Red Dead Redemption 2

# Red Dead Redemption 2: AMD Ryzen 5 7400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a strong 1080p experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, but the data reveals a clear performance ceiling at higher resolutions. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 68 FPS, which drops to 51 FPS at 1440p and 34 FPS at 4K. The scaling pattern shows the RTX 4070 becoming the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the Ryzen 5 7400F's six Zen 4 cores provide sufficient headroom at lower resolutions. This pairing ranks 648th out of 2,902 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top quarter of all configurations. The measured data indicates that users targeting 60+ FPS should stick to 1080p or 1440p with adjusted settings, as 4K Ultra is not viable with this hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K follows a predictable curve that highlights the GPU-bound nature of Red Dead Redemption 2 at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the system achieves 152 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 113 FPS at 1440p (a 26% reduction) and 75 FPS at 4K (a 51% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's demands, but the raw compute throughput becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend: 114 FPS at 1080p, 85 FPS at 1440p (a 25% drop), and 56 FPS at 4K (a 51% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium settings suggests a well-balanced system where neither the CPU nor GPU is severely underpowered at any resolution. However, the High preset tells a more nuanced story: 95 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p (a 25% drop), and 47 FPS at 4K (a 51% drop). The identical scaling percentages across all three preset levels indicate that the bottleneck shifts smoothly from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K.

At Ultra settings, the performance collapse is more pronounced: 68 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p (a 25% drop), and 34 FPS at 4K (a 50% drop). The 4K Ultra result of 34 FPS is barely playable, and the 47 FPS at 4K High falls short of the 60 FPS target. The data shows that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at Low settings (75 FPS), while Medium settings at 4K (56 FPS) may be acceptable for users who prioritize visual quality over smoothness. The RTX 4070's 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are clearly insufficient for 4K Ultra in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: The data shows 1080p is the sweet spot, with all settings presets achieving playable framerates. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 68 FPS, while 1440p Ultra drops to 51 FPS. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, 1080p with High or Medium settings (95 and 114 FPS respectively) is recommended.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: 4K is only playable at Low settings, where the average is 75 FPS. Medium settings at 4K yield 56 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but High (47 FPS) and Ultra (34 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM is not the limiting factor; rather, the GPU's compute performance struggles with 4K rendering.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7400F perform relative to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 7400F has an average benchmark score of 32,750, placing it 0.1% above the Intel Core i5-14600T (32,707), 0.2% above the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (32,697), and 0.3% above the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (32,662). It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (32,812) by 0.2%. The differences are negligible, indicating similar CPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark percentile and what does it mean for gaming?

A: The Ryzen 5 7400F ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 83% of processors. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21,765 and single-core score of 3,072 indicate strong gaming performance, as most titles rely heavily on single-threaded performance.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37,648, which places it 0.1% above the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37,628), 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37,507), and 1.3% above the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37,157). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38,135) by 1.3%, showing that desktop and mobile parts are closely matched.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 in this game?

A: The data suggests minimal CPU bottlenecking. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 152 FPS, which indicates the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration with a 4.70 GHz boost clock provides enough headroom, as evidenced by the consistent framerate scaling across resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on TSMC's 5 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores indicate strong gaming performance: its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,072 and multicore score of 21,765 place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role is evident at lower resolutions where framerates are highest. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 152 FPS, which suggests the CPU can handle the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming a bottleneck.

The 12 threads and 4.70 GHz boost clock provide adequate performance for this title's single-threaded workloads. The PassMark single-thread score of 3,689 and multithread score of 25,645 corroborate the CPU's capability. The data shows that at 1080p, the system scales from 152 FPS at Low to 68 FPS at Ultra, a 55% reduction that is primarily GPU-driven. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking means it outperforms the majority of processors, and its nearest rivals—the Intel Core i5-14600T (0.1% faster) and Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (0.2% faster)—show that the 7400F is competitive with mid-range desktop and high-end mobile parts.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s and DDR5 support contribute to its performance, though the game's engine does not appear to be memory-bandwidth-sensitive based on the scaling data. The 6-core configuration is sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2, as the game does not heavily utilize more than a few threads. However, the 65 W TDP and 71 mm² die size indicate an efficient design that does not require exotic cooling solutions. The Ryzen 5 7400F's 32 MB L3 cache is well-suited for gaming workloads, providing fast access to frequently used data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system delivers playable framerates across all settings. Low settings average 152 FPS, Medium averages 114 FPS (with a range of 97-131 FPS), High averages 95 FPS, and Ultra averages 68 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 38 FPS (25%), while the gap between High and Ultra is 27 FPS (28%). This suggests that the Ultra preset imposes significant rendering demands that the RTX 4070 cannot fully offset. The Medium preset's minimum of 97 FPS ensures smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes, while the Ultra preset's 68 FPS average may experience occasional dips below 60 FPS.

At 1440p, the performance drops are consistent. Low settings average 113 FPS, Medium averages 85 FPS (range: 72-97 FPS), High averages 71 FPS, and Ultra averages 51 FPS. The 1440p results show that Medium is the highest preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, while High (71 FPS) remains playable but with less headroom. The Ultra preset at 51 FPS is borderline, and users seeking a locked 60 FPS experience should avoid it. The Medium preset's minimum of 72 FPS indicates that even during intense action, the system remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 4K, the system struggles with higher settings. Low averages 75 FPS, Medium averages 56 FPS (range: 48-64 FPS), High averages 47 FPS, and Ultra averages 34 FPS. The 4K results clearly show the RTX 4070's limitations, as even Medium settings drop below 60 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS. The Ultra preset at 34 FPS is not recommended for any serious gameplay. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each preset shows a consistent 50-51% reduction in average FPS, indicating that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The data reveals that the RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor, as even at 4K Ultra, the game does not exceed the available memory. The performance drops are instead attributable to the GPU's compute capabilities. The measured results show that the system is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve high framerates even at Ultra settings, or 1440p with Medium presets for a balanced experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. It operates at a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are key factors in its Red Dead Redemption 2 performance. The GPU ranks in the 81st percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 37,648.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the RTX 4070's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU has sufficient headroom to deliver 152 FPS at Low settings, but the Ultra preset at 68 FPS shows the limits of its compute power. The 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores do not appear to provide significant benefits in this title, as the game's rendering pipeline favors traditional rasterization. The GPU's 200 W TDP and dual-slot design are reasonable for the performance delivered, though the 16-pin power connector requires a compatible PSU.

The GPU's benchmark results show it is closely matched with several competitors: it trails the RTX 4080 Mobile by 1.3%, outperforms the Tesla P4 by 0.1%, and beats the RX Vega 56 by 0.4%. These small deltas indicate that the RTX 4070 is a mid-range performer that can handle most games at 1440p, but struggles with 4K Ultra in demanding titles like Red Dead Redemption 2. The 12 GB VRAM is adequate for this game, as evidenced by the consistent performance scaling, but users should be aware that future titles may require more memory.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,854 and PassMark G3D score of 26,927 place it in the upper echelon of graphics cards. The 1.3% gap to the RTX 4080 Mobile is notable, as it suggests that the desktop RTX 4070 is only marginally faster than a high-end laptop GPU. This performance level is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K results demonstrate the need for more powerful hardware if Ultra settings are desired.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the target resolution and framerate. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset at 68 FPS is the best choice for users who prioritize visual quality, as it remains above the 60 FPS threshold. However, the Medium preset at 114 FPS (with a minimum of 97 FPS) offers a significantly smoother experience with only a moderate reduction in visual fidelity. The High preset at 95 FPS provides a balanced middle ground, delivering excellent image quality while maintaining high framerates.

For 1440p gaming, the Medium preset at 85 FPS (minimum 72 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it provides a stable experience above 60 FPS. The High preset at 71 FPS is also viable, but the lower minimum FPS may result in occasional stuttering during intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 51 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the 60 FPS target and may feel less responsive. Users who prioritize framerate over visual quality can opt for Low settings at 113 FPS, but the visual sacrifice is substantial.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 75 FPS is the only option that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 56 FPS (minimum 48 FPS) may be acceptable for users who can tolerate occasional dips below 60 FPS, but the High and Ultra presets (47 and 34 FPS respectively) are not recommended for competitive or fast-paced gameplay. Given the significant performance drop at 4K, users are advised to either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept the visual compromises of the Low preset.

The data indicates that the best overall experience is achieved at 1440p with Medium settings, which delivers 85 FPS average with a minimum of 72 FPS. This configuration balances visual quality with smoothness, making it suitable for most players. For maximum visual fidelity, 1080p Ultra at 68 FPS is acceptable, but the 1440p Medium preset offers better image quality due to the higher resolution, even with slightly reduced graphical effects. The system's rank of 648th out of 2,902 combos (top 22%) confirms that this is a capable gaming configuration, but users should temper expectations for 4K gaming.