Fortnite

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 465th out of 3,700 tested combinations in Fortnite, placing it in the top 12.6% of all configurations. This is a notable result given that the CPU is a modest 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake part from 2020, while the GPU is a flagship Ada Lovelace card. The data suggests a significant imbalance in raw compute capability, yet the combo still achieves frame rates that are playable to excellent across most settings, indicating that Fortnite's engine is highly scalable and not exclusively dependent on top-tier CPU performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 465 out of 3,700 tested combos in Fortnite is strong, but it is not within the elite top 10% of configurations. This position reflects the reality of pairing a high-end GPU with a mid-range, older CPU. The RTX 4080 alone sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, while the i5-10400F is at the 68th percentile among all CPUs. The discrepancy in these percentile positions hints at a system where the processor is the limiting factor in achieving the highest possible frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do.

When compared to its nearest CPU rivals, the i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14,185 is nearly identical to that of the Intel Xeon 6756E (14,163, +0.2%) and the AMD EPYC 7552 (14,115, +0.5%). It is also within a fraction of a percent of the Intel Core 7 160UL (14,232, -0.3%) and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14,277, -0.6%). These negligible performance deltas in synthetic benchmarks suggest that the i5-10400F's processing power is on par with a wide range of server and mobile parts, which is surprising for a desktop gaming chip. This parity reinforces the idea that in Fortnite, the RTX 4080's raw graphical power is doing the heavy lifting, and the CPU's moderate performance is sufficient to avoid severe bottlenecks in most scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, which can boost up to 4.30 GHz. This configuration is typical for a mid-range desktop CPU from 2020, offering a balance of multi-threaded capability for modern games and productivity tasks. The CPU has 12 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory, providing a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s.

In the context of Fortnite, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and object management. The data shows that the combo achieves a 305 FPS average at 1080p Low, which is exceptionally high and suggests the CPU is not a major constraint at those settings. However, the single-threaded performance of the i5-10400F is modest, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 688 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,451. This could limit performance in scenarios with many players or complex structures, but the measured FPS figures indicate that at 1080p Low, the system is still capable of delivering over 300 FPS, which is beyond the refresh rate of most monitors.

The CPU's multi-threaded scores are also noteworthy. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10,283 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 12,115. These numbers are respectable but not outstanding for a modern CPU, and they explain why the combo's rank is not higher. As the resolution increases and the GPU becomes more heavily utilized, the CPU's relative importance diminishes, which is evident in the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K. The i5-10400F's performance is a solid foundation, but it is clearly not the star of this pairing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a powerhouse, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. It features 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, along with 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores. The GPU has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a massive bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. Its FP32 compute performance is rated at 48.74 TFLOPS, and it has a pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s.

This GPU is clearly designed for high-resolution, high-fidelity gaming. Its 86th percentile rank among all GPUs and average benchmark score of 54,247 place it just ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209, +0.1%) and significantly ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, -1.1%). The RTX 4080's massive VRAM capacity of 16 GB and high bandwidth are more than sufficient for Fortnite at any setting, and the data confirms this. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages an average of 52 FPS, which is playable, but the GPU is clearly working hard. The gap between 4K Low (145 FPS) and 4K Ultra (52 FPS) shows how much headroom the GPU has at lower settings, allowing it to push frame rates well beyond 144 Hz at 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 305 FPS on Low, 267 FPS on Medium, 236 FPS on High, and 156 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 227 FPS and a maximum of 307 FPS, indicating a stable experience. These numbers are exceptionally high, and they suggest that at 1080p, the system is often CPU-limited, as the RTX 4080 could likely push even higher frame rates if the processor were faster.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 262 on Low, 194 on Medium, 150 on High, and 99 on Ultra. The Medium preset again provides detailed data with a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 223 FPS. This resolution is likely the sweet spot for this combo, as it offers a great balance between visual fidelity and high refresh rates. At 1440p High, the 150 FPS average is still excellent for competitive play, while 1440p Ultra at 99 FPS is smooth enough for most gaming scenarios.

At the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the combo's performance takes a significant hit. The average FPS is 145 on Low, 102 on Medium, 79 on High, and 52 on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 118 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K with min/max data. These results clearly show the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU's role diminishes. The jump from 145 FPS at 4K Low to 52 FPS at 4K Ultra demonstrates the immense graphical workload required for high settings at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a clear and consistent trend in resolution scaling. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 14% on Low (305 to 262), 27% on Medium (267 to 194), 36% on High (236 to 150), and 37% on Ultra (156 to 99). This scaling is more pronounced at higher settings, indicating that the GPU is becoming more saturated as the resolution increases dropped. The smaller drop at Low settings (14%) suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the limiting factor, and the GPU has enough headroom to absorb the resolution increase with a relatively smaller FPS loss.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more dramatic. The average FPS drops by 45% on Low (262 to 145), 47% on Medium (194 to 102), 47% on High (150 to 79), and 47% on Ultra (99 to 52). This consistent ~47% drop across all settings at this resolution step is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 4080 is being pushed to its limits at 4K, and the CPU's performance is no longer a factor. This data strongly implies that for users targeting 4K gaming, the RTX 4080 is the component that dictates performance, while at 1080p, the i5-10400F is the more significant constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p users, the Low preset at 305 FPS is ideal for competitive play where maximum frame rates are paramount. However, the Medium preset at 267 FPS offers a better visual experience while still maintaining extremely high frame rates, making it a more balanced choice for most players. The Ultra preset at 156 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visual quality and have a 144 Hz monitor.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 194 FPS is the best recommendation, as it provides a substantial visual upgrade over Low while still delivering frame rates that are well above the 144 Hz threshold. The High preset at 150 FPS is also excellent and offers even better image quality, making it a strong contender for users with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. The Ultra preset at 99 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced competitive matches.

For 4K, the recommended preset is Low at 145 FPS if the goal is high refresh rate gaming, as it is the only 4K setting that exceeds 120 FPS. The Medium preset at 102 FPS is a better choice for visual quality while still maintaining a smooth experience, but the High and Ultra presets at 79 and 52 FPS respectively are best suited for slower-paced or single-player scenarios. The data suggests that 4K Ultra is not a realistic option for high-refresh-rate gameplay with this combo, but it is playable at 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Fortnite?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combo ranks 465th out of 3,700 tested combinations.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14,185 is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon 6756E (14,163, +0.2%) and the AMD EPYC 7552 (14,115, +0.5%). It is also within 0.6% of the Intel Core 7 160UL and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C.

Q: What is the best frame rate the combo can achieve?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 305 at 1920x1080 with Low settings., which is the maximum value recorded in the data.

Q: Is the combo more CPU-limited or GPU-limited?

A: The data shows that the combo is more CPU-limited at 1080p, where FPS drops are smaller when moving to 1440p, and more GPU-limited at 4K, where FPS drops are consistently around 47% across all settings.

Q: What is the RTX 4080's performance percentile?

A: The RTX 4080 is in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset shows minimum FPS of 227 at 1080p, 165 at 1440p, and 87 at 4K.