Fortnite

Fortnite pairs the Intel Core i7-12700K with the Intel Arc B370, a combination that produces a stark contrast between a high-end desktop processor and an integrated graphics solution. The data shows that this system is fundamentally GPU-limited across nearly every resolution and setting tested, with the CPU’s substantial multi-threaded headroom largely left unused. The measured frames per second range from a playable 104 FPS at 1080p Low to an unplayable 13 FPS at 4K Ultra, making it clear that the Arc B370 is the decisive bottleneck. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on what the numbers reveal about component roles, resolution scaling, and optimal settings for this specific configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo, and at what settings?

A: The best result in the measured data is 104 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that breaks the 100 FPS barrier, indicating that the system’s ceiling is firmly tied to the graphics processor’s output at lower graphical loads.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc B370 scores 1184. This places it virtually tied with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, deltaPct -0.2%) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5%). The only competitor it beats is the AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168, deltaPct 1.4%), with a margin of 1.4%. This places the GPU in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, underscoring its entry-level positioning.

Q: What is the CPU’s percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, based on an average benchmark score of 35287. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-13600T, scores 35305, which is a delta of -0.1%, meaning the i7-12700K is effectively at parity with that chip. The data indicates that the processor is not the limiting factor in this gaming configuration.

Q: Can this system achieve a stable 60 FPS experience in Fortnite?

A: Yes, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 104, which comfortably exceeds 60. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average drops to 73 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold. However, at High settings on 1080p, the average falls to 57 FPS, which is below 60. At 1440p, only the Low preset (66 FPS) manages to stay above 60 FPS; all other settings at that resolution fall short.

Q: How does the GPU’s memory configuration affect performance?

A: The Intel Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory, with its bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the host system’s RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. This configuration likely contributes to the significant performance drop when moving from Low to Ultra settings, as the shared memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at higher graphical loads.

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU-GPU combo within Fortnite?

A: The combination ranks 2517 out of 2740 tested combos for this game. This places it in the lower portion of the database, reflecting the GPU’s weak standing (5th percentile) despite the CPU’s strong 84th percentile ranking. The result is a system that is heavily unbalanced for this title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 3 nm process. Its role in Fortnite is defined by its specifications: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. The GPU has 10 ray tracing cores, though its raw compute power is limited to 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. The boost clock reaches 2400 MHz, with a base clock of 300 MHz. The GPU’s memory is entirely "System Shared," meaning it pulls from the system’s DDR4 or DDR5 memory pool, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This is a critical factor because Fortnite’s visual complexity at higher presets demands substantial memory bandwidth, which the shared architecture may not consistently provide.

The benchmark results confirm that the Arc B370 is the primary constraint. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the GPU scores 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, score 1186 and 1190 respectively, showing that the Arc B370 performs at a level comparable to graphics solutions from over a decade ago. This is reflected in Fortnite: at 1080p Ultra, the system manages only 37 FPS, while at 1080p Low it reaches 104 FPS. The 67 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at the same resolution highlights how the GPU’s limited shading units and texture throughput are overwhelmed by higher graphical effects.

The GPU’s TDP is rated at 25 W, which is typical for an integrated solution, and it has no power connectors, reinforcing its low-power design. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are modest figures that align with the observed frame rates. For instance, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 13, indicating that the GPU cannot handle the pixel fill requirements of 3840x2160 with high-detail rendering. The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU’s performance scales poorly with resolution and settings, making it the definitive bottleneck in every measured scenario.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that decline is severe due to the GPU’s limitations. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 104. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 66 FPS, a reduction of 38 FPS or roughly 36.5%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 35 FPS, which is a further 31 FPS drop from 1440p, representing a 47% decrease. This scaling pattern suggests that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are saturated as pixel count rises, with the shared system memory likely compounding the issue.

For Medium settings, the same trend holds. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 73, with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84. At 1440p Medium, the average is 46 FPS (min 39, max 53), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 25 FPS (min 21, max 28). The delta between 1080p and 1440p is 27 FPS, and between 1440p and 4K it is 21 FPS. The percentage drops are consistent with a GPU that is struggling to maintain frame times as the render target expands. The min FPS values at Medium settings are particularly telling: at 4K, the minimum of 21 FPS indicates that the frame pacing is erratic, which would result in visible stutter during gameplay.

High settings show a similar but steeper decline. At 1080p High, the average is 57 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 36 FPS, and at 4K High, it plummets to 19 FPS. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 21 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 17 FPS. This pattern indicates that the GPU is hitting a hard ceiling, likely due to its 20 ROPs, which limit the rate at which pixels can be rasterized. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 37 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K Ultra is a 65% reduction in FPS, demonstrating that the GPU’s performance degrades rapidly with resolution.

The data clearly shows that the limiting component is the GPU, not the CPU. The i7-12700K has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz and 20 threads, which is more than sufficient for Fortnite’s engine at these frame rates. The FPS drops are almost entirely attributable to the Arc B370’s inability to process the increased pixel workload. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 104 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at that level. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the sole constraint, and the CPU’s headroom remains untapped.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides 12 distinct measurement points across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 104 FPS. Medium settings average 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 and a maximum of 84 FPS. High settings average 57 FPS. Ultra settings average 37 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with each preset tier costing roughly 30-40% of the previous tier’s performance. The 67 FPS gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, indicating that the GPU’s shading units (1280) and TMUs (40) are heavily taxed by the additional effects in Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the measured averages are: Low at 66 FPS, Medium at 46 FPS (min 39, max 53), High at 36 FPS, and Ultra at 24 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 39 FPS is notable, as it shows that even at a moderate preset, the frame rate can dip below 40, which is borderline for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced battle royale. The High preset at 36 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra at 24 FPS is only marginally playable. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is 38 FPS, which is a 36.5% reduction. At Ultra, the drop is 13 FPS, a 35% reduction. This consistency suggests that the GPU’s performance scales roughly linearly with pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low at 35 FPS, Medium at 25 FPS (min 21, max 28), High at 19 FPS, and Ultra at 13 FPS. The 4K Medium preset’s minimum of 21 FPS is particularly low, indicating that the system will struggle to maintain playable frame rates during intense combat scenarios with multiple players and building structures. The High preset at 19 FPS is effectively unplayable, and Ultra at 13 FPS is a slideshow. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 22 FPS, which is a 63% reduction, showing that the GPU’s resources are severely insufficient for 4K gaming.

The data also shows that the Medium preset is the only one with min and max FPS values recorded across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range is 62-84 FPS, a spread of 22 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 39-53 FPS, a spread of 14 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 21-28 FPS, a spread of 7 FPS. The shrinking range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming more consistently bottlenecked, with less variance in frame times because it is always operating at its maximum capacity. This is a sign of a GPU that is fully saturated, meaning any increase in resolution or settings will only reduce the average FPS further.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the user’s resolution and performance targets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 104 FPS, which is the only configuration that provides a high-refresh-rate experience. The Medium preset at 73 FPS is also viable for 60+ FPS gaming, with a minimum of 62 FPS ensuring that frame drops are rare. High settings at 57 FPS are borderline; the average is below 60, and there are no min/max values recorded, suggesting potential instability. Ultra at 37 FPS is not recommended for competitive play, as it falls below the 40 FPS threshold where most gamers would perceive sluggishness.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that achieves an average above 60 FPS, with a score of 66. Medium at 46 FPS is playable but not ideal, with a minimum of 39 FPS that could cause noticeable hitches. High at 36 FPS and Ultra at 24 FPS are both below acceptable levels for a fast-paced shooter. For 1440p users, the data suggests that Low settings are the only viable choice for maintaining responsiveness. The 20 FPS gap between Low and Medium at this resolution indicates that the GPU’s shared memory bandwidth is a significant constraint, as Medium settings likely increase texture detail and shadow complexity.

At 3840x2160, no preset is truly playable. Low at 35 FPS is the only configuration that approaches a playable level, but it still falls short of the 60 FPS target. Medium at 25 FPS, High at 19 FPS, and Ultra at 13 FPS are all too slow for practical use. The data strongly suggests that 4K gaming is out of reach for this combo, as even the lowest settings cannot maintain a stable 30 FPS in all situations. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 21, which would result in significant stuttering during building and combat.

Given the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking and its performance parity with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, the best experience is achieved at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. Low provides the highest frame rate for competitive play, while Medium offers a better visual balance at 73 FPS. For users seeking a balance between visuals and performance, the Medium preset at 1080p is the recommended choice, as it stays above 60 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS. High and Ultra presets should be avoided, as they push the GPU beyond its capabilities, resulting in sub-60 FPS averages and no recorded min/max data, which implies less stable frame delivery.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It features 25 MB of shared L3 cache, with 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with a dual-channel memory bus. Its integrated graphics are the UHD Graphics 770, but in this configuration, the discrete (or integrated) Arc B370 handles rendering. The processor’s benchmark results show a strong multi-threaded performance: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 19784, Geekbench multi-core scores 15790, and PassMark multi-thread scores 34404. Single-thread performance is also respectable, with Cinebench R23 single-core at 1850.5 and PassMark single-thread at 4013.

In the context of Fortnite, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, while the GPU renders the frames. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck in any scenario. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 104 FPS, which is a frame rate that requires a capable CPU to feed the GPU. The i7-12700K’s 20 threads and high boost clock are more than adequate for this task. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9276 and max-thread score of 9979 indicate that the CPU has significant headroom for multi-threaded workloads, which Fortnite can utilize for background tasks but not for the primary rendering pipeline.

The CPU’s percentile ranking of 84% places it well above the GPU’s 5th percentile. This disparity is the defining characteristic of this combo. The nearest rivals to the i7-12700K, such as the Intel Core i5-13600T (avg score 35305, deltaPct -0.1%) and the Intel Core i7-12700KF (avg score 35365, deltaPct -0.2%), show that the CPU is performing at its expected level. However, the GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5%), are from a different era, highlighting the vast performance gap between the two components.

The data suggests that the CPU is effectively idling in most Fortnite scenarios. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 13, which is a frame rate that a much weaker CPU could easily support. The i7-12700K’s single-thread performance, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2308 and a Cinebench R20 single-core score of 1726, ensures that it can handle the game’s main thread without issue. The CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample resources for any background processes, such as Discord or streaming software, without impacting game performance. In essence, the Core i7-12700K is overqualified for this GPU, and the system’s performance is entirely dictated by the Arc B370’s limits.