Fortnite

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 presents a stark contrast in component tiers within the Fortnite benchmark database. This combination ranks 26th out of 1564 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.7% of all configurations. The data reveals a system where the processor, a 6-core/12-thread Alder Lake part with a 2.50 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost clock, consistently becomes the limiting factor at lower resolutions, while the GPU's raw power dominates at 4K. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all twelve data points illustrate a classic CPU-bound scenario at 1080p that gradually transitions to a GPU-bound workload as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling behavior from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a significant shift in system bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 416.9 FPS, but this drops to 314.7 FPS at 1440p and 165.6 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24.5%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 47.4%. This non-linear scaling indicates that at 1080p, the i5-12400's single-thread performance—evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 910—is the ceiling, preventing the RTX 5090 from fully stretching its legs.

At 4K resolution, the scaling pattern changes character. The RTX 5090's immense compute resources, including 21,760 shading units and 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance, become the primary driver. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is substantial: 165.6 FPS versus 58.4 FPS respectively, a difference of 107.2 FPS. This wide spread suggests that at 4K, the GPU's memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s and 32 GB of GDDR7 VRAM are being exercised differently across quality presets, with the Ultra preset demanding significantly more from the render pipeline.

The intermediate resolution of 2560x1440 shows the most balanced behavior. Here, the combo achieves 314.7 FPS on Low, 223.6 FPS on Medium, 170.6 FPS on High, and 113.2 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p represents a 64% reduction in frame rate, which is less severe than the 4K drop (64.7% from Low to Ultra) but more pronounced than at 1080p (57.2% from Low to Ultra). This indicates that 1440p sits at the inflection point where neither component is completely dominant, making it the resolution where the i5-12400's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and the RTX 5090's geometry throughput interact most efficiently.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 270.1 at 1920x1080 with High settings. This represents a 51.7% increase over the 4K High result of 90.7 FPS, demonstrating that the processor's 4.40 GHz boost clock is sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset yields 165.6 FPS while Ultra produces 58.4 FPS, a difference of 107.2 FPS. This 64.7% reduction from Low to Ultra indicates that the Ultra preset places a substantial load on the RTX 5090's 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs.

Q: Is this combination better suited for competitive or high-fidelity play?

A: The data shows 416.9 FPS at 1080p Low versus 58.4 FPS at 4K Ultra. For competitive play seeking maximum refresh rates, the 1080p Low configuration provides the highest headroom. For visual fidelity, the 4K Ultra setting still maintains playable frame rates above 60 FPS.

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

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700's 19831 and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-11600K's 19771. Its percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs indicates solid mid-range positioning.

Q: What is the GPU's standing relative to other tested graphics cards?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 84306, placing it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs. It is 0.1% ahead of the RTX 5090 D (84241) and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (83209), but 1.6% behind the NVIDIA CMP 40HX (85637).

Q: Does the 1080p frame rate suggest a CPU bottleneck?

A: Yes. The jump from 416.9 FPS at 1080p Low to 314.7 FPS at 1440p Low is a 24.5% reduction despite only a 1.78x increase in pixel count. This disproportionate drop indicates the i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads are saturating before the RTX 5090's 92,200 million transistors can be fully utilized.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the Fortnite benchmark database, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a combo rank of 26 out of 1,564 tested configurations. This places it in the 98.3rd percentile of all recorded combinations. The ranking is notable given the disparity in component tiers: the CPU sits at the 77th percentile among all processors, while the GPU reaches the 94th percentile among all graphics cards.

The performance ceiling imposed by the processor becomes apparent when examining the frame rates relative to the GPU's theoretical capabilities. The RTX 5090's passmark_g3d score of 39650 suggests immense rendering potential, yet the measured FPS at 1080p High (270.1) is constrained by the i5-12400's cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 2249. The 26th overall ranking indicates that many combinations with higher-tier CPUs achieve better raw frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where CPU overhead dominates. However, at 4K Ultra, the combo's 58.4 FPS demonstrates that the GPU's 512-bit memory bus and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are still capable of producing playable results even with a mid-range processor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear progression across settings. Low settings deliver 416.9 FPS, Medium produces 346.8 FPS, High achieves 270.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 178.4 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 70.1 FPS, while the gap from High to Ultra is 91.7 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset introduces effects that disproportionately impact the CPU's 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per-core caches.

The 2560x1440 results follow a similar pattern with lower absolute values. Low settings reach 314.7 FPS, Medium hits 223.6 FPS, High manages 170.6 FPS, and Ultra settles at 113.2 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets: 24.5% for Low, 35.5% for Medium, 36.8% for High, and 36.5% for Ultra. This consistency indicates that the scaling penalty is resolution-driven rather than setting-driven.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates compress significantly. Low produces 165.6 FPS, Medium delivers 118 FPS, High achieves 90.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 58.4 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured point below 60 FPS, making it the sole configuration where the RTX 5090's 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU are truly taxed. The 4K Medium result of 118 FPS represents a 29.7% reduction from 1440p Medium, while 4K High shows a 46.8% reduction from 1440p High, highlighting the exponential cost of 4K rendering.

Settings Recommendations

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the 1080p Low preset at 416.9 FPS offers the highest headroom for high-refresh-rate displays. This configuration leverages the i5-12400's 12 threads efficiently while keeping the RTX 5090's workload light enough to avoid thermal or power constraints. The 1440p Low setting at 314.7 FPS provides a balanced alternative for those seeking higher resolution without sacrificing competitive frame rates.

The 1440p High preset at 170.6 FPS emerges as the most balanced overall option. It delivers frame rates comfortably above 144 Hz while maintaining visual quality that benefits from the RTX 5090's 32 GB memory capacity. The jump from High to Ultra at 1440p costs 57.4 FPS (from 170.6 to 113.2), a 33.6% reduction that may not justify the visual gains for most users.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 118 FPS represents the best experience per the measured data. It maintains frame rates above 100 FPS while offering improved fidelity over the Low setting's 165.6 FPS. The High preset at 90.7 FPS remains viable for 90 Hz displays, but the Ultra setting at 58.4 FPS should only be considered for users with 60 Hz monitors who prioritize maximum visual quality over responsiveness. The 4K Ultra result, while playable, sits too close to the 60 FPS threshold to recommend for competitive play, given that the 1080p Low setting provides over seven times the frame rate at 416.9 FPS.