Fortnite serves as a showcase for Unreal Engine 5. In 'Performance Mode', it runs on almost anything. However, enabling 'Lumen' (global illumination) and 'Nanite' (virtualized geometry) requires a powerful RTX 30/40 series GPU to maintain 60 FPS. The building mechanics also add a significant CPU load, especially in competitive end-games with dense player structures.
Actual FPS may vary based on RAM speed, background processes, and other system factors
Performance Report
At 1080p, all quality settings exceed 181 FPS, suitable for 144Hz+ monitors. At 1440p, all settings exceed 110 FPS. At 4K, all settings exceed 62 FPS.
The GeForce RTX 4090 is 136% above the recommended GPU (GeForce GTX 1080) for Fortnite. The Core i9-13900HX is 223% above the recommended CPU (Core i5-7300U).
At lower resolutions (all 1440p settings, all 4k settings), the Core i9-13900HX sets the FPS ceiling. As graphical load increases at (1080p (medium/high)), the GeForce RTX 4090 becomes the FPS-limiting side. The FPS ceiling is closely matched at 1080p (low/ultra).
This section is based on estimated CPU/GPU FPS ceilings, not utilization percentages.
At 4k low, the Core i9-13900HX sets the ceiling at about 134 FPS, while the GeForce RTX 4090 could reach 175 FPS. In this scenario, the CPU limits the GPU potential by 23% (FPS gap: 41 FPS). Overall distribution: CPU limits 9/12 cells, GPU limits 2/12, balanced 1/12.
Your Core i9-13900HX is the limiting side in the heaviest mismatch. This means part of the GeForce RTX 4090 rendering potential remains unused in those settings.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | Balanced | GPU Limits CPU 10% | GPU Limits CPU 12% | CPU Limits GPU 6% |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU Limits GPU 21% | CPU Limits GPU 17% | CPU Limits GPU 18% | CPU Limits GPU 18% |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU Limits GPU 23% | CPU Limits GPU 23% | CPU Limits GPU 22% | CPU Limits GPU 16% |
We estimate the maximum FPS the processor can sustain and the maximum FPS the graphics card can sustain in each setting, then compare those limits directly.
Limit Factor formula: (stronger - weaker) / stronger. Example: if CPU ceiling is 200 FPS and GPU ceiling is 140 FPS, then GPU limits CPU by 30%.
CPU Limits GPU means the processor ceiling is lower. GPU Limits CPU means the graphics ceiling is lower. Balanced means the FPS ceilings are close enough that the gap is negligible.
A component can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. The displayed percentages are derived from FPS ceilings, not generic utilization heuristics.
| Resolution | Low | Medium | High | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (Full HD) | CPU88% - 100% <> GPU28% - 56% <> | CPU77% - 94% <> GPU60% - 75% <> | CPU28% - 57% <> GPU63% - 94% <> | CPU28% - 55% <> GPU63% - 94% <> |
| 1440p (2K QHD) | CPU81% - 83% <> GPU38% - 65% <> | CPU75% - 76% <> GPU76% - 90% <> | CPU24% - 48% <> GPU95% - 98% <> | CPU24% - 48% <> GPU94% - 98% <> |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | CPU78% - 82% <> GPU39% - 65% <> | CPU72% - 73% <> GPU76% - 97% <> | CPU13% - 27% <> GPU100% - 100% | CPU13% - 29% <> GPU100% - 100% |
The Core i9-13900HX + GeForce RTX 4090 pairing runs this title with CPU utilization between 13% and 100% and GPU utilization between 28% and 100%. Core i9-13900HX reaches high load in heavier scenarios, while GeForce RTX 4090 carries most of the graphics load at heavier visual settings. As resolution scales, average GPU load rises from 67% at 1080p to 85% at 4K, while CPU averages move from 66% to 48%.
From a utilization perspective, this is a GPU-heavy load profile. At 4K (Ultra HD) High, the GeForce RTX 4090 averages 100% usage (100-100%), while the Core i9-13900HX stays at 20% (13-27%). This shows the graphics pipeline is carrying most of the workload, but utilization alone does not define the FPS limiter.
At 1080p, averages sit around CPU 66% and GPU 67%. At 1440p, that shifts to CPU 58% and GPU 82%, and at 4K it reaches CPU 48% and GPU 85%. This shows that workload scaling is present on both components, with stronger pressure on the GPU.
4K (Ultra HD) Medium is the most balanced preset based on this dataset. It runs around CPU 72% (72-73%) and GPU 86% (76-97%), which keeps GeForce RTX 4090 well utilized without constant max-out behavior while Core i9-13900HX remains stable for consistent frame delivery.
Both components are stressed near their limits in the heaviest presets (Core i9-13900HX: 94% avg, GeForce RTX 4090: 100% avg). A targeted upgrade should follow your target resolution: GPU first for higher image quality, CPU first for higher minimum FPS.
Understanding Hardware Utilization: These percentages represent how much of your component's maximum processing power is actively being used during gameplay. They describe hardware load, but they do not directly tell you which component sets the FPS ceiling.
Important: a CPU or GPU can still be the FPS limiter without reaching 100% utilization. Two processors can both show 40% usage and still deliver very different frame rates, depending on per-core speed, cache, engine threading, driver overhead, and frame preparation efficiency.
Data generated by our Machine Learning engine trained on real-world benchmarks. Shows the approximate average utilization at each setting.
See how your processor and graphics card compare against the game official minimum and recommended system specs. The placement of your hardware is calculated using relative synthetic performance scores to help you gauge overall playability.
Your CPU is 223% above and your GPU is 136% above the recommended specs. Ultra settings at 1080p, or High at 1440p/4K.
+223%vsrecommended
+136%vsrecommended
+562%vsminimum
+521%vsminimum
Yes, the Core i9-13900HX paired with the GeForce RTX 4090 can run Fortnite smoothly up to 4k achieving around 62 FPS at Ultra quality. Your GPU is 136% above the recommended specs, and your CPU is 223% above the recommended requirements.
Price data is not currently available for this combination. In general, look for setups where the CPU and GPU are balanced — this ensures you're not overspending on one component that the other can't keep up with.
Your Core i9-13900HX is already an incredibly powerful processor. While it's technically the first component to hit its limit (which is completely normal in state-of-the-art builds), there is no meaningful upgrade path that would drastically improve your Fortnite performance right now. CPU fully utilized at: 1440p low, 1440p medium, 1440p high, 1440p ultra, 4k low, 4k medium, 4k high, 4k ultra. GPU fully utilized at: 1080p medium, 1080p high.
Fortnite does not currently support Frame Generation technologies like DLSS 3 or FSR 3. Your performance is based entirely on native rendering. If the game adds support in a future update, newer GPUs will benefit the most.
Fortnite requires at minimum a Core i3-3225 (CPU) and GeForce GTX 960 (GPU) with 8 GB RAM and 30 GB storage. For the recommended experience, you need a Core i5-7300U and GeForce GTX 1080 with 16 GB RAM. Your Core i9-13900HX and GeForce RTX 4090 both exceed the recommended specs, so you're well-positioned for a great experience.
These Fortnite FPS results are not arbitrary numbers. They come from calculations informed by thousands of real gaming benchmarks, and the typical accuracy range is around 10% to 15%. That makes them far more useful than generic FPS calculators that simply invent values without a benchmark foundation. Actual in-game performance can still vary with drivers, updates, RAM configuration, cooling, and the exact scene being rendered.
Performance estimates are based on synthetic benchmarks and hardware capabilities.
Results may vary based on drivers, OS, and background processes.
