Valorant

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread desktop processor from the Coffee Lake generation, running on the Intel Socket 1151 platform. It operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This CPU sits at the 50th percentile when compared to all CPUs in the database, meaning its average benchmark score of 2305 places it squarely in the middle of the pack. Its nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i3-10305 and the Intel Core i3-1125G4, both of which score within 0.2% of the i5-9400, and the Intel Xeon E-2134 at 0.4% ahead. The data indicates that this processor is not a bottleneck for Valorant, even at high frame rates; its six physical cores are sufficient for the game's threading model, and the boost clock provides the single-thread performance that competitive shooters like this rely on. The L3 cache is 9 MB shared, and memory support is DDR4 dual-channel with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, which is adequate for feeding frames to a high-end GPU.

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

The i5-9400’s specifications are more than adequate for Valorant, as the measured FPS data demonstrates. With six cores and six threads, the processor handles the game's logic and physics without showing signs of strain. The lack of hyper-threading is irrelevant here, as Valorant does not scale heavily beyond a handful of threads. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz is the key figure for this title, as it directly impacts the frame pacing in CPU-bound scenarios. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1125 and multi-core score of 7969 reflect a balanced, if not class-leading, performance profile. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-9400 is virtually tied with the Core i3-10305 and Core i3-1125G4 in average benchmark score, with a delta of only 0.2%. The Core i7-8809G is 0.6% faster, but this is within the margin of error and does not translate to a meaningful difference in game performance.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution tested. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 371.5 FPS, which is the highest figure in the dataset. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see the frame rate plateau across different settings, but the data shows a clear scaling pattern. For instance, at 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 350.5 on Low to 286 on Ultra, a difference of 64.5 FPS, which is a GPU-driven change. This proves that the i5-9400 can feed the RTX 4090 enough data to keep it busy, even at lower resolutions where the GPU load is lighter. The processor's 14 nm process node and 9 MB of L3 cache are old by modern standards, but they do not hinder performance in this specific title. The data suggests that for Valorant, the i5-9400 is a capable pairing, providing a solid foundation for the GPU to operate at its full potential.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the extraordinary frame rates observed. It is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, with 16384 shading units and 128 RT cores. It is a massive card, with a 450 W TDP and a triple-slot cooler, requiring an 850 W power supply. The launch MSRP for this card is 1,599 USD. Its performance percentile is the 91st among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66473. Its nearest rivals in the database are the Tesla T4, which is 0.4% slower, and the Tesla P40, which is 0.5% faster. The data shows that the RTX 4090 is not the limiting factor in this combo; it is the CPU that sets the ceiling, but that ceiling is high enough.

For Valorant, the RTX 4090 is massively overprovisioned in terms of VRAM and compute power. The game does not require 24 GB of VRAM, but the high clocks and raw throughput ensure that frame rates remain extremely high even at 4K. The measured FPS at 3840x2160 on Ultra is 269.7, which is only slightly lower than the 286 FPS at 2560x1440 on Ultra. This small drop indicates that the GPU has ample headroom. The memory clock of 1313 MHz, with an effective data rate of 21 Gbps, is more than sufficient for the game's texture streaming. The pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s are theoretical maxima that the game never approaches. In practical terms, the RTX 4090 is running well below its capacity, which is why the frame rates are so consistent across different settings. The data confirms that this GPU is the star of the show, and the only reason it does not reach even higher numbers is the processor's single-thread speed limitations at very high frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in Valorant?

A: The measured data indicates it is not a significant bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 371.5 FPS. If the CPU were severely limiting, the frame rates would be much lower and would not vary significantly with resolution changes. The CPU's 50th percentile ranking and its close scores to rivals like the Core i3-10305 (0.2% delta) suggest it has enough single-thread performance for this game.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4090 compared to its nearest rival, the Tesla T4?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 66473, while the Tesla T4 scores 66733. This means the Tesla T4 is 0.4% faster in synthetic benchmarks. However, in gaming, the RTX 4090's architecture and drivers are far more optimized, and the measured FPS data shows it is more than capable of handling Valorant at over 300 FPS at most settings.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Valorant with this combo for maximum frame rate?

A: The highest average FPS is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, yielding 371.5 FPS. However, even at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo still produces 269.7 FPS. The data shows that you can play at any resolution and still get a competitive frame rate, but 1080p Low gives the absolute maximum.

Q: Does the RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM matter for Valorant?

A: No, Valorant is not a VRAM-intensive game. The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory is far more than the game requires. The high memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s is also not a limiting factor. The GPU's raw compute power, reflected in its 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is what drives the high frame rates, not the VRAM capacity.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to the Core i7-8809G in the database?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, while the Core i7-8809G has a score of 2319. The i7-8809G is 0.6% faster in synthetic tests. This small delta is unlikely to produce a noticeable difference in Valorant, as both CPUs are well above the threshold needed to maintain high frame rates with the RTX 4090.

Q: Is the combo ranking of 1326 out of 1650 a bad sign?

A: The combo rank of 1326 out of 1650 means that there are many other CPU/GPU combinations that score higher in the database. However, this ranking is based on overall benchmark scores across various tasks. For Valorant specifically, the measured FPS data is what matters, and it shows excellent performance. The low rank is likely due to the CPU's age, not its suitability for this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of how the game scales with settings. The highest average FPS is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, producing 371.5 FPS. Moving to Medium settings at the same resolution reduces the average to 313.3 FPS, a drop of 58.2 FPS. High settings yield 310.6 FPS, which is nearly identical to Medium, suggesting that the game's High preset does not add significantly more GPU load. Ultra settings at 1080p produce 301.4 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. At 2560x1440, the pattern is similar: Low settings yield 350.5 FPS, Medium drops to 298.9 FPS, High is 292.5 FPS, and Ultra is 286 FPS. At 4K (3840x2160), Low settings give 326.8 FPS, Medium is 273.6 FPS, High is 268.9 FPS, and Ultra is 269.7 FPS.

For a competitive advantage, the Low preset is the best choice, as it maximizes frame rate at all resolutions. The jump from Low to Medium costs around 50 FPS at 1080p and 1440p, which is a significant reduction for a competitive shooter. The difference between Medium, High, and Ultra is much smaller, with only a few FPS separating them. This indicates that the game's higher presets are GPU-bound, and the RTX 4090 handles them with ease. The data suggests that if you have a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, the Low preset is the only one that guarantees you stay above those refresh rates at all times. If you have a 360Hz monitor, the Low preset at 1080p is the only setting that comes close to saturating it. The Ultra preset at 4K is still playable at 269.7 FPS, but for esports, the extra frames from Low settings are more valuable than visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of an Intel Core i5-9400 and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is ranked 1326 out of 1650 combos in the database. This ranking places it in the bottom 20% of all tested combinations. The low rank is primarily attributable to the CPU, which is at the 50th percentile of all processors. The GPU, by contrast, is at the 91st percentile, making it a top-tier component. The mismatch between the two is stark: the RTX 4090 is capable of far more than the i5-9400 can feed it in many games, but for Valorant, the pairing works well because the game is not heavily CPU-threaded.

The ranking is a global measure across many games and workloads, not a Valorant-specific one. In Valorant, the measured FPS data shows that this combo is not held back by the CPU. The average frame rate at 1080p Low is 371.5, which is higher than most systems could achieve. The low combo rank is a reflection of the CPU's age and its performance in other, more CPU-intensive titles. For a game like Valorant, which favors high clock speeds over core counts, the i5-9400 is a reasonable partner for the RTX 4090. The data suggests that if you were to pair this GPU with a more modern CPU, the combo rank would improve, but for this specific game, the results are more than satisfactory.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 3840x2160 (4K), the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 326.8 FPS, Medium settings produce 273.6 FPS, High settings produce 268.9 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 269.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 53.2 FPS, which is the largest jump in the 4K dataset. The High and Ultra presets are nearly identical, with a difference of only 0.8 FPS, indicating that the game's Ultra preset does not add much visual load over High at this resolution.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the results are higher across the board. Low settings yield 350.5 FPS, Medium yields 298.9 FPS, High yields 292.5 FPS, and Ultra yields 286 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium is 51.6 FPS, which is similar to the 4K drop. The difference between High and Ultra is 6.5 FPS, which is more pronounced than at 4K. This suggests that the GPU is less constrained at 1440p and can show a slight benefit from the lower preset. At 1920x1080 (1080p), the highest numbers are recorded. Low settings hit 371.5 FPS, Medium hits 313.3 FPS, High hits 310.6 FPS, and Ultra hits 301.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 58.2 FPS, the largest in the entire dataset. The difference between High and Ultra is 9.2 FPS, which is the smallest gap between those two presets at any resolution. The data shows a consistent pattern: the Low preset offers a significant FPS boost over Medium, while the higher presets are all within a few percent of each other. This suggests that the game's Low preset removes certain GPU-intensive effects that have a disproportionate impact on frame rate.