Fortnite

Fortnite, a Battle Royale title from 2017, presents a demanding scenario for the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination. The data for this pairing reveals a system that pivots sharply between extreme high-refresh-rate dominance at lower resolutions and a more measured, visually-focused experience at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured performance figures to understand where this combo excels and where its limitations become apparent.

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 from the Raptor Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and can boost up to 5.40 GHz. This high boost clock is a significant factor for Fortnite, a game that often relies heavily on single-thread performance. The processor's 30 MB of shared L3 cache also helps keep frequently accessed game data close at hand, reducing latency.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates its strength. It scores 5505 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 39000 in multi-core. Its 3DMark single-thread score is 1136, while the 16-thread score jumps to 10717. The data shows a clear scaling from 2-thread (2262) to 8-thread (8193) workloads, indicating good utilization of its physical cores. When compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-13700K sits in a tightly contested space; it is a mere 0.1% behind the Intel Core i7-13700KF and 0.4% behind the Intel Core i9-12900F in average benchmark scores. However, it is 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P.

The implication for Fortnite's measured results is that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck at lower resolutions. The high boost clock ensures the game logic and draw calls are processed swiftly, allowing the GPU to operate at its full potential. The data suggests a processor that is more than capable of feeding frames to the RTX 4070 SUPER, especially when the graphical load is lightened.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the database of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of CPU and GPU achieves a combo rank of 268 out of 1564 total combos for Fortnite. This places it in the top 17% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a high-end desktop configuration. The rank reflects the synergy between the two components, and the results indicate that they work well together to produce high frame rates.

The average benchmark score for the CPU is 47282, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. The GPU scores an average of 42576, putting it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. The combo rank of 268 suggests that while each component is individually powerful, their combined performance in Fortnite is better than the sum of their parts might suggest. This is likely due to the CPU's strong single-thread performance, which prevents it from holding back the GPU's frame generation. The data implies a balanced pairing where neither component is the primary limiting factor in most scenarios, though the balance shifts as resolution increases.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop reveals important information about the system's balance. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces a staggering 376.7 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, this drops to 240 FPS, a reduction of 36%. At 4K Low, the frame rate further declines to 123.5 FPS, another 49% drop from 1440p.

This scaling indicates that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound; the GPU is capable of rendering frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls. The 1440p resolution still shows a high frame rate, but the gap narrows. By 4K, the load shifts decisively to the GPU. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth become the determining factors. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is about 67%, which is a significant performance hit, but the absolute numbers remain playable. This demonstrates a system that is exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, while still being capable of 4K at lower settings.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the system is a powerhouse. The Low preset achieves an average of 376.7 FPS, clearly targeting the highest refresh rate displays. The Medium preset delivers 263.1 FPS, while the High preset produces 205.3 FPS. Even the demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 132.9 FPS, which is well above the 120 FPS threshold for many high-refresh monitors. The spread from Low to Ultra is a factor of 2.8, showing the significant impact of graphical settings on performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains excellent. The Low preset still delivers a very high 240 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 167.7 FPS, and High settings produce 130.2 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 89.1 FPS, which is still smooth for most players but requires a monitor with a 90Hz or higher refresh rate to fully exploit. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but not severe, making this resolution the sweet spot for a balance of visual fidelity and frame rate.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system's limits are tested. The Low preset manages an average of 123.5 FPS, which is surprisingly high and indicates the GPU can handle the pixel count when graphical effects are minimized. The Medium preset drops to 86.8 FPS, while High settings yield 66.6 FPS. The Ultra preset bottoms out at 44.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. This data shows that 4K gaming is viable with this combo, but only at lower to medium settings for a consistently smooth experience.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features a boost clock of 2475 MHz and is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus. This configuration provides a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is crucial for high-resolution textures and effects. The GPU's 7168 shading units and 56 RT cores contribute to its raw compute power, with an FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS.

In the context of Fortnite, the GPU's role becomes more critical as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, leading to the extremely high frame rates seen in the data. At 1440p, it starts to work harder, and the frame rate becomes more balanced with the CPU's output. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, and its 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's textures, but the sheer pixel count limits performance. The GPU's average benchmark score of 42576 places it in the 84th percentile. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, is just 0.2% ahead, showing that this card is at the top of its performance class. The data indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a highly capable card that only begins to struggle at the extreme 4K Ultra preset.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate of the display.

For 1920x1080 users with a 240Hz or higher monitor, the Medium preset at 263.1 FPS is the best choice, as it offers a significant visual improvement over Low (376.7 FPS) while still exceeding the refresh rate. For those with a 144Hz monitor, the High preset at 205.3 FPS is ideal, providing a great balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 132.9 FPS is also a viable option for 120Hz displays.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 130.2 FPS is the recommended sweet spot. It delivers excellent visual fidelity and remains above the 120 FPS mark. For players with 144Hz monitors, the Medium preset at 167.7 FPS will ensure the frame rate stays pinned to the refresh rate. The Low preset at 240 FPS is available for competitive play, but the visual compromise is significant.

For 3840x2160 displays, the data suggests that the Low preset at 123.5 FPS is the only way to achieve a high refresh rate experience. The Medium preset at 86.8 FPS is a more balanced choice for a 60Hz to 90Hz display, offering a much better visual experience than Low. The High preset at 66.6 FPS is playable but will dip below 60 FPS in intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 44.9 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay, as it falls below the standard 60 FPS target.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve over 200 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low and Medium presets deliver 376.7 FPS and 263.1 FPS, respectively. The High preset at 205.3 FPS also exceeds 200 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset at 240 FPS achieves this target.

Q: How does the processor's single-thread performance impact Fortnite?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz and scores 1136 in the 3DMark single-thread test. This high single-thread performance is critical for Fortnite, as it allows the CPU to keep up with the GPU's frame generation at lower resolutions, resulting in the very high frame rates observed at 1080p.

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

A: The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 44.9. The RTX 4070 SUPER, with its 12 GB of VRAM and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, becomes the primary bottleneck at this resolution and settings level, as the pixel count overwhelms its capabilities.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 268 out of 1564 tested combinations in Fortnite. This places it in the top 17% of all systems in the database.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Low preset compared to the 4K Low preset?

A: The 1080p Low preset achieves 376.7 FPS, while the 4K Low preset achieves 123.5 FPS. This represents a 67% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 SUPER outperform the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE in this game?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 42576, while the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE has an average score of 42723, making the RX 7650 GRE 0.3% faster in synthetic benchmarks. However, the measured in-game FPS data for this specific combo shows the RTX 4070 SUPER is capable of high frame rates, and in-game performance can differ from synthetic tests.