Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS where frame rate and consistency often matter more than absolute visual fidelity. Tested with an Intel Core i9-14900K and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, the benchmark results show a system that produces extremely high frame rates across all tested settings and resolutions. The data indicates that the combination places 53rd out of 3,708 tested combos in this game, putting it in the top 1.4% of all measured configurations. This pairing of a 24-core, 32-thread CPU with a 32 GB GPU delivers frame rates that are firmly in the high-refresh-rate realm, making it relevant for monitors with fast refresh rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 713, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This represents the peak of the measured data and indicates the raw ceiling for this pair in Valorant.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 598 FPS at 1920x1080 to 527 FPS at 3840x2160, a decrease of 71 FPS or approximately 11.9%. At Low settings, the drop is from 713 FPS to 628 FPS, a decrease of 85 FPS or approximately 11.9%.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate is lower than expected?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160 resolution, the average is 518 FPS, which is lower than the 527 FPS at High settings. Similarly, at 2560x1440 resolution, Ultra yields 558 FPS, compared to 567 FPS at High settings. These differences are small, but they indicate that the highest settings preset can slightly reduce performance.

Q: How does the Core i9-14900K compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79,097, which is 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79,371) and 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79,574). It outperforms the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 by 1.7% (77,740).

Q: What is the only resolution and setting combination that includes min/max frame data?

A: The Medium settings at 3840x2160 resolution have a minimum FPS of 455 and a maximum of 616. Similarly, at 2560x1440 Medium, the min is 490 and the max is 663, and at 1920x1080 Medium, the min is 517 and the max is 699.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the GPU used in this benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D has a launch MSRP of 2,299 USD. This is the only price mention, and the data shows the card is positioned for high-end performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, which is a significant factor in Valorant's single-threaded performance. The CPU has 36 MB of L3 cache (shared) and 2 MB of L2 cache per core, which can help with the game's frame timing and low-latency responsiveness.

Comparing the i9-14900K to its nearest rivals, it sits within 1.2% of the AMD EPYC 7413, which is a server-class chip. In multi-threaded workloads, the i9-14900K's 32 threads are far more than Valorant typically needs, but the high boost clock ensures that the primary game thread is handled efficiently.

The CPU's benchmark scores are notable. For example, the Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 39,399.5, and the single-core score is 2,262.5. The Geekbench single-core score is 2,655, while the multi-core score is 21,697. These scores indicate a strong processor, but in Valorant, the frame rate is more likely to be limited by the graphics card, not the CPU, even at lower resolutions.

The CPU's TDP is 125 W, which is modest for a 24-core part, but with a 6.0 GHz boost, the power draw can spike. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system produces 713 FPS, which is a high frame rate that is likely near the CPU's limit in this game. The fact that the FPS does not scale significantly with resolution in most cases suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions, but the GPU's capabilities are more important.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is based on the Blackwell architecture and features a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. This is a top-of-the-line GPU that is well-suited for high-refresh 4K gaming.

The GPU's benchmarks show a PassMark G3D score of 44,065 and a Geekbench Compute score of 310,674. The GPU's memory size is a key factor for high-resolution textures, but Valorant is not a VRAM-intensive game, so the 32 GB is not fully utilized. The card's performance in this game is more about the core clock and the GPU's ability to push high frame rates.

In the measured frame rates, the RTX 5090 D, when paired with the i9-14900K, produces over 500 FPS even at 4K. The GPU's performance is so high that the frame rate is often limited by the CPU, especially at lower settings. For example, at 1080p Low, the system produces 713 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 628 FPS, showing a GPU influence when the resolution is increased.

The GPU's nearest rivals are all AMD GPUs, with the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT being 1.1% faster and the RX 6850M XT being 1.6% slower. This shows the RTX 5090 D is in a high-end tier, but the data also shows that in Valorant, the GPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are the highest of all resolutions. Low settings produce an average of 713 FPS, which is the highest number in the entire data set. Medium settings yield 608 FPS, High 598 FPS, and Ultra 588 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 125 FPS, which is a 17.5% reduction, indicating that the settings have a moderate effect on performance at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are slightly lower. Low settings produce an average of 676 FPS, Medium 577 FPS, High 567 FPS, and Ultra 558 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 118 FPS, a 17.5% reduction, similar to the 1080p pattern.

At 3840x2160, the lowest frame rates are recorded. Low settings yield 628 FPS, Medium 535 FPS, High 527 FPS, and Ultra 518 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 110 FPS, a 17.5% reduction, which is consistent with the other resolutions.

The Medium settings are the only ones with min/max data. At 1080p Medium, the min is 517 FPS and max is 699 FPS, giving a range of 182 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the min is 490 FPS and the max is 663 FPS, a range of 173 FPS. At 4K Medium, the min is 455 FPS and the max is 616 FPS, a range of 161 FPS. This shows that as resolution increases, the min and max frame rates decrease, but the spread remains relatively consistent.

Resolution Scaling

Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops by approximately 5.2% for Low settings (from 713 to 676), 5.1% for Medium (from 608 to 577), 5.2% for High (from 598 to 567), and 5.4% for Ultra (from 588 to 558). The difference between the resolutions is small, indicating a GPU-bound scenario where the CPU is not the primary limitation.

From 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the drop is more noticeable. Low settings drop from 676 to 628, a 7.1% decrease. Medium from 577 to 535, a 7.3% decrease. High from 567 to 527, a 7.1% decrease. Ultra from 558 to 518, a 7.2% decrease. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is larger than from 1080p to 1440p, which is expected because the pixel count increases more.

Overall, the resolution scaling is gradual, and even at 4K, the average FPS is above 518. This indicates that the RTX 5090 D has enough power to keep frame rates high at all resolutions, and the CPU is not limiting the performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows that the highest frame rates are achieved at Low settings, with a 713 FPS average at 1080p. However, the High settings still provide an average of 598 FPS at 1080p, which is only 19% lower. The performance difference between Low and High is small in percentage terms, and the visual quality improvement is significant.

For competitive play, the Low preset is the best choice, as it provides the highest frame rates and reduces input latency. The data shows that Low settings produce the highest FPS at all resolutions, with 713, 676, and 628 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively.

For a balanced experience, the High preset is a good option. At 1080p, High has an average FPS of 598, which is still above 500, and the visual improvements are noticeable. At 1440p, High delivers 567 FPS, and at 4K, 527 FPS, which are still very high for a game like Valorant.

The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it offers the lowest frame rates without a significant visual benefit. At 4K, Ultra is 518 FPS, only 9 FPS lower than High, but the performance drop is not worth the minimal visual improvement. The Ultra preset is best for players who prioritize visuals over performance, but the data shows that High is a better overall choice.

The Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality. At 1080p, it produces 608 FPS, which is only 5 FPS lower than High, and it has min/max data showing a stable frame delivery. At 1440p, it delivers 577 FPS, and at 4K, 535 FPS. The Medium preset also has the only available min/max data, indicating that it's a stable setting.

Ultimately, the data shows that for maximum frame rates, Low is the best choice, while Medium offers a good compromise between visual quality and performance. High is also a solid option, but Ultra is not worth the frame rate drop.