Valorant

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination delivers exceptional performance in Valorant, a game known for its high frame rate demands. With measured data showing averages above 240 FPS even at 4K Ultra settings, this pairing is clearly capable of driving high-refresh-rate displays. The data indicates that the processor, with its 20 cores and 28 threads boosting up to 5.40 GHz, provides a substantial foundation, while the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth prove sufficient for the game's graphics load. This analysis breaks down the measured results, ranking, and component roles.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 598.6, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Valorant?

A: Yes, the data shows it can. At 3840x2160 resolution, the average FPS ranges from 240.2 on Ultra settings to 407.5 on Low settings, indicating a smooth experience even at 4K.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations for Valorant?

A: The combo ranks 994 out of 1650 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle portion of the database for this specific game.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 598.6 on Low settings to 352.5 on Ultra settings, a significant reduction of 246.1 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU plays a dominant role. The frame rate scales more dramatically with resolution changes than with settings changes, and the high frame rates indicate strong CPU performance.

Q: What are the release dates for these components?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F was released on 2024-01-07, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER was released on 2019-07-08.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and it has 2176 shading units. In Valorant, the GPU's role appears to be secondary to the CPU, but it still handles the graphical load effectively at all tested settings.

At 3840x2160 resolution, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is notable, with average FPS dropping from 407.5 to 240.2. This 167.3 FPS gap demonstrates the GPU's workload scaling with graphical fidelity. However, the RTX 2060 SUPER still manages to keep frame rates above 240 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is impressive for a GPU that ranks in the 63rd percentile overall. The card's 12 nm process node and 10,800 million transistors contribute to its 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is sufficient for Valorant's stylized visuals.

The GPU's 272 tensor cores and 34 RT cores are present, though Valorant does not heavily utilize ray tracing or DLSS in its standard competitive settings. The measured data shows a consistent pattern where the GPU becomes more relevant at higher resolutions and settings, but even at 4K Ultra, the combo maintains a playable frame rate. This indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is well-matched for the game's requirements, providing enough headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions while still being capable at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 994 out of 1650 tested combinations in Valorant, placing it in the 60th percentile of all tested pairings. This ranking reflects a balanced system that, while not at the very top, delivers strong performance for this title. The rank is influenced by both the CPU and GPU contributions, but given Valorant's CPU-intensive nature, the i7-14700F's performance is likely the primary driver.

The i7-14700F scores 35443 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5003 in single-core, with an average benchmark score of 54097. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X with an average score of 54450 (a 0.6% difference) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D at 54681 (1.1% difference). The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 trails at 53469 (1.2% less), and the AMD EPYC 7313P scores 53206 (1.7% less). This places the CPU in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a top-tier processor.

The RTX 2060 SUPER, while less dominant, holds its own with an average benchmark score of 19774 and sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the GTX TITAN (19706, 0.3% more), RTX 2070 (19680, 0.5% more), Quadro K5200 (19623, 0.8% more), and Tesla K40m (19519, 1.3% more). The combination of a high-ranking CPU and a mid-tier GPU results in the 994th rank, meaning there are many combos with more powerful GPUs that may score higher in other games, but Valorant's CPU bias allows this pairing to remain competitive.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 598.6 FPS, which drops to 389.4 FPS on Medium, 373.9 FPS on High, and 352.5 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 246.1 FPS, showing that settings have a moderate impact at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS decreases across all settings. Low settings yield 509.1 FPS, Medium produces 332.2 FPS, High delivers 315.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 299.5 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 209.6 FPS, which is slightly smaller than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is starting to play a larger role.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still high but shows the greatest scaling. Low settings average 407.5 FPS, Medium at 262.7 FPS, High at 255.3 FPS, and Ultra at 240.2 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap is 167.3 FPS, the smallest percentage difference relative to the total. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU workload is more evenly balanced with the CPU's capabilities, and the system remains fluid even at maximum settings.

The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the absolute FPS drops, but the relative difference between settings narrows. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is the primary bottleneck, while at 4K, the GPU becomes more significant.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the system's bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 598.6 at 1920x1080 to 509.1 at 2560x1440, a 14.9% decrease, and then to 407.5 at 3840x2160, a further 20.0% decrease from 1440p. This total drop of 31.9% from 1080p to 4K is relatively modest, indicating the CPU is still heavily utilized.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is more pronounced. The average FPS falls from 352.5 at 1080p to 299.5 at 1440p (15.0% decrease) and then to 240.2 at 4K (19.8% decrease from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 31.8%, nearly identical to the Low settings scenario.

This consistent scaling pattern across settings suggests that the limiting component is not changing drastically with resolution. In a GPU-bound scenario, we would expect a larger FPS drop when moving from 1440p to 4K, as the pixel count doubles. However, the data shows a similar percentage drop between each resolution step, which points to the CPU being the primary limiting factor even at 4K. The i7-14700F's powerful single-thread performance (5003 in Cinebench R23 single-core) is crucial here, as Valorant heavily relies on single-threaded performance.

The fact that even at 4K Ultra the average FPS stays above 240 indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is not being overwhelmed, and the CPU's strong performance is what keeps frame rates high. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache and high boost clock of 5.40 GHz contribute to this resilience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It has 33 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The CPU's benchmarks are exceptional: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

In Valorant, the CPU's role is paramount. The game is known for being CPU-bound, especially at lower resolutions and settings. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (598.6 FPS) is nearly at the level of the RTX 2060 SUPER's capabilities, but the fact that it drops to 352.5 FPS at Ultra shows that the GPU is still managing the graphical load. However, the CPU's influence is clear when looking at the high frame rates across all settings.

The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient for Valorant, which typically utilizes fewer cores. The high boost clock of 5.40 GHz is critical for maintaining high average FPS, as the game's engine favors single-threaded performance. The single-core benchmark of 5003 in Cinebench R23 confirms this strength.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-14700F is just 0.6% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X in average benchmark score, and 1.1% behind the Ryzen 9 9900X3D. This places it among the top-tier CPUs for gaming. The 65 W TDP is also efficient, though this is not a factor in the measured FPS data. The CPU's performance allows the RTX 2060 SUPER to reach its full potential in Valorant, and the combination proves that a strong CPU can boost a mid-range GPU to deliver competitive frame rates even at 4K.