Low-Spec PC’s CAN Play VALORANT

Valorant is one of the rare modern games that can still run surprisingly well on old hardware, and I wanted to see just how far a true low‑spec GPU can go. Using a 2012 Nvidia GT 610, this breakdown shows how every graphics setting affects both image quality and FPS so you can squeeze the most performance out of an entry-level system:

We’re going to quickly examine and benchmark each of the graphic settings in Valorant using an older entry level GPU. The GPU we selected as a good low spec example is the Nvidia GeForce GT 610. This entry level card was first introduced in early 2012, has 48 CUDA cores, and one gigabyte of memory. I’ll put more details on the screen. Everyone’s setup is different, but this should give you a good example you can use when comparing it to your own entry level setup. So let’s get straight into it.

First up is Display Mode. Looking through the options, we have Fullscreen, Windowed Fullscreen, and Windowed modes. Examining the average frame rates for each mode shows that, at least for this setup, there’s almost no difference at all performance wise between the three. For most users, I’d recommend sticking with Fullscreen mode. If you’re running more than one screen or need to switch back and forth between other programs while running Valorant, then I’d recommend using Windowed Fullscreen mode.

Next is Resolution. Resolution is the primary graphic setting and, along with Display Mode, should usually be selected first before the other graphic settings. Resolution represents the overall number of pixels displayed on your screen and has the greatest effect on both picture quality and frame rate. Using the 1280×720 resolution as our base frame rate, we also examined 900p and 1080p. Comparing each setting side by side, we can see how picture quality increases with resolution while frame rate decreases dramatically. Since we want the highest possible FPS and since the GT 610 is such an old card, we’re going to select the 720p resolution. If you have newer or more powerful hardware, you may want to set your resolution higher.

Next we have the Limit FPS settings. These allow you to throttle your FPS down to a certain level in different situations. This can be useful to help save power when playing on a laptop. However, for us, we’re going to make sure all these settings are switched off.

Next up is Material Quality. Comparing the Low, Medium, and High settings side by side, we can see the differences in quality. Focusing on the column and glove between Low and Medium, and the weapon between Medium and High, gives us good examples. However, with hits to frame rate of 25.8 and 31.4 percent, this setting is quite taxing on our low end hardware. We’re going to leave this one on Low.

Next is Texture Quality. After comparing our pictures side by side in multiple areas of the map, there’s literally no noticeable difference at all with Texture Quality. Switching our settings all the way up to 1080p and comparing again still offered no noticeable change. Looking at the differences in frame rate, there is no significant performance difference either. So at least with this hardware, there really isn’t any difference. We’ll leave it on Low.

Next up is Detail Quality. Looking at each setting side by side, we can see an obvious quality difference. Focusing on the tree and shrub between Low and Medium, and the ground between Medium and High, gives us good examples. With hits to frame rate of 13.4 and 15 percent, the performance drop isn’t too bad. We’re still going to leave ours on Low, but if you have power to spare, this isn’t a bad setting to bump up.

Next is UI Quality. UI Quality affects things like the transparency of menus and the heads up display. In this example, we can see how the text behind the HUD becomes more blurred as the setting increases. The hit to performance is small at just 1.8 to 2.4 percent. Still, for a low spec gamer, every frame counts, so we’re leaving this on Low.

Next is Vignette. Vignette is an artistic effect that darkens the outer areas of your screen to help your eyes focus on the center. We can see the top and bottom portions of the screen darken toward the edges. The hit to performance is extremely minor at 0.4 percent. However, every bit counts, and we don’t really like this effect anyway, so this is staying Off.

Next is VSync. VSync synchronizes the game frame rate with your monitor’s refresh rate. We can see the difference in frame rate between VSync Off and On. The refresh rate of the monitor in the test machine is 60 Hz, so the frame rate became locked at 60. This setting can be useful for older monitors where screen tearing occurs. We don’t have that problem and we want the highest FPS possible, so we’re leaving this Off.

Next is Anti-Aliasing. Anti-aliasing reduces jagged lines. Valorant offers three settings: 2x MSAA, 4x MSAA, and FXAA. Comparing the settings, we can see jagged lines decrease in areas like the bolt, glove, and wood panel. Unfortunately, anti-aliasing is a big hit to performance on this older card, with MSAA dropping frame rate by 29.9 and 45 percent. FXAA uses less power but introduces slight blurriness and still hits performance by 22.1 percent. We’re leaving this Off.

Next is Anisotropic Filtering. This improves the look of textures at a distance, especially at an angle. The effects are most noticeable on long flat surfaces like floors. To compare the settings, we need to move Material Quality to Medium. At Low Material Quality, anisotropic filtering makes no noticeable difference. Looking at the tiled floor, we can see cracks become clearer at higher settings. Anisotropic filtering doesn’t use much computing power, so if you’re using Medium or High Material Quality, this may be a good option. For this low spec machine, we’re leaving it at 1x.

Next is Improved Clarity. This increases contrast and gives the image a brighter, cleaner look. We can see the effect along the top of the bush and on sunlit areas of the grass. It’s a nice effect, but with a 35 percent hit to frame rate, we’re leaving this Off.

Next is Experimental Sharpening. This enhances the edges of objects to help them stand out. Looking at the weapon with the setting Off and On shows the effect clearly. It looks great on high end hardware, but with a brutal 58.6 percent hit to frame rate on our test machine, this stays Off.

Next is Bloom. Bloom is a lighting effect that makes bright objects look more realistic. The difference is noticeable along the side of the weapon and on sunlit walls. With an 8.6 percent hit to frame rate, the performance drop isn’t terrible, but we’re leaving it Off.

Next is Distortion. This effect causes certain objects to distort the look of things behind them, such as glass in a scope. Looking through a scope with the setting Off and On shows the distortion around the edges. There’s a 23.5 percent hit to performance, but only when something on screen actually distorts. Even so, since we’re maximizing FPS, we’re leaving this Off.

Next is Cast Shadows. This enables dynamic shadows across your character’s arms and weapon. We can clearly see the shadow across the right hand and weapon. It’s a minor effect and probably insignificant on higher end systems. However, on our low spec system, it’s a 12.7 percent hit to frame rate, so we’re leaving this Off.

So there you have it, every Valorant graphic setting compared using a low spec entry level GPU. Just a word of warning: while these frame rates show the difference between settings, frame rates in the middle of combat will be lower. In the heat of battle with people running around and explosions going off, your frame rate on a lower end machine could easily drop to 50 percent of what it was while standing still. All that being said, good luck and thanks for watching.

Feel free to enter your low-spec details into the video comments along with the frame rates you get with Valorant!