Fortnite

Fortnite, a Battle Royale title that has been live since 2017, remains a demanding benchmark for modern hardware. The pairing of an Intel Core i5-10400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 presents an interesting generational mix, pitting a 2020 mid-range CPU against a 2025 flagship GPU. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is capable of high refresh rates, but the data also exposes clear bottlenecks and optimization opportunities. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows, interprets the hardware’s performance characteristics, and answers key questions about this specific configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a significant and predictable drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 302.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, that average falls to 233.7 FPS, a reduction of 68.4 FPS. At 4K Low, the average drops further to 122.7 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p Low result. This scaling pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the system is not limited by the GPU’s raw pixel-pushing ability.

The trend is consistent across all settings. With High settings, the average FPS goes from 201.8 at 1080p, to 128.4 at 1440p, and finally to 68.2 at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic decline, starting at 133.3 FPS at 1080p, falling to 85.5 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 43.5 FPS at 4K. The relative performance drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe than from 1080p to 1440p, which suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. The data implies that for competitive play at high refresh rates, 1080p is the sweet spot, while 4K is only viable for slower-paced, visually demanding scenarios. The scaling also shows that the CPU has enough headroom to feed the RTX 5070 at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s workload becomes the dominant constraint at 4K.

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, and it can boost up to 4.30 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 688 points in the 3dmark single-thread test and 10297 points in the cinebench_r23_multicore test. These scores place it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-range performer. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 7552, which is 0.4% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, which is 0.8% slower.

In Fortnite, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p with Low settings, where the average FPS of 302.1 suggests the processor is able to keep up with the GPU’s high output. The drop to 233.7 FPS at 1440p Low shows the GPU starting to take on more work, but the CPU is still providing a strong foundation. The 12 threads are likely sufficient to handle the game’s physics and draw calls, but the data cannot confirm whether the CPU is the absolute bottleneck at any given setting. The 65W TDP and DDR4 memory support are standard for its generation, and the 12 MB of shared L3 cache is adequate. The 3dmark_2_threads score of 1350 and 3dmark_4_threads score of 2560 suggest that the CPU has decent single and multi-core capabilities, which are both relevant for a game like Fortnite that benefits from high IPC and multiple cores. The data indicates that this CPU, while not the newest, does not appear to be a severe limiting factor at 1440p and 4K, but its performance ceiling may be reached at 1080p with very low settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance on which preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 254.8 FPS, which is a 52.7 FPS improvement over High (201.8 FPS) and only a 47.3 FPS reduction compared to Low (302.1 FPS). This makes Medium the most efficient choice at 1080p, offering high frame rates while still providing a reasonable level of graphical fidelity. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 133.3 FPS, which is still playable, but the jump from Medium to Ultra costs 121.5 FPS, a significant penalty for the visual upgrade.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again proves to be the balanced option, with an average of 161.2 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a smooth experience. The High preset at 1440p (128.4 FPS) is also viable, but the Medium preset provides a more comfortable margin for maintaining high refresh rates. The Low preset at 1440p produces 233.7 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but the visual compromise may not be worth it on a larger, higher-resolution monitor. At 4K, the situation is different. The Medium preset (84.7 FPS) and High preset (68.2 FPS) are the only ones that approach playable levels. The Low preset (122.7 FPS) is the best for 4K if frame rate is the absolute priority, while the Ultra preset (43.5 FPS) is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The data suggests that Medium settings provide the best overall experience across all resolutions, balancing visual fidelity with high, consistent frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 343rd out of 1564 tested combos in Fortnite. This places it in the top 22% of all configurations tested, which is a strong result for a system with a mid-range CPU and a high-end GPU. The ranking reflects the GPU’s dominant role in determining overall frame rates, but also shows that the CPU does not hold the system back significantly.

The GPU itself, the RTX 5070, scores in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41687. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (0.2% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (0.6% faster), and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 (0.5% slower). This indicates that the RTX 5070 is a top-tier performer, and its inclusion in this combo is the primary reason for the high ranking. The CPU, which sits in the 73rd percentile, is a capable partner but is not in the same performance tier as the GPU. The combo rank of 343 out of 1564 suggests that while there are many faster systems, this pairing offers a level of performance that is above the median. The data implies that the GPU is the star of this show, and the CPU is sufficient to support it without being a major liability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 2325 MHz, with a boost clock of 2512 MHz. It has 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. In synthetic tests, it scores 29137 in passmark_g3d and 5077 in 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs.

In Fortnite, the GPU’s role is clear from the resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the 302.1 FPS average is likely near the CPU’s limit, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows. The 4K Ultra result of 43.5 FPS demonstrates the GPU’s struggle with the highest settings at the highest resolution. The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for Fortnite at all tested settings, as the game is not known for being VRAM-hungry. The memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s is more than adequate for this title. The GPU’s performance in Fortnite is consistent with its high benchmark scores, showing it can handle high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p but requires settings compromises at 4K. The data suggests that the RTX 5070 is a very powerful GPU, and its performance in this game is limited more by the CPU at lower resolutions and by its own pixel throughput at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS increases with lower settings: 302.1 FPS on Low, 254.8 FPS on Medium, 201.8 FPS on High, and 133.3 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 168.8 FPS, showing a massive impact from settings. At 2560x1440, the averages are 233.7 FPS (Low), 161.2 FPS (Medium), 128.4 FPS (High), and 85.5 FPS (Ultra). The scaling is less steep than at 1080p, but the Ultra setting still takes a significant toll. At 3840x2160, the averages are 122.7 FPS (Low), 84.7 FPS (Medium), 68.2 FPS (High), and 43.5 FPS (Ultra). At 4K, even Low settings cannot maintain a 144 Hz refresh rate, and Ultra is below the 60 FPS threshold.

The data shows a consistent pattern: lowering settings always increases FPS, but the magnitude of the increase varies by resolution. At 1080p, the jump from Ultra to Medium is 121.5 FPS, while at 4K, the same jump is only 41.2 FPS. This suggests that at high resolutions, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, and settings changes have a smaller relative impact. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, and lowering settings can unlock significant additional frame rates. The measured rows provide a complete picture of the system’s capabilities, with the highest average being 302.1 FPS (1080p Low) and the lowest being 43.5 FPS (4K Ultra).

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 144 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, with the Low preset (233.7 FPS) and Medium preset (161.2 FPS) at 2560x1440, the average FPS exceeds 144. The High preset (128.4 FPS) falls short.

Q: What is the best setting for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The Low preset at 3840x2160 yields the highest average FPS of 122.7. The Medium preset (84.7 FPS) is also playable, while the High preset (68.2 FPS) is borderline and Ultra (43.5 FPS) is not smooth.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Fortnite?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the main limiter at 4K, as FPS drops dramatically with resolution. At 1080p Low (302.1 FPS), the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the GPU is capable of higher output. The CPU’s 73rd percentile ranking and the GPU’s 83rd percentile ranking support this.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 3090?

A: In average benchmark score, the RTX 5070 is 0.6% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, according to the nearestRivals data.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The average FPS at 1080p Low is 302.1, while at 1080p Ultra it is 133.3. This represents a difference of 168.8 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU’s 6-core/12-thread configuration limit performance in Fortnite?

A: Based on the data, the CPU appears sufficient for this game. The 1440p results show high FPS (233.7 FPS on Low), and the CPU holds a 73rd percentile ranking overall. The 12 threads are likely enough for Fortnite’s demands.