Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a playable but not exceptional experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, with performance that scales predictably across resolutions and settings. The data shows a combination that is heavily influenced by graphics load, where the B580's capabilities and the 8400F's solid multi-threaded foundation create a system that excels at 1080p and struggles at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, ranks the combo against other tested hardware, and examines the individual roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping the final frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, indicating that the Intel Arc B580 is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 90.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 67.8 FPS at 2560x1440, and then plummets to 43.6 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 52% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario where the pixel throughput demands of 4K overwhelm the card.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings drops the average from 57.6 FPS to 41.9 FPS, a 27% reduction. The jump from 1440p to 4K at High is even more punishing, with a further 39% drop to 25.6 FPS. This trend confirms that the B580's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus are sufficient for 1440p, but the sheer number of pixels at 4K exposes the card's raw compute limits, specifically its 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (90.6 FPS) and Ultra (41.6 FPS) is 49 FPS. At 4K, the gap between Low (43.6 FPS) and Ultra (23.1 FPS) narrows to just 20.5 FPS. This compression suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing settings to Low cannot fully compensate for the resolution overhead, and the CPU begins to play a more significant role in maintaining minimum frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The Ryzen 5 8400F + Intel Arc B580 combination ranks 1301 out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the lower 23% of all configurations, indicating that while it can run the game, it is not competitive with higher-end pairings. The rank reflects the B580's position in the GPU hierarchy, where it sits in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, rather than the CPU, which performs in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs.

The combo's ranking is a direct result of the B580's average benchmark score of 23021, which is nearly identical to that of the AMD Radeon 760M (22999) and the NVIDIA P106-100 (22950). The data shows the Arc B580 is only 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in average GPU score, a negligible margin that does not translate into a higher combo rank. Interestingly, the CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, has an average score of 25057, which is statistically identical to the 8400F's 25064, suggesting that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this pairing.

This rank implies that for users targeting high-refresh 1080p or smooth 1440p, this combo is adequate but not optimal. The 8400F's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its 20851 Cinebench R23 multi-core score, is wasted in this game at higher resolutions where the GPU is the constraint. The data suggests that pairing the 8400F with a more powerful GPU would yield a significantly higher combo rank, as the CPU has headroom to push more frames.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is the decisive component in this configuration. With 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivering 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has sufficient memory capacity for Red Dead Redemption 2's large open world, even at 4K where texture data is massive. However, the card's raw processing power, rated at 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 and a pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s, determines the frame rates.

The B580's base and boost clocks are both 2670 MHz, which is a high sustained clock that helps maintain consistent performance. The memory runs at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective), which is standard for GDDR6. The card's 2560 shading units and 80 ROPs are mid-range figures, and the data shows this translates to 90.6 FPS at 1080p Low and 41.6 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The 190W TDP and PCIe 4.0 x8 interface are adequate for a mid-range card, but the x8 bus could potentially limit performance in some CPU-bound scenarios, though the data does not show this as a bottleneck.

The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, has an average score of 23181, which is 0.7% higher than the B580. This tight competition is reflected in the measured FPS, where the B580 manages 57.6 FPS at 1080p High. The card's 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs means it outperforms the majority of cards, but in a demanding title like Red Dead Redemption 2, it falls short of delivering a smooth 4K experience, as the 25.6 FPS average at High settings shows.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 90.6 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. Medium settings drop to 70.1 FPS, still comfortable for 60Hz monitors. High settings yield 57.6 FPS, which is playable but close to the edge of a smooth experience. Ultra settings fall to 41.6 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action, indicating that the B580 cannot handle the game's highest presets at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, performance becomes more demanding. Low settings produce 67.8 FPS, which is good. Medium settings maintain 51.4 FPS, which is acceptable. High settings drop to 41.9 FPS, a figure that is borderline. Ultra settings are not viable, with an average of 29.7 FPS, which is below 30 FPS and will feel stuttery in gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the results are disappointing. Low settings yield 43.6 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings fall to 33 FPS, which is a marginal experience. High settings drop to 25.6 FPS, which is below playable standards. Ultra settings are nearly unplayable at 23.1 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is beyond the B580's capabilities for this title, even at Low settings.

The scaling between settings is consistent: Low to Medium yields roughly a 25% FPS drop, Medium to High yields another 25% drop, and High to Ultra yields a further 25-30% drop. This linear scaling suggests that the game's setting adjustments have a predictable impact on the GPU load, and the B580's performance degrades gracefully as quality increases.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F plays a supporting role in this pairing. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, the CPU provides ample processing power for Red Dead Redemption 2's physics and AI systems. The base clock of 4.20 GHz and boost clock of 4.70 GHz are high, and the 16 MB of shared L3 cache helps with game logic. The CPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is more than capable for this game.

The 8400F's benchmark scores reinforce its capability. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and single-core score of 2943 are strong figures that show the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios. The PassMark multi-thread score of 24530 and single-thread score of 3684 further confirm its competence. In this game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game state, and the data suggests it does so without issue.

The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, has a nearly identical average score (25057 vs 25064), meaning the 8400F is comparable to an older high-end CPU. However, the 8400F's Zen 4 architecture provides better single-thread performance, which is beneficial for games like Red Dead Redemption 2 that rely on a primary game thread. The CPU's 65W TDP is low, indicating efficient power use, but this does not translate into higher FPS in GPU-bound scenarios.

The CPU's 3DMark scores show a scaling pattern from 951 single-thread to 6165 max-thread, confirming that it can handle both light and heavy workloads. In this game, at 1080p Low settings where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU is more likely to be a factor, but the 90.6 FPS result shows it is not limiting. At higher resolutions, the GPU takes over as the limiting factor, and the CPU's performance becomes irrelevant to the final FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At Medium settings, the combo achieves 70.1 FPS, and at High settings it manages 57.6 FPS. Both are playable, while 2560x1440 High (41.9 FPS) and 3840x2160 High (25.6 FPS) are not smooth experiences.

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 43.6 (Low) to 23.1 (Ultra). Even at Low settings, the 43.6 FPS average is not ideal for a smooth experience, and High settings fall to an unplayable 25.6 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in this game?

A: The benchmark data shows the B580 has an average GPU score of 23021, which is 0.7% lower than the RTX 4060's 23181. In practical terms, this means the B580 performs almost identically, and the measured FPS results reflect this close competition.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B580?

A: No. The CPU has a high average benchmark score of 25064 and ranks in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 90.6 FPS, indicating the CPU has headroom. The GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions.

Q: What settings should be used for a consistent 60 FPS experience at 1080p?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 70.1, and at High it is 57.6. To maintain a 60 FPS average, Medium settings are required. High settings fall just short of the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1301 out of 1687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the lower 23% of all tested systems, reflecting the B580's mid-range performance rather than the CPU's stronger showing.