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 221 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 162 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 84 FPS.
The GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is 100% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1050 Ti) for Valorant. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is 524% above the recommended CPU (Core i3-4150).
The GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER sets the FPS ceiling at all 1080p settings, all 1440p settings, all 4k settings, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D still has additional frame-generation headroom.
Approximated average price on current market:
Combo price: $575.38. At 1080p Ultra, this combo delivers 221 FPS, equivalent to 0.38 FPS per dollar.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 0.704 fps/$ | 0.568 fps/$ | 0.457 fps/$ | 0.384 fps/$ |
| 1440p | 0.572 fps/$ | 0.462 fps/$ | 0.353 fps/$ | 0.282 fps/$ |
| 4k | 0.273 fps/$ | 0.205 fps/$ | 0.186 fps/$ | 0.146 fps/$ |
* Table values represent FPS per Dollar (higher is better)
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This chart answers a simple question: which upgrade is more likely to increase FPS first? In this case, the answer is clearly the GPU.
The largest gap appears at 4K Ultra, where the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER reaches about 84 FPS, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D still has headroom up to roughly 437 FPS.
That means the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is hitting its performance ceiling first, leaving a 81% gap versus the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's available headroom in the most unbalanced scenario. Across all tested settings, this pairing is GPU-limited in 12 out of 12 cases, with 0 CPU-limited and 0 balanced results.
Overall, this is a clearly GPU-bound combination in this game.
The GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is consistently the limiting part in this game, so upgrading the GPU is more likely to deliver a larger FPS gain than upgrading the CPU.
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 Ryzen 7 9800X3D with GeForce RTX 5090, our current GPU anchor. To estimate the GPU ceiling, we pair the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 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 524% above and your GPU is 100% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+524%vsrecommended
+100%vsrecommended
+874%vsminimum
+760%vsminimum
Yes, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER can run Valorant smoothly up to 4k achieving around 84 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 100% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 524% above the recommended requirements.
This CPU + GPU combo costs approximately $575.38 ($465.38 CPU + $110 GPU). Since the GPU is the main limiting factor, investing in a stronger GPU will improve your framerates and overall value. For example, upgrading to the TITAN Xp for around $1,199 (Rank #121 for value) could deliver noticeably better performance.
For Valorant, upgrading the GPU would usually give you the most noticeable improvement. In the Performance Limiter Analysis, the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the side that most often caps the frame rate, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D still has additional headroom in the tested presets. The main bottleneck appears on the GPU side. The largest gap shows up at 4K Ultra, where the GPU reaches about 84 FPS while the CPU still has headroom up to roughly 437 FPS. Across all tested settings, the distribution is 12/12 GPU-limited, 0/12 CPU-limited, and 0/12 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 Ryzen 7 9800X3D and GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 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.
