Valorant

Valorant is a game where the combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the Intel Arc B370 produces a surprisingly coherent experience, but the data reveals a clear hierarchy in how the system scales across resolutions and settings. The most striking finding is that frame rates remain exceptionally high even at 4K, with the lowest average recorded at 122 FPS on Ultra settings. This indicates that the system is not struggling to maintain playable performance at any tested configuration, though the gap between Low and Ultra settings tells a compelling story about where the bottleneck lies.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows that resolution scaling is remarkably flat for this particular game and hardware combination, which is unusual for a modern title. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 299 FPS average, which drops to 255 FPS at 1440p and 204 FPS at 4K. That represents a 31.8% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. However, the scaling becomes even more telling when examining the higher presets. At High settings, the system delivers 187 FPS at 1080p, 160 FPS at 1440p, and 128 FPS at 4K—a 31.6% drop from 1080p to 4K. The Ultra preset follows a similar pattern: 178 FPS at 1080p, 152 FPS at 1440p, and 122 FPS at 4K, which is a 31.5% reduction.

These percentages are nearly identical across all settings, which suggests that the performance scaling is driven by a consistent factor rather than a sudden bottleneck appearing at higher resolutions. The fact that 4K Ultra still maintains 122 FPS average indicates that the system has substantial headroom even in the most demanding configuration tested. For a competitive FPS like Valorant, where frame rates above 120 are generally considered excellent, this system never falls below that threshold in any measured scenario.

The consistent scaling pattern also reveals that the system is not becoming GPU-bound at higher resolutions in a way that would cause a disproportionate frame rate collapse. If the Arc B370 were severely limited at 4K, we would expect to see a larger percentage drop between 1440p and 4K compared to the drop between 1080p and 1440p. Instead, the data shows a smooth progression: at Medium settings, the system delivers 197 FPS at 1080p, 168 FPS at 1440p, and 134 FPS at 4K. The deltas between each resolution step are roughly 15% and 20%, respectively, which is a moderate and predictable decline.

The most important implication of this scaling behavior is that the limiting component changes depending on resolution. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough (299 FPS on Low) that the CPU's single-thread performance is likely the primary constraint, since the Arc B370 has plenty of headroom to render frames that quickly. At 4K, the GPU's workload increases, but the system still manages 204 FPS on Low settings, suggesting that even at the highest resolution, the GPU is not overwhelmed. This points to a balanced pairing where neither component completely dominates the performance profile across all tested settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is a curious piece of hardware in this context, as it operates as an integrated graphics solution with system-shared memory. Its base clock is 300 MHz, boosting to 2400 MHz, and it contains 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. The GPU also includes 10 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance rated at 6.144 TFLOPS.

Given that the GPU's benchmark score is just 1184 on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, and it ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, one might expect poor gaming performance. Yet Valorant's measured FPS tells a different story. The game is known for being lightweight on GPU resources, and the data confirms this. Even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains 122 FPS average, which is far above playable thresholds. The GPU's modest specifications are sufficient because Valorant's rendering demands are low enough that even a low-percentile GPU can handle the workload.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, delta -0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, delta -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192, delta -0.7%). These are all older or lower-tier graphics solutions, yet the Arc B370's performance in Valorant is far from inadequate. The 3DMark score does not directly translate to this game's performance, which illustrates how game-specific optimization and engine efficiency can outweigh raw compute benchmarks.

The GPU's memory configuration is system-shared, meaning it uses the same memory pool as the CPU. The memory bus width is also system-shared, and bandwidth is system dependent. This could theoretically cause performance issues in memory-intensive scenarios, but Valorant's moderate memory requirements do not appear to trigger such problems. The measured FPS numbers remain consistent and high across all settings, suggesting that memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor in this title.

The GPU's TDP is 25 W, and it has no power connectors, operating as an integrated graphics processor. This low power envelope means it does not generate excessive heat or require dedicated cooling, but it also means the GPU's raw performance ceiling is limited. In Valorant, however, that ceiling is high enough to deliver 299 FPS at 1080p Low, which is exceptional for any hardware. The GPU's boost clock of 2400 MHz provides decent frequency headroom, and the 10 ray tracing cores are irrelevant for this game but indicate modern feature support.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700 interface.

In CPU benchmarks, the i7-12700KF performs strongly. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 28838, and single-core score is 4071. Geekbench results show 14367 multicore and 2255 single-core. The 3DMark scores are 9983 for max threads, 9282 for 16 threads, 7211 for 8 threads, 4011 for 4 threads, and 2065 for 2 threads. Single-thread 3DMark is 1043. These scores place the CPU in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365.

The nearest CPU rivals based on average score are the Intel Core i7-13700T (score 35403, delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-13600T (score 35305, delta 0.2%), the Intel Core 5 213PE (score 35428, delta -0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-12700K (score 35287, delta 0.2%). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that the i7-12700KF is essentially performance-equivalent to these other processors in aggregate benchmarks.

In Valorant, the CPU's role is critical because the game is heavily dependent on single-thread performance for its game logic and frame pacing. The i7-12700KF's boost clock of 5.00 GHz provides excellent single-thread speed, which helps maintain high frame rates even when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 299 FPS, which is close to the practical limit for many displays. This high frame rate is only possible if the CPU can process game state updates quickly enough to feed the GPU.

The CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for Valorant, which typically uses only a few threads. The extra cores provide headroom for background tasks and streaming, but they do not directly translate to higher frame rates in this game. Instead, the boost clock and single-thread performance are the key factors. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2065 and single-thread score of 1043 demonstrate that the CPU excels at lightly threaded workloads, which aligns well with Valorant's demands.

The Cinebench R15 single-core score of 410 and R20 single-core score of 1709 further confirm that the CPU's single-thread capabilities are strong. These scores, combined with the measured FPS data, suggest that the CPU is not a limiting factor in any of the tested configurations. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is under more load, the CPU can still maintain 122 FPS average, indicating that there is no CPU-induced frame rate ceiling that would prevent higher performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2645 out of 2883 tested combos for Valorant. This places it in the bottom portion of the overall rankings, which might seem surprising given the high frame rates observed. However, this ranking reflects the entire combo's performance relative to other CPU-GPU pairings, many of which include dedicated graphics cards with far higher raw performance than the Arc B370.

The ranking percentile can be interpreted as follows: the combo outperforms approximately 8.3% of all tested combinations, meaning it is in the lower tier. This is primarily due to the GPU's low benchmark percentile (5th) dragging down the overall ranking, despite the CPU's strong 85th percentile. The CPU is clearly capable, but the GPU's integrated nature limits the combo's standing in a database that includes many high-end discrete GPUs.

However, the ranking does not tell the full story for Valorant specifically. The game's low graphics requirements mean that even a low-ranking GPU can deliver high frame rates, and the measured FPS confirms this. The combo's actual in-game performance is much better than its overall rank suggests, because Valorant is not a GPU-intensive title. The data shows that the system delivers 299 FPS at 1080p Low, which is competitive with many systems that would rank much higher overall.

When comparing to other combos, the key metric is whether the frame rates are sufficient for competitive play. Valorant is often played at high refresh rates, and the measured FPS at 1080p ranges from 178 FPS on Ultra to 299 FPS on Low. These numbers are well above the 144 Hz or 240 Hz thresholds that many competitive players target, meaning the combo is fully capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors. The ranking number, therefore, is more indicative of raw hardware capability than actual gameplay experience in this specific title.

The combo's rank also reflects the fact that the Arc B370 is an integrated GPU, which inherently limits its performance compared to discrete solutions. In a database where most combos include dedicated graphics cards, an IGP will naturally rank lower. Yet the measured data shows that for Valorant, this limitation does not translate into poor gameplay performance. The system remains smooth and responsive across all tested settings and resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best settings for this combo depend on the user's display and performance priorities. For 1080p displays, the Low preset delivers 299 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play on high-refresh-rate monitors. The jump from Low to Medium reduces the average to 197 FPS, a 34% decrease, while High drops further to 187 FPS, and Ultra falls to 178 FPS. Given that Valorant is a competitive FPS where higher frame rates provide a tangible advantage, the Low preset at 1080p is the recommended choice for maximizing responsiveness.

For 1440p displays, the Low preset still delivers 255 FPS, which is excellent. Medium drops to 168 FPS, High to 160 FPS, and Ultra to 152 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 87 FPS, which is substantial. For players who prioritize visual quality over maximum frame rates, Medium at 1440p offers a good balance, but for competitive play, Low is the clear winner. The 255 FPS on Low provides ample headroom for 240 Hz displays, while the 168 FPS on Medium might be insufficient for such monitors.

At 4K, the Low preset delivers 204 FPS, which is still very high. Medium drops to 134 FPS, High to 128 FPS, and Ultra to 122 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 70 FPS, representing a 34% reduction. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is recommended if the user has a high-refresh-rate 4K display, as 204 FPS is excellent. However, if the user prioritizes visual fidelity and has a 60 Hz or 120 Hz display, the Ultra preset at 122 FPS is still perfectly playable.

Across all resolutions, the data shows that the Low preset provides the highest frame rates, and the performance penalty for increasing settings is significant. The Medium preset consistently delivers about two-thirds of the Low preset's frame rate, while High and Ultra offer diminishing returns in visual quality for a further FPS reduction. For Valorant, where smoothness is paramount, the Low preset is the recommended choice at every resolution tested. The only exception would be for users with lower refresh rate displays who prefer better graphics, in which case Medium represents a reasonable compromise.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves 299 FPS average, which is the maximum measured across all configurations. Medium drops to 197 FPS with minimum and maximum values of 167 and 226 FPS, respectively. High produces 187 FPS average, and Ultra delivers 178 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 121 FPS, a 40% reduction, indicating that settings have a major impact at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 255 FPS average. Medium drops to 168 FPS with minimum 143 and maximum 193. High produces 160 FPS, and Ultra delivers 152 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 103 FPS, a 40% reduction, consistent with the scaling observed at 1080p. The minimum FPS values for Medium (143 FPS) are still well above playable thresholds, ensuring smooth performance even in demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 204 FPS average. Medium drops to 134 FPS with minimum 114 and maximum 154. High produces 128 FPS, and Ultra delivers 122 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 82 FPS, a 40% reduction. The minimum FPS of 114 on Medium at 4K is the lowest measured value across all tests, but it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the Low preset yields roughly 40% higher frame rates than Ultra at every resolution. The Medium preset sits between Low and High, offering a moderate compromise. The measured FPS values show that this combo is capable of maintaining high frame rates in Valorant across all tested scenarios, with the only potential concern being the 4K Ultra configuration at 122 FPS, which is still sufficient for most displays. The system's performance is defined by the CPU's strong single-thread capabilities and the GPU's surprising efficiency in this lightweight title, resulting in a playable experience that defies the GPU's low benchmark percentile.