Fortnite

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 is a desktop processor built on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Cezanne, and manufactured on a 7 nm process. It packs 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The processor has a 65 W TDP and supports DDR4 memory through a dual-channel bus, offering 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 16 MB of L3 cache. The CPU sits on the AMD Socket AM4 platform and provides PCIe Gen 3 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

Benchmark data places this CPU in the 78th percentile when compared to all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,517. Its nearest rivals in aggregate CPU performance are the Intel Xeon D-2752TER (average score 25,530, delta -0.1%), the AMD Ryzen 5 7640U (average score 25,485, delta +0.1%), the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H (average score 25,550, delta -0.1%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5825U (average score 25,446, delta +0.3%). This indicates the Ryzen 7 5700 sits in a tightly contested performance band, with deltas of less than half a percent separating it from its closest competitors.

For Fortnite specifically, the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads provide substantial headroom for the game's engine, which tends to scale well with multiple threads for physics, draw calls, and building mechanics. Single-thread performance, measured at 901 in 3DMark single-thread and 2,916 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is strong enough to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions. Multi-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20,655 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 9,959, ensures that background tasks and game logic won't starve the rendering pipeline.

The 16 MB L3 cache is notable for a gaming workload like Fortnite, as it helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing memory latency. The dual-channel DDR4 memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s is adequate for this combination, though not exceptional by modern standards. The data shows that in this game, the CPU's role becomes more prominent as resolution drops, since the GPU has more capacity to render frames quickly, shifting the bottleneck toward the processor's ability to feed the graphics pipeline.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture, using the GA102 chip manufactured on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The GPU features 8,704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines, along with 68 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores. Its base clock is 1440 MHz with a boost clock of 1710 MHz, and memory runs at 1188 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed. The card is equipped with 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's pixel rate is 164.2 GPixel/s, texture rate is 465.1 GTexel/s, and it achieves 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The RTX 3080 has a 320 W TDP and requires a 700 W suggested power supply.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23,172. Its nearest rivals in aggregate GPU performance are the NVIDIA P106-100 (average score 23,249, delta -0.3%), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (average score 23,250, delta -0.3%), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (average score 23,273, delta -0.4%), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X (average score 23,276, delta -0.4%). These deltas are all negative from the RTX 3080's perspective, meaning the 3080 scores slightly lower than each rival, but only by margins of 0.3% to 0.4%, which is negligible in real-world gaming.

For Fortnite, the GPU's 10 GB of VRAM is a key factor at higher resolutions and settings. The game's art style, with its vibrant colors and detailed environments, can consume significant memory, especially at 4K with Ultra settings. The 760.3 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and asset loading don't become stutter points, which is critical for maintaining smooth frame pacing in a fast-paced battle royale. The boost clock of 1710 MHz provides the raw throughput needed to push frame rates at 1080p, where the measured data shows the GPU can exceed 300 FPS on Low settings.

The ray tracing cores and tensor cores are present on this GPU, but Fortnite's measured FPS data does not explicitly indicate whether ray tracing is enabled in the tested settings. The data shows a clear pattern where the GPU's performance scales with settings and resolution, which aligns with the expectation that the RTX 3080 is the primary driver of frame rate in this combination, particularly at higher resolutions where the CPU's role diminishes.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 324 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops this to 206 FPS, a reduction of 118 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 109 FPS, which is 215 FPS below the 1080p figure. This scaling from 1080p to 4K represents a 66% reduction in average FPS at Low settings.

For Medium settings, the pattern is similar. At 1080p, the average is 228 FPS with a minimum of 194 FPS and maximum of 262 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 145 FPS with a range of 123 to 167 FPS. At 4K, the average is 77 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS and maximum of 88 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 151 FPS, or a 66% reduction, matching the Low settings scaling.

High settings show a similar trend. At 1080p, the average is 177 FPS. At 1440p, it's 112 FPS. At 4K, it's 59 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 4K is 118 FPS, a 67% drop. Ultra settings follow the same pattern: 117 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, representing a 78 FPS reduction from 1080p to 4K, or a 67% drop.

The consistency of these percentage drops across settings is telling. Whether on Low, Medium, High, or Ultra, the FPS reduction from 1080p to 4K hovers around 66-67%. This uniformity suggests that the limiting component is the GPU across all settings. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the scaling would be less linear, with the FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p being smaller than the drop from 1440p to 4K, as the CPU's load would remain constant while the GPU's load increases. Instead, the proportional drops indicate that the GPU is the primary constraint at all resolutions, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at 1080p where frame rates are highest.

The minimum FPS data for Medium settings reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p, the minimum of 194 FPS is 85% of the average of 228 FPS. At 1440p, the minimum of 123 FPS is 85% of the average of 145 FPS. At 4K, the minimum of 65 FPS is 84% of the average of 77 FPS. This consistent ratio between minimum and average suggests stable frame pacing without CPU-induced stutters, further indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 324, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS measured for this combo?

A: The lowest measured average FPS is 39, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in Fortnite?

A: The combo ranks 1043 out of 3,700 tested combinations, placing it in the top 28% of all tested combos.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings achieve 206 FPS average, while Ultra settings achieve 74 FPS average, a difference of 132 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM cause issues at 4K?

A: The measured data does not indicate VRAM-related issues. At 4K Medium, the combo maintains 77 FPS average, and at 4K High it achieves 59 FPS, suggesting the 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for these settings.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all CPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 ranks in the 78th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,517.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of which settings deliver the best experience at each resolution. At 1920x1080, all settings produce playable frame rates, but the choice depends on the target refresh rate. Low settings at 324 FPS average will satisfy the most demanding high-refresh-rate displays, while High settings at 177 FPS still comfortably support 144 Hz monitors. Medium settings at 228 FPS offer a balanced middle ground, with a minimum of 194 FPS ensuring consistent performance. Ultra settings at 117 FPS are the only option that might dip below 120 FPS on a high-refresh display, so for competitive play, Medium or Low is preferable.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests Medium settings as the sweet spot. The 145 FPS average with a 123 FPS minimum provides smooth gameplay on 144 Hz displays, while High settings at 112 FPS average may cause noticeable drops on such monitors. Low settings at 206 FPS are ideal for esports-focused players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but the jump from Low to Medium is only a 61 FPS reduction while offering improved visuals. Ultra settings at 74 FPS are playable but sacrifice too much frame rate for the visual gain.

At 3840x2160, the options are more constrained. Medium settings at 77 FPS average with a 65 FPS minimum are the best balance for 4K gaming, providing a stable experience on 60 Hz displays. High settings at 59 FPS average are borderline for 60 Hz displays, as the average sits just below the refresh threshold, leading to potential judder. Low settings at 109 FPS are viable for 4K high-refresh displays, but the visual compromise is significant. Ultra settings at 39 FPS average are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as the frame rate falls below 40 FPS, which is noticeable in a fast-paced battle royale.

Across all resolutions, the data indicates that Medium settings offer the most consistent experience relative to visual quality. The Medium preset at 4K provides 77 FPS average, at 1440p it provides 145 FPS average, and at 1080p it provides 228 FPS average, all with measured minimums that stay within 15% of the average. For players with 144 Hz monitors at 1080p or 1440p, Medium settings are the recommended starting point, with adjustments based on personal preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS data covers four settings presets. Low settings deliver an average of 324 FPS, the highest of any configuration tested. Medium settings produce an average of 228 FPS, with a minimum of 194 FPS and maximum of 262 FPS. High settings achieve an average of 177 FPS. Ultra settings yield an average of 117 FPS)Skip. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline: 324 to 228 to 177 to 117, with each step representing roughly a 40-50 FPS reduction.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 206 FPS. Medium settings average 145 FPS, with a minimum of 123 FPS and maximum of 167 FPS. High settings average 112 FPS. Ultra settings average 74 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 61 FPS, between Medium and High is 33 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 38 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium, 123, is higher than the average FPS at High, 112, indicating that Medium provides a more consistent experience than High.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop further. Low settings average 109 FPS. Medium settings average 77 FPS, with a minimum of 65 FPS and maximum of 88 FPS. High settings average 59 FPS. Ultra settings average 39 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 32 FPS, between Medium and High is 18 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 20 FPS. At this resolution, the minimum FPS at Medium, 65, is still above the average FPS at High, 59, reinforcing the recommendation of Medium for 4K.

Comparing across resolutions for the same settings, the scaling is consistent. Low settings drop from 324 at 1080p to 206 at 1440p to 109 at 4K. Medium settings drop from 228 at 1080p to 145 at 1440p to 77 at 4K. High settings drop from 177 at 1080p to 112 at 1440p to 59 at 4K. Ultra settings drop from 117 at 1080p to 74 at 1440p to 39 at 4K. The ratio of 1080p to 4K FPS is approximately 3:1 for Low, 3:1 for Medium, 3:1 for High, and 3:1 for Ultra, confirming the GPU-limited scaling discussed earlier.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1043 out of 3,700 tested combos in Fortnite, placing it in the top 28.2% of all tested configurations. This ranking reflects the overall performance across all measured settings and resolutions, with the combo showing strong results particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU's 8-core/16-thread configuration helps maintain high frame rates.

The ranking of 1043 out of 3700 means there are 1,042 combos that outperform this setup in Fortnite, while 2,657 combos rank below it. This places the combo in a solid mid-to-upper tier, which is consistent with the individual component rankings. The CPU's 78th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs both contribute to this overall position. The fact that the GPU ranks lower than the CPU suggests that the RTX 3080 is the more limiting factor in this combination, which aligns with the resolution scaling analysis showing the GPU as the primary bottleneck.

In the context of the nearest rival combos, the CPU's closest rivals have average scores within 0.3% of the Ryzen 7 5700, and the GPU's closest rivals are within 0.4% of the RTX 3080's score. This means that swapping either component for a near-identical performer would likely result in a negligible change in the combo's ranking. The combo's position in the top 28% of all tested configurations indicates that it is well-suited for Fortnite, particularly for players targeting 1080p or 1440p at Medium to High settings, where the measured FPS data shows the strongest results relative to the display refresh rates commonly used.