Fortnite

Fortnite on the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination delivers a wide performance envelope that scales predictably with both resolution and quality settings. The measured data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions but begins to expose CPU limitations at 1080p with lower settings, where frame rates become exceptionally high. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS figures, the role of each component, and how this specific pairing ranks among the 3,700 tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic performance curve, with the most dramatic drops occurring at the highest quality presets. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls from 172 FPS at 1920x1080 to 110 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 62 FPS, and then further down to 58 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 66% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the RTX 4090 is being pushed to its limits by the combination of Ultra settings and high pixel counts.

The scaling pattern changes significantly when moving to lower settings. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 395 at 1920x1080 to 304 at 2560x1440 (a 91 FPS reduction), and then to 160 at 3840x2160. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 59%, which is smaller than the Ultra preset’s drop, suggesting that at Low settings the CPU becomes a more significant limiting factor at lower resolutions, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs. At 1080p Low, the 395 FPS average is likely near the ceiling of what the Ryzen 7 5700 can feed to the RTX 4090, as the GPU has ample headroom but the CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads are generating frames as fast as possible.

Medium settings show a middle-ground scaling pattern. The average FPS goes from 337 at 1920x1080 to 214 at 2560x1440, and then to 113 at 3840x2160. The frame time consistency also degrades with resolution, as the minimum FPS at Medium settings drops from 286 at 1080p to 182 at 1440p, and finally to 96 at 4K. The gap between average and minimum FPS widens from 51 FPS at 1080p to 32 FPS at 1440p, but narrows to 17 FPS at 4K, indicating that at 4K the GPU is consistently saturated, while at lower resolutions there are occasional CPU-bound hitches.

The data suggests that at 4K, the RTX 4090 is the definitive bottleneck across all settings, as even Low settings produce only 160 FPS, which is still high but far from the 395 FPS seen at 1080p. At 1440p, the system is more balanced, with the GPU handling the increased pixel load while the CPU still manages to keep up. At 1080p, particularly with Low settings, the CPU becomes the primary limiter, as evidenced by the relatively small performance gains when moving from Medium to Low compared to the larger gains seen at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity at acceptable frame rates, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 provides the best balance, delivering an average of 110 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered playable for competitive shooters, and the 58 FPS average at 4K Ultra is the only configuration that falls below that mark, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay on this hardware. The High preset at 4K, averaging 88 FPS, is a viable alternative for those who want 4K resolution with better-than-60 FPS performance, sacrificing some visual effects for a 30 FPS gain over Ultra.

At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the most compelling experience, with an average of 337 FPS and a minimum of 286 FPS. This provides a substantial performance buffer for high-refresh-rate monitors, and the 58 FPS difference between Medium and Low at 1080p is relatively modest compared to the 122 FPS difference between High and Medium, suggesting that Medium is the sweet spot for competitive play where frame rate matters more than visual polish. The Low preset at 1080p, at 395 FPS, offers diminishing returns for most users, as the difference between 337 and 395 FPS is unlikely to be perceptible on most displays.

For 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice, averaging 166 FPS. This is 56 FPS higher than Ultra and only 48 FPS lower than Medium, making it an efficient middle ground that maintains high frame rates while preserving visual quality. The Medium preset at 1440p, at 214 FPS, is better suited for players with 240Hz monitors who prioritize raw frame rate over visuals, but the High preset’s 166 FPS is already well above the refresh rate of most standard gaming displays.

The 4K resolution presents a trade-off: High settings at 88 FPS offers a playable experience, while Medium at 113 FPS provides smoother motion at the cost of some visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 58 FPS, is only recommended for players who absolutely require maximum visual quality and are willing to accept frame rates that may feel less responsive in fast-paced battles. Based on the measured data, the High preset at 1440p or Medium at 1080p represent the best overall experiences, balancing frame rate and visual quality without hitting the CPU or GPU limits observed in the other configurations.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the performance ceiling at higher resolutions. The GPU features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for Fortnite’s texture and geometry demands at any resolution. The 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60,347, places it near the top of the performance hierarchy, and the measured frame rates confirm this positioning.

The RTX 4090’s clock speeds, with a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz, are high for a graphics card, and the 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power provides ample raw throughput for the game’s rendering pipeline. At 4K Ultra, the 58 FPS average indicates that the GPU is fully saturated, as the pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s are being consumed by the high resolution and quality settings. The 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, while not directly measured in Fortnite’s standard rendering, contribute to the card’s overall capability, though the game’s performance at 4K suggests that rasterization is the primary bottleneck.

The GPU’s memory capacity of 24 GB is far beyond what Fortnite requires, and the data shows no signs of VRAM limitations, as even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS does not collapse due to memory swapping. The nearest rivals to the RTX 4090, including the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a deltaPct of 0 and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 with a deltaPct of 0.3, have similar average benchmark scores, but this does not translate to gaming performance, as the RTX 4090’s architecture is optimized for real-time rendering. The GPU’s role in this pairing is clear: it is the primary driver of frame rates at 1440p and 4K, and its capabilities are only fully utilized at those resolutions, while at 1080p Low, it is held back by the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across settings is as follows: Low at 395 FPS, Medium at 337 FPS with a minimum of 286 FPS and maximum of 387 FPS, High at 261 FPS, and Ultra at 172 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline, with the largest single drop being 76 FPS between Medium and High, and the smallest drop being 58 FPS between Low and Medium. This suggests that the Medium preset is the most efficient at 1080p, as it maintains a high frame rate while the jump to High incurs a significant performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are: Low at 304 FPS, Medium at 214 FPS with a minimum of 182 FPS and maximum of 246 FPS, High at 166 FPS, and Ultra at 110 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 90 FPS, which is larger than the 58 FPS drop at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to feel the pressure of the higher pixel count. The drop from High to Ultra is 56 FPS, which is smaller than the 89 FPS drop from Medium to High, suggesting that Ultra’s additional effects are less demanding than the jump from Medium to High.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS figures are: Low at 160 FPS, Medium at 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and maximum of 130 FPS, High at 88 FPS, and Ultra at 58 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 47 FPS, which is smaller than the drops at lower resolutions, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck and the difference between settings is less impactful when the GPU is already saturated. The drop from High to Ultra is 30 FPS, and the overall range from Low to Ultra is 102 FPS, showing that at 4K, the settings have a compressed impact compared to 1080p, where the range is 223 FPS.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows a consistent pattern: 286 FPS at 1080p, 182 FPS at 1440p, and 96 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS as a percentage of average FPS is 85% at 1080p, 85% at 1440p, and 85% at 4K, indicating that the frame time consistency is stable across resolutions, with no unusual stuttering or spikes. The maximum FPS values, at 387 FPS for 1080p, 246 FPS for 1440p, and 130 FPS for 4K, align with the averages, showing a predictable distribution of frame times.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 395, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration where the average exceeds 350 FPS, and it highlights the CPU’s ability to push very high frame rates at lower resolutions.

Q: Is this setup capable of 4K gaming at 60 FPS or higher?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. At 4K, the Medium preset averages 113 FPS, and the High preset averages 88 FPS, both well above 60 FPS. However, the Ultra preset averages 58 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, making Ultra at 4K unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the minimum FPS at Medium settings compare across resolutions?

A: The minimum FPS at Medium settings is 286 at 1920x1080, 182 at 2560x1440, and 96 at 3840x2160. The minimum FPS is consistently 85% of the average FPS across all resolutions, indicating stable frame pacing without major dips.

Q: Which resolution and settings provide the best balance for competitive play?

A: The data suggests 1920x1080 with Medium settings, averaging 337 FPS with a minimum of 286 FPS, is the best balance for competitive play. This provides a high frame rate with a significant buffer above typical 240Hz monitor refresh rates, while maintaining better visual quality than Low settings.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 395 is likely CPU-limited, as the RTX 4090 has more than enough power to render the scene faster, but the Ryzen 7 5700’s 8 cores and 16 threads cannot generate frames any faster. This is evidenced by the smaller performance gains when lowering settings from Medium to Low at 1080p compared to higher resolutions.

Q: How much of a performance drop occurs when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 172 at 1920x1080 to 110 at 2560x1440, and then to 58 at 3840x2160. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 114 FPS, a 66% reduction, showing that the Ultra preset at 4K places an extreme load on the GPU.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, plays a critical role in this pairing, particularly at lower resolutions. The CPU’s base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz, combined with 16 MB of L3 cache, provide adequate single-thread performance for Fortnite’s game logic, while the 16 threads handle background tasks and multi-threaded workloads. The 78th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,517, places it in the upper mid-range, and the nearest rivals, such as the Intel Xeon D-2752TER with a deltaPct of -0.1 and the AMD Ryzen 5 7640U with a deltaPct of 0.1, show that it is competitive with other processors in its class.

The CPU’s performance is directly observable in the 1080p Low setting, where the 395 FPS average confirms the processor’s ability to feed frames to the RTX 4090. However, the data also shows the CPU’s limits: at 1080p, the drop from Medium to Low is only 58 FPS, which is smaller than the drop from High to Medium at 76 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is nearing its maximum frame generation capability. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20,655 and single-core score of 2,916 provide context for this, as the single-core performance is crucial for Fortnite’s main game thread, while the multicore score indicates that the CPU can handle the overall workload without becoming a bottleneck.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The fact that the 4K Low setting (160 FPS) is less than half of the 1080p Low setting (395 FPS) confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU’s 65W TDP and DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this task, and the data shows no evidence of memory bandwidth limitations, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution. The CPU’s 7nm process node and 10,700 million transistors indicate a modern design that is well-matched to the RTX 4090, though the 1080p results suggest that a higher-clocked processor would be needed to fully utilize the GPU at the lowest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 157th out of 3,700 tested combos in Fortnite, placing it in the top 4.2% of all configurations. This rank is a reflection of the overall performance across all measured settings, and it highlights that while the RTX 4090 is a top-tier GPU, the Ryzen 7 5700’s mid-range positioning prevents this combo from reaching the very top of the rankings. The 157th rank suggests that there are 156 other combos that achieve higher overall frame rates, likely featuring more powerful CPUs that can better feed the RTX 4090 at 1080p.

The rank is influenced by the fact that at 1080p Low and Medium settings, the CPU becomes a bottleneck, capping performance below what the GPU could achieve with a faster processor. However, at 1440p and 4K, the combo performs exceptionally well, with the RTX 4090 dominating the rendering workload and producing frame rates that are competitive with any other GPU. The 88th percentile ranking of the GPU and 78th percentile ranking of the CPU, combined with the 157th combo rank, indicate that the pairing is well-balanced for high-resolution gaming, but leaves performance on the table for esports-style play at 1080p.

Compared to other combos, the data shows that the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of the combo’s ranking, as its average benchmark score of 60,347 is significantly higher than the CPU’s 25,517. The combo rank of 157 out of 3,700 is a strong result, placing this system in the upper echelon of tested configurations, but it also indicates that for players who prioritize maximum FPS at 1080p, a CPU with higher single-thread performance would be a better match for the RTX 4090. Overall, this combo is best suited for 1440p and 4K gaming, where it delivers outstanding performance, and its ranking reflects that strength while acknowledging the CPU’s limitations at the lowest resolution.