Red Dead Redemption 2

# Red Dead Redemption 2 with AMD Ryzen 5 7400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

Red Dead Redemption 2, the 2018 action-adventure title, remains a demanding showcase for hardware even years after release. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data reveals a configuration that scales predictably with resolution, with the GPU clearly dominating the performance curve at higher settings while the CPU demonstrates its capability at lower resolutions. The measured results span from 43 FPS at 4K Ultra to 194 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating a system that can adapt to different display targets and quality preferences.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K follows a consistent pattern across all settings, revealing the GPU as the primary limiting component. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 194 FPS at 1920x1080 to 96 FPS at 3840x2160 — a reduction of approximately 50%. This halving of performance when pixel count quadruples indicates that the RTX 4080 is being pushed to its limits at 4K, even at the lowest quality preset.

Moving to Medium settings, the scaling shows 145 FPS at 1080p, 108 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs about 25% of the frame rate, while the jump to 4K costs another 33%. High settings follow a similar trajectory: 121 FPS at 1080p, 90 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K. The 4K result here is notable — exactly 60 FPS, which aligns with common display refresh rates and suggests the hardware is tuned to hit that target at High settings.

Ultra settings produce the steepest scaling curve. The 87 FPS at 1080p drops to 65 FPS at 1440p and further to 43 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measurement below 60 FPS across the entire dataset, indicating that this preset pushes the GPU beyond its comfortable envelope at the highest resolution. The pattern across all presets shows that pixel count, rather than CPU capability, dictates the frame rate ceiling at 4K. The Ryzen 5 7400F's six cores and twelve threads appear sufficient even at 1080p Low, where the 194 FPS result suggests the GPU is still the bottleneck rather than the processor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 brings substantial resources to this title. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample headroom for Red Dead Redemption 2's large open-world textures. The 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores provide hardware support for advanced rendering features, though the measured data focuses on standard rasterization performance across the four presets.

The GPU's clock behavior — 2205 MHz base and 2505 MHz boost — directly influences the frame rates observed. At 1080p Low, the 194 FPS average suggests the boost clock is being utilized effectively, with the card not yet thermal or power limited. As resolution increases, the GPU's 9728 shading units and 304 texture mapping units are tasked with more pixel work, explaining the performance degradation at 4K. The 112 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s, which becomes a limiting factor at 3840x2160 where the card must fill over 8 million pixels per frame.

The GPU's 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power translates to strong raw throughput, but the measured FPS data shows that even this level of performance cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra. The 43 FPS result at that preset indicates the card is working near its maximum capacity, likely with the boost clock holding steady but the render load overwhelming the available throughput. The 16 GB VRAM capacity, however, means texture streaming and asset loading are not bottlenecks — the frame rate drops at 4K are attributable to compute limitations rather than memory constraints.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance for optimal settings based on display resolution. At 1920x1080, all presets deliver playable frame rates, with Low hitting 194 FPS, Medium at 145 FPS, High at 121 FPS, and Ultra at 87 FPS. For competitive or high-refresh gameplay, Low or Medium settings maximize frame rate, while High offers a balanced experience. Ultra at 1080p still exceeds 60 FPS comfortably, making it viable for users prioritizing visual fidelity on standard 60 Hz monitors.

At 2560x1440, the data shows 145 FPS at Low, 108 FPS at Medium, 90 FPS at High, and 65 FPS at Ultra. All presets remain above 60 FPS, meaning users with 1440p displays can choose any quality level. The High preset at 90 FPS provides a strong balance between visual quality and smoothness, while Ultra's 65 FPS still clears the 60 FPS threshold. For users with 144 Hz displays, Medium at 108 FPS is the highest preset that approaches that refresh rate.

The 3840x2160 results are more constrained. Low delivers 96 FPS, Medium 72 FPS, High 60 FPS, and Ultra 43 FPS. The High preset at exactly 60 FPS is the recommended choice for 4K displays, offering the best visual quality while maintaining standard refresh rate synchronization. Medium at 72 FPS provides additional headroom for variable refresh rate monitors, while Ultra's 43 FPS is only suitable for users who prioritize maximum fidelity over smooth motion. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot at 4K, balancing the GPU's capabilities against the game's demanding rendering workload.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination holds the 260th position out of 3714 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This placement, roughly in the top 7% of all configurations, indicates a high-performing pairing that outperforms the vast majority of systems. The rank reflects the GPU's strength as the dominant factor in this game's performance, with the RTX 4080's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs contributing significantly to the combo's overall standing.

The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all processors further supports the combination's strength. When compared to the combo's position, the data suggests that Red Dead Redemption 2 is more GPU-bound than CPU-bound, as the GPU's percentile ranking is slightly higher than the CPU's. The combo's rank of 260 out of 3714 means it sits above the 90th percentile of tested configurations, placing it in the upper echelon of systems capable of running this game at high settings across multiple resolutions.

The measured FPS data aligns with this ranking — the configuration achieves playable frame rates at 4K High and excellent performance at lower resolutions. The 194 FPS at 1080p Low places it among the fastest systems for competitive play, while the 60 FPS at 4K High makes it suitable for cinematic single-player experiences. The rank of 260 suggests that only 259 combinations deliver better overall performance in this specific game, a strong showing for a desktop CPU paired with a high-end graphics card.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F brings Zen 4 architecture on a 5 nm process to this configuration. With six cores and twelve threads, the processor offers a balanced foundation for gaming workloads. The 3.70 GHz base clock and 4.70 GHz boost clock provide sufficient single-thread performance for Red Dead Redemption 2's game logic and physics, while the 32 MB shared L3 cache helps maintain data locality for frequently accessed assets.

The CPU's benchmark scores illustrate its capability. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21,765 and single-core score of 3,072 indicate strong performance for a mid-range desktop processor. The PassMark multithread score of 25,645 and single-thread score of 3,689 further confirm the CPU's ability to handle both multithreaded and single-threaded workloads. The 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs places it in the upper tier, though its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, with delta percentages under 0.3% — indicating nearly identical aggregate performance.

In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the 1080p Low results. At 194 FPS, the six cores and twelve threads are sufficient to feed the RTX 4080 without becoming a bottleneck. The 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth from dual-channel DDR5 support ensures the CPU can quickly access game data, while the PCIe Gen 5 interface with 24 lanes provides ample bandwidth for GPU communication. The 65 W TDP suggests efficient power draw, though the game's performance at higher resolutions is dictated more by the GPU than the CPU.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 offers the best balance, with all presets staying above 60 FPS — High delivers 90 FPS, Medium 108 FPS, and Ultra 65 FPS — while 4K High hits exactly 60 FPS and 4K Ultra drops to 43 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes, at High settings the average FPS is exactly 60 at 3840x2160. Medium settings provide 72 FPS for additional headroom, but Ultra drops to 43 FPS, making High the recommended preset for 4K gaming.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in this configuration?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score is 54,247, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER at 54,209 but 1.1% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at 54,828. The 4080 ranks in the 86th percentile among all GPUs.

Q: What is the CPU's performance ranking relative to other processors?

A: The Ryzen 5 7400F ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-14600T, which scores 32,707 versus the 7400F's 32,750 average — a 0.1% difference in favor of the AMD chip.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: No, the measured data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 194 FPS, indicating the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. The performance drops at higher resolutions are consistent with GPU limitations rather than CPU constraints.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with different quality settings?

A: The measured averages are 194 FPS at Low, 145 FPS at Medium, 121 FPS at High, and 87 FPS at Ultra. Even the lowest preset exceeds 60 FPS by a wide margin, making any setting viable for 1080p displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 60 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 96 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 72 | 61 | 82 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 43 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | High | 90 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 145 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 108 | 92 | 125 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 65 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | High | 121 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 194 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 145 | 123 | 167 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 87 | — | — |

The Medium preset at each resolution includes min and max FPS data, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 4K Medium, the range spans 61 to 82 FPS, indicating a 21 FPS variance. At 1440p Medium, the range is 92 to 125 FPS, a 33 FPS variance. At 1080p Medium, the range is 123 to 167 FPS, a 44 FPS variance. These ranges show that lower resolutions exhibit larger absolute frame rate fluctuations, likely due to CPU-driven scenes, while the GPU-bound 4K settings produce tighter frame time distributions. The Ultra preset at 4K at 43 FPS is the only result below 60 FPS, making it the sole configuration where the hardware cannot maintain standard refresh rate smoothness.