Fortnite

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 lands at rank 2137 out of 2740 tested combos in Fortnite. That places this pairing firmly in the lower-middle of the database, meaning it will handle the game but will not deliver top-tier frame rates at demanding settings. The measured data confirms this: at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 188 FPS average, which is smooth for competitive play, but at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, it drops to 23 FPS average, which is essentially unplayable. The rank reflects this broad range of capability—strong at low resolutions and low presets, weak at high resolutions and high presets. Compared to the full field of tested combinations, this setup is positioned for 1080p gaming and esports-style settings rather than maxed-out visuals or 4K experiences.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2137 out of 2740 tested combinations places it in the 78th percentile from the bottom, or roughly the 22nd percentile from the top. In practical terms, this means most other CPU-GPU pairings in the database outperform it in Fortnite, but it is far from the worst. The data shows a wide spread in measured FPS across resolutions and settings, which explains the middling rank. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo hits 188 FPS average, which would be considered excellent for fast-paced Battle Royale play. However, at 3840x2160 Ultra, the 23 FPS average is among the lowest outputs for any modern setup, dragging the overall rank down.

The rank also reflects the balance between the two components. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a capable desktop processor with a percentile ranking of 89 among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 89% of tested processors in general benchmarks. The RTX 2060, by contrast, sits at the 58th percentile among GPUs, which is closer to the median. This mismatch means the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower settings, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution and visual fidelity increase. In Fortnite, which is relatively light on CPU demands compared to other titles, the GPU’s limitations show quickly—hence the rank sitting in the lower half.

When looking at the nearest rivals for each component, the CPU is nearly identical in average benchmark score to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (deltaPct 0.1) and Intel Core i9-13900HX (deltaPct -0.1). The GPU, meanwhile, is statistically tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (deltaPct 0) and AMD Radeon 680M (deltaPct 0.1). These close margins mean the combo’s in-game ranking is not dictated by a single weak link but by the combination’s overall ceiling. In Fortnite, that ceiling is about 188 FPS at 1080p Low, which is respectable for high-refresh monitors at competitive settings, but the floor of 23 FPS at 4K Ultra is a stark reminder of the hardware’s limits.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 features 14 cores and 14 threads, a configuration that relies on performance cores without hyper-threading. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, boosting up to 5.00 GHz, which provides strong single-thread performance—critical for Fortnite’s engine, which favors a few fast cores over many slower ones. The CPU’s benchmark scores support this: a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and a multi-core score of 14769. In Fortnite, the single-core score matters more because the game’s frame pacing and physics calculations often run on one or two threads. The 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures that those threads have enough headroom to keep the GPU fed, especially at lower resolutions where CPU overhead is more visible.

The processor’s L3 cache is 24 MB shared, and each core has 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 cache. This cache hierarchy helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for Fortnite’s frequent asset streaming during matches. The CPU supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which is more than sufficient for this game. The 65 W TDP indicates an efficient part, and the 3 nm process node from TSMC (with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die) keeps power draw low, though TDP is not a direct performance metric.

In terms of relative CPU performance, the Core Ultra 5 235 sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (avgScore 46030, deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (avgScore 46098, deltaPct -0.1). These differences are negligible, meaning the CPU is not a differentiator in Fortnite—it will perform similarly to those parts. However, the CPU’s role in this combo is to avoid becoming a bottleneck at 1080p Low, where the 188 FPS average suggests it is doing its job. At higher resolutions, the CPU’s workload decreases because the GPU takes longer to render each frame, so even a weaker CPU would show similar FPS at 4K.

The integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU) are present but irrelevant for this discrete GPU setup. The CPU has 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, which provides ample bandwidth for the RTX 2060 over PCIe 3.0 x16. Overall, the CPU is a strong partner for this GPU in Fortnite, but its power is somewhat wasted at higher settings where the GPU is the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process. It has 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, along with 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. The base clock is 1365 MHz, with a boost clock of 1680 MHz. Memory is 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a critical limitation for Fortnite at higher resolutions, where 6 GB of VRAM can be constrained, especially with Ultra textures and effects.

The GPU’s benchmark scores show a mixed picture. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 1242, which is low by modern standards. PassMark G3D score is 14111, and the GPU’s percentile ranking is 58 among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (avgScore 15283, deltaPct 0) and the AMD Radeon 680M (avgScore 15270, deltaPct 0.1), which are older or integrated parts. The RTX 3050 OEM (avgScore 15199, deltaPct 0.6) and Radeon RX 7600 (avgScore 15171, deltaPct 0.8) are also close, indicating that the RTX 2060 performs near these newer budget cards in synthetic tests.

In Fortnite, the GPU’s role becomes dominant as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 Low, the 188 FPS average shows the GPU can push frames quickly, but the CPU is also doing its part. At 1920x1080 High, the average drops to 103 FPS, showing that visual settings have a significant impact. At 2560x1440, the GPU struggles more: Low yields 120 FPS, but High drops to 65 FPS. At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmed—Low yields 63 FPS, Medium drops to 45 FPS (with a min of 38), High bottoms out at 35 FPS, and Ultra is 23 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RTX 2060’s 6 GB VRAM and 336 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K Ultra, where the game likely exceeds the VRAM buffer, causing severe frame rate drops.

The GPU’s FP32 performance is 6.451 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 80.64 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s. These specs are modest for 2025, but Fortnite is not the most demanding game. The RTX 2060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which is important for Fortnite’s newer features, but the hardware is not strong enough to leverage them at high settings. The 160 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU are reasonable, but the GPU is end-of-life, meaning no future driver optimizations are likely. For Fortnite, the GPU is the limiting factor at any setting above 1080p Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of this combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results: Low averages 188 FPS, Medium averages 133 FPS (with a min of 113 and max of 153), High averages 103 FPS, and Ultra averages 68 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the combo can handle competitive play (Low) and even high refresh rate monitors (High at 103 FPS is playable). Medium offers a good middle ground, with the min FPS of 113 staying above 60, ensuring smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low averages 120 FPS, which is still good for a 1440p monitor, but Medium drops to 84 FPS (min 72, max 97), High to 65 FPS, and Ultra to 43 FPS. The step from Low to Medium at 1440p costs 36 FPS, showing that the GPU’s fill rate is a bottleneck. High at 65 FPS is borderline for smooth play, and Ultra at 43 FPS is not ideal for a fast-paced game. The min FPS at Medium (72) is still above 60, but the average is below what competitive players would prefer.

At 3840x2160, the combo is largely out of its depth. Low averages 63 FPS, which is barely playable, but Medium drops to 45 FPS (min 38, max 51), High to 35 FPS, and Ultra to 23 FPS. The min FPS of 38 at Medium indicates noticeable stutters, and anything below 60 FPS is suboptimal for Fortnite’s building mechanics. Ultra at 23 FPS is practically a slideshow. These results confirm that the RTX 2060 cannot sustain playable frame rates at 4K for this game, regardless of settings, except possibly at Low with some compromises.

Comparing resolutions, the jump from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings costs 68 FPS (188 to 120), while the jump from 1440p to 4K at Low costs another 57 FPS (120 to 63). This steep drop-off is typical for a GPU with 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus. The settings presets also show a consistent pattern: Low to Medium costs roughly 30-40% performance, Medium to High another 20-30%, and High to Ultra another 30-40%. For example, at 1080p, the sequence is 188→133→103→68 FPS, a steady decline. The only exception is at 4K, where Low (63) to Medium (45) is a 29% drop, but High (35) and Ultra (23) continue the trend.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Fortnite?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently exceeds 60 FPS across all settings. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium do so (120 and 84 FPS), while High and Ultra fall below 65 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low reaches 63 FPS, with all other settings below 45 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run Fortnite at 1440p with high settings?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 65, which is above 60 but not by a large margin. The min FPS is not listed, but the Medium preset shows a min of 72, so High likely dips lower. For consistent smoothness, 1440p Medium (84 FPS average) is safer, but High is technically playable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098). These differences are negligible, so performance in Fortnite would be nearly identical.

Q: Is the RTX 2060’s 6 GB VRAM enough for Fortnite?

A: The measured data suggests that 6 GB is sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, where the combo achieves playable FPS up to High settings. At 4K, however, the VRAM appears insufficient, as even Low settings yield only 63 FPS and Medium drops to 45 FPS, likely due to memory capacity and bandwidth limits.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve?

A: The highest measured average is 188 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 133 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 120 FPS at 1440p Low. No other configuration exceeds 103 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested combos in Fortnite?

A: It ranks 2137 out of 2740 tested combos, placing it in the lower 22% of the database. This rank is driven by the GPU’s poor performance at high resolutions, despite the CPU’s solid 89th percentile showing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Fortnite is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, where the average FPS is 133 and the min is 113. This provides a significant margin above 60 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even during intense fights with many players building and shooting. The High preset at 1080p (103 FPS average) is also viable, but the drop from Medium to High costs 30 FPS, and the min FPS is not recorded, so Medium is the safer choice for consistent performance. For players with 240 Hz monitors, Low at 1080p (188 FPS) is the only way to approach that refresh rate, but the visual quality is reduced, making it harder to spot distant enemies.

At 2560x1440, the recommended setting is Medium, which averages 84 FPS with a min of 72. This keeps the frame rate above 60 at all times, which is important for Fortnite’s building and editing mechanics. High at 1440p (65 FPS) is borderline, and the lack of a min FPS suggests potential dips below 60. Ultra at 1440p (43 FPS) is not recommended, as it sacrifices too much smoothness. If a player insists on 1440p, Low (120 FPS) is the best for competitive play, but Medium offers a better balance of visuals and performance.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings provide an ideal experience. Low averages 63 FPS, which is technically playable but will have frequent dips, and Medium drops to 45 FPS with a min of 38, which is unplayable for a fast-paced game. High (35 FPS) and Ultra (23 FPS) are not viable. Therefore, 4K gaming with this combo should be avoided unless a player is willing to accept Low settings and occasional stuttering. The data clearly shows that this combo’s sweet spot is 1080p Medium, offering 133 FPS average and a min of 113, which is smooth, responsive, and visually acceptable for Fortnite. For those prioritizing frame rate above all else, 1080p Low at 188 FPS is the maximum performance available, but the visual tradeoff is significant.