Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS that demands high frame rates, and the data for the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B370 shows a configuration that delivers playable, though not class-leading, performance. The combo ranks in the 2645th position out of 2883 tested combinations, placing it in the lower tier of systems tested for this title. Despite the low rank, the measured frames per second reveal that the system can push well beyond 120 FPS at most settings, suggesting that the ranking is more a reflection of the GPU’s modest absolute performance relative to other tested hardware than a failure to run the game smoothly.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 299 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is a significant jump from the 187 FPS seen at High settings, indicating that lowering graphical presets has a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. This puts it 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, while being 0.5% ahead of both the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Intel Xeon w3-2535. The performance delta between all these processors is minimal.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking compared to all other GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 1184 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, including the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which trail by 0.2% and 0.5% respectively.

Q: Does the system maintain over 140 FPS at 1440p on Medium settings?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 168 FPS. The minimum recorded FPS is 143 and the maximum is 193, showing that frame times are reasonably consistent even during demanding scenes.

Q: What is the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: Moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 on High settings reduces the average FPS from 187 to 128. This represents a 31.6% decrease in performance, which indicates a growing dependency on the GPU as the resolution increases.

Q: Is the CPU’s single-core performance strong for gaming?

A: The CPU scores 2116 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4333 in Passmark single-thread tests. It also achieves a 3dmark single-thread score of 1136, which is a solid result that supports the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions where the CPU is often the primary bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz and it boosts up to 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. This combination of high core count and high boost clock is designed to handle both heavily threaded workloads and the lighter, latency-sensitive tasks that competitive games like Valorant demand. The processor includes 30 MB of shared L3 cache, which helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores.

Benchmark results show the CPU’s strength in multi-threaded tasks, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 30745 and a Geekbench multicore score of 19429. However, for Valorant, the single-core performance is often more critical. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2116 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4333 are indicative of strong per-core speed, which is necessary to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic data quickly enough to sustain high frame rates.

The data suggests that the CPU is well-suited for this game. At 1080p Low settings, the system produces 299 FPS, which is likely constrained by the GPU rather than the CPU, given the Arc B370’s low 5th percentile ranking. The CPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is nearly identical, with a 0.2% to 0.5% delta in average benchmark scores. This means the choice between these processors would not result in a meaningful difference in Valorant’s frame rates. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 10717 and max-thread score of 12412 further show the processor’s capability to handle the game’s background processes without issue.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, using a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with a TDP of just 25 W. The GPU relies on system shared memory; therefore, its bandwidth is system dependent. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, which are modest numbers for a modern GPU. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s.

With an average benchmark score of 1184, the Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186, a 0.2% difference. This places the Arc B370’s raw compute performance in the range of decade-old discrete graphics cards. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, which is low by contemporary standards. This explains why the system’s frame rates, while playable, do not reach the heights seen with more powerful discrete GPUs in the database.

The GPU’s role in Valorant becomes more pronounced as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the 299 FPS average suggests the CPU is doing much of the heavy lifting, but at 4K High, the average drops to 128 FPS, showing the GPU is struggling to process the higher pixel count. The Arc B370 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, which ensures compatibility with modern rendering features, but its limited ROPs and shading units cap its fill rate. This results in the 204 FPS at 4K Low being a strong outlier, driven by the game’s low system requirements at minimal settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B370 combination is ranked 2645 out of 2883 combos tested in Valorant. This places it in the bottom 10% of all systems, which is a direct consequence of the GPU’s low benchmark percentile. The CPU is a high-end part, but the integrated GPU holds the system back from achieving higher rankings. The data shows that the combo’s performance is not competitive with systems using even mid-range discrete GPUs, which would likely rank much higher.

This rank does not tell the whole story. While the combo’s position is low, the absolute FPS values are not poor. For a game like Valorant, which is designed to run on a wide range of hardware, the combination still delivers a smooth experience at most settings. The rank reflects the performance ceiling set by the Arc B370, which is only in the 5th percentile, and not the quality of the CPU. The CPU’s performance is on par with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, but the GPU’s performance is on par with the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which explains the low overall ranking. The data suggests that if the same CPU were paired with a more capable GPU, the combo rank would be significantly higher.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend of decreasing performance as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system hits 299 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 255 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 204 FPS. This scaling indicates that the GPU is becoming a limiting factor, but the frame rates remain high because Valorant’s low settings are not graphically demanding.

The drop from 1080p to 1440p on High settings is from 187 FPS to 160 FPS, a 14.4% decrease. The drop from 1440p to 4K on High settings is from 160 FPS to 128 FPS, a 20% decrease. The scaling is not linear, suggesting that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and fill rate are being taxed more heavily at higher resolutions. On Medium settings, the frame rates are 197 FPS at 1080p, 168 FPS at 1440p, and 134 FPS at 4K. This shows a similar pattern of diminishing returns.

The data implies that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions. Instead, the significant drops in FPS from 1080p to 4K point to the GPU being the main constraint. This is consistent with the Arc B370’s low benchmark scores. At 1080p, the system can achieve high frame rates, but as the pixel count increases, the GPU’s limited ROPs and shading units become a bottleneck, causing the frame rate to drop more steeply.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. On Low settings, it averages 299 FPS. On Medium settings, the average is 197 FPS, with a minimum of 167 and a maximum of 226. High settings produce an average of 187 FPS, and Ultra settings result in 178 FPS. The difference between Medium and Ultra is 19 FPS, showing that the higher presets do not significantly impact performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are still high but begin to show the GPU’s limitations. Low settings yield 255 FPS. Medium settings provide an average of 168 FPS, with a minimum of 143 and a maximum of 193. High settings produce 160 FPS, and Ultra settings are close behind at 152 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 103 FPS, which is a substantial difference, indicating that settings have a major impact at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly stressed. Low settings still manage an average of 204 FPS, but Medium settings drop to 134 FPS, with a minimum of 114 and a maximum of 154. High settings produce 128 FPS, and Ultra settings result in 122 FPS. The frame rate at 4K Ultra is less than half of the 1080p Low result. This data shows that while the system is capable of running the game at 4K, the settings must be adjusted to maintain a high refresh rate. The minimum FPS of 114 at 4K Medium suggests that frame pacing could be inconsistent in busy scenes.

Settings Recommendations

For players with a 1080p monitor, the data shows that Ultra settings are the best choice. The system still averages 178 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold for most monitors, and the visual quality improvement from Low to Ultra is significant. Even at Ultra, the minimum FPS is not recorded, but the average suggests a consistent experience. If a player prioritizes maximum frame rates for a 240 Hz display, Low settings at 299 FPS is the only option that comes close to that target.

At 1440p, Medium settings offer a good balance. The average of 168 FPS is high, and the minimum of 143 FPS is still above 140, ensuring smooth gameplay. High settings at 160 FPS are also viable, but the 8 FPS difference between High and Medium is small, while the visual difference may be negligible. Ultra settings at 152 FPS are acceptable, but the data shows a 16 FPS drop from Medium to Ultra, making Medium the more reliable choice for competitive play.

At 4K, the system is not ideal for high refresh rate gaming. Low settings provide 204 FPS, which is playable, but the visual quality is poor. Medium settings at 134 FPS are the most balanced option, as the minimum of 114 FPS ensures the game remains fluid. High and Ultra settings at 128 and 122 FPS, respectively, are playable but offer diminishing returns. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires a compromise on settings to achieve a stable frame rate, and Medium settings are the recommended preset for the best experience.