Red Dead Redemption 2

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor from the 5000 series, built on the Zen 3 architecture (codenamed Vermeer) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boosts up to 4.40 GHz, with 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 512 KB of L2 per core. This configuration places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 21765. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (0.6% higher score), AMD EPYC 9554P (0.6% lower), AMD EPYC 9534 (0.6% lower), and Intel Core i7-11700F (0.9% lower).

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, physics calculations, and AI routines. The 6-core/12-thread layout is sufficient for the game's multi-threaded engine, as evidenced by the 3DMark results: the processor scores 5659 in max-thread tests, 4798 in 8-thread, 3313 in 4-thread, and 1737 in 2-thread workloads. The single-thread score of 882 in 3DMark and 2584 in Cinebench R23 single-core indicates solid per-core performance, which matters for games that rely heavily on one or two threads for frame pacing.

The data shows that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU becomes more relevant. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 112.7 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate across all configurations. This suggests the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output when the graphical load is minimal. However, at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 52.2 FPS, a 53.7% reduction from Low, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck when settings increase. The processor's 65 W TDP and DDR4 dual-channel memory support (51.2 GB/s bandwidth) are adequate for this workload, but the data implies the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this title.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Analyzing the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, the Medium preset consistently offers a balanced experience. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 80.9 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it achieves 58.9 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it produces 39.9 FPS. These numbers sit comfortably between the Low and High presets, providing a substantial visual upgrade over Low without the steep performance penalty seen in Ultra.

The High preset is also viable but shows a notable drop from Medium: 67.4 FPS at 1080p (a 16.7% decrease), 53.4 FPS at 1440p (a 9.3% decrease), and 33.5 FPS at 4K (a 16.0% decrease). For players targeting 60 FPS, High at 1440p (53.4 FPS) falls short, while Medium at 1440p (58.9 FPS) is closer to that target. At 1080p, High (67.4 FPS) exceeds 60 FPS, but Medium (80.9 FPS) provides more headroom for frame time consistency.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding 52.2 FPS at 1080p, 35.1 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. These results indicate Ultra is only suitable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over smooth gameplay, and even at 1080p it struggles to maintain 60 FPS. The Low preset, while achieving high frame rates (112.7 FPS at 1080p, 79.7 FPS at 1440p, 56.1 FPS at 4K), sacrifices too much visual quality for a game known for its detailed open world.

The data suggests the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, even Medium (39.9 FPS) falls below 40 FPS, making High (33.5 FPS) or Low (56.1 FPS) the more practical choices depending on whether the user prioritizes visuals or playability. For a 60 FPS target, Medium at 1080p is the only preset that comfortably exceeds it across all resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured data reveals a clear pattern of frame rate degradation as resolution increases, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. At Low settings, the combo delivers 112.7 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 79.7 FPS at 1440p (a 29.3% reduction) and 56.1 FPS at 4K (a 50.2% reduction from 1080p). This scaling suggests the RTX 4060's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed more heavily at higher resolutions, while the CPU maintains adequate frame delivery.

At Medium settings, the progression is 80.9 FPS (1080p) → 58.9 FPS (1440p) → 39.9 FPS (4K), representing a 27.2% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 50.7% drop from 1080p to 4K. The High preset shows 67.4 FPS → 53.4 FPS → 33.5 FPS, with a 20.8% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 50.3% reduction to 4K. The Ultra preset follows a similar trend: 52.2 FPS → 35.1 FPS → 24 FPS, with a 32.8% drop to 1440p and a 54.0% drop to 4K.

The consistency of these percentage drops (roughly 50% from 1080p to 4K across all settings) indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component. The RTX 4060's pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s become saturated as resolution increases, while the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are not the bottleneck. The fact that the 4K Low preset (56.1 FPS) is nearly as fast as the 1440p Ultra preset (35.1 FPS) reinforces this: reducing graphical load at a given resolution has a larger impact than reducing resolution at a given preset, which points to GPU-bound performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 977th out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the 57.9th percentile of all combinations, meaning roughly 42% of tested combos perform worse and 58% perform better. The rank reflects the mid-range positioning of both components: the CPU sits in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU sits in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, but their combined performance in this particular title is tempered by the game's demanding requirements.

Relative to its synthetic benchmarks, this combo underperforms slightly. The CPU's average benchmark score of 21765 places it near the Intel Core i7-11700F (21957, 0.9% higher), yet in game the combo's rank suggests it falls behind many pairings with stronger GPUs. The GPU's average benchmark score of 23181 is close to the Intel Arc B580 (23021, 0.7% lower) and AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23321, 0.6% higher), but the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM may limit performance at higher resolutions in a game with large textures.

The rank of 977 out of 1687 indicates this is a solid mid-tier setup, not a high-end one. The measured FPS data shows it can handle 1080p High (67.4 FPS) and 1440p Medium (58.9 FPS) comfortably, but it falls short of 60 FPS at 4K on any preset except Low (56.1 FPS). For players with 1080p or 1440p monitors, this combo is positioned to deliver playable frame rates with reasonable visual settings, which aligns with its middle-of-the-pack ranking.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a 60 FPS target?

A: At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 80.9 FPS, which comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it hits 58.9 FPS, which is slightly below 60 FPS but close enough for adaptive sync monitors. At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS; the closest is Low at 56.1 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: Across all settings, the average FPS drops by roughly 50% from 1080p to 4K. For example, at Medium settings, the frame rate falls from 80.9 FPS at 1080p to 39.9 FPS at 4K, a 50.7% reduction. This consistent drop indicates the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: Is the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The data shows performance degrades significantly at 4K, where the GPU's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus (272.0 GB/s bandwidth) are likely saturated. At 1080p and 1440p, the frame rates are more playable, suggesting 8 GB is adequate for those resolutions but limiting at 4K.

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score is 23181, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23321), 0.7% higher than the Intel Arc B580 (23021), and 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon 760M (22999). The GPU sits in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What is the CPU's synthetic performance relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600's average benchmark score is 21765, which is 0.6% higher than the AMD EPYC 9554P (21899) and AMD EPYC 9534 (21900), 0.6% lower than the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (21635), and 0.9% lower than the Intel Core i7-11700F (21957). It ranks in the 79th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Does the combo perform better at Low or Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p Low, it achieves 79.7 FPS, while at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 35.1 FPS. This represents a 55.9% performance reduction from Low to Ultra, making Low the only preset at 1440p that exceeds 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 112.7 FPS average
• Medium: 80.9 FPS average
• High: 67.4 FPS average
• Ultra: 52.2 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo shows a clear hierarchy: Low provides the highest frame rate, while Ultra drops below 60 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 31.8 FPS (28.2% reduction), while the gap between Medium and High is 13.5 FPS (16.7% reduction). High to Ultra drops by 15.2 FPS (22.6% reduction).

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 79.7 FPS average
• Medium: 58.9 FPS average
• High: 53.4 FPS average
• Ultra: 35.1 FPS average

At 1440p, only Low exceeds 60 FPS. Medium is close at 58.9 FPS, but High falls to 53.4 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 20.8 FPS (26.1% reduction), while Medium to High is 5.5 FPS (9.3% reduction). High to Ultra is a steep 18.3 FPS (34.3% reduction), making Ultra impractical at this resolution.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 56.1 FPS average
• Medium: 39.9 FPS average
• High: 33.5 FPS average
• Ultra: 24 FPS average

At 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS. Low is the only option above 50 FPS, at 56.1 FPS. Medium drops to 39.9 FPS, High to 33.5 FPS, and Ultra to 24 FPS. The reduction from Low to Medium is 16.2 FPS (28.9% reduction), and from Medium to High is 6.4 FPS (16.0% reduction). Ultra at 4K is essentially unplayable for smooth gameplay, as it sits at 24 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: Low offers the highest frame rates, Medium provides a balanced experience, High is playable only at 1080p, and Ultra is only viable at 1080p (52.2 FPS) with a 60 FPS target in mind. The combo's rank of 977 out of 1687 reflects this mid-range performance, making it suitable for 1080p and 1440p gaming with adjusted settings.