Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a severely GPU-bound experience in Red Dead Redemption 2. The benchmark data shows that even at 1080p, this combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates, and the situation degrades rapidly as resolution increases. This is a configuration where the CPU’s capabilities are largely irrelevant to the final framerate, as the integrated GPU is the definitive bottleneck across every measured setting.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a stark and consistent decline as resolution scales from 1920x1080 up to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 51 FPS at 1080p to 38 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 25 FPS at 4K. This represents a 26% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 34% loss when stepping up to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the GPU is being pushed past its effective limits at higher pixel counts.

Examining the Medium preset tells a similar story. The average FPS at 1080p is 39, which falls to 29 at 1440p, and then to 19 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is a 34% reduction, mirroring the Low preset's scaling pattern. This consistency suggests that the rendering workload is scaling predictably with pixel count, but the GPU lacks the raw throughput to maintain performance. The High preset shows an even sharper cliff: 32 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K, with a 33% drop between each successive resolution step.

The Ultra preset is essentially unplayable at any resolution, with averages of 23 FPS at 1080p, 17 FPS at 1440p, and 11 FPS at 4K. The fact that even 1080p Ultra cannot reach 30 FPS confirms that the Intel Arc B390's memory bandwidth, listed as "System Dependent," is a critical limiting factor. The data strongly indicates that this system is not just GPU-bound, but bound by a GPU that is fundamentally unsuited for this game at resolutions above 1080p Low. The only scenario where the CPU might matter is at 1080p Low, where the 51 FPS average is the highest recorded, but even then, the GPU is still the primary constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Red Dead Redemption 2, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and Intel Arc B390 ranks at 2568 out of 2902 total combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, which is a poor showing for a CPU that otherwise performs well in synthetic benchmarks. The combo’s rank is almost entirely determined by the GPU, as the CPU’s own percentile ranking is in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

The data shows a massive disconnect between the CPU's potential and the system's actual gaming performance. The Ryzen 5 5600X has an average benchmark score of 21771, placing it nearly identical to rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H (21749, delta 0.1%) and just ahead of the Intel Core i7-11700 (21891, delta -0.5%). However, this CPU strength is completely neutralized by the Intel Arc B390, which has an average benchmark score of only 1482 and sits near the bottom of the GPU hierarchy. This combination's rank is a direct consequence of pairing a high-tier processor with an entry-level integrated GPU.

The fact that this combo ranks in the 2568th position out of 2902 indicates that the vast majority of other tested systems, even those with weaker CPUs, deliver a better experience in this specific game. The bottleneck is so severe that any other discrete GPU would likely improve the ranking substantially. This result serves as a clear warning: the CPU choice is irrelevant if the GPU cannot keep up, and this pairing is a textbook example of an imbalanced system.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution with a 3 nm process node and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's DDR4 RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This shared memory architecture is a major reason for its poor performance, as it lacks the dedicated high-speed memory that discrete GPUs use. The GPU’s shading units number 1536, with 48 TMUs and 24 ROPs, which are modest figures for modern gaming.

The GPU's benchmark data is stark: it scored 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are ancient GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, delta 1.3%) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, delta 1.5%). This comparison underscores how far behind the curve the Arc B390 is for gaming. The GPU has a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, but these are not sufficient to handle the rendering demands of Red Dead Redemption 2 at acceptable frame rates.

The game's results align perfectly with the GPU's low standing. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (51 FPS) is the only instance where the frame rate approaches playability, and it still falls short of a smooth 60 FPS target. The GPU's boost clock of 2500 MHz is not enough to compensate for its lack of dedicated memory and limited compute resources. The data suggests that the Arc B390 is designed for basic productivity and light media tasks, not for demanding titles like Red Dead Redemption 2. Its performance is the sole reason this combo ranks so poorly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 51 FPS, which is the highest measured result for this combo. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 44 FPS, showing some frame pacing variance. High settings drop the average to 32 FPS, while Ultra averages only 23 FPS. None of these settings achieve a consistent 60 FPS, and only Low approaches a playable range, though it will still feel choppy during busy scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 38 FPS, which is a 25% reduction from 1080p Low. Medium averages 29 FPS (min 24, max 33), High averages 24 FPS, and Ultra averages just 17 FPS. At this resolution, even the lowest settings fail to maintain 40 FPS, making the experience feel sluggish. The Medium preset's minimum of 24 FPS indicates that the system will experience noticeable stutters.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. Low settings average 25 FPS, Medium averages 19 FPS (min 16, max 22), High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages just 11 FPS. These numbers are all below the threshold for a smooth experience and are essentially unplayable for any action-oriented gameplay. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable option for this combo, regardless of the settings chosen. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings (16 at 4K, 24 at 1440p, 33 at 1080p) suggest that the frame rate is not only low but also unstable.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only configuration that offers a remotely playable experience is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 51 FPS. This is the sole preset where the average frame rate exceeds 50 FPS, and it is the recommended starting point. However, even this setting will not provide a consistently smooth experience, as the minimum FPS is not recorded, but the average is low enough to expect dips below 45 FPS in demanding scenes.

If the user prioritizes visual quality over frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p (39 FPS average) is the next best option, but it sacrifices 12 FPS for a modest visual improvement. The High and Ultra presets at 1080p are not recommended as they produce averages of 32 and 23 FPS, respectively, which are too low for a responsive experience. The data suggests that the visual uplift from Low to Medium is not worth the significant frame rate penalty.

For any resolution above 1080p, the data indicates that the user should stick to Low settings, but even then, the frame rates of 38 FPS at 1440p and 25 FPS at 4K are suboptimal. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally 1080p Low. This preset provides the highest average frame rate and is the only one that approaches a stable 50 FPS. Users should avoid Ultra settings entirely, as they produce averages below 24 FPS at every resolution, which is a slideshow by any standard.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 25 FPS on Low, 19 FPS on Medium, 16 FPS on High, and 11 FPS on Ultra. These are all below the threshold for smooth gameplay, so 4K is not a viable option for this system.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 51, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that exceeds 50 FPS in the dataset.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460). It ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark score of 21771 places it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, and it is within 0.5% of rivals like the Intel Core i7-11700. The GPU, however, is in the 9th percentile, making it the definitive bottleneck.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo?

A: According to the measured rows, 1920x1080 with Low settings provides the best experience, with an average FPS of 51. All other presets at this resolution produce averages below 40 FPS.

Q: Does the Medium preset provide a stable frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 has an average of 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. While the average is playable, the 11 FPS spread between minimum and maximum indicates some instability.