Fortnite

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor built on the Rocket Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 2.60 GHz and boosts up to 4.40 GHz. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. Memory support is limited to DDR4 with a dual-channel bus, yielding a theoretical bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The chip uses the Intel Socket 1200 and supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU-only lanes. Its 65 W TDP places it in the mainstream power envelope, and the multiplier is locked, meaning overclocking is not an option.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 11400F scores 868 in 3DMark single-thread and 5,652 in max-threads. Cinebench R23 results show 2,024 single-core and 14,340 multi-core. Geekbench reports 1,777 single-core and 7,737 multi-core. PassMark single-thread is 2,981, with a multi-thread score of 16,908. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 71, and its average benchmark score is 17,177. Nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (avg 17,120, +0.3%), the Intel Core i5-12450H (avg 17,239, −0.4%), the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (avg 17,278, −0.6%), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (avg 17,074, +0.6%). These deltas are all under 1%, indicating this chip sits in a tight performance band among comparable processors.

For Fortnite, the CPU's role is significant but secondary to the GPU at most settings. The game is predominantly GPU-bound at high resolutions, but at lower settings and higher frame rates, the 11400F can become a limiting factor. With only 6 cores and 12 threads, the processor handles the game's physics and simulation threads adequately, but frame pacing can suffer in crowded end-game scenarios where many players and builds are active. The 4.40 GHz boost clock helps with single-thread responsiveness, which Fortnite relies on for input latency and building mechanics. However, the 12 MB L3 cache is modest by modern standards, and the DDR4 memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s is a bottleneck when pushing very high frame rates at 1080p.

In the measured data, the CPU's performance becomes more relevant as resolution drops. At 4K, frame rates are low enough that the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. At 1440p and 1080p, the CPU must keep up with higher FPS targets, and the 11400F's multi-threaded scores (e.g., Cinebench R23 multi-core 14,340) suggest it can sustain high average FPS but may struggle to maintain minimums under load. The lack of a unlocked multiplier means no headroom for overclocking, so the only way to improve CPU-bound scenarios is to reduce settings that increase CPU load, such as view distance or shadow quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 174th out of 3,700 tested combos in Fortnite, placing it in the top 4.7% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's dominance in the pairing, as the RTX 5090 is a flagship card that can push very high frame rates even with a mid-range CPU. However, the rank is not higher because the 11400F's 6-core/12-thread design is a bottleneck at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully utilized.

In context, the combo outperforms the vast majority of tested systems, but it does not reach the top tier. The gap between this combo and the top-ranked ones is driven by CPU performance at 1080p low settings, where the 11400F's single-thread score of 868 (3DMark) and PassMark single-thread of 2,981 limit the maximum achievable FPS. The RTX 5090 is capable of much higher frame rates than the CPU can feed, so the combo's rank is constrained by the processor.

At 4K, the combo's rank is more favorable because the GPU is the sole bottleneck. The RTX 5090's 92nd percentile vs all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 79,842 (with nearest rivals like the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at 79,605, +0.3%) indicate that the GPU is near the top of the performance stack. The CPU's 71st percentile means it is above average but not elite, which explains why the combo ranks 174th rather than higher. For a user with this pairing, the bottleneck shifts from GPU to CPU as resolution decreases, and the measured FPS data confirms this trend.

FAQ

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

A: The combo ranks 174th out of 3,700 tested combinations, placing it in the top 5% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 scores 79,842 on average, which is 0.3% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605), 0.6% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396), and 1.1% higher than the Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940). It trails the Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4% (80,959).

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking?

A: The Core i5-11400F is in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms roughly 71% of processors in the database.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: Yes, at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 357 FPS on average, but the CPU's single-thread performance (868 in 3DMark single-thread) limits frame rates to that level. At 4K, the GPU is the bottleneck, as frame rates drop to 59–164 FPS depending on settings.

Q: What is the RTX 5090's VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This is more than sufficient for Fortnite at any resolution or setting.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's compute performance compare to its predecessor?

A: The RTX 5090's FP32 performance is 104.8 TFLOPS, with 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 170 RT cores, and 680 tensor cores. These figures are not compared against the predecessor in the data, but the GPU's 92nd percentile indicates it is near the top of all GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in Fortnite are as follows:

At 1920x1080:

• Low settings: 357 FPS average
• Medium settings: 313 FPS average, with 266 FPS minimum and 360 FPS maximum
• High settings: 267 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 176 FPS average

At 2560x1440:

• Low settings: 307 FPS average
• Medium settings: 219 FPS average, with 186 FPS minimum and 252 FPS maximum
• High settings: 170 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 112 FPS average

At 3840x2160:

• Low settings: 164 FPS average
• Medium settings: 116 FPS average, with 98 FPS minimum and 133 FPS maximum
• High settings: 90 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 59 FPS average

The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, frame rates drop significantly. At 1080p, the combo exceeds 300 FPS on Low and Medium settings, which is well above the refresh rate of most gaming monitors. At 1440p, the combo still delivers above 170 FPS on High settings, making it suitable for high-refresh 1440p displays. At 4K, only Low settings achieve above 144 FPS (164 FPS), while High and Ultra drop to 90 and 59 FPS, respectively.

The minimum FPS figures, available only for Medium settings, show that the combo maintains a stable frame rate with a relatively narrow range. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 266 FPS and the maximum is 360 FPS, a spread of 94 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 186–252 FPS (66 FPS spread), and at 4K Medium, it is 98–133 FPS (35 FPS spread). This indicates that the combo's frame pacing is consistent, with no severe drops, even at higher resolutions.

The RTX 5090's GPU compute score of 26,756 in PassMark and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355 contribute to its ability to maintain high frame rates across settings. The GPU's 32 GB of VRAM is never a limiting factor in Fortnite, as the game's texture requirements are far below this capacity.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB202 chip fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. The GPU contains 92.2 billion transistors on a 750 mm² die, with a transistor density of 122.9 million per mm². It houses 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 170 RT cores, and 680 tensor cores. The base clock is 2,017 MHz, with a boost clock of 2,407 MHz. Memory consists of 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, running at an effective 28 Gbps, yielding 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s, texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s, and FP32 throughput is 104.8 TFLOPS.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5090 scores 18,355 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 334,370 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 376,728 in Geekbench Vulkan. PassMark results show 39,650 in G3D and 26,756 in GPU compute. The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 92, and its average benchmark score is 79,842. Nearest rivals include the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605, +0.3%), the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, +0.6%), the Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, +1.1%), and the Radeon Pro Vega 64X (80,959, −1.4%). These rivals are within 1.4% of the RTX 5090's average score, indicating that the GPU is not head-and-shoulders above all others in raw compute, but its game-specific performance is strong.

For Fortnite, the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of frame rates. The GPU's massive shading and texture throughput allow it to render the game's stylized graphics at very high FPS, even at 4K. The 32 GB VRAM is overkill for Fortnite, which uses only a fraction of that capacity at any settings. The memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s ensures that texture streaming and LOD transitions do not cause stutters, even in fast-paced build battles. The boost clock of 2,407 MHz, combined with the GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS, allows the card to maintain high FPS at Ultra settings, though the CPU becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions.

The GPU's power draw is substantial, with a TDP of 575 W and a suggested PSU of 950 W. The card uses a single 16-pin connector and is dual-slot, measuring 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. These physical characteristics mean the card requires a spacious case and adequate cooling, but the performance data shows that the GPU is rarely the bottleneck in this pairing, except at 4K Ultra where it drops to 59 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate.

For 1920x1080, the combo achieves 357 FPS on Low, 313 FPS on Medium, 267 FPS on High, and 176 FPS on Ultra. Since most 1080p monitors have a 144 Hz or 240 Hz refresh rate, the Medium preset (313 FPS) provides a comfortable margin above 240 Hz, while High (267 FPS) still exceeds 240 Hz. Ultra (176 FPS) is playable but does not fully utilize a 240 Hz display. For competitive play, Low settings (357 FPS) minimize input latency, but Medium offers a good balance of visual quality and performance without dropping below 266 FPS minimum.

For 2560x1440, the combo delivers 307 FPS on Low, 219 FPS on Medium, 170 FPS on High, and 112 FPS on Ultra. A 144 Hz 1440p monitor is well served by the High preset, which provides 170 FPS average. Medium (219 FPS) is better for 240 Hz 1440p displays, though the minimum of 186 FPS is still above 144 Hz. Ultra (112 FPS) is playable but not ideal for high-refresh gaming. The recommendation is to use High settings for a balance of visual fidelity and performance, or Medium if the monitor supports 240 Hz.

For 3840x2160, the combo achieves 164 FPS on Low, 116 FPS on Medium, 90 FPS on High, and 59 FPS on Ultra. A 4K 60 Hz monitor is fully saturated by the High preset (90 FPS), while Medium (116 FPS) provides headroom for a 120 Hz 4K display. Low (164 FPS) is unnecessary for most 4K gamers, as the visual downgrade is significant. Ultra (59 FPS) is only suitable for 60 Hz displays and sacrifices smoothness for maximum quality. For 4K, the Medium preset is recommended for 120 Hz panels, and High for 60 Hz panels.

The best overall experience, considering the measured data, is the Medium preset at 1440p, which delivers 219 FPS average with a minimum of 186 FPS. This provides high frame rates with solid visual quality, and the combo's CPU is not overly stressed at this resolution. Alternatively, 1080p High (267 FPS) offers a similar experience with higher FPS but lower resolution. For users prioritizing competitive performance, 1080p Low (357 FPS) is the fastest option, but the visual trade-off is substantial. The RTX 5090's power is best utilized at 1440p Medium or High, where the GPU is fully engaged without being CPU-limited.