Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS that scales heavily with raw CPU throughput, and the Intel Core i7-12700K combined with the Intel Arc B570 delivers an exceptionally high frame rate experience across all tested resolutions. The data shows this pairing produces average frame rates well above 200 FPS even at 4K Ultra, with the most demanding settings still yielding playable and fluid results. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, the role each component plays, and how this specific combo ranks against other tested configurations.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 125W TDP. This CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating strong overall performance. Its benchmark scores are particularly relevant for Valorant, which is known for being heavily CPU-bound at lower resolutions. The single-threaded performance, measured at 1043 in 3dmark_single_thread and 2308 in geekbench_singlecore, is critical for the game's core logic and input response. The multi-threaded capability, shown by a 19784 score in cinebench_r23_multicore, ensures that background tasks and game threads do not cause frame drops.

In this specific game's measured results, the CPU's influence is most apparent at 1080p resolution. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS reaches 508, which is 174 FPS higher than the 4K Low result of 347. This massive gap directly illustrates how the i7-12700K's single-core strength, with its 5.00 GHz boost clock, becomes the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do. The processor's 25 MB of shared L3 cache also helps keep frequently accessed game data close at hand, reducing latency. While the GPU handles the rendering, the CPU's ability to feed it with draw calls at these high frame rates is what allows the 508 FPS figure to be achieved.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700K shows a very tight grouping in average benchmark scores. It is 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-13600T, 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-12700KF, 0.3% behind the Intel Core i7-13700T, and 0.4% behind the Intel Core 5 213PE. These deltas are negligible, meaning the i7-12700K's processing power is essentially on par with those alternatives in synthetic tests. For Valorant, this suggests that any of these CPUs would likely produce similar frame rates, though the specific boost clock behavior and cache layout could cause minor variations. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 9276 and the 3dmark_max_threads score of 9979 indicate that the CPU can handle high thread counts, which is beneficial for streaming or recording gameplay while maintaining high FPS.

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

The Intel Arc B570 is a discrete GPU based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). It has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s. This GPU places in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, showing it is a mid-to-high tier performer. Its average benchmark score of 20556 is 0.1% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, 0.1% below the Intel Arc A750, 0.4% above the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, and 0.5% below the AMD Radeon R9 M390X.

In Valorant, the GPU's role becomes increasingly important as resolution and settings are raised. The data shows a clear scaling pattern. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the GPU produces 508 FPS, but at High settings, this drops to 319 FPS. This indicates that even at lower settings, the GPU is still working, but the CPU is the limiting factor. However, at 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become more apparent. The difference between Low (347 FPS) and High (217 FPS) settings at 4K is 130 FPS, showing a more significant impact from the GPU's processing load. The 10 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for Valorant, as the game is not VRAM-intensive, and the 380.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures textures and assets load quickly without stutter. The GPU's 2500 MHz clock and 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance are enough to handle the game's relatively simple graphics at all tested settings, though the frame rate ceiling at 4K is lower than at 1080p.

The GPU's performance is also reflected in its specific benchmark results, such as a passmark_g3d score of 14195 and a passmark_directx_11 score of 118. These numbers indicate solid DirectX 11 performance, which is the primary API for Valorant. The GPU's architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, but the game's engine likely uses DX11, making the passmark_directx_11 score a more relevant indicator of in-game performance. The 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate is a key metric for fill-rate-bound scenarios, which can occur at high resolutions with anti-aliasing enabled.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target refresh rate and resolution. For competitive play, where high frame rates are paramount, the Low preset is the clear winner. At 1920x1080, Low settings yield 508 FPS, which is a 173 FPS advantage over the High preset's 319 FPS. This massive headroom allows for maximum responsiveness and is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors (240Hz or higher). At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 434 FPS, which remains exceptionally high and still provides a competitive advantage. Even at 4K, Low settings deliver 347 FPS, which is more than enough for any current display.

For players who prioritize visual quality without sacrificing too much performance, the Medium preset offers a good balance. At 1920x1080, Medium settings average 335 FPS, with a minimum of 285 FPS and a maximum of 385 FPS. This is only 16 FPS lower than High settings at the same resolution, but it provides better visual fidelity than Low. The minimum FPS of 285 at 1080p Medium ensures that frame drops are rare, keeping the experience smooth. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 286 FPS (min 243, max 329), which is still very high. At 4K, Medium performs similarly to High, with 228 FPS average (min 194, max 263), but the higher resolution means the visual improvement from Medium over Low is more noticeable.

The High and Ultra presets are only recommended for players with 4K displays who prioritize visuals over raw frame rate. At 1920x1080, High settings average 319 FPS, and Ultra averages 304 FPS, which are still very playable but offer diminishing returns over Medium. At 4K, Ultra drops to 207 FPS, and High to 217 FPS. These are still above 200 FPS, which is excellent, but they provide no competitive benefit over Medium at lower resolutions. The data suggests that for the best competitive experience, Low or Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p are ideal. For a single-player or casual experience, Ultra at 4K is viable, but it's recommended to stick with Medium for the best balance of visual quality and frame rate stability, as the minimum FPS figures are only available for Medium settings across all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2227 out of 2883 tested combos for Valorant. This places it in the 77th percentile of all tested configurations (calculated as 1 - 2227/2883). This ranking indicates that while the combo performs well, there are 2226 other combinations that achieve higher average frame rates in this game. This is likely due to the GPU being a mid-range part; combos with higher-end GPUs, such as those with better rasterization performance, would rank higher. However, it's important to note that this rank is based on absolute FPS, and the actual frame rates produced by this combo are still exceptionally high.

The rank of 2227 suggests that this combo is not at the top tier for Valorant, but it is far from the bottom. Given that the CPU is a high-end part (84th percentile) and the GPU is a mid-range part (65th percentile), the combination produces a balanced system that is capable of very high frame rates. The fact that it ranks below the 50th percentile (1441) means that more than half of the tested combos achieve higher FPS, but the margin may be small. For context, combos with top-tier GPUs like the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX would likely rank in the top 100, but this setup is designed for those who want high FPS without the top-tier GPU cost. The ranking also reflects that Valorant is more CPU-bound at lower resolutions, so combos with similar CPUs but weaker GPUs might rank close, while combos with stronger GPUs will pull ahead at higher resolutions.

This rank is a single data point, but it is useful for understanding where this hardware sits in the broader ecosystem. The data shows that the i7-12700K and Arc B570 are well-matched for this game, as the CPU's strong single-threaded performance ensures the GPU is fed adequately, and the GPU's 10 GB VRAM and 380 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's needs. The rank is likely higher in 1080p than in 4K, given the CPU's influence, but the overall ranking is a composite measure across all tested conditions.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 508, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all tested resolutions and settings.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 434 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 259 FPS. This represents a 175 FPS difference, or a 67.6% improvement with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo more CPU-bound or GPU-bound in Valorant?

A: The data suggests it is CPU-bound at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, dropping from High (319 FPS) to Low (508 FPS) yields a 189 FPS increase, which is a substantial jump. At 3840x2160, the same settings change results in a 130 FPS increase (217 to 347), indicating the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor at 4K.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo at 4K Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 194 FPS, with an average of 228 FPS and a maximum of 263 FPS.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Valorant?

A: It ranks 2227 out of 2883 total tested combinations. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the rankings, though the absolute frame rates are still very high.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750, in average benchmark score?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is 0.1% lower than the Arc A750's score of 20582. This difference is negligible in real-world terms.

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

The following table details the exact measured FPS for every resolution and settings combination tested.

1920x1080

• Low: 508 FPS average
• Medium: 335 FPS average, with a minimum of 285 FPS and a maximum of 385 FPS
• High: 319 FPS average
• Ultra: 304 FPS average

At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium is a 173 FPS drop, which is the largest single-step reduction among all settings at this resolution. The difference between High and Ultra is only 15 FPS, indicating that Ultra provides minimal performance cost over High. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 285 is still well above the refresh rate of most monitors, ensuring smooth gameplay.

2560x1440

• Low: 434 FPS average
• Medium: 286 FPS average, with a minimum of 243 FPS and a maximum of 329 FPS
• High: 272 FPS average
• Ultra: 259 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance scaling is similar to 1080p but with lower absolute numbers. The Low preset loses 74 FPS compared to 1080p, while the Ultra preset loses 45 FPS. This shows that the resolution increase impacts the CPU-bound Low preset more than the GPU-bound Ultra preset. The Medium preset's minimum of 243 FPS is still exceptionally high.

3840x2160

• Low: 347 FPS average
• Medium: 228 FPS average, with a minimum of 194 FPS and a maximum of 263 FPS
• High: 217 FPS average
• Ultra: 207 FPS average

At 4K, the frame rates remain above 200 FPS for all settings, which is impressive for a mid-range GPU. The difference between Low and Medium is 119 FPS, while the difference between Medium and High is only 11 FPS, and High to Ultra is 10 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is reaching its limits at 4K, as the settings scaling becomes less impactful. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 194 is the lowest recorded in the entire dataset, but it still provides a fluid experience. The data clearly shows that this combo is capable of delivering competitive frame rates at any resolution, with the choice of settings determining whether the priority is maximum FPS or visual fidelity.