Valorant

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-14700K compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i7-14700K sits within a tight cluster at the top of the CPU performance charts. Its average benchmark score of 69355 places it 0.1% above the AMD EPYC 9115, 0.2% below the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.9% below the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F. The 14700K also outperforms the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX by 0.7%. This places the CPU in the 94th percentile among all tested processors.

Q: What is the performance classification of the Intel Arc B370 based on its benchmark results?

A: The Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, which is a very low standing. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scored 1184 points. This places it nearly even with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scored 1186, and just 0.5% behind the ATI Radeon HD 5770's score of 1190. It is 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168) but 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (score 1192).

Q: Which resolution and settings combination yields the highest average frame rate in Valorant?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 299, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. The next best result is 255 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings, followed by 204 FPS at 3840x2160 with Low settings. This shows a clear trend where lower settings and lower resolutions yield higher frame rates.

Q: How much of a frame rate difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the difference between the lowest and highest quality presets is substantial. The Low preset delivers an average of 299 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 178 FPS. That is a 121 FPS difference, or roughly 68% higher frame rate for the Low preset compared to Ultra.

Q: Does the Arc B370 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No, the Intel Arc B370 uses System Shared memory. Its memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," and its memory bandwidth is "System Dependent." This means it relies on the system's main RAM rather than having its own dedicated video memory.

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

A: The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3411th out of 3708 tested combos in Valorant. This places it in the lower percentile of all tested systems for this specific game, indicating that the GPU is a significant limiting factor despite the strong CPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This high core count and boost clock are typical of a high-end desktop CPU, and its benchmark scores confirm its strength. In Cinebench R23, it achieves a multi-core score of 33440.5 and a single-core score of 2160. In Geekbench, it scores 20767 multi-core and 2569 single-core. These scores place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69355.

The CPU's role in Valorant is to handle game logic, physics, and the main game thread. Valorant is a competitive FPS that often relies heavily on single-core performance. The 14700K's strong single-core results—313.5 in Cinebench R15 and 4472 in Passmark single-thread—are well-suited for this. However, the data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. Even at 1080p Low settings, which puts the most strain on the CPU relative to the GPU, the system only reaches 299 FPS. This is a high frame rate, but given the CPU's percentile ranking, it suggests the GPU is holding the system back from reaching even higher frame rates.

The CPU also supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory and has a 33 MB shared L3 cache. The 20 cores are split between performance and efficiency cores, which helps with multi-threaded workloads. In Valorant, this multi-threading capability helps maintain smooth frame pacing when there are many agents on screen or when background processes are active. The CPU's 125W TDP and active production status indicate it is a current, power-hungry desktop part designed for high performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 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 2400 MHz. Its memory configuration is entirely System Shared, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM of its own. This is a critical detail for gaming performance, as it must share system memory bandwidth with the CPU.

The GPU's benchmark results are very weak. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scored 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190), which are over a decade old. The Arc B370's specs include 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS.

In Valorant, the GPU's role is to render the 3D scene, handle textures, and output frames. The data shows that the Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this system. At 1080p Low, the system produces 299 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, that drops to 178 FPS. This scaling is primarily due to the GPU's limited fill rate and lack of dedicated memory. The system shared memory bandwidth is "System Dependent," so performance will vary based on the system's RAM speed and configuration.

The GPU's low 25W TDP and IGP slot width confirm it is not designed for high-end gaming. Its launch date of 2026-01-26 and active production status mean it is a current product, but its performance class is far below discrete gaming GPUs. The Arc B370's API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so it supports modern rendering features, but its raw throughput limits its ability to use them effectively at high settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Valorant shows a clear pattern across all resolutions: lower settings yield higher frame rates, and lower resolutions yield higher frame rates. The system's performance is consistently limited by the GPU.

At 1920x1080, the resolution most common for competitive play, the system delivers an average of 299 FPS on Low settings. This is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 197 FPS, with a minimum of 167 FPS and a maximum of 226 FPS. High settings yields 187 FPS, and Ultra settings yields 178 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 121 FPS, which is substantial. Even at Ultra, the frame rate is above 144 Hz, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the Low preset provides a significant competitive advantage.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are still high but lower than 1080p. The Low preset delivers an average of 255 FPS. Medium settings produces 168 FPS (min 143, max 193). High settings yields 160 FPS, and Ultra settings yields 152 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 103 FPS. These frame rates are still very playable, with even the lowest Ultra average exceeding 144 FPS.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the frame rates drop further but remain respectable. The Low preset delivers 204 FPS. Medium settings produces 134 FPS (min 114, max 154). High settings yields 128 FPS, and Ultra settings yields 122 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 82 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the system still averages over 120 FPS, which is good, but the Low preset offers a significant frame rate boost.

The data shows that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. The Arc B370's lack of dedicated VRAM means it relies on system memory, which can create a bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (299 FPS) is the standout result, as it is the only measurement that approaches the CPU's potential. At higher settings, the GPU's limitations become more apparent, with the frame rate dropping by roughly 40% or more from Low to Ultra at any given resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3411th out of 3708 tested combos in Valorant. This is a very low ranking, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems. The rank is surprising given the CPU's top-tier status (94th percentile), but it underscores the GPU's severe performance limitation.

The CPU is one of the best available, with an average benchmark score of 69355, placing it nearly equal to the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515) and above the AMD EPYC 9115 (69288). In contrast, the GPU is in the 5th percentile, with an average score of 1184, which is similar to the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). This massive imbalance between CPU and GPU performance creates a system where the GPU is the definitive bottleneck.

In Valorant, this ranking means the system will not compete with high-end gaming rigs. The combo rank of 3411 suggests that most other tested combinations deliver higher frame rates in this game. However, the measured FPS data shows that the system is still very playable, with even the 4K Ultra preset exceeding 120 FPS. The ranking is a relative measure against all other combos, and many of those combos likely include discrete GPUs with dedicated VRAM, which gives them a significant advantage.

The nearest CPU rivals—AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, and AMD EPYC 9115—would likely pair with better GPUs in other tested combos, pushing their overall rankings higher. The data confirms that the Arc B370 is the weak link, and any improvement in the GPU would dramatically improve the combo's ranking. The 14700K's potential is largely untapped in this configuration, as evidenced by the fact that the highest FPS measurement (299 FPS) is still well below what the CPU could likely support with a more powerful GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's display and preferences. For competitive play, where high frame rates are paramount, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the clear recommendation. It delivers an average of 299 FPS, which is the highest recorded and provides the smoothest experience for fast-paced gameplay. The Low preset also minimizes input latency, which is crucial in a competitive FPS like Valorant.

For users with a 1440p monitor who prioritize frame rate, the Low preset at 2560x1440 delivers 255 FPS. This is still exceptionally high and offers a good balance between visual clarity and performance. The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 168 FPS, which is above the 144 Hz threshold, but the 87 FPS drop from Low to Medium is significant. If a user prefers better visuals, Medium at 1440p is viable, but it comes at a measurable cost.

At 4K, the Low preset delivers 204 FPS, which is the best option for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. The Medium preset drops to 134 FPS, which is still smooth but not as responsive. The High and Ultra presets at 4K (128 and 122 FPS respectively) are playable but offer diminishing returns in visual quality for the frame rate loss. For 4K users, Low is recommended for competitive play, while Medium or High could be acceptable for more casual play.

The data suggests that the Low preset is the best overall choice for this system. The jump from Low to Medium at any resolution results in a substantial frame rate drop: 102 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K. The visual quality improvements from Low to Medium are unlikely to be worth that performance cost in a competitive shooter. The Ultra preset consistently delivers the lowest frame rates, and while it never drops below 122 FPS, it offers the least competitive advantage.

In summary, the recommended settings are: 1920x1080 Low for maximum performance (299 FPS), 2560x1440 Low for high resolution with high frame rates (255 FPS), and 3840x2160 Low for 4K gaming (204 FPS). Users who prioritize visual fidelity can use Medium at 1440p or 4K, but they should be aware of the significant frame rate reduction. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for competitive play, as they provide minimal visual gains over Medium while reducing frame rates further.