Fortnite

Fortnite with the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a broad performance envelope that is heavily dependent on both resolution and quality preset. The data shows a system capable of high-refresh-rate play at 1080p and 1440p, but one that is firmly challenged at 4K with maximum settings. This combination ranks in the 71st percentile among all tested system pairings in this title, placing it ahead of the majority of configurations while still leaving room above it for more extreme hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that transitions from a CPU-bound state at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound state as pixel count increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 322.7 FPS. This figure is exceptionally high, and the fact that it drops by only 36% when moving to 1440p (to 205.5 FPS) suggests the CPU is the primary limiter at this end of the spectrum. The i5-11400F's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are sufficient to feed the RTX 3080 at these lower resolutions, but the frame rate ceiling is clearly being approached.

The scaling pattern changes dramatically as resolution increases. Moving from 1440p Low to 4K Low yields a 46% drop in average FPS (from 205.5 to 110.8). This steeper decline indicates that the GPU is starting to take over as the limiting component. The RTX 3080, with its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth, is being tasked with rendering significantly more pixels, and the frame rate reflects that increased workload.

At 4K Ultra, the system drops to an average of 41.9 FPS. This is a 63% reduction compared to 1440p Ultra (76.1 FPS) and a massive 87% reduction compared to 1080p Low. This dramatic scaling highlights that the RTX 3080, while powerful, is not capable of sustaining fluid frame rates at 4K with the highest quality preset in this title. The gap between 1080p and 4K at the same settings is also telling; for High settings, the drop from 176.4 FPS to 57 FPS represents a 68% reduction, underscoring that the GPU is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions. The data clearly indicates that for 4K play, users will need to compromise on quality settings to achieve acceptable performance, while 1080p and 1440p offer far more headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested configurations for Fortnite, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 holds a combo rank of 446 out of 1564 tested combinations. This places it in the upper half of all results, specifically in the 71st percentile of tested combos. The ranking indicates that this system is well above the median for Fortnite performance, though it is not at the very top tier.

The CPU's individual performance relative to its peers provides context for this ranking. The i5-11400F sits at the 75th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 17181. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark charts are the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (scoring 17189), the Intel Core i7-1260P (scoring 17212), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (scoring 17215). The deltaPct values here are minimal, with the i5-11400F trailing the Ryzen 7 5700U by 0% and the i7-1260P by -0.2%, while leading the Core i5-1240U by 0.2%. This shows the CPU is competitively positioned in raw processing power, and its 75th percentile ranking suggests it is a strong contributor to the overall system performance in Fortnite.

The GPU also performs well in isolation. The RTX 3080 is at the 80th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35787. Its nearest rivals in the GPU charts are the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (scoring 35860) and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (scoring 36101), with deltaPct values of -0.2% and -0.9% respectively. This strong GPU performance is a key factor in the system's overall 71st percentile ranking in the game. The combination of a high-percentile CPU and an even higher-percentile GPU results in a system that is well-balanced for Fortnite, though the game's performance at 4K Ultra is still limited by the GPU's absolute capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the dominant component in this pairing for Fortnite's visual output. Its GA102 chip, built on Samsung's 8 nm process, contains 28,300 million transistors. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz. The memory runs at 1188 MHz, which translates to 19 Gbps effective, powering the 10 GB GDDR6X frame buffer.

The VRAM configuration is a critical factor in this game's performance. With 10 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 320-bit bus, the RTX 3080 provides a substantial 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. In Fortnite, this bandwidth is sufficient to handle the texture data and geometry at 1080p and 1440p across all settings without issue. However, at 4K Ultra, the combination of higher resolution and the most demanding settings may strain the memory subsystem, contributing to the significant frame rate drop observed.

The GPU's compute capabilities are also relevant to the performance figures. With 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, the RTX 3080 has the raw throughput to process the game's rendering pipeline. The FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS provides the raw compute power needed for both traditional rasterization and any compute-based effects. The presence of 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores suggests the card is well-equipped for more advanced rendering features, though Fortnite's standard rasterized performance at these settings is the primary driver of the measured FPS. The strong performance at 1080p Low (322.7 FPS) demonstrates that the GPU is not a bottleneck when the CPU is the limiting factor, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU's 41.9 FPS result shows its absolute limit in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Fortnite with this combo if I want the highest frame rates?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 322.7 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the data. This is the optimal configuration for maximum FPS.

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

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 41.9, which is playable but not smooth for competitive play. At 4K High, it improves to 57 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it reaches 76.8 FPS. For a better 4K experience, Low settings yield 110.8 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17181. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, scores 17189, which is a delta of 0%. The Intel Core i7-1260P scores 17212, putting it -0.2% ahead of the i5-11400F.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 35787. The AMD Radeon Pro Duo scores 35860, which is -0.2% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE scores 36101, which is -0.9% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile scores 35435, which is 1% lower.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 176.4. At 1440p High, the average FPS drops to 113.4. This represents a 36% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 1440p.

Q: Is the system more CPU-limited or GPU-limited at 1440p?

A: At 1440p with Low settings, the system achieves 205.5 FPS. The scaling from 1080p Low (322.7 FPS) to 1440p Low (205.5 FPS) shows a 36% drop, which is less severe than the 46% drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low (110.8 FPS). This suggests the system is transitioning from a CPU-bound state at 1080p to a more GPU-bound state at 1440p, with the GPU becoming the primary limiter at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination in Fortnite.

1920x1080:

• Low: 322.7 FPS
• Medium: 230.2 FPS
• High: 176.4 FPS
• Ultra: 115.1 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 205.5 FPS
• Medium: 144.1 FPS
• High: 113.4 FPS
• Ultra: 76.1 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 110.8 FPS
• Medium: 76.8 FPS
• High: 57 FPS
• Ultra: 41.9 FPS

The data shows a consistent degradation in performance as both resolution and quality settings increase. At 1080p, even the Ultra setting yields a highly playable 115.1 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra setting drops to 76.1 FPS, which is still adequate for most displays. At 4K, only the Low setting (110.8 FPS) provides a frame rate above 60 FPS, with Medium (76.8 FPS) and High (57 FPS) trailing behind, and Ultra (41.9 FPS) falling below the threshold for smooth gameplay. This breakdown clearly maps the performance envelope of this hardware combination.