Valorant

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is a combination that targets high-refresh-rate competitive play. The benchmark data for Valorant shows that this setup delivers exceptional frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, making it a viable option for players who prioritize smoothness and responsiveness over visual fidelity. The measured results reveal a clear hierarchy in performance scaling that informs practical settings choices for different display types.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows that the most favorable balance of average frame rate and consistency is achieved at the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 314 FPS, with a measured minimum of 267 FPS and a maximum of 361 FPS. This is only 5 FPS higher on average than the High preset at the same resolution, which reports 309 FPS. The Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers the highest average frame rate at 368 FPS, but it does so with likely reduced visual quality that may impact target visibility in a competitive shooter.

The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 produces an average of 304 FPS, which is the lowest of the tested presets at that resolution. Given that the difference between Medium and Ultra is only 10 FPS on average at 1080p, while the Medium preset provides a notable boost in visual fidelity over Low, Medium represents the best overall experience. The data indicates that the Medium preset offers a 59 FPS advantage over Ultra in terms of average frame rate at 1080p, while also providing the highest minimum frame rate recorded in the dataset at 267 FPS.

The same pattern holds at higher resolutions, which suggests the Medium preset is the optimal choice across the board. At 2560x1440, Medium delivers 298 FPS average, which is 5 FPS higher than High and 10 FPS higher than Ultra. At 3840x2160, Medium delivers 276 FPS average, which is 4 FPS higher than High and 9 FPS higher than Ultra. The consistency of this pattern indicates that the Medium preset provides a reliable performance advantage over both higher and lower settings, making it the recommended choice for this combination.

GPU Role

The GeForce RTX 5060 is the dominant component in this combination for Valorant’s high frame rates, but the data suggests a nuanced role. The GPU is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node from TSMC. It features 3840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. The core clock operates at a base of 2280 MHz and a boost of 2497 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective on an 8 GB GDDR7 memory interface with a 128-bit bus width.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is more than sufficient for Valorant’s demands. The game is known for being light on GPU load, and the measured frame rates confirm that the RTX 5060 has ample headroom. At 1920x1080 with the Low preset, the combination reaches 368 FPS average, which is only 12 FPS higher than at 2560x1440 with Low at 349 FPS, and 44 FPS higher than 3840x2160 at Low with 324 FPS. This indicates the GPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions, as the frame rate drops are minimal.

The GPU's performance characteristics are further highlighted by its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628, which places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. In the benchmark database, it ranks closely alongside the AMD Radeon 860M, which has an average score of 26401 and a delta of -0.3%, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550. The passmark G3D score of 20891 is also indicative of a strong performer. In this game, the GPU is more than capable of delivering frame rates that far exceed the refresh rates of most monitors, making it an excellent pairing for high-refresh-rate displays.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals where the bottleneck lies. Between 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops by 11% on the Medium preset (314 down to 298). Between 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, the drop is 7% (298 down to 276). The Low preset shows a similar pattern: 368 FPS at 1080p, 349 at 1440p, and 324 at 4K, which represents a 7% drop between 1080p and 1440p, and a 7% drop between 1440p and 4K. This relatively flat scaling indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions, and the GPU is only starting to become a factor at 4K.

The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as the frame rates are extremely high and the GPU is not being fully utilized. The Intel Core i5-9400 has 6 cores and 6 threads with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its 6 threads are a limitation in some modern games, but Valorant is not heavily threaded, and the high single-core performance is sufficient. At 4K, the GPU begins to take over as the limiting component, as the frame rate drops more noticeably, indicating that the RTX 5060 is now being tasked with more pixel processing.

The frame rates at 4K are still high (324 FPS on Low, 276 on Medium), so the CPU remains a factor even at 4K, but the scaling shows that the GPU is starting to become more relevant. The overall performance of this combination is strong, and for players using 144Hz or 240Hz monitors, the RTX 5060 is not a bottleneck at any settings. The data indicates that at 4K the GPU's work becomes more noticeable, but the frame rates are still far above typical monitor refresh rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured data places this specific combo at rank 2939 out of 3708 tested combinations in Valorant. While this ranking might seem low, it is important to interpret it within the context of the game. Valorant is a highly competitive FPS where frame rate and responsiveness are paramount, and the data shows that this combo delivers frame rates well above the required threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors. The combo's ranking is influenced by the i5-9400's age and its 6-core/6-thread configuration, which is less capable than many modern CPUs.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 2254 places it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259 avg score (delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 (delta 0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 (delta 0.4%). This CPU is mid-pack in the overall CPU hierarchy, and its performance is what limits the combo's ranking in Valorant, despite the GPU being more than adequate. The GPU's percentile is the 72nd, which is higher than the CPU's, but the combo is still ranked lower than many top-tier combinations.

The ranking is not a reflection of the GPU's quality, but rather the combined potential of the CPU and GPU. In Valorant, the CPU is the primary factor, so the ranking confirms the i5-9400's age. However, for players who already have this CPU and are considering a GPU upgrade, the RTX 5060 is a strong pairing that will not be a bottleneck at 1080p or 1440p. The data shows that this combination delivers a playable experience at 4K, which is more than sufficient for the game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is the defining component of this combo. It is a Coffee Lake Refresh processor with 6 cores and 6 threads, lacking hyper-threading. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, and it boosts up to 4.10 GHz. The CPU has a 9 MB shared L3 cache, and per-core L1 and L2 caches of 64 KB and 256 KB respectively. Its memory support is DDR4 dual-channel with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The CPU's single-thread performance is critical for Valorant, which relies more on per-core performance than on multi-core capabilities.

The CPU's benchmark results show a single-core Cinebench R20 score of 392, and a single-core Geekbench score of 1389. These scores are respectable but not top-tier. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score is 6629, and the single-core is 935. This indicates that the CPU is capable of maintaining high single-thread performance, which is essential for Valorant's game engine. The measured FPS data supports this, as the frame rates are very high at 1080p and 1440p where the CPU is the limiting factor.

The CPU is not the fastest, but in Valorant, it is more than enough to deliver frame rates above 300 FPS at 1080p. The 6 threads are not a major issue for this game, as it is not heavily threaded. The CPU's performance is in line with its rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which has a similar average score. The CPU's boost clock is 4.10 GHz, which is good for single-threaded workloads. The CPU's a dual-channel memory, which is adequate for the game's memory requirements.

The data shows that the CPU can deliver an average of 368 FPS at 1080p Low settings, and 349 at 1440p Low, with the drop being relatively small. This indicates that the CPU is not a major bottleneck at these settings. The CPU's limitation is more evident in the 4K results, where the frame rate of 324 FPS is still high, but the GPU is starting to become the primary factor. The overall performance of the CPU in this game is solid, and it pairs well with the RTX 5060.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this CPU and GPU combo in Valorant?

A: The Medium preset provides the best balance between frame rate and visual quality. At 1920x1080, it delivers 314 FPS average, which is 5 FPS higher than High, 10 FPS higher than Ultra, and only 54 FPS lower than Low, with the highest recorded minimum FPS of 267.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Valorant?

A: Yes, it delivers playable frame rates at 4K. On the Low preset, it averages 324 FPS, and on Medium it averages 276 FPS. At Ultra, it averages 267 FPS, all of which are well above the typical 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How many FPS can I expect at 1080p with this setup?

A: The measured results show an average of 368 FPS on Low, 314 FPS on Medium, 309 FPS on High, and 304 FPS on Ultra at 1920x1080. All settings deliver well over 300 FPS.

Q: Is the GPU or the CPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is the primary bottleneck, as the frame rates are very high and the GPU is not fully utilized. At 4K, the GPU becomes a more significant factor, but the frame rates remain high.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The RTX 5060 is in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 26331. It is closely matched with the AMD Radeon 860M and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550, with deltas of -0.3% and -0.3% respectively.

Q: What is the CPU's performance relative to its peers?

A: The i5-9400 is in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. Its average score is 2254, which is within 2% of the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 and the Intel Core i7-10710U.

Q: Is this combo good for competitive gaming?

A: Yes. With frame rates exceeding 300 FPS at 1080p and 324 FPS at 4K, this combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors and competitive play. The high minimum FPS at 1080p Medium (267 FPS) ensures smooth and consistent responsiveness.

Q: Does the CPU have enough cores for Valorant?

A: Yes. The 6-core, 6-thread design is sufficient for Valorant, which is not heavily threaded. The game's reliance on single-thread performance is well-served by the CPU's boost clock of 4.10 GHz.