Valorant

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers an exceptional Valorant experience, ranking in the top half of all tested configurations. This combo is fundamentally CPU-bound at lower resolutions, with the processor's high single-thread performance pushing frame rates to extreme levels, while the GPU becomes more relevant at 4K and higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1292nd out of 2883 tested combos for Valorant. This places it in the 55th percentile of all configurations, a solidly above-average result for a competitive FPS. The ranking reflects the synergy between a top-tier modern CPU and a mid-range, older GPU.

The data indicates that the CPU is the star of this pairing. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus scores in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scores 83807, a negligible 0.2% difference, meaning the 290K Plus is essentially at the top of the consumer CPU heap. In contrast, the RTX 2070 SUPER sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 20282, trailing its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750, by a mere 1.5%.

This performance discrepancy is the defining characteristic of the combo. In a game like Valorant, which is known for being lightweight and CPU-sensitive, the 290K Plus can flex its massive single-core strength. The benchmark results confirm this, showing that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves an average of 656 FPS, a figure that is only possible when the CPU is not bottlenecked by the GPU. The GPU's role is to ensure that frame pacing remains consistent as graphical loads increase, but it never becomes the primary limiting factor until the resolution and settings are pushed to their absolute maximum.

The ranking also highlights the importance of the CPU's memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s and its dual-channel DDR5 support, which feed the 24 cores efficiently. While the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Valorant, they are not the headline features here. This combo confirms how a powerful CPU can boost an older GPU to deliver top-tier performance in esports titles, making the overall rank more a reflection of the CPU's dominance than the GPU's individual standing.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus a significant upgrade over its direct predecessor?

A: The data shows it is a marginal improvement. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is only 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K's 83807. This indicates a very small generational performance uplift in general benchmarks.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to modern mid-range GPUs?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 20282 puts it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. It trails the Intel Arc B570 by 1.3% and the Intel Arc A750 by 1.5%, showing it remains competitive with current mid-range offerings but is not a top-tier performer.

Q: What is the best resolution and setting combo for maximum competitive performance?

A: For the highest possible frame rate, the data shows 1080p Low is the best choice, delivering an average of 656 FPS. This is the only setting tested where the frame rate exceeds 600 FPS, indicating the CPU is fully unleashed.

Q: Will this combo maintain high FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but with a significant drop. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 267, which is still exceptionally high for a competitive shooter. However, this is a 59% drop from the 1080p Low figure of 656 FPS, showing that the GPU begins to have a more substantial impact at this resolution.

Q: How many cores does the CPU have, and does it use hyper-threading?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has 24 cores and 24 threads. This means it does not use hyper-threading; each core handles a single thread, which can be beneficial for reducing latency in certain workloads.

Q: What is the boost clock speed of the CPU and how does it relate to performance?

A: The CPU has a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. This high frequency, combined with a strong single-core benchmark score of 7303 in Cinebench R23, is a primary driver of the exceptional frame rates seen at lower resolutions where the CPU is the main bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected scaling pattern as resolution increases. The most dramatic shift occurs between 1080p and 1440p, with a smaller but still significant drop moving to 4K. This progression reveals the changing dynamics between the CPU and GPU.

At 1080p, the combo is overwhelmingly CPU-bound. The average FPS ranges from 392 at Ultra settings to 656 at Low settings. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 264 FPS, a 40% reduction. This large delta indicates that the GPU is not the limiting factor; even at Ultra settings, the RTX 2070 SUPER has enough headroom to render frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls. The CPU's high single-core performance is the primary driver here.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain very high but show a more pronounced GPU influence. The average FPS drops to between 334 at Ultra and 560 at Low. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 226 FPS, a 40% reduction, which is a similar percentage to 1080p. However, the absolute FPS values are lower across the board, indicating that the GPU is starting to take on more work. The pixel count increase from 1080p to 1440p is a 78% jump, and the data shows the GPU is keeping up reasonably well, but the CPU is no longer the sole bottleneck.

At 4K, the GPU becomes a much more significant constraint. The average FPS drops to between 267 at Ultra and 447 at Low. The reduction from 1080p Low to 4K Low is a substantial 209 FPS, or 32% of the 1080p performance. The data shows that the scaling from 1440p to 4K is more punishing, as the GPU has to render four times the pixels of 1080p. The CPU is still powerful enough to feed the GPU, but the RTX 2070 SUPER's compute capabilities are now the limiting factor, especially at higher settings. The 4K Ultra result of 267 FPS is still excellent for a competitive game, but it highlights that the GPU is the component that will be upgraded for higher-fidelity 4K experiences.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across all tested settings and resolutions.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 656 FPS average — the highest score recorded in any test, showcasing the CPU's dominance.
• Medium: 432 FPS average, with a min of 367 and max of 497 FPS.
• High: 412 FPS average.
• Ultra: 392 FPS average.

The 1080p results show a clear hierarchy. The jump from Low to Medium is a 224 FPS drop, indicating that the GPU begins to engage more heavily at Medium settings. The difference between High and Ultra is a modest 20 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest settings.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 560 FPS average.
• Medium: 369 FPS average, with a min of 313 and max of 424 FPS.
• High: 351 FPS average.
• Ultra: 334 FPS average.

At 1440p, the frame rates are still incredibly high. The drop from Low to Medium is 191 FPS, a larger absolute decline than at 1080p, confirming the GPU is becoming more involved. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to 17 FPS, showing that the GPU is handling the increased settings without a major performance penalty.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 447 FPS average.
• Medium: 295 FPS average, with a min of 251 and max of 339 FPS.
• High: 281 FPS average.
• Ultra: 267 FPS average.

The 4K results reveal the GPU's limitations. The drop from Low to Medium is a significant 152 FPS, and from Low to Ultra is 180 FPS. The scaling is less linear, showing that the RTX 2070 SUPER is struggling to maintain the same frame rate headroom as the resolution increases. The difference between High and Ultra is only 14 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is hitting a performance ceiling at these high pixel counts.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process. It features 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU's memory subsystem is comprised of 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base and boost clocks are 1605 MHz and 1770 MHz, respectively.

In Valorant, the GPU's role is secondary to the CPU, but it is not irrelevant. The data shows that as settings increase from Low to Ultra, the GPU's workload grows, and the frame rate drops accordingly. At 1080p, the GPU is not the bottleneck, which is why the 2070 SUPER can deliver between 392 and 656 FPS depending on settings. The GPU's compute power, rated at 9.062 TFLOPS FP32, is more than sufficient for this game's light graphical demands.

The 8 GB VRAM is ample for Valorant, as the game does not require high memory capacities. The GPU's bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is also not a limiting factor at lower resolutions. However, at 4K, the GPU's pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s become more relevant. The data shows a 180 FPS difference between 4K Low and 4K Ultra, indicating that the GPU is being pushed harder, and its raw rendering capabilities are now the primary constraint.

The RTX 2070 SUPER's benchmark scores align with its performance here. It sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 18169. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750, scores 20582, a 1.5% difference, showing that the 2070 SUPER is still a capable performer in 2024, but it is not a high-end card. For Valorant, this is more than enough, but the data suggests that users seeking higher 4K frame rates would benefit from a more powerful GPU, as the CPU has ample headroom to support one.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is the dominant component in this pairing. It is an Arrow Lake Refresh desktop processor with 24 cores and 24 threads, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, and it boosts up to 5.80 GHz. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. It also features a large 36 MB shared L3 cache and a 3 MB L2 cache per core.

The CPU's performance is stellar. It scores in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303. This single-core strength is exactly what Valorant needs. The game's engine relies heavily on a single primary thread for game logic and draw calls, and the 290K Plus's 5.80 GHz boost clock allows it to process these tasks at an extraordinary rate.

The measured FPS data confirms the CPU's dominance. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 656 FPS, which is a figure that is only achievable when the CPU can feed the GPU faster than it can render. The CPU's high single-thread performance, along with its 24 threads for background tasks, ensures that the game runs smoothly without stutter. The Cinebench R20 single-core score of 3067 and the Passmark single-thread score of 4823 further underscore its ability to handle the game's primary thread.

The CPU's high core count is less relevant for Valorant, as the game does not scale well across many cores. However, having 24 threads ensures that any background processes, such as streaming or voice chat, do not interfere with the game's performance. The CPU's average benchmark score of 84003 places it just ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, and its nearest rivals are all high-end server or desktop parts, including the AMD EPYC 9135 and AMD EPYC 7F72. This shows that the 290K Plus is a top-tier part for any workload, and its performance in Valorant is a direct result of its exceptional single-core capabilities.