Valorant

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a fascinating, if unusual, benchmark result in Valorant. This combination ranks at 2534 out of 2883 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 12% of all systems. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU, which itself sits at the 9th percentile among all tested graphics cards. The data reveals a profound bottleneck, where a high-end 16-core processor is held back by a graphics solution that benchmarks closer to entry-level mobile parts. The measured FPS, while still playable at most settings, never approaches the multi-hundred frame rates that competitive Valorant players typically chase with high-refresh-rate monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination's overall rank of 2534 out of 2883 is a stark indicator of its performance class. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations, a position that seems paradoxical given the CPU's capabilities. The Intel Core i7-13700K is a powerhouse, scoring in the 89th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 46881. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, are separated by less than 0.3%, showing the i7-13700K is a top-tier processor.

However, the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor. Its average benchmark score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and NVIDIA GeForce 800M, which are significantly older, lower-end parts. The deltaPct values of 1.3% to 2.7% against these rivals show that the Arc B390 is barely faster than them. This massive disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's low percentile defines the system's overall ranking. The data suggests that this combo is not balanced for Valorant; the CPU's potential is largely untapped because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to utilize it. This is a classic case where the system's overall performance is dictated by its weakest link, which is unequivocally the graphics processor.

FAQ

Q: Is this combination good for playing Valorant at 1080p?

A: The data shows it is playable, but not exceptional. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 331 FPS. However, at High settings, this drops to 207 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 198 FPS. While these are high frame rates, the combo's overall rank of 2534 out of 2883 suggests that many other combinations will deliver higher performance.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its direct rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, scores 46971, which is a -0.2% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022 (-0.3%), while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654 (0.5%). This indicates the i7-13700K is essentially performance-equivalent to these other high-end CPUs.

Q: What is the GPU's performance standing relative to other graphics cards?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is in a very low performance tier. Its 9th percentile ranking and average score of 1482 place it alongside the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460). It is only 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which highlights its entry-level performance ceiling.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a balance of visual quality and frame rate?

A: The Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot. At 1920x1080, it provides an average of 218 FPS with a minimum of 185 FPS. This is a significant jump from the 207 FPS at High, and it offers better visual fidelity than Low, which averages 331 FPS. The Medium preset data also includes min and max FPS values, suggesting it is a more stable and consistent experience.

Q: How much does the resolution affect performance?

A: Resolution has a dramatic impact. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings reduces the average FPS from 207 to 177, a drop of 30 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 141 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the system is heavily dependent on resolution, which is a sign of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: Does the CPU have enough cores and threads for this game?

A: The CPU has 16 cores and 24 threads, which is far more than what Valorant typically requires. Its single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1136 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4333. The bottleneck is not the CPU's core count but its ability to feed the GPU fast enough, which is limited by the GPU's rendering speed.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling across resolutions provides critical insight into the system's bottleneck. The data shows a clear and consistent pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates drop significantly. At Low settings, the average FPS moves from 331 at 1080p, to 282 at 1440p, and finally to 225 at 4K. This represents a 32% decrease from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline is a textbook indicator of a GPU-limited scenario. The Intel Arc B390's rendering capabilities are being saturated as the pixel count increases, and the CPU is waiting for the GPU to finish its work.

This is further confirmed by the performance delta at High settings. The average FPS drops from 207 at 1080p to 177 at 1440p, and then to 141 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 36 FPS, which is a 20% reduction. If the system were CPU-limited, we would expect the frame rates to remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU's workload would be the limiting factor. Instead, the data shows that the GPU's workload is the primary constraint. The i7-13700K, with its high single-thread score of 1136 and 4333 in respective tests, is more than capable of handling the game's logic at any of these resolutions. The Arc B390, however, cannot keep pace, making it the definitive performance ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience. At 1920x1080, Medium provides an average of 218 FPS with a recorded minimum of 185 FPS and a maximum of 250 FPS. This is the only preset at 1080p that provides a min/max range, indicating a more stable frame time distribution. The High preset averages 207 FPS, which is 11 FPS lower than Medium, and the Ultra preset averages 198 FPS, which is 20 FPS lower. This suggests that the visual fidelity gains from High and Ultra are not worth the performance cost, as the system is already GPU-bound.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again stands out with an average of 186 FPS, min of 158 FPS, and max of 214 FPS. This is much closer to the High preset's 177 FPS average, but the Medium preset offers a higher minimum frame rate, which is crucial for maintaining smooth gameplay. Even at 3840x2160, Medium is the recommended choice, averaging 149 FPS with a minimum of 126 FPS. While the Low preset at 4K averages 225 FPS, the visual compromise is severe. For a competitive title like Valorant, the Medium preset provides a good balance, ensuring the frame rate stays high enough for responsiveness while maintaining a reasonable level of visual detail. The data clearly shows that the Ultra preset is the least efficient, offering marginal visual improvements for a significant FPS penalty at every resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance ranges widely. Low settings deliver the highest average at 331 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 218 FPS, with a minimum of 185 FPS and a maximum of 250 FPS. High settings average 207 FPS, and Ultra settings average 198 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 133 FPS, showing that the GPU's workload scales heavily with settings.

At 2560x1440, the averages are lower. Low settings average 282 FPS. Medium settings average 186 FPS, with a minimum of 158 FPS and a maximum of 214 FPS. High settings average 177 FPS, and Ultra settings average 169 FPS. The difference between Medium and High is only 9 FPS, while the difference between Low and Medium is 96 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the trend continues. Low settings average 225 FPS. Medium settings average 149 FPS, with a minimum of 126 FPS and a maximum of 171 FPS. High settings average 141 FPS, and Ultra settings average 135 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 76 FPS, which is the largest single-setting jump at this resolution, highlighting where the GPU's performance begins to collapse. The data shows that the Arc B390's performance is highly sensitive to both resolution and quality settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This high boost clock is crucial for gaming, as Valorant is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance. The CPU's benchmark results confirm its strength: it scores 1136 in 3dmark_single_thread and 4333 in passmark_single_thread. Its multi-threaded capabilities are equally impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 19429.

In this specific combo, however, the CPU's role is diminished. The measured FPS data shows that performance is heavily dependent on the GPU. For example, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 331 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect similar frame rates at 4K Low, but the system only manages 225 FPS. This indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The i7-13700K's powerful single-core performance, indicated by its high boost clock and benchmark scores, is more than sufficient to feed the Arc B390. The CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads are also overkill for Valorant, which typically utilizes far fewer threads. The CPU's role here is to be a capable, high-performance foundation that is unfortunately held back by the GPU's inability to render frames at a similar pace.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory is "System Shared", meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory, with bandwidth that is "System Dependent". This is a fundamental design point that limits its performance. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Its peak FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, which is a theoretical maximum that is rarely achieved in real-world gaming.

The benchmark data for the Arc B390 is sparse, with only one test result: a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 1482. This score places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, NVIDIA GeForce 800M, NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. These are all dated, low-end parts. This comparison paints a clear picture: the Arc B390 is not a gaming GPU. Its performance in Valorant, while playable, is limited by its integrated nature and lack of dedicated VRAM. The measured FPS data shows that it struggles as resolution and settings increase, confirming that it is the primary bottleneck. The GPU's low pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are insufficient for high-resolution, high-detail gaming, which is why the system's overall rank is so low.