CPU bottleneck. The measured rows show that this combo is best utilized with Low settings to push frame rates as high as possible, especially at 1080p where the CPU is the sole limiting factor.

FAQ

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

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 368, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

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

A: The combo ranks 2939 out of 3708 total combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The data indicates the Intel Core i5-9400 is the primary limiter, as frame rates drop by 44 FPS from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, while the RTX 4080 has significant headroom.

Q: What is the lowest minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum FPS is 235, recorded at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209) and 2.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698).

Q: What settings provide the best experience for competitive play?

A: The Low preset offers the highest average FPS at all resolutions, ranging from 324 FPS at 4K to 368 FPS at 1080p, making it the recommended choice for maximum frame rates.