Fortnite

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a highly capable Fortnite experience, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. This analysis breaks down the data for this specific pairing, focusing on where each component excels and where the bottleneck shifts depending on the workload.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which provides a solid foundation for a fast-paced battle royale like Fortnite. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and an 18 MB shared L3 cache. This configuration is well-suited for the game's draw calls and physics calculations, which are often spread across multiple threads.

Benchmark results show the CPU's synthetic performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 15,935 in multi-core and 2,249 in single-core. The single-core score is particularly relevant for Fortnite, as the game's primary game thread often relies heavily on single-thread performance. The 3DMark results further illustrate this: a single-thread score of 910 and a 2-thread score of 1,692. The scaling from 2 to 8 threads (3,012 to 4,745) shows that the CPU can handle multi-threaded workloads, but the marginal gains diminish as more threads are added, which is typical for a 6-core part in this title.

In terms of overall CPU capability, the i5-12400 sits at the 77th percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 19,850 places it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals. It is effectively tied with the Intel Core i7-9700, showing a delta of 0.1%, and it performs 0.4% better than the Intel Core i5-11600K. It trails the Intel Core i7-8700 by a negligible 0.2%. This indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor in most scenarios, as its performance is on par with several older higher-end parts. The data suggests that for Fortnite, the i5-12400 provides ample headroom to feed the GPU, ensuring that frame rates are not unduly constrained by processor limitations at most settings.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. Its memory clock runs at 2125 MHz, with an effective speed of 17 Gbps. The GPU has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz. This configuration is adequate for Fortnite, which is not typically a VRAM-heavy title at the tested settings.

The GPU’s raw compute capabilities are moderate for its class. It offers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s. The 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present, but Fortnite's standard rendering path does not heavily utilize them unless specific ray tracing options are enabled, which are not part of this dataset. The GPU's overall benchmark standing is at the 66th percentile for all GPUs, with an average score of 23,181.

Comparing the RTX 4060 to its nearest rivals shows a competitive position. It is 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti in average score. Conversely, it is 0.7% ahead of the Intel Arc B580 and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon 760M. This clustering suggests that the GPU's performance is well-understood and predictable. In Fortnite, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rate changes when adjusting settings from Low to Ultra, particularly at higher resolutions, indicating that its compute and memory throughput are the deciding factors in those scenarios.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern that highlights the shift in system bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 245.2 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of pushing a very high number of frames, and the GPU has enough headroom to render them quickly. Moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 152.6 FPS, a 37.8% decrease. At 4K Low, it falls to 81.1 FPS, a further 46.9% drop from 1440p. This steep decline with increasing resolution is a classic sign of the GPU becoming the limiting component, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling at High settings shows a similar trend. At 1080p High, the system produces 132.5 FPS. This drops to 86.5 FPS at 1440p High and further to 45.3 FPS at 4K High. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34.7%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47.6%. The consistent pattern of roughly a third to half reduction in frame rate with each resolution step indicates that the GPU is fully saturated at these settings. The CPU, which was likely the limiting factor at 1080p Low (given the 245 FPS result), is no longer the primary constraint.

At the highest quality preset, Ultra, the trend continues but with lower absolute values. The system manages 87.5 FPS at 1080p, 53.8 FPS at 1440p, and 29.5 FPS at 4K. The relative drops are 38.5% and 45.2%, respectively. This data confirms that the RTX 4060 is the main performance bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, regardless of the quality preset. The CPU's role is more apparent at 1080p Low, where it helps achieve a frame rate that is over 2.5 times higher than the 4K Ultra result. The benchmark results indicate that players targeting high refresh rates at 1080p will find this combination sufficient, while 4K gaming will be limited to lower settings or lower frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Fortnite?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 245.2 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-9700?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19,850, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700's score of 19,831. They are effectively tied in overall performance.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system fail to maintain a 60 FPS average?

A: At 4K (3840x2160) with High settings, the average FPS is 45.3, which is below 60 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 57.3 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 29.5 FPS.

Q: Is the GPU or the CPU the limiting factor at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p Low. The frame rate of 245.2 FPS indicates the GPU is rendering frames quickly, but the CPU's ability to issue draw calls and process game logic becomes the ceiling for performance.

Q: How much faster is the system at 1080p Medium compared to 1440p Medium?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 171.3, while at 1440p Medium, it is 109.3. The 1080p result is 62.0 FPS higher, representing a 56.7% increase in performance at the lower resolution.

Q: What is the overall rank of this specific CPU and GPU combination in the database for Fortnite?

A: This combo is ranked 882 out of 1,564 tested combinations for Fortnite, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Fortnite, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 holds a rank of 882 out of 1,564 combos. This placement indicates that while it is not at the very top of the performance hierarchy, it outperforms a significant majority of the systems tested. The rank reflects a balanced system where the CPU's solid single-thread performance complements the GPU's mid-range capabilities.

The data shows that this rank is earned through consistent performance across various settings. The system’s ability to deliver over 130 FPS at 1080p High and over 80 FPS at 4K Low demonstrates a wide performance envelope. The bottleneck analysis shows that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, which is expected for a card in this segment. The CPU's performance, being nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-9700 and Intel Core i7-8700, ensures that it does not hold the system back.

Ultimately, the ranking of 882 out of 1,564 suggests that this combo is a dependable middle-class option. It provides a playable experience at high refresh rates for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K performance limited to lower detail settings. The system's standing is a direct result of the RTX 4060's raw throughput and the i5-12400's efficient processing, making it a predictable and well-rounded choice for Fortnite.