Valorant
Riot Games designed Valorant to run on a wide range of hardware by heavily modifying Unreal Engine 4. The game is intentionally CPU-bound to ensure competitive integrity, prioritizing visual clarity over heavy effects. However, Windows 11 users should note the TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements for the Vanguard anti-cheat, which necessitates relatively modern hardware (Intel 8th Gen / Ryzen 2000 or newer) despite the game's low graphical demands. For those aiming for a stable 360 FPS, high CPU clock speeds and low-latency RAM are key.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 572 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 568 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 423 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 500% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) for Valorant. The Core i9-12900TE is 257% above the recommended CPU (Core i3-4150).
At lower resolutions (all 1080p settings, 1440p (low/medium/high)), the Core i9-12900TE sets the FPS ceiling. As graphical load increases at (4k (medium/high/ultra)), the GeForce RTX 4090 becomes the FPS-limiting side. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at 1440p ultra, 4k low.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $2313. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 572 FPS, equivalent to 0.25 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.247 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.246 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.242 fps/$ | 0.212 fps/$ | 0.183 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
Affiliate Disclosure
ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
This chart answers a simple question: which upgrade is more likely to increase FPS first? In this case, the answer is more often the CPU.
The largest gap appears at 1080p Low, where the Core i9-12900TE reaches about 572 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom up to roughly 1036 FPS.
That means the Core i9-12900TE is hitting its performance ceiling first, leaving a 45% gap versus the GeForce RTX 4090's available headroom in the most unbalanced scenario. Across all tested settings, this pairing is CPU-limited in 7 out of 12 cases, with 3 GPU-limited and 2 balanced results.
Overall, this is a CPU-leaning combination in this game.
The Core i9-12900TE is more often the limiting part in this game, so a CPU upgrade is somewhat more likely to deliver the bigger FPS gain than a GPU upgrade.
This chart shows which upgrade is more likely to unlock more FPS in each tested setting. The lower line represents the part that reaches its limit first. When the CPU and GPU lines stay close together, the system is more balanced. When the gap widens, one component is more clearly holding the other back. Hover any setting to inspect it.
The lower line is the current limiter. The closer the two lines are, the more balanced the CPU and GPU are for this game.
Each line represents an estimated FPS ceiling for one component, rather than live usage alone.
To estimate the CPU ceiling, we pair the Core i9-12900TE with GeForce RTX 5090, our current GPU anchor. To estimate the GPU ceiling, we pair the GeForce RTX 4090 with Ryzen 9 9950X3D, our current CPU anchor.
The lower line indicates the current limiter, since that component reaches its FPS ceiling first. In most scenarios, that is also the part most likely to deliver the bigger performance uplift if upgraded first.
The percentage shown represents the gap between the two ceilings. In practical terms, it shows how much of the stronger component's potential is left unused because the weaker one becomes the bottleneck first.
See how your processor and graphics card compare against the game official minimum and recommended system specs. The placement of your hardware is calculated using relative synthetic performance scores to help you gauge overall playability.
Your CPU is 257% above and your GPU is 500% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+257%vsrecommended
+500%vsrecommended
+458%vsminimum
+2484%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i9-12900TE paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Valorant smoothly up to 4k achieving around 423 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 500% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 257% above the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $2,313 ($664 CPU + $1,649 GPU). Your Core i9-12900TE is currently the main performance bottleneck and its market value ($664) is actually higher than newer, faster alternatives. Trading it or upgrading could yield immediate profit and performance gains. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is a great upgrade option for around $649 (Rank #4 for value) while costing less than your current CPU.
For Valorant, upgrading the CPU would usually improve performance first. In the Performance Limiter Analysis, the Core i9-12900TE is the side that most often caps the frame rate, while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has additional headroom in the tested presets. The main bottleneck appears on the CPU side. The largest gap shows up at 1080p Low, where the CPU reaches about 572 FPS while the GPU still has headroom up to roughly 1036 FPS. Across all tested settings, the distribution is 3/12 GPU-limited, 7/12 CPU-limited, and 2/12 balanced.
Valorant does not currently support Frame Generation technologies like DLSS 3 or FSR 3. Your performance is based entirely on native rendering. If the game adds support in a future update, newer GPUs will benefit the most.
Valorant requires at minimum a Core 2 Duo E8400 (CPU) and GeForce GT 730 (GPU) with 4 GB RAM and 23 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i3-4150 and GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 8 GB RAM. Your Core i9-12900TE and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.
These Valorant FPS results are not arbitrary numbers. They come from calculations informed by thousands of real gaming benchmarks, and the typical accuracy range is around 10% to 15%. That makes them far more useful than generic FPS calculators that simply invent values without a benchmark foundation. Actual in-game performance can still vary with drivers, updates, RAM configuration, cooling, and the exact scene being rendered.
Performance estimates are based on synthetic benchmarks and hardware capabilities.
Results may vary based on drivers, OS, and background processes.
