Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a strong 1080p experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, but the data reveals a clear transition in bottleneck behavior as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combination produces an average of 217.9 FPS, which drops to 137.0 FPS at High and 100.1 FPS at Ultra. This substantial scaling—a decrease of 54.1% from Low to Ultra—indicates that the CPU is the primary limiting factor at this resolution, as the RTX 4090 has ample headroom to render far more frames if the processor could feed it. The 8400F’s six Zen 4 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, provide sufficient single-thread performance for the game’s logic, but the frame rates suggest that the CPU’s throughput caps the GPU’s output well before its full potential is reached.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling pattern shifts. The Low preset yields 157.8 FPS, Medium 119.5 FPS, High 100.2 FPS, and Ultra 73.1 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra here is 53.7%, nearly identical to the 1080p delta. However, the absolute values indicate a more balanced workload. At 1440p, the RTX 4090’s rendering load increases, and the CPU bottleneck becomes less absolute, though the processor still exerts influence. The fact that High at 1440p (100.2 FPS) nearly matches Ultra at 1080p (100.1 FPS) is a telling indicator: the GPU is now the determining factor for these higher settings, as the pixel count increase directly translates to lower frame rates without the CPU artificially holding back performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unambiguously the limiting component. High settings produce 66.5 FPS, Medium 82.1 FPS, Low 103.3 FPS, and Ultra 47.7 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 53.8% reduction, consistent with the other resolutions, but the absolute numbers are far lower. The 4K Ultra result of 47.7 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly targeted for smooth gameplay, while Low at 4K (103.3 FPS) is still very playable. This resolution scaling demonstrates that the RTX 4090’s raw compute is the dominant factor at 4K, and the CPU’s role diminishes to the point where its performance is almost irrelevant to the final frame rate. The data shows a clear progression: CPU-bound at 1080p, balanced at 1440p, and GPU-bound at 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, part of the 8000 series based on the Zen 4 (Phoenix) architecture, is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,064. In multi-threaded workloads, its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20,851 and Passmark multithread score of 24,530 indicate solid throughput for a mainstream desktop part. Single-thread performance is also respectable, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,943 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 951.

Relative to its nearest rivals, the 8400F’s average score of 25,064 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (25,057, deltaPct 0), the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 (25,099, deltaPct -0.1), and the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24,993, deltaPct 0.3). This places it in a tightly contested performance band. In Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU’s role is most pronounced at 1080p, where the frame rates across all settings exceed 100 FPS. At Low settings, the 217.9 FPS average suggests the CPU is the ceiling, as the GPU could likely render more frames if fed faster. The 12 threads are sufficient for the game’s multi-threaded rendering tasks, but the architecture’s clock speed and IPC are the determining factors for these high frame rates.

The transition to 1440p shows the CPU still matters, but the GPU begins to take over. The fact that the 8400F maintains over 100 FPS at High settings (100.2 FPS) indicates it can keep up with the RTX 4090’s output at this resolution, but the Ultra preset’s drop to 73.1 FPS is more attributable to the GPU’s workload. At 4K, the CPU is no longer a factor; even the lowest CPU-demanding settings show frame rates that are entirely GPU-limited. The data suggests that for players targeting 1080p or 1440p high-refresh-rate monitors, the 8400F is a capable match, but for 4K gaming, the CPU’s performance is largely irrelevant to the final outcome.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of how settings affect performance across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 217.9 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suitable for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays. Medium drops to 159.6 FPS, still very smooth, while High (137.0 FPS) and Ultra (100.1 FPS) remain above the 60 FPS threshold. For a balanced experience at 1080p, High is the recommended preset, as it delivers a 37.3% improvement over Ultra’s frame rate (137.0 vs 100.1 FPS) while presumably offering near-maximal visual quality. Ultra is only advisable if the player prioritizes visual fidelity over frame rate consistency, as it still maintains triple-digit performance.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset (119.5 FPS) offers an excellent compromise, providing a 19.3% boost over High (100.2 FPS) and a 63.5% boost over Ultra (73.1 FPS). For most users, High at 1440p is the sweet spot, as it stays above 100 FPS and should deliver a visually rich experience. Ultra at 1440p (73.1 FPS) is playable but may exhibit occasional dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes, so it is only recommended for those who cannot tolerate any reduction in graphical settings. Low at 1440p (157.8 FPS) is overkill for most displays, unless targeting a 144Hz or higher refresh rate with minimal visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the settings recommendations shift decisively toward lower presets. Medium (82.1 FPS) provides the best balance, offering a 72.1% improvement over Ultra (47.7 FPS) while still maintaining a smooth experience. High (66.5 FPS) is also viable, as it stays above 60 FPS and provides a modest visual upgrade over Medium, though the 18.8% performance penalty (82.1 vs 66.5 FPS) may not justify the visual gains for all players. Low at 4K (103.3 FPS) is unnecessarily high for typical 60Hz displays, and the visual degradation is not worth the performance headroom. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the 47.7 FPS average falls below the standard smoothness target, and the data shows no scenario where this preset delivers an acceptable frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 37th out of 1,687 tested combos in Red Dead Redemption 2. This places it in the top 2.2% of all configurations evaluated, which is a strong result given the CPU’s mainstream positioning. The 8400F itself sits in the 82nd percentile among all CPUs, and the RTX 4090 is in the 91st percentile among all GPUs, so the combined rank reflects the GPU’s dominance in this title. The rank of 37 means there are 36 other combos that achieve higher average frame rates, which are likely to feature higher-end CPUs paired with the same or similar GPUs.

The data indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor in this combo’s overall ranking. While the RTX 4090 is one of the fastest GPUs available, the 8400F’s performance at lower resolutions prevents the combo from reaching the very top of the chart. In the nearest rival analysis for the CPU, the 8400F is statistically tied with the Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 7500F, both of which would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in this game. The rank of 37 suggests that swapping the 8400F for a higher-tier CPU could improve the combo’s standing, but the gains would be most apparent at 1080p, where the CPU bottleneck is most pronounced.

At 4K, the combo’s rank is less dependent on the CPU, as the GPU is the primary driver of performance. The measured FPS at 4K High (66.5 FPS) is competitive, but the rank of 37 indicates that other combos with faster CPUs achieve higher frame rates at this resolution as well, likely due to reduced CPU overhead in draw call processing. Overall, this combo is a high-performing configuration in Red Dead Redemption 2, but the data shows that the CPU choice holds it back from the absolute top tier of results.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip, is the dominant force in this combo’s performance. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, which is more than sufficient for Red Dead Redemption 2’s asset streaming demands. The GPU’s 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs deliver raw compute power that is reflected in its benchmark scores: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 and a Passmark G3D score of 38,194. The GPU’s boost clock of 2520 MHz and base clock of 2235 MHz contribute to its high pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s.

The GPU’s role in this game is most evident at 4K, where its rendering capabilities are fully utilized. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (47.7 FPS) is the lowest across all tested settings, but this is a function of the game’s demanding Ultra preset, not a deficiency in the GPU. The RTX 4090’s 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 128 RT cores allow it to handle the game’s advanced lighting and shadow effects, but the data shows that even this flagship GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra. This underscores the game’s heavy GPU load at high resolutions and settings.

At 1080p, the GPU’s role is diminished, as the CPU becomes the limiting factor. The fact that 1080p Low (217.9 FPS) is more than double the 4K Low (103.3 FPS) demonstrates that the GPU has significant headroom at lower resolutions, but the CPU cannot feed it enough frames to reach its maximum potential. The GPU’s 24 GB VRAM is ample for this game, as Red Dead Redemption 2’s texture requirements are well within this capacity, and the memory bandwidth ensures no stuttering from texture streaming. The RTX 4090 is an end-of-life product with a launch MSRP of 1,599 USD, and its performance in this game at 1440p and 4K is exceptional, though the CPU pairing caps its low-resolution throughput.