Fortnite

Fortnite with the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces a headline figure of 432 FPS at 1080p Low settings, a result that places this pairing at rank 231 out of 3700 tested combinations in the database. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p the processor's 12 cores and 20 threads are sufficient to keep the RTX 4080 fed, yielding frame rates that exceed the refresh rates of most high-end displays. This analysis walks through the measured FPS rows to explain how the components scale across resolutions and settings, and where the bottleneck shifts.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Fortnite?

A: The highest average FPS is 432, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i7-12700K and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-13600T. It is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i7-13700T.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 falls in the 86th percentile, meaning it outperforms 86% of all GPUs in the database based on average benchmark scores.

Q: What is the only setting preset at 4K that provides a minimum FPS above 60?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution, the Medium preset is the only one with a recorded minimum FPS above 60, with a min of 87 FPS and an average of 102 FPS.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU and GPU?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has a launch MSRP of $384, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has a launch MSRP of 1,199 USD.

Q: How does the combo rank within the entire database for this game?

A: The combo ranks 231st out of 3700 tested combos, placing it in the top 6.2% of all tested systems for Fortnite.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing, equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The card's 9728 shading units and boost clock of 2505 MHz are the primary drivers of raw rendering throughput. In Fortnite, this translates to a massive performance envelope, but the data shows that the GPU's role shifts dramatically depending on the resolution.

At 4K, the GPU is unquestionably the limiting factor. The jump from Low to Ultra settings at 3840x2160 shows a drop from 145 FPS to 52 FPS, a reduction of 93 FPS. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4080's compute resources are being saturated by the increased pixel count and visual complexity. The memory bandwidth is also a key factor here; the 716.8 GB/s is sufficient to feed the GPU at 4K, but the sheer workload of rendering Fortnite's environments at that resolution caps the average FPS at 145 even on Low settings.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS is the theoretical ceiling for shading work, and the measured results at 1440p and 1080p show that the card is not fully utilized until the resolution drops. The data indicates a clear pattern: the RTX 4080 is designed to handle high refresh rates at 1440p and 1080p, where its computational power can shine without being bottlenecked by the CPU. At 1080p Low, the GPU is likely idling at times, waiting for the CPU to deliver draw calls, which is why the FPS reaches 432 but does not go higher.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a pronounced scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the average FPS at Low settings drops from 432 to 275 to 145, respectively. This is a 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K. These percentages highlight that the performance cost of each resolution step is not linear; the jump to 4K is disproportionately expensive.

At High settings, the scaling is similar but with a lower starting point: 236 FPS at 1080p, 150 FPS at 1440p, and 79 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47%, mirroring the Low setting pattern almost exactly. This consistency suggests that the GPU is handling the resolution scaling in a predictable manner, and the CPU is not introducing any additional variance at higher resolutions.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling. At 1080p, the average is 156 FPS; at 1440p, it drops to 99 FPS (a 37% reduction); and at 4K, it falls to 52 FPS (a 47% reduction from 1440p). This pattern indicates that the RTX 4080 is the sole bottleneck at Ultra settings across all resolutions, as the CPU has more than enough headroom to process the game logic. The data points to a system where the limiting component is the GPU at 1440p and 4K, but at 1080p, the CPU becomes a more significant factor, especially at lower settings where the GPU is not fully taxed.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of which presets offer the best balance of visual quality and frame rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers an average of 304 FPS with a minimum of 259 FPS, which is an excellent experience for competitive play. The Low preset pushes to 432 FPS, but the visual fidelity is significantly reduced, and the gain over Medium is 128 FPS, which may not be worth the graphical compromise for most users. The High preset at 236 FPS is still well above the 144Hz threshold, making it a viable option for those who prefer better visuals.

At 1440p, the Medium preset stands out as the best option, with an average of 194 FPS and a minimum of 165 FPS. This ensures that the frame rate never drops below the 165Hz refresh rate common on many 1440p monitors. The High preset at 150 FPS is also playable, but the minimum FPS is not recorded, so there is some uncertainty about frame pacing. The Low preset at 275 FPS is overkill for most displays, and the Ultra preset at 99 FPS is too low for a smooth competitive experience.

At 4K, the recommendation is clear: the Medium preset is the only one that guarantees a playable experience. With an average of 102 FPS and a minimum of 87 FPS, it is the only preset at this resolution that stays above the 60 FPS threshold consistently. The Low preset at 145 FPS is playable but sacrifices too much visual quality. The High preset at 79 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 52 FPS is not recommended for any serious play. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot across all resolutions, offering the best balance of performance and visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings shows the system's potential. Low settings produce an average of 432 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium settings yield an average of 304 FPS, with a minimum of 259 FPS and a maximum of 350 FPS. High settings drop the average to 236 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 156 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 276 FPS, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the numbers scale down proportionally. Low settings average 275 FPS, Medium settings average 194 FPS with a minimum of 165 FPS and a maximum of 223 FPS, High settings average 150 FPS, and Ultra settings average 99 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 176 FPS, a smaller delta than at 1080p, which shows the GPU is becoming more constrained.

At 3840x2160, the results are the most telling. Low settings average 145 FPS, Medium settings average 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 118 FPS, High settings average 79 FPS, and Ultra settings average 52 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 93 FPS, the smallest of all resolutions. This confirms that at 4K, the GPU is the primary limiting factor, and even the low preset cannot push the average above 145 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 87 FPS is the only recorded minimum above 60 at 4K, making it the only safe choice for a consistent experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF 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. Its benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071. This places the CPU in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365.

In Fortnite, the CPU's role is to process game logic, physics, and draw calls. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU is capable of rendering far more frames than the CPU can feed. The 432 FPS average at 1080p Low is likely near the CPU's maximum frame generation capability in this scenario. The processor's 20 threads are more than sufficient for Fortnite, which is not a heavily threaded game, but the single-core performance is critical for maintaining high frame rates.

The boost clock of 5.00 GHz is the key specification here, as it allows the CPU to handle the single-threaded workload of Fortnite's game engine. The 3dmark_2_threads score of 2065 indicates strong dual-core performance, which is often the most important factor for esports titles. The CPU's 25 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with quick data access, reducing latency. At higher resolutions, the CPU's role diminishes, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck, but the data shows that the i7-12700KF is never the limiting factor at 1440p or 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 231st out of 3700 tested combos for Fortnite, placing it in the top 6.2% of all tested systems. This is a strong showing, but it is not at the very top of the leaderboard. The ranking suggests that there are 230 other combinations that produce higher average FPS in this game, likely including newer CPUs with higher single-core performance or GPUs with faster memory.

The CPU's nearest rivals show that it is competitive within its class. The Intel Core i7-13700T has an average benchmark score of 35403, which is 0.1% higher than the i7-12700KF. The Intel Core i5-13600T is 0.2% lower, and the Intel Core i7-12700K is 0.2% lower. This indicates that the i7-12700KF is essentially tied with its immediate peers, and the differences in synthetic benchmarks are negligible.

The GPU's nearest rivals paint a similar picture. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% higher. These are small deltas, but they suggest that the RTX 4080 is not the absolute top-tier GPU in the database. The combo's rank of 231 is likely influenced by the GPU's 86th percentile standing, as the CPU's 85th percentile is slightly lower. The data indicates that this combo is well-balanced, but there is room for improvement at the very top of the rankings, which would require a higher-performing CPU or GPU.