Fortnite

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 holds the 578th position out of 2740 tested combinations in Fortnite. This places the combo within the top 21.1% of all tested systems, a strong result that reflects a well-balanced pairing. The rank demonstrates that this configuration is capable of delivering high frame rates, though it is not at the very top tier where specialized high-refresh-rate builds reside. The data indicates that the combination is more than sufficient for competitive play, but the absolute ceiling is dictated by the GPU's performance characteristics at higher settings.

The ranking is particularly impressive when considering the CPU's overall standing. The Ryzen 7 9700F sits in the 94th percentile among all tested CPUs, suggesting that the processor is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. This is further supported by its average benchmark score of 69996, which places it in close competition with several high-end chips. The nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX with a score of 69875 (a 0.2% difference), the Intel Core i7-14700KF at 70163 (-0.2%), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at 69515 (0.7%), and the Intel Core i7-14700K at 69355 (0.9%). This grouping shows that the 9700F is effectively trading blows with some of the most powerful processors available, which bodes well for maintaining high frame rates even in CPU-intensive scenes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the primary driver of visual fidelity in this configuration. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU's architecture is Ada Lovelace, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a transistor count of 35,800 million on a 294 mm² die. The core clocks are set at a base of 1920 MHz and a boost of 2475 MHz, with memory running at an effective speed of 21 Gbps. This hardware configuration allows the GPU to handle the demands of Fortnite's various settings, though the data shows that its performance ceiling is reached at the Ultra preset.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores provide context for its real-world performance. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 26927 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 14720. In terms of percentile, the RTX 4070 ranks in the 81st percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 with a score of 37628 (0.1% difference), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 at 37507 (0.4%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile at 38135 (-1.3%), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 at 37157 (1.3%). These numbers suggest that the RTX 4070 is a competent mid-to-high-range performer, and its role in this combo is to provide the graphical horsepower necessary for smooth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trend in how the combo scales across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance, with average frame rates ranging from 122 FPS at Ultra settings to 338 FPS at Low settings. Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly, with averages between 77 FPS (Ultra) and 215 FPS (Low). At 3840x2160, the performance takes a further hit, with averages from 41 FPS (Ultra) to 113 FPS (Low). This scaling pattern is typical for a system where the GPU becomes more of a bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU's influence diminishes.

The percentage drops are instructive. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS falls from 184 to 117, a reduction of approximately 36.4%. From 1440p to 4K at High, the FPS drops from 117 to 62, a further reduction of 47.0%. This suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. Conversely, the jump from Low to Ultra settings at 1080p shows a massive performance cost: 338 FPS at Low drops to 122 FPS at Ultra, a 63.9% reduction. This indicates that the GPU's compute and memory resources are heavily taxed by the Ultra preset, while the CPU remains capable of feeding frames at lower settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides average FPS for three resolutions and four settings presets, with some rows also including minimum and maximum values for the Medium preset.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 338 FPS. This is the highest frame rate recorded across all tests, indicating the combo is heavily CPU-bound at this setting.
• Medium: Average 238 FPS, with a minimum of 202 FPS and a maximum of 274 FPS. The minimum still exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.
• High: Average 184 FPS. This is a strong result for competitive play, providing a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate displays.
• Ultra: Average 122 FPS. This is the lowest at 1080p but remains playable, though the frame pacing might not be ideal for esports.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 215 FPS. Still very high, showing that the CPU can push frames even with reduced graphical load.
• Medium: Average 151 FPS, with a minimum of 129 FPS and a maximum of 174 FPS. The minimum is above the 120 FPS threshold, which is good for 1440p gaming.
• High: Average 117 FPS. This is a solid result for a 1440p high-refresh monitor, though it drops below the 144 FPS mark.
• Ultra: Average 77 FPS. This is below the 80 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU is struggling with the Ultra preset at this resolution.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 113 FPS. This is a respectable result for 4K, showing that the combo can handle esports titles at lower settings.
• Medium: Average 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS. The minimum is close to the 60 FPS floor, making it playable but not ideal.
• High: Average 62 FPS. This is right at the edge of smoothness for 4K, with some frame drops possible in intense scenes.
• Ultra: Average 41 FPS. This is not a playable experience for most users, as it falls well below the 60 FPS target.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and performance goals.

For a 1080p high-refresh-rate monitor (144 Hz or higher), the High preset at 184 FPS is the best balance. It provides a significant frame rate advantage over Ultra (122 FPS) while still delivering good visual quality. The Medium preset at 238 FPS is also viable for competitive play, where every frame matters, and the minimum of 202 FPS ensures a consistent experience.

At 1440p, the High preset at 117 FPS is the recommended choice for most users with a 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitor. It is noticeably smoother than Ultra (77 FPS) and only slightly lower than Medium (151 FPS), which might be preferable for players who want a mix of visuals and performance. For those with a 144 Hz monitor, the Medium preset ensures the frame rate stays above 129 FPS minimum, is the safest option.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 80 FPS is the only viable option for a smooth experience, as it maintains a minimum of 68 FPS. The High preset at 62 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 41 FPS is not recommended for any gameplay scenario. Users with a 60 Hz 4K monitor should stick to Medium to avoid frame drops.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. It has a total L3 cache of 32 MB shared across all cores, with 1 MB of L2 and 80 KB of L1 per core. This configuration is built on a 4 nm process at TSMC, with 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die.

In Fortnite, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 338 is far above what the GPU can sustain at higher settings, indicating that the CPU is the primary driver of performance. The high single-thread score of 4691 in Passmark is crucial for a game like Fortnite, which relies heavily on single-core performance for game logic and physics. The multi-thread score of 36470 also ensures that background tasks do not interfere with gameplay. The CPU's percentile of 94 and its close rivalry with chips like the Core i7-14700KF (-0.2% difference) confirm that it is a top-tier performer for this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 144 Hz refresh rate?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 184 FPS, and the Medium preset delivers 238 FPS, both comfortably above 144 Hz. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 151 FPS is the only setting that consistently stays above 144 Hz, while High at 117 FPS falls short.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (score of 69875), 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-14700KF (score of 70163), 0.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (score of 69515), and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700K (score of 69355).

Q: What is the frame rate at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 41 FPS. This is not a playable experience for most users, and the data suggests that lower settings are required for 4K gameplay.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 338. This is significantly higher than any other setting, indicating that the CPU is the primary limiting factor. The GPU has enough headroom to render frames far faster than the CPU can issue draw calls.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 129 FPS. This ensures that the experience remains smooth even during intense action sequences, staying above the 120 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to the RTX 4080 Mobile in synthetic tests?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648. The RTX 4080 Mobile has a score of 38135, which is 1.3% higher. This indicates that the desktop RTX 4070 is slightly behind the mobile RTX 4080 in aggregate synthetic performance.