Valorant

Valorant, as a competitive FPS, is often discussed in terms of its CPU demands, but the data for this specific combo—Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090—paints a more complex picture. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings are exceptionally high, with the lowest average recorded at 378 FPS at 4K Ultra. This performance profile indicates a system that is not just capable of running the game, but is massively overqualified for it, operating in a performance tier where the bottlenecks have shifted away from typical hardware limitations. The following analysis breaks down the measured results to understand the roles of the CPU, GPU, and resolution scaling in this specific configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a relatively modest performance drop when scaling from 1080p to 4K, which is highly informative about the system's balance. At High settings, the average frame rate moves from 437 FPS at 1920x1080 to 414 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 384 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a total drop of 53 FPS, or roughly 12%, from 1080p to 4K. A more demanding game, or a system with a weaker GPU, would typically show a much steeper decline as the pixel count quadruples. The relatively shallow slope here suggests that the CPU is a significant limiting factor even at the lower resolution.

This interpretation is reinforced by examining the Low settings results. At Low, the frame rate scales from 521 FPS at 1080p to 494 FPS at 1440p and 458 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 63 FPS, or about 12%, which is a similar percentage to the High settings. In a purely GPU-bound scenario, reducing settings to Low would typically create a larger gap between resolutions, as the GPU would have more headroom to render frames and the CPU would become the sole bottleneck. The fact that the percentage drop remains consistent across settings suggests that the CPU is the primary constraint at all times, and the RTX 5090 is never being pushed to its limit.

The gap between Low and High settings also narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (521 FPS) and High (437 FPS) is 84 FPS. At 4K, this difference shrinks to 74 FPS (458 FPS vs 384 FPS). This is a subtle but important data point; it shows that even when the GPU's workload increases with resolution, it has so much headroom that the frame rate is still heavily dictated by the CPU's ability to feed it draw calls. The system is effectively in a state of constant CPU limitation, with the GPU acting as a passive receiver of frames rather than an active bottleneck. Benchmark results indicate that the limiting component in this combination is the processor, not the graphics card.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H features 16 cores and 22 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, built on the Meteor Lake architecture. In Valorant, a game known for its reliance on single-thread performance, this processor's high boost clock is likely the most critical factor. The measured results, particularly the 521 FPS at 1080p Low, are indicative of a CPU that can process the game's simulation and rendering commands at an extremely high rate. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache also helps by keeping frequently accessed game data closer to the cores, reducing latency.

The processor's overall standing is solid, with a percentile rank of 83 against all CPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score of 32697 places it in close contention with its nearest rivals. For instance, it is essentially tied with the Intel Core i5-14600T, which scores 32707, representing a 0% delta. It also shows a negligible 0.1% advantage over the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (32662) and a 0.2% deficit against the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F (32750). The data suggests that in terms of raw processing power, the Core Ultra 7 155H is a very capable, mid-to-high-tier mobile processor.

However, the Cinebench scores provide more nuance. The single-core score of 1743 in Cinebench R23 is strong, but it is the multi-core score of 15028 that highlights the processor's hybrid design. Despite having 22 threads, the multi-core performance is not exceptionally high, which is typical for a 28W TDP mobile chip that must balance performance with power efficiency. In Valorant, this means that while the CPU has many cores available, the game's engine will primarily leverage the high-performance cores (P-cores) to achieve those high frame rates. The data shows that the 16-core, 22-thread configuration is more than sufficient; the game's performance is not gated by core count but by the speed of the primary cores.

The PassMark single-thread score of 3468 further underscores the CPU's strength in lightly-threaded workloads. The PassMark multi-thread score of 24873 shows a significant scaling from single to multi-threaded tasks, but the sheer frame rates in Valorant suggest that the game is not utilising all 22 threads. The 521 FPS at 1080p Low confirms the CPU's ability to maintain a high instruction throughput on a per-core basis. In a game where a 500+ FPS average is achievable, the CPU's role is to eliminate any potential bottleneck, and the data indicates it does so effectively, leaving the GPU as the only thing standing between the player and an even higher frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a behemoth of a graphics card, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2407 MHz. In this Valorant test, the GPU's role is almost paradoxical: it is the most powerful component on paper, yet the data suggests it is never the limiting factor. The GPU sits at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79842. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79605, 0.3% slower) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940, 1.1% slower), which are all data center or high-end mobile parts.

The measured FPS data confirms this. At 4K Ultra, the GPU produces an average of 378 FPS. For context, this is a resolution and settings combination that would cripple most systems in other games, but here it is still pushing out hundreds of frames. The fact that the difference between 4K Ultra (378 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (430 FPS) is only 52 FPS demonstrates that the GPU's raw pixel-pushing power is not the constraint. If the GPU were the bottleneck, the 4K results would be significantly lower relative to 1080p, as the GPU would be working much harder to fill the extra pixels.

The GPU's memory configuration also plays a role, though not in the traditional sense of capacity concerns. The 32 GB of VRAM is vastly overkill for Valorant, which is not a VRAM-heavy title. The bandwidth, however, is a different story. The 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth allows for incredibly fast texture and geometry data transfer, which can help maintain high frame rates even when the CPU is feeding it data at maximum speed. The 21760 shading units and 680 TMUs ensure that even at 4K, the GPU can rasterise the scene with ease. In this specific application, the RTX 5090's role is to be a perfect complement to the CPU, ensuring that under no circumstances does the graphics card become the reason for a frame rate drop.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 1261st out of 3708 tested combos for Valorant. This places it within the top 34% of all pairings that have been measured in this game. Given the extremely high average FPS numbers, this rank might seem lower than expected. However, it's crucial to consider the pool of competitors. The 3708 combos include many desktop systems with flagship CPUs like the Ryzen 9 series or Intel Core i9 series, which have significantly higher single-thread performance and are less thermally constrained than the mobile Core Ultra 7 155H.

The rank of 1261 is not a reflection of poor performance; rather, it is a reflection of the competitive field. The combo is likely outranked by pairings with desktop-class CPUs that can push frame rates even higher. For example, a combo with a high-end desktop CPU and the same RTX 5090 would likely rank higher due to the CPU's higher clock speeds and lower latency. The data shows that this combo is more than capable of delivering a top-tier experience, but it is not the absolute peak of what is possible in the database.

The ranking also highlights the imbalance of the pairing. The RTX 5090 is a top-tier enthusiast GPU, while the Core Ultra 7 155H is a mobile processor designed for laptops, with a 28W TDP. This creates a scenario where the GPU is significantly underutilised. The combo's rank is likely held back by the CPU's performance ceiling, not the GPU's. If the same GPU were paired with a more powerful desktop CPU, the frame rates would be higher, and the rank would improve. The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant component, but the CPU is the one that ultimately determines the final ranking in this specific game.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average frame rate is 521 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the frame rate at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The average frame rate at 4K Ultra is 378 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it is 430 FPS. This represents a 52 FPS difference, indicating the CPU is a significant limiting factor.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 the main bottleneck in this setup?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate drops are relatively small when moving from 1080p to 4K, a sign that the GPU has ample headroom and is not being fully utilised.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems for Valorant?

A: This specific combo ranks 1261st out of 3708 tested combos, placing it in the top 34% of all tested systems.

Q: What is the best average frame rate recorded at 2560x1440 resolution?

A: The best average frame rate at 2560x1440 is 494 FPS, which is achieved with Low settings.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS for the Medium settings at 4K?

A: For 4K Medium settings, the average FPS is 391, with a minimum of 332 FPS and a maximum of 449 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's priority, but the data strongly suggests that even the highest quality settings are not a compromise. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset still delivers an average of 378 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of any current high-end monitor. The data shows that moving from Low to Ultra at 4K only incurs a performance penalty of 80 FPS (458 to 378), a drop that is imperceptible when the starting point is already in the hundreds. Therefore, for the best visual experience, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it extracts the most visual quality without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar. The Ultra preset yields 407 FPS, while the Low preset yields 494 FPS. The 87 FPS difference is again negligible in practical terms. The Medium preset at 1440p offers 421 FPS, which is a good middle ground. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset provides 430 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 521 FPS. Given that all settings produce frame rates that are vastly higher than what any display can refresh, the recommendation is to use the highest settings possible. The benchmark results indicate that the measured rows show no reason to lower settings below Ultra, as the system has the headroom to maintain competitive, high frame rates at all times.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact average FPS measurements for Valorant across all tested resolutions and settings. The data is measured, not estimated.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 458 FPS average
• Medium: 391 FPS average (min 332, max 449)
• High: 384 FPS average
• Ultra: 378 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 494 FPS average
• Medium: 421 FPS average (min 358, max 484)
• High: 414 FPS average
• Ultra: 407 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 521 FPS average
• Medium: 444 FPS average (min 377, max 511)
• High: 437 FPS average
• Ultra: 430 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: the frame rate is exceptionally high across the board. The variance between settings is more pronounced at lower resolutions, but even at 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra is just 80 FPS. The minimum FPS recorded in the entire dataset is 332 FPS (4K Medium), which is still a very high minimum. The maximum FPS recorded is 521 FPS (1080p Low). These numbers confirm that the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 provides a performance buffer that is almost unprecedented in competitive gaming.