Valorant

The benchmark data for Valorant, captured with an Intel Core i7-14700F and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, reveals a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at lower resolutions but begins to show a more balanced profile as resolution increases. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all settings and resolutions are exceptionally high, indicating that this combination is far beyond the requirements for competitive play. The data suggests a system where the CPU provides a massive foundation of single-threaded performance, while the GPU's immense resources are only partially taxed until the rendering load becomes substantial.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K resolution provides a clear picture of performance scaling. At the Low settings preset, the average FPS drops from 647 at 1920x1080 to 570 at 3840x2160. This represents a 77 FPS decrease, or roughly an 11.9% reduction in performance. This relatively modest decline strongly indicates that at 1080p Low, the system is heavily bottlenecked by the CPU's processing capabilities, as the GPU is not being fully utilized to generate frames.

Moving to the High settings preset, the scaling pattern changes. The average FPS at 1920x1080 is 543, which falls to 515 at 2560x1440, and then further down to 478 at 3840x2160. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 37 FPS. This shows a more pronounced impact of resolution, suggesting that as the settings increase, the GPU begins to play a more significant role in determining the frame rate.

The Medium and Ultra presets follow a similar trajectory. For Medium, the average FPS decreases from 552 at 1080p to 524 at 1440p and 486 at 4K. For Ultra, the numbers are 534, 507, and 470 respectively. The consistent pattern across all presets is that the largest FPS deficit occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K. For example, in the Ultra preset, this step costs 37 FPS, while the step from 1080p to 1440p only costs 27 FPS. This widening gap at 4K indicates that the rendering workload is finally scaling to a level where the RTX 5090 D's architecture is being pushed harder, though it still produces incredibly high frame rates.

The limiting component analysis is straightforward. At 1080p, regardless of settings, the FPS is capped in the mid-500s to mid-600s range, which is a characteristic of a CPU-bound scenario where the processor cannot issue draw calls fast enough to keep the GPU busy. The fact that there is only a 104 FPS difference between the lowest and highest settings at 1080p (647 Low vs 543 High) further supports this, as the GPU could easily render more frames if the CPU allowed it. At 4K, the difference between Low and High settings is 92 FPS (570 vs 478), showing that the GPU's workload has increased, but it is still not the primary bottleneck. The data shows a system that is heavily CPU-limited in most scenarios, with the GPU only beginning to exert its influence at the highest resolution and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 247 out of 2883 tested combos for Valorant. This places the configuration in the top 8.6% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a game that is often considered more CPU-sensitive than graphically demanding. This high ranking is a direct result of the CPU's exceptional single-core performance, which is a critical metric for Valorant's engine.

The combo's rank is more dependent on the CPU than the GPU. The i7-14700F has a percentile rank of 91 against all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 91% of processors in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score is 53620. In comparison, its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6505P, which has an average score of 53701 and is 0.2% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which scores 53288 and is 0.6% slower. This indicates that the CPU is performing at the top end of the spectrum, which is crucial for maintaining high FPS in a game like Valorant.

The GPU, while also powerful, is less of a differentiator in this specific title. The RTX 5090 D has a percentile rank of 92 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (1.1% slower), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.6% faster), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (2.1% faster). While the RTX 5090 D is a top-tier card, its performance in Valorant is not the primary factor pushing this combo to its rank. The data shows that many other high-end GPUs would likely achieve a similar rank when paired with a CPU as strong as the i7-14700F. The ranking reflects the CPU's ability to feed frames to the GPU, making this combo exceptionally well-suited for Valorant.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset for this combination is Low. This is not because of a need for higher performance, as all presets deliver playable frame rates, but rather because it minimizes potential frame-time inconsistencies and maximizes the margin over the display's refresh rate. The Low preset at 1920x1080 yields an average FPS of 647, which is the highest recorded in the entire dataset. This provides the largest possible cushion above any high-refresh-rate monitor, ensuring that the system never dips below the refresh rate threshold.

The Medium preset offers a more balanced approach. At 1920x1080, it produces an average FPS of 552, with a minimum FPS of 469 and a maximum of 635. This is a 95 FPS drop from the Low preset, but it still provides a massive performance buffer. The minimum FPS of 469 is higher than the average FPS of the Ultra preset at 4K, indicating that even with occasional dips, the experience remains exceptionally smooth. For players who want a visual upgrade without compromising on responsiveness, Medium is the highest setting that maintains a minimum FPS above 460 at 1080p.

The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for competitive play. While they deliver average FPS of 543 and 534, respectively, at 1080p, they offer diminishing returns in visual fidelity for a tangible cost in performance. The data shows a clear trend: the lower the settings, the higher the average FPS. For a game where every millisecond of input latency and frame time matters, the Low preset is the clear winner. It offers the highest average FPS and likely the lowest input lag, making it the best choice for a competitive advantage. The Medium preset is a viable alternative for those who prioritize a balance between visual quality and maximum performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides a comprehensive view of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 647. The Medium preset delivers an average of 552 FPS, with a minimum of 469 FPS and a maximum of 635 FPS. The High preset reaches an average of 543 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 534 FPS. The spread between the lowest and highest settings at this resolution is 113 FPS, highlighting the CPU's role as the primary performance limiter.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset remains the fastest, with an average FPS of 614. The Medium preset averages 524 FPS, with a minimum of 445 FPS and a maximum of 602 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 515 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 507 FPS. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p for the Low preset is 33 FPS, showing that even at a higher resolution, the CPU continues to be a significant factor.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset leads with an average FPS of 570. The Medium preset averages 486 FPS, with a minimum of 413 FPS and a maximum of 559 FPS. The High preset achieves an average of 478 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the slowest, with an average of 470 FPS. At this resolution, the GPU's workload is at its highest, yet the system still maintains an average FPS above 470 across all settings. The minimum FPS of 413 for the Medium preset at 4K is the lowest recorded in the entire dataset but is still far above the refresh rates of standard monitors.

The data consistently shows that the Low preset provides the highest average FPS at every resolution. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded min/max values, which provides insight into frame-time consistency. The gap between the High and Ultra presets is small, with a difference of only 9 FPS at 1080p, 8 FPS at 1440p, and 8 FPS at 4K, suggesting that the visual difference between these two presets comes at a negligible performance cost in this configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Valorant?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 647, achieved at a resolution of 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is the system CPU-bound or GPU-bound in Valorant?

A: The data indicates the system is heavily CPU-bound. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 647, but at 1080p Ultra, it only drops to 534. This small difference suggests the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU has ample headroom to render more frames if the CPU could provide them faster.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 247th out of 2883 tested combos for Valorant, placing it in the top 8.6% of all configurations.

Q: What is the lowest minimum FPS recorded in the dataset?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 413, which occurs at a resolution of 3840x2160 with the Medium settings preset.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 D's massive 32 GB of VRAM make a difference in Valorant?

A: The data does not show any performance benefit from the GPU's VRAM capacity. The game's performance is primarily driven by the CPU's single-thread speed, and the FPS numbers are similar across presets, indicating that the GPU's memory is not a bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 515 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 507 FPS, a difference of only 8 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is the central component driving this combo's high rank in Valorant. This processor features 20 cores and 28 threads, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz, which can boost up to 5.40 GHz. This high boost clock is critical for gaming performance, as Valorant's engine is particularly sensitive to single-threaded performance. The CPU's benchmark scores confirm its strength in this area, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2429.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also strong, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a Passmark multithread score of 41317. While Valorant does not heavily utilize many cores, the i7-14700F's 20 cores ensure that background tasks and system processes do not interfere with the game's primary threads. The CPU's large 33 MB of shared L3 cache also helps by storing frequently accessed game data, reducing latency.

The data shows that the CPU is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. Across all resolutions, the FPS at Low settings is significantly higher than at Ultra settings, but the absolute numbers are still very high. This is a classic sign of a CPU-limited scenario where the processor's instruction throughput is the limiting factor. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking against all CPUs underscores its elite status, and its performance is a key reason why this combo ranks in the top 8.6% for Valorant. The processor's ability to sustain high clocks on its performance cores is the driving force behind the high FPS figures.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship GPU that, in this specific game, plays a secondary role to the CPU. Its architecture is Blackwell 2.0, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The GPU's clocks are listed as a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz. Its raw compute power is immense, with an FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS.

In Valorant, the GPU's role is to render the frames that the CPU requests. Since the CPU is capable of issuing draw calls at a very high rate, the GPU is often not fully utilized. The benchmark data supports this, as the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K is relatively small compared to what would be expected if the GPU were the limiting factor. For instance, at Low settings, the FPS only drops by 77 when moving from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is still well within its performance envelope.

The GPU's 32 GB of VRAM is unused to its full potential in Valorant, as the game does not require such a large frame buffer. Its high bandwidth and compute power are more relevant for other, more demanding titles. The RTX 5090 D's performance in this game is sufficient to ensure that it never becomes a bottleneck, allowing the CPU to dictate the maximum frame rate. Its percentile rank of 92 against all GPUs confirms its high-end status, but in the context of Valorant, its primary contribution is to provide a effortless, high-FPS experience without any frame drops. The GPU's role is to keep pace with the CPU, which it does with ease, ensuring a smooth and responsive gameplay experience.