Fortnite

# Fortnite with AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + Intel Arc B390

This combination pairs a mid-range desktop CPU with an integrated graphics solution, and the benchmark data reveals a system that can run Fortnite but struggles to deliver smooth gameplay at higher settings or resolutions. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 5000 series, built on TSMC's 7 nm process with a Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne). It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, drawing 65 W TDP. The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture (Panther Lake chip), built on Intel's 3 nm process. It has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores, with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU uses system shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is system dependent. This pairing ranks 2417th out of 2740 tested combos in Fortnite, placing it near the bottom of the database.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 provides 6 cores and 12 threads, which is a solid foundation for modern gaming workloads. With a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost up to 4.20 GHz, this CPU has enough compute headroom to feed most discrete GPUs, but in this configuration it is paired with an integrated solution. The processor's benchmark scores tell a story of a capable mid-range chip: it scores 16429 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2319 in single-core, with a Geekbench multicore score of 7976 and single-core of 1730. Its Passmark multithread score of 19330 and single-thread score of 3058 further confirm its standing. The CPU sits at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19593.

Looking at nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5500 is essentially neck-and-neck with the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (deltaPct -0.1), Intel Core i5-12500 (deltaPct -0.4), and Intel Core i7-10700F (deltaPct 0.5). It trails the Intel Core i5-11600KF by 0.7%. These tiny deltas mean the CPU is not the differentiator in this system's Fortnite performance. The 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the game's requirements. The CPU's PCIe Gen 3 interface could be a minor bottleneck for some discrete GPUs, but since the Arc B390 is integrated, this is not relevant here.

In Fortnite, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The 6-core/12-thread configuration with boost up to 4.20 GHz should be sufficient for maintaining frame pacing at lower resolutions. However, benchmark data shows the system achieving only 115 FPS at 1080p Low, which suggests the GPU is the limiting factor even at the lowest settings. The CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2319) is strong enough to avoid bottlenecking, but the integrated GPU cannot translate that capability into high frame rates. The data indicates that this CPU could support much higher FPS with a discrete GPU, but in this pairing, it is held back by the graphics solution.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor with a boost clock of 2500 MHz and a base clock of 300 MHz. It features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. The GPU delivers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 15.36 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1 ratio). Its memory is system shared, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM — the GPU borrows from system memory, and bandwidth is system dependent. This is a critical limitation for Fortnite, which can benefit from dedicated video memory at higher settings and resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark results are stark. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores only 1482, placing it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (deltaPct 1.3), GeForce 800M (deltaPct 1.5), GeForce GT 625 OEM (deltaPct 2.5), and GeForce GT 710 (deltaPct 2.7). The Arc B390 is only 1.3% faster than the GT 520MX, which was a budget laptop GPU from over a decade ago. This places the Arc B390 in the absolute bottom tier of graphics performance. The 12 ray tracing cores are present, but with this level of raw performance, ray tracing in Fortnite would be impractical.

The GPU's 80 W TDP and integrated nature (IGP slot width, no power connectors) mean it shares thermal and power resources with the CPU. The system shared memory configuration means the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which can cause performance dips in memory-intensive scenarios. The measured FPS data shows how this GPU struggles: at 1080p Low, it manages 115 FPS, but this is the best case scenario. At 4K Ultra, it drops to just 14 FPS. The GPU's system dependent bandwidth is a major constraint, as Fortnite's large open-world environments require frequent texture streaming and memory access.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This combination ranks 2417th out of 2740 tested combos in Fortnite, placing it in the bottom 12% of all tested configurations. This rank reflects the GPU's severe limitations more than the CPU's capabilities. The Ryzen 5 5500 is a solid processor on its own, but the Arc B390's 9th percentile GPU ranking drags the entire combo down. The delta between the CPU's 73rd percentile and the GPU's 9th percentile creates a massive imbalance — the CPU is capable of much higher frame rates, but the GPU cannot deliver them.

The combo rank of 2417 out of 2740 means there are 323 tested combinations that perform worse in Fortnite. This positions the system at the very edge of playability. The data suggests that most other testers are using discrete GPUs, and this integrated solution falls behind. The nearest GPU rivals (GT 520MX, 800M, GT 625 OEM, GT 710) are all ancient parts, and the Arc B390 only barely outperforms them (1.3% to 2.7% deltas). This means the combo is competing with systems from a decade ago, not modern gaming rigs.

In practical terms, this rank means the system is not suitable for competitive Fortnite play. The 2417th rank out of 2740 indicates that 88% of tested combos outperform it. The CPU's performance is wasted in this pairing — a weaker CPU with a discrete GPU would likely rank higher. The data shows that the combo rank is heavily skewed by the GPU, and users considering this setup should understand that the CPU is not the bottleneck. The system's overall performance is capped by the Arc B390's integrated nature, which cannot be overcome by the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of how this combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results: Low settings produce 115 FPS average, Medium settings 81 FPS (with min 69 and max 93), High settings 63 FPS, and Ultra settings 41 FPS. The 1080p Low result of 115 FPS is the only configuration that approaches competitive playability, while Medium at 81 FPS is playable for casual gaming. High at 63 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 41 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold most players prefer.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings yield 73 FPS, Medium 51 FPS (min 44, max 59), High 40 FPS, and Ultra 26 FPS. The 1440p Medium result of 51 FPS is the only configuration that offers acceptable gameplay, and even that is below 60 FPS. The 1440p High and Ultra results (40 and 26 FPS respectively) are not suitable for smooth gameplay. At 3840x2160, the system struggles severely: Low settings produce 39 FPS, Medium 27 FPS (min 23, max 31), High 21 FPS, and Ultra just 14 FPS. None of the 4K configurations reach playable levels, with the best being Low at 39 FPS.

The data shows a clear pattern: the system can handle 1080p Low and Medium, barely manages 1080p High, and falls below 60 FPS everywhere else. The min/max data for Medium settings at each resolution shows the variance: 1080p Medium ranges from 69 to 93 FPS (24 FPS spread), 1440p Medium from 44 to 59 FPS (15 FPS spread), and 4K Medium from 23 to 31 FPS (8 FPS spread). This decreasing variance at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is consistently overwhelmed rather than occasionally bottlenecked. The Ultra settings at all resolutions deliver the worst results, with 4K Ultra at 14 FPS being nearly unplayable.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear picture of the bottleneck. From 1080p Low to 1440p Low, FPS drops from 115 to 73, a 36.5% decrease. From 1440p Low to 4K Low, FPS drops from 73 to 39, another 46.6% decrease. The total drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is from 115 to 39 FPS, a 66.1% reduction. For Medium settings, the progression is 81 (1080p) to 51 (1440p) to 27 (4K), a 66.7% total drop. High settings go from 63 to 40 to 21, a 66.7% total drop. Ultra settings go from 41 to 26 to 14, a 65.9% total drop.

These consistent percentage drops across all settings indicate that the GPU is the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, we would see smaller FPS drops at higher resolutions (since the GPU would be the limiting factor at 1080p, but the CPU would limit at 4K). Instead, the FPS drops proportionally with the pixel count increase. Moving from 1080p (2.07 megapixels) to 1440p (3.69 megapixels) is a 78% pixel increase, yet FPS drops only 36.5% at Low settings. This suggests the GPU is not purely fill-rate limited at lower resolutions, but as resolution increases, the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth become the dominant constraint.

The fact that 4K Medium produces 27 FPS (min 23, max 31) while 4K Low produces 39 FPS shows that the GPU is heavily impacted by settings changes at high resolution. The system shared memory bandwidth is likely the culprit — at 4K, the GPU needs to access more texture data, and the shared memory setup creates a bottleneck. The CPU's 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth is shared with the GPU, and at higher resolutions, this shared bandwidth is insufficient. This is why the FPS drops are so steep: the GPU cannot access texture data quickly enough to maintain frame rates.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this system is at 1080p with Low settings, which delivers 115 FPS average. This is the only configuration that exceeds 100 FPS and is suitable for competitive play. The 1080p Medium setting at 81 FPS (min 69, max 93) is a reasonable alternative for players who want better visuals while maintaining playable frame rates. The 1080p High setting at 63 FPS is borderline — it is playable but may experience occasional stutters during intense combat scenes. The 1080p Ultra setting at 41 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 1440p, the only viable option is Low settings at 73 FPS. This is playable but sacrifices significant visual quality. The 1440p Medium setting at 51 FPS (min 44, max 59) is marginal — the min FPS of 44 suggests there will be noticeable drops during action sequences. The 1440p High (40 FPS) and Ultra (26 FPS) settings are not recommended for any gameplay. At 4K, no settings deliver acceptable performance — even Low at 39 FPS is below playable levels, and the higher settings (27, 21, 14 FPS) are effectively slideshows.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data suggests 1080p Medium as the optimal choice. It provides 81 FPS average with a min of 69 FPS, ensuring that frame rates stay above 60 FPS even in demanding scenes. Players who prioritize frame rate above all else should use 1080p Low at 115 FPS. Those who want better visuals at 1440p could consider 1440p Low at 73 FPS, but this requires accepting lower visual fidelity. The 4K resolution is not viable on this system under any settings, and users should avoid it entirely.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system?

A: The 1080p Medium preset delivers 81 FPS average (min 69, max 93), which is the best balance of visual quality and performance. For maximum frame rate, 1080p Low achieves 115 FPS, but 1080p Medium is the sweet spot for playability.

Q: Can this system run Fortnite at 4K?

A: No. The best 4K result is 39 FPS at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. 4K Medium produces 27 FPS, 4K High 21 FPS, and 4K Ultra just 14 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. This places it in the bottom 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 CPU a bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU scores at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 19593. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 16429 and single-core is 2319. The GPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by consistent FPS drops across all settings when resolution increases.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p?

A: At 1440p Low, the system achieves 73 FPS. Medium produces 51 FPS (min 44, max 59). High produces 40 FPS, and Ultra produces 26 FPS. Only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium being borderline.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems in Fortnite?

A: This combination ranks 2417th out of 2740 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 12% of systems. This is primarily due to the GPU's low performance, as the CPU is capable of much higher frame rates with a discrete graphics solution.