Fortnite

Fortnite, a Battle Royale title released in 2017, remains a demanding benchmark for modern hardware. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, based on measured frame rate data across various resolutions and settings presets. The data indicates a configuration that is capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, revealing a clear performance bottleneck that shifts depending on the resolution and quality settings selected.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a dramatic and consistent decline as resolution increases, which is the expected behavior for a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 188 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 120 FPS, a reduction of 36%. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 63 FPS, which is only 33.5% of the 1080p Low result. This steep scaling curve strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The pattern persists across all settings presets. For High settings, the frame rate drops from 103 FPS at 1080p to 65 FPS at 1440p, and then to 35 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result is a mere 34% of the 1080p High performance. This consistent proportional drop across different quality levels reinforces that the rendering resolution is the dominant variable affecting performance, with the GPU's computational and memory bandwidth limits being reached far sooner at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to reach high frame rates, but as resolution increases, the GPU's workload expands exponentially. The RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus, begins to saturate, causing the frame rate to plummet. The gap between 1080p and 1440p performance is significant, but the gap between 1440p and 4K is even more severe, indicating a non-linear scaling behavior typical of a GPU hitting its memory bandwidth or shader processing ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested hardware combinations for Fortnite, this specific pairing of Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2137 out of 2740 combinations. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, indicating that while capable of playing the game, it is not a top-tier performer in this specific title. The rank suggests that many other CPU and GPU combinations deliver higher average frame rates.

The CPU itself performs well in general benchmarks, with an average benchmark score of 48995 and a percentile ranking of 90th among all CPUs. This indicates the processor is a strong component. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which have average scores of 49196 and 49228, respectively. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 trails these by 0.4% and 0.5%, while leading the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8%. This shows the CPU is not the source of the combo's lower ranking.

The GPU, however, has a percentile ranking of only 58th among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 15290, which is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, which scores 15283. This puts the RTX 2060 in a mid-range performance tier. The low combo ranking is likely a direct result of the GPU's mid-pack performance level, which, when paired with a high-end CPU, still limits overall gaming frame rates, especially in a demanding title like Fortnite.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture and features 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. It operates at a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. The card's memory configuration consists of 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. These specifications are moderate by modern standards, and the benchmark results reflect this.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a mixed profile. Its PassMark G3D score is 14111, which is respectable for 1080p gaming. However, its DirectX 12 score is only 53, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1242. These lower scores for modern APIs suggest the card may not be optimized for the latest rendering techniques. The RTX 2060 does have 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores, providing hardware support for ray tracing and DLSS, but the game results do not show these features being leveraged for high frame rates at higher resolutions.

The data shows that the RTX 2060 is the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K. At 4K Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 23 FPS, which is unplayable. Even at 4K Low, the card only manages 63 FPS. The 6 GB of VRAM may also be a limiting factor at 4K, where texture demands can exceed this amount, potentially causing stuttering or texture pop-in. The GPU's performance is best utilized at 1080p, where it can deliver high frame rates, but its architectural limits become apparent as the resolution climbs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination performs well across all settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 188 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. The Medium preset averages 133 FPS, with a minimum of 113 and a maximum of 153 FPS, providing a smooth experience. High settings reduce the average to 103 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset, however, brings the average down to 68 FPS, showing a significant performance cost for maximum visual quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops considerably. Low settings average 120 FPS, which is still good for high refresh rate monitors. Medium settings average 84 FPS, with a range of 72 to 97 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 65 FPS, which is adequate but not ideal for competitive play. Ultra settings at 1440p average just 43 FPS, making this preset impractical for smooth gameplay on this hardware.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 is clearly overburdened. Low settings average 63 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Medium settings average 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS. High settings average only 35 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 23 FPS. These 4K results are generally unplayable for a fast-paced game like Fortnite, confirming that this resolution is beyond the capabilities of this GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The processor features 24 MB of shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This is a powerful modern CPU, as evidenced by its strong synthetic benchmark scores.

In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 32924 in multi-core and 4648 in single-core tests. These scores indicate excellent multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. The PassMark multithread score is 38706, and the single-thread score is 4394. This level of performance is more than sufficient for gaming, where the CPU is often not the bottleneck at lower resolutions. The processor's high boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensures strong performance in lightly-threaded game workloads.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this system for most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 188 FPS, which is a high frame rate that demands significant CPU processing for game logic and draw calls. The fact that it can reach this level indicates the CPU is keeping up. However, the most telling evidence is the ranking of the CPU itself; it is in the 90th percentile, while the GPU is in the 58th percentile. This discrepancy confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions where the CPU's workload relative to the GPU's decreases.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve high frame rates?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At Low settings, the combo averages 188 FPS, and even at High settings, it maintains 103 FPS, making it suitable for high refresh rate gaming.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Fortnite?

A: The measured results indicate it is not ideal. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 63, but at High settings, it drops to 35 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset averages only 23 FPS, which is not playable.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its direct rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995. It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 by 0.5%, while leading the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8%.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is in the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15290. This places it in the mid-range tier of graphics cards.

Q: Which component is the performance bottleneck at 1440p?

A: The data points to the GPU. At 1440p Medium, the frame rate is 84 FPS, but at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 43 FPS. The significant drop with increased settings indicates the RTX 2060's processing capabilities are the limiting factor.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1080p Medium?

A: The measured data shows an average of 133 FPS, with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS. This 40 FPS spread between minimum and maximum indicates some frame time variance, but the overall experience should be smooth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this hardware depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For competitive play at 1920x1080, the Low preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 188 FPS. This high frame rate minimizes input lag and provides the smoothest visual feedback for fast-paced action. The Medium preset at 1080p is also an excellent choice, offering a balance of visual fidelity and performance with an average of 133 FPS.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only recommended option for high refresh rate play, averaging 120 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p, averaging 84 FPS, is viable for a more visually rich experience if a 60 Hz monitor is used. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as they fall below 65 FPS, which can be a disadvantage in a competitive game.

At 4K, the data suggests that this combination is not suitable for a good experience. The Low preset is the only one that provides playable frame rates, averaging 63 FPS. However, this is still below the ideal threshold for competitive play. The Medium preset at 4K, averaging 45 FPS, and the High preset, averaging 35 FPS, are not recommended. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 23 FPS, is effectively unplayable.

For the best overall experience, the 1080p Medium preset is the recommended starting point. It provides a substantial visual improvement over Low while maintaining a high average of 133 FPS. If higher frame rates are needed for competitive play, dropping to Low at 1080p yields a significant performance boost. For visual quality, the 1080p High preset, at 103 FPS, is a good balance, but the Ultra preset at 1080p, at 68 FPS, is less ideal due to the frame rate falling below the 100 FPS mark that many gamers prefer.