Fortnite

Fortnite on the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination presents a clear picture of a system that scales predictably with resolution, though the nature of that scaling changes dramatically depending on the preset selected. The measured data shows a spread from highly playable at 1080p to borderline at 4K, with the GPU consistently emerging as the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, but not uniform across settings. At Low settings, the system drops from 245 FPS at 1920x1080 to 82 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 67%. This massive decline indicates that at 1080p Low, the CPU is heavily engaged, and the RTX 4060 has headroom to spare; as resolution climbs, the GPU workload explodes, and the frame rate collapses accordingly. The 1080p Low figure of 245 FPS is well beyond what most displays can show, confirming that the CPU is the limiting factor only at the lowest resolution and detail level.

At High settings, the scaling is less drastic but still significant. The system produces 134 FPS at 1080p, 85 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. This represents a 66% drop from 1080p to 4K, similar in percentage to the Low preset, but the absolute numbers are lower because the GPU is already working harder at 1080p High. The gap between 1080p and 1440p High is 49 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K High is 40 FPS, suggesting that the GPU's rendering load increases nearly linearly with pixel count, but the frame rate does not follow suit due to memory bandwidth and compute limits.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling. From 88 FPS at 1080p, it falls to 56 FPS at 1440p, and then to just 30 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is barely interactive, indicating that this combination is not suited for maximum fidelity at 4K. The data suggests that at 4K Ultra, the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are overwhelmed, and the average frame rate drops below 30 FPS, which is a common threshold for playability. The scaling pattern across all presets points to a system where the CPU is rarely the constraint above 1080p; the GPU is the dominant factor in determining frame rates at 1440p and 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process node, featuring 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output pipelines. Its boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz are relatively modest, but the architecture's efficiency is evident in the measured results. The GPU has 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores, which support DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6, ensuring full feature support in Fortnite's modern rendering paths.

The memory configuration is a critical factor in this game's performance. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 30 suggests that the memory subsystem is a hard limit; the GPU cannot fetch assets fast enough to maintain higher frame rates. The measured min FPS of 49 at 4K Medium, compared to the average of 58, indicates that frame pacing is relatively stable, but the headroom is thin. The 17 Gbps effective memory speed is high for the class, but the narrow bus width means the total bandwidth is lower than many competing cards.

In the broader benchmark context, the RTX 4060 scores 19545 in Passmark G3D and 17639 as an average benchmark score, placing it at the 61st percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17666 (a delta of -0.2%), and the AMD Radeon 780M, which scores 17588 (a delta of 0.3%). These rivals are not in the same performance class for gaming, which suggests that the RTX 4060's benchmark scores are influenced by its compute capabilities rather than its raw rasterization power. The GPU's compute score of 9213 in Passmark GPU Compute is respectable, but Fortnite is primarily a rasterization-heavy title, so the gaming results are more indicative of real-world performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Fortnite with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates across all settings, with an average of 245 FPS at Low and 134 FPS at High. At 2560x1440, the system still delivers over 60 FPS on High settings (85 FPS), making it a viable option for higher fidelity. At 3840x2160, only Low settings (82 FPS) and Medium settings (58 FPS) approach playable levels.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 245 to 82, which is a 67% reduction. At High settings, it drops from 134 to 45, a 66% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 173 to 58, a 66% reduction. The Ultra preset shows the largest absolute drop, from 88 to 30 FPS, a 66% decrease.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 or the Ryzen 5 8400F the limiting factor in Fortnite?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K, as frame rates scale inversely with resolution. At 1080p Low, the CPU appears to be the constraint, as the 245 FPS average exceeds what the GPU can typically sustain at higher settings. The Ryzen 5 8400F's multi-threaded performance (20851 in Cinebench R23) is sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

Q: Can this system handle Fortnite at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: It depends on the settings. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 82, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it averages 58 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS, which is acceptable for casual play. At 4K High, the average drops to 45 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 30 FPS, which is below the standard for competitive play.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005, which puts it at the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, scores 24964, a delta of 0.2%. The Intel Core i7-11850H scores 24935 (0.3% delta), and the Intel Core i7-13620H scores 24911 (0.4% delta). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, indicating that the 8400F is well-matched with its peers.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like, especially at lower resolutions?

A: The measured data includes min and max FPS only for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the min is 147 FPS and the max is 198 FPS, with an average of 173 FPS, showing a range of 51 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the min is 93 FPS and the max is 126 FPS, with an average of 110 FPS, a range of 33 FPS. At 4K Medium, the min is 49 FPS and the max is 67 FPS, with an average of 58 FPS, a range of 18 FPS. This suggests that frame pacing becomes more consistent at higher resolutions, likely due to reduced CPU involvement.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system performs exceptionally well. Low settings yield an average of 245 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in the dataset. Medium settings average 173 FPS, with a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 198 FPS, indicating a stable experience for high-refresh-rate monitors. High settings average 134 FPS, which is still smooth for most displays. Ultra settings average 88 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play where frame rate is paramount.

Moving to 2560x1440, the system remains capable but the margins tighten. Low settings average 156 FPS, which is excellent for 1440p gaming. Medium settings average 110 FPS, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS, providing a solid experience for most users. High settings average 85 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings average 56 FPS, which is borderline for fast-paced action, but acceptable for less demanding scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 82 FPS, which is surprisingly playable given the resolution. Medium settings average 58 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 67 FPS, offering a consistent but not high-refresh-rate experience. High settings average 45 FPS, which dips into the range where some players may notice stutter. Ultra settings average 30 FPS, which is effectively the minimum for a playable experience, and even that may be too low for competitive play. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the sweet spot, 1440p is a strong alternative, and 4K is only viable on Low or Medium settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Phoenix. It operates on the AMD Socket AM5 platform with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The CPU has a 65 W TDP and supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. This processor is manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC, with 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die.

In Fortnite, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 245 FPS, which is significantly higher than at 1080p High (134 FPS). This gap suggests that at Low settings, the GPU is not the bottleneck, and the CPU's single-thread performance is the key driver. The Ryzen 5 8400F scores 2943 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3685 in Passmark single-thread, which are solid figures for a desktop processor. Its multi-threaded performance is equally capable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 24389.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it at the 77th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25005. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24964, 0.2% delta), Intel Core i7-11850H (24935, 0.3% delta), and Intel Core i7-13620H (24911, 0.4% delta). These rivals are all within a 0.4% performance band, meaning the 8400F is neither a standout nor a laggard in its class. For Fortnite, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient, as the game is not heavily multi-threaded. The 4.70 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded tasks, such as game logic and physics, are handled quickly, which is reflected in the high frame rates at 1080p Low.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and performance priorities. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 134 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it provides a smooth experience on 144 Hz monitors. Players with 240 Hz displays may prefer Low settings to reach 245 FPS, but the visual fidelity trade-off is significant. Medium settings at 173 FPS offer a middle ground, with a minimum of 147 FPS ensuring no drops below the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 110 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains a high frame rate while providing better visual detail than Low. High settings at 85 FPS are acceptable for 60 Hz displays, but the 93 FPS minimum at Medium ensures a more consistent experience. Ultra settings at 56 FPS are not recommended for competitive play, as the frame rate can dip below 60 FPS during intense scenes.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset at 82 FPS is the only setting that delivers a consistently playable experience. Medium settings at 58 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS are usable for casual play, but the frame rate may drop noticeably during combat. High and Ultra settings at 45 FPS and 30 FPS, respectively, are not recommended, as they do not provide a smooth experience. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combination is only viable with reduced settings, and users with 4K displays should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.