Fortnite

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a benchmark profile that is heavily constrained by the graphics subsystem. Across the measured resolutions, the data indicates that the Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck, with the CPU’s substantial multi-threading capabilities remaining largely underutilized. The results show a configuration that can handle competitive settings at mainstream resolutions but falls off sharply as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is severe, confirming a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 115 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 73 FPS, a reduction of 42 FPS. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 39 FPS. This represents a 66% decrease in average frame rate from 1080p to 4K on Low settings.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 63 at 1080p to 40 at 1440p, and finally to 21 at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic collapse, starting at 41 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 26 FPS at 1440p, and reaching an unplayable 14 FPS at 4K. The steepness of these declines indicates that the rendering pipeline is saturated long before the CPU can even approach its limits.

Data from the Medium preset provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 51 FPS (min 44, max 59). At 4K Medium, the average is 27 FPS (min 23, max 31). The frame time variance, as indicated by the min/max spread, tightens as resolution increases, which is typical of a system where the GPU is working at full capacity and frame delivery becomes more uniform but slower.

The limiting component is clearly the Intel Arc B390. The GPU’s low percentile ranking (9th percentile vs all GPUs) and its modest 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 support this conclusion. The CPU, by contrast, is a high-performing part with a 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The data suggests that the i5-13400F is capable of feeding frames much faster than the Arc B390 can render them, making any resolution increase an immediate penalty to frame rate.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The memory subsystem is entirely system-shared, with the size, type, and bus width all marked as "System Shared" and bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This reliance on shared system memory is a critical factor in the observed performance, as it removes dedicated VRAM bandwidth as a fixed resource.

The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines. It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. The compute throughput is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1 ratio). The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. These specifications place it at the very bottom of the discrete GPU hierarchy, as evidenced by its nearest rivals: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% delta), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1.5% delta), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% delta), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (2.7% delta). These are all entry-level or legacy parts.

The GPU’s performance in Fortnite aligns with its low-tier positioning. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 1482 points. This score is the single benchmark data point for the GPU and underscores its limited rendering capacity. The fact that the 4K Ultra preset yields only 14 FPS average is a direct consequence of the GPU’s 24 ROPs and shared memory bandwidth being overwhelmed by the pixel fill requirements at that resolution.

The relationship between the GPU’s clock speeds and the game results is evident in the scaling. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is relatively high for an IGP, but the physical limitations of the 24 ROPs and system-shared memory prevent it from translating that clock speed into playable frame rates at high resolutions. The data indicates that this GPU is best suited for 1080p gaming, where its throughput can produce playable numbers, particularly at lower settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. Its TDP is 65 W, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700.

The CPU’s benchmark scores demonstrate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 22604 points in multi-core and 3191 points in single-core. Geekbench results show 11068 points multi-core and 1996 points single-core. The Passmark multithread score is 25032, with a single-thread score of 3634. These numbers place it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25292.

In comparison to its nearest rivals, the i5-13400F is competitive. It matches the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (deltaPct 0), is slightly behind the Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (both deltaPct -0.3), and edges out the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (deltaPct 0.4). This indicates that the CPU is a well-rounded performer that should not be the limiting factor in most gaming scenarios.

However, in this specific combo, the CPU’s potential is largely untapped. The benchmark results for Fortnite show that even at 1080p Low, where the frame rate reaches 115 FPS, the GPU is still the bottleneck. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see frame rates plateau across different resolutions. Instead, the frame rates drop consistently as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The 16 threads and 4.60 GHz boost clock are capable of handling the game’s physics and draw calls, but the Arc B390 simply cannot produce the frames fast enough to exercise the CPU fully.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-13400F and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2417 out of 2740 tested combinations in Fortnite. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested combos, which is consistent with the GPU’s lowly 9th percentile ranking. The high-performing CPU is unable to compensate for the GPU’s limitations, resulting in a system that is far below the median performance level for this game.

The mismatch is stark. The CPU’s percentile rank (77th) is nearly 70 points higher than the GPU’s percentile rank (9th). This disparity highlights the fact that the Arc B390 is a severe bottleneck. In a balanced system, the CPU and GPU percentiles would be closer together. Here, the CPU’s capabilities are wasted, as the GPU cannot deliver the necessary frame output to utilize the i5-13400F’s processing power.

The overall ranking reflects the worst-case scenario for a user who might have paired a strong CPU with a weak integrated GPU. The data shows that this is not a viable combination for high-refresh-rate gaming or high-resolution play. The rank of 2417 out of 2740 suggests that the vast majority of other CPU/GPU pairings would deliver better Fortnite performance, making this combo one of the least desirable for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s performance across all settings and resolutions. The data includes average FPS for all tests, with min and max FPS only recorded for the Medium preset.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 115 FPS average
• Medium: 81 FPS average, 69 FPS min, 93 FPS max
• High: 63 FPS average
• Ultra: 41 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 73 FPS average
• Medium: 51 FPS average, 44 FPS min, 59 FPS max
• High: 40 FPS average
• Ultra: 26 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 39 FPS average
• Medium: 27 FPS average, 23 FPS min, 31 FPS max
• High: 21 FPS average
• Ultra: 14 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo is playable at Low and Medium settings, with 115 FPS and 81 FPS respectively. High settings at 63 FPS are borderline playable, while Ultra at 41 FPS is less fluid. At 1440p, the frame rates drop significantly. Low settings at 73 FPS are acceptable, but Medium at 51 FPS and High at 40 FPS are marginal. Ultra at 26 FPS is not suitable for competitive play. At 4K, all settings are below 40 FPS, with Ultra at 14 FPS being completely unplayable.

The min FPS data for the Medium preset shows that the 1% lows are notably lower than the averages. At 1080p, the min is 69 FPS versus an average of 81 FPS. At 1440p, the min is 44 FPS versus 51 FPS. At 4K, the min is 23 FPS versus 27 FPS. This indicates occasional frame hitches, which can be disruptive in a fast-paced game like Fortnite.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60 FPS?

A: The only resolution and setting combination that achieves an average of 60 FPS or higher is 1080p Low, which produces 115 FPS. The 1440p Low setting produces 73 FPS, and 1080p Medium produces 81 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-13400F bottlenecking the Intel Arc B390?

A: No. The data indicates the opposite. The CPU has a 77th percentile ranking, while the GPU has a 9th percentile ranking. The frame rates drop consistently with resolution increases, confirming that the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: How does this combo compare to other CPU/GPU pairings in Fortnite?

A: The combo ranks 2417th out of 2740 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 12% of all tested combos, indicating that most other pairings deliver better performance in this game.

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

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 115 FPS while the Ultra preset averages 41 FPS. This represents a 74 FPS difference, or a 64% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B390 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared." The bandwidth is "System Dependent," meaning it relies on the system’s main memory rather than dedicated graphics memory.

Q: What is the CPU’s single-threaded performance relative to its rivals?

A: The i5-13400F has a Passmark single-thread score of 3634. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 25292 is within 0.4% of its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, Intel Core 5 120, AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, and AMD Ryzen 7 6800H.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1080p with the Low preset. This is the only setup that consistently delivers frame rates above 100 FPS, with an average of 115 FPS. This provides the smoothest experience for competitive play, where high frame rates are critical for responsiveness.

For users seeking better visual quality at 1080p, the Medium preset is a viable option, averaging 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS. This stays above the 60 FPS threshold and provides improved visuals over Low. The High preset at 1080p, averaging 63 FPS, is the highest quality setting that remains playable, though it leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only recommended option, averaging 73 FPS. This is playable but offers a significant visual downgrade from 1080p Medium. The Medium preset at 1440p, averaging 51 FPS, is not recommended for competitive play as it dips below the 60 FPS target. All settings at 4K are not recommended, as the highest average FPS at that resolution is 39 FPS on Low, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely. Even at 1080p, it only averages 41 FPS, and it drops to 14 FPS at 4K. The performance cost of Ultra settings is disproportionate to the visual benefits, given the GPU’s limitations. The data suggests that this combo is best utilized at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, prioritizing frame rate over graphical fidelity.