Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS built around precision and frame rate, and this pairing of an Intel Core i7-14700F with an AMD Radeon RX 6600 produces a combination that is heavily CPU-bound at lower resolutions. The benchmark data shows that the GPU becomes less of a limiting factor as resolution increases, but the frame rates remain exceptionally high across the board.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear and predictable pattern of scaling from 1920x1080 up to 3840x2160. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average frame rate is 359 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at Medium settings, the average drops to 306 FPS, a reduction of approximately 14.8%. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average is 245 FPS, which is a further drop of 20% from the 1440p result. This trajectory shows that even at 4K, the system never struggles to reach high frame rates, though the diminishing returns from lowering settings are evident.

The scaling behavior reveals that the CPU’s role is most significant at 1080p. At 1920x1080 Low settings, the average is 545 FPS, whereas at 3840x2160 Low, the average is 372 FPS. The difference of 173 FPS between these two resolution points is the largest among the Low setting rows, suggesting that the CPU is capable of generating frame rates far beyond what the GPU can render at higher resolutions. At 4K Low, the FPS is still quite high, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint at that resolution, but at 1080p, the CPU is having a more pronounced effect on the total FPS output.

The trend continues with the Ultra preset. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average is 326 FPS, while at 3840x2160 Ultra, it is 222 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is 104 FPS, which is less than the Low preset gap. This indicates that as settings increase, the GPU workload increases, making the GPU more relevant in determining the final FPS, but the CPU still has a significant headroom.

The scaling between 1080p and 1440p at High is less steep: 342 FPS at 1080p versus 292 FPS at 1440p, a drop of 50 FPS. From 1440p to 4K at High, the average goes from 292 FPS to 233 FPS, a drop of 59 FPS. The overall reduction from 1080p to 4K at High is about 31.9%. This relative consistency across settings suggests that the game is not strictly limited by the GPU until the 4K resolution, where the GPU load is highest.

The 4K results are still extremely playable, with the lowest average being 245 FPS at Medium. This indicates that the combination of the i7-14700F and the RX 6600 can handle Valorant at max resolution with high frame rates, making the GPU a less significant factor than in many other titles.

GPU Role

The 8 GB of VRAM on the AMD Radeon RX 6600 is not a limiting factor in Valorant, as the game is not particularly demanding on memory capacity. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the texture sizes used in this title. The benchmarks show that the GPU can push frame rates that are well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors, even at 4K resolution.

The RX 6600 operates with a base clock of 1626 MHz, a game clock of 2044 MHz, and a boost clock of 2491 MHz. The boost clock is the highest clock speed achievable, and it is likely that the card is able to sustain high clocks during the benchmark, especially at lower resolutions where the workload is lighter. The GPU has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, which is a moderate configuration for a mid-range card.

The GPU's pixel rate is 159.4 GPixel/s and texture rate is 279.0 GTexel/s, which are adequate for handling the geometry and textures of Valorant. The FP32 performance stands at 8.928 TFLOPS, which is respectable for a card in this class. The card's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1492, and its PassMark G3D score is 15096, placing it in the 63rd percentile among all GPUs. This percentile ranking suggests the card is above average, though not a top-tier product.

In terms of nearest rivals, the RX 6600 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (-0.1%), while the NVIDIA Tesla K20m is 0.3% slower and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation is 0.4% faster. These small deltas indicate that the RX 6600's performance is very close to that of several other graphics cards in synthetic tests, but in Valorant, the frame rates are impressively high due to the game's less demanding nature.

The GPU's VRAM is unlikely to be a bottleneck in this game. The 8 GB capacity is sufficient for the texture settings at both 1080p and 4K, as evidenced by the fact that even at Ultra settings, the frame rates remain high. The 128-bit memory bus might limit memory bandwidth in some scenarios, but the 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is enough for the game's requirements.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the i7-14700F and the RX 6600 is ranked 2638 out of 3708 tested combos in Valorant, placing it in the 71st percentile (2638/3708 = 71.1%). This means that approximately 29% of tested combinations perform better than this one, and it is within the upper half of all tested combos.

The combo's rank is influenced by the CPU's strong single-core performance and the GPU's solid mid-range capabilities. The i7-14700F has a single-core score of 499 in Cinebench R15, 2082 in R20, and 4958 in R23, which are excellent scores for a desktop processor. These scores suggest that the CPU is well-suited for games that rely on high single-threaded speeds, such as Valorant.

The GPU's rank is 63rd percentile, which is lower than the CPU's 91st percentile, but the game's reliance on CPU power at lower resolutions means the overall combo ranking is not as high as the CPU's percentile might suggest. The GPU's mid-range placement does not hold back the combo in this particular game, as the RX 6600 is capable of delivering high frame rates.

The combo's ranking can be compared to the individual components: the CPU is in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. The combo's rank at 27th percentile is higher than the GPU's percentile but lower than the CPU's, which is because the game is more CPU-dependent at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes more important at 4K. The overall ranking is a balance between these two components.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows the performance of this combo at three resolutions and four settings levels. The following breakdown lists the average FPS for each combination.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 545 FPS average
• Medium: 359 FPS average, with min 305 FPS and max 413 FPS
• High: 342 FPS average
• Ultra: 326 FPS average

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 465 FPS average
• Medium: 306 FPS average, with min 260 FPS and max 352 FPS
• High: 292 FPS average
• Ultra: 278 FPS average

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 372 FPS average
• Medium: 245 FPS average, with min 208 FPS and max 282 FPS
• High: 233 FPS average
• Ultra: 222 FPS average

The lowest recorded average FPS is 222 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still a very high frame rate. The highest average FPS is 545 FPS at 1080p Low. The range of averages across the entire dataset is 545 FPS down to 222 FPS, which is a wide spread that makes the combo suitable for all settings.

The min FPS values for the Medium presets are 305 FPS at 1080p, 260 FPS at 1440p, and 208 FPS at 4K. These minimums are all above 60 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience even in the most demanding scenes. The max FPS values are 413 FPS at 1080p, 352 FPS at 1440p, and 282 FPS at 4K, showing that the combo can push beyond the average in less demanding situations.

The difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution is significant. At 1080p, Low is 545 FPS and Ultra is 326 FPS, a difference of 219 FPS. At 1440p, Low is 465 FPS and Ultra is 278 FPS, a difference of 187 FPS. At 4K, Low is 372 FPS and Ultra is 222 FPS, a difference of 150 FPS. The gap narrows as resolution increases, which shows that the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor at higher resolutions, but the CPU can still push high FPS at lower resolutions.

The Medium setting is the only one with min and max FPS data, providing a window into the frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the FPS ranges from 305 to 413, which is a 108 FPS range. At 1440p Medium, the range is 260 to 352 FPS, a 92 FPS range. At 4K Medium, the range is 208 to 282 FPS, a 74 FPS range. The narrowing range as resolution increases suggests that at higher resolutions, the frame rate is more stable, as the GPU is the limiting factor and it is more consistent in its performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that this combo can handle any preset, but the best experience will depend on the user's monitor refresh rate.

For a 60 Hz display, all settings are overkill. Even the lowest FPS recorded, 208 FPS at 4K Medium, is more than enough. For a 144 Hz display, the Low setting at 4K provides 372 FPS, which is more than sufficient. For a 240 Hz display, the 1080p Medium setting is also above the refresh rate.

For 1080p, the lower the setting, the higher the FPS. The best experience for competitive play is the Low preset, with an average FPS of 545, since it provides the maximum FPS and reduces input lag, which is critical in a game like Valorant. However, the Medium setting also provides 359 FPS with a min of 305 FPS, which is above the refresh rate of most monitors, and it offers better visual quality. The Ultra setting is still high at 326 FPS, so the visual fidelity can be increased without sacrificing performance.

For 1440p, the Low preset provides 465 FPS average, which is extremely high. The Medium preset provides a 306 FPS average, which is also very high. The High preset at 292 FPS is slightly lower, but still above 240 FPS, making it a good choice for high refresh rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 278 FPS is also fine.

For 4K, the Low preset at 372 FPS is the best for maximized FPS. The Medium preset at 245 FPS is still high and provides a good visual upgrade. The High and Ultra presets at 233 F FPS and 222 FPS, respectively, are also playable, but they are lower than the Medium preset.

The best balance for most users would be the Medium preset, as it offers a substantial visual improvement over Low while still providing a very high FPS average (359 at 1080p, 306 at 1440p, and 245 at 4K). The Medium preset also has the min and max FPS data, which shows that the frame rate is stable. The Low preset is the choice for players who prioritize the highest FPS, but the Medium preset is the most balanced.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Valorant?

A: The highest average FPS is 545 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does the combo maintain a high FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, even at 3840x2160 resolution, the average FPS ranges from 372 FPS at Low to 222 FPS at Ultra, which is well above the standard 60 FPS target.

Q: Which preset provides the most consistent frame times?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with min and max FPS data, and it shows a range of 305-413 FPS at 1080p, 260-352 FPS at 1440p, and 208-282 FPS at 4K, indicating a stable frame rate.

Q: How does the RX 6600's performance compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The RX 6600 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (-0.1%), while the NVIDIA Tesla K20m is 0.3% slower and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation is 0.4% faster.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations in Valorant?

A: The combo is ranked 2638 out of 3708 combinations, which places it in the 27th percentile of all tested combos.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 222 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra settings, while the lowest minimum FPS recorded is 208 FPS at 4K Medium settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It is built on the Raptor Lake architecture and uses a 10 nm process. The CPU has an L3 cache of 33 MB shared across all cores, which is a large cache that helps reduce memory latency in games.

The CPU's high boost clock speed of 5.40 GHz is critical for Valorant, which relies on single-threaded performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958 and the Geekbench single-core score of 2429 reflect the CPU's excellent single-thread capabilities. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 4257 is also strong. These scores indicate that the CPU can process game logic and draw calls quickly.

The CPU's multi-core performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122, a Geekbench multi-core score of 19620, and a Passmark multithread score of 41317. However, Valorant is not heavily multi-threaded, so these scores may not be as important as the single-core scores. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are more than enough for the game, and they may allow for smooth performance even with background applications.

The CPU's TDP of 65 W is relatively low, which indicates that the CPU is power-efficient, but this does not affect gaming performance. The CPU's 91st percentile rank among all CPUs shows it is a very strong processor, and its nearest rivals are the Intel Xeon 6505P (0.2% faster), Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (0.3% slower), AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (0.6% slower), and AMD EPYC 7313P (0.8% slower). This places the i7-14700F in a tie with these high-end processors.

In Valorant, the CPU is the primary driver of the FPS at 1080p, as the FPS is limited by the CPU's ability to process the game's logic and draw calls. At 1080p Low, the FPS is 545, which is far above the GPU's capability at higher resolutions. At 4K, the FPS drops to 372 FPS at Low, showing the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's high single-thread performance ensures that the frame rate is not capped by the CPU, even at high refresh rates.

The CPU's physical cores (20) and threads (28) are more than the game requires, but they do not negatively impact performance. The CPU's boost clock of 5.40 GHz is key to achieving the high FPS seen in the Medium preset, which is likely to be a common setting for players. The data shows that the i7-14700F is a strong pairing with the RX 6600, providing high FPS with a balanced performance.