Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks near the bottom of the database for Red Dead Redemption 2, holding position 3430 out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, indicating that this pairing struggles significantly with this particular title. The benchmark results show a system that can manage playable framerates only under the most forgiving settings and resolutions, with performance falling off sharply as graphical demands increase.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 3430 out of 3714 tested combinations places this system firmly in the lower percentile of tested hardware for Red Dead Redemption 2. This is a poor showing, with only 284 combos performing worse. The data suggests that this pairing is not well-suited for the game’s demands, and users should expect significant compromises in visual fidelity or resolution to achieve acceptable performance.

When examining the individual component benchmarks, the CPU holds up reasonably well in general compute tasks, scoring an average benchmark score of 21484, which places it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. However, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, with an average benchmark score of 1184, placing it in just the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This massive disparity in relative performance explains why the combo ranks so low in a game that is heavily dependent on graphics processing power.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, which scores 21440 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Xeon D-1746TER at 21635 (0.7% higher). These are all within a narrow performance band, showing that the Ryzen 5 2600 is a competent mid-range processor in general workloads. The GPU, however, is in a completely different class, with its nearest rivals being legacy parts like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher) and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher). This comparison underscores the GPU’s position as a very low-end part in the current landscape.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary limiting factor in this configuration. Its specifications reveal a part designed for low-power, integrated-style operation rather than high-end gaming. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, which seems adequate on paper, but its memory configuration tells a different story. The memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means its performance is tied to the speed of the system’s DDR4 memory.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, a game known for its large open world and detailed textures, the lack of dedicated VRAM is a severe handicap. The GPU’s shading units total 1280, with 40 texture mapping units and 20 raster output units. It also has 10 ray tracing cores, but the overall throughput is limited, with a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, which is modest for modern gaming. The GPU’s 25 W TDP confirms its low-power nature, and its slot width of IGP indicates it is intended as an integrated graphics processor, likely for portable devices.

The benchmark data for the GPU shows a single result: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. This score is very low, and the GPU’s nearest rivals are all much older parts, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and AMD Radeon HD 7650M. This positions the Arc B370 far below the performance level required for smooth gameplay in a demanding title like Red Dead Redemption 2 at high settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 47 FPS, which is the highest result in the entire dataset. This is the only resolution and settings combination that approaches a playable framerate. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average FPS drops to 35, a 25.5% decrease. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average further drops to 23 FPS, a 51.1% decrease from the 1080p Low result.

This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. When the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must render grows exponentially, and the Arc B370’s limited memory bandwidth and processing power are quickly overwhelmed. The CPU, while not a high-end part, is not the limiting factor at these settings; the GPU’s inability to keep up with the increased pixel workload is the dominant constraint.

The gap between settings levels also widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 26 FPS (47 vs 21). At 1440p, the difference is 19 FPS (35 vs 16). At 4K, the difference is 13 FPS (23 vs 10). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU can still feed the GPU enough data to see some benefit from higher settings, but at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even lowering settings from Low to Ultra yields only a small absolute framerate improvement.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average framerate this combo can achieve in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The highest average framerate recorded is 47 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 40 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s general performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 21484. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, scores 21440, which is 0.2% lower. The Intel Xeon D-1746TER scores 21635, which is 0.7% higher.

Q: Is this system capable of running the game at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution, the average framerates range from 10 FPS on Ultra settings to 23 FPS on Low settings. These results are far below the standard for smooth gameplay, indicating that 4K is not a viable option for this combo.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile ranking?

A: The Intel Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 1184. This places it among the lowest-performing graphics processors.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Medium settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low setting yields an average of 47 FPS, while the Medium setting yields an average of 35 FPS. This represents a 12 FPS drop when moving from Low to Medium.

Q: Does the CPU have a high core count for multitasking?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. This is a standard mid-range configuration for its generation.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only viable settings for acceptable performance are at 1920x1080 with Low quality. At this configuration, the average framerate is 47 FPS, which is the sole result above 40 FPS. While this is not ideal for a fast-paced action game, it is the only way to achieve a playable experience. The Medium setting at 1080p drops the average to 35 FPS, which is playable but may feel less smooth, especially in busy scenes. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium 1080p is 30, which is still within the bounds of playability for many users.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the Low setting yields an average of 35 FPS, which might be acceptable for some players, but the minimum FPS is not recorded for this configuration. Given the data, the best experience for a balance of visual quality and performance would be to stick with 1080p. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 12 FPS on average, which is a significant sacrifice for a modest graphical improvement. The High setting at 1080p drops the average to 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra setting at any resolution is not recommended, as it results in average framerates between 10 and 21 FPS, which is a slideshow.

For users who prioritize smoothness over visuals, the 1080p Low preset is the clear choice. For those who want a slightly better image, the 1080p Medium preset offers an average of 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS, which is still within a playable range. Anything above Medium at 1080p, or any setting at 1440p or 4K, will result in a subpar experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen architecture, specifically the Zen+ (Pinnacle Ridge) refresh. It operates at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. The CPU has a 16 MB shared L3 cache, along with 512 KB of L2 cache per core and 96 KB of L1 cache per core. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration and has a memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s.

In general compute benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 2600 performs well for its class. It scores 1248 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 157.3 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 5648 multi-core and 1154 single-core. These scores place it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, showing that it is a solid mid-range processor. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V and Intel Core i9-11900H, which have average scores within 0.5% of the Ryzen 5 2600.

For Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU. The game is known to be demanding on both components, but the Arc B370 is so weak that the CPU has significant headroom to spare. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 47 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited or at least balanced. However, as the resolution increases and the GPU becomes more saturated, the CPU’s performance becomes less relevant. The CPU’s 12 threads are sufficient for the game’s AI and physics calculations, and its single-thread performance is adequate for the game’s main loop. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, as evidenced by the drastic FPS drops at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system’s performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. The highest average framerate is 47 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest average framerate is 10 FPS, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

At 1920x1080 resolution, the settings results are as follows:

• Low: 47 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: 35 FPS average, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS.
• High: 29 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: 21 FPS average, no min/max recorded.

At 2560x1440 resolution:

• Low: 35 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: 26 FPS average, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS.
• High: 22 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: 16 FPS average, no min/max recorded.

At 3840x2160 resolution:

• Low: 23 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: 17 FPS average, with a minimum of 15 FPS and a maximum of 20 FPS.
• High: 14 FPS average, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: 10 FPS average, no min/max recorded.

The data shows a consistent trend: each step up in resolution from 1080p to 1440p to 4K reduces the average FPS by roughly 25-30% at each settings level. For example, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 47 to 35 to 23. This pattern persists across all settings, confirming that the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the primary constraint. The minimum and maximum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings, showing a variance of about 10 FPS at 1080p and 8 FPS at 1440p, which suggests some frame pacing issues but not catastrophic stuttering. Overall, the measured data paints a clear picture of a system that is only suitable for low-resolution, low-detail gaming in this title.