Valorant

Valorant with the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a combo that obliterates the frame rate ceiling of most displays, and the benchmark data confirms that the CPU is the primary performance driver across all tested resolutions. The measured FPS numbers show that this pairing is not merely playable but exceptionally fast, with the lowest average frame rate recorded at 4K Ultra still hitting 238.4 FPS. This system is built for high-refresh-rate competitive play, and the data indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is rarely the limiting factor, even at demanding settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals a classic pattern where the performance gap narrows as resolution increases, but in this case, the CPU remains dominant even at 4K. Moving from 1080p to 1440p with High settings, the average FPS drops from 370.8 to 316.9, a reduction of roughly 15%. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, with High settings falling from 316.9 to 255.1 FPS, a further 19% decrease. This indicates that while the GPU is beginning to contribute more work, the frame rates remain so high that the Core i7-13700K's single-thread performance is still the backbone of the experience.

The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER has significant headroom. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 599.7 FPS, which is nearly triple the 4K Ultra result of 238.4 FPS. This massive spread suggests that the game's engine is highly scalable and that the GPU's load is heavily dependent on both resolution and graphical settings. However, the crucial takeaway is that even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset keeps the average FPS above 238, meaning the combination of the CPU's 5.40 GHz boost clock and the GPU's 1650 MHz boost clock is more than sufficient for fluid gameplay in Valorant. The limiting component is not the hardware but the refresh rate of the monitor, as the system consistently delivers frame rates far beyond standard 144Hz and 240Hz displays.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Core i7-13700K and RTX 2060 SUPER holds a rank of 1003 out of 1650 combos for Valorant. This places it in the top 61% of all tested systems, which is a strong position for a game that is often less demanding than AAA titles. The ranking suggests that while this is not the absolute top-tier configuration for Valorant, it outperforms a significant majority of other hardware pairings. The high frame rates measured in this test are a signal of the CPU's strength, as the i7-13700K's percentile of 93 versus all CPUs indicates it is in the top 7% of processors, which is a critical factor for a competitive FPS.

The combo's rank is particularly interesting when considering the GPU's percentile. The RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 63rd percentile versus all GPUs, which is a mid-range position. The fact that this mid-range GPU, when paired with a top-tier CPU, achieves such high frame rates reinforces the conclusion that Valorant is heavily CPU-bound in this configuration. The combination of a 93rd percentile CPU with a 63rd percentile GPU results in a system that ranks better than its GPU's individual standing would suggest, highlighting the importance of the processor for this specific game. A higher rank would likely require a newer, more powerful GPU to push frame rates even higher at 4K, but for most competitive scenarios, this rank reflects a system that is well above average.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 256-bit bus width, provides a solid foundation for Valorant, but its role is secondary to the CPU. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and its boost clock of 1650 MHz are more than sufficient to handle the game's textures and effects, even at 4K resolution. The benchmark data supports this, showing that the GPU does not become a bottleneck until the Ultra preset is applied at 4K, where the frame rate drops to 238.4 FPS. This is likely where the GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance starts to feel the strain of higher pixel counts.

The GPU's VRAM capacity is not a concern in this title, as Valorant is not a memory-intensive game. The 8 GB of VRAM ensures that no texture swapping or stuttering occurs at any tested resolution, allowing the system to maintain consistent frame rates. The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER's performance is adequate for High and Ultra settings at 1440p, where it delivers 316.9 and 299.7 FPS respectively. It is only at 4K Ultra that the GPU's workload becomes significant, but even then, the 238.4 FPS result is far above the threshold for smooth competitive play. The GPU's compute capabilities, such as its 2176 shading units, are clearly sufficient for a game like Valorant, which relies more on draw calls and CPU instruction throughput than on complex pixel shading.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Valorant at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS is 599.7, which is achieved with the Low settings preset at 1920x1080 resolution.

Q: How does the Core i7-13700K compare to its nearest rival, the i7-13700KF?

A: The Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, while the i7-13700KF scores 47334, resulting in a deltaPct of -0.1, meaning they are effectively performance equals.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1440p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1440p High, the average FPS is 316.9, while at 4K High, it drops to 255.1, a decrease of 61.8 FPS or approximately 19.5%.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for Valorant at 4K?

A: Yes, the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is more than sufficient, as the lowest frame rate recorded at 4K Ultra is 238.4 FPS, indicating no VRAM-related performance issues.

Q: Which resolution and settings combo yields the lowest average FPS?

A: The lowest average FPS is 238.4, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance contribute to the results?

A: The CPU's strong single-thread score of 1136 in 3dmark and 5505 in Cinebench R23 single-core indicates excellent per-core performance, which is critical for Valorant's engine and helps maintain high frame rates even at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is the undisputed champion in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the exceptional frame rates seen in the data. With 16 cores and 24 threads, the processor is a multi-threading powerhouse, but it is the boost clock of 5.40 GHz that matters most for Valorant. The game's engine is known to favor high single-core performance, and the i7-13700K delivers this in spades. The benchmark scores confirm this, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5505 and a 3dmark single-thread score of 1136, which are exceptional figures that place the CPU in the 93rd percentile versus all processors.

This CPU-centric design is why the frame rates remain so high across all resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system hits 599.7 FPS, which is likely close to the engine's maximum frame rate cap or the point where the CPU's instruction throughput becomes the bottleneck. The data shows that even when the GPU is given less work (e.g., Low settings), the frame rate does not scale infinitely, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor in these scenarios. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache also helps reduce latency and improve data access for the game's logic, contributing to the consistent and high average FPS figures. The i7-13700K's architecture is clearly a perfect match for Valorant's requirements, ensuring that the RTX 2060 SUPER never has to wait for the processor to feed it data.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's display refresh rate and resolution preference. For users with a 1080p 240Hz monitor, the High settings preset is unnecessary, as the Low preset delivers 599.7 FPS, which is more than double the refresh rate. However, for a better visual experience without sacrificing performance, the Medium preset at 1080p, which yields 391 FPS, is a strong choice. If a user has a 1440p 165Hz monitor, the High preset at 316.9 FPS is ideal, as it provides a balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, with plenty of headroom above the refresh rate.

At 4K, the choice is more nuanced. The Ultra preset drops to 238.4 FPS, which is still excellent for a 144Hz display, but the Medium preset at 267.9 FPS offers a slight performance boost. Given that the frame rates are so high across the board, the recommendation is to prioritize visual quality. For 4K users with a 144Hz monitor, the Ultra preset is perfectly playable and will utilize the GPU more effectively. For those with a 240Hz 1080p display, the High preset at 370.8 FPS is the best balance, ensuring the system never drops below the refresh rate while maintaining clear textures. In all cases, the data suggests that users do not need to compromise on settings to achieve competitive frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average FPS values provides a detailed look at the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 599.7 FPS, Medium reaches 391 FPS, High attains 370.8 FPS, and Ultra delivers 351.6 FPS. Moving up to 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar: Low hits 508.7 FPS, Medium reaches 330.2 FPS, High achieves 316.9 FPS, and Ultra maintains 299.7 FPS. Finally, at 3840x2160, the results are still impressive, with Low at 403.6 FPS, Medium at 267.9 FPS, High at 255.1 FPS, and Ultra at 238.4 FPS.

The data reveals a consistent pattern where the difference between Medium and High settings is relatively small, often less than 20 FPS at each resolution, while the jump from Low to Medium is more substantial. For instance, at 1440p, the difference between Medium (330.2) and High (316.9) is just 13.3 FPS, whereas the difference between Low (508.7) and Medium (330.2) is 178.5 FPS. This indicates that the game's High preset is not significantly more demanding than Medium, making it a worthwhile upgrade. The Ultra preset consistently shows the largest performance hit, but even the most taxing configuration, 4K Ultra, remains well above 200 FPS, showcasing the raw power of this CPU-GPU combination in Valorant.