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 450 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 426 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 326 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).
Valorant supports: AFMF. This game does not have native DLSS 3 or FSR 3 Frame Generation support. AFMF is AMD-exclusive and not compatible with GeForce RTX 4090.
The Core i9-12900TE sets the FPS ceiling at 1080p low, 1440p low, 4k (high/ultra), while the GeForce RTX 4090 still has headroom. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at 1080p (medium/high/ultra), 1440p (medium/high/ultra), 4k (low/medium).
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $2313. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 450 FPS, equivalent to 0.19 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.216 fps/$ | 0.195 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.247 fps/$ | 0.214 fps/$ | 0.184 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.232 fps/$ | 0.212 fps/$ | 0.175 fps/$ | 0.141 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 1080p low, the Core i9-12900TE sets the ceiling at about 572 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 700 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 18% (FPS gap: 128 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 4/12 cells, GPU limits 0/12, balanced 8/12.
The Core i9-12900TE and GeForce RTX 4090 stay close in effective frame-generation ceiling across most presets, so neither side consistently suppresses the other by a large margin.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU Limits GPU 18% | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 10% | Balanced | Balanced | Balanced |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | Balanced | Balanced | CPU Limits GPU 13% | CPU Limits GPU 16% |
We estimate the maximum FPS the processor can sustain and the maximum FPS the graphics card can sustain in each setting, then compare those limits directly.
Limit Factor formula: (stronger - weaker) / stronger. Example: if CPU ceiling is 200 FPS and GPU ceiling is 140 FPS, then GPU limits CPU by 30%.
CPU Limits GPU means the processor ceiling is lower. GPU Limits CPU means the graphics ceiling is lower. Balanced means the FPS ceilings are close enough that the gap is negligible.
A component can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.
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 326 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 $2313 ($664 CPU (Rank #378 Value) + $1649 GPU (Rank #77 Value)). 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 #5 for value) while costing less than your current CPU.
For Valorant, upgrading the CPU would have the biggest impact on performance. The Core i9-12900TE is currently the limiting factor — the GeForce RTX 4090 has extra headroom that a faster processor could take advantage of. This is especially noticeable at 1080p where CPU performance matters more. CPU-limited at: 1080p low, 1440p low, 4k high, 4k ultra.
Valorant currently only supports AFMF (AMD Fluid Motion Frames) for frame generation, which is an AMD-exclusive technology. Because you are using an NVIDIA GPU, you cannot use Frame Generation for this specific game. However, the game does support DLSS Upscaling, which you should enable to render at a lower resolution and use AI to significantly boost your FPS without losing visual quality.
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.
