Red Dead Redemption 2

# Red Dead Redemption 2 — AMD Ryzen 5 7400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

The measured frame rates for this combination reveal a system that scales predictably across resolutions, with the RTX 5070's 12 GB GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth proving sufficient for most settings, though the 4K Ultra preset dips to an average of 36 FPS, indicating a hard ceiling for maxed-out visuals. The Ryzen 5 7400F, with its six Zen 4 cores and 4.70 GHz boost clock, appears to keep pace at 1080p and 1440p, where the GPU is the dominant factor, but the data suggests a balanced pairing that favors higher settings at lower resolutions over extreme 4K fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, pointing to a GPU-bound workload at higher pixel counts. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 162 FPS at 1920x1080 to 121 FPS at 2560x1440 (a 25% reduction), then further to 80 FPS at 3840x2160 (a 34% drop from 1440p). This linear degradation pattern indicates that the RTX 5070 is the limiting component as resolution climbs, with the 6-core CPU providing ample headroom.

For Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 121 FPS at 1080p, 90 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 26%, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is 33%. This consistent ~25-35% penalty per resolution step suggests that memory bandwidth (672.0 GB/s) and the 192-bit bus are being saturated at higher pixel counts, rather than raw compute (30.87 TFLOPS) being the bottleneck.

High settings tell a slightly different story: 101 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p (a 26% drop), and 50 FPS at 4K (a 33% drop from 1440p). The 4K result is just below the 60 FPS threshold often considered smooth, indicating that High is playable but not optimal at 4K. Ultra settings are the most punishing: 73 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p (26% drop), and 36 FPS at 4K (33% drop). The 4K Ultra average of 36 FPS is barely above slideshow territory, and the lack of min/max FPS data for that row suggests instability or inconsistent frame pacing.

The ratio between 1080p and 4K at each setting is remarkably consistent—roughly 2.2x to 2.3x—which implies that the game's engine scales workload linearly with pixel count at these settings. This uniformity suggests that neither the CPU nor the GPU is experiencing a sudden bottleneck at any resolution; instead, the RTX 5070's performance envelope is being stretched uniformly. The 4K Ultra result being 36 FPS while 4K Low hits 80 FPS shows that the GPU's 12 GB VRAM and 48 RT cores are heavily taxed by Ultra's effects, but the scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K (a 2.2x FPS penalty) is less severe than at 1080p (where Low-to-Ultra is 2.2x as well), indicating a slight efficiency gain at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus with 672.0 GB/s bandwidth is a central factor in these results. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 36 suggests that the memory subsystem is likely overwhelmed by high-resolution textures, despite the bandwidth being substantial. The 28 Gbps effective memory clock and 2325 MHz base clock (2512 MHz boost) provide a strong foundation, but the 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs may be the limiting factor for pixel-heavy scenes at 4K.

Comparing the GPU's average benchmark score of 40377 and its nearest rivals, the data shows the RTX 5070 sits within a tight cluster: it is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (score 40318), 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (score 40063), and 1.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (score 40870). This indicates that the RTX 5070's raw compute is on par with professional workstation cards, but its gaming performance in RDR2 is more dependent on driver optimizations and memory bandwidth than on raw TFLOPS.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 and Passmark G3D score of 29137 (82nd percentile among all GPUs) suggest strong synthetic performance, yet the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (36 FPS) is lower than what those scores might imply. This discrepancy likely stems from RDR2's specific engine demands, which may not scale perfectly with the Blackwell architecture's 6144 shading units. The GPU's 250 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it runs hot under load, but the data does not include thermal throttling metrics, so the FPS drops are more likely due to memory pressure at 4K.

At 1440p, the GPU's role is less strained: High settings produce 75 FPS, and Medium produces 90 FPS, both well within playable ranges. The 1080p results (101 FPS High, 121 FPS Medium, 162 FPS Low) show the GPU is the clear bottleneck at lower resolutions, as the CPU has ample headroom. However, the 4K results (50 FPS High, 60 FPS Medium) indicate that the 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for these settings, but the 36 FPS Ultra result suggests that Ultra's texture quality exceeds what the memory bus can efficiently feed at 4K.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 7400F is a six-core, twelve-thread Zen 4 part with a 3.70 GHz base clock and 4.70 GHz boost, paired with 32 MB of L3 cache. Its Cinebench R23 scores (21765 multi-core, 3072 single-core) place it in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32750. Its nearest rivals are remarkably close: it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600T (score 32707), 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (score 32697), 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (score 32662), and 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (score 32812). This tight clustering suggests the 7400F's gaming performance is representative of mid-range desktop CPUs.

In RDR2, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the average FPS of 162 approaches the refresh rate limits of many monitors. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently at low graphical loads. However, the absence of min/max FPS data for most rows means we cannot assess frame pacing or stutter, but the consistent scaling across resolutions suggests the CPU is not causing bottlenecks. The 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient for RDR2's engine, which typically utilizes fewer than eight threads.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 5 nm process node (TSMC) with 6,570 million transistors on a 71 mm² die suggest power efficiency, but the data does not include in-game CPU utilization metrics. The Passmark multithread score of 25645 and single-thread score of 3689 (83rd percentile) indicate strong per-core performance, which is critical for RDR2's single-threaded game logic. The 4.70 GHz boost clock is likely the key factor in maintaining high FPS at 1080p, as the game's draw call and physics threads run on one or two cores.

The 32 MB L3 cache and DDR5 memory support (83.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide adequate data throughput for the CPU, but the game's assets are primarily loaded via the GPU's 12 GB VRAM. The data shows no CPU-bound scenarios at 1440p or 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting component. At 1080p Ultra (73 FPS), the CPU still has headroom, as the GPU's load is higher but not maxed out. This suggests that the 7400F is a capable pairing for the RTX 5070, with no obvious bottleneck at any resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Red Dead Redemption 2 with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 with Medium settings (90 FPS average) or High settings (75 FPS average) offers the best balance of visual quality and smoothness. 1920x1080 at High delivers 101 FPS, but the step up to 1440p provides more detail with only a 26% FPS penalty.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in RDR2?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Low settings, the average FPS is 80, which is playable. 4K Medium (60 FPS) is borderline, and 4K High (50 FPS) requires a lower refresh rate monitor. 4K Ultra (36 FPS) is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in this game?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 40377 is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40318) and 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40063), but 1.2% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, so the RTX 5070 performs on par with these professional cards.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7400F sufficient for this game, or is it a bottleneck?

A: The data indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 162 FPS, showing the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output. The 83rd percentile CPU score and close rivalry with other mid-range processors suggest it is well-matched to the RTX 5070.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 101 at 1080p to 75 at 1440p (a 26% reduction) and then to 50 at 4K (a 33% reduction from 1440p). This shows a consistent scaling pattern, with the GPU becoming more strained as resolution increases.

Q: Should I use Medium or High settings at 1440p for the best experience?

A: If you prefer smoother gameplay, Medium at 1440p (90 FPS) is better, as it provides a 20% FPS boost over High (75 FPS). If visual fidelity is more important, High is still playable, but the frame rate is closer to the 60 FPS threshold. The measured min/max for Medium (77-104 FPS) shows more consistency than High's single average value.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 162 FPS, Medium averages 121 FPS with a min/max of 103-139 FPS, High averages 101 FPS, and Ultra averages 73 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 89 FPS, representing a 55% reduction in performance at max settings. The Medium min/max range (103-139 FPS) shows a 36 FPS spread, indicating some frame variability but generally smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are 121 (Low), 90 (Medium, with min/max of 77-104), 75 (High), and 54 (Ultra). The Medium min/max spread is 27 FPS, tighter than at 1080p, suggesting more consistent frame pacing at the higher resolution. The Low-to-Ultra gap is 67 FPS, a 55% reduction, matching the 1080p scaling. High at 1440p (75 FPS) is 26% lower than at 1080p, while Ultra (54 FPS) is 26% lower as well.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 80 (Low), 60 (Medium, with min/max of 51-69), 50 (High), and 36 (Ultra). The Medium min/max spread is 18 FPS, the tightest of any resolution, suggesting that 4K Medium is the most stable configuration in terms of frame consistency. The Low-to-Ultra gap is 44 FPS, a 55% reduction, consistent with lower resolutions. However, the 4K Ultra average of 36 FPS is critically low, and the absence of min/max data for other settings prevents a full assessment of frame stability.

The data shows a consistent 55% performance penalty from Low to Ultra across all resolutions, indicating that the game's Ultra preset adds a proportional load regardless of pixel count. The Medium settings at each resolution provide a middle ground, with 4K Medium (60 FPS) being the only 4K preset that hits the standard 60 FPS target. The min/max data for Medium shows that at 4K, the frame rate never dips below 51 FPS, making it the most reliable 4K option.

Settings Recommendations

For a 60 FPS target at 4K, Medium settings are the only viable option, with an average of 60 FPS and a min/max of 51-69 FPS. This preset provides the best balance of visual quality and playability at the highest resolution. High at 4K (50 FPS) is borderline, and Ultra (36 FPS) is not recommended for any serious gameplay. The data suggests that 4K Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, as it maintains a consistent frame rate without sacrificing too much detail.

At 1440p, Medium (90 FPS) and High (75 FPS) are both excellent choices. Medium offers a 20% FPS boost over High, making it preferable for fast-paced action scenes. However, High's 75 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the visual improvement may be worth the trade-off for players who prioritize graphics. Ultra at 1440p (54 FPS) is playable but not ideal, as it falls below 60 FPS. Low at 1440p (121 FPS) is overkill unless the player has a 120 Hz+ monitor and prefers maximum responsiveness over visual fidelity.

At 1080p, High (101 FPS) is the recommended preset, as it provides a smooth experience on 100 Hz+ displays while maintaining good visuals. Medium (121 FPS) is better for competitive play, while Ultra (73 FPS) is still playable and offers the best visuals at this resolution. Low at 1080p (162 FPS) is only useful for players with 144 Hz+ monitors who want to maximize frame rates. Overall, the data indicates that Medium settings across all resolutions provide the most balanced experience, with 1080p Medium (121 FPS), 1440p Medium (90 FPS), and 4K Medium (60 FPS) all hitting or exceeding the 60 FPS target.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 563rd out of 2902 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the top 19% of all configurations. This rank reflects the system's balanced performance, with the CPU's 83rd percentile score and the GPU's 82nd percentile contributing to a strong overall showing. The rank suggests that this combo outperforms the majority of tested systems, though it is not at the bleeding edge of performance.

The CPU's nearest rivals—Intel Core i5-14600T, Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360—all have average benchmark scores within 0.3% of the 7400F, indicating that the CPU's gaming performance is highly competitive with its peers. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals—AMD Radeon Pro 580, AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, AMD Radeon Pro 5300, and NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile—are all within 2% of the RTX 5070's average score, showing that the GPU's performance is typical for its class.

Given the rank of 563 out of 2902, the combo is in the top percentile of tested systems, but the 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS suggests that it is not optimized for extreme settings at the highest resolution. The ranking likely reflects the combo's strong 1080p and 1440p performance, where it excels, while the 4K numbers drag it down relative to more powerful configurations. The data implies that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it delivers excellent frame rates at High and Medium settings, and can handle 4K at Medium with acceptable performance. The rank of 563 indicates that while this is a capable system, there are many combos that achieve higher 4K frame rates, likely with more powerful GPUs or higher-bandwidth memory configurations.