Fortnite

The Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Arc B570 pairing in Fortnite delivers a performance profile that is heavily dictated by graphics settings and resolution, with the data showing a clear pattern: the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, but the Arc B570 becomes the limiting factor as resolution and settings increase. Benchmark results indicate that this combo ranks 2178 out of 2740 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-mid tier of all tested setups, a position that reflects the GPU’s modest standing rather than any CPU deficiency. The measured FPS ranges from a playable 176 average at 1080p Low to a barely functional 21 average at 4K Ultra, demonstrating that this system is best suited for competitive settings at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this CPU-GPU pairing in Fortnite?

A: The data shows the highest average FPS is 176 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 2560x1440 with High settings yields a 61 average FPS, while 1920x1080 with High settings achieves a 96 average FPS. The 4K resolution at any setting struggles, with the best 4K result being 59 average FPS at Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its closest rivals in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534, a delta of 0.1% (the B570 is slightly ahead). The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, placing the B570 0.1% behind it. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20662, making the B570 0.5% slower, while the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480, meaning the B570 is 0.4% faster.

Q: What is the CPU’s performance percentile, and how does it stack up against its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097. Its closest competitor, the Intel Core i9-14900KF, scores 79371, a delta of -0.3% (meaning the 14900K is 0.3% slower). The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574, a -0.6% delta. The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041, a -1.2% delta, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, meaning the 14900K is 1.7% faster.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration, and how does it affect Fortnite?

A: The Intel Arc B570 features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 2375 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed. This configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 21, indicating the memory bandwidth and capacity become a bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: What are the core and clock specifications of the Intel Core i9-14900K?

A: The CPU has 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. It features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor is built on Intel’s 10 nm process and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration.

Q: How does the combo rank in Fortnite compared to all other tested CPU-GPU combinations?

A: This specific pairing of the Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2178th out of 2740 total tested combos for Fortnite. This places it in the lower portion of the rankings, suggesting that while the CPU is high-end, the GPU limits the overall gaming experience in this title.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the primary determinant of Fortnite’s performance in this pairing. The GPU’s specifications are modest for modern standards, featuring 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units. It has 18 ray tracing cores, though the data does not include ray tracing-specific benchmarks for this game. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2500 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS, which is a moderate figure for a desktop GPU.

The memory subsystem is a key factor. With 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, the bandwidth is 380.0 GB/s. This is a relatively narrow bus width, which can limit performance in memory-intensive scenarios. In Fortnite, the data shows this becomes apparent at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU can maintain high frame rates, but as resolution increases, the average FPS drops significantly. For example, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 176, but at 4K Low, it falls to 59. This represents a 66% reduction in performance, highlighting the GPU’s memory bandwidth constraints.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range positioning. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2649. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 83514, and Vulkan score is 96844. The Passmark G3D score is 14195, with a GPU compute score of 7281. The GPU sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534, showing a 0.1% delta. This indicates the Arc B570 performs nearly identically to a mobile RTX 3070 in synthetic benchmarks, which explains its struggles with 4K gaming.

The GPU’s transistor count is 19,600 million on a 272 mm² die, fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process. It uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, which is half the lane width of many competing GPUs, though this does not appear to be the primary bottleneck in Fortnite based on the measured FPS data. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with modern game APIs.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. Going from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the average frame rates drop consistently, but the severity of the drop depends heavily on the settings level. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 176 at 1080p to 112 at 1440p to 59 at 4K. This represents a 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count rises.

At High settings, the average FPS is 96 at 1080p, 61 at 1440p, and 32 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%. This pattern is similar to Low settings, suggesting that the GPU’s memory bandwidth is the limiting factor rather than the shading units, as the relative performance drop is consistent across settings levels.

Medium settings show a similar trend: 124 average FPS at 1080p, 79 at 1440p, and 42 at 4K. The drops are 36% and 47%, respectively. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 64 average FPS at 1080p, 40 at 1440p, and 21 at 4K. Here, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 38%, and from 1440p to 4K is 48%.

The consistent ~36-38% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~47-48% drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller performance deltas at lower resolutions where the CPU has more headroom. Instead, the FPS scales almost linearly with pixel count, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s high performance, as indicated by its 95th percentile ranking, means it is not holding back the system until very low resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In Fortnite, the combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2178th out of 2740 tested combinations. This places it in the 79.5th percentile of all combos, meaning roughly 20% of tested systems perform worse. However, this ranking is skewed by the fact that the i9-14900K is a top-tier CPU, while the Arc B570 is a mid-range GPU. The ranking reflects the GPU’s limitations in this specific game, as the CPU’s potential is largely untapped.

The CPU’s individual standing is excellent. It is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097. Its nearest rivals include the i9-14900KF (79371, -0.3% delta), the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79574, -0.6% delta), and the AMD EPYC 7413 (80041, -1.2% delta). The 14900K is faster than the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (77740, 1.7% delta). This shows the CPU is among the fastest available, but in this combo, it is paired with a GPU that sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, 0.1% delta), Intel Arc A750 (20582, -0.1% delta), Quadro M4000M (20480, 0.4% delta), and Radeon R9 M390X (20662, -0.5% delta). These are all mid-range or older mobile/desktop parts, which contextualizes the combo’s 2178th ranking. The data indicates that this pairing is not optimized for high-end gaming, but rather for a budget-conscious build where the CPU can be retained for future GPU upgrades.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a flagship desktop processor from Intel’s Core 14th Gen series, built on the Raptor Lake architecture with a Raptor Lake-R codename. It features 24 cores and 32 threads, a configuration that provides substantial multi-threaded performance. The base clock is 3.20 GHz, and it can boost up to 6.00 GHz, which is among the highest boost clocks available. The CPU has a 125W TDP and supports ECC memory, though it is primarily aimed at enthusiasts and gamers.

The cache hierarchy is generous: 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. This large cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for games like Fortnite that have frequent data access patterns. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it uses PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes for the CPU.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i9-14900K scores impressively. In Cinebench R23, it achieves 39399.5 multi-core and 2262.5 single-core. Geekbench scores are 21697 multi-core and 2655 single-core. Passmark results include 58674 for multi-thread, 4697 for single-thread, and 210622 for integer math. These scores place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, confirming its high-end status.

In Fortnite, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The game is not particularly CPU-intensive compared to other titles, especially at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 176 average FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s limit for this game, but at higher resolutions, the CPU has plenty of headroom. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra is 21, which is far below what the CPU can deliver, indicating the GPU is the sole bottleneck. The CPU’s 32 threads and high boost clock ensure that even in intense battle scenarios with many players, the CPU will not stutter or cause frame drops.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 176 average FPS
• Medium: 124 average FPS (with min 106 and max 143)
• High: 96 average FPS
• Ultra: 64 average FPS

At 1080p, the system is capable of high refresh rate gaming, especially on Low settings where 176 average FPS exceeds most 144Hz monitors’ capabilities. Even Ultra settings, while lower, still provide a playable 64 average FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 64% reduction in performance, which is significant but expected for a GPU in this class.

At 2560x1440, the data shows:

• Low: 112 average FPS
• Medium: 79 average FPS (with min 67 and max 91)
• High: 61 average FPS
• Ultra: 40 average FPS

1440p is where the GPU starts to show its limitations. Low settings still provide a smooth 112 average FPS, but High settings drop to 61, which is borderline for competitive play. Ultra settings at 40 average FPS are not ideal for fast-paced gameplay. The jump from 1080p Low to 1440p Low represents a 36% drop, while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 38%, showing consistent scaling.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: 59 average FPS
• Medium: 42 average FPS (with min 35 and max 48)
• High: 32 average FPS
• Ultra: 21 average FPS

4K gaming is largely impractical with this combo. Even Low settings only achieve 59 average FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for most players. High settings drop to 32 average FPS, and Ultra is unplayable at 21 average FPS. The data shows that the Arc B570’s 10 GB of memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K Fortnite, especially at higher quality presets that increase texture detail and effects.

The minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings across all resolutions: 106 at 1080p, 67 at 1440p, and 35 at 4K. The max FPS for Medium settings are 143, 91, and 48 respectively. This suggests that while average FPS is consistent, there is some frame time variance, but not enough to cause major stuttering at lower resolutions. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with acceptable performance at 1440p on lower settings, and should be avoided for 4K unless the user is willing to sacrifice visual quality significantly.