Fortnite

Fortnite on the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a study in contrast: a high-end desktop processor with a strong synthetic benchmark profile, matched with an integrated-class GPU whose real-world gaming results are modest at best. The data in this pack shows a combination that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited, with the CPU’s substantial thread and core resources largely untapped by the game’s rendering demands at the settings and resolutions measured. This analysis will break down how each component contributes, how the pairing scales across resolutions, and where it stands among other tested combinations.

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The chip features a 30 MB shared L3 cache and per-core L2 and L1 caches of 2 MB and 80 KB, respectively. In synthetic benchmarks, this processor performs strongly: its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 30745, and its single-core score is 2116. Geekbench results show 19429 multi-core and 2529 single-core. PassMark’s multithread test yields 45887, with a single-thread score of 4333. The average benchmark score across all tests is 46881, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

Looking at nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-13700K, making the difference effectively negligible. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654, 0.5% lower. The Intel Xeon w3-2535 also scores 46653, 0.5% lower. These deltas are all under a single percentage point, indicating that the i7-13700K sits in a tightly competitive cluster for overall CPU performance.

In Fortnite, however, the CPU’s role is largely secondary. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, the average frame rate is 115 FPS. This is the highest result across all settings and resolutions, but it is still far below what this CPU could theoretically support in a balanced system. The bottleneck is clearly elsewhere. The processor’s 24 threads and 5.40 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient for Fortnite’s typical workload, which rarely scales beyond a few cores for game logic and draw calls. The data suggests that the i7-13700K is not the limiting factor in this combo; its performance headroom is vast, but the GPU cannot convert that headroom into higher frame rates.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, with the chip codename Panther Lake. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory is listed as "System Shared," meaning it uses the host system's RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS. The TDP is 80 W, and it is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a bus interface of IGP, meaning it occupies no expansion slot.

In the single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark available, the Arc B390 scores 1482 points. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, which is exceptionally low. Its nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA discrete cards: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% lower), the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% lower). While the Arc B390 is slightly ahead of these, the entire group sits at the very bottom of GPU performance charts. This context is critical: the Arc B390 is not a gaming GPU by any modern standard, and its integrated nature means it relies on system memory bandwidth, which is "System Dependent" and cannot be quantified here.

In Fortnite, the GPU’s limitations are stark. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 115, but this drops to 63 at High, 81 at Medium, and 41 at Ultra. These numbers are far below what a discrete GPU would deliver. The GPU’s 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is not the issue; rather, the shared memory architecture and lack of dedicated VRAM likely throttle performance when texture and geometry loads increase. The data indicates that the Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in every measured configuration, as the CPU could easily handle far higher frame rates.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 115. Moving to 1440p Low, it drops to 73, a 36.5% reduction. At 4K Low, the average is 39 FPS, which is a 66.1% drop from 1080p. This scaling is steep, indicating that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are being taxed heavily.

For Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 1080p Medium averages 81 FPS (with min 69, max 93), 1440p Medium averages 51 FPS (min 44, max 59), and 4K Medium averages 27 FPS (min 23, max 31). The percentage drops are 37.0% from 1080p to 1440p, and 66.7% from 1080p to 4K. High settings show 1080p at 63 FPS, 1440p at 40 FPS, and 4K at 21 FPS — drops of 36.5% and 66.7%, respectively. Ultra settings are the most punishing: 1080p Ultra averages 41 FPS, 1440p Ultra averages 26 FPS, and 4K Ultra averages 14 FPS, with reductions of 36.6% and 65.9%.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is telling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect smaller relative drops at higher resolutions, because the CPU workload would remain constant while GPU load increased. Instead, the FPS falls almost exactly in proportion to the pixel count increase (1440p has 1.78 times the pixels of 1080p, and 4K has 4 times the pixels). This proportionality confirms that the Arc B390 is the limiting component at every resolution and setting. The CPU is not constraining performance; it is waiting on the GPU to render each frame.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3289 out of 3700 tested combos in Fortnite. This places it in the bottom 11.1% of all combinations, which is a poor showing for a CPU that sits in the 89th percentile of processors. The discrepancy between CPU rank and combo rank highlights the GPU’s dominance in determining this game’s performance.

In the context of the GPU’s nearest rivals, this ranking makes sense. The Arc B390’s 3DMark score of 1482 puts it alongside entry-level discrete GPUs from over a decade ago. Those GPUs would also struggle to produce playable frame rates in Fortnite at modern settings. The combo’s rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU, and the i7-13700K’s powerful specs provide no benefit because the GPU cannot deliver frames fast enough for the CPU to matter.

The data suggests that this combo is fundamentally unbalanced. A user who selected the i7-13700K for its strong multi-threaded performance would find that Fortnite runs at 115 FPS at 1080p Low, which is playable but far from the high refresh rates that the CPU could support with a better GPU. The ranking reflects this mismatch, placing the combo near the bottom despite the CPU’s high percentile.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS achievable with this combo in Fortnite?

A: The highest average FPS across all measured points is 115 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 14, which is extremely low. The CPU’s performance (e.g., Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745) is far more than sufficient, but the Arc B390 cannot render frames fast enough at this resolution and setting.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 3289 out of 3700 tested combos in Fortnite, placing it in the bottom 11.1% of all combinations.

Q: Are there any measured FPS values for 4K Medium that include minimum and maximum?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 27, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31.

Q: How much does the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 63. At 4K High, it drops to 21, which is a 66.7% reduction.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only configuration that approaches playable frame rates is 1080p Low, which yields an average of 115 FPS. This is the clear best choice for a smooth experience, though it sacrifices visual quality. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 81 FPS, which is still playable but with a noticeable reduction in smoothness. The minimum FPS at Medium is 69, and the maximum is 93, indicating some variability. For users who prioritize frame rate stability, 1080p Low is recommended, as it does not provide min/max values but likely maintains a higher floor.

At 1440p, the best result is 73 FPS on Low settings, which is borderline for competitive play. Medium at 1440p averages 51 FPS with a minimum of 44, which may feel stuttery. High at 1440p averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS, both of which are below acceptable thresholds. At 4K, all settings produce averages below 40 FPS, with Ultra at 14 FPS being unplayable. The data clearly shows that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming and is only viable at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. For the best experience per the measured rows, 1080p Low is the optimal choice, with 1080p Medium as a fallback if visual fidelity is more important than frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 115 FPS (no min/max provided)
• Medium: Average 81 FPS, minimum 69 FPS, maximum 93 FPS
• High: Average 63 FPS (no min/max provided)
• Ultra: Average 41 FPS (no min/max provided)

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 73 FPS (no min/max provided)
• Medium: Average 51 FPS, minimum 44 FPS, maximum 59 FPS
• High: Average 40 FPS (no min/max provided)
• Ultra: Average 26 FPS (no min/max provided)

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 39 FPS (no min/max provided)
• Medium: Average 27 FPS, minimum 23 FPS, maximum 31 FPS
• High: Average 21 FPS (no min/max provided)
• Ultra: Average 14 FPS (no min/max provided)

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution reduces FPS by roughly one-third to two-thirds, depending on the step. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all settings drops by about 36-37%. From 1080p to 4K, the drop is about 66%. This scaling is uniform, reinforcing that the Arc B390 is the sole limiting factor. The CPU’s performance, as measured by its 89th percentile ranking and 46881 average benchmark score, has no influence on these results. The combo is what it is: a powerful CPU wasted on an integrated GPU that cannot deliver playable frame rates beyond 1080p Low.