Red Dead Redemption 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a playable but demanding experience in Red Dead Redemption 2, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. This combination ranks 774th out of 1687 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 78.6 FPS, but this drops to 60.3 FPS at 1440p and further to 36.5 FPS at 4K. This represents a 53.6% performance loss from 1080p to 4K, a pattern that indicates the RTX 3070's rendering throughput is the limiting factor rather than the CPU.

The scaling behavior becomes more pronounced when examining the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 125.5 FPS, which falls to 93.4 FPS at 1440p and 59.1 FPS at 4K. The fact that even at Low settings the 4K result stays below 60 FPS confirms that pixel throughput, not scene complexity, is what constrains this configuration. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution also widens with resolution: at 1080p the difference between Low and Ultra is 67.8 FPS, while at 4K it shrinks to 30.7 FPS. This compression at higher resolutions is a classic sign that the GPU is saturated regardless of quality settings.

Interestingly, the Medium preset provides a useful middle ground. At 1440p Medium, the combo hits 69.6 FPS, which is notably higher than the 60.3 FPS at High. This suggests that users targeting 60 FPS at 1440p should consider the Medium preset, while those at 1080p can comfortably use High settings at 78.6 FPS. The 4K results, even at Medium (43.3 FPS), remain below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that 4K gaming with this combo requires either Low settings or acceptance of sub-60 FPS performance.

GPU Role

The RTX 3070's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for this game's demands at 1080p and 1440p. The GPU's base clock of 1500 MHz and boost clock of 1725 MHz, combined with 5888 shading units, deliver 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. These specifications translate to a PassMark G3D score of 22214, placing the GPU at the 72nd percentile among all tested GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, which scores 27985 (a 0.9% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti at 27956 (a 1% delta). The RTX 3070's average benchmark score of 28238 sits just below the AMD FirePro S7150's 28409 (-0.6% delta) and above the Radeon R9 M295X's 28541 (-1.1% delta). These narrow margins suggest that the RTX 3070 is positioned in a tightly contested performance band.

The GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a consideration at 4K Ultra settings, where the 28.4 FPS result indicates the card is struggling with both memory capacity and compute load. The 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores support DirectX 12 Ultimate features, but the game's performance at Ultra settings suggests these features come at a significant cost. The 220 W TDP and 550 W suggested PSU rating indicate this is a power-hungry part, though the data shows its compute capabilities are what drive the observed FPS figures.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 9600X provides 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its Zen 5 architecture on TSMC's 4 nm process node includes 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmarks show strong single-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3603 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4570. Multi-threaded performance is equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25525 and a PassMark multithread score of 30027.

In the CPU benchmark database, the 9600X achieves an average benchmark score of 28246, ranking at the 85th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13490F with an average score of 28173 (0.3% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 230 at 28164 (0.3% delta). The AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS scores 28369 (-0.4% delta) and the Intel Core i5-14500T scores 28377 (-0.5% delta). These sub-1% deltas indicate the 9600X is performance-parity with several competing options.

Despite the CPU's strong benchmarks, the measured FPS data shows that in Red Dead Redemption 2, the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution. The consistent FPS drops across all settings when moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, regardless of quality preset, point squarely at the GPU. The CPU's 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and DDR5 support ensure it can feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck, even at 1080p Low where the system reaches 125.5 FPS. At that frame rate, the CPU's single-thread performance is sufficient to keep the rendering pipeline saturated.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p in Red Dead Redemption 2?

A: Yes, but only with certain settings. The High preset delivers 60.3 FPS, while Medium achieves 69.6 FPS. Ultra drops to 43.4 FPS, so High or Medium are the viable options for 60 FPS at 1440p.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS?

A: At 1080p, all settings except Ultra (57.7 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, with Low hitting 125.5 FPS and Medium at 93.8 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (93.4 FPS) and Medium (69.6 FPS) presets stay above 60 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with the RTX 3070 and Ryzen 5 9600X?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset (59.1 FPS) approaches 60 FPS. Medium (43.3 FPS), High (36.5 FPS), and Ultra (28.4 FPS) all fall well below the threshold, indicating 4K is not a strong use case for this combo.

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest CPU rival in gaming?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X's average benchmark score of 28246 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-13490F's 28173, a 0.3% delta. This suggests gaming performance would be similar, though the measured FPS data here is specific to this GPU pairing.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance in this game?

A: The data shows the GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions, with 4K Ultra producing only 28.4 FPS. While 8 GB may be sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, the 4K results indicate the card's overall capabilities, including VRAM, are stretched beyond comfortable limits.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The gap is significant: Low (125.5 FPS) versus Ultra (57.7 FPS) represents a 67.8 FPS difference. This shows Ultra settings have a substantial cost, though the game remains playable even at the lower frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 774th out of 1687 tested combinations in Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it in the 54th percentile of all tested combos. This positioning is interesting given that the individual components rank higher in their respective categories: the CPU is at the 85th percentile and the GPU at the 72nd percentile. The combination's lower rank suggests that the pairing does not yield the sum of its parts in this specific game, likely due to the GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The data indicates that this combo is better suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming than 4K. At 1080p, the system can handle High settings at 78.6 FPS, which is a solid result. At 1440p, High settings just barely reach 60 FPS, making it a marginal option. The 4K results, all below 60 FPS except Low, place this combo firmly in the "1080p/1440p" category for this game. The rank of 774 reflects this mixed performance profile, where the CPU has headroom but the GPU limits overall results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 in Red Dead Redemption 2 is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 125.5 FPS
• Medium: 93.8 FPS
• High: 78.6 FPS
• Ultra: 57.7 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 93.4 FPS
• Medium: 69.6 FPS
• High: 60.3 FPS
• Ultra: 43.4 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 59.1 FPS
• Medium: 43.3 FPS
• High: 36.5 FPS
• Ultra: 28.4 FPS

These figures reveal a consistent pattern: each resolution jump costs roughly 30-40% of the frame rate at equivalent settings. The 1080p to 1440p transition at High settings drops from 78.6 to 60.3 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K transition falls from 60.3 to 36.5 FPS. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling loss, from 57.7 FPS at 1080p to 28.4 FPS at 4K, a 50.8% reduction. This data confirms that the RTX 3070's compute and memory resources are the definitive constraint, with the Ryzen 5 9600X providing ample CPU headroom throughout all tested configurations.