Playing Valorant on Intel HD 520 and 620

By Captain Aturoh – 14/2/23

∑Key Takeaway

Yep Playable on both the Intel HD 520 and 620
Lower settings is ideal
Falls short of competitive gameplay

Valorant on Intel HD Graphics

Welcome to the world of Valorant, an intense and action-packed first-person shooter that has taken the gaming community by storm. Developed by Riot Games, the creators of League of Legends, Valorant offers a unique blend of tactical gameplay, strategic team-based combat, and fast-paced gunplay that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Set in a near-future world where a powerful organization known as the Valorant Protocol is fighting to protect the planet from a mysterious force known as the Radiants, this game features a diverse cast of characters, each with their own unique abilities and weapons. Whether you’re playing as the deadly assassin Jett, the high-tech hacker Cypher, or the powerful mage Sage, you’ll need to work together with your teammates to outmaneuver and outgun your opponents.

With a variety of game modes, including the popular competitive mode, and a constantly evolving meta-game that rewards skill and strategy, Valorant offers a deep and rewarding experience for players of all skill levels. So gear up, lock and load, and get ready to join the fight for the fate of the world in Valorant. But what really sets Valorant apart is its commitment to competitive play. It was designed from the ground up to be an esports title, with a focus on skill-based gameplay and team coordination. And it shows in every match.

Now, the question is whether the Intel HD 520 and 620 can actually handle valorant. In its shortest form, valorant can achieve a playable framerate on either the Intel HD 520 or 620.

Configuration/settings to use on valorant

To achieve a playable framerate on valorant, with either the Intel HD 520 or 620, you will first have to ensure you meet the minimum requirement:

Operating System: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Memory: 4GB RAM
Graphics: Intel HD 4000

Most importantly, you have to ensure that your PC is running in dual channel, that means you have to; be operating two stick of RAM, as playing any game with just a single stick of RAM on any integrated graphics can negatively affect performance, upto to a 50% loss in a worst case senario.

Secondly, to achieve any decent framerate, lower settings will have to be utilized. The following settings were used:

Multithreaded Rendering: On
Material Quality: Low
Texture Quality: Low
Detail Quality: Low
UI Quality: Low
Vignette: Off
VSync: Off
Anti-Aliasing: None or FXAA
Anisotropic Filtering: 1x or 2x
Improve Clarity: Off
Experimental Sharpening: Off
Bloom: Off
Distortion: Off
Cast Shadows: Off

Valorant performance on Intel Hd 520

The Intel HD 520 can surely hold its own in Valorant, a near lock 60 FPS is achievable on 72op low settings, irregardless of the lower settings, the game is still visually passable given it’s overly cartoonish nature.

The framerate is relatively inconsistent, but still overall playable, you can expect to remain in the mid-50s most of the time. Scaling up to 1080p would effectively half the framerate, making the game too unstable and stuttery.

Valorant performance on Intel Hd 620

The Intel HD 620 is a more powerful integrated graphics processor compared to the Intel HD 520 and is capable of delivering better performance in games like Valorant. At 720p resolution and low to medium settings, the HD 620 can deliver a relatively consistent and playable framerate of around 60 FPS, with occasional dips during intense action.