Valorant FPS Issues
Valorant FPS Issues
I recently upgraded from an i5-2500 to a Ryzen 5 2600 and am experiencing unusual frame rate problems. In Valorant, the game caps at 75 FPS when idle, 98 FPS when only keys are pressed, and 140 FPS when moving the mouse with or without key input. Task Manager shows minimal CPU and GPU usage—around 15-20%—and sometimes the GPU fails to start its fan. When running in windowed mode and closing it, performance seems normal, but Task Manager indicates a spike to ~50% usage with fans increasing. My in-game frame times are around 5-6ms. Other games with the same issue run smoothly. Previously, my system achieved ~200 FPS on the i5 and ~250 FPS on the 2600. I’ve updated drivers, restarted the PC, reinstalled Valorant and Ryzen Master twice, tested all window modes, adjusted FPS caps, and verified VSync/freesync are off. Checked for unusual applications, confirmed power settings and XMP profiles are correct, and reviewed AMD Radeon Software settings. The next steps are trying the Ryzen 5 1600x or using different RAM.
No other adjustments were made besides swapping the CPU before the issue started.
The modification came after the CPU swap. It seems the issue might stem from USB peripherals or another component. The changes are limited—just the CPU switch—which often leads to full shutdowns instead of just slow performance. It could be a software, hardware, compatibility, or peripheral problem.
I'm sorry to let you know this. As someone familiar with Windows, I'm surprised I didn't update it myself. The problem is resolved, and I'll leave this forum quickly.
The issue has come up again after restarting. Your earlier note about changes before the CPU swap is correct. It seems the FPS differences are more related to Valorant input patterns than the hardware itself. I’ve just tried another CPU swap and set RAM to single-channel, but no improvement. I’m hesitant to change the motherboard because the other one I own often crashes. It’s unclear why the fix lasted only a short time or why it disappeared again. The sequence of events I remember is: update Windows, restart, play Valorant, problem gone, turn off PC, switch CPU from 1600 to 2600, restart, then play again and the problem returned. I’ve also tried going back to 1600x, but the problem still exists. I think a fresh Windows install might help, as it was resolved briefly after an update.
It seems the issue might be resolved by updating Windows. Problems with this kind of matter can stem from countless causes. This one likely fixed the problem, but the exact cause remains unclear. It could be something you're experiencing or something else entirely. Updating everything and verifying connections is a typical first step, though it often reveals many potential issues. Checking if it's powered on and turned off is usually a solid starting point. (I interpret 'is it plugged in' as referring to the cable connection.) There are additional factors involved.