Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 presents a fascinating study in component balancing for Red Dead Redemption 2. The data shows a combination where a high-end GPU is paired with a mid-range CPU, yielding results that are heavily dependent on resolution and settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, the role of each component, and where this specific configuration ranks among the thousands of tested combinations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60 FPS average with High settings?

A: At 3840x2160 (4K) with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 60 FPS. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average jumps to 90 FPS.

Q: How much performance is gained by switching from Ultra to Low settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 87 FPS, while the Low preset averages 158 FPS. This represents a significant performance uplift of 71 FPS, or roughly 81% higher average frame rate.

Q: Does the CPU become a limiting factor at higher resolutions?

A: The data suggests the opposite. The average FPS drops from 158 at 1080p Low to 96 at 4K Low. This indicates that as resolution increases, the load shifts to the GPU, widening the performance gap and making the graphics card the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the combo's standing among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combination ranks 371st out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the top 10% of all tested systems for Red Dead Redemption 2 performance.

Q: How does the CPU's average benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600G has an average benchmark score of 17507. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE, has an average score of 17482, which is a negligible 0.1% difference.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 43, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra preset. This is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the clear performance driver in this configuration. Its specifications, including 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, provide a 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth. This is crucial for Red Dead Redemption 2, which features large, detailed open-world environments that demand high texture throughput. The GPU's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores further enhance its capability, though the game's performance here is primarily driven by its massive 9728 shading units.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 2205 MHz and a boost of 2505 MHz, allow it to maintain high throughput. The data shows that the RTX 4080 is powerful enough to handle the game at 4K with High settings, achieving exactly 60 FPS on average. This suggests that the GPU is being utilized to its full potential at this resolution. The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's highest textures, as evidenced by the performance at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 43 FPS, indicating the GPU is still the primary bottleneck rather than memory capacity.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its high-end status. With a Passmark G3D score of 34457 and an average benchmark score of 54247, it sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores nearly identically with a 0.1% delta. This indicates that within the context of this test, the RTX 4080 provides top-tier graphical processing power.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 158 FPS. This drops to 143 FPS at 1440p and further to 96 FPS at 4K. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario; the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, but as pixel count increases, the GPU's workload grows, and the frame rate drops accordingly.

The scaling is more dramatic at higher settings. For instance, with High settings, the FPS drops from 121 at 1080p to 90 at 1440p, and then to 60 at 4K. The incremental drop from 1440p to 4K is a 33% reduction, which is a significant cost for the increase in resolution. This suggests that the RTX 4080's rendering power is being fully taxed at 4K with these settings.

This pattern indicates that the limiting component in this combo is the GPU at all resolutions above 1080p. The CPU, while not top-tier, is sufficient to keep up with the GPU's demands at 1080p. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the performance is high, but the jump to 4K Low shows a 39% decrease in FPS, a clear indication that the GPU's fillrate and shading capabilities are the primary constraint as resolution scales.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance. Here is the exact breakdown:

1920x1080:

• Low: Average FPS of 158.
• Medium: Average FPS of 142, with a minimum of 121 and a maximum of 163.
• High: Average FPS of 121.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 87.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average FPS of 143.
• Medium: Average FPS of 108, with a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 125.
• High: Average FPS of 90.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 65.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average FPS of 96.
• Medium: Average FPS of 72, with a minimum of 61 and a maximum of 82.
• High: Average FPS of 60.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 43.

These numbers show a consistent hierarchy. At any given resolution, the Low preset provides the highest frame rate, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is substantial, ranging from an 71 FPS gap at 1080p to a 53 FPS gap at 4K. The Medium preset shows the most stable frame times, as it is the only one with reported minimum and maximum FPS values, suggesting a more consistent experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For a 60 FPS target at 4K, the High preset is the exact match, delivering an average of 60 FPS. Choosing Ultra at this resolution would result in a sub-60 FPS experience, which is not ideal for smooth gameplay.

For 1440p, the High preset provides an excellent balance, achieving 90 FPS. The Ultra preset also delivers a playable 65 FPS, which is a suitable choice for those who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate. The Medium preset at 1440p offers a comfortable 108 FPS, providing a large headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 1080p, the High preset is the best option for high-refresh-rate gaming, delivering 121 FPS. The Ultra preset, at 87 FPS, is still very playable and provides the maximum visual quality. The Low preset at 158 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where frame rate is the sole priority. Overall, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot for this combo, offering a significant performance boost over Ultra while maintaining high visual quality across all resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz and it boosts to 4.20 GHz. While not a high-end gaming CPU, its performance is adequate for this game. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 158 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not a major bottleneck at this setting. However, the CPU's performance ceiling is apparent when compared to the GPU's capabilities.

The CPU has an average benchmark score of 17507, placing it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE and the Intel Core 7 150U, have near-identical scores, with deltas of 0.1% and 0.6%, respectively. This indicates that the 4600G's processing power is on par with other modern mid-range options. In multi-threaded tests like Cinebench R23, it scores 13593, which is a solid result for its class.

In the context of Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is to handle game logic and physics. The benchmark results show that the CPU is capable of providing high frame rates at lower resolutions. The fact that the FPS scales down as resolution increases confirms that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this system; the GPU is. The CPU provides enough headroom to feed the RTX 4080 at 1080p, but the GPU's workload becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 4600G and the RTX 4080 ranks 371st out of 3714 tested combos for Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the top 10% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. This high rank is primarily due to the immense power of the RTX 4080, which can overcome the CPU's limitations at most resolutions.

The rank of 371 out of 3714 means that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems tested. It suggests that while the CPU is not top-tier, the GPU's raw performance is so high that the overall system still delivers excellent frame rates in this game. The data shows that this combo is more than capable of providing a high-quality experience, especially at 1440p and 4K with High settings. The ranking highlights the importance of the GPU in modern gaming, where a powerful graphics card can often compensate for a less powerful processor in GPU-bound scenarios.