Valorant is one of the easiest popular esports games to run, which makes it a great match for our refurbished gaming PCs. This guide gives conservative frame rates for every build, the settings that help most, and which PC to pick depending on your monitor.
The short answer: every one of our PCs plays Valorant well. The GTX 1060 6GB and RX 580 8GB builds can reach well over 144 FPS on low settings, and even the GTX 750 4GB builds stay comfortably above 60 FPS.
How we worked out these numbers
All figures are for 1920 x 1080 (1080p) with 8GB of RAM, the standard memory in every build. They are based on published tests of these graphics cards, adjusted downwards to allow for our older processors and for game updates that have made some titles more demanding over the years. We would rather you get more than we promise, not less. Busy moments will always run lower than quiet ones, so we give a range rather than a single number, and exact results can vary with game updates and drivers.
Valorant FPS by graphics card
| Graphics card | Low settings | High settings |
|---|---|---|
| GTX 750 4GB | 90–140 FPS | 60–90 FPS |
| GTX 1060 6GB | 140–200 FPS | 100–150 FPS |
| RX 580 8GB | 130–190 FPS | 95–140 FPS |
Expect frame rates to drop by around 15–25% during hectic moments, such as several abilities going off at once on a spike plant, or in Deathmatch.
Does the processor make a difference?
Yes. Valorant is light on graphics, so on the GTX 1060 6GB and RX 580 8GB builds the processor is usually what limits the frame rate. The i7-4770 builds sit at the top of each range, the i7-3770 just behind, the i5-4570 and i7-2600 in the middle, and the i5-3470 towards the bottom. On the GTX 750 4GB builds the graphics card is the limit, so the processor matters less.
Best Valorant settings for our PCs
- Multithreaded rendering: On. This spreads the work across your processor’s cores and is one of the biggest single boosts on our builds.
- Material, texture, detail and UI quality: Low. Valorant looks clean even on low, and most competitive players use these settings anyway.
- Anti-aliasing: None or MSAA 2x. 2x smooths jagged edges for a small cost on the GTX 1060 6GB and RX 580 8GB builds. Leave it off on the GTX 750 4GB builds.
- Vignette, bloom, distortion and cast shadows: Off. These add visual effects without helping you see enemies.
- NVIDIA Reflex: On + Boost on the GTX 1060 6GB builds, to reduce input lag. The GTX 750 4GB does not support Reflex.
- Frame rate limit: set it a little above your monitor’s refresh rate, for example 150 on a 144Hz monitor, to keep things steady.
60Hz or 144Hz monitor?
All of our builds comfortably beat 60 FPS in Valorant, so any of them suits a 60Hz monitor. For a 144Hz monitor, choose a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580 8GB build, and an i7 processor if you want frame rates to stay above 144 more of the time.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Windows and anti-cheat: Valorant uses Riot’s Vanguard anti-cheat. Riot’s support pages list 64-bit Windows 10 (build 19041 or newer) as supported and only require TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on Windows 11. Our PCs come with Windows 10 Pro, fully updated.
- 16GB of RAM: Valorant runs happily on 8GB, but the 16GB upgrade helps if you stream, record or keep lots of browser tabs open.
- Storage: Valorant is a modest install and fits on our standard 120GB SSD alongside Windows, so it loads quickly.
Which build should you choose for Valorant?
- Best for Valorant: a GTX 1060 6GB build with an i7-4770 for the highest frame rates and NVIDIA Reflex.
- Close alternative: an RX 580 8GB build, which is only slightly behind.
- Best value: a GTX 750 4GB build, which plays Valorant smoothly on a 60Hz monitor.
Every PC is built to order, tested before it leaves us, and comes with a 1-year warranty, 14-day returns and free UK mainland delivery. You can upgrade the memory, storage, case and Wi-Fi when you order. See all our gaming PCs, or get in touch if you would like help choosing.