Fortnite

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X rank among all CPUs in the benchmark database?

A: The processor sits at the 92nd percentile when compared against all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 57,498 places it very close to the AMD EPYC 9015 (57,555, a 0.1% difference) and the AMD EPYC 7313 (57,399, a 0.2% difference). It trails the Intel Core i9-14900 (58,115) by 1.1% and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (58,323) by 1.4%.

Q: What is the combo's ranking in Fortnite among tested combinations?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 103rd out of 3,700 tested combos in Fortnite. This places it in the top 2.8% of all tested configurations for this game, indicating strong overall performance.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4090 have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4090 comes equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, which translates to 21 Gbps effective. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are critical for maintaining frame rates at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the CPU's core and thread configuration, and what are its clock speeds?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X has 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor also features 64 MB of L3 cache, with 1 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core.

Q: What are the measured FPS results at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo delivers an average of 214 FPS, with a minimum of 182 FPS and a maximum of 246 FPS. This represents a strong balance between visual quality and performance, as it exceeds the 144 Hz refresh rate common on high-end monitors.

Q: How does the RTX 4090 compare to its nearest rivals in the GPU database?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60,347, placing it at the 88th percentile. It is essentially tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60,326, 0% difference) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60,140, 0.3% difference). It outperforms the AMD Radeon PRO V710 (58,657) by 2.9% but falls 2.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (61,896).

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a ranking of 103rd out of 3,700 tested combinations in Fortnite. This places the configuration in the top 2.8% of all tested combos, which is a remarkable result given the sheer number of possible CPU-GPU pairings in the database.

To contextualize this rank, consider that the combo outperforms 3,597 other tested pairings. This is not merely a function of having top-tier components; it reflects how well these two specific parts work together in Fortnite's engine. The Ryzen 9 9900X's strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 3,010 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,253, provides the necessary foundation for the RTX 4090 to stretch its legs. Meanwhile, the GPU's massive compute resources — 16,384 shading units and 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance — ensure that the CPU is not left waiting for frames.

The rank also indicates that there are 102 combinations that deliver higher FPS in Fortnite. Given the components involved, these higher-ranked combos likely feature even more specialized hardware or configurations that are particularly well-suited to this game's specific rendering demands. However, the difference between rank 103 and the top of the list is likely small in practical terms, as the measured FPS at 1080p Low (478 FPS) is already far beyond what any display can refresh.

The data suggests this combo is not just fast but exceptionally balanced. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS of 478 indicates a system that is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions, yet at 4K Ultra, the average of 58 FPS shows the GPU is still able to maintain playable frame rates even under maximum load. This consistency across the entire resolution and settings spectrum is a hallmark of a well-matched pairing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this combo for Fortnite, and its 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM plays a critical role at higher resolutions and settings. The memory subsystem, with a 384-bit bus and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, ensures that texture streaming and asset loading never become a bottleneck, even when the game demands large amounts of data at 4K resolution.

The GPU's clock speeds are set at a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 512 TMUs and 176 ROPs, drive the pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s. In Fortnite, which relies heavily on draw calls and texture fetches, these metrics translate directly to the ability to render complex scenes without stuttering.

The RTX 4090's 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are also relevant, even though Fortnite is not primarily a ray tracing showcase in this dataset. The data shows no ray tracing-specific benchmarks, but the presence of these cores means the GPU has headroom for future updates or if the player enables DXR features. The FP32 throughput of 82.58 TFLOPS provides the raw compute power needed for the game's physics and particle effects.

At 4K Ultra settings, the GPU's workload becomes the limiting factor, with the average FPS dropping to 58. This is a clear indication that the RTX 4090 is being pushed to its limits, as the 24 GB VRAM is likely fully utilized at this resolution with maximum texture quality. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the average of 478 FPS shows the GPU is nowhere near saturation, leaving the CPU to dictate the ceiling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides 12 measured FPS rows, covering four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160). The following breakdown details the exact average FPS values.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 478 FPS on Low, 337 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 286 and maximum of 387), 261 FPS on High, and 172 FPS on Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a drop of 306 FPS (64%), with the most significant single-step decline occurring between Medium and High (76 FPS) and between High and Ultra (89 FPS).

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers are 304 FPS on Low, 214 FPS on Medium (minimum 182, maximum 246), 166 FPS on High, and 110 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra here is 194 FPS (64%), mirroring the percentage decline seen at 1080p. This consistency suggests that the GPU is scaling predictably with settings changes at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 160 FPS on Low, 113 FPS on Medium (minimum 96, maximum 130), 88 FPS on High, and 58 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 102 FPS (64%), again consistent with the other resolutions. However, the absolute values are much lower, indicating that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint as pixel count increases.

The Medium settings rows are the only ones with min/max values provided. At 1080p, the minimum of 286 FPS and maximum of 387 FPS show a spread of 101 FPS, which is 30% of the average. At 1440p, the spread is 64 FPS (182 to 246), which is also 30% of the 214 average. At 4K, the spread is 34 FPS (96 to 130), again 30% of the 113 average. This consistent variance suggests that frame time spikes scale proportionally with resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for most scenarios. At 1080p, Medium delivers 337 FPS, which is 76 FPS higher than High (261 FPS) but with a visually noticeable improvement over Low (478 FPS). The minimum of 286 FPS at Medium ensures that even in the most chaotic battle scenarios, the frame rate remains well above the 240 Hz refresh rate of top-tier esports monitors.

At 1440p, Medium produces 214 FPS with a minimum of 182 FPS. This is ideal for 1440p 165 Hz or 240 Hz displays, as the average exceeds the refresh rate and the minimum never dips below a playable threshold. While High at 166 FPS is still smooth, the extra 48 FPS from Medium provides more headroom for frame time spikes, which can be critical in competitive play.

For 4K gaming, the choice is more nuanced. Medium at 113 FPS is the highest preset that maintains triple-digit frame rates, making it the recommended choice for players with 4K 120 Hz displays. High at 88 FPS is playable but does not hit the 120 Hz threshold, while Ultra at 58 FPS is only suitable for slower-paced gameplay or cinematic experiences.

The Low preset, while delivering 478 FPS at 1080p and 304 FPS at 1440p, sacrifices too much visual quality for the average player. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p is 141 FPS (478 to 337), which is a 30% reduction, but the visual improvement is substantial. Given that Medium at 4K still averages 113 FPS, it is clear that this combo can handle high-quality settings without compromising performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X provides the computational backbone for this combo, and its role becomes more pronounced as resolution decreases. With 12 cores and 24 threads, the CPU has ample parallel processing power, but Fortnite is not a heavily multithreaded title in the same way as productivity applications. The CPU's single-threaded performance is what matters most, and the data shows a Geekbench single-core score of 3,010 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4,672.

The high boost clock of 5.60 GHz is crucial for maintaining high FPS in CPU-bound scenarios. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is barely challenged, the CPU's ability to process the game's physics, object interactions, and network code becomes the limiting factor. The measured 478 FPS at this setting reflects the CPU's capability, as many other processors would struggle to exceed 300 FPS in the same scenario.

The CPU's cache hierarchy — 80 KB of L1, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of L3 — ensures that frequently accessed data is kept close to the cores. This reduces latency and helps maintain consistent frame times. The 16,630 million transistors on a 4 nm TSMC process (2x 70.6 mm² dies) provide the raw logic density needed for high clock speeds without excessive power draw, though the 120 W TDP is not insignificant.

In terms of raw compute, the CPU scores 32,172 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 22,174 in Geekbench multi-core. These scores are not directly relevant to Fortnite's performance, but they indicate that the CPU will not bottleneck the GPU in any scenario. The Passmark multi-thread score of 54,643 further confirms this, as even the most demanding CPU-bound games would struggle to saturate this processor's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about which component is the bottleneck at each resolution. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 478 at 1080p to 304 at 1440p (a 36% decrease) and then to 160 at 4K (a 47% decrease from 1440p). This steep decline indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at Low settings when pixel count increases.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 337 FPS at 1080p, 214 FPS at 1440p (a 37% decrease), and 113 FPS at 4K (a 47% decrease from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low, Medium, and High settings (all around 36-37% from 1080p to 1440p and 47% from 1440p to 4K) suggests that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is slightly different: 172 FPS at 1080p, 110 FPS at 1440p (a 36% decrease), and 58 FPS at 4K (a 47% decrease from 1440p). The same percentage pattern holds, confirming that the RTX 4090's performance scales predictably with resolution regardless of settings preset.

The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical across all four settings presets is significant. It indicates that the game's rendering pipeline is consistently GPU-bound at higher resolutions, and the CPU is not introducing variable overhead. If the CPU were a bottleneck, the percentage drops would be smaller at lower settings (where the CPU has to work harder to feed the GPU more frames) and larger at higher settings (where the GPU takes longer per frame).

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 478 FPS ceiling. At 1440p Low, the GPU begins to take over, and by 4K Low, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. This transition is smooth and predictable, which is a sign of a well-balanced system. The RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM ensures that even at 4K Ultra, there is no memory capacity issue, only raw compute limits.