Fortnite

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a performance profile in Fortnite that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset selection. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1920x1080, the combination is capable of frame rates that far exceed standard display refresh rates, while at 3840x2160, it struggles to maintain smooth gameplay on higher settings. This indicates a system where the CPU has sufficient headroom at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 228 FPS at 1080p to 145 FPS at 1440p, and further down to 76 FPS at 4K. This represents a decline of approximately 36% when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 48% step down to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, though the absolute deltas vary.

At High settings, the averages are 124 FPS at 1080p, 79 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 45 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 37 FPS. For Ultra settings, the numbers are 82 FPS, 52 FPS, and 28 FPS respectively. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a 24 FPS reduction, which brings the experience below playable thresholds for competitive play.

This scaling behavior indicates that at 1080p, the system is likely not GPU-bound at lower presets. The jump from 228 FPS at Low to 160 FPS at Medium and 124 FPS at High shows that the CPU and GPU combination has headroom for higher frame rates, but the rendering load increases with each preset tier. At 4K, however, the situation reverses. The GPU's rendering capacity is strained, and the difference between Low (76 FPS) and High (42 FPS) shows how quickly the RTX 2070 SUPER saturates at this resolution.

The Medium preset provides the only complete min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 136 to 184 FPS with an average of 160. At 1440p, the range narrows to 87 to 117 FPS with an average of 102. At 4K, the range is 46 to 62 FPS with an average of 54. The narrowing of the min-max spread at higher resolutions suggests that frame pacing becomes more consistent as the GPU becomes the bottleneck, rather than the CPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 at Low settings produces an average of 228 FPS, which is the highest measured result. Even at Medium settings, the average of 160 FPS exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. This makes 1080p the clear choice for maximizing frame rates.

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

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 4K with Low settings, the average is 76 FPS, which is playable. However, at High settings the average drops to 42 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 28 FPS. For a smooth 4K experience, Low settings are required, and even then the result is modest compared to lower resolutions.

Q: How does the Medium preset compare to Low and High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium averages 102 FPS with a range of 87 to 117 FPS. Low averages 145 FPS, while High averages 79 FPS. The Medium preset offers a balanced middle ground, providing a 23 FPS improvement over High while sacrificing 43 FPS compared to Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The resolution scaling suggests the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 228 FPS average indicates the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU effectively. As resolution increases to 4K, the frame rate drops by roughly two-thirds, which points to the GPU's rendering limits rather than CPU constraints.

Q: What is the performance difference between Ultra and Low at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low averages 228 FPS while Ultra averages 82 FPS. This is a difference of 146 FPS, meaning Ultra delivers roughly 36% of the frame rate of Low. The gap highlights the heavy cost of Ultra settings on this hardware configuration.

Q: Are there any settings where the system exceeds 200 FPS?

A: Only one measured configuration exceeds 200 FPS: 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 228 FPS. The next highest is Medium at 1080p with 160 FPS, which is still well above 144 FPS but does not reach the 200 FPS threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary driver of performance in these Fortnite results. Its specifications include 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). These specs place the card in the 65th percentile of all GPUs according to benchmark data.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB appears sufficient for Fortnite at the tested settings. The game is not known for extreme memory demands, and the measured results do not show any anomalies that would indicate memory capacity issues. The bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, however, becomes relevant at higher resolutions where texture data and frame buffer requirements increase.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The FP32 performance is rated at 9.062 TFLOPS, which is adequate for a competitive title like Fortnite. The RTX 2070 SUPER also includes 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, though Fortnite does not heavily utilize ray tracing or DLSS in the measured scenarios.

The clock behavior of the GPU is noteworthy. The boost clock of 1770 MHz is relatively high, and the card maintains performance across different settings without significant thermal throttling indicated in the data. The GPU's 215 W TDP and dual-slot cooler suggest it is designed for sustained load, which is consistent with the consistent frame rates observed across multiple test runs.

Compared to its nearest rivals in the benchmark database, the RTX 2070 SUPER sits close to cards like the Intel Arc B570 and Intel Arc A750. The deltaPct values are -1.3% and -1.5% respectively, meaning the RTX 2070 SUPER scores slightly lower in overall GPU benchmarks. However, in Fortnite specifically, the measured FPS shows this card performs well at 1080p and 1440p, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor only at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience for this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 160 FPS with a range of 136 to 184 FPS. This is a strong choice for players with 144 Hz monitors, as it comfortably exceeds the refresh rate while providing better visual fidelity than Low.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p is the standout option. The 228 FPS average is the highest recorded in the entire dataset, and it leaves substantial headroom for competitive play. The jump from Low to Medium costs 68 FPS, which is a significant trade-off for visual improvements that may not be noticeable in fast-paced gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset becomes the recommended balance. The 102 FPS average is playable for most users, and the range of 87 to 117 FPS means frame dips stay above 80 FPS. The Low preset at 145 FPS is better for esports-focused players, but Medium offers a more visually appealing experience without dropping below 60 FPS.

For 3840x2160, the options are more constrained. The Low preset at 76 FPS is the only configuration that maintains an average above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 54 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 46 FPS that could cause noticeable stutter. The High and Ultra presets at 42 FPS and 28 FPS respectively are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer across all resolutions. At 1080p, it averages 82 FPS, which is lower than the Medium preset at 1440p (102 FPS). This suggests that Ultra settings impose a heavy rendering cost that does not proportionally benefit the visual experience in Fortnite. Players are better served by using Medium or High settings at a lower resolution rather than Ultra at a higher resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination ranks 2141 out of 3700 tested combos in Fortnite. This places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, which is a notable finding given the individual component benchmarks. The CPU ranks in the 68th percentile of all processors, and the GPU ranks in the 65th percentile, yet the combined performance in this specific game is not as strong as those percentile scores might suggest.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Xeon 6756E with a deltaPct of 0.2%, the AMD EPYC 7552 with 0.5%, and the Intel Core 7 160UL with -0.3%. These rivals have average benchmark scores within a narrow range of 14115 to 14277, indicating the i5-10400F is well-positioned among its peers. However, the combo rank of 2141 out of 3700 indicates that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve better Fortnite performance.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M with a deltaPct of -1%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with -1.2%, and the Intel Arc B570 with -1.3%. These cards have average benchmark scores between 20480 and 20556, placing the RTX 2070 SUPER slightly below them. In Fortnite specifically, the combo rank suggests that while the individual components are competent, the pairing does not produce top-tier results in this game.

The rank of 2141 out of 3700 means that roughly 58% of tested combos perform better in Fortnite. This is a significant finding, as it indicates that the i5-10400F and RTX 2070 SUPER combination is not optimized for this particular title. The bottleneck analysis from the resolution scaling suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, but at 1080p Low, the CPU may be holding back the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for Fortnite with this hardware combination is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 228 FPS. The Medium preset averages 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS. The High preset averages 124 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 82 FPS. This shows a clear tiering where each step up in settings costs approximately 40-60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 145 FPS. The Medium preset averages 102 FPS with a range of 87 to 117 FPS. The High preset averages 79 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 52 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 43 FPS, from Medium to High is 23 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 27 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 76 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS with a range of 46 to 62 FPS. The High preset averages 42 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 28 FPS. The scaling here is steeper, with the difference between Low and Ultra being 48 FPS, which represents a 63% reduction in average frame rate.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data at all three resolutions. At 1080p, the spread is 48 FPS (136 to 184). At 1440p, the spread is 30 FPS (87 to 117). At 4K, the spread is 16 FPS (46 to 62). This narrowing spread indicates that frame pacing becomes more consistent as resolution increases, which is typical of GPU-bound scenarios.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset provides the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The relationship between settings and resolution is consistent, though the absolute differences vary. The data confirms that this combination excels at 1080p, performs adequately at 1440p, and requires significant settings compromises at 4K.