Fortnite

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a lopsided combination for Fortnite, but the benchmark data shows it can still deliver exceptional frame rates when configured correctly. The measured results reveal a clear pattern: this combo excels at Low and Medium settings, while High and Ultra presets incur heavy performance penalties. For the best balance of visual fidelity and competitive responsiveness, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, offering a significant jump in frame rate over High while maintaining playable minimums. At 2560x1440, Medium delivers 193 FPS average with a minimum of 164 FPS, which is already far beyond the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. At 1920x1080, Medium pushes to 303 FPS average with a minimum of 257 FPS, making it the ideal choice for high-refresh-rate esports play. While Low settings push performance even higher, the jump from Medium to Low (from 303 to 412 FPS at 1080p) is less impactful for actual gameplay than the visual quality loss, so Medium is the sensible default unless chasing absolute maximum frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific CPU-GPU pairing at rank 318 out of 3700 tested combos in Fortnite. That puts it in the top 8.6% of all configurations tested for this game, which is an exceptionally strong result. The ranking reflects a combination that is heavily GPU-bound at lower settings and surprisingly capable at higher resolutions. The RTX 4080 SUPER’s raw power (52.22 TFLOPS FP32) carries most of the load, while the i3-12100F’s 4 cores and 8 threads (boost clock up to 4.30 GHz) prove sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at most settings. However, the rank is not higher because the CPU’s single-threaded performance (3DMark single-thread score of 893) can become a limiting factor at very low settings where the GPU is not the bottleneck. Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing sits comfortably above average, but it does not crack the top 100, suggesting that Fortnite’s engine still favors higher-core-count CPUs for absolute peak performance. The data indicates that this combo is a strong performer, but not the absolute best, and the ranking underscores the importance of matching the 4080 SUPER with a more powerful processor if aiming for the very top tier of results.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications are well-suited to Fortnite’s demands. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Fortnite is not a VRAM-heavy title, so the 16 GB capacity is overkill for this game, but it ensures future-proofing and eliminates any possibility of memory-related stuttering. The GPU’s boost clock of 2550 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz are high, and the data suggests that the card maintains these clocks effectively under load. The 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores provide ample processing power for the game’s rendering pipeline, including its optional ray-tracing effects. In the measured results, the GPU’s strength is evident in the scaling between resolutions. At 3840x2160, the card manages 144 FPS on Low and 102 FPS on Medium, which is impressive for 4K. The GPU is clearly the limiting factor at 4K Ultra (52 FPS), but at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU begins to take over as the bottleneck. The GPU’s benchmark scores (3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600, PassMark G3D score of 34245) place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and it trades blows with the RTX 4080 (deltaPct -0.1) and outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (deltaPct -2.7) in average benchmark scores. For Fortnite specifically, the GPU provides the raw horsepower to push high frame rates, but its potential is only fully unlocked when the CPU can keep up.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of this combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. Here is the full breakdown:

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: 52 FPS average. This is the only unplayable result, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed and the CPU cannot compensate.
• High: 79 FPS average. Playable on a 60Hz monitor, but not ideal for competitive play.
• Medium: 102 FPS average, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS. This is the sweet spot for 4K, offering smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate 4K displays.
• Low: 144 FPS average. This hits the 144Hz mark, making it viable for 4K esports on capable monitors.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: 99 FPS average. This is borderline playable, but the minimum frame rate is not recorded, suggesting potential dips.
• High: 149 FPS average. This is a very strong result, ideal for 144Hz monitors.
• Medium: 193 FPS average, with a minimum of 164 FPS and a maximum of 221 FPS. This is an excellent result for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, providing a smooth and consistent experience.
• Low: 273 FPS average. This is extremely high and suitable for 240Hz or even 360Hz monitors.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: 155 FPS average. This is playable, but the CPU is likely becoming a bottleneck, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential.
• High: 235 FPS average. A very strong result for 1080p high-refresh-rate gaming.
• Medium: 303 FPS average, with a minimum of 257 FPS and a maximum of 348 FPS. This is the standout result, offering immense frame rates with good minimums.
• Low: 412 FPS average. This is the absolute maximum performance, but the difference from Medium is less noticeable in actual gameplay.

The data clearly shows that the Medium preset is the optimal balance point. The jump from High to Medium yields a massive average FPS increase (from 149 to 193 at 1440p, from 235 to 303 at 1080p), while the jump from Medium to Low yields diminishing returns (from 193 to 273 at 1440p, from 303 to 412 at 1080p). The minimum FPS figures on Medium (164 FPS at 1440p, 257 FPS at 1080p) are also strong, indicating good frame pacing and a lack of severe stutters.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo?

A: The Medium preset is the recommended choice. At 1920x1080, it delivers 303 FPS average with a 257 FPS minimum, while at 2560x1440, it delivers 193 FPS average with a 164 FPS minimum. Low settings offer higher frame rates, but the visual quality trade-off is significant for a smaller performance gain.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Fortnite?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset delivers 102 FPS average (86 FPS minimum), which is playable on a 4K 120Hz display. Low settings push this to 144 FPS average. Ultra settings are not viable, producing only 52 FPS average.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER bottlenecked by the i3-12100F?

A: The data suggests a partial bottleneck. At 1920x1080 on Low settings, the combo achieves 412 FPS, but the CPU’s 4-core design limits the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates. At higher settings and resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, so the bottleneck is less pronounced.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 318 out of 3700 tested combos in Fortnite, placing it in the top 8.6% of all configurations. This is a strong result, but not the absolute top, indicating that higher-core-count CPUs can extract more performance from the GPU.

Q: What is the difference in performance between High and Medium settings?

A: The difference is substantial. At 2560x1440, High delivers 149 FPS average, while Medium delivers 193 FPS average, a 44 FPS increase. At 1920x1080, High delivers 235 FPS, while Medium delivers 303 FPS, a 68 FPS increase. The visual difference between these presets is often less noticeable than the frame rate gain.

Q: What is the CPU’s role in this game’s performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its single-threaded performance (3DMark score of 893) is decent but not top-tier. In Fortnite, it provides enough processing power for 100+ FPS in most scenarios, but it limits performance at very low settings and high frame rates, as seen in the 1080p Low result of 412 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It has 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In Fortnite, the CPU’s role is to feed the RTX 4080 SUPER with enough data to keep it busy. The benchmark data shows that this CPU is sufficient for most settings, but it becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions and settings. For example, at 1920x1080 on Low, the combo achieves 412 FPS, but the CPU’s single-threaded performance (3DMark single-thread score of 893, Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674) prevents the GPU from pushing even higher. The CPU’s multi-threaded performance is also relevant, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860, which helps in scenarios with many players or complex scenes. The CPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-9500 (deltaPct 0.3) and the Intel Core i7-1250U (deltaPct 1.1). This indicates that the i3-12100F is a solid mid-range performer, but not a high-end part. In Fortnite, the CPU’s 4 cores are enough to handle the game’s physics and game logic, but the lack of additional cores can cause frame rate drops in extremely busy end-game scenarios, although this is not reflected in the average FPS data. For the best results, the data suggests that a higher-core-count CPU would pair better with the RTX 4080 SUPER, but the i3-12100F still manages to deliver excellent frame rates in most situations, particularly at Medium settings where the balance between CPU and GPU load is optimal.