Valorant

Valorant is a competitive FPS that scales unusually well with hardware, and the measured results for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 confirm this. The data shows a combo that delivers extremely high frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the primary bottleneck shifting from the GPU to the CPU only at the lowest settings and resolutions. This combination ranks 2069th out of 3708 tested combos for this game, placing it in the upper half of all systems, which is respectable given the mobile nature of the CPU and the mid-range positioning of the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is significant but not catastrophic, revealing a system that is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate gaming. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 395 FPS at 1920x1080 to 337 FPS at 2560x1440, a drop of 58 FPS. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 269 FPS, which represents a 126 FPS loss compared to 1080p. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4060 is becoming increasingly stressed as pixel count rises, yet it still manages to maintain a very playable 269 FPS at 4K High.

The Low settings preset shows a different scaling curve. Here, the average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 529 FPS, which drops to 502 FPS at 2560x1440 and then to 429 FPS at 3840x2160. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is about 19%, which is less severe than the 32% drop seen at High settings. This suggests that at Low settings, the system is increasingly limited by the CPU, not the GPU. The Core Ultra 7 165H with its 16 cores and 22 threads is the likely limiting component at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is so high that the CPU cannot feed the GPU fast enough.

The Medium preset provides the most detailed data, as it includes minimum and maximum frame rates. At 1920x1080, the average is 414 FPS with a minimum of 352 FPS and a maximum of 477 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 354 FPS with a minimum of 301 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average is 283 FPS with a minimum of 240 FPS and a maximum of 325 FPS. The gap between minimum and maximum frame rates narrows as resolution increases, going from a 125 FPS spread at 1080p to an 85 FPS spread at 4K. This indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the consistent bottleneck, resulting in more stable frame times, while at 1080p, CPU-related hitches can cause larger fluctuations.

The Ultra preset shows the lowest overall performance, as expected. The average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 376 FPS, dropping to 321 FPS at 2560x1440 and 256 FPS at 3840x2160. The scaling from 1080p to 4K here is a 32% reduction, which is similar to the High preset. This suggests that the Ultra preset is primarily GPU-limited, as the additional graphical effects and detail settings place a heavier load on the RTX 4060.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 529 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 256 FPS at Ultra settings to 429 FPS at Low settings. The Medium preset shows an average of 283 FPS with a minimum of 240 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even at this demanding resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU (Intel Core Ultra 7 165H) appears to be the limiting factor at 1080p with Low settings, where the frame rate is exceptionally high.

Q: What is the combo's ranking compared to other tested systems?

A: This specific combination of CPU and GPU ranks 2069th out of 3708 tested combos for Valorant, placing it in the upper half of all systems tested.

Q: Are there any benchmark scores for the individual components?

A: Yes, the CPU has an average benchmark score of 34083, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU has an average benchmark score of 17639, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What kind of frame rate stability can be expected at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset shows an average of 354 FPS with a minimum of 301 FPS and a maximum of 407 FPS, indicating a stable experience. The High and Ultra presets deliver averages of 337 FPS and 321 FPS respectively.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a mobile processor from the Core Ultra Series 1, built on the Meteor Lake architecture using a 7 nm process. It features 16 cores and 22 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The cache configuration includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU has a TDP of 28 watts and is designed for the Intel BGA 2049 socket.

In Valorant, the CPU's role is critical for maintaining high frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. The benchmark results show that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 529 FPS. This is a very high number that suggests the CPU is capable of processing game logic and physics quickly enough to support such high output. The fact that the frame rate does not scale linearly with resolution at Low settings (529 FPS at 1080p vs 429 FPS at 4K) points to the CPU hitting a performance ceiling around the 500-530 FPS range.

The CPU's single-threaded performance, as indicated by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1759, is likely a significant factor in Valorant's performance, as the game is known to be sensitive to single-thread performance. The multi-core score of 14551 also shows strong overall capability, but the game's engine typically benefits more from fewer, faster cores. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 3509 and multithread score of 25933 corroborate this, showing a balanced but slightly single-thread-leaning profile.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 165H is very closely matched in average benchmark score. It is 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and 0.4% behind the AMD EPYC 4244P and AMD Ryzen AI 7 350. It is also 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X. These small deltas mean that the CPU itself is not a differentiator in most gaming scenarios, but in a game like Valorant where frame rates are extremely high, even small differences in CPU performance can manifest in the final FPS numbers.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2069th out of 3708 tested combos for Valorant. This places the system in the 56th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the systems in the database. This ranking is notable because it pairs a mid-range mobile CPU with a mainstream desktop GPU, yet still achieves a position in the upper half.

The GPU's individual percentile rank is 61st, which is slightly higher than the combo's overall rank. This suggests that the GPU is performing as expected, but the CPU may be holding back the system slightly in this specific title. The CPU's percentile rank of 84th is much higher, indicating that it is a strong performer in general benchmarks, but its mobile nature and 28-watt TDP may limit sustained performance in gaming scenarios.

Given the combo's rank, it is clear that this system is more than capable of running Valorant at competitive levels. The frame rates achieved are well above the 144 Hz and 240 Hz refresh rates common in competitive gaming monitors. Even at 4K Ultra, the average of 256 FPS exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end displays. The ranking reflects that while this is not a top-tier system, it is far from a low-end one, and it offers a very smooth experience for Valorant players.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 529 FPS, Medium settings yield 414 FPS (with min/max of 352/477), High settings yield 395 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 376 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 153 FPS, which demonstrates the significant impact of graphical settings on frame rate at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings produce an average of 502 FPS, Medium settings produce 354 FPS (with min/max of 301/407), High settings produce 337 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 321 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 181 FPS, which is a larger gap than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is being pushed harder. The minimum frame rate of 301 FPS at Medium settings is still exceptionally high, ensuring no noticeable stutters.

At 3840x2160, the system remains very capable. Low settings deliver an average of 429 FPS, Medium settings deliver 283 FPS (with min/max of 240/325), High settings deliver 269 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 256 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 173 FPS. Even at the most demanding settings, the average frame rate never drops below 256 FPS, which reflects the RTX 4060's efficiency at this resolution. The minimum frame rate of 240 FPS at Medium settings is still above the refresh rate of most 4K monitors.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play, the Low settings preset is the clear choice when prioritizing maximum frame rate. The data shows that at 1920x1080, Low settings achieve 529 FPS, which is 134 FPS higher than Medium and 153 FPS higher than Ultra. This preset minimizes visual effects to reduce GPU load and maximize responsiveness. Even at 4K, Low settings deliver 429 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate display.

For players who want a balance between visual quality and performance, the Medium preset is the optimal choice. At 1920x1080, it provides an average of 414 FPS, which is only 115 FPS lower than Low but likely offers noticeably better visual fidelity. The frame time consistency is also good, with a minimum of 352 FPS. At 1440p, Medium yields 354 FPS with a minimum of 301 FPS, making it a very stable option for high-refresh-rate gaming. At 4K, the Medium preset still manages a 283 FPS average, which is above the 240 Hz threshold.

The High and Ultra presets are best reserved for players with high-refresh-rate 4K monitors or those who prioritize visuals over raw frame rate. At 4K, High delivers 269 FPS and Ultra delivers 256 FPS. While these are still very high numbers, they represent a significant drop from the Low and Medium presets. The difference between High and Ultra is minimal (13 FPS at 4K), so players should choose Ultra only if they want the absolute best visual quality, as the performance cost is negligible. Ultimately, the data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best overall experience, providing a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining frame rates well above 300 FPS at all tested resolutions.